Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: Sister's Curse
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The moment Seong-un saw Jiwoo's face, he recalled what she had said.
"Oppa, I'm putting a curse on you right now."
Playing the role of Seong-un's sister Jiwoo, Jang Wan steadied her mind.
'No. I knew he was like this from the start. Stay calm, Choi Seo-yoon. We haven't even started talking yet.'
Moreover, she could tell that while Seong-un was glancing at his system screen, he was sneaking peeks at her in between.
'He's not ignoring me. He's trying to ignore me.'
And Jang Wan knew a way to stop Seong-un as well.
Jang Wan had talked a lot with Choi Jiwoo, who was Seong-un's sister and her own cousin.
Her parents were busy with work, and her older brother Seong-un was already a pro gamer, so after school, Jang Wan—Choi Seo-yoon, who lived nearby—would go visit Jiwoo in the hospital.
It started as a family favor, but Jang Wan found that the time spent talking with Jiwoo wasn't bad at all.
Though Jang Wan initiated most conversations, Jiwoo started some too.
However, with Jiwoo stuck in the hospital room every day, there weren't many events to talk about, so most of her stories revolved around Seong-un.
In Jang Wan's eyes, back then, Seong-un had acted like a proper older brother.
He called his sick sister every day and visited whenever he had time.
Jang Wan remembered what Jiwoo would say half-jokingly, half-sullenly whenever Seong-un left the hospital room.
"Games again?"
At those words, Seong-un's fingers would slow bit by bit, and then he'd lightly wave his hand.
The system windows blocking his view were all pushed aside and vanished.
Seong-un said,
"Yeah. Sorry. I panicked for a second. It was such an unexpected situation that I consciously tried to avoid it... Choi Jiwoo. What happened?"
Jang Wan sighed inwardly in relief.
She couldn't join the fight herself either, so all she could do now was hope Wisdom and Krampus gave their all.
Jang Wan said,
"Honestly, I don't know either. I thought I was dead, but when I opened my eyes, I was here. I asked the nearest player, who was AR, and they said this was a game. So I learned the basics and tried to adapt somehow."
"What's with the lion mask?"
"I just... found something to cover my face."
"You didn't know about Nine? Nebula's a nickname I always used..."
"I suspected, but I wasn't sure."
"And..."
"Hold on."
Jang Wan smiled awkwardly and said,
"Grilling me like this is kinda scary."
Seong-un paused for a moment, then nodded.
"One thing."
"Yeah."
"Why show up now?"
Jang Wan felt her heart sink.
It was a sharp, piercing question, hard to answer even for the dead sister.
'I have to answer well. This guy was gaming right up to the moment his sister died.'
Jang Wan said,
"Is the game... that important?"
Seong-un's body stiffened at her words.
"I'm here now because I'm happy to see you again, Oppa. Now that I know it's you. That's all. I just wanted to talk."
As Seong-un fell silent, Jang Wan thought her choice had worked.
Now she just had to drag things out with small talk and old memories.
'...And then?'
If this effort paid off, Wisdom and Krampus would lead to victory.
But at the cost of ripping open Seong-un's wounds and breaking him.
Jang Wan wondered if her choice was too cruel.
'No, no. I saw my cousin cry. Saw how he didn't even call despite not being that busy. This price is cheap.'
Jang Wan gritted her teeth behind her smile.
She just waited for Seong-un's next words.
Seong-un said,
"Then let's talk later."
"...Oppa?"
"Won't take long. Honestly, I don't think I need to do anything more at this point, but just in case..."
Jang Wan grew uneasy knowing Seong-un had grasped the battlefield situation like that.
"No, then just talk to me."
"Something more important."
"...More important?"
Hearing that, Seong-un scratched above his mask, looking puzzled.
"...You don't know?"
It was an unexpected turn.
To Jang Wan, Seong-un didn't seem to have much affection for Jiwoo.
So she'd never thought there might be intimate conversations between them she didn't know about.
Jang Wan said,
"No, tell me what it is. But is it more important than reuniting with me right now..."
Seong-un stared blankly at her.
"Than something..."
His gaze was cold.
"...Like this?"
Jang Wan thought,
'Does he suspect me?'
And she was right—more than right.
"Fine. In Lost World, avatars can be freely transformed. So, someone who knows me but saw Jiwoo, who can mimic her speech and knows our past. Can't be my friends. And I don't know Jiwoo's friends well—barely met them. So exclude them too. Family elders were indifferent, so exclude. To impersonate Jiwoo and approach me, they'd need some grudge against her or me. Jiwoo was a good kid—no enemies. But people with grudges against me? About three. And only one matches the prior info."
"...Oppa?"
Seong-un opened his system window again and said,
"Yeah, I'd still be your oppa to you. Choi Seo-yoon."
Jang Wan bit her lip.
'No, it's not over yet.'
Jang Wan said,
"Answer me."
Seong-un looked up from the screen at her voice.
"What promise did I make?"
Ahead of major surgery, Jiwoo had said,
"It hurts that you're not doing what you want because of me."
Seong-un insisted it wasn't true.
He thought he'd explained it well with solid reasons, but Jiwoo didn't see it that way.
"How much do you usually worry about me for words like that to just slip out?"
Seong-un denied it, but even to him, it sounded like a lame excuse.
"Don't worry, Oppa. I'm cursing you now."
"...A curse?"
"Don't think of me even while gaming. Focus on the game. You're good at it, Oppa. No stray thoughts, and you'll win."
"It's not a stray thought."
"Anyway."
Jiwoo said,
"If you use me as an excuse to throw a game from now on, I'll curse you even from the grave. Got it? Forget me completely while playing. And win, Choi Seong-un. Never lose. Absolutely."
Seong-un said to Jang Wan,
"No need to tell you."
If she were really his sister, she would never interfere with his game—absolutely.
On the day Jiwoo died, Seong-un lost that game too. He failed to keep his promise to his sister and lost his last chance to talk to her.
Her curse afterward truly bound him.
After repeated losses, Seong-un got demoted and left his team.
He started playing Lost World purely by chance, drawn because it was a completely different genre from what he'd played before.
But wherever his talent lay, he was good at Lost World too.
Yet at some point, as he immersed himself, her words came back.
'Talking to me is more important than the game?'
At first, the mimicry was confusingly perfect, but the key part was all wrong.
'Something real Jiwoo would never say.'
Seong-un thought that.
Even if it wasn't Seo-yoon mimicking Jiwoo, even if Jiwoo herself said it, he wouldn't believe her.
The moment Jang Wan seemed about to shout that she hadn't given up, someone placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Stop."
Turning, she saw Wisdom and Krampus standing there.
"Why are you guys...? Ah. No way?"
Jang Wan looked at Wisdom with faint hope.
"Yeah, Jang Wan. It's over."
Wisdom said.
"We lost."
"We've seized the high ground!"
"Good work. We're pitching camp immediately, even if you're tired."
"I'll relay to the generals."
As his adjutant Suheon left, Basen Rak Oran looked around.
The Asbestos army, which had formed a fortress, was now scattered beyond recognition.
None of it would have been possible without Yacheon's miracle, but help from his brother and king, Kyle Rak Oran, had been crucial too.
Kyle, an excellent strategist himself, had warned Basen of key points and places to watch when attacking Asien Castle.
The Black Scale army's success in capturing this high ground proved all those tips useful.
The pity was that the war wasn't over.
The nearby Asbestos forces were fleeing the hill, but Black Scale had no strength left to pursue.
The escaped Asbestos would regroup and return as enemies, so the unfinished pursuit was regrettable but unavoidable.
As a scout approached, Basen said,
"What is it?"
The scout couldn't hide his joy and replied,
"Enemy Jakga forces approaching from the east."
"Already here?"
"Yes."
It was earlier than Basen expected.
Such good fortune often fell within the gods' intentions.
Basen gauged the numbers between Black Scale, Jakga, and Asbestos.
'Jakga will ultimately win, but Asbestos defenses will be solid. Though their defenses will all face east toward approaching Jakga. A shake from the rear will greatly aid them.'
Basen said,
"Prepare the cavalry with stamina left. We're aiding Jakga."
Slatis's blade finally plunged deep into Ostrlo's chest.
The massive gorilla tried to pull it out, but Slatis shoved forward hard.
Ostrlo flailed in a way unfit for his bulk, stumbling back several steps before grabbing stone buildings inside Asien Castle and toppling backward.
The blade naturally withdrew, but it was no boon for Ostrlo.
His 40-meter frame's massive heart pumping blood and sturdy veins were badly torn from the attack.
As the heart squeezed blood next, it spurted from ripped vessels, muscles, and severed ribs.
The blood gushing taller than Slatis scattered into mist, clumping into rain that poured down.
Slatis looked at his three arms broken and rolling on the ground.
Pain was nothing, and with Yacheon's power, they'd regenerate soon—but rage surged anyway.
-How dare you...! Do you know who shaped this body of mine?
Slatis struck Ostrlo again with his remaining blade-arm.
Each stab sent blood, flesh, and bone flying over Asien Castle before splattering down. Blood rain fell.
Rakrak watched the tiny snake in his hand scream.
"What is this?"
-Let me go! I am Ulida!
The snake writhed nonstop.
"Ul?"
-Yes! I am the creation of Sukseon and Mangul!
"Then you're my enemy."
-Ah, no!
Rakrak bit off the snake's head and chewed it crunchily.
'Tasteless.'
Rakrak spat it out with a ptui, then tossed the limp body aside.
Apostle Redin Bial Oser had fought well.
The accumulated power of order had left a major wound on Rakrak's arm.
Blood dripped from his right forearm, scales torn off like from a bomb blast.
Rakrak groaned belatedly, tried tending it, but with pain persisting, he just ignored it.
'It'll heal anyway. No point fussing.'
Redin's judgment held elsewhere too.
To the end, Rakrak hadn't escaped the phalanx formed by Redin and his holy knights.
He'd sensed trying to force his way out would cause greater injury, so he'd had no choice but to fight.
But there were other calculations.
'The enemy's best asset is this apostle and knights. Taking them tips the scales.'
So Rakrak did it.
Took the wounds, didn't flee.
And won.
Rakrak looked down and said,
"Apostle Redin of Sukseon, you were worth having. Fine warrior."
Rakrak nodded with a relieved expression.
"Haven't had such a fierce fight since becoming an apostle. Rest easy."
Rakrak pulled out his spear, which had pierced Redin Bial Oser's mouth, throat, and heart.
Redin vomited blood with a gurgle, but it was just the blood left in his heart spilling out.
Redin was already dead.
Rakrak shook off the blood dripping down his skull, covering his left eye, then trudged over corpses piled so high there was scarcely room to step, toward the monstrous bird Anakse.
As Rakrak approached, Anakse, devouring knight corpses, cried out joyfully.
-Kkyeeeek!
Rakrak lightly mounted Anakse.
Looking around, the tide had already turned.