Chapter 144
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 144: How to Enjoy a Festival (6)
—Don't you still have many unresolved questions?
"You…!"
I flinched, startled by the Tiger bastard's voice in my head.
I wanted to throw the bracelet away, but he was right, so I gripped it tighter instead.
"Is this a communication item? What were you thinking, giving this to me?"
—Because we have to work together from now on.
"Says who?"
—Who knows. But the fact that you couldn't throw away the bracelet I gave you, doesn't that mean you still have doubts?
As long as you have those, I think I can persuade you.
“……”
He was right.
I was confused right now.
Confused enough that I wanted to at least hear this bastard out, even knowing the high possibility he could be deceiving me.
—I can't harm you from this distance, and we can only talk.
Don't you think it's good for cooling your head at a safe distance?
“...Fine. Let's say so.”
—Hm. Then keep wearing it.
If the item is in contact with your skin, we can also talk by you speaking to me inwardly.
At his words, I stared at the bracelet on my hand for a moment, then slowly put it on.
[The words Tornito said to me tonight are all true.] [0 Points]
There was also the fact that I'd confirmed it with Story Twisting.
There's the possibility that Park Siwoo mentioned... Spiritual Power interfering with my ability... but from what I've seen, his ability seems focused on combat.
As soon as I put the bracelet on, I spoke.
"Will you answer my questions?"
—As much as possible. You have to resolve your doubts if you're to cooperate, right?
"Then… that strange power you use… is it Spiritual Power?"
—To think you know I use a different power than normal Hunters.
Did Na Yuhan realize that, or did you?
"Don't answer a question with a question."
—Hmm, fine. If you want a yes or no, then yes.
My power is Spiritual Power.
“Spiritual Power…”
—It's only natural the Player can't see my status.
Because I'm not an Awakened.
I was surprised at his words.
Not an Awakened?
He's saying he produced the same, no, stronger power than an Awakened with just that Spiritual Power?
"What on earth is Spiritual Power?"
—The power of a special soul.
“...Be more specific. Like what it can do.”
—Even if you ask, I can only say it's the power of the soul.
I don't know much either.
Just that it's a common power among souls from another world, and that it can be passed on to others once it reaches a certain level.
"Useless."
—Better than you.
"You bastard. Can't you speak nicely?"
How annoying.
I glared at the bracelet, then let out a deep sigh.
"Fine. How do you use that power? Because you're a Soul from Another World?"
—Because I inherited part of the power.
"From who?"
—From Lord Cheonho, and from the bastard who inherited it from Lord Cheonho.
Lord Cheonho.
I rolled the name around in my mouth.
The Tower God Cult, the Balder Family... they all worshiped ‘Lord Cheonho’.
But more than that…
"He really existed? Lord Cheonho?"
—Well. It's been a long time since he left this world… but he's a person who clearly existed.
Though I don't know if you can call him a person.
"You're talking about the one who made the Tower, right?"
—Yes.
“Then just call him over and ask him to stop the destruction. Aren't you close? If he's great enough to build the Tower, he must be super strong—"
—That's impossible.
"Why?"
—Because Lord Cheonho has already lost interest in this world.
I was dumbfounded.
What? Lost interest?
"What does that…"
—He is one who wanders many worlds, enjoying himself as he pleases, and then leaves.
And after he leaves, he never returns.
"So, he made a mess and ran, and he won't come back to clean it up? What a piece of trash."
—…Well, you could put it that way…
For some reason, I felt like the Tiger bastard sighed on the other side.
Not that I cared.
No, but, this whole mess started because that bastard made the Tower, and now he's just happily ditched this place to tour other worlds? How does that make sense?
"Total trash."
—Calm down. Nothing will change just by blaming him.
"How can I not curse?!"
—Hm, you have a point. It must be complicated from a human's perspective.
Go on and curse. I have to run an errand.
If you want to talk again, just put your hand on the bracelet and speak.
The Tiger bastard left those words and seemed to cut the connection.
I knew because I felt something snap in my head.
I grabbed my head, feeling uneasy.
That... uh... thanks for the consideration?
…Come to think of it, I felt strange, as if I could show my true personality to this guy… I mean, my ‘prickly self’.
Is it because I don't care if he hates me or not?
No, setting that aside.
“This is complicated…”
First, Spiritual Power.
A power that only Souls from Another World are born with.
But if it can be transferred to other beings in this world…
Could there be others who inherited Spiritual Power from Lord Cheonho?
Even if you have Spiritual Power, does that mean you're not necessarily a Soul from Another World?
No, more than that, what is that Lord Cheonho?
He built the Tower, he can travel freely from this world to that one, and he's the Gumiho's husband!
I grabbed my head as things got more complicated.
“There's too much information…”
It seemed I wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight.
I tossed and turned all night, agonizing over whether I should share this information with Nika or Na Yuhan.
The next morning.
The school path was still buzzing with the afterglow of the festival.
I went to school with slightly hollow eyes.
It was all that Tiger bastard's fault.
Park Siwoo handed me a drink with coconut jelly and asked worriedly.
"You didn't sleep well?"
"Uh, yeah… some complicated things came up. That's why."
"If you're worried about something, you can always tell me. I'll listen."
"Yeah. Thanks!"
I smiled brightly and just said I was fine.
I didn't lie.
It's true that complicated things came up!
"Is that bracelet new?"
"Uh-huh! I got it as a gift!"
"Really?"
I didn't lie!
I forced a smile, racking my brain to avoid lying.
If I told a lie, this sharp-witted guy might notice and start interrogating me.
I'm sorry, but I couldn't tell everyone about this right now.
I still had a lot to ask the Tiger bastard.
"It's almost time for the bell! Go on!"
"Right. You be careful, too."
"Don't worry, hyung! I'll take good care of her!"
"Who's taking care of who?"
"Uwaah—sdop pullinb my teek (Stop pulling my cheek)!"
I punished Kang Yu, who was chattering and bluffing, by pulling on his cheek, and saw Park Siwoo off.
Kang Yu's cheek was soft, so my mood improved a little.
Is this why Choi Sujeong is always fiddling with my cheeks?
I'd gained a new understanding, unintentionally.
After that, daily life was uneventful.
However, the way I spent my nights changed.
Every night, I would ask the bracelet, no, the Tiger bastard beyond it, various questions.
"Are you planning to invade the Academy again?"
—No. Not for a while, at least.
[The words Tornito said to me tonight are all true.] [0 Points]
And as I watched, and felt, him answer me with only the truth, I felt an unidentifiable frustration building up inside.
Maybe the Tiger bastard's Spiritual Power is scrambling your Meta System.
Or maybe you've already been brainwashed.
Maybe his real goal is just to bring destruction to the world, and he's using me for it.
But, somehow, my intuition was telling me that wasn't it.
'Toto-ssi!'
'Yes. What happened today?'
It was because I remembered our time at the orphanage.
I remembered him smiling as the kids ran up and poured out their stories.
While he was with my family, he looked genuinely happy and treated the children preciously.
At the end, when he had to betray us, I even caught a glimpse of guilt on his face.
So…
…Is this too soft a thought?
"I hate you."
—You have reason to. What I… no, what we did must have been a great wound to you.
Even when I spat my hatred at him, he just accepted it silently.
—I'm sorry.
He, who admitted his fault so indifferently and apologized... I just didn't think he could be like that.
I bit my lip as things got complicated again.
“...Then, today's last question.”
—What is it?
“You said you're trying to stop the destruction.”
—Yes.
“Then why did you cause the unusual situation? Does it make sense to cause Gates while trying to stop the destruction?”
At my words, he went silent on the other side of the bracelet.
At that silence, I felt my heart drop.
See.
You have nothing to say.
In fact, everything you've said so far was just to trick me, wasn't it?
At that moment, as all sorts of indefinable emotions swirled inside me,
—It was to drain even a little of the calamity, the greed, inside the Tower.
He spoke.
—It was also to redirect the Gates that would have opened in safe zones or intermediate zones to the danger zones.
“Gates that would have opened anyway?”
—Yes. Hmm… As an example, think of a tightly-packed dumpling that's about to burst.
Dumplings again.
With a strange feeling, I began to listen to his words.