Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
55. Stalemateless (7)
Cheon Seong-heon didn’t answer the question ‘why’ and closed his eyes.
I waited for Cheon Seong-heon to reply, but he didn’t budge.
‘He has no plans on replying, huh?’
Currently, Cheon Seong-heon’s communication methods were limited, but if he wanted to answer, he would have a way to give some hint.
Just like he blinked for quite a few times to call Stalemateless.
As if he thought that he conveyed his intention of not replying, Cheon Seong-heon opened his eyes.
Cheon Seong-heon looked at me quietly.
‘Even at that time, Seong-heon didn’t speak to be the first to the end.’
On the surface, Cheon Seong-heon just looked gentle, but he was stubborn and had a heavy mouth.
If Cheon Seong-heon wasn’t going to speak, I had no choice but to find out personally.
Like at that time when I had to personally find out what Cheon Seong-heon’s family did to me and what Cheon Seong-heon did.
‘… It’s not a sound, I, who left a will without saying a word about the lung cancer, should be making. I’m not in the position to be pressing Seongheon-yi for answers.’
As I thought of the past, my head cooled down.
After my head became cold, I saw Hwang Jiho and Cheon Dongha staring at me.
I couldn’t show more gaps and make more mistakes in the place with the geezer and my Playable Character.
Every time I saw Cheon Seong-heon connected to the electrodes and life support devices, I felt suffocated like before, but I worked hard to think of the next move.
‘… Let’s calm down. The one, who understands the most of the details of Seongheon-yi coming here and the cause of him being like this, is me. If I don’t play a move, Seongheon-yi will have to continue to stay here!’
I can hear the story when Cheon Seong-heon will be able to stand up from the sick bed and use his voice personally.
Wasn’t the situation I hated the most when the game[1] ends without any more moves to play?
As the person, who calls me Stalemateless is in front of my eyes, it was a time I had to show performance matching it.
“Uisin-ah, do you and my dongsaeng know each other?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know he was here in such a state.”
“So, my dongsaeng wanted to avoid calling you…”
Cheon Dongha made a distressed face.
The words I said to Cheon Seong-heon were somewhat strange, but perhaps because it was a matter related to his dongsaeng with the Locked-in Syndrome, Cheon Dongha didn’t point out the feeling of incongruity yet.
Before Cheon Dongha posed his questions, I made the first move.
“You said Your Dongsaeng is a Player before. What kind of superpowers does he have?”
“He isn’t 17 yet, so he can’t use his Gwangrim. We figured out all of the skills, and they seem to be in similar category to mine.”
They figured out all of the skill, but didn’t discover any special situation?
‘Suitable Other Dimension Future Modification Exclusive Menu’, and ‘Communication with Transcendent Universe’ were both skills that didn’t exist in PMH.
‘Use of Everything’ was rare, but existed in this world, and ‘Power of Fate’ didn’t exist besides the abstract mentions in the ancient book interpreted by Hwang Jiho before.
There were still many parts about my skills that wasn’t revealed.
Even so, I could assert that my skills weren’t in even a little bit similar category to Cheon Dongha.
In other words, Cheon Seong-heon didn’t possess the skill from similar category to mine.
‘He is similar in that he can’t use Gwangrim, but clearly different from me.’
There were still not enough clues.
I recalled the moment I came to this world, after I just cleared PMH last chapter.
Suitability evaluation.
Information modification.
Dimension synchronization and transfer.
I rewound that situation in my head a few times, but I didn’t come up with a reason why Cheon Seong-heon was like this and the way to make him stand up.
‘No. There still is a small hint.’
I came up with a move I could play.
Even when that move was risky, though useful, it was worth it.
I considered that risk and counted the days.
‘If something happens, I might not be able to go to the Playlist broadcast.’
Even so, I decided to play the move I could play.
* * *
Hwang Myeong-ho’s great mansion.
The Ho tribe members, who went to the enshrinement hall to offer flowers early in the morning, all returned home.
Baek-ho, Eun-ho’s descendants and the Divine Beast returned to Hwang Myeong-ho’s great mansion early, but Jeok-ho and Kim Sinrok spent time at the enshrinement hall and arrived at the mansion the latest.
‘Besides us and Jo Uisin, no mourners came? It could be because Jo Uisin didn’t spread the anniversary of his family’s death wide, but it’s a little bitter, eh?’
In case acquaintances of Jo Uisin’s family came, they planned to use Kim Sinrok’s teacher position, ask about Jo Uisin’s well-being and exchange greetings.
But until Yong Jegeon, who was on the lookout, offered flowers as the last one, no one came in the end.
There were not a small number of people, who came to offer flowers in the enshrinement hall, but only the Ho tribe members and Jo Uisin offered flowers to Jo Uisin’s family.
Jeok-ho thought about this fact as simply bitter, but Kim Sinrok, who mixed in human society for a long time, made a subtle face, as if he thought something was strange.
“Son-ah, what’s the matter?”
“… Something is strange.”
“Strange?”
At Jeok-ho’s question, Kim Sinrok hesitated and then spoke.
“… It’s strange that no people came to visit Jo Uisin’s family.”
Kim Sinrok looked down at his hand, which bore the smell of chrysanthemums, and continued.
“Jo Uisin’s dongsaengs were said to still be young, but his parents were different. I heard that both of them were working. They would have a social life, but as no one came on their 1st anniversary, it was strange.”
“It seems that Jo Uisin cherished his family a lot. Perhaps his parents prioritized family over the social life. Then they could have neglected the people outside their family.”
Jeok-ho recently increased the time he spent with his son at the mansion.
Because of that, the conversations shared with people outside the mansion naturally decreased.
He brought it up with such a thought, but Kim Sinrok had an uncomfortable face.
“No matter how I think about it, a child like Jo Uisin wouldn’t be raised by people, who didn’t have even one person to bring them flowers on the 1st anniversary…”
Jeok-ho quietly looked at Kim Sinrok.
The face that resembled half him, half Ungnyeo, was full of worry and doubts.
‘… are you comparing your situations?’
After the Clash of Different Worlds, Kim Sinrok worked at Eungwang School as a teacher, changing his identity and faces.
As if he worked for an extremely long time, the impression of him could grow stronger, he usually changed his identity before the fake identity reached 40.
However, as if the amazing people of Eungwang School noticed that strange identity replacement without realizing it, there was a ghost story circulating around Eungwang School connected to Kim Sinrok.
There was a story like ‘Teacher, who worked at Eungwang School even after death’, but it still wasn’t widely known and Jeok-ho didn’t want to worry his son, so he stayed out of it.
‘There are graduates, who mourn[2] my son’s old identity.’
Jeok-ho’s son was a good teacher.
So naturally there was not a small number of students, who felt sad about his death.
Long time ago, when Kim Sinrok erased is first identity, he saw students gather and cry, and after that he worked hard to take outside jobs and not to get involved with children, when the time came to erase the identity.
Even so, Kim Sinrok had students, who commemorated him.
Among them was Seong Gukeon, who didn’t forget Kim Sinrok for the longest time and brought him flowers.
“Your old students still seem to bring you flowers, huh?”
“… You know about it?”
“No matter how fake the identity, I can’t ignore someone, who mourns the death of my son.”
Kim Sinrok was both happy and bitter.
When the father and son fell into silence for a while, Eun-ho’s descendants came out of the living room.
As if they were cooking something in the kitchen until now, their clothes were covered in soot and had traces of burns.
“Jeokho-nim! Sinrok oppa! Didn’t You see the Mountain Spirit?”
“The Mountain Spirit is gradually gaining physical form these days. We thought they may be able to digest things, so we wanted to feed it food we made, but…”
“Ah, today’s menu is soy sauce egg rice!”
While saying that, they showed a bowl, but inside of the bowl was just blackness.
They said they added soy sauce, but if they used eggs and rice, it should have brighter colors mixed in, so something was strange.
Jeok-ho thought that the Mountain Spirit sensed they were in danger, and fled, but his son seemed to think differently.
“Thinking about it, I didn’t see the Mountain Spirit today. I think the Mountain Spirit might have decided to leave the mansion, because it’s not good for them to be so extremely far from Heavenly Wings (Cheonik) Mountain…”
“I’ll go look for it.”
Baek-ho, who was quietly sitting on the sofa in the living room, stood up.
The Divine Beast, who was rolling on Baek-ho’s knees, tilted its head.
Keung?
The Divine Beast wagged its tail, asking to abandon the Mountain Spirit or something and play with it.
But Baek-ho took the Divine Beast into his arms and headed outside.
“Uh? Baekho-nim, it’s okay, there is no need to trouble Yourself! We planned to give the Mountain Spirit just a taste.”
“No. I’m going.”
Even under Eun-ho’s descendants’ dissuasion, Baek-ho left the mansion.
“Baek-ho…?”
Though Jeok-ho thought that he couldn’t understand Baek-ho’s attitude, he circulated superpower wave in his body to eat and safely digest the food made by Eun-ho’s descendants.
* * *
Heavenly Wings (Cheonik) Mountain, in front of the Ho tribe’s sacred tree, the Heavenly Sacred Tree (Cheondansu).
I left behind the Hwang Myeong Research Institute, where Cheon Dongha and Cheon Seong-heon were, and came here.
‘I asked about Seongheon-yi’s well-being here before.’
When communicating with the Transcendent Universe here, I threw questions a few times.
Among them, I asked about Cheon Seong-heon’s well-being two times.
— My junior in the previous world, Cheon Seong-heon. Is he doing well?
— … Is Seongheon-yi doing well?
I had a guess why the Transcendent Universe didn’t reply.
Cheon Seong-heon wasn’t in the previous world, and he no longer used the name of Cheon Seong-heon.
So it would be difficult to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to those questions.
‘I should have sensed the incongruity at the time and think more or ask more questions.’
I regretted it, but it couldn’t be helped.
As you can’t take back the move you have already played, I could only cover it up with the move played next.
‘… But is this bastard planning on staying here?’
Before I started the communication, I turned around to look at the tiger accompanying me.
I didn’t come to the Heavenly Wings (Cheonik) Mountain alone.
“…”
At my side was Hwang Jiho.
Since the research institute, Hwang Jiho kept following me without a word.
“You aren’t going to ask anything?”
I stood in front of the Heavenly Sacred Tree and asked.
Cheon Dongha didn’t feel the sense of incongruity straight away, because his head was complicated with the matter of his dongsaeng, but Hwang Jiho was different.
Hwang Jiho clearly used his head as usual and came to his own conclusion.
“There are many things I want to ask, and many things I want to say. Because I made a few theories from your actions until now and the comments you made today.”
As I predicted, that geezer seemed to get several clues from the events today.
Hwang Jiho continued to speak with a face from which I couldn’t judge his age.
“Jo Uisin, I learned from your reckless actions until now. I know that even if I try to stop you, you won’t listen. There is a chance that on a misstep, you will play a move to avoid my gaze and take those reckless actions.”
“…”
Hwang Jiho spoke as if he clearly saw through me.
“So, I plan to at least watch quietly and then settle it. The questions will come after this.”
“… Okay.”
I put my hand on the Heavenly Sacred Tree’s bark and activated the skill.
Then I heard the system voice in succession.
⟨Using the skill ‘Communication with Transcendent Universe’.⟩
⟨Skill ‘Power of Fate’ activated.⟩
Wuuung—!
The light shot from the Heavenly Sacred Tree and stretched out towards the sky.
At the same time as the sensation that felt as if my body and mind was being emptied, I seemed to hear Hwang Jiho’s astonished voice from the distance.
“That power activated at the same time!? In addition, the Heavenly Sacred Tree…!”
If the Power of Fate activated, the communication’s burden would lessen.
Because the question I was going to throw right now was very abstract, a lot of information power would be necessary, so it was a good thing.
I strongly punched my fist against the bark to resist the sensation of my mind becoming empty and continue to speak.
“Give a hint to solve Seongheon-yi’s situation.”
Positive or negative.
Usually the Transcendent Universe answered only in those two types, but in the past it gave me a hint using a ‘location’.
The day I pierced through the traps installed around the Heavenly Wings (Cheonik) Mountain by Woo Gihwan’s gang and used Communication following the advice of the Mountain Spirit in front of the Heavenly Sacred Tree in the middle of the night.
The Transcendent Universe manipulated my vision and hinted that I should keep an eye on the Brilliant Gaze skill and Heavenly Wings (Cheonik) Mountain.
Then it should also be possible this time.
Paaa!
In the instant my vision was dyed blue[3].
In reality, the surrounding didn’t change blue, but it was a feeling I got, as if it was manipulating my visual receptors.
‘The most blue thing… the thing light heads to…’
Was in the direction of the center of Eungwang School, Silver Light (Eunhwi) building.
In my vision, the flickering light lumped together, hovered in the air, and then in the instant burrowed into the ground.
⟨Warning, extensive communication of Transcendent Universe and Suitable Other Dimension Future Modification causes a load on the Suitable.⟩
I obtained a hint.
It was meaningless to consume any more energy, so I halted the communication right away.
My legs lost their strength, and I was about to collapse, propping myself against the Heavenly Sacred Tree, but Hwang Jiho grabbed my shoulder and supported me.
Perhaps because the Power of Fate activated at the same time, and I asked only one question, I didn’t faint.
“Jo Uisin! Are you alright? The flow of superpower wave is a mess, eh? Let’s go to the mansion right aw…”
“What is in Silver Light (Eunhwi) Building’s basement?”
At my out of nowhere question, Hwang Jiho opened his eyes wide.
Hwang Jiho, who hesitated for a while, opened his mouth.
“In the Silver Light (Eunhwi) Building’s basement… Sleeps the one I respect the most.”
*~*~*
[1] game — 판 (pan) literally a board or a situation
[2] mourn — to be precise, it means to still cherish and think of a deceased.
[3] blue — or green.
Translator’s note: Discord spoiler channel users know that this chapter drove me insane. BUT JUST LOOK AT IT! Look at those scenes’ juxtaposition with each other! Look at that food! Ahahaaaa…!
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