The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 434

432. Fragment of Mist (1)

I urgently drew my gun and aimed it at Ruga Felhya. I swallowed hard. I definitely killed her back then! I killed her, but how!

“Don’t worry. I’m just a fragment of myself.”

She smiled and twirled around. Her white dress billowed out in a circle, and her hands, once like a human’s, transformed back into several tentacles.

“There was a newly created race called Goblins, right? I happened to give them a little nudge because they had the power of a subordinate, so I was going to investigate them later.”

“So, a part of you remained?”

“That’s right! It’s my fragment that was continuously connected until right before I died. But on its own, it couldn’t do much until the dungeon appeared—a dungeon where my subordinate is the main component.”

I remembered that the King of Indifference was included among the dungeon creators. So, the fragment began to exert influence as the dungeon was created. I can’t know the details, though.

“…Was the message window I saw at the Haeyeon Guild yours?”

“There were two paths there. Han Yoojin and Han Yoohyun face an L-class nightmare, or Han Yoojin faces an S-class nightmare. You were the one who chose the latter.”

“I don’t remember choosing.”

“Really?”

Of course, if given the choice, I would have chosen the latter. Even if I couldn’t use the skill duplication sharing trick, if the opponent was S-class, there would be a way. It would have been harder, but there was a way—a strategy.

“I thought Little Moon was just one of Crescent Moon’s children~”

Ruga Felhya swayed as if dancing. She looked like a large jellyfish swimming in water.

“I thought you were a more outstanding and likable child. But wow! You were stacking things up layer upon layer. How many worlds have you been through? I want to try it too! Crescent Moon is being cheap, having all the fun alone! I would have kept my mouth shut, but still!”

Seeing her excited with pure interest made me feel sick. The victim is in a position where they might lose their ego and be dragged away at any moment, and she says she wants to try it too. Well, the first thing she said to me was that it was fun and interesting.

The struggles of the people in this dungeon were just an amusing spectacle, a source of interest to the King of Indifference. In the end, it meant that I wasn’t seen as the same kind of person—more like a lab rat. Even rats become pitiful if you get attached to them.

This is why Transcenders are often disliked, except for Elder. Even Newbie has changed quite a bit now.

“I didn’t expect a young Chaos to appear either! What’s going on? It was also interesting that Crescent Moon entered your body. Even though it’s just a part of the traces left in the dungeon, the ego maintenance rate was much higher than expected!”

“…What?”

“I thought more of Crescent Moon’s characteristics would appear. Usually, the vessel changes quite a bit with an incarnation. But only your eyes changed. The eyes change first, then the body hair. And depending on the degree of assimilation, the body itself changes. Race or gender can even change.”

Wow, I’m so glad it didn’t change. The King of Indifference looked down at me with sparkling eyes.

“Is your existence rank higher than I thought? Because of the titles? The Caregiver title is the most suspicious. There were cases where the system’s numerical value and the actual numerical value were different from time to time. Ah, if I had more time!”

Watching her excitedly ramble on her own was like watching Seok Hayan explain the experimental results.

“So, you don’t plan to harm me and will disappear soon?”

“That’s right. The reason I came out like this is because of the reward processing as the dungeon administrator. Newbie must be in charge of the others. I was curious about Little Moon and the Lunar Eclipse, but I could only handle one with my power, so I brought you, Han Yoojin. I’m not very good with the system.”

I stared silently at Ruga Felhya, who seemed disappointed. To the Transcender in front of me, my and my brother’s story was just a source of amusement. But even so, she was the only one who had watched everything.

Knowing that I had regressed [returned to an earlier point in time], knowing my brother under the tree, knowing the two people left in the dungeon, and not sympathizing with my sadness or caring for my wounds. An opponent I don’t have to worry about being too concerned about me or hiding things from. As soon as I thought that…

Tears began to fall.

“Han Yoojin?”

“…I wanted to tell him too.”

“Huh?”

“I wanted to tell Yoohyun that it was okay too! That, that ending, even if it couldn’t be changed. Still, I could have said it!”

Without regression, Rauchitas cannot be defeated without my brother’s death. That much was an unchangeable and unalterable ending.

But I could have said it.

“I had a little time… I should have told him to apologize too. No, I should have just forgiven everything, said it was okay.”

Even if I had to force a smile.

“I could have told him I loved him…….”

Uncontrollable sobs burst out. I just sat down and cried. Since I wouldn’t see her again anyway, there was nothing to be ashamed of.

“I, hic, I love you too, I wanted to say it, and hug him!”

“Well, I know. It’s a common regret.”

“I’m reconciled with this, heuuuk-.”

“You must be envying the other endings in the dungeon.”

“My brother… sending him away like that…….”

Even if it was an inevitable end, I could have ended it better. Just a little more, just a little more. I should have stroked his hair at least once. I should have shown him a smiling face at least once. Would this feeling be a little less bitter if I had?

I wonder if there’s a bottom to the regret of losing someone, but still.

A handkerchief was held out in front of me as I sobbed—acting human for once. There was no reason to refuse, so I accepted it.

“…Give me some wash water too.”

“Are you done crying?”

“Even if I cry for three months and ten days, it won’t all be resolved.”

Even if I get Yoohyun back, there will still be a lump in my heart. It can’t be helped.

“That guy better not live poorly. He really has to live well.”

I got up and washed my face in the water provided in the round bowl.

“Yeah, of course, he has to live. It would be unfair if it ended there.”

Just taking care of his birthday and ending it wouldn’t be enough. We’ll celebrate the New Year, his birthday, and then spring will come. Plum blossoms will bloom brightly under the warming air.

I wiped the water off with a handkerchief. I can’t have traces of crying left.

“Hey, let me ask you something.”

“Ask away.”

“You’re also a dungeon creator. They said they’re going to close this dungeon, so what happens to the beings left inside… what happens to them?”

“I can’t know that exactly.”

The jellyfish explained, waving its tentacles in the air.

“Dungeons are essentially the power of the Source. The system twisted the power of the Source, which was trying to swallow the world, to make it safer. In other words, the system can’t touch the existence of the dungeon itself.”

“…Oh. I’m curious if the world inside the dungeon will remain as it is. From our perspective, it’s fake.”

“It was created, but your world was also created by the power of the Source, right? In the end, the root is the same, so you can’t simply call it fake. So, whether the closed dungeon will be maintained or disappear…”

Ruga Felhya’s head tilted slightly.

“…Wouldn’t it be the heart of the Source?”

“The heart of the Source?”

“Opinions have been divided on the will and ego of the Source since ancient times. Generally, the rebellious children say there isn’t one, and the filial piety addicts say there is. I think there is.”

I thought of the white tree covered in snow. That enormous existence.

“So far, no one has confirmed the will of the Source except for the White Bird. In fact, we’re just speculating that the White Bird is doing that because it can communicate. But it’s certain that the Source has at least a self-preservation will!”

Ruga Felhya asserted confidently.

“The Lunar Eclipse that appeared just in time!”

“…Director Song?”

“In my opinion, it’s a kind of antibody—a defense mechanism against viruses that try to attack the body, the Source.”

I didn’t like the expression, but I had to listen to the explanation, so I held back for now.

“Usually, antibodies are created naturally, but Little Moon is still incomplete. It didn’t harm the Source. Ah, should I express it as a vaccination rather than an antibody? Waiting inside in advance and swallowing Little Moon just before it fills up. And vaccination is an intentional act.”

“So, the Source, the Fifth Source, sensed the threat with its own will and created Director Song… is that it?”

“Because he’s not a normal being.”

I had expected it, but I felt upset.

Crescent Moon created Seong Hyunjae to eliminate the Source, and the Source created Song Taewon to eliminate Seong Hyunjae. In the end, that’s what it means.

“But he’s still human.”

“If he and the people around him acknowledge it.”

Right? Ruga Felhya sat cross-legged in the air, twisting her legs… tentacles. She can say sensible things too.

“I don’t know exactly what happened between Crescent Moon and the two of you here either…….”

“Should I look it up for you?”

“Huh?”

“Crescent Moon has disappeared and is almost scattered, but I can scrape together some information.”

“Really? Can you do that? Elder and Newbie said they couldn’t.”

“Manipulating memories is my specialty.”

“Then please do.”

I never thought a jellyfish would be helpful in this way. You really can’t know what will happen in life.

“Instead, let me examine you in more detail one more time.”

“…Again?”

She did it before too. Even though she’s a fragment that will disappear soon, she wants to satisfy her curiosity. Well, if you think about it, people’s ends are also determined. To the Transcenders, the current me must feel like a very short moment, just like how I see Ruga Felhya.

But we still live.

“Don’t use tentacles. You had hands earlier.”

“Fingers are short and there aren’t many of them. How long would it take to touch everything?”

Ruga Felhya said, reaching out with her tentacles. Feeling her groping with her hands would be strangely unpleasant, eugh.

“I still hate tentacles!”

“This is so convenient.”

“It feels like bugs are crawling inside my clothes! Hey, just touch my back!”

“I need to check everything to know exactly. The mana engraving has stabilized a lot.”

Let’s just think of it as a simple health checkup. The examination tool is unpleasant, but it’s just a checkup……..

“Open your mouth wide. Let me look inside too.”

“What? Eup, eupeup!”

I quickly closed my mouth and protested, covering it with my hand. Are you crazy! No!

“Think of it as an endoscopy. You have those in your world.”

“Eueup!”

“Other holes would hurt. Like your ears-”

“I said no!”

“Good girl, should I give you candy?”

The damn jellyfish changed her clothes into a familiar doctor’s gown and smiled. She even put a stethoscope around her neck, and the surrounding background changed into a hospital. What’s with the candy cane in her hand—no, at the end of her tentacle. I really hate tentacles…….

“Congratulations, you’ve become healthier.”

“…Really?”

“When you settle as an incarnation, you usually go through a process of strengthening the vessel. It depends on the degree of assimilation, but since you’re on the lower side as I said earlier, there’s not much difference. However, the mana engraving has settled properly, so you’re less likely to have your lifespan reduced and it will be easier to use.”

“So, it’s a good thing? If the assimilation rate was higher, would I have become stronger? Would my stats have gone up too?”

“If your body had changed to the point of changing your gender, you would have been around C-class even if Crescent Moon had disappeared. But with that level of assimilation, you would have become subordinate to Crescent Moon.”

Suddenly, I remembered Young Chaos saying that to increase lifespan, one must become subordinate to a higher-ranking opponent. Just the remnants of Crescent Moon can raise you to C-class, so the main body could be S-class.

“What exactly does being subordinate mean?”

“There are different levels of subordination. Lightly, it could just be that you have your ego intact but it’s hard to disobey orders, but there are also levels where you need permission to maintain your life.”

“Even lightly, you have to follow most orders?”

“Except for extreme things like ‘Die!'”

Why did Elder recommend something so dangerous? Of course, if you meet a good opponent, they might just make your body healthy and not touch you.

“And it seems like the power of the Caregiver title has become stronger than when I last checked.”

“Stronger?”

“Titles and skills grow originally. Ah, your Teacher skill might rank up soon. You’ve been using it diligently. The things you put in your body are growing well too.”

It really felt like I had received a health checkup.

“The problem is that the abilities that are already strong compared to your body are growing even more. I’m curious what will happen. You seem more normal than I expected, so it’s even stranger. You’re definitely born as an ordinary human, so why was something like this created.”

“It just happened as I lived, why.”

“Coincidence.”

“Show me Crescent Moon’s memories as promised.”

The jellyfish nodded and stepped back. A thick fog rolled around her. Then a faint voice was heard.

[I protected humans.]

It was Director Song.