Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: 59. Fireworks (3)
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“I'll help you with the 49,000 won payment.”
Yeoreum, who had been handing over the cash, blinked in confusion.
“Pardon?”
“Uh? Oh. That's 49,000 won. Shall I process the payment for you?”
“What?”
“Pardon?”
The clerk tensed up.
She was a really pretty girl. Incredibly pretty. But what kind of person's eyes were that vivid red? Just looking at them made you want to shrink back. The piercings and sharp expression gave off a vibe like she'd bully weaklings for no reason.
“Why?”
What do you mean, why? Still, the clerk decided to explain calmly.
“That's ten volumes of the 4,900-won single edition, right? So, 49,000 won total.”
“……”
She'd only ever swiped cards every day, never once caring about the actual value of things.
Yeoreum blankly stared down at the bill in her hand.
[10,000₩]
Yoo Ji-tae took Winter to a nearby café.
While the kid happily shoveled the snowflake shaved ice, he sank into thought for a moment.
This was truly bizarre. He'd looped through countless rounds and lived for an incredibly long time with the Apocalyptic Clock. Yet this was a message that had never once appeared. Honestly, he'd only learned today that the workshop even had a concept of 'new rooms.'
What the hell kind of new room? It wasn't an apartment complex or anything.
Even stranger was that he'd already acquired every power available to him as an existence.
If there was room to grow stronger, he would've fought the dragons at the onset of the apocalypse instead. Wouldn't it just be a matter of beating the dragons pouring out of massive rifts spanning hundreds of kilometers?
But his growth had halted at some point. And the Apocalyptic Clock had driven the nail in.
That was it.
The 'world' here probably meant the 'Providential World' in hindsight.
Providence wasn't the flow of the world. It was the principles and laws that allowed the world to flow. Thus, within those principles and laws, there were limits to the power an existence could hold.
That's what you said. That I couldn't grow any stronger. So what the hell does 'growth potential' even mean?
What a mess.
At this point, Yoo Ji-tae decided to rethink the Apocalyptic Clock once more.
The abilities of the Apocalyptic Clock boiled down to three main functions.
Regression, Copying, Analysis
1. Upon Earth's destruction or Yoo Ji-tae's death, time rewinds to around age 27.
2. From deaths linked to Yoo Ji-tae (phenomena severed from Providence), it can copy and collect information and power.
3. It can detect and analyze elements outside Providence.
Number 1 was why Yoo Ji-tae was a regressor.
Number 2 was why he grew stronger through repeated regressions.
Number 3 had various uses in other rounds, but in the 7th round, it was used to find and analyze the malice beyond the horizon.
How's the current analysis going?
The fragments collected from Hasaetbyeol, Wei Lian, the 30-man airborne special forces, and others had stalled at 37.2%. No new people or objects influenced by malice had appeared.
Even so, thanks to this 37.2%, the Apocalyptic Clock had gained a baseline for analyzing the malice beyond the horizon. Based on that, it was currently working on:
It had risen from 5% to 9%.
Lately, the Apocalyptic Clock was agonizing over this. A horde of malice flying in from some distant dimension. Their goal: plunging Earth into catastrophe. The Clock called that time the 「Long Night」.
That's why the clones were running around busily. Hands were short. Soon, he'd need to move himself.
So, which of these three does the 'growth potential' relate to?
Playing around?
So what if you're displeased?
Instead of that, go figure something out.
Not going?
Setting aside what it was for now.
He decided to think about why such a phenomenon had occurred.
What had just happened to him?
Winter had been happy. That was all.
He reflected on the past 'realizations of life.'
The first realization of life was with Spring. When she was boiling nutritional porridge for Summer and made him taste-test it as a favor. He hadn't refused Spring's request. Spring had sat on his lap and showered him with weird praises. Like how cute he looked eating, and such.
The second was with Summer. On the way back to the dorms after her easy first win in the tournament. At the alley corner, as Summer smoked a cigarette and demanded praise from him. He'd praised her hard work. Summer had said, “Nice,” and giggled.
The third was with Autumn. During the first period of sharing video letters with the airborne special forces. Autumn, who worshipped him like a goddess and shared her life with those people, had listened for 20 minutes. Then, overwhelmed, she'd teared up and hugged his waist.
And now. The fourth realization of life.
The common thread?
Time alone with the kids.
And the kids had felt happy.
Yoo Ji-tae looked up at Winter.
She shoveled the shaved ice diligently, scrunching her eyes at the cold. She'd shiver as if the world was spinning, then look at him with sparkling eyes. And a smile would spread across her lips.
What made her so happy? The kid always smiled when she saw him.
“Winter.”
“...Yes.”
“When I just did that aegyo for you.”
“...Oh.”
“How was it?”
“...Funny.”
“Funny?”
“...Yeah. Weird.”
“And?”
“...And, good.”
“Good? Why?”
“...First... aegyo, right?”
“Yeah.”
“...I was the only one who saw your first aegyo.”
“No big deal.”
“...Won't tell anyone.”
He wanted the hatchlings to be healthy and happy, but he knew happiness wasn't a switch you could flip. That's why he was trying to live a normal daily life.
But thinking there was growth potential made him a bit greedy. What should he do to make this kid happy?
Show more aegyo?
“Winter.”
“...Yes?”
“Is there anything you want to see?”
“...?”
“Anything. Tell me if there is. Something you need from me. Or wish for.”
“...Nothing.”
“Nothing at all? Even something small is fine.”
Winter shook her head side to side.
Of course.
Thinking about it, there were plenty of times Winter was genuinely happy, even if not right now. It hadn't always triggered a realization of life. Forcing situations to make her feel good might not yield any benefits anyway.
Still, he kept pondering. Until Winter had polished off the entire shaved ice. And Yeoreum showed up with a sour expression.
“Why the long face?”
“……”
Yeoreum silently held out her fist to him. When he extended his hand, coins clinked into his palm. 200 won.
“Change……”
“What'd you buy?”
“Didn't buy anything.”
“Huh?”
“Couldn't buy shit. So, gimme a bit more allowance.”
“How much?”
“Fifty thousand……”
The kid looked so dejected he didn't feel like teasing. Yoo Ji-tae pulled out a 50,000-won bill and handed it over.
“Huh? Just giving it? Then you should've……”
Her face turned aggrieved.
“You asked for it.”
“Then gimme a hundred thousand. No, a million.”
“Nah.”
“Always doing whatever you want.”
She grumbled as she pocketed the 50,000 won.
“I'll head back then?”
“Yeah.”
By the time Yeoreum returned from leaving the café, it was evening. She had a hugely satisfied look on her face. Probably bought some knife or adult toy or whatever, but he decided not to care.
The sky darkened. Time for the fireworks to start. And at the same time, the highlight of the festival: the masked song contest.
“Oh. Ji-tae. Long time no see.”
On the way, Yoo Ji-tae ran into Mikhailov. Beside him was Sophia in a cat costume, along with RIL cadets in various animal outfits.
Yeoreum snickered and approached Sophia.
“What's with the ears?”
“Cute?”
“Adorable. Doesn't suit you.”
“Don't touch. It's a headband.”
“What's the tail under the cardigan? How's this attached? Fucking wild.”
“Hey. Hey! Quit poking it.”
“Stuck it up your ass to fix it in place?”
“It's a belt, you psycho? Oh my……”
Sophia spotted Winter and her eyes widened.
They'd bumped into each other a few times on weekends.
“What happened? She grew so much? They do say kids grow overnight…… She's gotten so pretty. Hi?”
“...Hi.”
“What is this? Total baby angel…… So squishable. Too lovable.”
Yeoreum clicked her tongue.
“Come here, kid. Unni will hug you.”
Winter smiled faintly and shook her head.
“Aw, why. I'll hug you.”
“...I'm fine.”
“Don't wanna touch Unni's ears?”
“...Headband.”
She dodged whenever a hand reached out.
The other RIL cadets glanced at Yoo Yeoreum. Common occurrence due to her striking looks and number one tournament ranking. Winter, on the other hand, peered curiously at one of the cadets in a bear costume.
Meanwhile, Mikhailov asked Yoo Ji-tae.
“Where you headed?”
“Thinking of checking out the song contest.”
“Ah. Who's performing? That Yoo Bom cadet? Or Yoo Gaeul?”
“Nah. Just spectating.”
“Hmm. Better hurry then. On the way here, it was already getting crowded.”
That was the extent of their encounter with RIL.
It was indeed packed, as warned. Rows of chairs holding over a thousand seats, but the good spots were already full. Yoo Ji-tae had reserved four seats, including one for Bom. Looked like he couldn't pick her up. He messaged Bom.
They sat and waited, and in an instant, the surroundings darkened. Evening had arrived. Before the song contest began, an announcement blared that the fireworks were starting in earnest. [Everyone, count down together!] A booming voice led a countdown.
““10!””
At that moment, voices echoed across the entire academy city. People had gathered at all the prime fireworks spots.
Here too. The audience at the contest raised their voices, counting from 10.
““8!””
Fireworks would light up the sky for the next hour.
““6!””
Winter fidgeted excitedly, clenching her little fists. Then someone stood up beside them. A tall guy, blocking half the sky. Even standing, she still couldn't see. So they stood up too. Still blocked.
““5!””
Suddenly, something hoisted Winter up high.
Ji-tae? No, it was Yeoreum. “Too fucking tall, can't see, right?” Yeoreum said. “...Put me down.” Winter squirmed with a frown, but Yeoreum piggybacked her onto her own neck.
““3!””
The next moment, Yeoreum said something to Yoo Ji-tae.
““2!””
As Yoo Ji-tae crouched low, Yeoreum leaped up onto his shoulders.
Yoo Ji-tae carrying Yeoreum, Yeoreum piggybacking Winter.
Everyone around was below them now. Winter beamed at the unfamiliar height and looked up at the sky. She gripped her hat with one hand to keep it from falling.
““1!””
[Launch—!]
Finally. Dozens of sharp whistles pierced the air as fireworks rocketed into the sky, trailing sparks. Then—boom, bang—they burst, blooming beautiful flowers across the heavens.
The regressor at the very bottom heard the kids above him murmur “Oh.” “...Wow.”
Fiery blossoms filling the black canvas of night. Beneath the beautiful sky.
At last, the masked song contest began.