Chapter 87
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Temple (4)
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Eun-young couldn't quite wrap her head around the situation.
Yoo Chae-young was known to have died during the great disaster called the S-Rank Dungeon Break.
The team that had been exploring the dungeon when it broke was the one she led.
Eun-young didn't know what Yoo Chae-young looked like, but she couldn't accept the idea that she was alive.
“Relax. That woman isn't one of the living.”
“Huh? Really? Wait, what?”
If she wasn't living, that meant she was dead.
“A gh-ghost?”
“Oh my, how harsh.”
“Th-that’s not what I meant.”
Startled, Eun-young bowed her head deeply in apology.
Chae-young, who had hopped off the desk, smiled as if to say not to worry.
As Ji-han had said, Yoo Chae-young was dead.
The Yoo Chae-young standing before Eun-young and Ji-han was a spirit form, carrying on the will of the living Yoo Chae-young.
“Well, it’s the truth.”
“Hey! How can you call her a ghost right in front of her!”
“You’re the one who called her a ghost.”
“No…”
“And what else do you call a ghost but a ghost?”
Calling her a spirit form was putting it nicely; in essence, she wasn't much different from a ghost.
The only distinction was that she wasn't a malevolent spirit. But even that was ambiguous. Weren't there good ghosts in the world, too?
The foundation of a spirit form was lingering attachment.
A strong, unresolved regret from before her death had tethered her consciousness to this place.
“How rude.”
“Rude? I see no need for courtesy when I don’t even know if you’re an enemy.”
“You’re lying.”
If he truly thought that, Ji-han should have been holding his sword.
The fact that he had sheathed it was proof that his assessment was already complete.
It was rare to find someone whose words, mind, and body all moved in different directions.
It was proof that he could act without hesitation if he set his mind to concealing his intentions.
Yoo Chae-young walked up to Ji-han and Eun-young and smiled.
“Let’s talk.”
“Talk?”
“Yes. Believe it or not, I’m the one who saved your lives. Can’t you at least be my conversation partner?”
“I could have handled it just fine without your help.”
“You’ve got a lot to say for the first one to barge in here. You’re not the one I invited, you know?”
“Do you really think this woman could have come here alone if it wasn't for me?”
Ji-han and Yoo Chae-young glared at each other.
They weren't holding weapons, but it looked like they could start fighting at any moment.
Caught in the middle, Eun-young didn't know what to do and tried to placate them both.
Chae-young backed away.
“Well, you’re not wrong, so I’ll let it slide this time.”
“If you want to chat, you two can do it yourselves.”
“I will, even if you don't say so.”
“…”
“I have no interest in your story. You look like you don't have any friends.”
“That’s right! You don’t have any friends, do you?”
Eun-young naturally sidled up to Yoo Chae-young.
Ji-han plopped down on a nearby sofa.
He hadn't let his guard down, but for now, it seemed there wouldn't be any trouble.
“Do whatever you want,” Ji-han muttered, half-resigned.
* * *
[02. Eun-young noona!! 7 days ago]
└ Song Eun-young (Follower): That’s what happened ㅎㅎ 3 min ago
└ Kang Han-gyeol (???): Wait. Yoo Chae-young? 1 min ago
I had finally managed to sync up with Eun-young-noona and was communicating with her by leaving comments in real time.
It was a small mercy that she had decided not to kill Eun-young-noona until Ji-han left the temple.
‘But…’
Was the Transcendent Yoo Ji-han really the Yoo Ji-han from the future?
No matter how twisted the space-time of the dimension I possessed was, this was just too much.
Yoo Ji-han was the only person I could form a bond with in the Tower.
Though I could climb it alone, I didn't want to sever our connection for a reason like this.
There was something else that bothered me.
In my memory, Ji-han was definitely not a dual-wielding swordsman.
Putting together what Eun-young-noona said, I could tell that Ji-han used two swords.
He had only brandished both when entering the space where Yoo Chae-young was, but he wouldn't carry two swords for no reason.
I suspected he was the Yoo Ji-han of the future.
At the same time, the possibility that he was a Yoo Ji-han from a parallel world wasn't entirely zero.
While I was lost in thought, a new comment from Eun-young-noona appeared.
“Wait, does that mean I can get back the sword I gave to Choi Soo-hyun?”
He might still have it!
I went through so much because of that sword.
Or was I getting ahead of myself?
Just thinking about the Transcendent Yoo Ji-han made my head throb with all sorts of thoughts.
“Still, Yoo Chae-young’s spirit form in the temple of the god Veritas…”
I leaned back on the sofa, crossing my arms.
I hadn't told anyone yet, so I was the only one who knew this fact.
I scratched my messy hair.
How was I supposed to explain this to those two?
It felt strange to tell them, but keeping it to myself was unsettling in its own way.
└ Song Eun-young (Follower): Yeah. She’s not alive, but I think it’s really Yoo Chae-young. 10 min ago
└ Kang Han-gyeol (???): How long can you stay there? Oh, what about food? 7 min ago
└ Song Eun-young (Follower): I’m fine thanks to Ji-hanㅋㅋㅋ I think I could last a month? It’s just frustrating being so cooped up. 5 min ago
└ Kang Han-gyeol (???): I’ll try to find a way for you to get out. 3 min ago
└ Song Eun-young (Follower): Thanks, but don’t push yourself too hard. 1 min ago
└ Song Eun-young (Follower): Oh, right!!! And tell him thanks for the ring. 30 sec ago
I moved my hands to type another comment.
└ Song Eun-young (Follower): Thanks, but don’t push yourself too hard. 2 min ago
└ This comment has been deleted.
└ Kang Han-gyeol (???): I saw that ㅋㅋㅋ 30 sec ago
└ Song Eun-young (Follower): It was a typo, okay? 20 sec ago
Her comment was clearly rushed, as if she was flustered.
└ Kang Han-gyeol (???): I’ll be sure to pass it on. 50 sec ago
└ Song Eun-young (Follower): Thanks. 10 sec ago
It seemed we had covered everything we needed to.
After finishing our conversation, I immediately called Choi Soo-hyun.
Might as well get it over with quickly.
Choi Soo-hyun answered before the phone could even finish ringing.
He had been scaling back his work lately, seemingly preparing for his return.
─ What is it?
─ Hyung, is now a good time to talk?
─ Go ahead.
I calmly summarized the contents of my conversation with noona.
At first, Choi Soo-hyun treated it as nothing important, but his attitude changed the moment he heard the name Yoo Chae-young.
─ The god Veritas made Jeong Hyun-seong a demigod?
I sipped the coffee I had ordered from room service and remained silent.
When he said the god Veritas had targeted the unaffiliated Jeong Hyun-seong, one possibility came to mind.
‘A vessel.’
A large-scale cognitive error.
And the rare appearance of an Unaffiliated Awakened One.
Unaffiliated Awakened Ones weren't chosen by the gods because they were useless.
To put it another way, Unaffiliated Awakened Ones were souls with the potential to become gods themselves.
There could be only one ruler.
In a situation where everyone besides me was a competitor, it was only natural to be wary of those with the potential to become yet another rival.
A full-grown tree must be cut down with an ax, but a sprout can be plucked out with a few kicks.
Gods are fundamentally unable to interfere with the mortal world. But the story changes if they become a demigod by using the body of an Unaffiliated Awakened One.
‘Perhaps.’
The original owner of this body, the real ‘Kang Han-gyeol,’ might have been just like Jeong Hyun-seong.
What if I took his place just before his soul vanished?
In that case, the current situation wasn't entirely impossible.
─ Have you told Si-woo?
─ I’m trying to figure out how to tell him.
Park Si-woo would undoubtedly listen calmly, but that didn't mean he would be okay.
As I got to know Park Si-woo, I realized he had a way of making people vaguely uncomfortable.
Choi Soo-hyun sighed.
─ Fine. I’ll tell him.
─ Oh, thanks.
─ You could at least pretend to refuse once. Come on!
─ Refuse what? It’s awkward for me to tell him, too.
─ And it isn't for me?
─ You’ve been friends with Park Si-woo for ten years, hyung.
─ Ugh, forget it. And it’s been twenty years, you brat. Or has it been longer?
─ That’s disgustingly long.
─ You have no idea.
It seemed the matter of Park Si-woo and Yoo Chae-young was more or less settled.
─ Anyway, how long are you planning to stay cooped up in that hotel room?
─ For a while? Though I might change my mind if you let me sleep at your place.
─ Shut up, my house is too small.
─ Wow, you say that when your house has a yard? I miss Syong-syong.
─ Syong-syong doesn't miss you! Get lost!
With the boss raid just a week away, I was essentially on standby.
A week was an awkward amount of time to enter a dungeon.
─ My point is, what are you doing hiding in the corner of a hotel room? At least come outside, you shut-in.
Contrary to his appearance, Choi Soo-hyun had workaholic tendencies.
Even after becoming an official at the Association, his workload was by no means small.
Even though he looked like he was just playing around.
No, this seemed like a bigger problem.
Choi Soo-hyun seemed displeased that I was holed up in my hotel room.
That man must have been someone's mother in a past life.
Ugh, such a nag.
─ The temple.
─ Temple? The god Soter’s?
─ It’s complicated to explain, but there’s a lot to do in the temple.
─ Does the god Soter even have a temple?
─ Of course!
That was half-true and half-false.
Since he possessed a collapsing dimension, there had to be a temple somewhere.
‘I just don't know where it is.’
Well, as long as I could make a decent excuse, be it a temple or a dimension, that was enough.
─ Well, good luck. As long as you’re not just slacking off, that’s fine.
From his tone, it seemed Choi Soo-hyun already knew I was coming and going from Soter's temple.
After all, when Eun-young-noona had stormed into my place in a frenzy last time, he had treated it as no big deal.
It was a vague point to ask when he had figured it out.
─ I’ll be back before the raid, so don’t worry.
─ Right, okay. Got it.
Choi Soo-hyun, judging that he had no right to stop me from entering the temple, readily agreed.
* * *
[Entering the Lobby of the Tower of Trials.]
[The Feilia Dukedom]
Bodyguard for a merchant caravan, dungeon exploration, solving a murder case—you have accepted the Guild Master's requests and resolved various incidents in the capital. Some mercenaries now recognize you, praising your achievements with curiosity.
I don't need any of this! Just tell me why you summoned me to the capital!
Finally, a summons from the Guild Master. But didn't this happen last time? Hmm, this feels ominous. Should I just run?
Floor: 11
Objective: Complete the Guild Master's request with a companion.
Reward: Contribution Points [30,000p]
(11th Floor Administrator's Authority)
The bustling scene of the mercenary guild was now a familiar sight.
I raised a hand toward a passing waiter.
“Ready to order?”
“A dark beer, please.”
I subtly showed him the golden pass from my pocket.
Thanks to the golden pass issued in the guild leader’s name, I could use most of the guild's facilities for free.
It was a truly minor welfare benefit.
“Huh? This works? I was told you need a party for that. Why? Oh, I’ll have a dark beer, too.”
“Understood.”
A woman with a short bob ordered from the waiter.
The waiter nodded and turned away.
My eyes met with the woman sitting across from me.
She tilted her head slightly, looking at me.
“Who are you?”
“That’s what I’d like to ask.”
I tilted my head, studying the woman.
She had just used the word ‘party.’
Judging by that word, she was likely a challenger from outside the Tower, just like Yoo Ji-han.
I had come to my senses in the guild lobby several times before, but this was the first time someone was sitting in front of me.
If she had just sat down at an empty table, there was no way I wouldn't have noticed.
In other words, the woman had appeared with me from the very beginning when I came to.
The woman crossed her legs, her arms folded.
“Looks like there was another person who tried to enter a party floor alone. I thought something was strange.”
A party floor? Come to think of it, the status window did mention something about a companion.
I just never imagined it meant a companion from the outside.
The woman looked me up and down, then extended her hand.
“My name is Lee Eun-hee. Oh, but just call me Yuri inside the Tower. The people here have trouble with the pronunciation for some reason. So, what’s your name?”
As expected, Lee Eun-hee was a challenger from outside the Tower.
Even in this twisted space-time, I never expected to meet someone from outside the Tower directly, and my mind went blank.
What should I say?
“I’m Yoo Ji-han.”
Ah, to hell with it.