Chapter 47: Chapter 39: Trap (3)

A/N: Expect sporadic updates

There were more mirrors.

As I panned around, I was encased in a dome of mirrors that showcased more "selves".

And then I stirred.

Involuntarily, my eyelids slid open, blinking, once, twice.

Groaning, and feeling my throat to be immensely parched, I tried to shift into a sitting position, realizing belatedly the blanket that covered me had slipped off with the movement.

Where am I?

Confused and disoriented with a feverish feeling, I tried to sort out my memories.

"What are you doing? Lie back down." A voice broke me out of my thoughts.

"Na Bori...?" I looked at my visitor.

"Yep. What, are you disappointed that it's me?" Na Bori teased as she pressed on my shoulder, firmly pushing me back down onto the makeshift bed.

"Well, no, but...I...What happened?" I frowned.

Na Bori sighed.

"Well first of all, you've been unconscious for a whole day now. Also, here," 

"A whole day?!" I exclaimed, cringing at the pain at using my dry throat like this.

Na Bori handed me some water to drink, or more like, helped hold the water for me to drink.

I quietly drank the cup of water.

With my thirstiness solved, my mind began to clear.

The images of past events slowly surfaced in my mind.

Jung Youngho and I met up with that avatar, and then...

...there was a man in a black coat.

He said something.

But what was it that he was saying?

And who was he? He couldn't have been -

"Man, why do you keep getting in trouble like this?" Na Bori gave a loud sigh that interrupted my train of thought as she shook her head in disapproval.

"I don-" I tried reflexively resisting the statement-like question.

"Yes, you do." Na Bori shot down my protest.

I couldn't help but touch my nose in shame.

Seeing that the atmosphere was turning awkward, Na Bori changed the topic.

"Anyways, I can't believe that jerk of a master. He just went 'shing' at you." Na Bori accompanied the onomatopoeia with a stabbing motion, fuming.

That made me concerned.

What even happened before I fainted?

"Good thing Lee Jihye and I were there to save your @ss. Hmph. What was I thinking when I accepted him as my master? You weren't there, but his training regime for us has gone far overboard!"

As Na Bori droned on about her piling complaints, I recalled the explosion from the Mass Destruction Magic Bullet from that garbage avatar.

That explosion really did a number on all of us.

"More than that, did you guys get hurt? And what about the avatar? And Jung Youngho?" I butt in.

"Keep that concern to yourself, you patient. Me and Lee Jihye are fine." Na Bori rolled her eyes, her displeasure clear.

"And what do you mean 'avatar'? Also, who's 'Jung Youngho'?"

"They are-" I was about to answer Na Bori's question when a queasy feeling washed over me.

Covering my mouth, I staggered out of bed and into a nearby washroom.

"Hey!"

Unable to hold back the acidic and sour taste rising through my throat, my stomach churned and emptied its contents into the sink. However, having not eaten for a day, all that came out was sour-tasting saliva.

I gripped the sides of the sink like my life depended on it.

Feeling cold and weak, I limply raised my head and looked into the dirty mirror.

The feeling of consciously stabbing a dagger into flesh and pulling it out, knowing full well what would happen to them, finally unfolded in my memory.

I killed them.

It wasn't like previous times, where I cut through an avatar that I knew wouldn't kill the person behind them, or for self-defense. This time, there was a full intent to end their lives, once and for all. A conclusion I wanted.

I could argue that they were murderers themselves, killing my friend's people to boot, or being victims to the first apostle's bomb, but...

There were no excuses to be made.

It was another tally of sins for me to bear.

I felt Na Bori's tap of her shoes on the washroom's ceramic floor.

Her face appeared in the mirror, marred with worry as she soothingly drew circles on my back.

"What's eating at you? Are you sick?"

I tried to give a wry smile through the mirror, but it only turned out to look like a sad smile, and my pale face topping it off didn't help. Attempting to sound calm, my hoarse voice resounded through the washroom,

"Maybe."

[Exclusive skill, Healing Light lv. 4, has been activated.]

As I tried wiping off and washing away the acidic saliva, Na Bori's palm glowed in contact with my back.

My fatigue receded, and my complicated mood soothed due to Na Bori's skill.

"This'll help a little." Na Bori grinned at our reflections through the mirror, trying to cheer both of us up.

"Yeah, but it won't help our noses. It smells terrible here." I gave a small joke, drawing back the negative emotions brewing in my heart.

Although it's not a good thing to suppress any kind of emotion, I didn't want to make things worse.

Na Bori gave a giggle and pinched her nose, sticking her tongue out in disgust at my comment.

"Yes, so we should hurry up and get out of this smelly washroom. Unless this is your kind of thing?" She teased, drawing out the syllables of her words in a sing-song way.

"No way." Flicking the water off my hands and wiping it on my pants, we departed from the dreary washroom.

Thanks to Na Bori's skill that I didn't know she had, I felt weak, but could still move around well enough.

Maybe I should invest more in my physique stat?

"Huh? Should you be up and about now? Bori, why's she here?" A familiar voice called as we walked out.

"Well, it wasn't my fault this lass ran out to the washroom. Sometimes, duty just calls. How about you? Your time yet?" Na Bori gave a witty reply to the new addition, winking at me.

What did that wink mean? Was she covering up the story of how I barfed in the washroom?

"No, get your head straight." Lee Jihye knit her eyebrows in exasperation, before turning to me and placing her hand firmly on my shoulder.

"You, go back to bed." Lee Jihye told me strongly.

"Um, I don't think that's necessary-" I raised my hand in opposition.

"Says the person out cold for a whole day because of serious injuries. If it wasn't because I forced Master to cough up a potion, you would have been bedridden for a lot longer. So, go to bed." Having said so, Lee Jihye began pushing me back into the direction of the make-shift bed.

Complying with Lee Jihye's actions, I sat back down on the make-shift bed, but didn't lie down.

There were still some things I wanted to ask.

"What happened when I was passed out?" I looked at Na Bori and Lee Jihye.

They looked at each other in some secret communication before looking back at me.

"How should I say this...?" Lee Jihye rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she tried to piece together a way to communicate her thoughts.

"I'll go first." Na Bori raised her hand, "As I was saying, after our psychopathic master stabbed you in the shoulder, how could we let that go? So Jihye, me, and some other random dude stopped master from stabbing that sword into your heart next. Now that I think of it, was that random guy the 'Jung Youngho' that you mentioned?"

I nodded my head in acknowledgement.

"Anyways, we got master to back off for now, but um...let's just say you're not out of the clear? He gave you a really nasty stare, and now he's left Chungmuro." Na Bori played with her cut hair, clearly in discomfort after saying such.

Noticing this, Lee Jihye piped in.

"After we got things partly sorted thanks to Sangah-unnie and Pildu-ahjusshi, that squid-ahjussi got back." 

"...Squid...?" A look of bewilderment crossed my face.

"That's right. The squid-ahjussi is the one you met at the escalators, that obnoxious guy." Lee Jihye grit her teeth whilst saying those words.

"Ah!" I made a sound as I remembered the intimidating man.

Even now, when I think of that encounter, I get chills.

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"He wants to meet you too." Na Bori chipped in.

My head snapped at the comment.

I gripped the blanket with clenched fists. My heart quickened its pace, whether out of anticipation or anxiousness I didn't know.

Now was the chance, whether I expected it or not.

But was I ready?

"Are you really okay? Your face is pretty pale." Lee Jihye commented, having been observing my reaction all along.

"As I thought, that stupid ahjussi must have done something to you." Na Bori said this with a darkened expression on her face.

"Oh no, I already told you guys that he didn't do anything. This is just a me problem." I quickly explained.

Seriously, nothing happened.

So why was meeting that guy so hard?

"I think I should see him now." So that I can finally take this off my heart and do what I need to do.

Hopefully, this will be over soon. There were still preparations to be made for the future.

"No, you should rest first." Lee Jihye harrumphed with her arms crossed.

"Ditto." Na Bori agreed, nodding her head.

So, I could only swallow my retaliations toward this treatment and was forced to lie down and close my eyes.

It's not like I can sleep on command, though...

Thinking this, while I didn't have the opportunity to meet Kim Dokja, sometimes events would always wind up completing the same objective.

The first thing I noticed was a commotion at the entrance.

Swiftly getting up, I turned to see Lee Jihye, Na Bori and someone else entangled in a stand-off.

"No, this place is off-limits." Na Bori's voice was cold to the unwanted visitor.

"I've heard she's woken up. I need to talk to her." A familiar male's voice.

"You don't, so go away." Lee Jihye bristled, gripping the sword by her side.

"It's harsh that you treat your master's friend this way."

I stood up and got closer to get a view of what was going on.

Then we noticed each other at the same time.

"Ah, hello there." Kim Dokja gave an awkward wave.

I stiffened, but then realized something odd.

Unlike the last time, there was no headache even when I looked at this man head-on. While I didn't know why, it was a good thing at least.

"...hello to you too?" Responding to his awkward greeting, I was also unsure of what to say.

Eying my reactions and then Kim Dokja, Na Bori and Lee Jihye still decided their number one priority was to chase the bad squid away.

They looked at each other, about to execute their plan.

Sensing Na Bori and Lee Jihye's intentions, I quickly cut in.

"Ah, no, wait. I want to talk to Kim Dok-, ahjussi as well." 

"And I would appreciate it if we were alone." Kim Dokja added on.

At the suggestion of Kim Dokja, Na Bori blew her top while Lee Jihye's face crumpled into animosity.

"No way, not a chance, self-proclaimed friend of Master!" Na Bori screeched.

"Na Bori-" I tried to reason with her but she and Lee Jihye raised their arms, ready to drag me back into the room on both sides, but I dodged out of the way this time.

Suddenly, it became a stand-off between Na Bori and Lee Jihye against me, instead of against Kim Dokja.

"I need to talk with him." I looked at the two squarely, my voice firm with what I wanted to do.

"You sure?" Unlike a question that was disbelieving, Lee Jihye asked this with an equally serious question, the glint in her eyes saying that she would respect my decision if I answered.

Instead of answering verbally, I nodded my head solemnly.

Lee Jihye sighed exasperatedly, tilting her head upwards and pinching the bridge of her nose with her other hand on her hip.

"Neverminded, Bori, let's just give them some space."

Na Bori looked at Lee Jihye unresigned and wanted to say more, but a tacit message got Na Bori to back down as well.

"Fine...but 5 minutes is all you're both getting. I'm charging back in at 5." Na Bori conceded.

I had a feeling Lee Jihye had done this several times before, and I was very grateful.

"Thank you, you two." I smiled lightly, earning an eye-roll from Na Bori.

Turning my heel to Kim Dokja, I gestured into the room.

"Shall we?"

Nodding his head, Kim Dokja thoughtfully found a wall to lean on.

Although we were inside, there wasn't a door to this place, so the conversation wasn't too private, but it seemed Kim Dokja wasn't too concerned about that.

Sitting back on the bed, I waited for what Kim Dokja wanted to talk to me about first. He didn't disappoint.

"I'll get straight to the point." Kim Dokja peered at my potential reaction, "How far have you read?"

It took a while for me to understand what he was talking about, but I answered swiftly.

"Until the very last chapter." Although, I missed the epilogue. Was there even an epilogue, anyway?

Kim Dokja looked at me weirdly, trying to assess whether I was lying or not.

Sadly, it didn't appear he had that ability.

"What was the last chapter about?" Kim Dokja tried to test me.

"It was full of filler, and I'm not quite sure, but I think the general idea was that Yoo Junghyuk finally made it to the end of all the scenarios. He was standing in the star-stream, facing off against his enemies. But even after he killed the Dokkaebi king, he met the final wall." I answered, trying to recall all that I could about those lines of text I read in the classroom before the scenarios began.

I thought my answer was normal, but Kim Dokja's next reaction made me confused.

He was calm as I narrated, until I reached my last sentence, where it looked like he had been stuck with a blow, a confused light filling his eyes.

"Repeat that last sentence?" In his disbelief, Kim Dokja wanted me to say it again.

So I did.

"After he killed the Dokkaebi king, he met the final wall?" 

Kim Dokja's eyes furrowed, and he looked me over with an assessing gaze.

Seeing him go silent, I wanted to open my mouth and speak, but when I did, I wasn't sure what I wanted to ask.

So I settled on,

"...So how about you? How far have you read?"

"...The last chapter. I'm still waiting for that epilogue to end the story." Kim Dokja answered a little hesitantly.

"But, I am certain there is only one person who read it to the end." Kim Dokja looked at me with a conflicted gaze, like he wasn't sure whether he was happy to gain another fellow reader who appreciated the story to have read it to the end, or that he should be guarded and cautious.

I put two and two together when I heard Kim Dokja mention he had also read the last chapter.

"Wait, so you're the other guy I keep seeing with the comments?" I exclaimed.

Kim Dokja neither agreed nor disagreed with my statement, a little uncomfortable, but his silence spoke volumes.

"Oh wow, that's great. I never left comments, but I was still there. You should be able to see it with the viewer counts." I laughed, a little higher in spirits.

And that was where it dropped.

"I've said it before. There's no other reader than me. I do recall there was another view on the last chapter after I refreshed the page, but there have never been two viewers on many chapters after the 100th." Kim Dokja spoke this with conviction.

"Which is why...what did you mean when you said the 'final wall'?"

My smile faded, not in the mood to pay attention to answering Kim Dokja's answer.

"You must be joking. I'm sure I've read every single chapter."

I needed to grip something, but my hands felt too weak, so they were left at my sides, immobile.

A conviction inside me was shattering.

Ever since I gained the knowledge that my memories had a chance of being tempered, coupled with that 'main body's' words, I tried not to think too much of it. If I did, then what would all the actions I took this far be for?

But now, even one of the cornerstones of my confidence in living in this world was being challenged.

Kim Dokja looked at me with doubt.

But why was he looking at me in doubt?

Why?

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