EP.312 Yggdrasil (3-21)
“———!!”
Min Hayeon's eyes snapped open as a deafening wail assaulted her eardrums.
What the hell? Why is it so damn loud….
A pounding headache and dizziness hit her at once, but she forced herself to shake it off, scanning her surroundings with gritted teeth.
Through her blurry vision, she could make out a vast arched space filled with light.
But she instantly recognized what that light was.
A cave? This place….
It wasn't enveloping her—it was leaking in from the darkness beyond. The moment she realized it was a cave, a voice echoed in her ears.
“What do we do… Uncle… Hic… sob…”
It was a woman's sobbing.
Even in her dazed state, Min Hayeon pinpointed the owner immediately.
But the throbbing pain made her doubt it, so she turned toward the sound for confirmation.
About five meters away, Han Bom was clutching someone's arm, bawling her eyes out.
Bom? And next to her….
In the dim cave, Han Bom blocked the other person's figure from view.
But her words gave it away instantly.
“Uncle…. Hic… sob.”
…Su-ho.
Seeing Han Bom clinging to Seong Su-ho's arm and wailing, a wave of sorrow hit Min Hayeon harder than her headache.
Bom must've really been through hell. Falling that hard for a guy she met less than a week ago….
To Min Hayeon, Han Bom was closer than most relatives—they'd spent more time together than even her parents, if you counted the years.
And she was certain of one thing.
Han Bom would never fall for a guy lightly….
From Min Hayeon's view, Han Bom had been in absolute crisis.
Su-ho must've been her savior. And I was probably just in the way….
Seeing Han Bom like that actually brought Min Hayeon a strange sense of relief, like a weight lifting off her chest.
She loved Seong Su-ho, sure—but her familial love for Han Bom was stirring her to let go.
But even as that relief washed over her, something felt off.
“No… I don't want it like this again!”
“…?”
What was so bad about it?
As anxiety crept in, Han Bom's next words made her eyes widen.
“Don't die… Uncle.”
“What!? What the hell does that mean?!”
***
“What!? What the hell does that mean?!”
Min Hayeon screamed loud enough to bring the cave down as she charged toward me.
…Total mess.
If any phrase summed up the situation perfectly, it was this.
Han Bom was already sobbing into my arm, and now Min Hayeon was joining the pile-on….
[The plan didn't go as thought, but it seems to have produced satisfactorily pleasing results.]
Yeah.
Just as Armonia said, this chaotic mess was pretty much the outcome I'd aimed for.
Before escaping the dungeon, I'd witnessed Min Hayeon and Han Yeoreum clashing.
And in that moment, it hit me.
(Crazy… Did she drug Hayeon?)
I didn't know how Han Yeoreum slipped it to her, but the status window confirmed Min Hayeon had been dosed.
Non-Friendly Hallucinogen (-15min 45sec)
The same stuff I'd given Han Bom.
(Han Yeoreum… You've really gone too far.)
But what was done was done.
We pushed through the dungeon anyway. The moment Min Hayeon, Han Bom, Han Yeoreum, and I crossed the passage, we warped to some isolated forest.
Then Min Hayeon's hallucinations kicked in.
The real shock came right away—she nocked an arrow at Han Bom the second her symptoms hit.
If I'd looked away even for a second, it would've been bad.
Luckily, I was right there watching and blocked her shot. She panicked at the sight of me, then turned and fired at Han Yeoreum behind her before bolting.
(Gahhh! It hurts!)
Thankfully, she didn't kill Han Yeoreum—just winged her shoulder and leaped over.
Min Hayeon fled, leaving Han Bom frozen in shock, unsure what to do.
(Gahhh! H-Help me!!!)
(Han Bom! Treat Han Yeoreum first!)
(Ah! Okay!)
I yelled at Han Bom to patch her up, then chased after Min Hayeon.
Even with the Red Crescent in my pocket, things could've gone south, and she might've gotten seriously hurt.
But the real problem didn't end there.
Haa… Han Yeoreum… Annoying me to the bitter end.
The cursed dagger.
I never expected Min Hayeon to use a dagger.
I figured it'd be arrows if anything—but not this.
At least it's shallower than when Bom stabbed me.
[Blood transfusion continuing. But prolonged exposure risks bodily strain. Proceed with caution.]
Got it~
I replied chipper over comms, but my face stayed stone-cold.
The Red Crescent goons showed up right on cue after the stab. I knocked Min Hayeon out quick, gave them orders, and bailed.
Then Han Bom arrived.
She'd half-assed treating Han Yeoreum and chased after me. The second she got there, she fretted over Min Hayeon's state, then spotted my arm and started healing it.
But….
“N-No way! Nooo!!”
She knew from experience.
Why it wouldn't heal….
Bleeding out, I grabbed Min Hayeon and Han Bom and hunkered down in a nearby cave.
Han Bom wailed into me for ages, and that's when Min Hayeon woke up and came charging.
Han Bom couldn't answer through her tears, and I just stared weakly.
Min Hayeon pressed, frustrated.
“Bom! Tell me! What the hell happened?!”
“I-It’s….”
Han Bom explained my wound wouldn't heal, laying out how dire it was.
Min Hayeon's face drained white as she yelled.
“No way! Potions! Use potions!”
She yanked every potion from her inventory and dumped them on my shoulder.
“Why… Why isn't it working?!”
But the bleeding didn't stop.
Han Bom knew it was futile but couldn't stop her—she'd felt that desperation herself.
After exhausting her potions, Min Hayeon stared at the unhealed wound, lips trembling.
“Who did this!? Huh? Tell me! Monster? Red Summoner?”
“I-It’s….”
“Bom! Spit it out! If we find the bastard, maybe we can heal you….”
“S-Sis… ter.”
“…What?”
Min Hayeon scowled, mishearing.
“Bom. This isn't the time for games! The culprit—.”
“Hayeon.”
I cut in between them.
“Hoo… Remember that dagger you stabbed me with earlier?”
“What? Stabbed? Me? What are you talking about?”
“You suddenly knifed me out of nowhere.”
“When… Huh?”
Memories flooded back—she covered her mouth.
In her haze, she'd stabbed a Red Summoner she didn't recognize, ambushing him as he passed and jabbing his arm with the cursed dagger.
Her hand stroked the wound on my arm, then she looked up at me, trembling.
“Th-This… No way… I did this?”
She shook her head, protesting.
“N-No… Su-ho… It wasn't me… I didn't mean to… Really….”
“Hayeon.”
“Y-Yeah…?”
Her eyes unfocused as she stared.
I took her tear-streaked face in hand and spoke.
“Sorry for putting you through hell.”
“D-Don't say that! This isn't the time for apologies….”
I pulled her close, whispering in her ear so Han Bom couldn't hear.
“Next time I cause trouble, smack me upside the head.”
“Wh-What? There's a cure, right!? Right!?”
She misunderstood completely.
I gave a wry smile.
“…Next time, make sure I don't make you cry like this.”
“Don't joke!”
Realization hit, and she clung sobbing.
“There has to be a way! I won't let you go like this!”
“Hayeon… Even with my alchemy, I don't have enough mana for a curse purge. Plus….”
I stroked her hair.
“Feels like karma for stressing you out. Next time….”
“Now matters! What happens to this you if we regress?! No… I don't wanna lose you like this….”
She buried her face in my chest, wailing.
Her cries mingled with Han Bom's nearby sobs. Han Bom blinked teary rabbit eyes and finally spoke.
“S-Sis… What do you mean? Regress?”
…Shit.