Chapter 89

# 89

User Manual for the Reincarnated 089

We Will Be Together Forever (3)

Actually, it's not just Jung Hyeon.

I could say I was relatively better, but there are people who are showing signs of anxiety, which is evident at a glance.

For example, Kim Yeri.

Her clinging to Kim Hyunseong like a cicada was quite different from the calm expression she always showed.

Since she is still young, I can understand why she is showing such behavior.

I don't know what she saw, but from various circumstances, it seems that what she saw was a terrible trauma.

Jung Hyeon is the same. Although it's not certain, the image she saw must have been a situation where she was abandoned by me.

This made me realize once again that this curse targets people's weak points.

Anyway, I can see that some people are gradually regaining their composure.

Most of them have already escaped the influence of the curse. However, no one is willing to speak up first.

While stroking Jung Hyeon's head, who is tightly hugging me, I waited for a while, and eventually, a voice broke the silence in the organized room.

The speaker was Lee Sanghee.

"Please report the damage situation."

"There is none. The type of curse seems to be a mental one, and there are no other effects. It seems to cause hallucinations and auditory hallucinations."

"Is there anyone who can't move?"

"There is no one with physical injuries."

There is no physical damage. However, it's not as if there is no damage at all.

They must have experienced a lot of mental fatigue.

I think I understand why the Blue Party was wiped out here.

If we assume that this dungeon, which is called a cursed shrine, has such a curse that intensifies or becomes more severe...

'It will get worse.'

I thought the situation could become uncontrollably serious.

Lee Sanghee, smoothing her hair, spoke again.

"Is there anyone who is hearing auditory hallucinations?"

No one answered.

They are probably hearing them gradually.

I slowly opened my mouth to answer her question.

"I am hearing them."

"I see."

"I think others are probably the same."

"It doesn't seem to be dispelled by a holy purification spell. It's likely that the curse is built into the dungeon itself. It's possible that the curse is cast periodically when entering a certain area or after a certain amount of time."

'Not a bad theory.'

She thinks the same as I do.

Glancing at Kim Hyunseong, I saw him nod. While it may not be the perfect answer, it seems he has found a certain level of understanding.

"Or the symptoms might gradually worsen. If this type of curse is cast while there are undead around..."

The damage would be obvious.

However, I think the real danger is the curse itself that is currently being cast.

Undead and spirits are just appetizers.

As the name of the dungeon suggests, the key to overcoming this cursed shrine lies in dispelling the curse.

-You will end up alone.

'Shut up.'

To be blunt, if we can't dispel this curse, the situation will become uncontrollable. Lee Sanghee and Team 2 can resist the voices they are hearing, but our Team 7, except for Kim Hyunseong, is in a different situation.

It's hard for me to say, but Kim Hyunseong's party has grown rapidly. It's not an exaggeration to say that their growth is incomprehensible.

Even I, with the help of numerous resources and Lamus Tucker's Introduction to Alchemy, am struggling to keep up with the party's growth.

Those with legendary talent and above are a given.

However, having high stats doesn't mean the party is strong.

Our party has many members with mental issues. In other words, their mental growth hasn't caught up with their physical growth.

'Did he plan this?'

I had a thought that Kim Hyunseong might have deliberately brought us into this dungeon, considering what I thought. However, the possibility is low.

He doesn't weigh other people's lives. If it were a regular dungeon, I might have nodded, but...

'The situation is serious.'

Literally.

Not just our party, but others are in a similar situation.

There are three choices the expedition can make in this situation.

The first is to return.

There is a lack of information about the dungeon itself. Even though the focus is on rescuing survivors, there are still risks. If the expedition leader were a bit more cautious, he would have chosen the first option.

The second is to continue entering.

I don't really recommend it, but considering the urgency of the situation and the unknown state of the survivors, this option isn't bad.

The last third is...

"Let's set up camp here for now."

'Right.'

"Please form teams and search the surroundings for information that could help us strategize. The rest of the members will set up camp here. Please prepare a meal. We need to rest for now. Let's focus on Team 2 for now..."

"I will go with them."

"Are you feeling well?"

"Yes. For some reason, I don't seem to be greatly affected by the curse. I can hear the voices, but they're not distracting."

"Ah, then... I'll leave it to you, Hyunseong."

I think this is the best option right now.

Before the curse, the expedition is generally exhausted.

We have been marching for more than half a day, and it has been about 6 hours since we entered the shrine.

If we push ourselves to search in this state, we will reach our limits at some point.

Especially, priests and mages are already close to their physical limits, so they need time to rest.

"We will rest here and start the work early tomorrow morning. We will stay for exactly 3 days, and if there is no improvement, we will leave the dungeon. And..."

"Yes."

"If the current curse can't be dispelled, we should find another solution."

"Is that possible?"

More than possible, it's certain.

Curses are typically semi-permanent.

"Yes. Focus on recovering for now. We will find a solution after the search team returns."

After Lee Sanghee finished speaking, I saw a few people with high agility, including Kim Hyunseong and Kim Yeri, being dispatched to go outside.

The slower front-line members are doing their best to set up the camp.

Judging from his insistence on going out, it seems Kim Hyunseong has a plan to control this shrine.

'Maybe he will find other clues.'

If the outsiders go out, the insiders have a clear task.

To control the mental state of our children.

Even though no one specifically asked me to take care of the others, I could feel that they trusted me.

Dukgu, who is still in a daze, is the first counseling target, in contrast to Seonghee, who quickly regained her composure.

"Hey, Dukgu."

"Ah, sir."

His visibly haggard face and the way he greeted Jung Hyeon, who is next to me, were noticeable.

"Are you feeling a bit better?"

"Of course, sir."

"I'm asking seriously."

"Don't worry, sir. Take care of yourself and your sister. I'm fine."

'You pig...'

"What did you see?"

"Nothing much."

He seems to be holding back.

He probably thinks that showing this side of himself is a burden.

As I quietly observed him, I could see a slightly anxious expression on his face.

"I heard the voices of people I killed or who died in front of me."

"Uh..."

"I saw the bodies of Yuseokwoo, the woman I couldn't save, and Park Hye-young. I also saw the faces of Jung Jin-ho and his gang. They told me I would die soon. They are still cursing me. They told me not to rationalize their deaths."

"..."

"And you?"

He is deeply troubled.

He is hesitating about whether to speak or not.

It's natural to be cautious, as it might be related to his weaknesses or traumas.

However, my opening the conversation seems to have helped. He eventually started to speak.

"I... I saw sir and the other party members die. We were fighting a giant monster, and... I couldn't hold on... I flinched for a moment, and sir got hurt, and your sister got hurt... I don't know how to describe it... It's... Gah..."

It seems he was quite shocked.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke, and his voice faltered.

I knew Dukgu had a weak heart, but I didn't expect it to be this bad.

'Even when he killed Yuseokwoo...'

Park Dukgu didn't look at the scene.

"Next, I saw sir and the others blaming me. They said I caused their deaths... It was all my fault... I just trembled and did nothing... Even when the same situation came again, I couldn't move... I couldn't move at all..."

"Next?"

"The same... I couldn't save anyone... I kept failing..."

"Are the voices still there?"

He nodded.

"What do they say?"

"Coward, it's all your fault... They keep saying that."

"Who?"

"Sir and your sister's voices. I can also hear Hyunseong's voice, and a little of Hye-young's and the kid's voices. Sir, you can hear them too, right?"

"Of course. I hear the same things. But it doesn't bother me much."

"Sir, you're..."

"Stop repeating that. What you saw is just a hallucination or auditory hallucination."

I was saying this to Park Dukgu, but it was also for Seonghee and Jung Hyeon, who were nearby.

"There's no reason to be shaken or to pay attention to them. They're just noise. Listen with one ear and let it go with the other. Focus on what you're actually seeing now."

"Ah..."

"I can do it, and you can do it better, Dukgu."

"Ah, I understand."

"Keep thinking. If I can do it, you can do it better."

Of course, I don't think this will solve everything.

However, since he is easily influenced by my voice, it should have some effect.

His face seemed to brighten a bit, which confirmed it.

We also had various conversations. I had a short talk with Seonghee, and discussed the future direction with Lee Sanghee, Hwang Jungyeon, and Kim Hyunseong, and had a meal.

Of course, I spent the rest of the time with Jung Hyeon.

I thought it was important to keep her engaged in conversation to maintain her mental state.

I considered talking to Jung Hyeon like I did with Park Dukgu, but the problem was that she didn't respond properly.

She probably didn't want to talk about the worst situation she saw.

'...'

Seeing her bite her lips until they bled while trying to talk, I had to give up.

Unlike Park Dukgu, who was pretending to be fine, her situation was different.

Everyone was sensitive, but they were still holding up.

At worst, they were just hearing voices, and no one's condition was worsening.

While it was impossible to dispel the curse with holy power, it helped to maintain the current state.

'Taking a short break...'

It was the best choice. Everyone, except for those on watch, took a short nap, and I was no exception.

Although it was difficult to sleep properly, I quickly fell asleep due to the long journey.

Of course, I couldn't sleep for long.

'Ah...'

I was aware that Jung Hyeon had opened her eyes wide and was looking at me.

"I will be with you forever. No... That's not true. You wouldn't do that. Your words are foolish. You told me to ignore them. So, you don't exist."

I couldn't tell who she was talking to, but I could hear her whispering.

"I won't listen to you. Fool, idiot. You can't die. I will live with you forever."

'Damn...'

"We will be together forever. We can live together. We can stay here together. Brother. Hehehe."

It was a chilling voice.