The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 331

It felt like a dream.

A dream that I had deeply, desperately wished for in my heart.

A dream of the future that I had hoped for, wished for, and longed for.

“Hey. Don’t you think fate is really cruel?”

Mimir looked at the dream and smiled. She smiled sadly, as if she were about to cry at any moment.

“I know it’s an impossible dream. But it still shows me hope until the very end.”

She met Shin Hayul’s eyes.

And smiled with a wistful expression.

“If there’s a god who controls dreams, that person must be quite malicious.”

She took a small step forward and looked up at Shin Hayul’s face.

“Seeing that you thought of showing me this grown-up version of you…”

He was taller than Shin Hayul in Mimir’s memory.

The baby fat on his face was all gone, and he had become a complete man.

“Anyone would think it’s real.”

His appearance was exactly like the future Shin Hayul that Mimir had imagined.

It was as if he was insisting that this was not just a dream, but reality.

“He’s really malicious.”

Her heart ached.

Knowing it was fake, her heart felt cold and sore.

Mimir raised her hand with a tearful expression.

A hand slowly moving towards Shin Hayul’s face.

Just as Mimir’s hand was about to touch Shin Hayul’s cheek.

Mimir’s hand stopped moving.

“Why did you stop?”

Shin Hayul looked down at Mimir and asked.

“Because I’m sure I’ll be disappointed.”

Mimir’s eyes were filled with tears.

Her eyes looked as if tears would pour out at any moment.

“I’m the second best in the Empire when it comes to dreams.”

Mimir’s hand trembled.

“Dreams are like a mirage. If you try to touch them, they scatter like smoke.”

She wanted to hold his hand right now.

She wanted to hug the man in front of her and celebrate their reunion.

But she couldn’t.

“That’s why… I’m stopping.”

If she did, the man in front of her would disappear like smoke.

“If I don’t touch him…”

Mimir raised her head and looked up at Shin Hayul.

“I can see you for a little longer.”

It was more heartbreaking because she couldn’t reach him.

It was more painful because she couldn’t have him.

Mimir swallowed her sadness and smiled.

She stared intently at Shin Hayul’s face and gave a bright smile.

“Whoever the successor is, they’re really something.”

If there was a god of dreams, that god would surely be malicious.

It was clear from the fact that he was showing her this kind of dream until the very end, tormenting her with hope.

“Yeah… he’s really something.”

But he would also have a corresponding amount of mercy.

She was able to see Shin Hayul’s future, which she had longed to see so much, even if it was just in a dream.

Mimir lowered her head.

Knowing that she would soon be parting ways.

She didn’t want to see Shin Hayul disappear like a mirage.

She kept her head down.

“…Is this enough punishment?”

Shin Hayul murmured softly with a faint smile.

“Punishment? What are you…”

Then, he moved his hand.

Thump!

He grabbed Mimir’s hand, which was still awkwardly stopped in mid-air.

Mimir was startled and quickly raised her head.

She looked up at Shin Hayul with wide, startled eyes, like a rabbit.

“Your, hand, this, how…”

She knew well about the structure of dreams.

In a dream, it was impossible to touch a virtual being like this.

Unless it was inside Terun Rovain’s barrier. In a normal dream, you would wake up as soon as you made contact.

“You still don’t get it?”

Shin Hayul looked directly at Mimir with the same smile.

Mimir’s eyes began to tremble as if an earthquake had struck.

Could it be, could it be.

She muttered and slowly opened her mouth.

“…Is it… real?”

She thought it couldn’t be real.

Mimir’s memories had stopped three years ago.

The moment she parted ways with Shin Hayul was her last memory.

It was natural for her to think that this situation was a dream.

“A normal dream disappears like a mirage the moment you touch the subject. Didn’t you hear that from Tei?”

“I know, how could I not know? I stuck to Tei like glue to figure out the structure of dreams.”

“Then you understand.”

Mimir’s lips trembled.

“It’s real…”

Feeling the warmth flowing from Shin Hayul’s palm, she placed her remaining hand on top of his.

“You’re the real successor…?”

Then, she slowly moved her hand and placed it on Shin Hayul’s cheek.

“Ah…”

At that moment, something exploded.

The patience, sadness, and relief that had been suppressed within Mimir.

All sorts of emotions mixed together and began to run wild.

It was impossible to hold back her tears.

“I’m so glad.”

Shin Hayul placed his hand on Mimir’s head.

“Your memories stopped three years ago.”

His hand was like a faucet.

“If your memories had continued, you would have cried every day for three years.”

A faucet that burst her tear ducts.

The moment his hand touched her, tears began to pour down like rain.

“Waaaaah-!!”

Mimir cried.

Sobbing loudly.

As if she was trying to shake off all the sorrows of the world.

She cried with all her might.

“I’m sorry. I tried my best. But it took me two and a half… three years.”

Mimir buried her face in Shin Hayul’s chest.

She wanted to say it was okay. That she didn’t care at all.

But her voice wouldn’t come out.

She couldn’t stop crying.

Her throat was too choked up.

Words wouldn’t come out of her mouth.

“I was going to nag you a lot when we met again…”

When they met again, she was going to get angry first.

Why he tried to disappear without saying anything.

Why he tried to take everything on himself without consulting her.

She was going to get angry, going over everything from A to Z.

“You’re crying so pitifully, I can’t say anything.”

But it didn’t seem like she could.

Even if she tried to get angry, she couldn’t.

Looking at Mimir crying so pitifully, she couldn’t get angry.

‘No. Is this an excuse?’

Shin Hayul smiled bitterly.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t get angry because he saw Mimir’s tears.

His anger had already flown away before that.

The moment he saw Mimir’s face, his anger disappeared in an instant.

Shin Hayul gently hugged Mimir.

“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

And then.

He sincerely spoke the words he had been holding back.

“It’s okay now.”

With the joy of reunion in his heart.

He smiled brightly and stroked Mimir’s back.

“Everything’s been resolved.”

The heat felt on her chest grew even hotter.

Mimir hugged Shin Hayul even tighter.

As if she would never let go of this hand again. As if she couldn’t let go, she hugged him tightly.

“I’m glad to see you again, partner.”

Hiccup.

A beast-like sound came from Mimir’s mouth, which was pressed tightly against Shin Hayul’s chest.

She was trying her best to hold back her tears, trying her best to squeeze out her voice.

She wanted to say this answer no matter what.

She wanted to say it now, no matter what.

She desperately held back her tears.

“Me too…”

With a voice like a child who couldn’t speak properly because she was exhausted from crying.

Mimir said.

“I’m glad to see you again… Successor.”

And so, the two reunited.

It was a reunion after two years and 232 days.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the view of the main room ceiling.

“You did a great job.”

Terun popped his head into my view and smiled brightly.

“The implantation is perfect. You’ve adapted well too. Everything is normal, from brain waves to hormones and blood circulation. We’ll have to do more detailed tests, but there probably won’t be any side effects.”

A full smile.

A 100% pure smile of joy that only the head of a research institute can show when a study is a complete success.

“Now, all that’s left is a simple test to compare before and after the procedure… Ah.”

Terun was talking when he suddenly stopped and widened his eyes.

“Look at my mind. I need to release this first.”

Then, he began to release the restraints that were holding my body one by one.

He released the six mana casts that were customized to my body structure in order.

Then, he released the restraints that were holding my body.

“You can get up.”

Only after releasing a total of nine restraints was I able to be free.

I slowly got up from the chair and checked my physical condition.

I clenched and unclenched my fists repeatedly.

I turned my neck and shoulders from side to side.

I twisted my ankles and wrists from side to side.

“Why? Is there something uncomfortable?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“…You scared me. I thought there was a problem somewhere.”

I stretched one last time and finished my stretching.

“Is it because I wore the mana casts for so long? I feel a bit stiff.”

“Of course. Everyone feels suffocated even when wearing normal mana casts. You wore six specially made mana casts.”

Terun shook his head as he looked over the mana casts he had released.

“How did you endure wearing six of those?”

“I don’t think the person who made six of those should be saying that.”

“Well, I guess so?”

Terun and I looked at each other and laughed playfully.

“Anyway. You’ve worked hard.”

“I’ll take those words in two hours.”

“Well, your hard work isn’t over yet.”

There were still a lot of tests left.

It was no exaggeration to say that the hard work was just beginning.

“Okay. Then work a little harder. See you later.”

Terun patted me on the back and turned around with a smile.

“Ah, before you go… Where did everyone else go?”

“Ah, I forgot to tell you that.”

Terun turned back to me with a look of having forgotten.

“Everyone except your father has gone to Pyongyang. There was a monster rampage. They went to deal with it.”

“A monster rampage… That’s two days in a row.”

“Yeah. It’s happening more and more often. I wonder if something big is about to happen…”

Terun said it as if he was just throwing it out there.

“Anyway, to continue what I was saying, it’s a level 5 danger situation. I thought that situation would be suitable for Adela Steart and Jisun Chan’s test, so I told them to go.”

“Ah, come to think of it, the Blue Magic Tower was on duty today.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know that. So that’s why Kim Kangin made that suggestion.”

Terun nodded as if all his questions had been answered.

“From what I’ve heard, the test itself is going smoothly. The performance is so good that Kim Kangin and Stella Vinoche were shocked…”

“Did Ms. Stella even go to the site?”

“Yeah. That’s what I heard?”

“…”

Knowing what position she’s in, she still…

“I’ll have to apologize to Mr. Kim Kangin later.”

When this test is over, I’ll have to apologize to Mr. Kim Kangin, who was put in a difficult position because of Stella’s childishness.

“Hey. Why apologize? It seems like it ended well. Just let it go.”

“I can’t do that.”

Whether it ended well or not, the fact is that a problem almost occurred.

It was something that happened because of me, so it’s right to apologize.

“You’re so rigid. How are you becoming more like Shin Inhyuk as you get older?”

“Is it not because we’re father and son?”

“That’s true.”

Terun chuckled.

“Anyway, do you have any more questions? Then I’ll go first.”

“You’re in a hurry.”

“How can I not be in a hurry? If I want to organize the data before the test is over, I have to move quickly.”

Terun smiled menacingly, as if saying, ‘Your test results better be extraordinary.’

“Anyway, I’m really going. See you later.”

“Yes.”

With that, Terun waved his hand and left the main room.

“…”

Left alone in the main room, I subtly turned my gaze and looked at Mimir, who was squatting next to me.

Mimir, who was in a semi-transparent state, only visible to my eyes.

She was squatting with her knees hugged, clearly showing that she was sulking.

“How is it? Now that you’ve calmed down, are you a little embarrassed?”

“…Heuk.”

Mimir’s body flinched greatly.

“What did you say? You said you wanted to see me for a little longer, even if it was just a dream…”

“Aaaaaah! I can’t hear you! I can’t hear you!”

Mimir shouted as she jumped up like a tumbler.

With a flushed face, she tried her best to cover my mouth.

“Unfortunately, since I don’t actually have a body, it’s impossible to cover my mouth.”

“Hmph…”

Mimir closed her mouth with a resentful expression.

“Successor, you… You waited without saying anything on purpose to embarrass me, didn’t you?”

“That’s right.”

I answered nonchalantly.

“I told you, it was a punishment for trying to disappear without saying anything to me. If you got away with that much of a dark history, you got off easy.”

“…”

Mimir pouted.

It was an expression that she couldn’t deny it, but she didn’t want to admit it either.

“Bad guy…”

Mimir muttered with a flushed expression.

I smiled brightly as I looked at Mimir’s expression.

“So. Do you hate it?”

“…I hate it.”

Mimir turned her head and squatted down again.

“…I really hate it.”

Her pitiful gestures, not knowing what to do with her embarrassment, stood out.