Chapter 21

# 21

User Manual for the Reincarnated 021

Thank goodness.

"Ha-yan?"

"Oh, Oppa."

'I knew it would be like this...'

The scene before my eyes was even more gruesome than I had imagined.

Jeong Ha-yan was quietly smiling, while Park Hye-young, with her arms and legs cut off, was rolling on the ground.

The sight of her writhing almost made me gag, but I forced it back down.

I could see Ha-yan's eyes trembling.

When I saw the wall made of magic, I felt an odd sense of unease, but this was far beyond what I had imagined.

'What... should I do?'

It's very ambiguous how to proceed.

I had no reason to look for Jeong Ha-yan quickly, thinking that stopping the situation before it escalated was the best solution.

'If only Park Deok-gu was here.'

He can't sense magic.

It was a regrettable mistake to come here alone after asking him to check the left path.

"Ugh... Ugh!"

Despite the situation, Park Hye-young, with her mouth sealed by an unknown magic, was desperately trying to ask for help, which was quite a sight.

I have no idea how Jeong Ha-yan will react.

When I glanced at her, I saw a look as if her soul had left her body.

She, too, was in a state of shock.

In fact, I wasn't much different from her. I had been struggling with two choices.

'Should I run away?'

Or.

'Should I pretend not to know?'

It's a problem I can't help but think about.

My body, sensing the danger, was screaming to turn and run, but my brain betrayed that instinct.

It started to weigh the pros and cons.

Jeong Ha-yan definitely has a crush on me.

In fact, it's not an exaggeration to say that her feelings have surpassed the point of no return.

The reason she tried to kill Park Hye-young might be related to me.

No, it's definitely related.

While I might think she harbors ill feelings towards Park Hye-young, based on her reactions so far, there's only one answer.

If I show that I'm avoiding Jeong Ha-yan here,

her anger might be directed at me.

I don't want to tangle with a crazy woman who can use magic I don't even know about.

Feeling the time pass unnaturally, I finally had to speak.

It's the most rational choice.

"Hye-young, what... happened?"

"Me?"

I hope she doesn't betray the opportunity I'm giving her.

I hope she gives the right answer.

I can't help her any further.

"Why are your arms and legs... like that?"

I also don't forget to cover my mouth, showing a look of disbelief.

Jeong Ha-yan's expression brightened slightly at that moment. It seemed she thought the worst-case scenario she imagined hadn't happened.

She must think that the incident wasn't exposed as her doing.

The options for her to explain are very simple.

She can find an answer.

"I don't really know. Oppa... It was... sudden."

Her trembling hands and feet, quivering lips, and shaky voice.

She isn't terrified.

She doesn't want to reveal that she did this.

Perhaps it's a reaction because she isn't used to lying. Still, Jeong Ha-yan continues to speak.

"When I opened my eyes, I was separated from everyone. I don't know exactly what happened. When I got here, Hye-young was... like this."

'Not bad.'

It's not a bad excuse. I grabbed Jeong Ha-yan's hand with my trembling hand and pulled her into my arms.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Oh, Oppa."

I should be the one worried about getting hurt.

My heart is pounding wildly.

I keep checking if she has any spells memorized, and I'm gripping the spear in my hand tightly.

Meanwhile, Park Hye-young is looking at Jeong Ha-yan with a terrified expression.

"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"

I can guess what she's trying to say.

'Run away.'

Or.

'Please save me.'

The latter is more likely, but unfortunately, there's nothing I can do.

Confronting or ignoring Jeong Ha-yan here would be suicidal.

Her mind is definitely worn out, and she's more broken than I thought.

Given her obsession, which has led to anger and murder, I can't predict her reaction if I reject her.

That anger might extend to me.

She's a difficult bomb to handle, but she has a crush on me and is a useful talent with growth potential, unlike a useless piece of trash.

The answer is obvious.

Anyone can see that sticking with Jeong Ha-yan is the rational choice.

The problem is not just that.

'I can't save her.'

I don't have the ability to save Park Hye-young, who is slowly dying.

Even if she were a useful card, the situation now forces me to discard her.

I understand her feelings, but I'm desperate too.

"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"

It's hard to ignore her desperate eyes, pleading for help and not to be abandoned.

I quickly approached her and started tying up her wounds with my clothes.

Jeong Ha-yan's surprised expression was visible, but she must know.

'Park Hye-young is going to die. She'll probably die soon.'

The bleeding is too severe. She's slowly losing consciousness, and her eyes are losing focus.

"Maybe a trap in the dungeon was triggered. Ha-yan might not have noticed, but you passed through a wall made of magic."

The wall was created by Jeong Ha-yan.

"......"

"Considering the magic I felt at the entrance to the underground, there might be a similar trap nearby. I didn't consider that."

There's no such device on the first floor. I'm certain.

"Most likely, the trap was triggered while I was reciting a spell. The magic sealing her mouth is probably part of the trap... Fortunately, I don't feel any other magic around..."

Jeong Ha-yan cast the spell.

"Y-yes... Y-yes..."

"Ugh! Ugh!"

A suitable scenario for Jeong Ha-yan is already complete.

The question is whether Kim Hyun-sung will buy this story.

He's already been here and knows there are no traps on the first floor.

If I spout nonsense, I'll be the one suspected.

I have no idea what to do with Park Hye-young here.

What reaction will the kid have when he finds Hye-young?

Caught in a trap?

There are no traps here, and he knows it.

Attacked by a monster?

The cuts are too clean. Anyone can see that Park Hye-young wasn't attacked by a monster.

The faint magic lingering around her and the unknown magic sealing her mouth clearly indicate that she was killed by an alien force, not a monster.

Kim Hyun-sung will definitely notice.

Even as I continue to tie up her wounds, it's clear this won't be effective first aid.

I've never learned basic first aid or emergency treatment.

This is the limit of what I can do.

'Damn it.'

I could feel Park Hye-young's movements gradually weakening.

'She can't be found.'

She can't be found by Kim Hyun-sung.

The best option is for the monsters to find her, but there are too many things to consider.

Most importantly.

'I don't want to.'

I don't want to.

It feels like the last bit of conscience I have.

I can see her breathing becoming labored. She's losing her breath.

I quietly began to recite a spell.

"Grant me the power to withstand the scorching flames."

Jeong Ha-yan was looking at me with a somewhat uneasy expression.

"Flame Wall."

I used magic by forcing out non-existent mana.

I felt dizzy for a moment but bit my lip and focused my mana on maintaining the spell.

"Oh, Oppa."

"It'll be hard to carry her. The bleeding is too severe. If we try to go together, we'll die too. I can't lose you... So we need to leave this place quickly. We can't recover the body. This is the best we can do. Yes, this is the right thing to do."

The flames that started to cling to the already dead Park Hye-young continued to consume her.

The dancing flames looked like a party.

I stared at the scene blankly.

'This was the best choice.'

It was the most rational choice.

Jeong Ha-yan's expression seemed to be struggling to suppress a smile. Curses slipped out of her mouth, but she wasn't the only one who had become a monster.

I, too, had become like her.

I felt a sense of self-loathing.

I wanted to watch the flames a bit longer, but staying here any longer would be suicidal.

The magic wall Jeong Ha-yan had created was breaking down due to the flames I created.

As I moved, I saw Park Deok-gu waiting for me.

"Where's Hye-young? Is your sister okay...?"

I shook my head without answering, and his face showed that he understood the situation.

He was slightly smiling after finding Jeong Ha-yan, but his expression stiffened when I hinted that Park Hye-young was dead.

"Are there any other monsters around?"

"From what I can see, it seems Kim Hyun-sung is leading them in the opposite direction... He's quick, so he'll probably survive."

"That's a relief."

It really is a relief. The fact that he was that far away from here is a relief.

"Still, what happened?"

"Explaining it would take too long. I'll tell you later. It's a bit of a difficult story to tell..."

"I understand, Oppa."

A rough explanation to Park Deok-gu should be fine.

I thought it would be better not to tell him Jeong Ha-yan's story.

As I started running, I saw a few of the creatures running towards us.

"Are you okay, Oppa?"

"I'm low on mana."

"Don't overdo it."

Park Deok-gu pushed the creatures away as we ran, and we managed to get some distance from the spot.

The feeling of my lungs about to burst.

Park Deok-gu and Jeong Ha-yan weren't much better. They all looked exhausted.

I feel like I'm about to collapse.

But I know I can't lose consciousness.

I need to finish this.

Looking back with a slightly dark expression, Jeong Ha-yan subtly spoke to me.

"Still... Are you... sad?"

Her expression and tone seemed anxious.

Of course, I know the answer to her question.

"I'm glad you're not hurt."

My voice made Jeong Ha-yan's lips curve up. Her bright smile appeared in my field of vision.

"Oh, Oppa."

"I'm really glad you're safe."

Half of it was genuine.