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Chapter 252: Mu of Medsang (1)

“When you were young, right? From your parents?”

It was a cute nickname. And I think it would have suited him. Honestly, he must have been incredibly cute when he was a child. With a rounder face and chubbier cheeks, particularly rosy against his pale skin. And with his big, pretty golden eyes, he was worthy of being called our little Moon-nim.

"...Do you have any childhood photos?"

"No."

So he didn\'t. What a pity. Even our Yoohyun only had group photos from kindergarten and things like that. And anyway, he didn’t have them anymore. Should I try to offer a reward for them? Some of his kindergarten classmates might still have the album.

“So, Moon, do you remember anything else besides pet names?"

"…"

“Moon-nim.”

“Call me as you did before.”

“Yes, hyung. Anyway, it doesn’t even suit him.”

For some reason, the duo agreed. Sigma spoke with a sullen expression.

“My memories from before awakening are hazy. I only have a few and they’re confusing.”

“All your childhood memories?”

Sigma nodded, tilting his head slightly.

“Now that I think about it... it’s strange.”

“You didn’t think it was strange until now?”

“…Maybe.”

He said hesitantly. Was this perhaps related to the fact that the world wasn’t real? For example, bringing all childhood memories might have made the data volume too large, so they were deleted. We could probably find out if we asked other people.

A brief silence fell. Sigma’s thoughts seemed complicated, and I also had many things on my mind. Wasn\'t the explanation of the main mission’s storyline lacking too much? If it was like a game, I might finish it all at once after cursing a bit, but I didn\'t feel any difference between him and a living, real person. So I couldn’t skip it randomly.

Sung Hyunjae-ssi, let’s have another face-to-face conversation, please. Although it would be full of □ anyway.

“I guess I won’t get an answer even if I ask what will happen in the future.”

“Oh, um… right. We… will eventually leave this place. I don’t know what will happen to this world after that. If you’ve really become real, then maybe you can come out with us, but if that’s not possible…”

“Will I stay behind?”

Sigma said calmly. But it struck my ears strongly. What would happen if we left him here? In a world that had rejected him. Maybe they would reset it like they did with the dungeons. A new Sigma that was real in this world might appear.

Then, in the end, the current Sigma wouldn’t mix with the fake and would continue…

That really wouldn’t do. No matter how wonderful he was alone, it definitely wouldn’t do. It would be the same as being wronged by everyone in the world. And there wouldn’t be people like me or the possessed who were less affected.

“I can’t guarantee there’s nothing to worry about, but I’ll take responsibility somehow. I don’t plan to just leave you.”

“Why are you taking responsibility?!”

Yoohyun suddenly shouted. His face was deeply unhappy. I mean…

"...Wait, where’s the doll?”

“In my inventory.”

Oh, he put it away. On the other hand, it was an item, so it was reasonable. Still, insisting on needing to take it…

“…Should I get you a Doppelgänger doll item when we get back? I don’t know if we can accept it, so I can make you a new one.”

“No, it’s not necessary. I took this because it was already made. Why would I need it when I have the real you?”

With those words, Yoohyun sat close to my side. His eyes, looking at Sigma, were indescribably cold.

“He’s not a child, he can manage on his own. Why are you worried about that guy in the first place? You said he attacked you.”

“It’s not that I like him, but… above all, we need him for the raid. It’s a main mission.”

“You said the Seseong guild leader was sending the missions. Could it be that he sent a fake mission to protect him because he looks like him?”

“I don’t think so. It said to protect him, but……”

I quickly shut my mouth. But there was already suspicion in those red eyes.

“What are the exact conditions?”

“Hey, is Sung Hyunjae the type of person to care about someone just because they have the same face?”

“We promised not to keep any secrets.”

That… was true. I had no choice but to confess everything honestly. When I said that I only needed to devote one life to this, my brother stared at me.

“Hyung, SS ranks are strong.”

“Even so, it’s better to protect him myself. Don’t you want to see me protecting Sigma? Should I make him small and carry him around?”

“That’s…”

After a brief pause, Yoohyun suppressed the fighting spirit that had risen as if he couldn’t help it.

“Anyway, it’s a quest without a deadline. Leaving aside all other reasons, that’s why we need him.”

Saying I would protect Sigma wasn’t even fun. I was surprised by the unexpected situation, but I wasn’t someone who couldn’t protect a single person.

So.

“Sigma-ssi, please let me protect you.”

He would be helping me by accepting my protection. So, I asked him for a favor. Sigma stared at me without moving.

“For a rank C…”

“Then you don’t want to?”

His golden eyes curved slightly.

“You’re mine anyway, so why wouldn’t I want to? Should I say it’s commendable that you’re acting to protect your master this way?”

“Look at how this young one talks to his elders.”

“However, it seems the one beside you doesn’t want this.”

As Sigma said, Yoohyun was extremely angry. I had to work hard to calm him down while he growled that he would kill Sigma once the dungeon raid was over. It was even more difficult because Sigma provoked him, saying he could try anytime.

These two matched well in this aspect.

“I’ll keep the contract for now, but you can’t do the engravings at all.”

Sigma responded that without the penalty of the contract, he’d have no reason to accept my protection, so he wouldn’t. Honestly, I wondered if he wouldn’t pursue me even without that, but anyway, there was no need to go as far as to unnecessarily harass a child who had lost his place.

“If you try to do the engravings, I’ll cancel them immediately.”

I said that, but I was somewhat attracted to the complete spinal engravings. If they were engraved as protective engravings without being connected to others, wouldn’t they be of great help? Perhaps due to my low Mana stat, my Mana control ability was also insignificant.

If I could handle Mana delicately, my skill applications would probably increase. Even taking just my resistance skills, I could adjust them.

‘Wouldn’t it be possible to reduce resistances to SS in exchange for widening their range?’

To be able to spread Poison and Curse Resistance in a fixed area around me. There should also be applications for other skills besides those. Giving up one life to gain Mana control… I thought it would be fine.

‘The biggest challenge will be persuading Yoohyun.’

I looked at my brother, who was glued to me and throwing a murderous look at Sigma like an enraged beast. If I explained it well and told him that I might be a bit safer with this, would he accept it? It wasn’t like I would actually die, and I’d be properly anesthetized. Wait, Yoohyun also needed his engraving fixed. We might face monsters or guards with Mana absorption abilities.

“So, Yoohyun, tell the Sollemnis Guards you took care of the monster that killed Sigma. And demand that they leave the city immediately.”

“Alright. But won’t they need solid proof? They might believe me if I just cut off one limb.”

“…Just say you burned it and leave it at that. By the way, with their SS-rank guard suddenly gone, will they be able to return safely?”

I was worried about the city too. At my words, Sigma said that even if they were S-rank Guards, in large numbers and with abilities, it would be easy for them to escape from SS-rank monsters. Right, even in that drama, they had hired an S-rank guard.

“There are also measures for the city. Because it’s not like SS-rank guards are never absent for long periods.”

He said that if an SS-rank monster appeared when an SS-rank guard was not present, instead of hunting it, they would resist in shelters and lure it out of the city. The city’s economy would inevitably plummet, but they had stored supplies with which they could subsist for years. At the same time, he said, they would seek cooperation from other cities and invest most of the Mana Hall’s energy in creating S-rank or higher awakened people.

Even if they were just data, I was worried, so it was a relief.

“Stay here quietly, and hyung will come with me.”

When Yoohyun grabbed me and stood up, Sigma also stood up.

“Are you leaving as soon as you said you’d protect me?”

“Do you really plan to be protected? Think about your rank. You have no shame.”

“The rank C said it first. You’re also an SS rank; if you stick to the rank C this way, aren’t you acting like a child?”

“He’s my hyung, and I’m his younger brother, so that’s natural.”

Yoohyun spoke as if he was boasting, and Sigma hesitated for some reason before opening his mouth.

“Is that natural? The siblings I’ve seen didn’t get along very well.”

“What’s strange is siblings not getting along.”

…Yoohyun, I don’t think we should implant false common knowledge into someone who lacks their memories. There are many families with bad relationships in the world.

In the end, Sigma was left alone, and I went out with Yoohyun. The Sollemnis guards accepted Yoohyun’s words unexpectedly easily. Perhaps because Sigma’s existence itself had been altered, everyone clearly perceived that he had died.

The Sollemnis guards even thanked him for avenging the SS-rank monster before rushing to prepare for their departure. Saying they needed to return quickly and make preparations for the city’s defense, they left Akates as soon as the helicopters were ready.

“I’m a bit confused too. Between the fake and the real.”

After hearing my rough explanation, Moon Hyuna crossed her arms loosely.

“By the way, hyung-nim, you seem to know more about the system than I thought. You’re the only one who knows the method of assault.”

“Ah… That’s…”

Now that I think about it, Moon Hyuna had never met Newcomer. I took the opportunity to tell her about the immoral people as well. Saying that there were powerful beings outside our world who helped the awakened and managed the system to prevent the world’s destruction.

“I’m grateful they’re helping, but they’re incredibly suspicious jerks.”

“Do you feel they’re suspicious?”

I hadn’t even given her the detailed explanation. Moon Hyuna nodded firmly.

“Of course. What’s more suspicious than people who work for free? And you said there were more than one or two of them. I’m sure you can find someone virtuous enough to care about our future. But having many is questionable.”

I unconsciously agreed with her words that they wanted something, and that’s why they gave us free labor. Yes, nothing in this world is free. They might simply be burning with a sense of justice and saying, ‘I’ll save the world!’, but these were transcendents who had lived for a long time.

Did they really have no other purpose? Was it really just that they wanted to save the world?

“Still, it’s good that if we try, we can avoid destruction. I should work harder to accumulate points, huh?”

Moon Hyuna’s energetic words left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth. Even if they weren’t trustworthy at all, there were many unnecessarily strong idiots everywhere. Though, of course, I’d do my best too.

“Yoohyun, let’s fix your engraving before we leave tomorrow.”

And I also wanted to try consulting about the engravings. They said that since they didn’t treat their combat guards well, the engraving procedures in Akates were more advanced. So I wanted to do it here. Just as I opened my mouth to convince Yoohyun—

– Krrrr.

I heard a monster growl. It came from the Mana Hall. The three of us quickly looked over the railing toward the Mana Hall. A two-headed lion was there, dignified, followed by…

– What, what!

– A mantis-like monster appeared beside the Mana Hall. Both were SS-rank monsters. For a moment, we were speechless.

“…Damn, Akates is screwed. Young master, what should we do?”

“It’s none of my business. Hyung, be careful.”

The blue-maned lion’s head lifted. Its piercing eyes aimed precisely at the top floor of the building opposite, where Sigma was. The mouths of the two lion heads opened wide, the white and blue light mixed. Then, like a laser gun’s beam, they fired that light toward Sigma’s rooms.

Kwagwagwang! The top floor of the building was completely destroyed. The light spread across the sky. The clouds scattered like a flock of frightened sheep.

“Oh, dear. He’s probably alive, right?”

“It’s a shame, but he won’t die from that.”

“Don’t just stand there watching, catch them! Yoohyun, you too!”

At my urging, Moon Hyuna jumped first. Pulling out her giant spear, she charged at the lion. Faced with her fearsome and destructive charge, the lion ran away without resisting. The giant spear, missing its target, left a long gash on the innocent ground.

Her offensive power was no joke, but the problem was that her path was straightforward.

“She’d do very well with a team member who could pin them down for her.”

Like Yerim, needless to say, and if I had to choose among others, Evelyn would fit well. For combat types, I mean. She had said their personalities didn’t match. If they kept them under control from a distance, she could attack comfortably.

Just as Yoohyun tried to cross the railing,

Kwarrng!

A bolt of lightning fell. The mantis struck directly jumped with a screech. Golden chains extended toward the monster that spread its wings and was about to fly, wrapping around it. As soon as the endless chains bound it to the lion,

Kwagagagak—!

Moon Hyuna charged in as if she had been waiting for it. A huge hole opened in the bodies of the two monsters, and with electricity coursing through their flesh, it was all over.

They were solved in an instant, but.

“Hyung, over there.”

The shadow of new monsters flickered over the Mana Hall. This time, more than ten—no, a dozen—no, dozens of SS-rank monsters appeared one after another.

“They’re endless. We’d better clear the area around the Mana Hall.”

Was this Sigma’s fault? No matter how I looked at it, they seemed to be pursuing him. I went with Yoohyun to where Moon Hyuna and Sigma were. Moon Hyuna spoke, her eyes slightly squinted and furrowed.

“Besides the young master, we’ll be in trouble because of the mana, hyung-nim.”

“Are you going to?”

“Let’s call Mu.”

“Mu?”

“Yes. Mu from Medsang. My memories aren’t perfect, but if Mu is here, it’ll be half solved.”

Moon Hyuna guaranteed it with confidence.

“Because among support types, he’s a guard with a special ability to handle space.”