Chapter 81: Daily Life with Thunder (1)
Chapter 81: Daily Life with Thunder (1)
I’m late.
By the time I trudged back to the lodgings with the empty handcart, the world was already drenched in the black of night.
There were several reasons why I was later than expected, but one of them was undoubtedly Linshua.
Turning my head to look at the cart’s cargo bed, I saw two children.
There was Han A-bin, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion, and Linshua, who had suddenly appeared the moment A-bin drifted off, begging for affection and wanting to play.
I had told Linshua to hide immediately if it looked like Han A-bin was waking up, but in the end, that never happened, and Linshua eventually fell into a quiet slumber as well.
I had spent several hours playing with her. Thanks to that, it was now the middle of the night.
I left Linshua in Irua’s care and headed toward the lodgings with Han A-bin on my back.
Since I’m short, her shoes dragged along the ground, but they were sneakers, so they shouldn't wear out too easily.
Dragging my weary body along, I looked up at the sky.
The northern lands, where humanity had vanished.
Beyond the edge of the Earth.
Stars twinkled atop the dark veil.
Quite a sight.
I gazed at the stars shimmering in the pale violet sky.
Stars, huh?
Al’shirin had certainly said she was of the Star Race and that she was a Star Maiden. I wondered what that meant.
Thinking about it now, I should have asked her about that too. Was it something like Cthulhu?
Outer Gods from the lightless void beyond.
Or perhaps Constellations that occupied one star each?
Pfft.
A chuckle escaped me involuntarily.
I already knew it wasn't anything like that.
We had experienced countless things and examined countless possibilities.
From classic novels to the playful stories floating around the internet—the flow of the stories Heroes experienced generally followed those patterns.
It wasn't that such entities didn't exist. Even now, someone out there was likely experiencing it.
The whispers of the stars telling them to stay strong. The final boss of a story calling itself an Outer God.
However, they weren't all transcendental beings like the ones in old tales.
Ah, there is one outlier.
That Giant Nautilus is still shoved into the Atlantic, sleeping away. The one nicknamed Cthulhu as a joke.
The only O-Rank Monster humanity ever lost to.
It would actually be interesting if that thing were the Existence of The End. It would mean everything would be over once that thing was defeated.
But it probably wasn't that simple.
Entities at The End of the Story.
Why were they called that? According to her, that’s what they called themselves.
Are they beings you can meet once you reach The End of the Story, just as the name implies? If so, why haven't the Heroes who finished their stories ever even mentioned them?
Mental manipulation? Or is there some kind of condition required?
Can I meet them too if I progress through the story?
Or is "story" just a simple metaphor, and they’re just the ones who appear at the very end of an invasion?
It’s difficult.
I looked up at the violet sky to clear my head for a moment. The dark night sky and the stars above, their colors faded by the light bleeding from the Management Bureau buildings.
They looked like Linshua’s eyes.
It was a thought I’d had from the beginning.
The Existence of The End. The Star Race. Linshua’s dominance. Linshua’s eyes. The sky I was looking at now.
It was a strange situation, as if something were guiding me toward a certain conclusion.
I felt like I had seen a record of this somewhere. Surely, it was something commonly mentioned by those who had finished their stories…
‘Stop.’
I flinched.
A sudden voice reached my ears, and I immediately summoned my hammer, dropping into a combat stance.
What was that? Where did it come from?
To protect Han A-bin on my back, I used my left hand to pull her closer to my chest and began scanning the surroundings.
I had already experienced two strange incidents today.
Han A-bin’s awakening.
Al’shirin’s Otherworld Erosion.
If it happens twice, it can happen a third time. I waited for a moment, thinking that, but…
Nothing happened.
Only the shimmering cluster of stars flowed silently overhead. The only thing I could hear was Han A-bin’s faint breathing.
…Was it another hallucination?
My nerves must be frayed.
This place was close to a Contaminated Zone. Wasn't it possible to hear unusual hallucinations? If I reacted to every single one, I wouldn't even be able to sleep properly.
As I lowered my guard with that thought, I found myself standing in front of the entrance to the lodgings.
The iron door was slightly ajar, and the air from the basement leaked through the gap.
Realizing I had reached home, the tension that had wrapped around my entire body quickly dissipated.
Let’s just rest. My nerves are shot because so much happened today.
Rumble.
I pushed open the door, which let out a heavy sound befitting its iron frame, and stepped inside.
* * *
I had to suffer the embarrassment of calling the Management Office because I didn't know where Han A-bin’s room was, but I managed to return her safely to her own quarters.
“What kind of day is it today, seriously…”
Making me work until the very end.
Tomorrow, she’s getting the full training set.
Beep.
Tossing the coat draped over my shoulders aside, I opened the door to my room.
Home, sweet home. Even if it was just a temporary place to stay, one's own room was a great place to rest alone without any worries…
“You’re late.”
“Thunder God?”
Why was the Thunder God in my room?
Was this not my room?
Startled, I looked up, but the number written on the door proved that this was indeed my room.
“What are you doing? Are you going to keep a lady waiting?”
Zap.
A brief spark flew.
Slipping out of the bed with incredible speed, she grabbed my hand and pulled.
The destination was the bed. Into her arms.
“Thunder God? I’ve been busy working all day, so I’m having a bit of trouble processing the situation right now.”
As I rambled in confusion, desperately gripping the doorknob to resist, she spoke.
“Why else? We slept together yesterday, too.”
The Thunder God formed a wicked, wide-mouthed grin as if she were about to devour me.
“No, that was because yesterday was special…”
“Hmm. So Ha-ram has no time to play with me, but has time to play with other women? It seems you went out to meet a woman today too, leaving me all alone.”
Woman? Excluding Han A-bin and Linshua, the only one left was the octopus—could you even call that a woman?
“Wait. I think there’s a misunderstanding. It was a woman, but…”
“Why don't you say that after hiding the mark on your hand?”
What mark?
Hearing her words, I reflexively looked down at the hand gripping the doorknob, and a reddish mark entered my field of vision.
A red mark that looked as if something had sucked on it.
…An octopus suction mark?
Wait… in this case.
“Wait. I can explain…”
The moment I let go of the doorknob in my panic.
“Gotcha.”
The Thunder God didn't miss that moment and pulled me in.
Overwhelming acceleration.
My vision blurred past.
Then, I saw white fabric flying through the air.
Following that, I felt a warm heat and a soft texture.
Before I could even evaluate those sensations, two yellow arms wrapped around my body, just like yesterday.
I was restrained.
By the time I realized that, the Thunder God had already pinned me down firmly.
Rustle.
The thin blanket that had soared into the air descended upon us, marking the end of that brief but intense struggle.
Complete confinement.
Even in such a dire situation, other thoughts raced through my mind.
What excuse could I give that the Thunder God would believe? Why was I even this flustered in the first place? What was the Thunder God to me?
It was just a red mark. In a way, it was just like a bruise.
Why was I agonizing over something like a bruise?
While I was racking my brain through countless thoughts…
Thump. The Thunder God’s chin came to rest on top of my head.
“You don't have to make excuses. I know what it is.”
Huh?
“You met Sirin, didn't you? And knowing you, you probably picked a fight.”
…A bit different, but she was right.
“Thunder God. Have you met her too?”
“Yeah. She was quite a dignified lady, wasn't she? There’s a reason why she earns people’s trust even though she’s a Mutant. Well, I suppose it was a different story for Jin Hong-cheol-chu, who just charges in blindly.”
Dignified?
Even hearing those words, the only thing that came to my mind was an octopus dancing with its head wobbling.
“Well, seeing as you came back quietly, it seems you didn't harm Sirin.”
“What happens if I do?”
I’d already caused quite a bit of harm to various parts of her body, so what now?
“There are many people here who escaped beyond the barrier thanks to her, so wouldn't the people here be in an uproar?”
“…”
“I thought Ha-ram would have pulled out a tentacle or two before listening to her, but it seems your personality has mellowed out quite a bit.”
Well, snapping her neck and cracking her skull should be fine… right?
“What’s wrong? You suddenly went quiet. Don't tell me you’ve already wiped them all out and that’s why it’s quiet? Is that why you’re late?”
She whispered in a voice laced with laughter, as if she were joking.
I almost did something similar, though…
“I’m not that bad, Thunder God. She’s alive and well, and I didn't harm the residents there.”
Yes. Her limbs are perfectly fine.
Since the neck and skull don't count as limbs.
And since she said she was fine herself, I could just brazenly move past it.
“Then there’s no problem.”
She continued speaking while fiddling with my hair with her right hand.
“So, will you tell me what happened today?”
“Is there any reason why I should?”
Today’s story was practically my dark history.
A hasty judgment. A massive play. Numerous mistakes. Predictions that were all wrong today of all days.
“What did Ha-ram say yesterday?”
What did I say?
“You said that if there’s something bothering you about the past, it keeps bothering you and you can't enjoy yourself, right? Well, right now, I’m bothered by what Ha-ram did today.”
I think I did say something like that. Though the nuance was a bit different.
“Surely Lee Ha-ram isn't the kind of Hero who doesn't keep his word?”
I could feel the Thunder God beaming even without looking.
I suppose it would be okay to tell her.
Now then, where should I start and where should I end?
“First, I took Han A-bin with me…”
The story unfolded.
The story of her witnessing Overlapping Reality and her reason collapsing.
The sudden anomalous phenomenon.
Han A-bin’s new power.
Advanced Mental Magic.
“And…”
Should I say this?
I tilted my head back to look at her face. Her face was staring straight down at me.
“What is it?”
She smiled.
If it’s her.
“Thunder God. Let me ask you one thing.”
“Don't get all serious on me.”
Did she notice the stiff atmosphere in my words?
Her smile remained bright, but a hint of unease flickered across her expression.
“What happened to the disciple left behind by the one who died on the battlefield?”
“I’m not a Hero anymore.”
“The disciple. What happened to them?”
Her eyes narrowed.
“The one who shared the disciple’s secret… carries it on. Why? Are you going to talk about the Heavenly Sword?”
That was enough.
“Han A-bin. A Happiness Drop has been planted in her body.”
I felt her body flinch and tremble through my hands.
“Hey. Wait. What is that? What are the details? How was it planted?”
Her questions poured out like a waterfall, and her jaw hammered against my head as she spoke, but I ignored it and continued.
“In addition, the magic she awakened is presumed to have been inherited from her.”
“Advanced Mental Magic, including emotion sharing… She inherited that…?”
While she muttered that, it was impressive that she didn't loosen her hug, but there were still many shocking facts left.
“Also, she is presumed to have awakened a faint trace of Blood Magic. Details are unknown.”
“Just what are you trying to dump on me?”
She grabbed me by the collar.
Grabbing someone by the collar while hugging them. Quite a bizarre movement.
“An Executive-level appeared in my story.”
Even as I was being choked, I opened my mouth.
“There’s no way you’d lose!”
I appreciated the blind faith, but I was only human.
“I didn't lose, but I almost died.”
“…Liar.”
“It’s not a lie. That’s why I’m telling the disciple’s secret to you, the one I trust most.”
“Stop!”
My ears rang for a moment at her loud voice. At the same time, I felt her powerful embrace as she pulled me closer.
“Don't die… Don't leave me behind and die, Lee Ha-ram.”
Through her hugging arms, I felt her warm heat.
Perhaps because her emotions were heightened, a slightly stinging current of electricity flowed, but I also moved my hands and wrapped them around her arms.
“I won't die. If I died every time I shared information, I wouldn't be here already.”
I held her hands in return. So that she could feel my warmth.
“…It’s because it feels strangely truthful that it’s even more wicked. You idiot, Lee Ha-ram.”
Had my movement calmed her down? The electricity flowing through her body weakened slightly.
“Then, let’s move past this and continue the story.”
“There’s still more?”
Ignoring her surprise, I continued the story.
The story of meeting the people, the boss of the shelter, and the conversations I had with them.
The Thunder God listened to my story, crying and getting angry along with my words.
And she did not notice. The lie contained within my words.
She did not notice the lie I had created, hidden beneath a vast sea of emotions, a lie so precariously disguised that even a child could have seen through it.
I lied to her.