Chapter 272
Chapter 272
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 272. Obstinacy
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Song Arin dreamed.
Or perhaps it was the truth.
She had seen so many futures.
She couldn't tell if they were futures or pasts, or illusions that were neither.
"Hng...!"
The emotions surging endlessly washed over her like waves, making tears stream from her eyes without end.
She couldn't do anything for her family or her man.
If only she could just die. But she was too weak even for that.
She was incompetent.
As always, she had a talent that anyone could see was useful, yet she couldn't put it to good use anywhere.
"Hic...!"
A warm hand gently stroked the back of the endlessly sobbing girl.
Infinitely, until she could gather her emotions.
Slowly, Song Arin lifted her head.
Black hair fluttered beneath the ashen sky.
"Are you feeling a bit better, Arin?"
It was the last person she expected.
Not a man, not white hair.
"...Hic...!"
Maybe from crying so much, she swallowed a hiccup and muttered through swollen eyes.
"The two of them."
"Went to stop it."
"...And you."
"I was supposed to wake you and find the exit. We were just baggage."
Baggage.
The word weighed heavily on Song Arin's chest.
This time too, she was baggage.
"But I can't find the exit either."
Yoo Daon muttered, and Song Arin looked at her.
"It's gone...?"
"Yeah. No matter how much I look, it's not there. I was going to go find Jaeheon, but then you'd be alone..."
Song Arin lowered her gaze at the self-reproaching tone, and Yoo Daon spoke.
"It was like a child, that monster."
"A child...?"
"Yeah. Unstable, I guess?"
"..."
"You saw it too, Arin."
"...I didn't see it."
She had been trapped there from the start, lost in endless nightmares.
"Oh..."
Yoo Daon let out a short sigh and began explaining.
The monster, Jang Chaeyeon, and the two that looked alike.
"So it looked just like Chaeyeon, screaming like a child..."
"...It looked just like the white hair, and like a child?"
"Yeah."
At Yoo Daon's words, Song Arin paused and stood up.
"Arin?"
"You said even you couldn't beat it."
"Oh, yeah."
"I can stop it."
"You, Arin?"
Yoo Daon looked at her suspiciously, but Song Arin started walking without a care.
"Come on."
She wiped her puffy eyelids with the back of her hand and quickened her pace.
"Where are you going!"
"To save that guy. You come too."
"I, I..."
Yoo Daon hesitated at Song Arin's words, and Song Arin looked back puzzled.
"Not coming?"
"If I go, Jaeheon..."
"...Suit yourself."
Song Arin quickened her steps, and Yoo Daon just sat there. Without a word, hesitating.
*
She had said it like she could win.
"..."
"..."
Jang Chaeyeon and I stared tensely at the observer before us.
"Huh? Where'd the purple friend and that creepy kid go?"
It seemed to mean Song Arin and Yoo Daon.
Why call Yoo Daon a creepy kid?
"The two are sick and resting."
"Oh. Can't be sick. Tell them to rest!"
It smiled innocently.
"So you two came to play with me? I like the cool friend, and the one that looks just like me— it'd be fun to play after so long!"
We exchanged glances as we watched it smile.
It meant fighting, calling it play.
"Where to aim?"
"Head's the only spot."
The body has spares. It was made of wood to begin with.
"Got it."
Jang Chaeyeon reached into her pocket and snapped her fingers.
-Ting!
Steel marbles shot toward it like bullets, a few striking its forehead—
"Whoa! Fun!"
They didn't.
As it reached out, the marbles froze in midair.
"As expected of Chaeyeon."
"Doesn't feel like praise."
It snapped its fingers, and the marbles shot back. We hurriedly dove to the ground to dodge.
"That won't work!"
"...!"
Jang Chaeyeon flicked away the marbles flying at her with telekinesis, frowning.
She raised her hand, and instantly—boom!—the air churned.
She was doing something.
"Wow! A friend just like me for real!"
The observer clapped and shouted, and the air's churning vanished as if it never was.
"But still a bit weak?"
"..."
The observer smiled, and Jang Chaeyeon stared at it with a hardened expression.
"I'll be honest!"
And then, watching us, it laughed delightedly and spoke.
"No matter what you do, I don't think you'll beat me!"
"..."
"..."
Think.
We need a Critical.
Observer.
Jang Chaeyeon's past, and...
Come on, this damn eye—throw me one easy Critical, would it hurt? Why do I always have to rack my brain like this?
The observer probably embedded the Cube in its forehead, then cut away its body like some aesthetic thing.
I thought that, desperately praying for the translucent window to appear.
It didn't.
"Then I'll try!"
It swung its hand,
-Rumble!
And the ground flipped.
"...!"
No time to react.
The earth split, soil upheaved, buildings collapsed.
I rolled desperately along the ground, but
"Urk...!"
It wasn't an escape range.
Buildings and rubble poured down over a massive area.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
With deafening roars, structures crumbled, and Jang Chaeyeon spread her arms to block the debris around us.
"Urgh...!"
Blood trickled from her nose.
No time to think.
No choice—aim for the forehead, come hell or high water.
I yanked out my gun, aimed at its forehead, pulled the trigger,
-Bang! Bang!
The bullets flew straight toward its forehead, and
-Thwack!
Its neck snapped back from the impact.
"Agh...!"
The observer screamed in agony and swung its hand. In that instant, red light flashed from her forehead.
Hypothesis confirmed.
"Chaeyeon! Forehead!"
"Got it!"
Jang Chaeyeon reached out, and I steadied my aim.
At the same time, the observer reached out.
-Crack!
A gruesome sound came from my right arm, pain hitting late.
Jang Chaeyeon's eyes widened, and as I turned to look at my shoulder—
-Thud!
My body moved on its own and slammed into the ground.
No chance to scream—a horrific weight began crushing me.
"Gr, ah...!"
A strangled scream burst from my lungs, and the observer clutched its forehead, glaring at me.
"Sh, shooting the forehead hurts...!"
It stammered while pinning me.
Can't breathe.
-Creak...!
Unwanted sounds started from my back, vision flickering with immense pain.
Might pass out like this.
Beside me, Jang Chaeyeon shouted something and swung her hand, but only ringing filled my ears.
The observer, hearing her, touched its chin thoughtfully, closed its eyes, then opened them and raised its hand.
The pressure on my back vanished.
"Hah... haa...!"
Air finally filled my lungs, and I gasped desperately.
Jang Chaeyeon lifted me, shouting something, but I couldn't make it out.
I glanced at my right arm.
It was shattered.
Twisted grotesquely—without quick treatment, I might never use it again. Standing on shaky legs, I thought that.
"Y-you okay...?"
Jang Chaeyeon, supporting me, fretted anxiously.
"F-fine..."
Every breath reeked of blood, but I was alive, so okay.
"Then you'll grant my wish?"
"What nonsense..."
"Yeah."
Before I could cut it off, Jang Chaeyeon nodded.
"It's fine! This kid forgives you in exchange for granting my wish!"
I squeezed my eyes shut.
No Critical, and Jang Chaeyeon—our purest physical powerhouse—could do nothing.
As it said, no path to victory now.
It beamed and nodded.
"Not hard! Especially the handsome one over there doesn't have to do anything!"
"...No, I refuse—"
"Tell me."
"Chaeyeon!"
She sliced through my refusal sharply and opened her mouth. It smiled.
"Great! Right now... take my headache for me."
Take its headache?
Instantly, the image of Jang Chaeyeon absorbing the Cube flashed in my mind.
"There's something really gross in my forehead that gives me killer headaches every day."
It tapped its forehead.
"So, take those headaches for me!"
"Chaeyeon, no. That's definitely—"
"I'll do it."
Before I finished, Jang Chaeyeon nodded.
"Great!"
"Chaeyeon, I said no...!"
"It's fine."
She looked at me calmly.
"I'm fine."
"..."
Can't end like this.
Think of a way, a way...
-Snap!
Someone snapped their fingers, and all three of our gazes turned there.
"Who..."
The observer muttered, its head lolling sleepily.
-Snap!
Another snap, and it staggered.
"...To the end."
A voice that shouldn't be heard rang out.
"...Arin?"
"To the end, you remained human. Jang Chaeyeon."
With a bitter expression, Song Arin snapped her fingers.
-Snap!
"Thanks."
Song Arin murmured.