Ch. 72

A dream. Yes, this must be a dream. It can't be anything else. How else could an adult's body suddenly become that of a small child?

"Hmm."

I quietly looked down at my hands. They were extremely white and very tiny. I raised my head to check my reflection in the glass window. At most three years old, or perhaps four.

There's no way in this world for a grown man to suddenly become a child. Even in a world where supernatural abilities run rampant, monsters roam about, and villains are busy shouting "Oho!" while destroying everything.

Even in such a world, no youth potion has ever been developed. So everything I'm seeing right now must be a scene from a dream.

'Or maybe I've transmigrated into a different novel?'

Hmm. That's actually quite a reasonable suspicion.

After all, Baek Seojin's life began through a sudden transmigration.

Starting again as another new character wouldn't be so strange. There's no reason to react with disbelief or incredulity. I could simply think, 'Ah, another damn transmigration,' and be done with it.

"What? Why is this out here?"

I turned my head at the sudden voice. There stood two people wearing gas masks as if conducting chemical warfare training. Judging by their voices, one was definitely a man.

"Didn't you make sure to pump in the sleeping gas properly?" 

"I did, I swear. All the other kids are sleeping..."

The one stammering in response was a woman's voice. Speaking of sleeping gas, I guess it really was chemical warfare after all. A bit different from what I'd imagined, but still.

"Kid."

At the word "kid," I instinctively looked around. Is there a kid here? Oh, right, I'm the kid now.

"Let's go quickly. Okay? Listen to big sister. Quickly!"

I was going to comply. If they were talking like that, they must have a reason. People in gas masks wouldn't be kind enough to repeat themselves.

But contrary to my thoughts, the child didn't move. With the two gas-masked figures in view, the child just stood still.

"What are you doing! Hurry! Take my hand!"

The gas-masked woman spoke with increasing urgency. She seemed to be watching the man beside her nervously. When someone reacts like that, what follows is predictable.

So I tried again to move, but couldn't budge at all. This body is clearly mine. This kid should be me, so why won't it move?

"What's this? Is this brat being rebellious too?" 

"T-that's probably not it. He's just startled from waking up..." 

"Move aside."

The man pushed the woman aside and approached with heavy steps. It's a bit late now, but I wish this kid would listen.

But damn it, the child still showed no sign of obeying.

"Kid."

Meanwhile, the man who approached me grinned. I couldn't see it, of course. But if his mask was removed, I'm sure that's what he'd be doing.

The thug-like energy in his voice, the hand that's rising up... Yes, just from these, I could predict what expression he'd be making.

"When adults speak, you should listen. Before you get hurt."

What happened next was entirely predictable. A loud "THWACK!" followed by the child falling forward. That was the last fragment of the dream I saw.

Come to think of it, is this really a dream? And such a terrible one at that. But why does it hurt so much? Almost as if I'd really been hit.

*

- It was a flawless evaluation with no unnecessary elements.

- You fulfilled your duty as expected of a Gatekeeper.

When I opened my eyes, those were the first two sentences I saw. They were identical to the messages that appeared when I'd dealt with the Alpha in the dungeon. And as usual, they'll probably just throw some half-hearted reward at me.

'I won't be fooled this time. I'm not expecting anything.'

I decided to set that aside for now and check it later. The immediate priority was understanding my current situation.

First, let me check my physical condition. I was worried that I might have lost a limb and been fitted with a prosthetic arm or leg. After fighting an Elder, it would be stranger if my limbs were intact.

I looked around, examining myself carefully. Fortunately, all my arms and legs seemed intact. All my fingers and toes moved well, so there didn't seem to be any paralysis either.

'Well, next is... just like last time... ah, I'm in a hospital room again.'

I couldn't help but laugh.

Back then too, I encountered Kwak Hyuk and got beaten like a dog on a hot summer day. Then I was hospitalized and discharged shortly after. And now I've met Kwak Hyuk again and ended up in the hospital.

At this point, it feels like déjà vu.

The good news is that last time, I merely got beaten up. But in our second encounter, I managed to land a solid hit on him.

'My memory isn't crystal clear, but the sensation transmitted through my hands remains distinct.'

I looked down at my hands.

Until recently, these hands only handled work-related matters. Just scribbling on documents, typing on keyboards, or working hard on assignments. Or if not that, frantically operating keyboard and mouse after coming home from work.

Yet with these hands, I confronted the enormous existence known as an Elder. It wouldn't have been strange if I'd been killed on the spot, but somehow I endured. And not just that, I even managed to cut the Elder.

'Thinking about it again... it's still unbelievable.'

I'm still in a daze. I wonder if what I remember might be a dream. If an Elder could be injured by just anyone, they wouldn't be labeled global calamities.

But he definitely suffered a serious injury. The blood that stained the ground red was certainly the Elder's, not mine.

Hyeon Sujin also emphasized this point, saying "If you keep fighting, you'll lose to Han Jiyoon." He probably retreated obediently because he assessed his own injuries.

"I can't believe I survived."

I found myself muttering a chat line that always appears in games.

I turned my head slightly to examine the hospital room. Just like before, it was incredibly luxurious. So fancy that I wondered if this was a hospital room or a hotel suite. It's sad that my first thought is about how much this must cost.

I don't know how much time has passed since I lost consciousness. One thing is certain: there are signs that someone has been visiting regularly.

The flowers placed there, my belongings neatly arranged, and even the chair beside me that somehow still retains warmth.

Baek Seojin, or rather I, have no family left here. No parents, siblings, not even any relatives to speak of. So there's no guardian who should be staying by my side.

'Then it must be... Suhyeon.'

Perhaps, like before, she's been visiting me regularly. While the patient receiving these visits was blissfully unaware, sleeping through it all.

Maybe, just maybe, that hospital door will open now and Suhyeon will...

"What? You're awake?"

Whoa, that startled me. I barely managed to hold back a curse.

"Irina?" 

"Yes. Ta-da! It's me!"

With her fluent Korean skills surpassing even native speakers. In fact, while she may look foreign, she's Korean to the bone.

'But...'

Why on earth is she appearing at the window instead of the hospital entrance?

"Wait. Irina? Is this building on the first floor?" 

"This? No? It's the seventh floor." 

"Then how did you..."

I swallowed the question of how she came through the window.

From what I understand, up to A-rank abilities remain within human comprehension. But S-rank and above transcend even that, truly reaching the "semi-divine" stage. Just look at Hyeon Sujin, who can freely transform into shadows. From that perspective, Irina climbing up to the seventh floor isn't strange at all.

"By the way, you've finally regained consciousness?" 

"Ah... yes. Actually, Irina." 

"It's been exactly one year since you were brought to the hospital."

I flinched momentarily, but this was coming from none other than Irina. With her unpredictable mood swings, more than half of what she says is lies. Only a fool would take her words at face value.

"Stop lying." 

"I'm serious!" 

"If it's true, then why are you snickering? Please explain that." 

"Oh. Was I laughing? Such a mistake."

Is it really a mistake, or is she pretending it's a mistake?

"It hasn't been that long. About... a week? Something like that."

Is a week not long? To me, it's quite significant.

"Hey, our handsome Seojin oppa?" 

"Yes?" 

"Are you just going to stay like that? Aren't you going to say something like 'Come inside'?"

Ah, sorry. You being outside the window seemed so natural that I forgot.

"I'm sorry. I'm a bit disoriented. Please come in." 

"Ahaha! I should be the one apologizing! Actually, I can't come in."

...Seriously, do you have bipolar disorder? Why are you like this?

"What do you mean you can't come in?" 

"I haven't even received proper permission for hospital visits, let alone outside activities. I actually lied about just going to the convenience store. I'm supposed to be reflecting on my actions, so I need to behave." 

"What kind of reflection are you talking about?"

Is there really someone who can make the great Irina reflect on her actions? That's quite shocking in its own way.

But what did she do to be in reflection mode?

"Jinhan Group! I wiped them out completely for the crime of messing with our handsome Seojin oppa!" 

"Are you saying 'wiped them out' in the way I think you did...?" 

"What are you thinking?"

Irina is feigning innocence, but I already got my answer from that. I shook my head in dismay. While Jung Yuhyeon was certainly a bastard, what did the entire group do to deserve this?

"Yes. That's right." 

"Pardon?" 

"You were just thinking, 'What about the people working there? What did they do wrong?' Weren't you?"

...Could this woman read minds too?

"Why are you so surprised? It's written all over your face. Anyway, that's why I got scolded. 'What did those other people do wrong?' So I'm reflecting now, and that's why I was told to stay put and not wander around. But I snuck out to see our Seojin oppa. If I get caught, I'm dead."

Wait, who exactly caught her? Who on earth could make the mighty Irina freeze up?

"Come on. Don't be so dense. My mother, of course." 

"...What?"

What is she talking about now? I stared at Irina in disbelief. On the contrary, she gave me a look that suggested it was perfectly obvious.

"In our land of Eastern courtesy, we should rightfully obey our parents, right? Don't tell me you thought I was the kind of unfilial daughter who ignores her parents and makes them worry?" 

"Yes."

The answer came out reflexively, without even 0.1 seconds of consideration. Sorry, Irina. But really, hearing you talk about Eastern courtesy is just too funny.

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