Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 142. Necklace
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What the hell is going on right now?
I blankly stare at the person in front of my eyes.
A feeling very similar to that time. Of course, there seem to be some slight changes.
"You're awfully quiet."
"Well, of course he is."
It feels like I've definitely seen her before,
As I furrow my brow and sink into thought, she smiles and looks at me.
"What, reminiscing about the old days?"
"No. It feels like I saw you recently somewhere, but I can't quite remember."
"You've grown up a lot since then. I thought you'd say you missed me."
"It's been that long."
"You're still a kid in my eyes."
She gazes at me with a gentle smile.
That look is just like—
"You were sniffling and hitting me in my dream."
"..."
Her smile stops,
And she points at me with her finger, suddenly listing off grievances one by one.
"You were the one who started it."
"Me?"
"Think hitting someone on the head over and over is okay?"
"First off, let me correct one thing."
"Go ahead."
"You're not human to begin with, are you?"
She pauses for a moment at my words.
"Well..."
"You're the Manual itself, aren't you?"
"...Well..."
"You're not going to tell me."
She avoids my gaze.
"It wouldn't do you any good to know right now."
"Then why did you call me here?"
"I didn't call you."
She shakes her head and looks at me.
"You fell here."
"I fell?"
"It was an emergency escape too. So even if you wake up, your memories will be pretty hazy."
A smile blooms on her face.
"So take a short break. You won't remember anyway—"
"That's not gonna happen."
I cut her off.
"I was just with Arin, and some weird scenery was reflecting in my eyes."
A rising sunset, a setting morning sun.
"What was that?"
"...You won't remember anyway."
She meets my eyes,
And sighs.
"Fine. When have I ever beaten you anyway."
She opens her mouth with a sigh.
"It's probably because of the phenomenon happening right now."
"Phenomenon?"
"Yeah. Remember. The necklace has a huge influence on people."
"..."
"Take the necklace. You're the only one who can touch it. Others absolutely can't."
"...Got it."
"People try to hide precious things even deeper."
She sighs and sits down on the floor.
"...From the way you talk, it seems like you know everything."
I look at her with an expression asking if she can't tell me more, and she lets out a deep sigh upon receiving my gaze.
"I only know as much as you do."
"I don't know this much."
"No. You do."
She answers firmly.
"Did someone from another timeline write it?"
I recall fighting the regressor.
Even then, things I didn't know were written in the Manual.
"..."
She tilts her head with an ambiguous expression.
"Half right, half wrong."
"Even if I ask what that means, you'll just give me that face refusing to tell."
"Right. It wouldn't do you any good to know. No, you shouldn't know."
She sighs.
"But you pulled it off anyway."
"Pulled it off?"
"Nothing."
As always, she looks at me with the same smile.
"Keep it up from here. Don't forget. I'm always watching over you."
"...Yeah, thanks."
She smiles at my words.
"No. I enjoy it too."
"Watching the outside world?"
"There's something even more enjoyable than that."
She laughs and looks at my face.
What, is collecting data fun or something?
She stands up from her seat.
Water splashes on my face, and as always, she looks down at me.
"Time to go back."
"Go back?"
"You being here was unavoidable anyway."
She gestures with an adult smile.
"Anything you want to ask before you go?"
"Something I want to ask..."
There are so many questions.
Who are you, exactly why are you here, what's your purpose.
But the question that came out of my mouth wasn't that.
"Why... do you keep helping me?"
A pure question.
I don't have the ability to turn back time.
I don't have overwhelming power to destroy everything.
I wouldn't have made it this far on my own power to begin with.
At my question, she widens her eyes,
And says,
"Well..."
"Well?"
"A fleeting memory can become the driving force to live your whole life for someone."
She...
"But I don't want to gaze at the you from those memories."
She gazes at me with a soft smile.
"I just want you to reach a happy ending."
"What does that—"
A feeling like someone yanks my nape hits me, and I look ahead.
"Take care. Stay healthy."
She waves her hand,
And my body gets sucked backward.
What am I to her?
A fleeting memory, a happy ending.
Maybe...
Before I can even think it, my mouth opens first and I shout.
"Hey!"
She looks at me at my words.
"See you next time!"
Just like in my childhood.
"..."
She looks at me and smiles brightly.
And then, darkness came.
*
"Wake up!"
I snap my eyes open at the urgent voice.
Jang Chaeyeon grabs my shoulders and shakes them, then makes a relieved expression.
"You're awake..."
Unlike usual, Jang Chaeyeon looks at me with complete relief on her face.
Song Arin is lying next to her, breathing raggedly.
"What happened? Arin..."
"You're the one who... what happened to you."
Me?
"I was just..."
'Remember.'
An unknown voice echoes in my head.
"..."
"You okay?"
"Ah, yeah. I'm fine. What about Arin?"
"She passed out."
"How?"
"I pulled her off you when you two were hugging and lying down, but she was already out."
Jang Chaeyeon says that and floats Song Arin in the air.
"We need to find the necklace."
"Where is it?"
'People try to hide precious things even deeper.'
"Let's go a bit deeper inside."
Jang Chaeyeon nods at my words.
The path gets darker the deeper we go inside,
"Ugh..."
Song Arin groans and opens her eyes.
"What I just saw..."
"Arin."
"...Holding you..."
Then, as if realizing something, Song Arin's eyes widen.
"...You okay?"
"Huh?"
"You okay? Hey, put me down!"
As Song Arin starts thrashing, Jang Chaeyeon sighs and sets her down.
The moment her feet touch the ground, Song Arin rushes over and stands on tiptoes to meet my eyes.
"Arin, what are you—"
"Shh."
Her nose almost touches mine, her face so close.
But there's not a hint of embarrassment on her face.
She just stares into my eyes with a serious expression,
"...It's gone. Good."
She pulls back with a sigh of relief.
"What did you see?"
"...It wasn't seeing something, it passed."
"Passed?"
"There was something tormenting my mind since morning..."
Song Arin mutters while pressing her temple.
"But it passed to you. And I feel better."
"Ah."
"...But I don't get how you're so fine."
"I'm resistant to mental attacks."
"It didn't seem like a mental attack, but..."
Song Arin mutters and looks at me.
"No voices in your head?"
"Huh?"
"Telling you to die, or that you're worthless, nothing like that?"
"Nope."
"No one dumping blame on you, or endlessly dragging up the past?"
"No."
"...Good."
She sighs in relief once more.
"Seems like nothing's wrong, so let's think about it later and keep going."
Jang Chaeyeon seems to be getting a bit anxious.
We start walking again.
Grotesque wires increasingly adorn the surroundings, and a squelching sound comes from somewhere.
"You all hear that sound, right?"
"Yeah."
"I hear it."
Both nod.
We head toward the sound.
"..."
"...This... is a person...?"
Song Arin mutters in shock, and Jang Chaeyeon turns her gaze.
I too furrow my brow at the sight before my eyes.
It was a massive hunk of flesh.
Like taking human flesh, detaching it, and letting it multiply infinitely.
Even worse.
[Name: Kim Ja-kyeong]
[Age: 36]
[Talent: X]
[Specialty: X]
[Background: She was just told that all she has to do is wear the necklace.]
[Weakness: Remove the necklace.]
"...It's a person."
"...Ugh."
"Grotesque."
Song Arin looks away, and Jang Chaeyeon sighs and mutters.
I stare at the flesh mass and realize something is caught in it.
Probably the necklace.
It's buried too deep to see properly.
I narrow my eyes. Does a translucent window pop up?
A translucent window appears.
The problem is.
"...Too many."
So many translucent windows that I can't see properly.
I slowly step toward the necklace.
"Want me to do it?"
Jang Chaeyeon looks at me.
'You're the only one who can touch the necklace. Others absolutely can't.'
A familiar voice echoes in my head.
I stretch out my arm to block Jang Chaeyeon.
"No. I'll do it."
"...You sure?"
"Yeah. I can do it."
Confidence wells up in me, as if someone told me I could.
"...Be careful."
I nod at Jang Chaeyeon's words and slowly step forward.
Getting to the necklace is a big problem already.
"...Ugh."
The issue is having to climb this flesh mass.
In height, it's like three of me stacked.
Do I have to climb this?
While I'm pondering, Jang Chaeyeon flicks her finger upward.
"Whoa!"
My body lifts and flies toward the necklace.
"I was wondering how to climb this..."
Jang Chaeyeon smiles at my gaze and reaches out to grab the necklace.
The moment she grabs it, a translucent window pops up.
[Name: Necklace]
[Age: X]
[Talent: X]
[Specialty: X]
[Background: Every jewel has a mechanism to prevent this.]
[Weakness: X]
"..."
I turn my gaze.
Necklace, necklace, and necklace.
All identical necklaces overlapping like they're deliberately blocking my view.
Translucent windows pop up,
And footsteps start echoing from far away.
"...Chaeyeon."
"...Yeah."
"How long have we been away from our spot?"
"...40 minutes."
"...We're late."
"The necklace?"
"Fake."
I look at the flesh mass.
I recall the weakness.
[Remove the necklace.]
There is definitely a necklace. The problem is where?
It's just a matter of time. If I search a bit more...
-Bang!
A flying sound comes from somewhere.
"Hey! Watch out!"
Song Arin shouts, and Jang Chaeyeon reaches out.
I look at the ceiling.
A robot falling from the sky.
Its mouth opens,
-Tick, tock...
A timer appears.
As if prepared for me taking the necklace.
I hurriedly turn my back.
Can't run. Then somehow with my back at least...
-Boom!
Something explodes.
With that, my body flies far away...
"...Huh?"
It didn't?
I open my closed eyes and look ahead.
"Haha! Hahaha! Hahahaha!"
A hearty laugh echoes, and something rolls across the floor.
Every time the round thing rolls, sparks fly, denting the floor.
"Hahahaha!"
After rolling several times, the man who had curled into a ball jumps up.
Despite barehandedly smashing that bizarre thing, his body has no wounds.
No, he even protected me.
Smoke billows from his body as he looks at me.
"Long time no see, Kim Jaeheon! Nice weather, how have you been?"
"..."
He grins refreshingly at me.
"I was wondering when this would happen and if I could roll in right on time! Haha!"
"Annoying."
Jang Chaeyeon mutters at the sight, but the man laughs as if he doesn't care.
It was the arrival of the ace of the Gangseo Branch Containment Team.