Chapter 208: Residents of a Ruined World (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 208: Residents of a Ruined World (4)
The dungeon we were currently in was the type where the scenery changed slightly every time we opened a door and moved forward.
Each room was larger than expected and teeming with monsters, which slowed our investigation. By the time we cleared roughly the eighth room, the Professor suggested we take a break, so we were currently resting.
“…And that’s how it happened.”
Though, the atmosphere felt less like a break and more like a public hearing.
Professor Park A-ram, currently kneeling, explained the situation to Professor Cathy and me, who had joined the group late.
Honestly, I had wondered why we were suddenly in a dungeon, but so that was the story.
I actually thought she would hide the fact that she was from a previous world or that she had a separate true form, so it was quite surprising that she revealed it even to Baek Seol and me.
“Well, everyone here except for Kang So-hyun already knows the story anyway.”
…Huh? Baek Seol knew too?
When I turned my gaze toward Baek Seol, I received a rather shocking answer.
“A while ago, the Professor claimed that heroes don’t get drunk and did a tasting of a special drink made specifically for heroes. I was the one who looked after her then. She told me everything while she was wasted.”
The Professor immediately whipped her head away.
It might be a bit rude to think this, but the way she avoided my eyes the moment they met, coupled with her pouting, aggrieved expression, made her look a bit like a child.
“…Kang So-hyun? What were you just thinking?”
What the—you were looking away. How did you know?
“I was thinking how difficult and unfortunate it must be for you. Something you’ve waited so long for went up in smoke. As your student, how could I not be worried?”
“Haha, did you never learn that you lose a hand if you’re caught bullshitting? Do you have any idea how many looks of contempt and persecution I’ve endured?”
“And you think you know what I was thinking?”
“Of course. I know exactly what you were thinking.”
“Do you have proof?”
“Proof? I have proo—”
“Enough. What on earth are you doing with a cadet?”
The Chairperson sighed, clutching her head as if a headache were coming on.
“Cadet Kang So-hyun, since very few people know about this, I ask that you be careful not to let this information leak outside. I’d like to prevent this from escalating into a major incident if possible.”
Though it feels like it’s already too late, the Chairperson added, looking somewhat pitiful.
But really, why do my professors keep telling me information that isn’t supposed to be leaked?
First, Professor Cathy trusts me completely, so she can’t even fathom the idea of me spreading rumors. Plus, she probably feels that since I got caught up in this mess, I have a moral right to know why it’s happening.
The Chairperson likely thinks I have information about the future through some means, so she’s setting the stage to make it easier for me to share helpful intel.
As for Professor Park A-ram, who spoke to me so calmly…
“…Well, jokes aside, now that you’ve heard the story, Kang So-hyun, you understand why I told you not to use that power that day, right?”
It seemed she hoped I would gain some sort of realization after hearing about her past.
“You mean like, even if some guy in a mask suddenly shows up and asks, ‘Do you want power?’ I shouldn’t follow him?”
It was probably a dungeon joke on the Professor’s part to keep the mood from getting too heavy, but the one who actually reacted wasn’t me—it was Professor Cathy.
“O-Of course. Would So-hyun ever fall for such a temptation?”
Well, she must feel a bit guilty.
It turned out fine in the end, but she did end up challenging the trial presented by the Masked Villain and Awakening because of it.
Wow, thinking back on it, that was a bit much. If the villain hadn’t been me, it could have been really dangerous.
Yes, but since it’s all my fault, I don’t think you have anything to feel sorry for, Professor.
— Right, at least you’ve developed a bit of a conscience, haven’t you?
Sun Wukong teased me snidely, but unfortunately, I had no comeback.
“Anyway, now that the overview of the incident has been explained, let’s get to the main point. Shall we organize the information we’ve gathered during the exploration?”
How should I put it?
It wasn’t my first time seeing them work as heroes, but there were things I only realized after acting as a team with them at such close range.
Whether it was because they were a team that had worked together for a long time or because they were simply veteran heroes, their sense of pacing was incredible.
They didn’t keep things perpetually tense, but they didn’t let them get too loose either. The way they handled what needed to be done and addressed what needed to be checked felt strangely professional.
“Ah, come to think of it, I noticed there are many monsters similar to the ones from my hometown, but there are also an unusually high number of plant-type monsters. I wonder why that is?”
“It’s likely due to the influence of the Philosopher’s Stone.”
“…The Philosopher’s Stone?”
Based on what I heard earlier, the point where the berserk state began was the Philosopher’s Stone. Considering the person who created that stone, it wasn’t particularly strange.
“What’s the connection between the Philosopher’s Stone and plant monsters? Kang So-hyun, you might not know this, but the ingredients for a Philosopher’s Stone are usually humans or higher-order beings.”
“Ah, well, that’s…”
I can’t exactly answer, “That’s because this is a plant-based Philosopher’s Stone created by a genius!” can I?
I’m not supposed to know that.
“Uhh, well…”
The Chairperson was already looking at me as if she expected me to give some sort of hint, and the Professor was eyeing me with suspicion, thinking there was some connection between me and the Masked Villain. It didn’t look like I’d be able to brush this off easily.
“Since the starting point of the berserk state was the Philosopher’s Stone… I suppose you weren’t entirely certain when you said ‘likely.’ Isn’t that right, Junior?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Fortunately, Baek Seol jumped in at the right moment, giving me an excuse.
I mean, honestly, I don’t mind clearing up misunderstandings later, but I really don’t know how this dungeon is going to turn out. It would be troublesome if the Chairperson suddenly started expecting things from me.
Thankfully, both of them let it slide for now.
* * *
Park A-ram and Leilan were standing watch a short distance away.
“Ah, this isn’t working either. The mana stone for the barrier is fine, but the generator is dead.”
Of course, they said they’d let it slide, but that didn’t mean they actually had.
“Well, no point beating around the bush. What do you think of Kang So-hyun?”
They had told the others to get some sleep since they would take the first watch.
In a place where the senses were dulled, it was hard to be sure, but according to their internal clocks, they had been focused on exploration for two full days. It was time for a rest.
If it had just been the two of them, Cathy might have been suspicious, but thanks to the presence of the two cadets, they managed to avoid her suspicion as well.
“He’s hiding something. I have a rough idea of what it might be. He probably can’t tell us even if he wanted to.”
“I suppose so.”
During their last encounter, even the Masked Villain had shown a moment of wavering at the very end.
If her guess was correct and Kang So-hyun was related to him, it wouldn’t be strange for him to know about the Philosopher’s Stone he had received.
And if he was under some sort of restriction or curse, it would make sense why he couldn’t provide accurate information.
Or perhaps he was simply being blackmailed.
“Well, we can’t force him to speak. It’s not like he has any ill intentions, so let’s wait a bit longer.”
“True. And the dungeon isn’t at a critically dangerous level yet.”
Though, honestly, I doubt it’ll stay that way.
A small seed of doubt lingered within her.
She suspected the Masked Villain might have done something to the Philosopher’s Stone, but she personally felt the likelihood was low.
Maybe if she met him in person, it would be different, but she didn’t think he was the type to torment a poor cadet just to find out.
Even when she performed the final inspection herself, there were no abnormalities. He wanted to make her his ally, so why would he suddenly trigger a berserk state if it wasn’t a restriction or a curse?
She was only entertaining the doubt because it was right to keep all possibilities open, but why on earth would he torment a cadet?
Leilan also seemed to be thinking about him, as she sighed and shook her head.
“He’s still so young, yet he carries so much on his shoulders.”
…Wait, is Leilan starting to catch on too?
Well, she always did have an excellent sixth sense.
“I know. Kang So-hyun must be having a very hard time.”
When Leilan shot her a sharp look, it seemed they were indeed thinking the same thing.
“The fact that Cadet Kang So-hyun sometimes notices incidents and responds before we do… it’s because of ‘that,’ isn’t it?”
“Yes. And come to think of it, the reason Cadet Kang So-hyun frequently finds himself in danger is also because of ‘that,’ right?”
They both gave a small nod.
After testing the waters here and there, they were now certain.
So Leilan had been suspicious too.
She had wondered why Leilan was so obsessed with finding information on the Masked Villain lately, even going as far as making a replica of his mask to display. It turned out it was all for the sake of her precious cadet.
And here I thought she was looking into him so intensely because she’d fallen into some sort of late-blooming love. My mistake.
“I’m sorry for misunderstanding, Leilan.”
“Yes, Kang So-hyun is…”
“Right, Cadet Kang So-hyun is…”
Now certain, they began to reveal their answers to each other.
“He’s likely being blackmailed by the Masked Villain.”
“He knows about the future, albeit in a limited capacity.”
…Eh?
The answers they thought would be perfectly aligned were completely different. Wait, what?
“He knows about the future?”
“No, the Masked Villain? Where did that suddenly come from…?”
It seemed that while they thought they were on the same page, there was a fundamental misunderstanding.
“I mean, Kang So-hyun told me himself…”
“Based on my deductions…”
And so, they talked.
They talked to find out who was wrong, and if they were wrong, why such a misunderstanding had occurred.
Fortunately, no monsters appeared during their watch, and after their conversation, they were able to reach a conclusion.
There had been no misunderstanding from the start.
Yes, there was a reason their answers were similar even though they were thinking different things.
“So, you’re saying Kang So-hyun said he heard information about the future from ‘someone else’?”
“…Yes. And there’s a villain who moves as if he knows the solution before an incident even occurs, just like Kang So-hyun.”
They nodded simultaneously.
This time, they were definitely thinking the same thing.
There was no way to confirm it, but they felt they had come very close to the truth.
“So you think it might be that villain who gave Kang So-hyun the information about the future.”
“Yes. If we think of it that way, many things are explained.”
Of course, if this hypothesis were true, it would mean Kang So-hyun had some sort of relationship with him much earlier than she had thought. But based on the information they had, it was hard to think of any other possibility.
“…He had a very unhappy childhood and was an outsider until recently, so he would have been easy to approach.”
“As a professor, it breaks my heart.”
Though they didn’t realize it themselves, it was a night where misunderstandings deepened in many ways.
If Kang So-hyun, the subject of their conversation, had heard this, he would have desperately denied it.
But unfortunately, he wasn’t there, and the burden of the consequences would belong to his future self.
* * *
“So-hyun, aren’t you cold?”
“No, I’m fine.”
My ears had been itching a bit and I felt like I was going to sneeze, but I felt like something terrible would happen if I did.
“Really? I was going to tell you that you could come over here if you were cold.”
I woke up because I felt a chill while sleeping, only to find the Professor putting me to the test.
Professor. Sharing a blanket is one thing, but sharing the same sleeping bag is a bit much, don’t you think?
…Anyway, I’ve slept in much more uncomfortable places before. Why did I suddenly wake up?
I have a bad feeling about this.