< Episode 23. The Abandoned World (1) >
Guided by the Judge, I headed toward the exit of the Underworld.
Because I was wearing a special blindfold, I couldn't tell where exactly I was. It felt as though I might be going up, or perhaps down.
In any case, after walking for quite some time, the Judge finally removed the blindfold.
[Follow this path.]
When I opened my eyes, a narrow, dark alley came into view.
This was probably the exit from the Underworld that didn't require passing through Charon the ferryman.
[It would be wise to find what lies 'ahead.']
"What do you mean by that?"
When I turned around, the Judge was already gone.
With no other choice, I followed the alley. Soon, the surrounding light faded away, and complete darkness settled in. At first, I could determine my direction by feeling along the wall, but before long, even the wall disappeared.
With nothing left to rely on, I felt like a boat drifting across the open sea without a buoy.
Suddenly, the myth of Orpheus came to mind.
If I were to turn back here… what would happen to me?
That was when faint, glowing letters appeared in the darkness.
[You fear what lies behind you. That poor child was the same.]
It was a message from Persephone.
[But remember this: in order to find what lies 'ahead,' you must first know where 'behind' is. 'Ahead' can only exist when there is a 'behind.']
Come to think of it, the Judge had said something similar.
But just because someone says something profound doesn't mean you suddenly gain enlightenment and undergo a dramatic transformation.
[It seems you need a bit of motivation...]
The glowing strings hesitated, stretching out as if in thought.
[Very well. You're already at the entrance of a labyrinth that crosses worldlines, so I can't bring her here outright—but this much should be possible.]
The moment a sense of foreboding washed over me—
The letters vanished all at once, and a faint, tiny light like a firefly appeared before my eyes.
A distant light.
It was extremely fragile, soft, and gentle.
No one had to tell me what it was. I already knew.
—You are...
It was Shin Yoosung of the 41st regression.
—Ah, ah...
I could tell just from her voice.
How long she had waited.
If she was already at the threshold of crossing worldlines, then time there wouldn't flow the same way it did here. From my perspective, it hadn't been long since I'd let Shin Yoosung go—but for her, several years might have already passed.
The small light trembled repeatedly, then, after hesitating, spoke carefully.
—Mister.
It must have been influenced by the memories of her younger self.
—C-can I call you that too? No… I mean, is that okay?
A form of address is a kind of binding. A desire to be tied to something. Perhaps the word "mister" was the last lingering attachment of the 41st Shin Yoosung.
I smiled faintly and said,
"You're older than me now. Is that really okay?"
The soft light trembled once more.
Playfully, it brushed lightly against my cheek before drifting away again.
That warmth—so insignificant, that small gesture...
My chest felt like it was being torn apart.
She must have waited for so long.
And even so, this child would have to wait longer still.
"I'm sorry. I can't save you right now."
As if she understood, the small light bobbed gently up and down.
—Don't push yourself. My story is already...
"It's not over."
I spoke before she could finish.
"After suffering for so many years, it can't end like this."
—Why...?
"Because I won't let it."
The light looked at me, its trembling confused and pitiful.
—I learned about you through this world's memories. But you... why are you so kind to me? You don't really know me, do you?
I didn't answer.
We had come to know each other through different mediums.
Just as the 41st Shin Yoosung came to know me through the memories of her younger self, I knew her through Ways of Survival. Even so, I couldn't properly explain that to her.
—It feels strange. I don't really know you, but when I'm with you, it feels like I'm being understood completely. Like I'm standing before a god...
If I really were a god, I'd be the most incompetent one in the world.
A god who knows everything but can explain nothing—utterly powerless.
Shin Yoosung's light was fading rapidly.
Even though I couldn't see her expression, I felt like I knew exactly what it was.
—...Please save me. Please.
"I will."
The tail of the light trembling in the air grew smaller and smaller as I reached my hand toward it.
My chest tightened painfully.
Shin Yoosung's despair. Her long, long wait...
An indescribable sorrow carved into my heart like a blade.
Little by little, Persephone's words began to make sense. One needs a 'behind' in order to move 'ahead.'
This was my 'behind'—and at the same time, the 'ahead' I had to move toward.
Perhaps this was how Yoo Joonghyuk had felt too. Constantly returning to the past, yet only able to move forward by doing so.
The moment I became certain of my direction, the surroundings slowly distorted.
As the darkness scattered, glowing letters appeared.
[I've held her in place for a short while with my power, but if you truly wish to save her, you don't have much time left.]
I remembered the faint warmth of Shin Yoosung still lingering in my hand.
Persephone spoke.
[Remember this: humans are beings made of 'stories.' So when you finally retrieve her, no one can say how much of her story will still remain.]
With those words, I was pulled away somewhere.
Aaaaaah.
As the wails of wandering spirits faded, the vivid sensation of a living body returned one by one.
Harsh sunlight pierced my eyelids.
Feeling the dampness on my back, I jolted awake to see a familiar face.
"...Mister?"
Young Shin Yoosung was looking at me. Her clear eyes gave me certainty, and my wildly pounding heart slowly settled.
I was back.
As I took slow, steady breaths, the muscles throughout my body began to function again.
[Hidden Scenario — 'Queen of the Underworld' has ended.]
[You have received 15,000 coins as a Hidden Scenario reward.]
The updated scenario rewards came in as well.
It seemed the rookie dokkaebi had handled things properly.
[Constellation, 'God of Wine and Ecstasy,' congratulates you on your safe return.]
Seeing the indirect message, a delayed surge of anger flared up.
If that bastard Dionysus hadn't thrown me into Tartarus, I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble. I nearly ended up stuck in Tartarus with Kim Namwoon, living a life of building Gunpla.
[Constellation, 'God of Wine and Ecstasy,' requests reconciliation.]
[You have received a sponsorship of 7,942 coins.]
...7,942?
What kind of beeper-era apology is that?
Still, since he gave coins, I'll let it slide—just this once.
[You have received 1 new Hidden Scenario.]
I immediately checked the newly arrived Hidden Scenario.
Type: HiddenDifficulty: S-Clear Condition: Hunt the target in the Sixth Main Scenario area.Time Limit: Until the end of the Main ScenarioReward: 80,000 coins, the favor of the 'Queen of the Darkest Spring'Failure: Access to the Underworld prohibited
Just as expected, Persephone's task arrived in the form of a Hidden Scenario.
[When the target appears nearby, the scenario alarm will activate automatically.]
Snake hunt.
The target wasn't specified in the scenario, but if it was a 'snake' appearing in the next scenario, I could more or less guess what it would be.
As I slowly pushed myself upright, Shin Yoosung asked with concern,
"Mister, are you okay now?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Sangah unni told me to keep a close eye on you..."
Come to think of it, I had asked Yoo Sangah to handle things just before I collapsed.
"Where's Yoo Sangah?"
Finding her wasn't difficult. Nearby, Yoo Sangah was curled up asleep on the bare ground. As I looked at her sleeping face, the image of Persephone transformed into Yoo Sangah popped into my head, and my face grew hot.
...
Still, a cheongsam and garter belt...
That was really something.
"She stayed awake until just a moment ago and then fell asleep."
"Oh."
"She also said that if you didn't wake up, I had to make sure to tell the rest of the group."
Hearing that, guilt landed like a critical hit.
Dark circles hung under Yoo Sangah's eyes. She must've been exhausted from her own hangover too...
Cheongsam? Garter belt?
Damn it. I'm trash.
"You're finally awake?"
From a short distance away, Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung were approaching.
Judging by how soaked with sweat they were, it looked like they'd gone off somewhere for morning sparring.
Jung Heewon spoke.
"Since Dokja-ssi is up, we should get ready to move."
"Move?"
"The others already left."
Now that she mentioned it, the people who'd been gathered around last night were gone.
I asked,
"What happened overnight?"
"The announcement for the Sixth Main Scenario came up."
...Already?
Before I could ask anything else, massive strings of text appeared in the sky.
[Survivors, please gather at Yongsan Station.]
We quickly packed up and set out.
Since we were already in Yongsan District, getting to the station wasn't too hard. I carried Yoo Sangah on my back, while Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung took the rest of the luggage.
Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung followed behind us, keeping some distance from each other.
Yoo Joonghyuk's group was nowhere to be seen.
When we arrived near the station a short while later, the area was already boiling over with survivors.
It was hard to believe that this many people were still alive in Seoul.
Everyone was staring up at a massive screen floating in the air.
"Ah...?"
"Is that it?"
My group and I looked up at the screen as well.
It was the same kind of display I'd seen in the Underworld.
A dense forest blanketed in lush jungle.
And within it, enormous monsters racing through the trees.
Up close, they'd be terrifying beasts—but viewed as part of the whole landscape, they looked like nothing more than pieces of a massive ecosystem.
I could also see incarnations.
Some people had already started hunting, grinning at the camera as they held up the severed heads of monsters.
Those damn dokkaebi—editing it up like some kind of travel advertisement.
Someone muttered,
"Hey, wasn't that guy just now Japanese?"
If my memory was right, the Sixth Scenario was an event-type scenario shared with other domes.
The man who'd just appeared on the screen was probably Izumi, a famous incarnation from Japan.
Since the Tokyo Dome was further ahead than us, it made sense that they'd entered the Sixth Scenario earlier.
In many ways, Korea was starting at a disadvantage.
[The new Main Scenario has arrived.]
< Episode 23. The Abandoned World (1) >End