Chapter 121: A Peaceful Day
Chapter 121: A Peaceful Day
After
Soohyun….
Gray smoke still drifted up from the cigarette he had thrown away. She stared blankly at the spot where he had stood, then let out a long sigh. A terrible loneliness suddenly washed over her, and she shivered.
〈It’s not that you ‘can’t’ interfere… it’s that you ‘won’t,’ right, Seraph-yang? Or should I say that you simply don’t want to?〉
〈And yet, for so-called angels, your behavior is even pettier than theirs… Tsk, tsk.〉
〈No matter which angel becomes my Helper, I have no intention of ever getting along with them.〉
Every word he had spat out came back to her, and each one became a sharp dagger that pierced deep into Seraph’s heart. Her mind was in such turmoil that she hadn't even lowered the hand she had reached out to stop him as he left the Summoning Room.
〈You said you had something to tell me… but it was a complete waste of time. Do not summon me again for something like this.〉
“I just….”
There was no one else in the Summoning Room, yet Seraph opened her mouth to speak. Her gaze remained fixed on the spot where he had been. Though she knew she was alone, she continued as if hoping he might somehow hear her.
“I just… wanted… to see… if you were okay….”
After finishing in a trembling voice, Seraph finally lowered her outstretched hand, loneliness written across her face. Even then, her eyes remained fixed on the portal through which he had disappeared.
*
During my first run, Seraph had always maintained a calm and composed demeanor. She had occasionally lost that composure, but such moments had been exceedingly rare. Raised voices and scowling expressions were not things one normally saw from her.
By now, Seraph had regained her initial composure. Seeing me turn back, she seemed to relax slightly and began to speak in a low voice.
“Please give me a moment. I have something to tell you. It won’t take long.”
“……”
Seraph’s voice was quiet, yet it carried an unmistakably pleading undertone. The moment I looked at her face, I remembered my final parting with Seraph during my first run.
〈User Kim Soohyun, are you saying you will repeat those ten years of suffering all over again?〉
〈Please… be happy…〉
In a sense, I owed part of my rapid rise during this second run to her. I had spent my own GP, but without privileges shaped by an angel’s goodwill, I could not have acted as freely as I had. During my first run, my starting stats apart from Durability and Agility had not been particularly impressive. I had still been confident, but I could not have achieved this extraordinary growth rate or committed such eccentric acts as accepting Vivian as a companion.
All sorts of thoughts tangled in my head. I hesitated for a moment, but I decided it wouldn’t hurt to at least hear her out. I disliked the angels, but whether I liked them or not, for now, the angels and I were in a cooperative relationship. As such, I figured I should at least listen to what she had to say. Having made up my mind, I sat down and spoke.
“…Fine. What is it you want to say? And who the hell is Sandalphon?”
I spoke in a slightly softer tone, but I didn't relax the scowl on my face. Nevertheless, Seraph began to speak with a look of relief.
“I will explain everything. Sandalphon is the female Helper assigned to another User. Ever since you graduated from the User Academy, User Kim Soohyun, she has repeatedly demanded that I be replaced as your Helper.”
Hmm. Her answer made me pause and think. From a User’s perspective, it meant changing the angel assigned to them. And it wasn’t entirely unprecedented. It was rare, but it happened. I’d heard a few times during the first run about Users whose assigned angels had been switched.
Once they entered the Hall Plain, the angels needed to guide their Users in a good… no, in the direction they desired. The key point here wasn’t a good or helpful direction, but the direction they desired. That was proof that the angels wanted to achieve something through the Users.
I instantly grasped the situation and couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.
“Ha… Is that so? And why does she want a replacement?”
“……”
Seraph didn’t answer my question right away. When I stared into her eyes with a look that said I already had a good idea, she lightly bit her lower lip before her beautiful lips parted.
“Since entering the Hall Plain, your progress has been astonishing, User Kim Soohyun. In little more than a month since entering Mule, you have successfully explored two ruins. In particular, the fact that a Year 0 User defeated the high-ranking Demonkin Belphegor is being praised by all angels as an extraordinary achievement. However…”
She was hesitating, which was unlike her. Her face was a canvas of indecision. I didn’t rush her, waiting patiently for her to continue. As if sensing my patience, Seraph continued in a cautious tone.
“…It seems you need to improve your relationship with me, User Kim Soohyun.”
“Hmph.”
I grunted at her declaration. So that was it. Realizing my guess was correct, I pulled a cigarette from my pocket. I placed the end in my mouth and lit it, but Seraph’s green eyes didn’t waver. It was a bit ironic to be smoking in front of an angel, but she didn’t try to stop me. Then again, it wasn’t like I hadn’t smoked in front of her during the first run, and she had never said anything back then either.
I lit it and took a deep drag, feeling my insides calm down a bit. Seraph, who had been watching the process silently, spoke again.
“I will not mention the role of the angels again. But there is one thing I am curious about. Why do you hate me so much, User Kim Soohyun?”
“As if you’d be fond of the very person who dragged you into this Hall Plain.”
“…That is certainly true. But I don’t think that’s all.”
“What?”
I glanced at Seraph as she refuted my words. She was shaking her head from side to side. When I let out a hollow laugh and questioned her, she continued in a quiet voice.
“I don’t think that’s the only reason you hate me, User Kim Soohyun. This may sound strange, but I have a feeling. That there must be some other reason…”
Listening to her, I tapped the floor with one hand while holding the cigarette with the other. This time, Seraph was waiting for my answer. I took a moment to compose myself, then scoffed at her.
“Is that so important?”
“It is. Many angels are interested in your progress. And they all view it positively. Since we cannot directly interfere in the Hall Plain, we need to maintain friendly relationships with the Users we are in charge of. They are no different from our proxies. The reason Sandalphon is making an issue of this now, the reason she is requesting a replacement, is because of your poor relationship with me. If you tell me what it is about me that you dislike, I will do my best to fix it.”
“It’s not that you ‘can’t’ interfere… it’s that you ‘won’t,’ right, Seraph-yang? Or should I say that you simply don’t want to?”
My taunt left Seraph speechless. I savored her blank expression and scattered gaze for a moment before continuing slowly.
“Yes… I hate you. No, not just you, I hate all angels. It’s true that it all stems from that one reason, but looking at what’s inside you all makes me so disgusted I could puke.”
“Why… why…”
“It’s not even funny watching what you all do. What, did I look a little impressive because I’m playing along with your tastes? But… are you afraid I’ll side with those bastards?”
“User Kim Soohyun. What are you talking about…?”
Seeing her stutter with a clearly flustered expression, I shouted sharply.
“You don’t know? You know. You’re just pretending not to. Don’t. It’s disgusting. Why were we forcibly dragged into your mud-slinging match? And what intentions you had when you brought humans from Earth. What do you think would happen if the Users found out the truth, the full story behind everything?”
“……!”
I could see Seraph’s face turn pale at my words, which had crossed a line. I also felt I had gone a little too far. But I had a reason to be confident. As long as I was still on this side, and as long as I didn’t intentionally harm the angels, they couldn’t touch a single hair on my head.
A brief silence fell. I took one last, long drag from the nearly-finished cigarette and tossed it on the floor. A thin wisp of smoke rose from the discarded butt. While I was at it, I added one more thing.
“What’s the point of having such a high dimensional rank? Your actions are pathetic. In that respect, those bastards might be better. At least they took all the risks and entered the Hall Plain themselves. And yet, for a bunch of so-called angels, you’re even pettier than those bastards… Tsk, tsk.”
“How… how do you know that….”
Seraph’s lips trembled. She looked at me with eyes full of disbelief. She seemed shocked that I knew the secret revolving around the angels, those bastards, and the Hall Plain. It wasn’t something I had known from the beginning. I had researched it on my own while surviving for ten years in the Hall Plain, and by obtaining the Zero Code, I was able to grasp the complete picture.
I had said some dangerous things in a fit of anger, but I had no regrets. In fact, I even felt a sense of relief, as if some of my pent-up frustration had been released. Watching her open and close her mouth like a fish with a stiff expression, I continued in a gentle tone.
“Well… don’t worry too much. Right now, I hate those bastards a lot more than I hate you. So for the time being, I’ll play along with your little game. As long as you don’t do anything stupid, the things you’re worried about won’t happen.”
“U-User Kim Soohyun.”
“And.”
I paused for dramatic effect. Seraph swallowed nervously. I thought to myself how beautiful her neckline was, then calmly finished my sentence.
“Tell that Sandalphon or whatever her name is. Tell her I refuse the User replacement. No matter what angel becomes my Helper, I have no intention of ever getting along with them.”
“……”
“You said you had something to tell me… but it was just a waste of time. Anyway, don’t call me here for something like this again.”
Having said everything I wanted to, I slowly got to my feet. I heard Seraph reach out a hand and call my name, but I immediately turned my back on her.
Then, I walked briskly toward the portal in front of me.
*
Stepping out of the portal, I saw the priest still waiting for me. He was the Resident with whom I had discussed the exploration report. I composed myself when he greeted me with a gentle smile.
“You’re back soon. Did you enjoy your meeting with the revered one?”
No, it was bullshit, is what I wanted to say, but since he was someone who fanatically believed in and followed the angels, there was no need to make an enemy of him over nothing. And I didn’t want to take my anger out on an innocent person. So, I just smiled slightly and nodded.
“Haha. It was a good time. Thank you for delivering the oracle.”
“Not at all. It is simply my duty.”
Seeing the Resident look at me with envy, I wanted to leave the temple as quickly as possible. The best way to do that was to turn the conversation toward a subject he would find uncomfortable.
“Yes… Ah, then I trust you’ll handle the expedition report as quickly as possible.”
“Ah. Yes, yes. We will form an investigation team as soon as we are able. However, it may take some time.”
“I understand. But I hope the investigation can be completed and the certificate issued by the first or second week of next month at the latest.”
“We will do our best.”
“Good. I will visit the temple again later. I’ll be on my way now.”
He broke into a nervous sweat at my urging and cleared his throat. As expected, this topic was burdensome for him, and any talk of the angels vanished. After we concluded our conversation, he bowed his head respectfully. I responded with a nod of my own and walked down the long corridor.