Chapter 58: Chapter 273 Revisiting ( 1)
It was a bizarre sight. Overall, it resembled a human form. The body was clad in loose, flowing clothes of a stark white, with no visible seams, extending all the way to the head.
Where hands should have been were thin tentacles wrapped in translucent fins, resembling collar flowers. The wide-spread garment ended around the knees, with thick mist swirling below. The swaying long hair, tentacles, and mist serving as feet—all were slowly changing colors.
Like an artificial jellyfish in a long aquarium LED light.
It felt strangely beautiful despite the instinctive revulsion. Jellyfish in an aquarium were pretty too. In a somewhat dreamy atmosphere. But still.
Is it a trend now? The jellyfish chuckled, waving its tentacles in response to my muttering."It's so convenient, you know. Tentacles are the best for delicate work."
Even this novices said that. Yah myeongwoo, don't become like that. Don't succumb to temptation.
I took a deep breath. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts. He's someone who manipulates others' memories. I need to get a grip on my emotions.
"This should be enough to receive a cease and desist request even from the most indifferent judge, you stalker."
At my exclamation of what kind of mischief he was up to, the Harmless King grinned again.
"It means I'm evaluating you highly. I've gone to great lengths to extract you as intact as possible~"
"And in doing so, my world has become a mess?"
"Don't be so naive. It was a difficult world to be safe in anyway. Once they know more about you, they might do similar things, don't you think? Even the child that the crescent moon is fussing over was there. I thought it was strange, but that human was none other than the Little Moon."
He knew about Seong Hyunjaje, who had once worked with the crescent moon.
"You're quite confident that the cresent moon will do similar things. Aren't you speaking a bit too arrogantly? Aren't you supposed to be on the side trying to protect the world?"
"Their motto is to sacrifice a little for the greater good, you know~ They think it's okay as long as they can save countless worlds by sacrificing one. If they're unlucky, they become sacrificial lambs; if they're lucky, they get saved."
The concept of uncertain salvation was not amusing. I hadn't failed to notice that the miscreant sons had such tendencies. Even the newbi5, who felt the most human among them, was indifferent to Yoohyun and chirpie.
The jellyfish gathered its tentacles quietly in front of its chest.
"I don't want it get scratched. Will you come quietly? There's no hope left for you anyway. I only cleared a 'path' to get you out as intact as possible, but once a hole is made, it will only get bigger, and soon this world will become a battlefield."
"...A battlefield?"
"Right. It's a world that has lost its power to prevent external intrusion, so countless transcendents will try to visit. There will be conflicts to take over even a piece of this world before it's consumed by the Origin. Most of us have lost our own worlds. We have established dwellings between worlds, but they're natural, not Origin-made, so they're inferior. They're much smaller, simpler, and not as sophisticated as the system's main creators."
So, the world we can meddle with is popularly safe, the King of Harmlessness explained. Chaining on my shoulder glanced at me. Is it okay to continue the conversation a bit more? What's the situation outside? Even though it was just a blink, did he catch onto my thoughts? The silvery dragon nodded slightly.
"The system's main creators are remarkable, huh?"
"Oh, yes! Of course. It's obvious they're stalling, but it's still irritating."
"No need to bear with it. The newcomers haven't shown any signs. If you tell an interesting story, perhaps they'll feel like following along."
"Just talking nonsense. The newcomers are talented too. But the Chatterbox has lived much longer, so the difference in experience is inevitable. Moreover, the main creator's position on the Ferrum side is vacant now. It might be difficult to respond to this situation. If the newcomer grows safely, they might become the 11th main creator."
Have there really been ten system main creators so far? They must have had a long lifespan, but when exactly was the system created? I wanted to ask more details, but the jellyfish interrupted the gossip about the system.
"I'll explain in detail when we get to our place. Still hesitating? How about we grab one? Unfortunately, we haven't found your brother's body yet. But bringing your living brother should be fine. Yes, let's do that!"
The jellyfish clapped its tentacles together cheerfully.
"That's also a pretty good subject, being brothers and all. Since I've been taking care of the little chick for the longest, we can experiment in various ways."
"Don't you dare touch my brother."
"Why not? Don't you want to be together? If he cooperates, I won't do anything too harsh to your brother. I'll have to tame him since my power will weaken. You have a scary face, right now-"
"Changeling."
Quietly, the atmosphere changed. The relaxed expression of the Harmless King stiffened. And then, he tried to flee. For someone who's lived for so long, he's quick to assess the situation.
As the mist dispersed and the jellyfish's body seemed to blur,
"...Argh!"
It bounced back to its original position as if pushed away. Its blurry body became clear again. It was satisfying to see it stumble. When was the last time it faced such a situation? A thousand years ago?
- You blocked the path.
Chaneling said. The Harmless King, who had been scattering mist in all directions, glared at us fiercely. Like a wounded beast, he remained on high alert, guarding against any attack.
"Who exactly is this dragon? It's impossible to block a path that's already open. You can't stop a hole that's already been made; it will only get bigger and can never be sealed!"
- So I created a new protective shield. Now you can't leave. You're trapped. I've also securely sealed the surroundings. This is my territory.
"A new one, you say?"
- Yes.
Changeling small, round horned head leaned against my shoulder, seeming to imply, "Didn't I do well?" The Harmless King shuddered. His extremely embarrassed and bewildered expression only lasted a moment before he coldly growled.
"I may have expended a lot of energy to create this path, but I'm still not weak, caregiver. Congratulations on postponing the destruction of your world. But antagonizing me here is beneficial for neither of us-"
"Shut up."
I gently stroked the silvery dragon's head with my fingertip. Changeling blinked and whispered softly that everything was fine. Its tail swayed as well. It spoke to me in a sound only I could hear.
[I don't have combat abilities, but I can materialize illusions. If I materialize Dad's mental abilities, we can definitely win. I still have some strength left even after putting up the shield, so it can last for over an hour.]
Okay.
"My brother's memories, hand them over now."
If it doesn't spit them out willingly, tear it apart, tentacle by tentacle, at 0.1mm intervals. The Harmless King slowly backed away in response to my words, narrowing his eyes.
"It was merely about the watch, after all."
"As expected, you have it."
"He's still safe. But I can melt him down at any time. How precious are the meager and trivial memories of your brother?"
Between the Harmless King's tentacles, a small bead appeared. It was about the size of a thumbnail, a pure white bead. The jellyfish smirked as if it had found my weakness.
"It's the first gift I've ever properly prepared to give to my beloved brother. I even wrapped it myself, how adorable. Before, I couldn't afford much due to being young. I couldn't even work part-time. I'm thrilled and nervous at the same time."
"...You boneless jellyfish, hand it over."
My teeth gritted involuntarily. I couldn't rush in blindly, but I definitely couldn't afford to let that guy slip away.
"Let's make a contract not to harm each other. How about it? You leave me alone, and I'll leave your brother alone. Once we're out of here, I'll ask the Chatterbox to leave quietly."
It seemed difficult for those who weren't part of the world to come in, but it didn't seem difficult to pull them out. After all, they said that even those close to SS-level could be extracted. Still, judging from the request, it seemed like they couldn't leave on their own, relying solely on their own strength. Is it like someone stuck in a well who can't climb out but can be pulled out from outside?
"Why should I agree to that?"
"Accept the contract if you want to retrieve your precious brother's memories."
"I'll definitely retrieve them, but I have no intention of letting you go. Not harming each other? Ridiculous nonsense. If you were going to give up easily, you wouldn't have taken such risks and paid such a price, would you? As soon as you leave, other transcendents will pounce on you."
Above all, I couldn't just let that guy roam around talking about me. While the newcomer may not have properly examined the fake world, the Harmless King was different. He had even negotiated directly with my head, so he could receive much more information.
Once it became known that my value was worth risking danger, not only I but also those around me would be in danger. So, I absolutely couldn't just let the Harmless King go.
"...Are you giving up on your brother? You're cruel."
"Look at this thief blaming the victim. I thought it was just the bones, but it seems you've lost your brain as well. Oh, so that's why you steal others' memories. Because you have nothing in your own head."
"Your words are annoying nurturer"
The silver dragon crouched slightly, spreading its wings wide. Even though the mana engraving was paralyzed, faint, erratic magical power could still be felt. The Harmless King backed further away, but it couldn't escape from here.
"Holding onto my brother's memories until the end will be slightly more advantageous for you. Since I can't break it with my own hands. So, grip it and resist if you will. But even if you can't retrieve it."
Still.
"What lies ahead is more important. If the world is safe, I can create more, better, happier memories for my brother."
I didn't want to lose yoohyun's memories. But I couldn't give up the present and the future for it. I would give him the watch. Even if he didn't accept it, we would continue to give and take other things.
The Harmless King chuckled softly.
"You're pretending to be fine."
"It's not pretending, I'm perfectly fine."
"Really? It looks like a complete mess to me. Well then, I'll act as you say!"
With a roar, the mist spread out vigorously. I was already using Grace. Changeling magic enveloped me, and I could feel my stats rising rapidly as they hit the ground.
Although Lauchitas' nemesis wasn't applied, I had my brother's stats from before, doubled, plus the skills of Alpha, Delta, Mu, Lambda, and even veteran F-grade. Surprisingly,
"So my brother's stats before regression were slightly superior to S-rank guards."
The pure stats not affected by the doubling. S-grade was said to be the maximum awakening ability of each world's race, so even if they looked like the same humans, our world might have overall better abilities.
The effectiveness of attack skills surpassed even SSS-grade. Whether it was due to the rising stats or the mana engraving being released from paralysis, the surrounding mana circulation felt clear. There were no side effects compared to when I was F-grade.
The mist disturbed my vision and senses, making it difficult to detect the jellyfish properly, but as Changeling said, I was clearly superior. However, I had no intention of moving hastily.
I had to retrieve my brother's memories. Since he couldn't escape anyway, I could postpone giving up until the end.
"If only I could properly use Mu's spatial teleportation skill, it wouldn't be difficult to steal it."
But the spatial teleportation skill was much more difficult than Yerim's instantaneous movement skill. If I focused on the spatial teleportation skill for the given hour... Thinking so, I flicked my fingers. Flames rose crimson, burning the mist.
"This is insane! Hey!"
"Is it really a monster? Not a cat? There's no Dungeon Break report in the area, so you should contact the Dungeon Special Operations Headquarters, not the police station."
"We can't help here, but you need to call the temporary Hunter Association number... Hello?"
In the middle of the night, a noisy police station appeared. The Dungeon Special Operations Headquarters, the temporary Hunter Association. It had been less than half a year since dungeons appeared. Even in a world where monsters emerged, a drunken reveler shouting loudly, not in a police station but in a dungeon special operations headquarters, a pale-faced youth pushed open the glass door.
It was me.
Full of anxiety, I grabbed the police officer and spoke up. My voice was dry and trembling.
"My brother hasn't come home yet."
It had never happened before, and with no news even at this late hour, the police officer asked for more details. At the mention of a male high school student, his expression immediately soured. When I said my parents weren't around, he lost even more interest.
"It hasn't even been a day, so wait a bit longer and file a missing person report, also bring proof of family relationship."
"It's not a runaway! He's never been late without saying a word, it's Yoohyun yun!"
"It's common. Maybe he befriended the wrong person. Wait until morning and contact the school."
Under the gaze that seemed easy to distort, I shrank. When asked if I didn't know my brother's friends' contact information, my shoulders drooped even more.
"But, still, if by any chance he encountered a monster..."
"These days, they're promptly handled and contacted, so if there's no notification, he should be safe."
Or check the unidentified casualties list on the Dungeon Special Operations Headquarters website, he said bluntly. With an attitude that there was no reason to continue, I hesitated and turned away powerlessly. It couldn't be, but if yoohyun had done that, I murmured
"What's this?"
A bitter of laugh escaped from me.
"I thought you couldn't mess with my memories?."
-These are scenes created by Dad. Originally, with Dad's abilities, I could have easily escaped now, but my power has been enhanced by his skills.
Changeling said that it was due to the interference of Harmless King's mist, which showed unpleasant memories to the opponent, and the power to materialize illusions applied to me. But I couldn't just dismiss Changeling's power.
I tried spreading the flames widely, striking lightning, and sweeping it away with water, but the illusion didn't disappear.
"Stop your futile attempts and come out now!"
[Why should I?]
The jellyfish's voice came from very far away, barely audible.
[Don't worry. Since it's a skill that can't last long, if you resist, it'll end even faster. So, shall we make a deal? If you endure quietly, I'll return your brother's memories to you. Perfectly intact.]
Unable to win by force alone, I nodded at the suggestion. If it were right after regression. No, even a month ago, it would have been difficult to recall the past, but I had confidence that I could somehow endure it even now, although it was still difficult.
I signed the contract that appeared. And the scenery changed.
"Hyung."
A young, even younger yoohyun looked at me. It was him that had just after the awakening.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone