Chapter 81

00081 New Face

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As expected, the users who entered the inn were Jung Hyeon and Shin Sang-yong. When I turned to look at them, it was hard to say that they were fine, even in jest. Shin Sang-yong seemed to be doing well, but Jung Hyeon looked very gaunt, as if she had been through a lot of mental suffering. Still, the clarity in her eyes suggested that her spirit wasn't broken.

Jung Hyeon was a user who had a magnetic presence. I wasn't just talking about her appearance. My subjective judgment, honed over ten years of experiencing Hol Plain and observing people, told me that this woman was a true talent. It was a complex feeling, a desire to firmly secure this user, which was hard to put into words.

Of course, I couldn't reveal my true thoughts. I maintained a calm expression and stood up to greet them.

"I heard you came by in the afternoon."

"Yes. I heard that you and your party went out of the city."

"It wasn't an expedition; we just went out for a while to gain some combat experience. I'm sorry for making you come all this way for nothing."

"No, don't be. We're the ones who should apologize for the trouble."

They were polite, lowering themselves without losing their dignity. I nodded in response to their dignified answer. Yujeong, who was quick to notice, had already brought over two more chairs. After a brief exchange of greetings, we all sat down.

For a moment, Jung Hyeon and Bibiane looked at each other, but Bibiane soon turned away. The atmosphere became a bit awkward, so I quickly offered them some food, but they politely declined, saying they had already eaten.

"Have you been able to come to terms with it?"

"To be honest, no. It's not something that can be easily resolved, the death of my own brother. I'm still so grief-stricken, sad, and filled with anger."

At Jung Hyeon's honest answer, everyone let out a sigh. Especially Bibiane, who lowered her head.

I swallowed hard at her straightforward answer. But such an answer wasn't bad. If she had lied to hide her grief, I might have been disappointed. Seeing Shin Sang-yong nudge her robe, Jung Hyeon continued with a faint smile.

"After parting ways with you all, I went to the inn where my brother and I had stayed for the last time. I hugged the robe he wore and cried. I cried for almost a whole day."

Jung Hyeon's face now looked very calm and composed, as if the fact that she had cried was a lie. The others looked at her with sympathy, but I felt a chill run down my spine.

I, too, had lost my older brother in the first round. At the time, I had gone mad for a week, turning into a murderous beast. After killing countless enemy users and causing rivers of blood, I finally managed to calm my anger. And I am still here, unable to forget my brother Yoo-hyun and Han So-young, which is why I am here again.

Her attitude was in stark contrast to mine now. If Jung Hyeon's current demeanor was an act, she was definitely a terrifying talent. However, since they arrived, I had activated my third eye, and it told me that her current feelings were genuine.

I stared at Jung Hyeon with a blank face. I wanted to ask, "How can you control your emotions like that?" but I managed to swallow the words. She quietly met my gaze and then turned to look at Bibiane.

"We killed your subordinates and your children, and you killed my brother and my party."

"...Yes."

"I won't apologize for killing your subordinates and children, and I don't feel sorry about it. Humans are inherently that kind of animal. But I want you to acknowledge and sincerely apologize for the terrible things you did to my party, especially my brother."

"..."

"I still can't understand. But if the kindness and words you showed us were true, and if you have returned to your human heart, show us that proof now."

Jung Hyeon spoke with a solemn face, and Shin Sang-yong, standing beside her, looked anxious as he alternated his gaze between Hyeon and me. The soft charisma that enveloped the area made me smile lightly.

And Bibiane, in contrast to Jung Hyeon's resolve, bowed her head too easily.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

"..."

"I remember and know all the actions I took when I was a monster. And my will was involved. But if I had been human, and if I had retained my human intelligence, I would never have done such things. I don't hold a grudge against those who entered my dungeon and killed my subordinates. I don't even think of them as subordinates anymore. But the actions I took against your party and your brother, I don't know how to ask for forgiveness. I sincerely apologize. I know this one sentence is not enough, but I hope you understand my true feelings."

Bibiane's face was different from usual. She wasn't showing her usual blank expression but was genuinely seeking forgiveness. Even Yujeong, who always yearned for Bibiane, was staring at her with her mouth open. I, too, was impressed by this new side of her and then turned my gaze back to Jung Hyeon.

"..."

Jung Hyeon said nothing. She opened her mouth, then closed it, and repeated this several times. She seemed to want to speak but was choked up. She finally closed her eyes, apparently trying to control her swirling emotions.

A brief, awkward silence followed. But the silence didn't last long. When Jung Hyeon opened her eyes, she spoke in a dry voice. Bibiane was still bowing her head.

"Look up."

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

"I don't know what your true feelings are, but at least your outward attitude leaves me nothing to say. Look up. And Yoo-hyun, I'm sorry for treating your party so casually. But..."

I raised my hand to stop her. Jung Hyeon saw my signal and closed her mouth.

"You don't need to say more. I, too, am currently protecting Bibiane, but I don't view what she did favorably. I fully understand and sympathize with User Jung Hyeon's feelings."

"...Thank you."

After finishing her words, Jung Hyeon didn't look at Bibiane. She bowed her head to me and then let out a deep sigh.

*

We concluded this matter and went up to the room that An-hyun and I use. We did this to avoid any misunderstandings from other users. When we opened the door to the room, we saw scattered records and maps densely filled with something. Jung Hyeon and Shin Sang-yong both widened their eyes and followed my lead inside.

She asked for my permission and then looked at the records and maps I had examined. I smiled inwardly as I watched Jung Hyeon and Shin Sang-yong, who were looking at them with interest. The map they were looking at showed the process of how I discovered the ancient alchemist's dungeon and the ongoing exploration of the ruined laboratory.

If they were as smart as I thought, they could gauge my ability to explore based on this.

"Y-You don't mean... Did you find the ancient alchemist's dungeon like this?"

"Basically, the method is similar. Of course, I had some luck as well."

"Wow. This is really amazing! To get this close with no clues or information, just from these records... Wow."

Shin Sang-yong was exclaiming and gushing. He usually seemed a bit introverted, stumbling over his words when dealing with people, but he showed passion in areas he was interested in and found fascinating.

Jung Hyeon, too, looked at the map with a lively face and then looked at me with admiration.

"Amazing. Did you really investigate this all by yourself?"

"It was a foolish thing to do."

"Well, it could be seen that way. Don't belittle your own abilities. These methods are hard to put into practice, even if you can think of them."

"Big sister, is what Yoo-hyun did really that amazing?"

Yujeong, who had been trying to start a conversation, finally attached herself to Jung Hyeon. It was the first time I had seen her act so familiar from the start. Jung Hyeon looked a bit flustered at Yujeong but then smiled and continued.

"Many users call this method 'picking stars from the sky,' 'finding a needle in a haystack,' or 'lottery.' But what Yoo-hyun did was like finding a pebble in a sandbox or winning a regular lottery, significantly increasing the odds."

It was a subtle compliment. But Yujeong looked at me with renewed interest and opened her mouth.

"Wow..."

"You asked if it was amazing. Yes, it is. Yoo-hyun must have gone through a lot."

The last part of Jung Hyeon's words carried a lot of weight. She looked at her party for a moment and then turned her gaze to me. In that moment, I could see a bit of her inner thoughts. I felt a familiar sense of closeness, and it turned out she shared many similarities with Kim Hanbyul.

Of course, she wasn't a carbon copy of Kim Hanbyul, and they had different personalities. But they were similar. Jung Hyeon had experienced the world earlier and knew how to bend her pride, which was something Kim Hanbyul might become if she experienced more of the world. Of course, this was just my opinion.

After looking around my records for a while, the two of them finally sat down in a circle in the room. It was a bit of a funny sight, but the inn wasn't that good, and there weren't enough chairs to sit on. We couldn't sit on the bed either.

Jung Hyeon and Shin Sang-yong looked at each other and nodded, then turned to me and spoke.

"We came here today not just for Bibiane, but also to ask a favor from Yoo-hyun."

"Yes."

Jung Hyeon closed her mouth. I was puzzled by the sudden silence, but then I saw Shin Sang-yong adjust his glasses. It seemed he would be the one to speak.

"We, we owe a lot to User Kim Yoo-hyun. We were saved, and... well... um..."

Shin Sang-yong, sweating profusely and stumbling over his words, made Jung Hyeon smile wryly. I maintained a calm expression and spoke in a gentle tone.

"You can speak freely. And in that situation, anyone would have done the same."

"Ah, thank you. Phew. I have a habit of stuttering when I'm nervous. It's a trait I've had since birth, and it's not easy to change. Ha ha ha. And..."

Shin Sang-yong cleared his throat.

"Yoo-hyun, you might not know this since you're still in your 0th year, but not everyone acts the same in such situations. Um... They might save your life but use it as leverage to make... some embarrassing demands... or they might consider the items they obtain as their spoils. It might sound strange, but that's how it is in Hol Plain. So, what they did is something we can be very grateful for."

Of course. The reason they were so grateful to me was that I didn't say, "If you don't want to die, be grateful for being saved and get lost," or "Hmm? The girl is pretty. Hey, wake her up. Let's have a taste. I'll save you in exchange for a taste of her body."

If I had been in my first round, or if I had been alone, I would have stripped them and never returned their belongings. It was only natural. If the kids weren't watching, and if I hadn't liked Jung Hyeon and wanted to recruit her, I might have just left them and their items behind.

I also liked Shin Sang-yong. If he had acted like a 2nd-year user and put on airs with us 0th-year users, I would have been very annoyed, but he was speaking carefully and gently, like a big brother teaching his younger brother how to live. Recalling their personalities as seen through my third eye, I waited for him to continue.

============================ Author's Note ============================

Hello, I'm Ro Yujin.

Ha ha ha. I had