Chapter 266
Chapter 266
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 266
Chapter Title: Episode 88. Those Who Meet Will Part (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
— Go to the underground labyrinth.
— Find Morning Star there.
— The light of paradise will already have faded from her.
— Take her out.
— And care for Morning Star with the utmost sincerity. Provide her a home. Give her work. Create a life for her.
— So she can live like everyone else.
— I'll cut off communications while you're helping her.
— Contact me via watch when it's done.
Following the Sovereign's orders, Clone Two stood in the underground labyrinth.
And there, he faced Morning Star.
"……."
At the door to the inner chamber untouched by paradise's light. Her hair was unkempt and unmanaged, grown wild. She'd tried to keep clean, but living in the dusty labyrinth had left her face grimy.
Beneath it all was a well-trained body. Her muscles were perfectly proportioned. She was short, so her frame was still small, but it seemed she'd trained diligently.
"……."
The corruption of her mind had lifted too.
Morning Star, now stripped of paradise's light, sat blankly at the labyrinth's entrance, gazing up at Clone Two.
The two stared at each other in silence for a long while.
Eventually, Clone Two bowed in Korean style.
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Morning Star. I am your guide."
"……."
"Shall we go? I'll find you a place to live and help you get a job."
"……."
There was no reply from Morning Star.
She almost seemed deranged. Her vacant gaze was slightly unfocused, her body slumped like a marionette with cut strings.
"Why no answer?"
"……."
"I'd wait if I could, but I can't delay. I have a lot on my plate. If you need more time, just say so."
"……."
"No words, huh... Fine, I'll take charge then."
Clone Two approached her. Morning Star's hazy eyes turned toward the advancing clone, but still lacked focus.
As he reached out, she instinctively shrank back. Even that motion was slow and weak.
"Easy. I won't hurt you."
"……."
"Relax. No harm will come to you. My only job is to help you go out and live well."
Her words weren't getting through. So Clone Two had no choice but to scoop her up in his arms.
Carrying her, he began walking. The labyrinth lived up to its name, twisting along winding walls. It would take time to reach the exit.
Along the way, Morning Star stared blankly at the labyrinth ceiling. A pitch-black void swallowed by darkness.
"We are……."
Her lips parted then.
"...Where are we going...?"
A high, fragile voice that stirred protective instincts. But weak and slurred, slow.
Clone Two pondered briefly before answering.
"Planning to go to Korea."
"Korea...?"
"Yes. Familiar territory, isn't it?"
No response, so they walked on.
She spoke slowly.
"Do you know who I am...?"
He didn't know much.
Yoo Ji-tae hadn't told Clone Two details—who she was, why she'd been confined here, and so on.
Of course, Clone Two hadn't asked. There were reasons the Sovereign kept it from him.
"Who are you?"
"A woman without a home……."
"As I said, I'll get you one."
"No job either……."
"What are you worried about? Same for work. As an awakened superhuman, finding a job won't be hard."
"No one I know……."
"Stop with the needless worries."
"Is it needless...?"
"Aren't I your first connection right now? There, you've got one. And as you get a home and job, more will come."
Her eyebrows furrowed into an inverted eight at his quick retort.
"You make it sound so easy……."
"You're awfully timid."
"I'm really worried……."
"I wouldn't be. What's the gain in worrying?"
"You're saying I'm the problem...?"
"Seems like it."
"……."
Morning Star's hazy eyes narrowed.
'What a punk. Kid acting all high and mighty...'
She grumbled very softly. But he heard.
Clone Two stopped mid-step and set her down.
If not for the Sovereign's order to care for her sincerely, he'd have thrown her.
Suddenly on the ground, she looked up blankly.
Clone Two spoke.
"We haven't even left, and you're already fretting so much?"
"……."
"Let me say it upfront. No more weak talk. Helpers like me hate hearing it. Got it?"
"Fine……."
"That's a promise."
"What promise……."
"No weak talk."
"Okay……."
"Not just words. We'll be together at least two weeks. Keep thinking like that, and you'll just shrink away. Wasting my time."
"I said I got it……."
"Swear it. No whining."
"How...?"
Good question. How to swear? As Clone Two pondered—
"...Have a pinky swear...?"
"Good. Do that."
Clone Two pinky-swore with Morning Star.
She pulled away quickly, annoyed. But this should stop the whining.
He picked her up again.
And beyond the dark path stretching far ahead.
Finally, he found the bright exit and stepped out.
Morning Star's new life was beginning.
...
"Where's your hometown?"
"Jeongseon, Gangwon-do……."
"Jeongseon? Let me check."
Clone Two's search halted. Jeongseon in Gangwon was wiped off the map by the East Asia War aftermath, still not fully rebuilt.
"...Not there. Let's go to a city."
"I like the countryside."
"Why?"
"Don't like people……."
"Countryside has people too."
Morning Star glared irritably.
"Ha, fine. How about Wonju?"
"That's a city."
"Wonju's no city."
"Went there as a kid with friends."
"How rural are you?"
"……."
"Aah, got it. Goseong then. Goseong County."
"Sounds good."
"Man, seriously……."
Country bumpkin doesn't even cover it.
"What? I'm no bumpkin."
"Never thought that."
...
"Well, at least a nice house?"
"No need."
"Fine, no house. How about a three-room officetel? Three-room officetel sound good?"
"That's fine too. Just a studio."
"Why insist on a tiny studio? I said a nice place is okay."
"Why are you so set on a big place for me?"
Why? Sovereign's orders.
"Big houses are nice houses!"
"Small ones are nice to me."
Clone Two ruffled his hair.
"Damn it."
The realtor watching them chuckled and scratched his head.
"You two seem close."
"We're not." "We are."
They straightened up, and the realtor wiped sweat from his gleaming forehead, apologizing.
...
"Aigoo, it's cramped."
"Big for a studio. Perfect for one person."
"Perfect how? Bed to kitchen in one step. Turn your head, bathroom. Somersault and you'd bust through the wall."
"Who somersaults at home?"
"Just saying."
"It has everything. Washer, fridge……."
"Obviously. Picked the largest full-option studio."
Who picked it? Clone Two made a smug face, but Morning Star frowned displeased.
They went shopping together.
Frying pan, rice cooker, computer, hangers, table, chairs, daily necessities. Air purifier, exercise gear, electric blanket too.
Finally, a power rack. Morning Star's stubbornness—she couldn't quit strength training.
The already tiny studio felt insanely cramped now.
'Care for her sincerely.' No plan included this.
The clone sighed.
"……♬"
But Morning Star hummed happily.
She eyed the power rack, dumbbells, kettlebell with joy.
...
"Not joining the military?"
"No."
"Why? Operator-type superhumans are top-tier anywhere. Waste of talent."
"Don't want to."
"Then be a gym trainer for superhumans. You seem well-trained."
Morning Star shook her head at Clone Two.
"Can't teach."
"So this is what you want?"
They stood before the nursery.
Fewer people than other cities meant fewer votes, underfunded rural nursery.
The faded sign tilted 15 degrees sideways.
Inside, half building, half containers. Kids lived there.
"Miss Morning Star."
"Yes."
"I don't know much about you. But I know you used to be a nursery teacher."
"I was."
Morning Star had been a nursery teacher.
She loved young children.
Lost them in the war.
"Heard you had a dream. To save more people."
"That's right."
"With your abilities, you could save more, in a better place."
Clone Two spoke sincerely, pondering her career.
Her age: twenty-eight in Korean years.
Not too late to start.
"Don't let past ghosts hold you."
"……."
"Might be presumptuous, but for your future."
"...It is presumptuous."
"……."
"I want to change the world. But can I change something this big?"
"Why not?"
"My mind clouded, I served in the military for years. I know how it works."
"Noble ideals are gone these days……."
"I'm not haunted by ghosts. Realistically, this is the size world I can change."
She pointed at the nursery.
"This is my world."
...
And she failed the interview.
"Kukuku."
"Don't laugh……."
"Kuhuhu."
"Stop."
"Sorry. Why'd you fail?"
"They need teachers, but budget's tight. No pay to offer."
"Tch. Money matters."
"Unemployed for now……."
Something occurred to Clone Two. He chuckled, opening his mouth.
"So, how's it feel to be cast out by the world—"
Then Morning Star grabbed his throat.
He learned her muscles were built for heavy isolation lifts.
"Aaaagh—!"
...
That night.
An anonymous monthly donation of 5 million won was set up for Goseong County Office Public Nursery.
...
Next day. Morning Star's eyes widened.
"Huh?"
"What's up?"
"Uh......"
Fiddling with her watch, she stared at Clone Two in shock.
"Told to start tomorrow...?"
"Oh. Good news. Something nice happened at the nursery."
"Guess so."
Beaming, she held out her hand.
Awkwardly, Clone Two high-fived her.
...
"So, home and job secured."
"Ah. Yes."
"You worked hard these two weeks."
"Yes......"
At her studio door.
Morning Star met Clone Two's gaze steadily.
Just like their first meeting.
They stared silently.
"Thanks for the help."
"No big deal. That was my job."
"I was stubborn a lot. Thanks for putting up with it."
"Honestly, it was tough."
Clone Two glanced sideways.
Truth had gotten him hit a few times. But now she stayed still, silent.
Time to part.
"Well, I'll be off."
"Take care......"
Clone Two stepped back.
Morning Star slowly closed the door.
It shut.
"……."
Mission complete.
Two weeks. Short if short, long if long.
No contact with Sovereign in between. He'd done it himself.
Clone Two felt a bit proud. Maybe he was a decent Archduke's Shadow now.
Time to go back...
But his feet wouldn't move.
Living in a hotel, coming here every morning.
To help find her next job, get necessities...
Now that it was time to leave, something felt off.
Two weeks' habit, maybe.
So he slapped his cheek. Snap—snap out of it.
Forced his feet to move. As he activated his watch to message the Sovereign—
"Um......"
Morning Star peeked through the slightly open door.
"Yes."
"You haven't left...?"
"About to."
"Been a while since I closed the door......"
"……."
As Clone Two scratched his head—
"How old? Not a kid at that height, right?"
Made at fifteen, but age meant nothing.
Not human.
"Young."
"Can drink...?"
"Pardon?"
Clone Two's eyes widened at the unexpected words.
"One last drink...?"
...
They were close.
The place was small.
They drank.
Swapped stories of life.
She spoke of the weird people in the labyrinth.
He shared tales of a tall, terrifying witch he'd met.
She called it a joke.
He wasn't joking.
Laughter bloomed in drunkenness.
Gazes intertwined.
Strange pull.
You're drunk. No, I'm not. Prove it—she lifted a kettlebell.
Dropped it. It hit his foot.
He yelped in pain.
Startled, she closed the distance more.
Hand offered to check the wound, touched skin.
Actually painless. Ta-da, all good—he laughed, got headlocked.
Blame the booze. Skin hot where they touched.
Alcohol scent in breaths.
Each other's breath.
One problem.
"……."
They were close.