Chapter 336
Chapter 336
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 336
Chapter Title: What I Gained from the Memories
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Gong Isu raises his left hand, activating his ability.
The very power that the doctors at Paju Central Hospital had recorded as "[Supernatural Mechanical Engineering Ability That Cannot Be Replicated or Imitated]."
Kiriririk—charruruk—
The helmet decomposes in a surreal manner, briefly morphing into the shape of a surreal hypercube—then meets Gong Isu's right hand and transforms into something completely different.
"Magic doesn't mesh well with this."
Charrururuk—
Gong Isu's head—no, the helmet—changes into an entirely new form. Huh!?
"Whoa!? How did you do that?"
Even Gafu was a bit startled at the time—but he just thought, "Gong Isu showed off some amazing trick."
But I, observing from behind Gafu—
Whoa—so that's what I saw from afar earlier!
From behind Gafurim, I felt a shock that nearly drove me insane.
Gong Isu had turned his head—look at that! It's a mask!
A mask! Hey! Mask! Mask!
Gong Isu is now wearing one of the most stunningly gorgeous masks from my recent collection—seriously top-tier in flashiness—whoa! Masks like that exist! Awesome! No, awesome for real. Calm down. Calm.
No fancy decorations, but it's a delicate, elegant, mysterious mask that gleams like an emerald.
And there it floats right where his face should be.
Let me say it again: utterly captivating—and insanely cool! An all-time great mask.
Kkijijijik! Kwajijijik!
The memory warps with an unpleasant sound.
Ugh, my sync with Gafurim broke. Got too excited, and too much of my Kim Sinhwa identity leaked out.
[System: 'Enhanced Vigilance' activates.]
[System: Penalty trait 'Feast's Sacrifice' activates.]
Churrururuk—
Gafurim's other memories now swirl around me. And that chilling presence creeping up behind me.
Ah, already caught up?
Churrurururuk—
A massive—massive—massive spider surges toward me in an instant.
Eight legs made of tangled, jumbled memories.
Eight huge, blood-red eyes forged from forgotten pasts, lost memories, and inescapable obsessions.
A black, repulsive tumor—or a grotesquely bloated maggot-like abomination of a body.
Just looking at it induces dizziness and nausea—its otherworldly, physiologically repulsive horror of a form.
'But the timing isn't bad.'
No need to worry. I can turn the Weaver of Dreams' ferocious momentum against it.
"Kyaaaaaaa!!"
The Weaver of Dreams unleashes a nightmarish scream.
At the same time, disgusting memories pour out like filthy sewage in all directions.
Heo Sanghyeon sighing, Jang Hyun-deok tearing up, Park Gwangrim frowning, Mun Seunghee cowering in fear, Curtain Call, Yang Seoho.
And the faces of everyone I've met so far.
"Listen!" "To them." "Sigh—" "Their—" "You?" "Voices." "Blaming—" "You!"
"And~" "Your—" "Sins."
The Weaver of Dreams plays back the responses from those who fell for its divisive whispers.
"It's all because of Kim Sinhwa." "Why would you do this to me...." "Kim Sinhwa ruined my life." "That devil Kim Sinhwa." "Kim Sinhwa seduced me." "Kim Sinhwa deceived me." "I fell victim to Kim Sinhwa." "Kim Sinhwa, that bastard!" "If Kim Sinhwa had never shown up..." "Wizard King! Wizard King!" "Lord Kim Sinhwa will destroy this world!"
And the Busan mayor's voice broadcast on public airwaves.
"I declare Kim Sinhwa, perpetrator of heaven-defying crimes, public enemy number one."
I screamed at the endless flood of memories.
『Ah, shut up. Shut up. Shut up! Why is that my fault! It was all those bastards!』
Pajijijijik!
The memories recoil, spewing blue sparks. And amid them, a calm voice.
"Is this how it works?"
Gong Isu's form hasn't vanished yet.
As it fades hazily, he continues irritably.
"No, this is it, right? Yeah. I remember now."
With that—he raises his left hand and makes a strange gesture with awkward motions.
'That gesture...'
Gafurim at the time dismissed Gong Isu's words and actions as the ravings of a madman—but the [Spell Mastery] trait embedded in my mind kicks in swiftly.
Yes.
I know what that gesture means.
It's the mudra to complete a spell.
『Ha! Such a genius, Kim Sinhwa!』
Pajijijik!!
I shed Gafurim's form in one go—reverting to Kim Sinhwa—
Ignoring my unresponsive left hand, I form the mudra with my right alone.
Giiiing—
The mudra Gong Isu made with his left hand in Gafurim's past memory.
Combined with the one I'm making now with my right—they form a single ritual with unified meaning.
[Immovable Binding]
Urrrrrung!
The memories of Gafurim swirling around me collapse. No, not just collapse.
Charrurururuk!!
The memories that ensnared me now become shackles binding the Weaver of Dreams' shadow.
Pajijijijijik!!
Enormous sparks visible only through dreams.
"Kyaaaaaaa!!"
The Weaver of Dreams' scream.
It thrashes like an enraged nightmare, but it can't escape. Control has fully shifted to me now.
『Gotcha! You spider bastard!』
Like a spider binding prey—I wrap and weave the Weaver of Dreams with threads of Gafurim's lingering useless memories and my own mana.
『Heh, the real fun's outside. Let's finish it there.』
No more business in Gafurim's memories.
Dragging the Weaver of Dreams' shadow along—I exit Gafurim's memories without delay.
Whiiiik—
No concept of street or direction, but conceptually, my mind soars upward.
Like escaping the deep sea.
"You're a real son of a bitch."
Far below.
Gong Isu's voice echoes hollowly from the utterly crumbled memories of Gafurim.
That's what I heard earlier.
"What's that supposed to mean? Can't you hear me?"
Gafurim's faint reply.
Gong Isu ignores him and keeps talking.
Even without guarantee I'd hear this message—he just speaks.
"In about two weeks, my past self will come find you—"
"Excuse me? Gong Isu-ssi?"
"Keep your promise and let the dog go. And..."
The voice fades farther.
I've nearly escaped this deep sea of memories. Conceptually, I'm almost at the surface.
Gong Isu's voice grows dim.
"What did Kim Sinhwa take from you? That bastard, I..."
Unfortunately, I couldn't hear Gong Isu's next words.
* * *
My vision brightens in an instant.
Cold air laced with the smell of chemicals.
And Gafurim, bound on the dissection table, fast asleep.
'I escaped Gafurim's memories.'
Before I can savor resolving one incident, Lee Ha-seo clings to my left side.
"Sinhwa-nim! Oh, Sinhwa-nim!"
"Yes?"
"What did you just pull out?"
"Hm?"
"You just stuck your hand into this guy's body and pulled something out, right?"
Ah, that's how it looked to Lee Ha-seo? In real time, it was just a single instant.
In my right hand rests a tiny creature no bigger than half a fingernail.
A spider twitching helplessly, bound by magical restraints.
"Ha. So this was the vector."
This is the [Filino Aranea] that the Weaver of Dreams implanted in Gafurim's body to manifest its power in reality.
Tiny as it is, it contains everything it needs.
For example—I can use this to craft an expulsion spell affecting not just the Weaver of Dreams, but even the Blind Weaver.
"Not a bad haul."
Or—I could manipulate others' memories or tendencies just like the Weaver of Dreams. With some effort, I could fix Jeong Hyeon-a's or others' 'breakdowns'...
"Sinhwa-nim, Sinhwa-nim."
Lee Ha-seo, pressed close to my left arm, whispers excitedly.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Want me to reattach that hand for you?"
"Hm?"
[System: Accept 'Suspicious Medical Service' from 'Mad Scientist Doctor: Lee Ha-seo' to remove 'Hand Severed (1, dominant hand)' penalty?
Agree (Mana Stone x200) / Decline / Analyze (Medical Knowledge)]
Not a bad offer.
My left hand isn't working properly right now, causing headaches.
The issue is...
[System: Analyzing success rate using 'Medical Knowledge' trait... Intelligence check success!
'Suspicious Medical Service' success rate: 38%.
Failure effects: 'Hand Severed (1, dominant hand)' removed, but two of the following added: 'Mutation: Tentacle (High-Performance)', 'Mutation: Tentacle (Low-Performance)', 'Mutation: Tentacle with Mouth', 'Mutation: Tentacle with Eye'.]
Two tentacles instead of a hand, huh.
"I'll pass."
"Aw, why not?"
Same expression as last time.
Right. Toying with bodies like playthings won't solve anything.
'Better to take time and fix it properly.'
Same for mind and relationships.
Don't chase quick fixes and turn into a monster.
I gently push away the clingy Lee Ha-seo and say,
"More importantly, could you check his blood like I asked earlier?"
What am I, some ice essence dispenser? Mana stones don't just pop out of me.
* * *
[You shattered the cunning trap prepared by the abyssal being 'Weaver of Dreams' and returned to reality. But in the process, you confronted a shocking truth. You witnessed how those who cherished you were hurt and broken because of you.]
"Hey, you bastard. Good job talking."
Ah, making me curse at thin air like a lunatic again.
I set Lee Ha-seo aside for a moment to check the message window's rewards.
"Was that my fault? Why do you assholes always pull the same pattern? Was I personally out there ruining those people's lives? If you pin your crap on me—do you think I'll go 'Oh no—trash Kim Sinhwa. Guess I gotta die' and bawl my eyes out?"
I've said something similar before.
This is just childish harassment.
Suppose some ni mo ssi picks out guys close to Kim Sinhwa and beats them.
Is Kim Sinhwa the bad guy? Or ni mo ssi?
[It's not over yet. This is just the beginning. Abyssal dwellers are moving for you. A new incident will find you soon.]
"Yeah, bring it. As if I'll just sit still."
[You defeated 'Filino Aranea'. Understanding of divine kin in general increases.]
Not defeating the Weaver of Dreams.
Just uprooted its influence rooted in Gafurim's mind via its kin.
No way to take down an abyssal being that easily.
[Achievement unlocked! You expelled 'Abyssal Being – Weaver of Dreams'.
Acquired 'Advanced Achievement: Dream Interpretation'.
Reward: Relationship with reporter – Gafurim advances; bonus EXP gained.]
[System: Relationship with 'Reporter – Gafurim' changed to 'Firm Ally'.]
Got close to Gafurim.
[You've accumulated enough EXP to reach the next level. Level up by 1.]
And leveled up.
"Whew."
All sorted out.
Time to head back and tidy up the rest.
The commotion halted work on the escape device using the Rakrex grimoire.
"Um..."
I stop mid-step as I prepare to leave the hospital in one go.
"Yeah. Even if I'm leaving, I should resolve what needs resolving."
I need to meet Gong Isu.
He said his past self (future from my perspective) would come in about two weeks, but I have words for the Gong Isu here now.