Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
22. Underwater otherworld conquest (4)
Bottom of Seokchon Lake.
End of the frozen maze.
I saw a blurry Nabiryeong’s trademark from the game, a mesh cape engraved with a butterfly’s wings pattern.
Under the cape, the hem of a dress fluttered on the shadowy figure.
[Huhu, you came here. Not even one person injured, even among humans? You didn’t have a hard time because of the supernatural poison?]
Is she wary of voice’s fingerprints, the voiceprint analysis?
Nabiryeong’s voice was mechanically changed.
“You’re that butterfly that trapped me between the boundaries of dream and reality then.”
At Kwon Jane’s words, the expression of two Eternal Lake’s members turned ugly.
Nabriyeong’s blurry vestige looked at Kwon Jane.
[Long time no see, Kwon Jane.]
Nabiryeong spoke with a kind tone as if she was greeting an old friend.
Kwon Jane was expressionless, but seeing that her voice was trembling a little, it seemed that she didn’t feel very happy.
“There are many things I want to say, but there was something I wanted to ask first when I found the butterfly.”
[I’ll answer as many questions as I can.]
Kwon Jane’s blue eyes[1], which usually looked indifferent, were shining with raging emotions.
“That day, why did you go through the trouble of locking me up to split our team? If you just told us the coordinates, the Eternal Lake would go to Manchester Great Otherworld Conquest. No, if you had notified us from the start about the Jin people’s raid aiming at the England Association, that tragedy…”
[That’s obvious.]
Nabiryeong started replying before Kwon Jane could finish her words.
[It was to minimize the risk of exposing my true intentions to ‘Them’ and Kwon Jane, it was to raise your chances of survival.]
Because of the black noise on Nabiryeong’s face, it wasn’t well visible, but it seemed she was smiling somehow.
Kwon Jane asked back:
“My survival chances?”
[Yeah. Think about it. If not for your family members and teammates’ sacrifice at that time, do you think you would be able to stand here safely now?]
I think I knew what Nabiryeong was thinking when she acted like that during the Manchester Great Otherworld Conquest.
Kwon Jane’s face turned pale as if she also figured out Nabiryeong’s intentions.
[Even if you survived, your body may not have been able to play violin again. Players of your degree and violinists don’t come out easily. The people who had died during that time were of amazing sort, but there existed enough manpower worthy of replacing them.]
“What the hell are you…!”
[Aren’t you still an outstanding violinist, and isn’t the current Eternal Lake operating well without problems with new teammates?]
Kwon Jane’s voice erupted like a shriek.
“My mother, my older brother, my friends… There is no one who can replace them, and there never will be!”
[It may be like this for you. However, it’s different for me or this world.]
Blue superpower wave started to gush out from Kwon Jane’s entire body.
‘If it goes like this, Kwon Jane will go into a runaway!’
It was just after Jared Lee accepted the Regulation Enforcement Departament’s interrogation invitation and she found out that their acquaintances are on Fantasy List.
In addition, she heard the words saying that the cause of her family’s and friend’s sacrifice was related to her, so her reason probably disappeared.
“Jane, calm down! You’re not yourself.”
“Even Jared isn’t here right now…!”
Kwon Jane didn’t seem to hear her team members’ voices.
However, suppressing her own supernatural wave also seemed to be beyond her abilities.
“It can’t be helped.”
30’s Hwang-ho held one of his fingers and pressed it to Kwon Jane’s forehead.
Uung—!
As light came out from Hwang-ho’s fingertip, the blue supernatural wave started to be tied up.
After the boss area was filled with light for a second, Kwon Jane lost her senses and collapsed.
“Ah…”
“Jane!”
When Hwang-ho checked that the Eternal Lake’s team members held Kwon Jane, he withdrew his hand.
“I suppressed her power and knocked her out. Don’t let her use superpowers for the next 24 hours.”
Hwang-ho’s finger, which touched Kwon Jane’s forehead, was discolored blue.
After glancing at the finger which changed color, Hwang-ho glared at Nabiryeong.
Even when Nabiryeong saw fainted Kwon Jane and received Hwang-ho’s gaze, she spoke with a bright tone.
[Ho tribe’s head, do you know how much trouble I had because of your laziness? Huhu, however, it seems that you belatedly came to your senses. I hope you will have a bit of trouble.]
“What are you thinking? If you want to die like this, I’ll kill you, Jeop.”
Nabiryeong spread both her arms wide towards the displeased Hwang-ho as she spoke:
[Do you think that the flap of a butterfly’s wings can call a storm?]
“So you’re thinking of calling a storm?”
[No, it’s the opposite.]
Nabiryeong’s voice was filled with laughter.
[I’m called a Minor Creature, but I’m curious if the flapping of my wings can block the storm ‘They’ will call. I want to try to block it at least once.]
I guess all of Nabiryeong’s question-raising actions I saw in the game stemmed from that thought.
‘If we take only those words, Nabiryeong seems to have a good role, but something is different.’
There were too many things to call Nabiryeong a simply helpful character or good-natured NPC.
While I recalled Nabiryeong’s actions, guessing her true intentions, Hwang-ho’s words continued.
“‘Block the storm ‘They’ will call’? If so, tell me what the identity of that guy you call ‘They’ is and what is that storm.”
[I don’t like it. I can’t tell you. If I give more information than you[2] need now, you may not be helpful in blocking that storm. It will only get in the way and risk my position.]
“Are you joking?”
[It’s not a joke. Aren’t there many precious things to you? What do you think will happen if you’re given a choice between those precious things and the best plan to block that storm. You won’t choose the best way, right? Such an attitude will hinder blocking the storm more.]
Those words confirmed it.
‘Nabiryeong and my end goals may seem the same, but we aren’t going the same road.’
I could guess what kind of incident the storm that ‘They’ will call pointed at.
Following Nabiryeong’s words, if she moved solely to only block that storm, I could understand all her moves.
Nabiryeong wouldn’t care even a bit if innocent people died.
“You speak as if there is nothing precious to you.”
At Hwang-ho’s words, Nabiryeong’s laughter gained darker tone.
[Yeah, none. And, in any case, if the storm ‘They’ will call strikes down, will there be any meaning in protecting those precious things?]
“It seems that you have no thoughts of sharing any important information. I may inform the Ung tribe about your betrayal.”
[Okay? Then after you do that, I will die and you will lose your one source of important information.]
Nabiryeong wasn’t shaken even by Hwang-ho’s threat.
After Hwang-ho closed his mouth, Nabiryeong started to speak again:
[Shall we finish Q&A time here? Shall we proceed to the main topic now? The place you currently are in is called ‘Frozen type Otherworld’.]
Nabiryeong started to share the information I knew through the game one after another.
Trade made between the head of the Player’s Association Korean branch and a certain Jin.
Freezing Otherworld skill.
Cold air and supernatural poison inside Frozen Otherworlds.
The full picture of the incident on Seokchon a few years before.
[That’s all I wanted to pass on. If there is non-problematic information to pass in the future, I’ll send a message again.]
“If you have no more information to give, get out.”
At Hwang-ho’s words, Nabiryeong chuckled with a smile.
Before she bid her farewells, she turned to look at each of us in the party as if identifying us.
Annoyed Hwang-ho.
Fainted Kwon Jane leaning against a team member’s body.
Two Eternal Lake’s team members staring at Nabiryeong with eyes filled with fury.
And me who never opened his mouth.
Nabiryeong’s gaze stopped.
[Oh my,]
Swoosh—!
Powder from butterfly’s wings rushed to my side.
Nabiryeong’s current state made it impossible for physical interference.
Hwang-ho, who reflexively wanted to unfold a shield, let Nabiryeong pass, even though he was frowning.
After the powder’s movements stopped, Nabiryeong’s blurry shape was in front of my eyes.
[… Uh? Human?]
Then what else did it look like?
[I want to observe you in person. Are you a human Ho tribe’s head keeps at his side? Why don’t you come to me? I’ll treat you much better than that Lazy Leader.]
“Get out.”
Hwang-ho didn’t hide his annoyance.
His attitude towards Nabiryeong seemed similar to the time he confronted Ok Toyeon.
‘The information Nabiryeong possesses is tempting, but…’
But regardless of whether Hwang-ho treated me well or not, I had no intention of holding Nabiryeong’s hand.
“I don’t particularly agree with that thought direction. I don’t like it.”
Nabiryeong tilted her head slightly and asked back.
[That’s strange. Is there anything precious to you?]
How the hell do you see me? To ask something like that at the first meeting?
Even so, I could reply without much worry to the question this time.
“Many.”
At my reply, Nabiryeong started to laugh.
[Huhuhu, hahahaha!]
Did my answer make her laugh like this?
Because Nabiryeong’s voice was altered, the sound felt like a robot’s laughter.
The mood that wasn’t particularly good, became even worse as we listened to the creepy laughter.
Should I tell Nabiryeong to get out like Hwang-ho?
[As I saw something good, I’ll give you a hint.]
The silhouette of Nabiryeong, who had a hearty laughter, gradually turned blurry.
It seemed she thought of leaving a hint and then getting out.
[‘They’, it’s a being that hates Heavenly God the most in this world.]
Those words finished, Nabiryeong’s vestige disappeared, leaving not even one grain of powder behind.
***
Kwon Jane was in a state she could not fight in, but the attack party finished the otherworld conquest safely and came out.
Enemies also appeared on the defense team side, but they were said to be overpowered easily .
Though, Ok Toyeon openly playing around seemed to incur Ho tribe members’ wrath.
“We will go now. And we will contact you again when Jane stabilizes.”
“Okay, go.”
At Hwang-ho’s wave of a hand, the Eternal Lake team members bowed their heads.
Even after coming to her senses, Kwon Jane couldn’t immediately open her eyes and left on the team member’s back.
“It seems that the Player’s Association wasn’t playing around. There is no record remaining.”
Hwang-ho spoke after he had checked the Association’s webpage with a hologram.
I decided to part with Hwang-ho, who would discuss the case with Ho tribe members, and return to school.
Before Ok Toyeon disappeared, I didn’t forget to get her device code.
“Then I’ll finish the last thing.”
Hwang-ho flicked his finger that changed to blue after taking Kwon Jane’s supernatural wave.
After that, the lake water started to move.
Shaaaa—!
Hwang-ho controlled the movement of lake water with one hand and the movement of earth with the other hand.
Kukukuku—!
In an instant, the Seokchon Lake regained its original appearance.
With Seokchon Lake like this, the underwater otherworld conquest was completed.
“Jo Uisin, I want to talk about the weird reaction the butterfly had when she saw you… Well, I guess we have a lot of time on the weekend.”
Before I parted with Hwang-ho, he avoided the other Ho tribe member’s ears and left such words.
Even if he wanted to talk, there was nothing for me to say.
I was completely out of my depth, why Nabiryeong had such a reaction to me and said something like that.
‘In any case, it ended on a better side than I thought.’
The Ho tribe and Player’s Association naturally became aware of the existence of the Frozen Otherworld and Freezing Otherworld skills, so there was no need for me to inform them.
The directions of a few plots changed to a positive direction.
And this conquest will also directly influence the future of the title hero, Ju Su-hyeok.
‘There are no records of this place’s conquest remaining. The matter of Ju Su-hyeok catching the eyes of the demons will also disappear.’
Thanks to becoming the highest contributor of this Frozen Otherworld conquest, Ju Su-hyeok had a rough time.
As long as Ju Su-hyeok doesn’t get swept away in an incident I don’t know about, he won’t suffer because of demons.
‘I don’t accurately know how this incident will influence the future, but now it’s time to think about something else.’
I have to prepare for the Teacher’s Day event with kids in class this week’s Friday, and then I have to visit Hwang Myeong-ho mansion on the weekend.
‘What should I give the kids?’
While thinking about a few candidates, I stealthily headed to school.
***
“My otherworld was conquered.”
“Where was that?”
“Seokchon Lake. I felt the Ho tribe’s energy.”
In the darkness.
In each place, demons who had closed their eyes and watched the human world for voyeuristic pleasure with their third eye connecting the human and this world, opened their eyes one after one.
“There are no conquest records in PlayerSAT-K.”
“The Ho tribe has a good relationship with the Association. If the Ho tribe interferes, there is a way to manipulate information.”
“Why the Ho tribe?”
“The head of Hwang Myeong Group showed interest in an amusement park at the Seokchon Lake’s side. He might have discovered it when looking around.”
“He may be thinking of giving the theme park as a present for Eun-ho’s descendants.”
“What are you going to do? Are you going to inform ‘that guy’[3]?”
The demon, who was the owner of the conquered Frozen Otherworld, shook his head.
“No. I won’t be reporting to that guy. In any case, we don’t devote any loyalty towards that guy, so is there a reason to report something like this?”
“No?”
“No.”
After one demon waved his palm, a blurry screen rose in the darkness.
On an unfolded screen, three people were seen walking through the maze.
Because there was terrible noise, it wasn’t well visible.
“This is the best you can see through and show on the screen?”
“That strange noise is terrible. Let’s check who they are. One is the Eternal Lake’s team master. One is Hwang-ho. And the remaining one… what?”
“Crow mask!”
“The crow mask makes me think about that unlucky demon king, so I hate it.”
Seokchon East Lake’s otherworld maze.
The demon, who was the owner of that place, said with an excited voice.
“I’m concerned about the person wearing a crow mask.”
*~*~*
[1] Kwon Jane’s blue eyes – raws said: ‘blue pupils’. I’m more inclined to believe that author meant eyes or irises as 눈동자 is sometimes (or quite often) used that way, but dictionary definition would be pupils.
[2] ‘you’ used by Nabiryeong when speaking to Hwang-ho – she uses the plural ‘you’ both in ‘if I give you more information’ and ‘aren’t there many precious things to you?’ and the following sentences.
[3] that guy – demons use casual (slightly offensive) 그자 (that person, casual). In comparison, all other Jin people in contact with ‘that person’ used 그분 (that person, polite). I’ll be using they/that guy when 그자 is used and They/ That Person when 그분 is used.
Translator’s note:
Hwang-ho: “Jo Uisin, I want to talk about the weird reaction the butterfly had when she saw you… Especially about that part where she wanted you to come to her side.”
Also this chapter shows why you should reread novels like this. This translator misremembered so much stuff about the content of this chapter.
Did you see a mistake? 🐞
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