Chapter 425: 10. The Final Story (6/9)
Chapter 425: 10. The Final Story (6/9)
Just when did it all go wrong? Where did I stray from the path?
One thing was certain: it hadn't been like this from the start.
In the world of the Hall Plain, a person’s value was measured and judged by their Player Status. I was recognized for my high potential and was able to obtain a fairly good Player Status.
- Isn't that User the top student of this year's User Academy? Her name is Nam Daeun?
—Yeah. I heard several clans are already keeping an eye on her. I'm so jealous~.
—That's right. When I first entered the Hall Plain, I was definitely a User who drew attention.
But it didn't last long. A single mistake caused everything to crumble to dust.
Who was to blame for that? Me? Or the one who wronged me?
The answer was me. It was my fault for trusting someone so carelessly, my fault for making the wrong choice.
Because of that one wrong choice, the world I lived in was forcibly changed from that of a User to that of a Vagabond.
At first, I couldn't believe it. No, I refused to believe it.
Lee Kangsan, the ‘Apostate.’
When I first saw him, he had the warmest smile of anyone I’d ever met.
Back at the User Academy, he had taken care of me to the point of being bothersome, saying that the beginning would be tough.
- Once the User Academy is over, I plan on founding a new clan.
—Daeun-ah. Won't you join me? I would be truly happy if you did.
—I agreed.
At that time, he was the only sanctuary I could lean on in this barren world.
…No. That’s what I thought he was.
After the User Academy graduation ceremony, my expectations were utterly shattered. The moment I realized that the comrades I would be working with were ‘Vagabonds,’ my sanctuary instantly turned into a living hell.
Then came the persuasion and the threats.
- Do you know what they call you out there? A traitor.
—You’re the same. Why don't you just give up and accept your fate? Vagabond Nam Daeun. Hahahaha!
—I was forced to endure all sorts of humiliation from the Vagabonds, things too vile to even speak of. With each passing day, I could feel my body and mind withering away.
At first, I denied reality.
Next, I begged them to let me go.
Then, I thrashed about, screaming that it wasn't true.
And finally, I surrendered and accepted it.
I decided to give up on being a User and submit to the fate of a Vagabond.
But I hadn't given up completely. I vowed deep in my heart that one day, I would backstab them just as they had done to me, that I would repay every single humiliation I had suffered.
To do that, I first needed to build my strength.
From then on, I became the perfect Vagabond, Nam Daeun. Of course, it was nothing more than an act. On the surface, I feigned obedience and submission, but in my heart, I was always sharpening a cold blade.
A year passed, and then more time flowed by.
Did they think I had given up? At some point, the Vagabonds’ suspicion of me began to lessen.
At the same time, they began my Vagabond training. Skilled individuals started teaching me, and I accumulated a wealth of practical experience. As I gritted my teeth and honed my skills, my living conditions improved, and my treatment gradually got better.
That wasn't all. I received the Secret Class ‘Sword Empress,’ which had been excavated from a ruin, and was also given a sword named ‘Seol-ah.’
It was probably around that time that I learned the truth: I myself was the User who had been sacrificed for their Grand Cadre Development Plan.
Only then was I able to understand a few things.
First, that there was severe internal strife among the Vagabonds.
Second, that Lee Kangsan intended to make me a grand cadre of the Vagabonds.
And third, that he planned to use me for ‘something’ after I became a grand cadre.
Time passed.
One day, I felt that the opportunity I had been waiting for had finally arrived. The long-standing surveillance on me was lifted, and at the same time, Lee Kangsan received a certain ‘directive.’
- This is a top-secret mission. We need to move with as few people as possible, so you will come along.
—Soon after, a group of five, including myself and Lee Kangsan, set out on the mission. And when I thought we had put enough distance between us and the remaining Vagabonds, I was finally able to draw the blade I had been sharpening in my heart for years.
The only regret was that I couldn't kill Lee Kangsan then.
But it was okay. Even though I failed to kill him, the city of Users was right before my eyes. Having had good memories of my time in the city, I was certain I could finally return to how things were at the beginning.
That’s what I thought, right up until I beheaded the Vagabonds I had killed and entered the city.
But I was sorely mistaken.
My act of bringing the heads of the Vagabonds was acknowledged, and I was allowed to return to the city.
However.
- Who was that User again? She looks really familiar.
—Ah, Nam Daeun. I heard she’s the Secret Class Sword Empress?
—Ah~. That traitor?
—A traitor?
—You don't know? She disappeared with the traitor Lee Kangsan after graduating from the User Academy. Ah, come to think of it, should I call her the traitor's concubine?
—Really? Then that means she one hundred percent slept with the Vagabonds… Why on earth did she come back?
—The city was not as warm a place as I had thought.
In the city, Lee Kangsan was called an ‘Apostate.’ I was no exception. The way the ‘Users’ looked at me was no different from how they looked at him.
Still, it was okay. I was confident that if I worked hard, I could one day shed this label. So I ignored the messenger who told me to return to the Vagabonds and even killed the spy who delivered the message. It was a silent declaration of my will to never go back.
But shedding the label of ‘Apostate’ was not as easy as I thought.
- Did you hear the rumor? That woman… Don't you think she's a bit suspicious?
—Why is she acting alone? Could she have some other ulterior motive?
—At some point, strange rumors began to circulate. A rumor started spreading that I was a Vagabond spy. The story that I had feigned my defection spread without my knowledge, and every User and every clan began to treat me with caution.
I instinctively knew that the Vagabonds had leaked information about me. It was a ploy to make the Users distrust me and, at the same time, eliminate any place for me to stand.
Of course, as long as I possessed the Secret Class ‘Sword Empress,’ there were occasional offers of a helping hand.
The man I met that day to discuss joining a clan remains vivid in my memory.
- We acknowledge your Player Status, but… to be honest, the rumors surrounding the Sword Empress are not good. There’s strong opposition from within the clan. Well… what should we do about this…
—If you're so inclined, there is another way. What do you say, Sword Empress? Would you like to put your trust in me, just once?
—He was beating around the bush, but the man’s eyes were burning with a hideous desire. They were just like the eyes Lee Kangsan had shown me after revealing his true colors.
In that moment, the miserable memories of the past resurfaced, and I felt an infinite disgust for the man before me. The emotions I had barely managed to bury—no, tried to bury—when I entered the city exploded all at once.
A thought suddenly occurred to me. Though my body had left the Vagabonds, I was still a Vagabond. I was influenced by them, I couldn't forget the memories of being one, and even the Users saw me as one.
Eventually, I managed to join a clan one way or another. But when I found out it was a clan hastily created just to keep me under surveillance, all I could do was let out a hollow laugh.
I felt like it was all the same. Nothing had changed, whether I was on this side or that one. I had barely managed to return to being a User, only to find myself under surveillance here as well.
Only then did a belated regret wash over me.
I had been too hasty. I should have waited a little longer before leaving. If I had become a cadre, I could have learned more important information about the Vagabonds. If I had at least known the list of spies mixed in among the Users, I wouldn't have been so completely tied down.
The Vagabonds were persistent and tenacious. The spies spread rumors about me to restrict my activities and never let up their surveillance. In the end, after my request to participate in the ‘Vagabond Extermination Plan’—what I thought was my last chance—was rejected, I made a decision.
I would go into ‘seclusion.’
In truth, I had no other choice. There was nothing I could do in that situation, and returning was worse than death.
Still… I couldn't live like this forever, so I would live quietly and wait for another chance. With that thought, I began a life of seclusion, avoiding the Vagabonds' surveillance as much as possible.
The opportunity came sooner than I expected.
One day, while the Northern Continent was abuzz with news of war, I heard that Baek Seoyeon, one of the grand cadres of the Vagabonds, had been captured as a prisoner.
A new request came for me as well. I received a message asking me to join the Eastern Faction ahead of the war against the Vagabond allied forces on the Western Continent. The opportunity I had so desperately longed for since entering the city had finally arrived.
Upon moving to the Eastern Faction, I was finally able to understand the situation. Through Baek Seoyeon's confession, the ‘spies’ hidden among the Users were revealed one by one. It seemed that the ‘spies’ who had received orders concerning me had also confessed some details on the side.
Of course, that didn't mean my innocence was completely proven. The majority of Users still looked at me with suspicion. I could understand. After all, when I was there, they too would have known me as a complete Vagabond.
But with the ‘spies’ completely rooted out, everything became better than before. I was no longer under surveillance, and my actions were no longer restricted. The prejudice remained, but at the very least, a path to changing their perception had opened up. That fact alone was enough to satisfy me.
Honestly, I was bewildered at first. I had woken up one morning to find the situation surrounding me completely resolved.
At the same time, I grew curious. Who could it be? Who had so easily accomplished what I couldn't, no matter how much I struggled?
Who on earth had pulled me out of this hell?
I think it was from that moment.
That I became interested in the User named Kim Soohyun, the Lord of the Mercenary Clan.
*
“Honestly, when I first saw you, it was really strange. I didn't feel even a hint of the disgust I used to feel whenever I saw men.”
“What was I like?”
“Well… what you were like…”
A chilly breeze brushed past the tip of my nose. Rustle, rustle. The sound of the garden grasses rubbing against each other seemed pleasant, as the corners of Nam Daeun’s eyes curved into a gentle smile.
“I felt a sense of kinship.”
“Kinship?”
“Yes, kinship. Eyes that held deep wounds, deep sorrow. That’s exactly how your gaze felt when you looked at me. It was definitely the first time we’d met, but for some reason, your gaze didn't feel unfamiliar.”
So, she’s saying I’m a User with similar wounds and sorrow as her?
Nam Daeun glanced back at me. Then, with incredibly serious eyes, she quietly opened her mouth.
“You probably thought it was strange, Soohyun-ssi. Back then in Prinsica, when a woman you’d never seen before kept staring at you.”
Was she talking about our first meeting in the Goryeo Clan’s control room? She certainly did stare at me intently back then.
“Actually, I wanted to say a word of thanks… but for some reason, the words wouldn't come out. And at the same time, a question arose. What on earth did that person go through to have eyes like that?”
“I never dreamed you were thinking that. I thought you were interested in me. Haha.”
It was just a joke I threw out to stop the atmosphere from getting too serious. But Nam Daeun nodded slowly as if I was right. She rested her chin on one hand and smiled softly.
“Yes. You’re right.”
“…Ah, is that so?”
“I was curious, and then more curious. I wanted to get to know User Kim Soohyun, the person known as the Mercenary Lord, in more detail. So I even investigated you secretly. I probably wouldn't have done that if I wasn't interested.”
I touched my lips. This mouth was always the problem. Why do things sometimes flow in a direction completely different from what I intend? At this rate, I thought it might be better to just let things flow as they may.
“What impressed me most about you, Soohyun-ssi, was your time at the User Academy. Even after taking the top spot and receiving offers from countless clans, you stepped out into the world with the kids you met during the Rite of Passage.”
“That was…”
“Regardless of what you were thinking, Soohyun-ssi, from my perspective, it looked truly wonderful. If I had been one of those kids, I probably would have been very happy. Because that was the dream I had when I first came to the Hall Plain.”
Nam Daeun was still smiling. She had been smiling constantly ever since I told her she looked pretty when she smiled. Even when she was talking about her past, and now.
“During the war, the reason I joined the special unit to test you, Soohyun-ssi, was the same. I wanted to talk to you once, and a good excuse happened to come up.”
“I remember that duel.”
“Me too. It was absurd. A Year 0 User overpowering me with strength in our first exchange. I almost lost my grip on Seol-ah, you know.”
“Haha…”
“And then, I couldn’t believe it, but I was even defeated. That’s not all. Suddenly, Seol-ah started acting up at the sight of you, Soohyun-ssi. Do you have any idea how flustered I was back then?”
“So the man you were interested in instantly turned into a strange man.”
Nam Daeun nodded her head with a look that said, ‘How did you know?’ In that moment, she and I burst into laughter at the same time.
“Ahaha!”
“Hahaha!”
After a bout of laughter, I felt a head gently rest on my shoulder. But I wasn't as tense as before. Was it because I had heard so much of Nam Daeun’s story? Now, only a comfortable feeling spread throughout my body.
“I was very confused at first. Why does my gaze keep drifting to this man? The feeling that started as simple interest later became so complex that I couldn't figure it out even when I asked myself.”
“Is that why you started avoiding my gaze midway through?”
“Yes. It was complicated enough as it was, but every time I stood in front of you, Seol-ah would start vibrating.”
“So how is it now? Is it still complicated, and you still don't know?”
Bold words I wouldn't normally be able to utter. But now is different. My heart is calm, and the words seem to flow smoothly. The initial uncomfortable atmosphere had vanished, and a strange current now flowed between Nam Daeun and me.
Nam Daeun shook her head from side to side.
“No. Not anymore. There was a moment that helped me figure out what kind of feeling I was experiencing back then.”
“A moment…”
“It was at Barbara. At Barbara.”
Soon, I felt the head that had been leaning on my shoulder slowly lift. Then, as if to take a deep breath, Nam Daeun inhaled sharply.
“Hoo. We met after the meeting ended, right, Soohyun-ssi?”
“We did.”
“Back then, when the Istantel Low Clan Lord announced in front of you, Soohyun-ssi, that she would recruit me. For some reason, I felt a sense of displeasure.”
“…It seemed that way.”
“And when you, Soohyun-ssi, said you would welcome me if I came to the Mercenary Clan. At that time, I felt the opposite—a sense of happiness. It’s not a lie, I was truly happy. It was only after feeling such conflicting emotions that I finally…”
At that moment, Nam Daeun stopped talking. And at last, she turned to look at me. The gentle light flowing in her eyes looked just like someone about to say something very important.
I hesitated for a moment but then slowly nodded my head. It was a silent signal, telling her to speak, that it was okay.
“Afterward, while participating in the siege, I kept mulling over the emotions of that day. And I became certain.”
“…Couldn't it just be simple goodwill?”
Nam Daeun shook her head and spoke in a quiet tone.
“It’s definitely more than goodwill. Because there’s one more thing.”
She said there was one more thing. Soon, Nam Daeun’s lips drew a soft arc.
In that instant, I felt as if my breath had stopped.
The garden was faintly illuminated by the moonlight. Dusk had already settled into darkness, but the reflected light flowing along the water’s surface made the area around the pond sparkle.
In the dark garden, within the brightly lit space.
“So…”
Finally, Nam Daeun opened her mouth.
“It’s pounding.”
And I, blankly, asked.
“Pounding…?”
Nam Daeun nodded her head emphatically, then calmly took my hand and guided it to her chest. I didn't resist. I relaxed my arm and let her lead it where she wanted.
Soon, I felt the soft touch of her breast against my fingers.
Thump.
At the same time, a faint vibration traveled up my palm.
“When I heard you say to come to the Mercenary Clan, my heart pounded, it raced.”
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
That was it. This pounding feeling was definitely the sound of a heart beating wildly.
“Ever since then, whenever I see you, Soohyun-ssi, whenever I hear you speak, whenever I’m next to you. Every time, my heart pounds like this, racing fiercely.”
“User… Nam Daeun.”
“You asked why I chose the Mercenary Clan, didn’t you? This is my answer. Clan Lord, and Soohyun-ssi.”
As Nam Daeun’s earnest confession continued, my mind momentarily went blank. It was the first time I had ever experienced such a situation in either my first or second playthrough, and I felt as if my mind had become a white sheet of paper.
This unfamiliar feeling, something I had never felt with Jung Hayeon or Ko Yeonju. Yes. Right now, I was definitely flustered, my heart fluttering.
I stared blankly at Nam Daeun. She smiled brightly once more.
“What about you, Soohyun-ssi? When you see me, does your heart pound, too?”
I lifted my other arm and placed my hand over my left chest to feel it.
Thump.
Then, little by little. Ever so slightly.
Thump-thump, thump-thump!
I could feel the beat of my heart gradually quickening. The pulse I felt in my left hand began to match the speed of the one I felt in my right.
“It wasn't like this a moment ago.”
I swallowed and continued.
“I think it started pounding a little while ago. Strangely, it keeps getting faster.”
“It’s not strange at all. It’s an extremely natural phenomenon.”
“…Is that so?”
“Of course it is. And, it’s also a phenomenon that makes me happy.”
Nam Daeun moved closer to me again and rested her face on my right shoulder. Her magnetic gaze captivated my own.
“Thank you, Soohyun-ssi.”
“Thank… you.”
I reflexively pulled back the hand on her chest and instead lifted her chin. Just, slightly.
As she raised her slender head, Nam Daeun gently closed her eyes. Her thin, long eyelashes, her lovely nose, and her plump, firmly closed lips caught my eye.
I held her raised chin gently with my thumb and forefinger. Then, as if bewitched, I slowly began to lean my face in. I closed my lips and my eyes.
Soon, as our breaths mingled, I felt a warm sensation on my lips. A soft, sweet kiss. An intoxicating sweetness spread through my entire body, and my lips began to tremble. Hers were trembling, too.
It was then.
Clink…!
A faint noise echoed from one side. I immediately opened my eyes to see Nam Daeun staring back with wide, rabbit-like eyes.
We instantly pulled apart and simultaneously looked toward the source of the sound: the fourth floor of the main building.
“Ahaha. Were we… caught?”
Nam Daeun’s awkward voice trickled out.
*
Thud.
Lim Hanna quickly shut the door. She immediately spun around and leaned her body against the wall.
“Hah, hah.”
She was out of breath. Her whole body trembled like a leaf, and her hands were inexplicably damp. And then came an inexplicable sorrow. Lim Hanna covered her face with both hands and sank to the floor as if collapsing.
“What… is wrong with me…”
A self-mocking voice escaped her pretty lips.
Leaning against the window, the woman slowly closed her eyes.
A few months ago, Lim Hanna had confessed her feelings to Kim Soohyun and even kissed him.
But that was it. Their relationship hadn't progressed at all since then.
Lim Hanna tried to understand. He was always a busy person, so maybe he would come find her once he had some time. So she suppressed her hopeful heart and waited, but far from seeking her out, he showed no sign of even bringing it up.
Finally, tired of waiting, she decided to bring it up first. Since a festival was happening, she had planned to use this opportunity.
But was it a cruel twist of fate?
“Can you spare some time during the festival?” or “Can we talk for a moment?”
She wanted to say it. But every time she tried, she was thwarted. It was just a few words, so why was it so difficult to say them?
Then, during the festival, she finally, barely managed to seize an opportunity, but the sight that greeted her when she came up was… Kim Soohyun kissing another woman. And it wasn't a one-sided kiss initiated by the woman, like hers had been; Kim Soohyun was actively responding.
It was a stark contrast to when Lim Hanna had tried to kiss him in the bathhouse, and he had accepted it with reluctance.
Recalling the scene again, Lim Hanna smiled bitterly.
Is he perhaps avoiding me on purpose?
And then, she smiled sadly.
In truth, Lim Hanna knew. It would be a different story if it were Jung Hayeon or Ko Yeonju. But the situation she had just witnessed had nothing to do with her. Because she and Kim Soohyun weren't in any kind of relationship yet.
Right, I’m a bitch too.
Besides, Lim Hanna wasn't in a good position either. Jung Hayeon and Ko Yeonju were already by Kim Soohyun’s side. And Lim Hanna was trying to squeeze in between them. From their perspective, she didn't have much of a right to complain.
But even so, why on earth did she feel so disappointed and sorrowful?
“Hoo.”
Lim Hanna let out a deep sigh. She tilted her head slightly and gazed out the window. By now, there was no one to be seen around the pond. The man and woman had already left.
“I should clean this up…”
Lim Hanna slowly picked herself up. On the terrace, shards of a broken bottle and the spilled liquid had spread all over the floor.
Trespassing was already a clear offense, but Kim Soohyun, who liked things neat, would surely hate this. Thinking that, Lim Hanna listlessly took off her outer shirt. She didn't have the strength to go down to the first floor to get a cloth.
Click.
Whoosh, whoooosh.
As she opened the door and stepped onto the terrace, a bone-chilling cold hit her hard. Lim Hanna quietly knelt down and began to wipe the floor with her neatly folded shirt.
Wipe… wipe…
As she gathered the shards and wiped with her hand, the clean cloth was instantly soaked in a purplish color. She could feel small shards pricking her skin from time to time, but it didn't hurt.
Lim Hanna focused on wiping and cleaning without any thought.
Then, at a certain moment.
Plop.
“Uh…”
On the upper part of the cloth that was not yet stained with liquid, a small droplet suddenly fell, creating a blot.
Plop, plop-plop.
“Uh…?”
The stains kept increasing. From one to two, two to three, three to four. And on and on.
Only then did Lim Hanna realize that she was crying.
“Ha, haha… hahaha… sob…”
Another cold wind blew, enveloping Lim Hanna’s entire body. She shivered intensely but still turned the cloth over. She placed her hand on the side stained with liquid and shards.
“Sob… sob… sob…”
Crying silently, lest she be heard, she carefully began to wipe the floor again.
It was then.
Click!
The terrace door opened, and someone entered.