Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Part 5. In the Midst of an Everyday Life (1)
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Darkness blanketed the night sky, with starlight twinkling in between.
A man lying on the sofa opened his eyes.
The night sky and stars visible through the window were beautiful. Everyone said so, so they must be.
However, he couldn't empathize with such sentiments. The stars in the night sky stirred no emotions in him.
Every night, he tried to sleep, but it was always just a formality. To reclaim his lost daily life. To feel the emotions of ordinary people. He closed his eyes at night and induced a state similar to sleep in his body.
But he didn't fall asleep.
To put it precisely, he couldn't fall asleep.
During these insomnia-like times, he often felt as if his body was sinking into the darkness. Like dropping a drop of blood into a clear lake, the boundary between his body and the darkness gradually faded. In those moments, his five senses, buried in the darkness, grew dim.
As if watching someone else's life from the sidelines. There was him there, yet it felt like something that wasn't him was present.
It wasn't a pleasant feeling.
Even now, he sensed his senses fading.
Still, this regression was better off. It only happened at night. In the previous one, there was no distinction between day and night.
His senses, which had been like that, sharpened vividly when he killed an enemy. Here, 'enemy' referred to opponents defined by his own judgment.
There were rules for discerning enemies, too.
Those who could hasten the apocalypse even slightly, those who had done so in history, or failing that, demons... Anything—individuals, groups, concepts, or phenomena—that shouldn't be left alive.
When Yoo Ji-tae killed such enemies and tangibly felt the apocalypse receding, his scattered senses finally gathered and became clear.
The discomfort of dimmed senses was matched by a not-insignificant pleasure when killing enemies.
It was dangerous. Finding pleasure in killing people.
Like all pleasures he had experienced in life, this one was fleeting, weakened with rarity, and became self-destructive when addictive. So, from some regression onward, Yoo Ji-tae restrained unnecessary violence and murder.
But there had never been a regression as peacefully idle as this one.
Thus, the regressor felt a bit uneasy.
He felt like he had to bolt out the door right now and slaughter those who needed killing. His history of failure over hundreds of years was etched into his mind like an engraving, making him anxious.
"......"
Yoo Ji-tae, still lying down, turned his head to gaze at the living room wall. Beyond that wall, three dragons were likely occupying his bed and sleeping.
A peaceful home. Dragons as sentient beings. And himself as their guardian.
Suddenly, he thought he didn't fit in such a place. Like embedding an ugly rock in a vibrant flowerbed of every color.
Pretending to sleep when he couldn't even do so was a start.
But even feeling this way changed nothing here. It was just another disconnect he had to endure.
He closed his eyes again.
Then, a very small whispering voice reached him.
He had no hobbies like eavesdropping or wiretapping. Yet the voices came because one of the dragons had deliberately amplified her presence.
It was Bom.
-That's... a macaron...? Yeah...? No, not a macaron...?
Gaeul's sleep-talking drifted in.
-Then...? P-Porky...lon...? Twice as fat......?
His physical senses picked up Bom's hand gently stroking sleeping Gaeul's hair.
-Yeoreum. You gonna sleep hugging that like that?
Next came Bom's voice.
-Yeah. Feels like I'll sleep deep.
-Looks like you like it. But that's not for hugging to sleep.
-Gonna use it for jerking off too.
And Yeoreum's voice, slightly brighter.
-Well, at least you're happy, Yeoreum.
-...Hey.
-Yeah?
-But seriously, you gonna keep calling me that? Yeoreum?
-Yeah. Why? Don't like the name Yeoreum?
-Well, it's fine, I guess.
Bom chuckled lightly.
-Yeoreum. You should call me unni too.
-Why should I?
-This is Korea, and I'm actually older.
-...You know, are you really planning to live here?
-Yeah.
-Why?
-Hmm... At first, I figured running wouldn't help anyway, so I stayed. Now, it's actually pretty fun here. What about you? You could've left earlier. Why didn't you?
-Well. Hard for me to run too, I guess. And till I grow strong enough to crack that bastard's head, I'll just stick around.
That bastard.
Likely referring to Javier Karma.
-Trying to become ajusshi's disciple?
-Nah. Not interested in that.
-Then?
-Just, you know...
Yeoreum hesitated in her response.
-Dunno, me neither.
-Hmm...
-Anyway, let's sleep.
-Okay. Good night.
The conversation cut off.
A moment later, Yeoreum's calm voice returned.
-You too, unni.
Opening the window let in the chirping of sparrows.
The next day. From morning, Bom was bustling. Chop chop from the cramped kitchen. The sound of something being sliced with a knife.
Yoo Ji-tae summoned his clone. Come to think of it, the guy had gone to work.
"Everyone, come eat. When you're feeling down, you gotta eat something tasty."
What Bom had made was something like thick porridge.
...Honestly, he had no idea what it was.
Yoo Ji-tae tentatively stirred it with a spoon, just in case. Fortunately, the metal spoon didn't turn yellow or melt.
"Whoa, unni made this? It's been forever!"
Gaeul excitedly rushed over and sat down.
Yeoreum also sat at the chair with a much improved expression.
"Thanks for the meal."
The long-awaited mealtime.
Gaeul took a spoonful of the porridge-like stuff and froze solid.
Then she suddenly grinned.
"Kuh. As expected..."
......?
"Only unni Bom's cooking has this charm, right? Human food is super super tasty too, but it doesn't have this feel. Right, unni?"
A question directed at Yeoreum. She nodded readily.
"Tastes good."
And started eating heartily.
Watching the two for a moment, Yoo Ji-tae scooped a spoonful and put it in his mouth. Maybe last time's cooking was just a fluke.
But the instant it touched his tongue, it went numb. As expected, it was insanely salty, bitter... Anyway, a total disaster.
Thus, the regressor learned a new fact about dragons.
Dragon taste buds are very similar to humans', but somehow defective in parts.
Anyway, they all ate well.
Clink. Clink.
In the quiet space filled only with the sound of utensils clinking, Yoo Ji-tae pondered his future life.
The first plan of this regression—gathering them non-coercively in one place—had succeeded.
So now it was time for the next plan.
In every regression, the cause of the apocalypse was the dragons' deaths.
Many were due to external pressures, but sometimes they took their own lives. Like in the previous regression, where he had completely imprisoned them.
Looking back now, they probably ended it because they weren't happy—better death than carrying those unhappy memories for thousands of years.
To avert the apocalypse, then, they needed to be happy.
He thought silently.
Bringing them here was good. But just locking them up and blocking what they wanted to do? That wouldn't differ much from the underground labyrinth imprisonment.
He had to let them do what they wanted.
And guide them to find happiness in the process.
For memories that would last eternally without fading.
So he decided to enroll them in the Lair.
An academy city teeming with superhuman youths. There, controlling them for the minimum 5-year attendance would be easy, and conducive to their self-realization.
And conveniently, it was now application season.
After finishing the meal, Yoo Ji-tae said to them,
"You all, let's go get your IDs made."
"Whoa, the air's so nice!"
Gaeul shouted.
The place Yoo Ji-tae brought them to was none other than Jeongseon, Gangwon Province.
Not far from the Portal Management Bureau was a rundown housing complex.
Shops that laundered identities or faked qualifications for politicians, foreigners, or hunter industry figures. In short, Korea's largest identity laundering hub.
Descending to the semi-basement of a villa with no signboard behind a low wall, the interior was surprisingly bustling.
Superhumans of all sorts were there. Like at a bank teller, they took numbers, waited, and handled their business.
The moment Yoo Ji-tae and the three dragons entered, ripples spread.
"Uh...?"
"Whoa..."
People glanced over without exception. Murmurs of admiration, chatter among themselves. Gazes he'd received plenty while with Bom.
Sometimes, some gazes were more overt.
But he paid them no mind.
All dragons possessed the authority 「Transcendent Presence (S)」, which continuously emanated an aura hard to approach for those below a certain level.
Even a brief glance made them think, 'Ugh, somehow burdensome,' and look away.
The reason these young, naive ones with pretty faces avoided trouble.
[152]
Their number appeared at the counter.
Yeoreum and Gaeul got photos taken. Bom already had an ID.
After submitting the documents, Bom asked him,
"Can we go play a bit? There's lots of interesting stuff outside."
Issuance took time anyway. Yoo Ji-tae nodded.
But Gaeul hesitated.
"Unni, can I stay here?"
"Huh? Why?"
"Feels like we've come to a shady place, like I've become a bad person too!"
The chickling made a 'bad person' face.
Not bad at all.
"Okay. Stay with ajusshi. We'll go play first and head home?"
"Got it."
Thus, Gaeul stayed people-watching at the counter, while Yoo Ji-tae waited for issuance.
A few gazes began irritating his senses.
Far more vulgar with dirty desires than the overt ones.
He looked at Gaeul.
She was wearing the tennis skirt bought yesterday. Pink checkered skirt revealing her legs refreshingly.
But from earlier, two burly middle-aged men over there had been persistently staring at Gaeul's legs.
To eye a dragon like that meant they were fairly advanced superhumans.
"Huh? What?"
Sensing Yoo Ji-tae's changed mood, Gaeul blinked.
He shook his head.
"Nothing."
He spoke casually, but the regressor's gaze turned to the men. Eyes met. As they stared, the two slyly averted and whispered.
Something lowbrow like, 'That guy's her sugar daddy? Filthy rich? Probably fucks her every night?' They thought they were whispering, but his ears were sharp.
Gaeul, thirsty, went to the water cooler.
Then one approached her.
"Miss."
"Yes?"
"What's your name?"
"Gaeul! Yoo Gaeul."
"Ah, Gaeul. Pretty name. Where you from?"
"Home!"
"Where's home."
"Um... Seoul Special City, Nonhyeon-dong xx-......"
As Gaeul rattled off her address, the men laughed in disbelief and asked back.
"Then who's that? Boyfriend?"
"No? That's my ajusshi!"
"Ajusshi? What. So not boyfriend or uncle?"
"Yes."
At that, smiles crossed their faces.
One asked slyly,
"Then us ajusshis have a shot too?"
"Huh?"
"Wanna hang with us ajusshis today? We got money. Way more fun than that guy."
About then, Yoo Ji-tae stood.
In repeated lives, such guys were surprisingly common, and their next lines predictable. No reason to watch more.
"Gaeul."
"Yes, ajusshi!"
"You know our home's spatial coordinates. Go ahead first."
"Huh? But..."
Looking wistful to stay longer, Gaeul saw his face and cautiously nodded.
Behind a quiet residential alley. In that spot where dusk had settled at night, the streetlamp flickered.
With each flicker, a blood-soaked man's corpse emerged from and vanished into the dark. Head smashed beyond recognition. Fresh blood spurted from the freshly slit throat.
Bothered by the light, Yoo Ji-tae used his killing intent to shatter the lamp.
Soon, in the complete darkness swallowing the back alley, the man looked toward the still-living one.
"Hah, huff... P-P-Please... s-spare..."
Terrified to the point of soiling himself, the man shed tears and snot.
Having witnessed his friend's death clearly, he knelt, rubbing his hands like a fly.
"S-S-Sorry..."
No need to hear words.
Anyway, while venting, a question arose.
Why was this guy wearing a face mask?
Yoo Ji-tae grabbed his face with one hand. With strength to crumple steel, he crushed and tore off the man's facial skin.
"Gahk, guh...!"
While the man, crushed by killing intent, gasped without breath, Yoo Ji-tae examined the revealed bare face.
Familiar. From memories his clone brought.
He rifled the man's pocket, pulled out a wallet, and checked the ID.
「Jo Ho-sik」
Ah, now it clicked.
This guy. The human trafficker the Lair branch police station had been desperately hunting.