Chapter 266. Assembly (2) (1/2)

“….”

I stayed still for a long time. I wasn’t sure how to react to Jin Seyeon’s sudden confession. And while I was pondering, Jin Seyeon spoke first.

“It hasn’t been that long since I found out about this. I pestered my friend over and over again… over again… Oregon…”

“Huh?”

My eyebrows naturally furrowed at Jin Seyeon’s strange joke. Jin Seyeon snickered and shook her head.

“I’m just kidding. Sorry.”

“Erm… so you heard from your friend?”

“Yes.”

I stared at her face. Jin Seyeon wasn’t meant to be an important character in the original story. Despite having the status of a Master-rank Hero, she was given little screen time. Since I didn’t write anything special about her background, the co-author would have had free rein to add whatever he wanted.

“Friend… Is it Yoo Jinhyuk?”

Yoo Jinhyuk was the only one who knew my past and would tell someone else about it. It seemed I guessed right as Jin Seyeon’s flinched slightly.

“As I thought, you knew.”

“He’s a well-known person.”

“Kuhum… Well, to be honest, he didn’t tell me much. I’ve known Jinhyuk since we were young, so I could tell by his facial expressions. He can’t hide things from me, hahaha.”

Jin Seyeon laughed. But in the next moment, she put on a bitter expression and stared back at me.

“…I knew since a long time ago that there was a survivor of that incident. I investigated it myself. Two years ago, I found out that you, Kim Hajin, might be that survivor, and I’ve been wanting to meet you ever since. Of course, I had to confirm my suspicions first.”

Jin Seyeon’s serious voice flowed into my ears. I maintained my silence.

“So I went to see Jinhyuk. He didn’t answer my questions, but his expressions did.”

I didn’t have Chundong’s memories, so I didn’t know what Chundong knew about the incident.

This unexplainable past only proved that I didn’t belong in this place. That I had only replaced Chundong’s place and that the past of the person known as Kim Hajin didn’t exist in this world.

“My father died in the Kwang-Oh Evacuation Shelter. Jin Younghwan, that was his name. He should have been the strongest and the bravest Hero. He met his death while protecting the civilians in the shelter.”

Jin Younghwan. He also wasn’t one of the characters I wrote, but I knew his name from the diary Yoo Yeonha showed me.

I spoke curtly.

“…And what are you getting at?”

Jin Seyeon smiled. It seemed she made thorough preparation for this conversation.

“No matter how fake this world is… we can’t just abandon it and run away. Just like how my father didn’t escape from Kwang-Oh.”

“….”

I looked at my hand. The lines of my palm were stretched out complicatedly like a spider web.

“There is this quote from a book I really like.”

At that moment, Jin Seyeon brought up a quote from a book she once read.

“To confront what must be confronted.”

“…?”

My eyes widened. In this world, Korean history was one of the most important subjects taught in schools. The book, ‘Namhansanseong Fortress’, was naturally a best seller in this world.

“I think I’ve read that book before.”

The only memory I shared with the people of this world, a part of the ‘Earth’ recorded in my setting.

I made a bitter smile.

“Let’s fight, not run away.”

Jin Seyeon spoke tenderly with a warm smile.

**

The next day, Aileen approached me while I was stretching.

“What beautiful weather.”

Aileen looked up at the sky with somewhat drowsy eyes. She looked quite exhausted. It must be because she spent quite a bit of magic power while interrogating Raylen last night.

I grinned and spoke.

“It’s the effect of the crystal shard Raylen brought. It improves the weather within a 6km radius around it.”

The two crystals Raylen brought had different effects. The first one improved the weather within a 6km radius, and the second amplified the power of a weapon.

“…I see. I guess I’ll do some stretching too.”

One, two, one, two…

Aileen stretched for about 15 seconds before stopping. She then stole a glance at me before yelping.

“Aah… I’m suddenly dizzy…”

She stuttered like a falling leaf and fell down on the ground.

I stared at her blankly. She spoke with rough breathing sounds.

“I’m hurt.”

“….”

She wanted chocolate. I laughed and threw one over, and she shot up energetically.

“Anyways, are you confident?”

“Hm? What do you mean? Nom, nom.”

Aileen asked while nibbling on the chocolate.

“I heard you decided to fight too.”

“…Who do you think I am?”

Gulp. Aileen swallowed the chocolate and glared at me with a pout.

“Old Man Chae Joochul killed a devil by himself, so why can’t I?”

“I guess you’re right.”

I laughed and nodded. Then suddenly, Aileen put on a strange face.

“So, what’s your relationship with Jin Sahyuk? I heard you guys talking about the fake king, real king thing.”

“Oh, that? It’s a secret.”

“What?”

I threw Aileen another chocolate before she could get mad.

Nom, nom, nom— Aileen nibbled on the chocolate quietly.

“Alright, let’s go train.”

“…I’ll let you go this time since this chocolate’s so good.”

Aileen and I then headed to the training hall.

**

When Misteltein destroyed the shell of the Tower of Wish, it absorbed a portion of the Tower’s essence. Absorbing this divine power completed Misteltein’s ‘awakening’.

===

[Awakened – Wish Sword]

▷「Wish Sword」 [Pinnacle-grade] [Composite-attribute of Fighting, Light, and Holy]

—Sword Resonance

*The ringing of the holy sword pierces the mind and shakes the heart.

—Sword Crest

*The height of all swords. Can form sword qi and sword reinforcement freely. Becomes one with the user. Stays by the user’s side eternally.

—Divine Power Release

*Can gather divine power around your sword and shoot it out

===

Misteltein’s final form, Wish Sword.

It could form sword qi and sword reinforcement without the use of magic power, and together with Kim Suho’s Gift, Sword Saint, it could even cut space and time.

However, Kim Suho didn’t reveal this sword to the higher-ups of the Hero Association. They questioned his gains from the Tower for a long time, and Kim Suho only replied that he received three pieces of paper and a single item.

The Association heads didn’t believe him for obvious reasons. They even invited an agent whose Gift could detect lies. However, Kim Suho cut the Gift of the investigating agent, turning his lie into truth.

“…Really? That’s all you got from the Tower?”

“Yes.”

Even Yun Seung-Ah was flustered by it. She was looking forward to hearing what Kim Suho gained from conquering the Tower of Wish. Since the Tower wasn’t destroyed, she hoped the Tower would become Kim Suho’s possession. At the very least, she hoped he would gain an infinite supply of entrance tickets…

“That’s unexpectedly cheap. The journey must have been the reward.”

This was Yoo Yeonha’s assessment. Chae Nayun widened her eyes.

“Damn, can I quote you on that? ‘The journey is the reward.’”

“…It’s nothing special.”

“So then what was the item you got?”

Yun Seung-Ah quickly asked.

“Ah, it’s this.”

Kim Suho proudly explained the rewards he received: [Lv.11 Flying Cape], [Supporter Summon Coupon], and two [Point Coupons]. The summon coupon was especially noteworthy since it meant he could summon the ‘Witch’.

“Oh… I see.”

Yun Seung-Ah nodded. The summon coupon sounded useful, though the word, ‘witch’, bothered her slightly.

“Suho, can you write down your bank account?”

Yoo Yeonha tapped on her smartwatch and asked.

Kim Suho tilted his head.

“Bank account? Why?”

“Our guild put a bounty on the Tower. We’re supposed to reward whoever conquered it.”

“What?”

Yun Seung-Ah openly expressed her discontent.

“You put up a bounty? Wasn’t that for your guild members only?”

“No, we decided to give it to whoever conquered the Tower. For the record, it’s 10 billion won.”