Chapter 205
Chapter 205
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 205
Chapter Title: Chapter 11. The Mage of Mages (25)
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Eeeeeeng-
It was tinnitus, the kind that ripped through my eardrums.
The pillar of light shooting up from the altar was a vivid emblem of death, and with every step I took toward it, my own end felt more palpably close.
Plop.
It started with the extremities—fingers, toes.
Like rotten fruit, my fingers dropped off one by one until only a stubby, Doraemon-like hand remained. The gun that fell with them clattered against my foot, sending me tumbling weakly to the ground. Who knew a person couldn’t stand properly without toes? Far from the distant battlefield, there were no people or even mutant traces around the Happy Blind settlement—the epicenter of it all—probably because of this.
[Shell. No matter how I think about it, is there really any reason we have to go this far?]
Hyde. Ah, if only I could let you go. The brother born from my broken mind was bound by my stubbornness, forced to stare death in the face.
[That’s not what I mean. I’m talking about you. Our goal in the end is just to survive, right? Sure, if we’d left the box alone, everything from here to Sector 40 would’ve been turned to ash. It would’ve been a world overflowing with Type 2.5s—far nimbler and more unique than fresh Type 2s. Some with big ears, sharp eyes... We couldn’t hide in shelters like before. We’d end up like penniless refugees, chased around until we died miserably. But... isn’t that still better than this? Clinging to a sliver of hope instead of crawling toward certain death—that’s always been our way, hasn’t it?]
His voice was urgent, laced with worry, mirroring the crisis. Cute guy.
Plop, plop.
“Guh-heok, ugh—”
Crawling forward in spasms, something else fell off. Nose, ears. My eyes stung like I wanted to gouge them out—were they drying up too? My skin was festering and burning away, but only my left arm and the black, hardening extension from it brimmed with vitality. The junction throbbed with pain like a steel pillar being driven into living flesh.
“That’s... right. My... way.”
Plop.
Tongue.
[...Goddamn it! Then turn back! If it’s too hard for you, I’ll figure out how to move and drag us back! Why cling to that damned thing looking like that?!]
Why? Why, huh. This guy asks tough questions too.
‘Because... I want to live.’
People facing death get lost in thought. Their past life. Joys. Regrets. Memories swarm in as the end nears.
Those who brace for death daily think even more. Always fearing it, yet half-hoping today might be the day. Vague plans form for that moment.
Scraaaape.
As my hook-like fingertips scraped the joints of this hard, angular left hand growing rapidly, I pondered. When this covered my whole body. How would I face that moment of death?
The vague end of my life was laid bare by that life-devouring light. Like a rough gem polished by chisel and hammer, glowing. All my unremembered experiences, agonies, resolves fused into the essence of my being.
Some call it conviction, others life. Or soul... The crystallization of existence.
As the end approached, everything clarified.
The Professor, tongue gone, delivered his final words to them in their most familiar space.
‘I am... Professor Park. No memories until three. At four, I remember loving the aquarium near our semi-basement home where our family of three lived. Stubborn in kindergarten. In school, buried in books and movies instead of friends. Dragged to war ignorant, massacred countless, survived, made it here.’
[Yeah. You lived with all you had, cheesy as it was. I know.]
‘To Ian? Met in Sector 45 underground bunker. A bit off, but sharp mind, endless dumb jokes, always dragging crazy problems— a friend.’
‘To Bex? From 14th Special Forces, tied to guilt-born alliance turned friendship. Prefers “Hapburn,” someone never to lose again—a friend.’
‘To Dana? Long-time online pal. Years of observation gave personality pass. Weird first meet sparked feelings I didn’t notice blooming. Plus countless others. Ezel, Chief Young, Brother Mongclair, Cynthia, 47 chat folks—they all remember [Professor Park] their way.’
Plop plop. Craaack, craaack!
Festering skin sloughed off, flesh and muscle following limply. Black crystals sprouted in their place, filling voids instantly. No more pain. No hollow loss of sensation.
Consciousness faded like a distant echo.
‘That’s all [me]. [I] is meaningless without others to distinguish from. If I flee alone beyond Orpheus’s range, biologically I’d survive. But what’s the point? Nine-tenths of memories defining Professor Park gone from the world. Better burn my private sliver to preserve that nine-tenths. That’s truly surviving, isn’t it?’
I’d thought that once. In a trash order for a general’s merits, amid thick gas, watching blood pour from father’s eyes and nose into his mask— that boy’s face.
Chaining mother to drugs near poison, then her peaceful smile after escape, handing everything as she was gutted.
The Professor saw himself dominated by those memories. No— not dominated. Growth. Completion. Their bodies returned to dust, but memories shaped a life still.
Life isn’t just beating heart and brain.
Craunch, crunch!
Strength surged into melted knees. From shed human flesh, black form rose. Soul fully bared, its eyes pierced the sky-piercing light.
‘One... worry... This death... mutant cells chose... death realm... Reach you too, Hyde...?’
[I’m... I’m... fine.]
Ssss—
A smile formed at lips burned away.
‘Told you... You’re not my... mental illness. Game glitch... or memory-born... From when I didn’t think exactly like you... You’re complete... as entity... Hyde.’
Craaack. Scrape, craaack! Crunch!
In this mental space, Hyde grieved his form: mutant left arm, mouth, black shadow otherwise. Not just peering memories— no outlet for surging shock, chill, warmth. Only claw hands raw watching his only family vanish.
‘One... favor...?’
[...Anything.]
“Groooooh...”
Monster groaned. As strength returned to its body, Professor’s awareness blurred.
‘When I’m gone... many will... wander lost. Then, grab them. You have my... memories... all. Tell friends, lover, people how I remembered them. Hold hands... so they don’t stray.’
Plop plop.
[That’s... like a will?]
‘Payment for... inheriting this fine body.’
[You clown bastard... Joking even... now...]
‘Path to remain... me. Gotta be... me to the end.’
Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.
Plip. Plip plip. Drip. Plip.
Amid endless black-space drips, new sounds mixed. Hyde’s body now fully monstrous like outside. Ripped yellow eyes beastly, yet shed human tears.
Cruuunch, roooar—
Monster’s bulk rose.
‘Got work... so... this is it?’
Professor’s voice stayed serene to the last.
‘Thanks... for everything. Hyde.’
[...You worked... hard. Professor.]
Whoosh!
Like a candle snuffed, Professor vanished before Hyde. Flickering embers left.
And.
『KAAAAAAAARRRRGH!!!!!!!!』
Crunch!
Four clawed limbs gouged wasteland, propelling the bulk forward.
Forward. Toward that light, vivid in hazy memories.
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Zzzzzing—
The memory was too intense; I couldn’t snap out of it. Professor Park’s final human memory burned blindingly clear, a lighthouse piercing darkness.
Confusion clouded the monster’s eyes slumped on the familiar sofa.
“So, the original...?”
[Quit with the original bullshit! Human Professor Park’s life isn’t decided by that hunk of meat! Yeah! Maybe ‘human Professor Park’ is gone, and what’s left is ‘hero Professor’! But after peeking that memory, you think that matters?!]
“Uh... well...”
[No, right? Just say it. If you still don’t get it after this, I’ll smash your brain, reset physically, cram all those hanging memories in. You’ll be an idiot sure, but 100 times better than this pathetic loser.]
Hard to respond. That iron-branded final memory still blazed, clearing fog, reminding how pointless my worries were as time passed.
[Your dead-fish eyes are back to dog eyes. Better? Sober now? Call it miracle or chance. Puzzle of Professor Park—one piece gone from world, identical spare slotted in perfectly. ‘Professor Park’ remains whole. You’re you, idiot.]
Spotting Professor regaining sanity, embarrassed, the dark-red monster smirked, patting the recovered, bloody head.
[Kept the promise, shell. Grabbed wandering Professor Park’s hand as requested.]
Hyde’s mind sparked with fun thought amid smirks.
[Maybe this is the real you.]
‘...What?’
[Andrey Gedroits. Orpheus from GC—Gedroits Company tech summit. This game too. Data soul maybe prepped for moments like this.]
‘That’s... a stretch. He’s no god. Impossible without predicting all this.’
[Hmm... Yeah? Then just a ‘miracle.’]
Cackling, slapping monster back, Hyde thrust left arm forward.
[Almost forgot. Welcome back. Glad from underworld, Professor. Thought I’d see you only after I died. Lucky bastard, huh?]
...Pfft.
‘Handover of inheritance... postpone a bit?’
Still confusing. Fully alive? Dead and replaced? Unclear.
But one realization from Hyde’s memory:
It meant nothing.
‘I was nuts. Yeah, still am. But who I am, real or fake—what’s it matter to obsess? Got breathing room, so dumb thoughts bubbled up? Even with malware brain...’
More I thought, more embarrassing. This airs too. What’ll Bex, Ian, Ezel think? ‘Fatso philosophizing—give him a gun, drop frontline, no meds needed’?
‘Thanks to Hyde a hundred times over. Pulled me from that horrific [abnormal status].’
Professor decided to think easy. Necessary process anyway. Lingering infection prods in skull meant 100% erosion held, but after slamming through, no weird thoughts.
‘Tch. Gotta thank him proper. Body upkeep, psycho counseling. Poor Hyde worked hard.’
Awkward, embarrassed, grateful for brother-like Hyde, warm farewell on lips—
Blubblubblub!! Bubble bubble!
“Cough, hack?! Guh?!”
[What, what?! Sudden?!]
Froth spewed from Professor’s mouth; Hyde’s eyes widened in horror.
Spring!
[Oh! Your body!]
“Grrrrr, m-my, grublgh?!”
Rumble!
White lightning split black space, shaking beyond.
[Sorry! Got emotional, forgot time! Thought memory ping and bail was fine!]
Right. Body. No brain linked to connector, GG ends. Grand realizations, but choking now? ‘Fuck, dying!’ filled head!
“Grrrk! Th-that, chokglrk, grrk!”
[Heh sorry! I’m out! See ya!]
“Khek, grrrk! Kek! Guuuuh!”
Hyde clapped hands goodbye-ish, fled to white-light-split consciousness beyond.
‘Ughhh, air, can’t... breathe...!’
In brightening black space, Professor felt heart stop real-time, blacked out.
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