Chapter 248 – Real and false (1)
After breakfast, Yoohyun and I headed to one of the two intact buildings of the Defense Agency. To think that more than half of the Defense Agency had vanished from the map in just one night; that’s why people had to live a virtuous life. Don’t chase after your combat guards and take care of Alpha. Then it wouldn’t have bombed you.
It was the fault of those bastards from the Akates Defense Agency that Yoohyun-ie had lost control. They reaped what they had sown.
“Director Han-nim!”
Seeing me, Moon Hyuna waved happily. We went out to the terrace to avoid the hustle and bustle of people coming and going. It turned out to be in the center, facing Mana Hall, so it overlooked the efforts to clean up debris. The Mana Hall’s light glowed faintly from the basement. Under the intense sunlight, it looked whiter than blue.
“I explained roughly about your relationship.”
Moon Hyuna said, waving a bottle of liquor despite it being noon. She said this world had types of alcohol that could even get SS soldiers drunk. Apparently, the fermentation was done with mana alone, etc., etc. Yoohyun should have a drink with him before we left.
“Did you know that, from Alpha’s family, her father is alive?”
“I saw the records.”
“Apparently, he’s the guy who shot you.”
At those words, Yoohyun’s expression turned cold. There was a clear murderous intent in him.
“Where is he?”
“Yoohyun, wait. Don’t do anything.”
“Why? I have no connection with that man.”
“Whatever his reasoning, he was trying to help you, you know? I don’t want to see you hurt someone who cares about you because of me. In the first place, it was my misunderstanding.”
“I’m not Alpha.”
“Of course not. But let him go this time. Anyway, he died a long time ago.”
And in the real version of this world, there were many chances that I wouldn’t have been able to save Alpha. The rebellion had succeeded here, but… it left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“I think I should go see Gnosi-ssi, is that okay?”
“There aren’t enough healers, that’s why they hospitalized him, but they said it doesn’t endanger his life. It’s just that there are so many injured.”
That was a relief. At that moment, people appeared on the other side of the glass door of the terrace. When they stayed, as if they wanted to pass, Moon Hyuna waved them to come in. A man who seemed to be their representative opened his mouth.
“We are planning to broadcast a transmission shortly to reassure the citizens of Akates. Alpha-nim, would you perhaps be willing to make an appearance? To improve the treatment of combat guards, we thought it would be good for an SS rank to show his face.”
“He’s right, you should help, young master.”
Moon Hyuna backed the Akates rebels, now the new Defense Agency.
Yoohyun looked annoyed as if wondering why he should do it. He wasn’t Alpha and this wasn’t a real world. He didn’t need to help them.
“Help them for a second. Honestly, you know these things better than they do. Since you have a different experience.”
In terms of image management, my world was probably far ahead of Akates. Since in this place they had a strict hierarchy and system and didn’t need such management. At my words, Yoohyun seemed unable to help it and moved Irin onto my shoulder.
“Stay with Hunter Moon Hyuna, hyung.”
“Okay. Don’t worry.”
“How much time is left until the transmission? And where’s the script?”
“It’s scheduled for within 30 minutes, but it can be modified. Here’s the script. It doesn’t take long.”
Yoohyun’s eyes scanned the script and frowned disapprovingly.
“What exactly is the purpose of this transmission? This is just a superficial greeting, saying that the Defense Agency staff has been replaced, and then it ends.”
“Pardon? But combat guards don’t usually get involved in external matters…”
“That makes this first impression even more important, don’t you think? Even if the transmission has to be delayed, correct it. What about the style?”
“Excuse me?”
Yoohyun looked at the man in front of him as if he were pathetic. It seemed he hadn’t met his standards. Those people must be stunned too. The Alpha they knew was a field agent and a fighter who obeyed orders. But our Yoohyun was the leader of a guild. It didn’t take one or two broadcasts to manage one’s own image.
Yoohyun’s people and those from Akates left together. Once again there was silence and Moon Hyuna pulled out a glass from her inventory.
“Hyung-nim, do you want a drink too?”
“It’s still early.”
“We won’t have this once we’re gone. Or maybe it will come up at some point?”
It would. Moon Hyuna said she had missed this and downed the glass easily.
“You said Sung Hyunjae was watching you, right?”
“Yes. When he’s bored, he sends me weird missions.”
“Really?”
Moon Hyuna looked around and suddenly shouted loudly.
“Hey! Sung Hyunjae! People in their twenties really have firm and attractive skin! The leader of the Seseong guild not only pretends to be old, he really is! The difference is huge!”
…Hey, it’s not that bad. I felt a bit aggrieved too. My current self was in my twenties, but technically speaking, I was in my thirties. My skin was different, but it was largely due to the hardships I had endured…
Should I take care of it as Seok Simyeong said after all?
“That idiot Sung Hyunjae can’t come out? I want to try placing them side by side. That Sigma guy, can’t we take a photo or a video of him? Compared to that snake king, he’s definitely cool and different. Chief Song-nim should have come too!”
“I also regret that he didn’t.”
How would Chief Song-nim react if he saw it? I wondered.
“But what exactly is Sigma’s relationship with Sung Hyunjae? It’s too much like they copied and pasted him so they don’t have a connection.”
“They really look exactly alike, don’t they? Did he originally live in this world and then cross over to our world?”
“It could be? Perhaps that’s why his past activities are unknown, because he’s from another world.”
“Well, it fits perfectly…”
For a moment, silence fell. Moon Hyuna and I fell silent. It felt strange. No way.
“…No way.”
“It can’t be.”
“Their personalities are too different for them to be the same person. It’s like Sung Hyunjae but a hundred years older.”
“This place is made of data, like in virtual reality, so there might have been an error that caused the Seseong Guild Leader’s data to mix, or something like that. Maybe it was supposed to enter Sigma’s body, but it bounced back and only his appearance and skills remained.”
“Moreover, Alpha’s appearance mixes with the young master’s, and it’s the same for me. Apparently, Lambda’s hair was originally brown.”
Moon Hyuna said, lifting a strand of hair. Yes, it could be that Sigma originally looked a bit like Sung Hyunjae, and when the data merged, they became exactly the same. And the same goes for their abilities.
…Although they told me it was possible to extract SS ranks from worlds that were destroyed. No way. Just in case, I opened the mission window, but in the system, Sung Hyunjae was silent. Uhhh.
“Give me a drink too, please.”
Taking a glass, I drank it all in one gulp. Wow, that was pretty strong. Still, it was sweet and tasty.
“You said you can guess where Yerim and Noah are, right? Should we leave early tomorrow?”
“I’ll give you a helicopter and a guide, so go with the young master. I’ve heard that Akates’ communication equipment is broken and being repaired. It should be operational by tomorrow; We can confirm it and you can leave.”
“You make it sound like you’re not coming.”
“With Akates in this state, it’s not right for me to leave too. The young master alone should be enough.”
It seemed like she really wouldn’t come with us. Of course, the city was in a chaotic state, but…
“This world has already disappeared. You don’t have to worry so much about it. It’s not good to give too much of your heart away.”
If she unnecessarily got attached, it would only make things harder for her. At my words, Moon Hyuna smiled.
“I know, hyung-nim. But it’s not necessary to think about that in every action that is taken.”
“What?”
“Even if it’s a fallen world and they’re just data, I’m here, right? If I see this and feel this, then it’s real.”
“Still… Even if you help Akates now, reality won’t change.”
All of this ended a long time ago. Whatever we did here wouldn’t change anything.
“It seems like sometimes you’re quite rigid.”
Moon Hyuna raised a hand and roughly ruffled my hair.
That hurts. Don’t push too hard.
“Why doesn’t anything change? We’ll remember it, won’t we? It’s only for a short time, but we lived in this world and it was influenced and changed. What, haven’t you felt anything being here?”
“That’s not but…”
“Helping again like this, it feels good. Seeing those kids happy made me feel very relieved.”
She smiled brightly.
“Don’t overthink it and look at it simply. Aren’t you proud in your own way? You destroyed them completely. And you saved your brother.”
“But in the end, everything went wrong.”
“Sometimes mistakes happen. And the young master seems happy, doesn’t he? Although lately he seems happy all the time. It’s nice to see him acting his age. It’s much better than when he was all hostile.”
“That’s true.”
I looked at the Mana Hall and the busy people moving around it. When Vitera thanked me, I felt frustrated, but looking back, it wasn’t so bad. Her face had been bright. And the others seemed relieved too.
“Besides, do you think we’ll last forever? Someday we’ll come to an end, we’ll impact the people who come after us, and we’ll live on in memories. That’s how it is. So I approach this world sincerely. At least for me, it’s real. But it’s up to you what you think. Oh, also!”
Moon Hyuna’s expression changed instantly, and she looked at me with serious eyes. Why did she suddenly…?
“Can I keep the information about this world to myself? I’ll also tell Yerim and Hunter Noah. If it’s you asking the young master, he’ll agree. I think I can somehow convince the leader of the Seseong guild.”
“What? The information?”
“Yes, information! This place is much more advanced when it comes to mana and Guards: Hunters. Things aren’t exactly the same as in our world, but there are many things we could use. If I use it well, it’ll be much easier for Breaker to become independent. Please, Director Han-nim.”
There would definitely be much more research in this world, simply because ten times more years had passed since awakened people first appeared here. If that information were retrieved, it could be valuable.
“I came here in my original body, so I haven’t learned much anyway. I’ll support you in your fight for independence.”
“Will you change your mind later?”
“Of course not.”
If Breaker could stand on its own, I would also be grateful.
I helped Moon Hyuna with the cleanup of the Akates Defense Agency. Although most of the time, I just watched. Lancea’s guards notably obeyed Moon Hyuna well. The original Lambda seemed to be a popular person. When I stealthily asked about any changes in Lambda, the answer I got was that he seemed a bit brighter than before.
“Although he drinks too much.”
“And he suddenly started treasuring his motorcycle and lance. Also, when he’s drunk, he starts looking for kisses…”
“Isere!”
“I apologize!”
She must have been delighted with Lambda’s gear. Moreover, it was understandable. The giant lance was an SS-ranked item, and the bike was also a specially produced item. Couldn’t we somehow take the items from here? What a waste.
Around lunchtime, Yoohyun finished the transmission and returned. The atmosphere around the people following my brother in line was similar to that of the Haeyeon Guild. Most of their gazes had been saying ‘Alpha has always been under someone’s control, what does he know?’, but now they had completely changed.
Alpha was also an SS-ranked Awakened person, so if he had been given the right environment, he could have stayed here and become the central figure of the Defense Agency.
“These people are bothersome.”
Yoohyun complained in a low voice.
“We won’t stay here for long. Let them loosen up a bit.”
I told my brother that I had decided to leave things to Moon Hyuna and go look for Yerim and Noah. Before that, we passed by Lancea and installed his disk. I wish I could convince Sigma to come with us.
“He can’t leave Sollemnis unattended, so I’ll have to settle for just three or four days of hunting.”
How should I persuade him?
After lunch, I went to Sigma’s room at the scheduled time. Yoohyun was worried, but I reassured him by saying that I had included conditions so that he wouldn’t harm my body. With two SS-ranked guards on my side, he couldn’t try anything stupid.
“Excuse me, Sigma-ssi.”
When I entered the room, I greeted Sigma, who was wearing light clothing and for some reason looked grim. He definitely seemed to be in his twenties or at most thirties. But all this time I thought he was not only in his thirties but also in his late thirties. Preconceived notions were certainly scary.
“Relax your face a bit. You look so unfriendly that it seems like you’re over thirty.”
“I think it’s you who doesn’t have a good eye for this.”
“Yes, yes. Hyung apologizes.”
When I sat on the sofa and said, “I’m really sorry I saw you in a bad light,” Sigma raised his eyebrows disapprovingly.
“No matter how I look at it, you don’t seem to be thirty-one.”
“You heard what I said yesterday. That I’m five years older than Alpha? I just look young. Please, have a seat, Sigma-ssi.”
Still not looking convinced, Sigma sat across from me. I started by taking out the contract and placing it on the table. I would provide valuable information and answer three questions. It was simple, but.
“Um… so…”
Originally, I was only going to tell him that he wasn’t real and that this world was a false data construct that had already been destroyed. But I didn’t dare say it.
Sung Hyunjae would have been interested even if I had told him it was fake. But what about Sigma? He was in his twenties… He was in his twenties. Still, he was probably older than Alpha. When I first found him, he seemed terribly bored, but now his expression changed much more.
“…I’ll answer your questions first. Ask me anything.”
Those golden eyes stared at me, and slowly, he opened his mouth.
“Who is Sung Hyunjae?”
It must have bothered him. It felt strange to see that face asking that question.
“He’s a person who looks exactly like you, but he’s someone else.”
Maybe. The cold light in Sigma’s eyes demanded a more detailed explanation.