ALL NOVEL Chapter 160
“All done. Be careful since it’s hot…”
“Wow…!”
The sky dims, and it’s the time when oil lamps shine like bright stars. The small dining table, no bigger than a boy’s home, is filled with delicious dishes.
His friends’ eyes sparkle at the sight of the spread. The boy’s mother smiles contentedly at him.
“It really looks delicious… I want to eat here every day…”
As Jin Ho gulps down his saliva, Ina shoots him a deadly glare and snaps back sharply.
“Hey! Who reaches for food before the adults!”
“Pfft… It’s okay. Come on, let’s eat…”
The boy’s mother intervenes, serving each of them food. Soon, the friends stop their bickering and begin to savor the meal fervently.
“It’s so good…!”
“Seriously… better than what my mom makes…!”
“…”
The boy quietly watches the scene unfold from the dining table.
A rundown house, a tiny bed barely enough to lie down on, just two friends.
And the image of his mother, who always scolded him for causing trouble, yet warmly comforted him.
The very scene he had always dreamed of, the one he longed for so deeply.
All that he desired over overflowing riches and noble honors.
“A new girl moving in… really…”
“I’m sure her name is… Baek Seoyeon…”
“I saw her face… she’s really pretty…”
In the midst of his friends’ chatter, the familiar name strikes his ears like a bolt. The boymoans in deeper anguish.
He glances at the mirror stuck to the wall. Habitually, he raises his hand and touches his face, feeling the smooth and plump skin without a scar.
Soon, the most crucial moment of his life will arrive. The boy, who knows everything, has a chance to correct his past mistakes. This time, he can protect both his family and his loved ones.
“Hyun Ah?”
At that moment, a warm yet familiar voice echoes.
Lifting his head, he sees his mother watching him with a mix of confusion and concern etched on her face.
“Are you hurt? You haven’t said a word since earlier… and your complexion…”
Hearing that resonance, a heaviness fills the boy’s heart. The inner demon beckons him more fiercely.
That unattainable desire unfolds right before his eyes.
If he just steps one foot into that sweet swamp, he would unknowingly dissolve into that scene. He could achieve the eternal happiness he yearned for all along.
Yet the boy tightly shuts his eyes, resisting that deeply addictive temptation with all his might.
No matter how sweet it may seem, he knows it’s ultimately just a fleeting illusion.
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
In the end, the boy opens his mouth, a sorrowful expression contorting his face.
“I… think I have to go.”
*
“Ha… Ha…!”
Crash!
An attack comes in from the side. Jin Yeseo barely blocks it with the edge of her blade and immediately swings it with all her weight.
Bang!
Cough!
A monster falls with a dying gasp. But immediately, another monster rushes in, drooling and bearing its maw. Despite having sliced through dozens of monsters, the end is still not in sight.
“Ha… Hah…!”
Her hair soaked in blood, her face smeared with muck and guts.
Still, Jin Yeseo continues to slice down the enemies. She doesn’t stop even when her shoulder is pierced by sharp tentacles or her thigh is torn by claws. This isn’t just for her family or to simply defeat someone.
She occasionally checks the rear, keeping an eye on a tall man wearing a gas mask who stands still, his body hanging limply.
For the first time in her life, she was burning herself to protect someone.
“Get up… you need to wake up…!”
Aarrgh!
Crash!
It was the moment as she continued to slash the bloodthirsty monsters. She lost even the awareness of wielding the blade. Instead, she let instinct take over, moving her arms fluidly in the state of flow.
The talent embedded in the blood awakens her gradually. The optimally restructured particle configuration infuses new strength into her body.
Just as she kept swinging the blade.
Like a flower blooming, green particles resembling her eyes filled the surrounding space. Along with it, a sweet fragrance like divine honey wafted through the hall.
The appearance of colors and the emanation of scents.
“Ah…!”
A woman, who stood a step back witnessing the evolution, clasped her hands in prayer, letting out a cry of joy.
“That’s amazing…!”
*
With the boy’s words, time came to a standstill. After all, this place was the boy’s inner self. A domain he ruled entirely. Since he already knew everything, further deception was meaningless.
In that space where neither clock nor stars flowed, the boy’s mother spoke in a warm voice.
“…Who?”
“…There’s someone waiting for me…”
The trembling boy finally managed to utter those words.
“There’s someone struggling without me. And, and…”
“And?”
“My friend… is fighting outside… I need to help…”
The boy tightly shuts his eyes. Each word he utters comes crashing in harder than death. The people before him aren’t real. He knew better than anyone that they were illusions created by a wicked being to trap him.
However, no matter how false they were, he still felt that if they caught him, he would crumble.
“Hmm… I see…”
A moment of silence passes. The boy trembles all over, waiting in fear for a response.
“…Then you should go.”
“Uh…?”
But he hears the voice.
At last, the boy lifts his head. The blue sky, clear clouds, and a lake the same color as the endless sky.
Beyond that, three individuals looked at him with expressions that seemed to say they knew this would happen, smiling in disappointment.
“Why are you so surprised? You said there’s a friend outside that needs help. So go hurry and help them.”
“We finally have a new friend other than us for Hyun Ah…”
“That’s nice, but… I’m a bit jealous…”
The three each casually added their remarks. And the boy realized. Even if they were illusions, their essence was just as he remembered.
“Ah… Uh…”
Moisture filled the boy’s voice as he came to this realization.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”
Overcome by a tidal wave of emotion, the boy could no longer hold it in and sank to the ground.
“If only that day… If only I hadn’t gone to the cabin…”
He had so much to say. But as his mind went blank, he couldn’t think of anything.
If only he had a little more strength… I’m sorry, I’m sorry…
He was pouring out his long-held guilt, as if confessing.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry for surviving alone… everyone else, they all died… but I was the only one who shamefully lived… I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
“No.”
But soon enough.
A warm hand rested on the boy’s head, and a firm voice entered his ears.
The boy, who had been kneeling, raised his tear-streaked face.
“It’s not your fault.”
With a stern expression, his mother firmly gazed at him. Yet, as if the mood had shifted, she smiled tenderly and gently caressed his head again.
“Thank you. For holding on alone. For overcoming despair… and standing up again.”
“…Mom…”
Gradually, the sky began to fragment. The pure white expanse was slowly approaching them.
His desire to awaken was breaking the illusion surrounding him.
“It’s time to go back.”
“But…”
“Ah! I never raised my son to be weak!”
She chided him in a firm voice.
But the expression of disappointment she couldn’t hide led her to casually add something tender.
“…We can talk later. Right?”
“Take care, Hyun Ah.”
“Make sure to introduce us later, too!”
Soon, her friends shot him bright smiles for their final farewell.
And, with the boy’s tears having dried, he nodded at them.
“…Okay.”
Then, the contracting white space enveloped them. The memories holding onto him disintegrated like spring haze.
Light enveloped the boy’s body. The determined boy accepted the sensation without hesitation.
A faint smile had settled upon his lips.
*
“Ha… ha…!”
Jin Yeseo barely managed to stand, panting as her legs trembled. Her head was spinning, and her vision was blurred. She hardly had enough strength left to lift her body.
She looked around with dazed eyes. The sewer that had been filled with the roars of monsters was now eerily quiet.
In front of her lay a mountain of monster corpses, their pale flesh exposed.
The fortunate part was that she could take them all down before the particle exhaustion set in.
But the unfortunate part was… there were still enemies she had to face.
Clap, clap, clap…
The sound of applause echoed countless times in the silent hall. Jin Yeseo gritted her teeth and glared forward.
That nun, with her graceful appearance, approached her with joy splashed across her face, mismatching her demeanor.
“Truly, truly… remarkable.”
“Ha… ha… you wretched woman…”
Jin Yeseo cursed with all her might, but the woman didn’t care. What filled her mind was a mix of disappointment and fear.
Finally able to manifest colors and scents. If she could have obtained it a little earlier, if she had learned the circulation magic by setting aside her pride long ago…
“To witness the evolution of life… I never thought it would be so moving…!”
“Ha… ha…”
“Indeed, even lowly creatures have potential. That’s why it’s best not to drive them to extinction, just keep a few alive… how wonderful…”
The woman murmured with genuine regret, her words unheard and indecipherable, adding to the bizarre atmosphere.
“Well… don’t worry too much.”
Then, she looked back down at Jin Yeseo, offering a gentle smile.
“It seems you may still have some uses.”
“What are you… huff… trying to do… ugh…”
“Host.”
The woman’s lips stretched wide, hovering close to Jin Yeseo’s ear.
“I’m sure you have an excellent placenta, so shouldn’t you bear suitable offspring?”
As the woman approached, she raised a finger to prick her own fingertip. Immediately, blood began to drip from her slender finger.
“I’m sure you were called an insensitive person… unlike them, you’ve already completed your evolution, so merely playing with your body won’t suffice.”
The woman lowered herself to Jin Yeseo’s eye level, gripping her chin while prying her mouth open. While her intentions remained shrouded, it was clear she wanted her to consume that blood.
‘You… you want to make me turn out like them…?’
With no strength left in her arms, Jin Yeseo couldn’t resist. She could only breathe heavily, her trembling eyes wide.
“Don’t worry. There’s nothing to fear. It’s just about becoming one with us. Come on now…”
The overwhelming terror of the unknown being drew tears into her eyes.
“Ugh…”
Those quickly fell like raindrops to the ground.
“Help… me…”
Without realizing it, she was pleading for help from someone.
“Get up… hurry… wake up…”
But no answer came. Her cries reverberated emptily through the sewer.
The wicked entity’s smile, wide enough to reach its ears. As the crimson droplets of blood hung on her finger, they slowly inched closer to her.
Just as Jin Yeseo closed her eyes in resignation.
Crash!
“Uh…?”
Suddenly, a deafening sound brushed past her ears. Something flew through the air, smashing violently against the stone wall, shaking the sewer.
Jin Yeseo collapsed to the ground.
However, instead of hitting the cold floor, she felt a warm embrace.
And as she confirmed the identity of the person who caught her.
Her face lit up with joy and exultation.
“You…!”
The man who had lifted Jin Yeseo gently set her down in a corner. She had never waited for anyone like this before.
Despite the smile on her face, she intentionally grumbled at him.
“You took too long.”
“…I’m sorry.”
The man nodded, unusually accepting her remark. He surveyed the blood-soaked Jin Yeseo, checking on her condition.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Jin Yeseo replied in a bright voice.
“But I’m experiencing particle exhaustion… I can’t fight anymore. Sorry…”
“You did well. And… you don’t need to worry.”
He nodded again, then stood up to look toward the dusty opposite side.
As the dust gradually settled, a shadow standing amid the debris of the collapsed wall began to come into view.
“…What on earth…?”
The nun remained unscathed. However, the serene expression she typically wore was nowhere to be found, replaced by shock and astonishment directed at the man.
“…”
The man did not respond, instead, he assumed his stance.
With the rekindled spark of hope, Jin Yeseo gazed at the man standing in protection before her.
Now that she looked, she saw that his eyes burned with a low, deep anger.