Chapter 189
[You have cleared the ‘Nightmare of the Absolute’ in the World of Thought.]
[You have received 150,000TP as a reward.]
[You have achieved an impossible feat!]
[You have received 300,000TP as a reward.]
[You have suggested a story where the Absolute did not fall into corruption.]
[You have received an additional 100,000TP as a reward.]
[…]
Message windows popped up chaotically in front of my eyes.
They meant that this World of Thought had come to an end.
I let go of the tension in my body and looked around.
In that dire situation, there were injured people, but not a single death.
How could I call this anything but a miracle?
“Sumin, can you get up?”
“Uh-huh. Thanks, Yura.”
Seo Sumin got up with Yura’s help and belatedly realized the presence of the old man.
Her eyes darted around and found him quickly.
The old man had been standing still in his place from the beginning, watching over her.
“…”
“…”
Neither of them said anything.
They stood far apart and Seo Sumin licked her lips nervously.
She had a lot to say.
She wanted to thank him for everything he had done for her, and to apologize for everything she had done to him.
She had too many regrets for not being able to say goodbye properly.
She wanted to get rid of even a piece of those regrets.
“…”
But still.
She couldn’t open her mouth in the end.
It wasn’t because she didn’t know what to say first due to too many thoughts.
It was just that there was no need to say anything.
Seo Sumin bit her lip briefly with moist eyes, then smiled and bowed her head toward the old man.
To express her gratitude for everything he had done for her.
And to promise that she would never forget him.
“…”
The old man also answered with a nod, without saying anything.
He looked at the people who had gathered around Seo Sumin and felt satisfied.
‘You’ve met some wonderful people, Master.’
That was enough. 𝘯𝙤ν𝖊𝘭𝐛Ꭵ𝓷.𝔫𝙚ｔ
Any lingering regrets he might have had were gone with this.
The surviving members of the Blood Eagle also regained their consciousness one by one and got up.
They had seen Seo Sumin’s fight, her power, and who she was.
Some shed tears, some desperately held back their surging emotions, and some remained silent.
They all paid their sincere respects to Seo Sumin.
In the quiet but warm aftermath, the old man’s eyes moved to Yu-hyun behind Seo Sumin.
He asked him to take good care of his master with his gaze, and Yu-hyun waved his hand as if to say not to worry.
[Are they okay without talking?]
Baekryeon muttered as if she felt something was missing.
She felt that this touching scene was somehow lacking.
‘It’s okay.’
[Really?]
‘Yeah. Sometimes, one sincere action that touches the heart is enough, more than a hundred or a thousand words. Because they are family.’
Even if time passes and appearances change.
Even if they live in different worlds.
The bond of family never breaks easily.
Whoosh!
As if to announce the end of the World of Thought, a dazzling light began to turn everything outside into fragments of light.
If the light emitted by Chulapantaka was so bright and strong that no living being could survive facing it, this light was a life-giving light that gently embraced all life.
They felt a warmth that seeped into their hearts, not their bodies, congratulating them on their victory.
Whooosh!
White letters fluttered in the wind along with the sound. The forest that had become ruins, the temple, and the Blood Eagle members.
They all turned into letters and scattered.
The world was filled with light and meaning in an instant.
“Take a good look.”
I said to Seo Sumin and Kang Yura.
“This is the end of every World of Thought.”
It was a breathtaking sight that no other scenery could match, only possible in the Mixed Realm.
Where all boundaries between reality and fiction collapse.
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And where you feel like you are the only one left in a world that is one big book.
“Only those who have surpassed themselves can see this sight.”
It was so beautiful and yet so sorrowful.
Kang Yura and Seo Sumin stared at the fading world of thoughts, forgetting even to blink.
They would never forget this scene.
Even if time passed, and this moment became a distant memory, like a fantasy.
They would never forget it.
***
The world of thoughts disappeared, and the four people, including Yu-hyun, returned to reality.
Normally, there should have been some remnants of Shamath outside, waiting for any possible situation, but it was different now.
“Yu-hyun Teller. You’re safe.”
The one who welcomed Yu-hyun was Park Cheol-oh.
Around him, agents from the Collector Association were cleaning up the area.
The Twilight Veil clan members who were waiting here were arrested, and some of them who resisted fiercely were all taken care of by other ‘helpers’.
“Did you come?”
Yu-hyun had already anticipated their presence, so he greeted them warmly.
“…Did you know this would happen before you came in?”
“Yes.”
Yu-hyun answered that way to Kwon Jia’s question.
From the moment Shamath created a world of thoughts with a story seed and lured Yu-hyun in, he had already predicted this situation and contacted the Collector Association.
That might not have been enough, so he also requested other helpers, but.
“It’s been a while. Mr. Bang.”
“It’s been a…while.”
The Strange Bang. Real name Son Seo-young.
The Strange was still wearing a bizarre mask and a robe that wrapped around his whole body.
“I didn’t expect you to really come to help. Thank you for coming.”
“You called me…”
“That’s right. Oh, by the way. Do you want to pet our Baekhyo?”
“Yes.”
The Strange, who usually dragged his voice, did not hesitate to answer right away.
Yu-hyun immediately summoned Baekhyo.
Baekhyo, who was suddenly summoned, opened his eyes wide and wondered what was going on.
As soon as he faced the Strange’s weird mask, he was startled.
“Good boy…”
Hoot.
The Strange gently hugged Baekhyo.
Baekhyo froze with his eyes wide open.
Whether he took that as being obedient or not, the Strange stroked Baekhyo’s white feathers with a pleased expression.
“Oh…right.”
The Strange said to Yu-hyun as if he had just remembered something.
“My sister…wants to…see you once.”
“Sister?”
“Yes…my…senior, direct boss.”
That meant that she was a collector who worked in the same management as him.
Yu-hyun wanted to ask who she was, but there was no need for that.
The other person approached Yu-hyun herself.
Clank. Clank.
The sound of asphalt and metal colliding rang in his ears.
Yu-hyun saw a shadow of his own size suddenly rise up.
It was a huge armor.
To be precise, it was a person wearing a huge armor.
He couldn’t see her appearance clearly because she covered her whole body with it, but Yu-hyun realized that she was the ‘sister’ that the Strange mentioned.
‘Do they have a thing for hiding their appearance?’
Both the Strange and this sister.
They seemed to be very shy people, he thought.
“Nice to meet you.”
Surprisingly, the voice that came from inside the giant armor was that of a delicate woman.
Yu-hyun canceled his image of a muscular woman that he had imagined earlier.
“Oh, nice to meet you too.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you from my brother. I was grateful that you helped him return safely from the previous world of thoughts. I should have thanked you sooner.”
“No, it’s nothing. I was just trying to survive myself.”
Contrary to her first intimidating image, her voice was pleasant and polite.
Yu-hyun belatedly remembered who this collector was.
‘The 4th grade collector, Black Iron Knight.’
She was a collector who hid her identity like the Strange and exuded a mysterious aura.
However, she wasn’t very popular among the public because she was very cautious and always concealed her appearance.
Still, thanks to her cool armor design, she had a cult-like popularity among some men.
But compared to most mid-level collectors who were treated like celebrities, she was an unusual case.
Yu-hyun glanced at her book.
She was currently at the end of the mid-level as a 4th grade collector, but he remembered that she had risen to the upper level before the end came.
As if to prove that, the Black Iron Knight’s book had a faint golden glow and a brilliant silver cover.
‘Well, it’s still lacking compared to our Hyerim.’
I felt a surge of pride.
Yu-hyun quickly opened her book and checked the basic information, then widened his eyes.
‘What? This person?’
His expression subtly changed as he saw the three-letter name.
[What’s wrong? Do you know them?]
‘…Well, sort of. We had a connection in our previous life.’
[What? But how come you didn’t recognize them?]
‘I met their bare face in the previous life, not this armor.’
I had a hunch from hearing their voice, and where we met.
As soon as I confirmed their name, it became a certainty.
The real name of the mid-tier collector Black Iron Knight was Hwang Se-eun.
She was one of the three women who belonged to Choi Doyoon’s party in the previous life, and the only one who treated me kindly as a human being.
‘I can’t believe I met her here. And that she was this person.’
[Why. Are you going to take revenge now?]
‘Revenge? What for? She was nice to me, remember? I’m just, just surprised, that’s all.’
I didn’t expect to face my past connection again like this.
Baek Seoryeon was also a connection from the previous life, but the others were more than that.
They were with Choi Doyoon for ten years, after all.
Of course, I don’t know if they considered me as a colleague on their side, but at least I did.
‘I forgot. There were three more besides Choi Doyoon.’
It was partly because Choi Doyoon’s image was so strong, but more than that, I was too busy living as a teller.
I was a bit flustered by the sudden encounter with my past connection, but Yu-hyun quickly regained his composure.
There was no need to bring up what happened then, and no need to take revenge.
Those things never happened to them, after all.
Yu-hyun reached out his hand.
The Black Iron Knight was confused.
“Huh, huh?”
“A handshake, don’t you do it?”
“Uh, are you sure?”
The Black Iron Knight, Hwang Se-eun, reminded herself that she was wearing armor.
She had been hiding her identity like this and people naturally kept their distance from her.
It was because of her intimidating presence.
Hwang Se-eun got used to it, but she didn’t expect someone to offer a handshake so casually.
‘No. Is he not human?’
He said he was a teller.
Hwang Se-eun was amazed.
Even knowing he was a teller, he seemed like an ordinary person when talking face to face.
“Nice to meet you.”
She shook Yu-hyun’s hand.
Yu-hyun also smiled brightly and replied.
“Yes. I hope we can meet again soon.”
“Oh. I have some things to take care of with Bangsang, so I’ll go ahead.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Let’s go, Bangsang.”
Yu-hyun thought that she called that Bangsang guy quite friendly.
Gweseon nodded as if he understood and let go of Baekhyo.
There was regret in his touch as he released Baekhyo.
Gweseon handed Baekhyo over to Yu-hyun and asked him.
“Can I… come visit later?”
“Uh, um. I guess there’s no harm in that?”
“Yes.”
Gweseon left with that word.
The scene was quickly cleaned up.
The Twilight Curtain clan members were swiftly arrested.
They were all low-ranking clan members who were trying to cut off their tails, but the association was satisfied with having a reason to pressure the clan.
“Yura!”
“Oh! Mom!”
Kang Yura’s mother Shin Eunsuk broke through the association staff’s restraint and approached Yura.
She had gone out for an errand and didn’t come back, so she came looking for her just in case and heard the news that she had been swept into the world of thought.
Yura hugged her mother’s arms.
“Mom!”
“Yura. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Yeah. Thanks to my friend and Yu-hyun oppa.”
Shin Eunsuk’s eyes turned to Yu-hyun as she stroked Yura’s face.
Although his wounds were all healed, Yu-hyun’s clothes were in a mess and he smiled quietly and nodded his head.
Shin Eunsuk wiped her hot eyes and mouthed thank you.
“Injured people, please come this way!”
“You’ll need some treatment. I’ll take you.”
“Thank you.”
With the help of the association staff, Yu-hyun, Kang Hyerim, and Kwon Jia got on the ambulance.
The Twilight Curtain’s minions were taken away in custody, and some staff members restrained the citizens who were checking what had happened around them.
Yu-hyun felt a sense of relief as he watched the scene unfold.
His body slumped.
The tension he had been holding was released, and a wave of exhaustion hit him.
Next to him, a white-haired figure slid into view.
“Didn’t you leave?”
“Where would I go?”
Seo Sumin ignored the stares of Kwon Jia and Kang Hyerim, who were sitting across from them, and sat next to Yu-hyun.
She spoke in her natural tone as a Heavenly Demon.
Seo Sumin leaned slightly against Yu-hyun’s side.
Yu-hyun said.
“You should go to your family.”
“They would only worry if I go like this. So I’ll stay here for a while.”
“Stay here?”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to recruit me?”
Seo Sumin looked at Yu-hyun with a playful smile.
“I had a new life, but you changed my mind.”
She spoke bluntly, but her eyes betrayed her happiness.
Her voice rang softly in his ears, and Yu-hyun widened his eyes.
“You made me a Heavenly Demon again, so you have to take responsibility.”
“Uh…”
“Don’t you like it?”
“Of course not.”
He couldn’t dislike it.
Yu-hyun shook his head and straightened his posture.
He smoothed his clothes and tightened his loosened tie.
He smiled sincerely at Seo Sumin.
“Welcome to White Flower Management.”
