The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 275: Even When I Retrace (3)

“…So now you’re forging fake memories too? If it’s not real, then no matter what it says, it can’t affect me.”

[Are you sure about that?]

The jellyfish bastard’s voice echoed again.

[What appears before you is created by you. It’s mixed with your brother’s memory data, sure, but it’s ultimately based on you. Doubts, fears, worries, regret, and so on~ My skill only sets the direction!]

There was no need to take that crap seriously. Just focus on retrieving Yuhyun’s memory and smashing that jellyfish bastard to pieces, then getting out. That’s all I had to think about.

“Because of me, things got harder for you.”

“…What a load of crap.”

I clenched my teeth without thinking. The image of Yuhyun saying I was only ever trouble came to mind. Was it because of that memory this illusion had formed?

“If I hadn’t been there, you could’ve had a normal, peaceful family. If it weren’t for me… Our parents—they were good people.”

“I chose you. I could’ve gone to them anytime I wanted. Goddamn it, what do you mean it’s based on me?”

“You wouldn’t have had such a hard life. You’d have graduated without dropping out, maybe even gone to college. If you hadn’t traveled around just to avoid me, maybe Mom and Dad wouldn’t have died either.”

I wanted to slap that fake brother’s calm expression off his face. The fact that he might’ve actually thought like that once—that was what pissed me off more.

“You wouldn’t have gone through any of it. The things you had to see. You wouldn’t have been hurt because of me, wouldn’t have suffered from violence and verbal abuse. You wouldn’t have lost the people around you in such painful ways.”

Yuhyun gave a silent smile, saying that I’d have had only the kind of troubles ordinary people go through. That I wouldn’t have had to fight monsters with my life on the line, wouldn’t have had to kill anyone. Even if I had awakened, I was F-Class. I wouldn’t have become a Hunter. With such low stats, there’d have been no reason to dive into danger.

I would’ve just watched S-Class Hunters on TV and admired them from afar. Completely clueless about how the world was really changing. Thinking dungeons, monsters, and Hunters were distant matters, something no longer a threat.

“If I didn’t exist, you could’ve been happy.”

“Hey! Han Yuhyun! No—fake bastard!”

I couldn’t hold back anymore and stomped toward Yuhyun. I grabbed him by the collar and glared up into those black eyes.

“I’m doing fine! I’m okay now—I know how you really felt. So if you don’t know anything, just shut up!”

“Don’t lie. If you really were okay, Hyung, you wouldn’t have chosen regression.”

Yuhyun’s hand came up to cover the one I had on his collar. It was the same hand. The same warmth. For a moment, my chest clenched. Even if he wasn’t real.

“It was a Wish Stone, wasn’t it?”

“…”

“You wanted to erase everything. Go back like it never happened. That’s why you regressed—because it was that painful.”

“No. I did it to save you. Even though… I knew I couldn’t. I lied.”

“If you could save me—and regress too. If you believed I would come back fine, even after regression. What would you have chosen, Hyung?”

…Even if I had saved Yuhyun back then, the world would’ve stayed the same. And yet, the words as long as you’re here, that’s enough wouldn’t come out so easily. If I was told to give up everything I had now and go back—what would I do?

“To me, you were the most—”

“I’m here too, Hyung. If both versions of me exist, then you wouldn’t even need to worry. Right?”

“Yuhyun.”

“And that leg.”

His voice suddenly dropped low, and a chill ran down my spine. Yuhyun pried my hand off and gently pushed me. Thump. I fell backward and sat down. Yuhyun leaned down in front of me.

“You wanted to be healed.”

He grabbed my trembling leg. His fingers pressed down on the scarred area, and a tingling pain shot up to the top of my head. It was a sensation I had forgotten—had wanted to forget.

“You thought and thought about it, and in the end, you came to me and begged.”

“Let go of me!”

“And I, too, Hyung—”

Still holding my injured leg, Yuhyun said,

“I suffered because of you.”

Still in that gentle, sorrowful voice, he brought out the thing I’d feared most. The thought I had buried deep inside, but which always stabbed at me like thorns from all sides.

“If you had just given up on me.”

“Shut up.”

“Then maybe I wouldn’t have ended up like this. If I hadn’t loved you from the start, if I didn’t care about others pointlessly. I would’ve stayed who I originally was.”

My throat closed up. Honestly, I couldn’t say I hadn’t thought that way. Which version of life was better for Yuhyun? Would he have been happier without me?

“Because you loved me, I became who I am. You made me this way. Everything I am now—you created, Hyung.”

“…Han Yuhyun.”

“You’re the one who killed me.”

The fake narrowed his eyes. Yuhyun would never, never say something like that to me. Even if I were the one who strangled him with my own hands, he’d never blame me. He might’ve even asked, gently, if I was angry at myself. It had Yuhyun’s face—but those weren’t his thoughts.

They were mine.

“You slowly tightened your grip until you finally killed me. If it hadn’t been for you, I wouldn’t have died.”

“…Alone, in the end, you wouldn’t have lasted long. That’s why.”

“You don’t know that, Hyung. And at the very least, I wouldn’t have suffered. I would’ve lived the way my heart led me, without forcing myself to hold it all in. There wouldn’t have been an F-Class older brother digging into my chest.”

I swallowed a wet breath. Again, and again. My throat burned so much it felt like it would tear. I rubbed at the floor with my fingertips, like scratching at it.

“Admit it, Hyung.”

“…”

“We were poison to each other.”

That’s right. We were slowly killing one another. Just look at how it ended. What was left.

Yuhyun stepped even closer. He smiled—so beautifully, somehow.

“We never should’ve met in the first place.”

“Yuhyun.”

“You’re still thinking it, aren’t you? That even now, I’m suppressing myself and tied down because of you.”

“Han Yuhyun.”

“Let’s end it here. I’ll be fine. If I just erase my memories of you, I’ll be able to live freely. You too. It’ll be easier.”

“You’re waiting for me.”

No matter what was said, I was going back. With Yuhyun’s memory in hand. I wondered if everyone was worried, thinking I was the only one not coming out. Once I returned, I was sure they’d all greet me with bright smiles.

“And then you’ll give me the watch. You’ll definitely say sorry for making me wait so long. I’ll say it’s fine and curse out that damn jellyfish. You did nothing wrong, Yuhyun. Don’t apologize.”

Yerim would scold me anyway, “Still, you were late!” She might even ask if there’s anything I want so she could get me a gift too. Peace would groan and rub himself between my legs, and Mister Noah would glance around, saying “Then me too…” trying to join in. Seong Hyunjae would insist on not being left out either, claiming it was a gift for his partner. Hyunah would egg him on, amused, and oh—I’d have to deliver Sigma’s message, too.

“We’re going home. Together. Home.”

“Hyung.”

A familiar hand grabbed my neck and shoved me down. The back of my head hit the living room floor.

“You’ve never done this to me. Using violence not in memory is cheating.”

“I can’t go back.”

The words that followed hadn’t even left his lips or reached my ears yet, but my chest had already been torn open.

“You gave up.”

“…No.”

“You threw me away and chose others instead.”

“I didn’t give up. I didn’t throw you away.”

“You could’ve gotten me back, but you left me. If this was how it was going to end anyway, Hyung.”

“That’s not true.”

“Then why did you love me?”

If you were going to give up anyway, you should’ve just let me go sooner. Yuhyun’s voice accused me—asking why I held him in my arms at all. But no, that was my own voice.

I should’ve let go earlier. Then he wouldn’t have died. He wouldn’t have suffered. He wouldn’t have had to hang on alone, and end up all alone again in some distant place. If this was going to be the end, then why had I clenched my teeth and forced myself through it?

It all felt like my greed. My fault.

But still, Yuhyun—

“How could I possibly do that?”

I pushed away the hand at my throat and sat up.

“It hurt. It still hurts. But even if you shoved all of it in front of me again, I still couldn’t do something as cruel as not loving that young you.”

“Why?”

“Good question. Why, I wonder.”

I saw the mist spreading at my feet. I could feel that the King of Harmless’s skill was about to end. I had a general sense of how vile this skill was. It laid out painful memories in a row and tried to make you give them up. If you gave in and wished to forget the past, the King of Harmless would steal those memories.

Choi Seokwon had grown stronger by consuming memories, so the King of Harmless must work similarly. And if a large number of memories were lost, you could even forget how to fight or use your skills. I’d assumed it was a mental attack, but it was far more dangerous than that.

If the memories vanished, taking me away would be even easier.

Fwoosh—flames burst to life and devoured the mist. Han Yuhyun stepped back. His form began to blur.

“Why not just give up already?”

The weight returned to my shoulder. The Changeling’s tail swayed with force.

[I don’t understand.]

The jellyfish bastard’s voice came, hollow and disbelieving.

[How can you carry that kind of past with you? You’re a regressor! People who’ve turned their lives back are usually far more vulnerable. Of course they are. Once they know chances can come again, they give up more easily.]

“You’ve got it all wrong.”

The old house disappeared, replaced by mist spreading in its place. Just because life had been turned back, because another chance had been given—

“It wasn’t turning back. It kept going. If not for that maddening stretch of time, the person I am now wouldn’t exist.”

If the five years had been wiped clean, regressed as if they’d never happened—then the same thing would’ve just repeated itself.

Regression didn’t give me another chance. Those experiences created the chance.

My brother gave it to me.

It must’ve been painful. It must’ve been hard. But Yuhyun smiled through it. And you want me to throw that away? Are you insane?

“If you can’t keep me here, honor the contract, King of Harmless.”

There was no reply. Instead, a small orb appeared before me. I snatched it quickly, grinding my teeth. As I gripped it tightly in my hand, the mist thickened.

Shhhhh!

A sound like a snake slithering reached my ears. He must not have any intention of giving up, even after losing the bet. That’s how it should be. I scattered Blue Willow Leaves with a surge of electricity. At the same time, I used the teleportation skill. It was still clumsy, but enough to dodge the incoming attack.

“He’s trying to block my vision with mist.”

Right after teleporting into the air, I stepped on a willow leaf and changed direction. A tentacle shot out from the mist and violently tore through the spot where I had just been. The air vibrated with a deep hum.

“It’s useless anyway!”

The faint current extended, digging deep into places beyond my line of sight. It worked like a type of radar. Thanks to the increased mana detection ability, even this was possible now. I detected the mass of squirming tentacles in the mist. Pretty disgusting.

I also had no trouble locating the King of Harmless’s main body. I tried using spatial movement, but as expected, it was still too difficult. Maybe it couldn’t be used properly without a racial trait as its base. Instead, I drew a long cut across my forearm.

The blood that overflowed flared into black flames. Suddenly, I remembered the dark blue flames that had once spread outward.

“…Now it’s mine alone.”

The Black Blood Flame swirled with terrifying force. The tentacles reaching toward me melted away without even touching. I pulled back my arm and hurled the blood flame, now formed into a long spear.

KWA-GWA-GWAANG—

The spear of fire tore open a huge hole as it cut through the mist. Beyond the haze that scattered like a flock of sheep chased by wolves, I saw the King of Harmless. A reddish barrier spread out in front of the jellyfish bastard.

KWAANG!

A deafening explosion rang out. The black flames, infused with poison and heat, scattered in all directions. Even most S-Class Hunters wouldn’t dare approach the storm of fire, but I jumped in without hesitation. Even without Grace, I trusted in my brother’s exceptionally high flame resistance.

CRACKLE

Lightning struck down on the weakened jellyfish’s barrier, and I immediately drove a sword made of blood flame deep into it. The barrier couldn’t withstand it and shattered. The jellyfish screeched sharply and swung a massive saber with golden patterns to block my attack.

“Look at yourself! How much longer do you think you can last?”

“Longer than you.”

About a hundred more years. CLANG, the saber and sword clashed with brutal force.