Chapter 65
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Memories and Guilt
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"These memories and this guilt of mine... What the hell are they?"
'No way.'
I froze in place, rolling only my eyes to sneak a glance at Choi Min Hunter's head. Then I examined her once more with the Right Eye of the Regressor.
[I've seen myself dying too many times]
There was a record hidden among the countless lines of text that I hadn't noticed before. And when I'd been struck by the Traveler Searching for People and rewound time, I'd seen a strange status window too.
[Karmic Rate Increase for Those Who Witnessed the Savior's Death]
'Ah, so that's it.'
The scattered memories clicked together like puzzle pieces.
'Every time I regress, the karmic rates of the people who witness my death rise alongside mine.'
If my karmic rate stemmed from the accumulation of memories across timelines, then Choi Min Hunter's was from the sheer volume of my deaths she'd seen. That's why she remembered the fact that I'd died here.
"Ever since the day Shin Ji-ui the Hunter took that attack in my place, I've been having these weird dreams."
That was when Choi Min Hunter spoke up.
"Dreams where you, Shin Ji-ui the Hunter, keep dying right in front of my eyes."
"...Pardon?"
"At first, I thought it was just my subconscious replaying what happened at the Gyeongpo Cannon Gate explosion."
Her body trembled faintly.
"But the locations kept multiplying."
"......"
"Namwon S-Rank Dungeon, Gyeongju A-Rank Dungeon, Da Nang S-Rank Dungeon... and here, Gamcheon B-Rank Dungeon."
Choi Min Hunter rested her head on my shoulder and turned to meet my gaze.
"I don't think those are just dreams."
"......"
"They're definitely things I've lived through. There's no other way they'd feel this vivid."
Her unusual sensitivity lately, the way she'd gone overboard even on a single monster—it all made sense now.
The deaths I remembered were mostly lonely ones, so I'd assumed even this one had been solitary.
But no. Choi Min Hunter had witnessed my death dozens of times. Before she could even shake off the guilt of failing to protect her family, she'd been forced to watch a comrade die over and over.
'My death wasn't the karma—it was layering more guilt onto her. That's the real karma.'
It weighed heavy on my heart, knowing I'd hurt someone like that—especially someone already scarred.
"You saved me, but all I did was watch you die right in front of me."
With those words, Choi Min Hunter buried her face in my shoulder again.
She could've brushed it off as dreams, but instead, she'd called me here to test her theory.
'She's consistently kind-hearted.'
Just like in the previous timeline, she was overly considerate. I couldn't tell this Choi Min Hunter, 'Yes, you really watched me die every time.' That would only amplify her guilt.
Pat.
I patted her shoulder.
"They're all just dreams. See? I'm right here, alive."
"......"
"Who knew Choi Min Hunter had such a cute side? Believing in dreams like that."
I answered lightly on purpose, but all that came back was her irregular breathing.
"Even if they weren't dreams, it wouldn't be your fault."
[Eloquence Increased]
[Awakener 'Shin Ji-ui''s statement causes Awakener 'Choi Min' to waver.]
Only then did Choi Min Hunter lift her head and slowly straighten her back. Her lips parted as if to speak, but she clamped them shut again.
[Speech Result: Confusion]
"So don't keep it bottled up. You came to save me, after all."
[Linked Passive Skill Activated]
[‘Words Become Seeds’]
[Plant the seed of ‘You came to save me, after all’ in Awakener ‘Choi Min’?]
Choi Min Hunter wavered greatly. Through the translucent status window, I could see her eyes glistening faintly.
'Yes.'
[Planted the seed of ‘You came to save me, after all’ in Awakener ‘Choi Min’.]
"...It's all just coincidence."
"Coincidence or not, you still saved me."
'Though it's a bit weird that it happened dozens of times.'
Just as I was born with the fate of the Savior, maybe she was born with the fate of saving me.
Thud!
That's when the flower from the mural burst out and embedded itself right in the center of the observation deck.
"We've dragged this out too long."
Whoosh! Boom!!
Choi Min Hunter engulfed the flower painting in flames, and before its stem could fly toward us, I pulled Ego's trigger. The pristine white bullet tore through the stem and pierced the pillar of fire, shredding the colorful flower painting into dozens of pieces that piled up neatly on the deck.
"Shall we go?"
Choi Min Hunter nodded silently and followed behind me.
After twisting through several narrow alleys, we reached the plaza, where the gate came into view. The murals grew more grotesque the closer we got to it, and this plaza was no exception. At a glance, blood-like paint splatters dotted the floor, and the tiles depicted dismembered corpses.
"Is it okay to start right away?"
"Ah, sure."
"It's a humanoid monster similar to the mid-boss, so it shouldn't be too tough."
With that, Choi Min Hunter placed her hand on the gate.
♬♩♪
A bright melody poured from the speakers—an upbeat tune wildly out of place with the surroundings.
Step, step.
'Another painter, huh.'
A monster resembling the mid-boss emerged from behind the gate. Unlike it, this one's face was painted blue, with an open mouth.
"Too many tourists."
Excluding the scouts, this was the first monster to speak since the Chunhyang Tale Dungeon.
Every word it spoke bubbled with water sounds. Confirming Choi Min Hunter's gaze fixed on it, I scanned it with my ability.
Probably has attack patterns similar to that earlier monster.
I lowered the ability and immediately pulled Ego's trigger.
Pfft.
"Ugh?!"
I suddenly lost my balance, sending the bullet veering off course.
'Must be the paint zone.'
The tiles had all turned into sticky paint. I fired a sonic bullet at the ground to free my feet and stepped into the air with Bird That Heeds Low Words.
Splat-splat-splat.
The Old Artist didn't miss the opening, extending a hand toward me as colorful fish paintings swarmed fiercely.
Thump!
I deployed my shield to bounce them all away, then a crimson fire pillar engulfed them in one go.
"The residents' homes......"
The Old Artist muttered as it leaped high toward Choi Min Hunter. It splattered paint everywhere, but she became fire itself, darting around wildly.
Bang!!
Seizing the moment its gaze was on her, I switched Ego to harpoon gun mode and fired. The white harpoon speared its arm.
Thud.
I yanked its body down into the paint zone, where the startled Old Artist flailed. But it quickly recovered, painting in the air with its remaining arm.
Screeech.
A massive shadow loomed overhead. Looking up, I saw an enormous paint bucket tilting over the entire plaza.
"Tch!"
Splashhh.
Before the scarlet paint could pour down, I bolted out of the plaza. Just as it was about to bury me, Choi Min Hunter grabbed my waist and pulled me to safety.
Kaboom!!
Whatever it was—maybe the same liquid from the stone stairs earlier—everything in the plaza melted away.
"Th-thank you."
She nodded lightly and released her grip.
I'd nearly been crushed under that paint. In an instant, the plaza submerged in it held nothing but the Old Artist and its painted fish.
"Let's finish this quick."
"Got it."
Boom!!
I nodded to Choi Min Hunter, who slashed the air with her hand, detonating a massive explosion where the Old Artist stood. The blast ripped space itself, paint erupting everywhere.
"Gaaahh, guk!!"
The Old Artist's agonized scream echoed. But the splattered paint soon clogged its throat, silencing it.
Click.
The moment it turned to spit out the paint, I aimed Ego and fired.
Boom!
This time, it pierced its head clean. Cracks spiderwebbed across the Old Artist's body before it shattered, the fragments sucked into the sewer amid the paint.
"Phew......"
Only then did I catch my breath and descend to the plaza. With the Old Artist dead, the paint zone had long since hardened.
Before opening the gate, I glanced at Choi Min Hunter. She stared blankly at the plaza floor, lost in thought.
'Ruminating on my deaths, maybe.'
There might be others besides her who've witnessed my deaths—especially in chaotic brawls like Hell Path.
"Choi Min Hunter."
Calling her name, her head slowly turned my way.
"Shall we go together?"
[Eloquence Increased]
[Awakener 'Shin Ji-ui''s statement causes Awakener 'Choi Min' to waver.]
I extended my hand toward her. She looked back and forth between my hand and face, hesitating, before finally taking it.
"...Yes."
[Speech Result: Confusion]
Her mind still seemed tangled, but Choi Min Hunter was slowly opening up to me. No need to rush.
She'd be on my side in this timeline too.
The subtle warmth rising between our palms felt pretty nice.