Chapter 216: Choi Eunju
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 216: Choi Eunju
I didn’t even need to look back to know what would happen. After enduring a hellish time, I had grown stronger, gathered comrades who could help me get revenge, and resolved to become ruthless. Many other things had happened, but I pushed away all the memories replaying in my mind. I felt I wouldn't have to see such memories anymore.
‘Don’t look… Don’t show me… Pl…ease…’
After everything faded away, the one kneeling and weeping was none other than Choi Eunju’s psyche.
Her spirit, now incredibly small, looked so fragile I could have shattered it completely just by squeezing. I could understand why she had kept this memory locked away so tightly. I slowly opened my mouth to speak to her.
‘It’s your fault.’
In truth, it couldn't be considered her fault.
‘Ah… ahh…’
‘It’s your fault. This tragedy would never have happened if you hadn’t brought that man here. Your poor husband, who cherished you so…’
‘Ah… Ahhh… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, my love.’
The emotion pouring out of her was sorrow. She was being sucked deeper and deeper into her own feelings. My own spirit, drunk on that emotion, was growing stronger, bit by bit.
Looking down at the incoherent Choi Eunju, I realized the job was halfway done. The next step was to make her feel favorable toward me, but the plan had changed. A much more efficient method had come to mind.
I slowly reached out my hand.
Fragments of various memories began to pour out. Her memories, of course.
‘D-don’t. Don’t!’
She screamed desperately, but I began to erase the memories of the man within her mind. The memory of eating together, of spending the night together—I erased every memory she had with that man, from beginning to end. She shrieked as if fighting for her life, but she had already been completely consumed by me.
‘You don’t have to suffer anymore.’
‘Ah…’
The moment I stroked her head, she immediately calmed down. It wasn’t a perfect job, but I began to forcefully shove my own face in place of her husband’s.
It was the form of Blood Dagger, without horns and with human skin.
As her memories with him vanished, new ones filled the void. Eating with me, spending the night with me, going on a picnic with me, going on a hunt with me.
The one who died for her was not her husband, but me. The father of the child who died was also me. It was difficult work, as I wasn't used to it, but after rummaging through countless memories, I continued the process.
The longer the work went on, the fainter Choi Eunju’s psyche became. It was becoming too much for her to maintain her form in this mental world. As the process continued, I could see just how special her husband had been to her, but I felt no guilt.
Though she carried a great wound, she, too, was someone who had hurt others. Even if she had a purpose, it could not be justified. Of course, this wasn't a thought I had just to justify my own actions.
It was a time-consuming task. Various memories swirled around, and I came to understand the woman named Choi Eunju more and more.
Fundamentally, her personality was gentle and submissive. If I had to compare, I thought she was most similar in personality to Jung Hayeon among the women of the clan. Unlike Jung Hayeon, who was kind only to me, I remembered Choi Eunju as having been a very good person before the incident.
She had become quite eccentric after it happened, but I was starting to feel a little anticipation for how the awakened Choi Eunju would change.
I had completely overturned Choi Eunju’s mind and even confirmed that my image was properly imprinted. This would have been impossible if her psyche hadn't been consumed by sorrow.
After the work was finished, I saw Choi Eunju’s spirit approaching me again. When I unconsciously reached out to her, my own spirit was suddenly flung outward.
The spell’s duration had ended. Or, I thought, it might be because her mind was returning to normal.
Fwoooosh!
When I snapped my eyes open, I saw Choi Eunju looking at me.
Her eyes were, of course, brimming with tears. I couldn't help but feel that the plan had succeeded. I spoke in a perfectly calm voice as I held her in my arms.
“Eunju.”
“M-My love… H-How…”
In her memories, I must have been human. The exact details could be filled in after we returned to the clan, but this was enough for now. Except for the horns and different skin, I was the exact same person as the husband in her memories.
It didn't matter if the story was that I had returned alive or, however absurd, that I had crawled my way back from hell. Before I could even say her name again, she burst into tears and threw herself into my arms.
“My love… My love! Sob… sob… sob…”
I could feel her body heat. I felt a subtle emotion within me grow a little larger. Her life had affected me as well. Doing this a second time might damage my own psyche. Only then did I understand what Alisha had meant when she said it was dangerous. It seemed to be an aftereffect of staying in her mind for so long.
Choi Eunju was clinging to me like a puppy abandoned by its owner. When I glanced down, I noticed a strange look. Jang Ye Ri seemed a little flustered.
“Hmph…”
The way she avoided my gaze suggested she hadn't expected this outcome. As if to vent her frustration, she started heading back to the battlefield, and I made a very simple request. Just as we had discussed, Jung Hayeon’s roots covered Choi Eunju and me, and screams continued to ring out from outside.
I had already grasped how strong she was, what unique ability she possessed, and what class she had.
If we were talking about sheer power, just her stats alone, she was stronger than me. Of course, given the difference between a magician and a warrior, she might show weakness in a one-on-one fight, but that wasn't necessarily the case for her. Without Jang Ye Ri’s help, it was more likely that I would have failed to capture her.
Her class was Sorcerer Lord, which could be called the highest tier for a magician. Her unique ability was, as expected, Teleportation. There were a few restrictions, like casting time, but they weren't significant enough to worry about.
“Sob… sob…”
Choi Eunju continued to weep without saying a word. I spoke to her quietly.
“The South and the Spider Clan are our enemies.”
Without a shred of doubt, she nodded through her tears.
“Yes, my love.”
Soon, Choi Eunju began to chant a spell. I had no way of knowing what it was, but after some time had passed and Jung Hayeon’s roots receded, Choi Eunju’s voice rang out.
“.........................!”
I saw a massive rift tear open in space. It was the spell she had been in the middle of casting earlier. For a moment, I worried the process hadn't worked and glanced at her, but her face was turned toward me. Jang Ye Ri looked at me in alarm, but I simply nodded.
After the space tore open, the dying humans from the South and the survivors of the Spider Clan were cramming themselves into the narrow rift. At my gesture, Park Han Cheol and the other clan members from the East, along with the executives of the Blood Dagger Clan, appropriately cleared a path for them.
I felt a slight unease, but instead of speaking to her, I caressed her waist and kissed her. Choi Eunju immediately lowered her hands.
Simultaneously, screams began to erupt.
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
“You… son of a biiiiitch!”
“Master! Master, what… what is this!”
As if they couldn't comprehend what was happening, their bodies began to distort. It seemed she had decided to eliminate them all at once instead of casting individual spells. It was likely a different spell, very similar to Teleportation. It wasn't a high-accuracy magic, but it seemed to be the type that twisted space itself.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!”
“Gwaaaaaaaaargh!”
Screams that could no longer be called human burst out, but Choi Eunju remained quite composed, kissing me. She wore an incredibly sweet expression, one that was very similar to the one she had during her first kiss with her husband, which I had seen in her memories.
An immediate silence fell.
The first person to approach and speak was Jang Ye Ri.
“I didn't help you expecting this kind of result, my lovely mate.”
“My love?”
Mev came running over, flapping her wings.
“Chieftain!”
Jung Hayeon and Baek Ahyeon looked equally bewildered.
They must have fought a fierce battle, as their bodies were spattered with blood, which made my state of embracing Choi Eunju a little awkward. Gark, Hark, and Orbo the Shield seemed to be expecting a new heir, as they were nodding their heads repeatedly. Alisha looked at me with slightly trembling eyes.
“My love… who are all these people? A mate…? All this time…”
Looking at Choi Eunju, who was staring at me with wavering eyes, I had to admit I had made a small mistake.
*
Persuading Choi Eunju wasn't very difficult. The story was simpler than I thought. It was a cheap setup—that I had come to find her in a different body—but Choi Eunju seemed to believe me. I told her that the women of the clan and Jang Ye Ri were women I had met in the process. I’ll never forget Choi Eunju’s reaction then.
‘Sob… sob… A-Are you tired of me now? Please, don’t abandon me.’
Digging through Choi Eunju’s memories, I knew that while she deeply followed and loved her husband, she wasn't ignorant of the unique nature of this world.
Her husband had been more capable than the Kim Taesung of my past life, to the point where Choi Eunju herself had asked him to accept another woman who loved him.
Of course, having felt Choi Eunju’s emotions at that time, I knew how much her heart trembled as she looked at her husband. But contrary to her request, the man had chosen only her.
In other words, Choi Eunju wanted to have her husband all to herself, but she had respected his wishes as much as possible.
This was likely due to a psychological desire not to be hated, not to hold him back, or to be seen as a generous and wise woman. But none of that mattered to me now.
Seeing her reaction when she devoured the South and the Spider Clan, it seemed the influence from her time with the Spiders remained, but the more tangible change was that she followed me even more devotedly. That same Choi Eunju was now asleep, being carried on the back of Orbo the Shield.
“A new heir is coming!”
“Krrrrk! A human, but a very strong woman! The heir will surely be strong too!”
Whether they knew how Jung Hayeon or Baek Ahyeon felt, the warriors chattered on about this and that, making the atmosphere quite grim.
Mev, as if she already knew Choi Eunju would be joining us, was wearing her crown and trying to show off the greatness of the official wife.
“Hmph… She’s slow to wake up.”
Even though Choi Eunju was still asleep, Mev seemed to want to make an impression for when she woke up. Seeing her riding in a palanquin made by the Goblin Three Sisters made me sigh.
Jang Ye Ri looked like she had a lot to say, but…
[We’ll… see each other… later, my mate. You’d best be prepared then. And I’ll be taking Lee Wanyong for a while longer. I trust you’ll honor my request. Grind.]
…she left me with those words and headed for the great city of Garia. And now, I was talking with Alisha.
“Ah… she has likely fallen into a state of sleep due to the slight change in her psyche. I don’t think you need to worry.”
“I see.”
“In your opinion, does she seem to be alright?”
“Y-Yes. It went much better than I thought… She seems unstable for now, but after we return to the Brother’s Land, if we prescribe some medicine and make a few adjustments… I-I’m certain she will stabilize.”
“Understood.”
Thankfully, it seemed there were no problems. I had expected as much, but I had succeeded in a very delicate operation. Gaining Choi Eunju was, without a doubt, the greatest achievement, one that would unconditionally help in all future endeavors. Teleportation—a power that could be called a cheat. Of course, if Alisha hadn't appeared at the right time, it would have been impossible to obtain her in this manner.
I turned my head to look at Choi Eunju, sleeping peacefully, and a smile inadvertently escaped me.
Separate from gaining her, the thought of Park Hyeri, locked away in the clan’s dungeons, made me feel incredibly good.
I hold grudges for a long, long time.
It took another year after that. The thought of teaching her just how fucked up it is to lose something precious sent a shiver down my spine.
The idea that revenge is meaningless is complete bullshit.