901
[Chapter 223]
[Miracle (5)]
There are a few people Fairy Im Ga-eul is pushing hard to change the world.
Among the people Eun-ha knows, two were being pressured the most severely.
Han Chang-jin and Yoo Do-jun.
On this day, Yoo Do-jun came to visit after a long time.
"Hey, I'm really dying here." "You can still say that because you're not dead enough yet."
"...You crazy bastard. You're not saying that to clan members, are you? After working them to death, saying such thi..."
"I do say that. And I work them even harder." "Looking again, the Fairy was truly a Fairy. You devilish guy."
Yoo Do-jun had become very thin.
This was because the Fairy had given instructions to properly organize the complexly intertwined financial relationships of people.
He kept sighing, seemingly chilled just thinking about it.
Then he changed the subject.
"So it was true that Yu-jeong opened her eyes. There was a lot of commotion in and out of political and business circles because of that rumor, to think it was true... Yu-jeong will probably be quite the center of attention at the next business meeting." "I suppose so."
Just earlier, Yoo Do-jun had greeted people at the clan headquarters.
He was surprised to see Lee Yu-jeong while greeting acquaintances after a long time.
Then, as others had done, Yoo Do-jun congratulated her saying it was really great.
"You seem happy that Yu-jeong can see? Or is it because you have children? You look good these days."
"Every day is happy." "Now you can even say such things? You've really changed a lot." "Have I?" "Yes, you idiot. You've changed a lot since you had kids." "How have I changed?" "Hmm, should I say you've become more human-like?" "Is that an insult or a compliment?" "It's a compliment since you've become more human-like. Hey, you used to be like..." "Like what?"
"Like a devil, really. At least these days you've become like an angelic devil."
It was rather pointless talk.
Eun-ha smiled slightly hearing what Yoo Do-jun said.
But Eun-ha agreed with what he brought up.
Many things changed after meeting his wives, marrying them and starting a family, and having children.
Especially Eun-ha's personality changed.
"Should I say you've become more emotionally rich? Before it felt like you were forcing yourself to make expressions, but now looking at you..."
"Now looking at me? What, what is it?"
"You're smiling well. Without worries or concerns."
"Actually, all my worries and concerns have disappeared."
Eun-ha nodded.
With Lee Yu-jeong's eyes being cured, he was able to put down his mental burden.
Now his worries were extremely trivial and modest things.
Whether the children will grow up well.
Whether clan members will get hurt somewhere.
Whether family members will be healthy.
Whether he'll make his wives cry, and so on.
The hero praised by citizens was now becoming an ordinary person.
Of course, there was still one worry left related to the past.
It was right then.
Buzz
The smartphone vibrated.
A call was coming in.
Eun-ha checked Twenty-five's call and stood up from his seat.
Because he thought it was related to darkness.
"Hello? Oh, it's me."
[It seems only one came out after the witches entered the red dungeon. It looks like the rest died.]
It was something Eun-ha had asked a few days ago.
Eun-ha frowned while listening to Twenty-five's contact.
The witches who entered the dungeon as four came out of the dungeon alone.
It could be assumed they had engaged in slaughter among themselves.
But why?
It was strange.
To come all the way from a distant country and then kill each other in a dungeon.
Then Twenty-five denied his speculation.
[The appearance of the witch who came out alone didn't show any particular change. There were no visible corpses in the red dungeon either.]
"What does that mean? Are you saying the witches didn't fight among themselves, but performed some kind of ritual leaving only one person?"
What happened in the red dungeon?
Unfortunately, Twenty-five conveyed that he couldn't know that far.
The witches were so cautious that he couldn't get close.
The problem was elsewhere.
[The witch who came out of the red dungeon just made contact with
"...I see, thank you."
And the two headed for the red dungeon.
Eun-ha hung up the phone.
It seems the thing he was worried about had happened.
We can't underestimate that witch's power.
It would be better to take some clan members just in case.
He decided to form a small party with clan members currently at the headquarters.
"You're going to meet PM unnie, right? Take me too! I have a class with unnie today, but I'm worried because unnie didn't come!"
Meanwhile, Im Baek-yeon came along too.
She found it strange that Eun-ha was suddenly forming a party, and after hearing the circumstances, insisted on coming along.
"Okay, fine. Baek-yeon, you come too."
Eun-ha was reluctant at first.
But it was just in case.
Perhaps she was trying to take her own life.
Such a thought occurred to Eun-ha.
If so, he had to stop her from doing that.
He thought Im Baek-yeon might be an attachment preventing her from dying.
☆
Red dungeon.
The witch stepped into a red dungeon where players rarely set foot.
Precise Memory followed behind her and entered the dungeon.
"I lived unable to die."
The witch who had been silent opened her mouth.
It was a tone with many emotions embedded.
Precise Memory bowed her head.
"28 witches have lived like that until now, in a state of being unable to die even if they died, for hundreds of years."
Lest they be seen by people.
The witch moved her steps deeper inside the dungeon.
Then she talked about old times, and Precise Memory only gave short answers.
Then she brought up a question she had been holding back since meeting the witch.
"The others... What happened to them?" "Everyone died except you and me. Some died with their minds destroyed after becoming experimental subjects, while others died after living out their lives." "..."
"And those who became experimental subjects... We attacked the laboratory and sent them off peacefully so they wouldn't suffer anymore. That was 300 years ago." "Ah..."
"Don't worry. Now there's no one suffering from being unable to die."
The witch replied dryly.
Precise Memory couldn't say anything more to her.
Everything had occurred because of her.
Her face darkened rapidly, and the witch gave a bitter smile.
The witch continued her story.
"Unlike you, we were relatively free from the world's will's curse. As hundreds of years passed, we became able to die now. We also figured out how to kill immortality."
The witch waved her hand.
Just as Precise Memory had done.
Hundreds of years of time had allowed the witch to reach the extreme in handling mana.
She created a subspace and took out a huge spear from inside.
"That's..."
"A spear that kills immortality."
A spear with an alien aura emanating from it.
Precise Memory blankly stared at the spear as tall as herself.
The witch kindly taught her what kind of spear it was.
"We who survived normally finally found a method after spending tens, hundreds of years." "..."
"The curse we received is greatly weakened in dungeon areas where the world's will's interference is reduced."
The witch lightly swung the spear.
As the spear tip cut through the air, the mana dissolved in the atmosphere became visible.
Precise Memory could discern that the spear in the witch's hand was an artifact with considerable power.
"The target pierced by this spear is separated from existing world lines and reaches death. With this spear..."
"You mean even we who revive even if we die can die with that."
"Yes, that's right. The experiment is already over. The spear that can only activate its effect in dungeons has already killed several witches. It's a spear created with utmost care to kill you."
Precise Memory understood the witch's explanation.
If the witch's explanation was correct, the spear would surely be able to kill her who was living unable to die, bound by the world's will.
To kill me... Unnies have been chasing me for hundreds of years.
She thought that if her detestable self disappeared.
The witches might be able to live somewhat happily.
So to avoid meeting them, she wandered the world trying not to settle in one place as much as possible.
But contrary to her expectations, it seems the remaining witches resented her over hundreds of years.
It might be unavoidable.
She smiled desolately.
"But I couldn't be completely sure if I could kill you. So I asked the other witches. To let their power dwell in this spear so I could kill you." "..."
"The three witches who survived until recently and entered this country with me sacrificed their lives to kill you. Their power dwells in this spear." "I... see..."
Unnies really came this far wanting to kill me.
Precise Memory mumbled.
The words that couldn't come out of her mouth finally stayed inside her, sublimating into resignation.
"You said you wanted to die, right?"
"...Yes." "That's good. Then I'll kill you. After confirming you die, I plan to end my life too."
The witch asked.
Precise Memory answered.
She lived unable to die, and so wished to die.
She didn't think that wish would be granted in this way, but─
"─If I can die by unnie's hand, I'm really grateful. I'm so sorry, so much."
Precise Memory decided not to refuse her death.
Even if it was her unnie killing her while resenting her, she decided to just accept death like this.
That could be atonement for making unnie and the witches live painful lives.
She believed so without doubt.
"You can kill me painfully. I'll die however unnie wants."
☆
Going back in time.
16th century France.
Precise Memory was born in a village in the forest where only women gathered.
People who formed a village out of mutual need lived cutting off contact with the outside as much as possible.
"Mana is dissolved in nature, and it dwells in our bodies too. Try listening to the voice of mana in your body."
The existence of mana was revealed to the world after the 19th century.
But even if it wasn't clearly established as a single word in the world, there were people who understood mysteries.
The people living in the village belonged to that category.
They communicated with nature and used mana in their bodies to wield magic that humans couldn't.
Of course, their magic was crude.
Magic that wasn't systematically organized was enough to ease their inconveniences in daily life.
"You contain a lot of mana. It seems the god of mana loves you a lot."
In such an environment.
Precise Memory learned how to handle mana from people since childhood.
She innately possessed vast mana and showed talent in handling mana.
The villagers loved her and hoped she would make the villagers happy when she became an adult.
It was on one such day.
Women living together in the forest, they must be witches!!
It was a time when the winds of religious reform were blowing.
People in the world who had fallen into suspicion and madness couldn't leave them alone.
To people in the world, they who gathered to form a village and lived hidden deep in the forest could only be seen as objects of suspicion.
Moreover, the medicines they occasionally made and sold were far more effective than ordinary medicines.
The witches must be gathering in the forest to plot evil things!
They must be mixing all sorts of ingredients, even putting people in cauldrons to make medicine!
People misunderstood and misperceived.
Madness prevented them from waking up to reason.
They simply believed without doubt that the reason for their current unhappy lives was all because of witches, and that they had to kill them for God.
Capture all the witches!
Just kill those who run away!
Bring the witches to trial!
People shouted in frenzy.
They finally destroyed the barrier and found the village.
They set fire to the forest to prevent the witches from escaping, and destroyed their foundation of life.
The witches were captured by people and dragged out to the world.
The trial begins now!
Light the fire!
If you don't die burning in the fire you're a witch, and if you die just like that your innocence will be proven!!
Precise Memory had to watch the villagers burn to death while trapped in an iron cage.
She was 10 years old at the time.
It was a huge shock to witness those who shouted they weren't witches ultimately burn to death before her eyes.
"Kyaaah!!"
"Unnie!"
"Restrain this child too! She's a witch! You stay still! Your turn is next so watch quietly from there!"
She strongly hated those who destroyed her daily life.
Eventually, seeing her only blood relative, her older sister, being dragged to the stake, she could no longer suppress her emotions.
It was then that she heard a voice.
Do you desire power?
The voice that sometimes echoed in her head when she tried to manifest mana.
Until then, she hadn't responded.
Because she had nothing she wanted.
But now it was different.
A grand wish was sprouting in her heart.
Precise Memory begged.
She earnestly wished and desired.
"I want power, please help me."
Who the owner of this voice was.
That wasn't important.
It didn't matter even if it was the god who made them like this.
She would even fall for the devil's temptation.
Even if it meant selling her soul, she would fulfill her wish.
Thus her earnest wish came into contact with the world's will and was realized.
"Please lend me power so that I and the villagers don't die."
And please kill all those mad people rampaging.
Please let us live happily forever with the villagers like before!
An imperfect and misaligned wish that she would come to regret over hundreds of years.
It was a curse.
I shall grant your wish as you desire.