Chapter 367: A Spoiled Brat Needs a Punishment, Right?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 367: A Spoiled Brat Needs a Punishment, Right?
Even if I couldn’t attack them directly, there were plenty of ways to kill.
If I simply concentrated my Reinforcement into my legs and stomped the ground at maximum output, the resulting shockwave would be enough to kill most of them.
Ignoring my body’s attempts to resist, I lifted my creaking leg.
Kim Ga-eul, who was desperately fighting back; Kang Ha-ni, who clung to me as if she would never let go; and Cathy, who stood with her arms spread wide as if to block my path—their presence made my body even stiffer.
It wasn’t that I couldn’t ignore them, but to say the unpleasantness was mild would be a lie.
I thought I had poured out most of my lingering attachments, yet the influence of the memories remaining in this body was still so potent.
Still, this annoying rebellion of the flesh was almost over.
If I could just cut through this hesitation with one final act, pour out everything that remained, and finally leave, I felt I could somehow force myself to move.
Once the deed was done, this body, which so foolishly defied its master’s will, would surely give up.
I stacked my Reinforcements and put strength into my leg to strike the ground.
However, ridiculously enough, something grabbed the leg I was about to bring down, and the attack failed once again.
The aftermath sent those clinging to me flying, but they likely weren’t seriously injured.
Yet, the moment I realized they were safe, I felt an involuntary sense of relief.
That relief felt like a strange form of unpleasantness, and it irritated me.
I was trying to cut them off, yet I felt relieved that I had failed? Had I gone mad?
Shaking off these stray thoughts, I looked down to see what was holding me. It was Ruyi and Black Shadow. My artifacts were using both Demonic Energy and Divine Power to restrain me.
Now even my artifacts were moving on their own?
“What do you think you’re doing? I never gave such an order.”
— You didn’t. But the master we contracted with certainly did. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say he ‘requested’ it.
— A devil must always keep a contract. For the sake of the contract we signed, I’ll need you to stay still for a moment.
— The Will of the Saint rebukes you!
— Don’t do it. You’ll regret it.
…What is this? Are they trying to film some cheap melodrama?
It wasn’t even funny.
Artifacts that couldn’t even exert their true power without a master to use them—what did they think they were going to achieve?
I’d been irritated for a while now.
No, perhaps it wasn’t irritation, but anxiety.
I thought I had let go of everything, but the things I’d discarded were reaching out to grab me again, pulling me back down. It made me strangely anxious.
When I shook the artifacts off, they ridiculously flew toward the others as if they had planned it.
Ruyi transformed into a blade and flew to Kang Ha-ni; the Will of the Saint went to Cathy; and the Touch of the Devil went to Kim Ga-eul.
Persistent bastards.
I’ve let go, so why won’t you stay gone?
I thought I was the one holding on, so why are you the ones clinging to me, refusing to let go?
Kang Ha-ni charged at me, gripping the sword.
“It’s fine to cry! You can wail! You can act like a spoiled brat! You can make a total mess of things! That’s all fine!”
Even when I struck the blade, she only retreated slightly; Ruyi did not break.
“But you can’t run away. Who said you could run! You acted however you wanted, approached us however you wanted, and left marks on someone else’s life—so you have to take responsibility! I’m never letting you run…!”
I told you, I’m exhausted.
The moment I tried to seize Ruyi back, a storm of Demonic Energy, swollen to more than twice its size, separated me from her.
“I knew it, So-hyun, you really are a loser. How are we supposed to know if you just worry alone, hurt alone, and groan in pain by yourself? You have to say something…!”
The Demonic Energy of Lucifer and Belphegor… and is Leviathan’s mixed in there too?
“If you’re going to barge into people’s lives and stir everything up, you should have expected this. Did you think we’d just say, ‘Oh, okay! Have a nice trip!’ if you said you were leaving? Not a chance. Even if we have to put a leash on you and tie you up tight, we’re keeping you by our side!”
I told you, I just want to stop.
The moment I tore through the Demonic Energy, the gold hidden behind it was revealed.
Clad in Divine Power and receiving the buffs from the Will of the Saint, the blonde woman leaped with all the strength she had condensed.
A fairly heavy impact shook my body, making me dizzy.
I reached out to grab her, but she flowed past me with a refined, soft technique, making the difference in strength meaningless. When I tried to transition into a strike, my own body resisted, leaving me with no options.
“Is this all? Have you forgotten everything I taught you?”
— Even if it’s slow, precise movement is what matters.
Please, just stop.
“It’s too sad to part ways like this, So-hyun. I understand it’s hard. Of course, you might want to rest. But let’s rest for a bit and try doing various things with us. Let’s laugh a lot, try out fun things, and build memories. After that, if you still want to leave… you can at least test that much, right?”
I’m begging you.
“Just leave me alone…! It’s too hard! I can’t do this anymore! Why do I have to keep going through this?! It’s unfair. I hate it…!”
You guys should push me away too.
“I’m sick and tired of stronger enemies crawling out every time I get stronger!”
Even if I killed the Mastermind without anyone knowing, even if I defeated the Demon King who appeared much earlier than expected, even if I blocked a disaster I didn’t even know about—new things kept appearing as if there was always a ‘next,’ and now I’m even dealing with things like gods.
I’m barely even looking at the winter of my first year.
How am I supposed to endure this? How long do I have to endure? What’s coming next? What kind of monsters are waiting for me?
“I’m sick of holding it in no matter how much it hurts, acting like I’m fine, and trembling with fear that you might abandon me…!”
Just because I’m used to pain doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. Just because I’m tough doesn’t mean I don’t feel anything when I’m kicked.
I hate it even more because I’m so damn used to it.
In the end, I’m not the protagonist of a novel.
I’m just an ugly, stupid human, so no matter how much I mimicked one, I was hiding these filthy thoughts in a corner of my mind all along.
“But there’s something even worse than all of that. Do you know what it is?”
The small thing wriggling at the bottom after I’d poured everything out.
The thing that remained until the very end because I couldn’t find the courage to spit it out.
“It’s that I still can’t let go.”
Despite hiding such ugly thoughts, despite deceiving everyone with my acting and hiding my true self while clinging to their warmth.
Despite hurting them and pushing them away with the intention of letting go of everything because I was exhausted.
I still have lingering attachments.
Even after pouring everything out, this twisted possessiveness toward them remains. I’m tired and exhausted, but if I let my guard down, I feel like I’ll want to put the mask back on and stay by their side.
Just because warm emotions have vanished doesn’t mean memories disappear.
Just because guilt has vanished doesn’t mean the events that happened are erased.
Even though affection and guilt were gone, I was horrified by the murky obsession still wriggling in my chest, relying on the remaining memories.
That was why I tried to vomit out the obsession along with all the negative emotions.
Even as my mouth told them to let go, even as my mind thought of them as a nuisance, I found myself thinking that I’d be sad if they actually did let go of me.
There was a part of me that felt a sense of superiority from the hands trying to catch me.
I felt like I was going to fall into a delusion.
A delusion that this murky thing was actually born from the affection and guilt that had already left my body.
If I did that, I’d have to go back.
Back to a life of anxiously watching to see if the flower garden would be ruined, back to a life of trembling at the thought of returning to the snowfield.
After I’ve already pushed them away and hurt them, with what face could I possibly do that?
So, you guys give up.
I’m not the cool person or the amazing human you think I am.
Just let go.
Don’t get hurt anymore, don’t be scarred anymore, don’t let me make you hope anymore, don’t be disappointed in me, and don’t cry like that.
Please, just let me go.
How many times did I push away those who approached me while praying like that, only for others to rush at me again?
As if to reward the efforts of those who persistently clung to me and refused to let go.
“Everyone, good work.”
The sight of the Deity, who had finally finished his preparations and stood up, entered my vision.
In each of his hands, he held the things I had discarded—things he had forcibly gathered and was now clutching dearly.
“Don’t come any closer.”
I tried to push him away because that sight was so terrifying.
“Yes, I’ll help you soon, so don’t worry.”
“I said, get away!”
“Now, now. It won’t hurt. It’s not difficult. It’ll be over soon.”
I tried to lunge at the approaching Sun Wukong, but it was the same.
In addition to the others holding me, even the artifacts bound me so that I couldn’t move.
I have to get away.
I have to shake them all off and run.
“Ugh…! I’m never letting go…!”
“Just stay still for a second…! Please…!”
“Everyone, just hold on a little longer…! Just a little more…!”
I was afraid to shake them off.
* * *
And ‘we’ were watching that scene from atop Sun Wukong’s hand.
‘…You crazy, spoiled brat.’
‘That guy is the same as me? I don’t think so.’
First of all, according to Sun Wukong, I am the lingering attachment and the heart that cares for them, which Kang So-hyun discarded because it was too hard.
Well, even so, to me, it just feels like I’m the same as usual.
‘Crazy bastard. Who does he think he’s talking to? He’s really asking for it. Fuck.’
And the guy swearing over there is also a discarded attachment like me, but apparently, he’s the guilt I feel toward them.
And that thing left alone over there, moving the body—we defined that as Kang So-hyun’s ‘spoiled nature.’
In the end, if you nitpick everything he’s saying, it’s just: ‘Everyone else has it, so why don’t I?’ ‘I’m hurting too, so why do I have to do this?’ ‘It’s hard being with you guys so I hate it, but I still want you to be by my side.’
If that’s not being a spoiled brat, what is?
Honestly, I had a vague inkling that I had that side to me, but I never knew it was such a severe case.
No wonder he kept it hidden. It must be embarrassing.
‘…Everyone is struggling so much because of me.’
‘To think they’d end up like that because of me.’
‘I’m so grateful.’
‘I’m so sorry.’
We, whose opinions were divided, tried to look at each other for a moment, but since we were gathered in a spherical shape, it was hard to tell if we were actually looking at one another.
…This guy is better than that thing over there, but he’s also a bit strange.
“There is a common misconception. Emotions do not divide as neatly as you might think.”
The spoiled brat screamed as he resisted, but Sun Wukong paid him no mind and reached out toward him with us in her hand.
“Affection and obsession are intertwined, and guilt and frustration are connected. Just because one side is drastically reduced doesn’t mean that part disappears entirely.”
Indeed, as we drew closer, I could tell.
The connection between the body and us hadn’t been completely severed yet; a faint trace remained.
“You are lucky to have good comrades. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been able to return.”
However, even if he returned, the vessel was already broken. At this rate, everything would just leak out again, and the same situation would repeat.
“Eat this.”
But Sun Wukong seemed to have a plan, as she held something out to me.
…A peach?
Well, of course, the spoiled brat currently in control of the body turned his head away as if he had no intention of eating it. Sun Wukong, however, didn’t hesitate; she simply pried my mouth open with one hand and shoved the peach in.
“Eat. If you don’t eat, it will be hard to fix you.”
One would think he’d just eat it at this point, but the brat was stubborn and refused to move his jaw. Eventually, as if giving up, Sun Wukong chewed a few bites of the peach herself and then brought her face close to mine.
…Uh-oh.
And then, our lips met.
No, it didn’t end there. The finely mashed, sweet substance flowed into my mouth. Even though I tried to resist, I couldn’t against the difference in physical strength, and I was forced to swallow it.
“Phew, you’re as troublesome as a small child. There’s still more, so don’t resist.”
…Was that really the only way? No, is that all you have to say about it?
I feel like I can sense some incredibly intense gazes from the surroundings.
It feels like the resentment of people who just had their highlight moment stolen by someone else.
I could have sworn the atmosphere was quite heavy just a moment ago.
…Was it not?