Chapter 292 — Happy Memories (1)
9 min read ·
One day in the past, Han Sooyoung had said,
-The first time I tried creating a clone using Avatar... I gave away too many of my memories and it went out of control.
“...How interesting. Where did you hear that?”
[The character ‘Han Sooyoung’ is curious about you.]
[Your understanding of the character ‘Han Sooyoung’ has increased.]
Han Sooyoung’s clone was looking at me with interest. Her eyes were so vivid that I couldn’t help doubting if she was really a clone for a moment. However, the real Han Sooyoung wouldn’t be so composed.
“I have familiar with your main body. She has a loose mouth.”
“Hmm... it is a childish provocation but I will let it pass this time. Your idea is wrong. I’m not Han Sooyoung’s clone but the real Han Sooyoung.”
“What?”
The shape of this smiling mouth was undoubtedly Han Sooyoung.
“I have memories that she doesn’t have.”
“Memories? What memories?”
“Unlike her, I am tight-lipped.”
I grasped the hilt of the sword at my waist.
“I heard that clones will live even if their heads are cut off.”
In any case, I hadn’t come here to waste time. The Unbroken Faith in my hand cried out violently.
[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ is looking at incarnation ‘Han Sooyoung.’]
The whole suite shook from the ‘status’ I released. I heard loud noises from below but Han Sooyoung wasn’t nervous at all.
“...Demon king. You are bigger than I think.”
The next moment, I realized why she was composed. A net of probability spread over the entire room. The status that I emitted suddenly fell sharply.
[This area is a Non-aggression Zone.]
[You are prohibited from fighting in the area for the next hour.]
A Non-aggression Zone...
“Did you make a deal with the dokkaebi?”
“It is necessary for a person who can control Yoo Jonghyuk.”
I decided not to think of her as a mere ‘clone’ anymore. Maybe as she said, this was the real Han Sooyoung.
Then a system message was heard.
[The character ‘Han Sooyoung’ has triggered the Eyes of Truth!]
Eyes of Truth. It was a ‘attributes detection’ skill comparable to Anna Croft’s Great Demon’s Eye. In this short time, Han Sooyoung tried to read my information.
[The exclusive skill ‘Fourth Wall’ is activated!]
[The Fourth Wall has completely broken down the Eyes of Truth...]
Sparks flew and Han Sooyoung hurriedly cancelled the skill. “You have a tremendous skill.”
Han Sooyoung wasn’t greedy. She didn’t try to break the Fourth Wall like Yoo Jonghyuk and didn’t panic like Anna Croft. This calmness wasn’t the Han Sooyoung that I knew.
Han Sooyoung laughed like it was fun. “You can cut off my head later. Shall we play a game? Do you know the Divine Three Questions and Answers?”
It was the question and answer exchange I had once done with Ariadne of Olympus.
“Don’t you have questions you are curious about? Let’s exchange them one by one.”
I didn’t know what was going on. However, this was clearly a chance for me. I nodded in agreement. “Okay.”
“Let’s make a rule instead. We are able to lie.”
“Then what is the use of the Three Questions and Answers Exchange?”
“It is interesting.”
Han Sooyoung’s eyes moved in a smooth curve. It wasn’t difficult to read what she was thinking. I smiled and replied, “Yes, okay.”
At my answer, messages popped up in the air.
-The Divine Three Questions and Answers has begun.
-Both sides will exchange three questions and answers.
-Both sides can refuse to answer one question.
-The conversation won’t end until the questions and answers are fully exchanged.
“I will ask first.”
-The first question ticket has been used.
“Tell me about the contents of the Outer World Contract you signed with Secretive Plotter.
Han Sooyoung shook a bit at my first question.
[Your understanding of the character ‘Han Sooyoung’ has increased!]
The key to this exchange was to create ‘concrete questions’ that were difficult for the other person to avoid. I also had to make the most of the information that could be handed over.
Han Sooyoung said to me, “You even know this? It isn’t easy.”
“Answer me.”
“It means you have also made an Outer World Covenant.”
She was quick to notice, just like Han Sooyoung of the third round. Han Sooyoung continued speaking. “I have signed an Outer World Contract with Secretive Plotter. If he hears what he wants, he will help me complete the world I wanted.”
-The first answer has been received.
It wasn’t a very informative answer. The important thing was the authenticity of the answer.
[The exclusive skill ‘Lie Detection Lv. 6’ is activated!]
[The character ‘Han Sooyoung’ has triggered ‘Poker Face Lv. 10’!]
[Poker Face has neutralized the effect of Lie Detection!]
As expected, she knew this skill. There was Poker Face among the skills that I saw on her Character List. Thanks to this skill, it was impossible to find out the truth of the answer using Lie Detection. Of course, that didn’t mean I had no solution.
[The exclusive skill, ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ has been activated!]
[Your understanding of this person is sufficient and the second stage of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is activated!]
As soon as she became a character, I could read her thoughts just by asking questions. The next moment.
....
「 I knew it. 」
「 I told you. 」
「 Uh, don’t step on my feet! 」
「 Why are you peeking at me? 」
....
I instantly heard hundreds of voices and my heard felt like it was going to burst. I didn’t have any time to express my astonishment and hurriedly cancelled the skill.
[Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint has been turned off!]
I looked at Han Sooyoung blankly and she had a peculiar smile on her face. “I did this just in case and indeed. I thought there would be such a skill.”
“...What was that just now?”
“Is that your second question?”
I reflexively closed my mouth. Han Sooyoung laughed. “Well, I’ll answer as a free service. It is an application of the Avatar skill.”
I finally understood what was going on. Han Sooyoung split her self into hundreds by using ‘Avatar. I looked at Han Sooyoung’s cheerful expression and felt my heart beating quickly. I had never met such an opponent before.
Han Sooyoung spoke first. “This time I will ask.”
-Incarnation ‘Han Sooyoung’ has used the first question ticket.
“Have you ever written a novel called Ways of Survival?”
Some questions implied information just by the question itself. I knew for sure what this person thought of me. Thus, I had to show off my skills here. “That’s right. I wrote it.”
[The character ‘Han Sooyoung’ has used ‘Lie Detection Lv. 10’.]
[The exclusive skill ‘Poker Face Lv. 5’ is activated!]
I’m sorry but I also had the Poker Face skill. Just before I came to this round, I bought a bunch of needed skills to the Dokkaebi Bag.
[Poker Face has neutralized the effect of Lie Detection!]
Han Sooyoung’s lips curved slightly at the message. “You’re really interesting.”
This person was also interesting.
***
“...Is this really Yoo Jonghyuk?”
Lee Seolhwa asked like it was unbelievable. Standing in front of her were Iron Blood Supreme King Yoo Jonghyuk. Yoo Jonghyuk stood upright and stared into space with blank eyes.
People flocked around Yoo Jonghyuk. It was Lee Jihye who scolded them first. “What are you all looking at? What’s wrong with you when you’ve often seen him on the screen?”
“It’s amazing... This is the first time I’ve seen him standing still like this. How did you do it? Did you use poison?”
Even Han Donghoon sitting in the control room observed Yoo Jonghyuk through the panel windows. Kim Namwoon sneaked up beside Yoo Jonghyuk and took a subtle pose.
Click. Click.
Lee Jihye frowned as she saw the scene. “What are you doing?”
The surprised Kim Namwoon’s phone flew into the air. Then a hand stretched out from Kim Namwoon’s shadow and grabbed the smartphone in place of Kim Namwoon.
“Hey, let’s take a photo together. This opportunity isn’t common.”
“Hey, shouldn’t you leave him alone? Why are you taking photos?”
Lee Jihye grabbed his wrist and roared. Then there was the sound of a photo being taken. The photo showed the expressionless Yoo Jonghyuk, the giggling Kim Namwoon and the angry Lee Jihye.
“The soldier over there! Don’t just stand there and move out of the way! We’re taking photos!”
Lee Hyunsung stood still in the distance and Lee Seolhwa hit Kim Namwoon’s head.
“Didn’t I tell you to use honorifics with Hyunsung-ssi?”
“Ah, I hate it. Stop nagging me!”
Click.
“By the way, is this guy really safe?”
“Shall I stab him once?”
“Don’t do anything. The guy who climbed up set a strange trigger. If the worst happens, he will start a massacre.”
Click.
“Trigger? What trigger?”
“I think he told Yoo Jonghyuk to go on a rampage if he was harmed.”
“Hmm, then... what about this?”
Kim Namwoon smiled and put a hand on Yoo Jonghyuk’s shoulder. Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t react. “What? This is okay? Then what about this?”
People laughed as they surrounded the empty Yoo Jonghyuk. There were some who were amazed and others who were happy.
Click.
Several photos were taken and Yoo Jonghyuk’s expression changed little by little. Faint emotions appeared in the depth of his hollow eyes. Maybe they were emotions that Yoo Jonghyuk himself couldn’t understand. His eyes seemed to become hot and his heart was stuffy. However, Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t have a proper consciousness and didn’t know what this feeling was.
“Eh, what? I think he just moved.”
“...Did you see wrong?”
“No! Really...”
All he knew were the words left behind by Kim Dokja.
-Imagine happy memories.
-Warning! Warning! The archangel of flames is approaching!
A warning rang in the air and the people attached to Yoo Jonghyuk were amazed. The first one who screamed was Kim Namwoon.
“What? Fuck! Why is that crazy bitch here?”
“This is bad. Be prepared. Hyunsung, go up and let Master know!”
As the group scattered, Yoo Jonghyuk stood in place. Some disturbed people hit him as they passed by.
-Imagine happy memories.
In the urgent situation, Yoo Jonghyuk stared at the huge panel screen in the air. The dazzling angel burning with red flames was moving. Every time the angel’s burning sword moved, the ruined area was engulfed in flames.
Yoo Jonghyuk had a headache. In his empty mind, Yoo Jonghyuk had seen the angel.
Happy memories.
Strangely, the memory was unfamiliar and amicable. It was like a thick wall was in the middle of this distant and cold memory. In his memory, she was a small doll.
-The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is laughing.
-The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is hoping you won’t make any unnecessary sacrifices.
It wasn’t her memory. It was a record left on someone’s wall and he just stole it. They were memories of a world that didn’t exist for him. It was fiction.
-The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is touched by your comradeship.
Even so, Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t understand why he remembered this fiction so clearly.
-The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is rubbing her cheek against you.
The burning archangel was watching him on the screen. Yoo Jonghyuk muttered like a child first learning to speak. “...Uriel.”