The Novel's Extra - Chapter 126 – Chae Jinyoon (4)
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Chapter 126 – Chae Jinyoon (4)

Christmas arrived as huge news swept through Korea on this beautiful holiday celebrated by lovers and families. The world’s rank 1 guild, Creator’s Sacred Grace, announced their Tower of Miracle campaign. Their announcement came a couple of weeks late, but I didn’t mind since the results would remain the same. I already bought 4 billion won of their stocks and would sell them soon.

“Are you worried?”

I spoke on the phone with Kim Suho while reading the guild’s stock chart.

[Creator’s Sacred Grace +10.1%]

A top guild’s stock price rarely fluctuated, but theirs had already risen by 10%. I almost made a 100% profit thanks to stock market leverage.

— Not at all.

I could hear the concern in his voice despite his words. The Tower of Miracle campaign would last 6 months. Most tower conquests took 3 months, but the Tower of Miracle was the world’s largest tower. Creator’s Sacred Grace would announce their defeat after 6 months. I thought about stopping them, but their guild master wouldn’t listen to a kid like me. After all, he even refused to listen to Yun Seung-Ah.

— She’ll come back victorious.

“I hope so.”

They might have a chance since they delayed the announcement by 2 weeks, or they might suffer an even greater loss. I couldn’t be sure of the future anymore. I might have a forest of knowledge in my head, but infinite trees existed. I couldn’t know every single one.

— By the way, you’re on your way to meet Chae Nayun, right?

I glanced at my watch. 11:59 A.M. A minute left before the promised time Chae Nayun forced on me.

“Why would I be?”

— What? Come on, don’t be like that. She planned a lot for today.

“What?”

— Well, uh, she asked me about what you liked and what to do for fun. She was looking forward to it a lot, so you have to go.

It seemed like Kim Suho worried about us more than Yun Seung-Ah.

“I’m hanging up.”

— Wait! Please, just go. Please?

“Why are you trying to act cute?”

It was a Kim Suho-like thing to do. I hung up with a grin and closed my laptop. Then I lay down on the couch and turned on the TV. After an hour passed by…

Tididi— The door opened as Evandel and Hayang returned from their walk.

“We’re back!”

“Meow.”

Evandel raced to the couch and stared at me like she wanted something. I handed her the remote since it was about time for her favorite anime and headed to the bedroom.

“Sigh.”

I hopped on the bed and subconsciously sighed. My heart ached and I suddenly had a strong urge to smoke. This uncomfortable feeling wouldn’t disappear, so I reluctantly looked at my smartwatch. I hadn’t received any messages or calls from Chae Nayun. She should’ve already gone home by now. An hour had passed and she wouldn’t have waited with her personality. I convinced myself and picked up the game console.

I finally left the bedroom at 3 P.M., unable to calm my heart. Evandel slept on the couch with Hayang as a pillow. I carefully turned the doorknob, but they woke up and stared with sleepy eyes.

“Uh, I’m going out for a bit. I’ll bring back yummy food.”

“Uun…”

Evandel went back to sleep as I left. I rode my bike out of the parking lot and drove to Daehyun’s hospital.

“She’s still there?”

I came just in case. Chae Nayun leaned against the wall wearing clothes she had carefully picked out. She did her hair in a short wave and uncharacteristically wore light makeup. My heart ached as I looked at her. I swallowed a sigh and drove towards her. She pouted at her smartwatch, but suddenly looked up with a smile when she heard the bike’s engine.

“Ah! Hey! Kim Hajin!”

She pointed at me and ran up.

“You’re freaking… I mean, you’re very late. Where were you?”

“I didn’t agree to meet in the first place.”

Chae Nayun leered at me, but didn’t complain. She just held up her watch.

“I had a lot planned today. We were supposed to eat brunch at noon, go bowling at 1, then a café at 2, visit a fortune teller at 3, an arcade at 4, a restaurant at 4:40…”

I lightly struck her head as she recited her schedule.

“Uk.”

She stiffened and slowly raised her head. I thought she’d react harsher, but she only looked at me confused.

“Why’d you hit me?”

“Who plans everything out like that? This isn’t combat training.”

“Then what do we do?”

“Let’s go on a drive. We have about two hours left.” I tapped on the seat behind me.

“Drive? Sure!”

Chae Nayun rejoiced and got on the back seat as I stepped on the accelerator.

“Let’s go straight to the arcade. After we play for 40 minutes, we can go to the restaurant.”

“Shut it, fool. Dates are supposed to be spontaneous.”

“I-It’s not a date. I told you not to misunder— ugyak!”

I sped up to prevent her from making excuses. We circled around Seoul’s beautiful scenery on Christmas without going to the arcade. I came 3 hours late, but we saw many things and enjoyed our time together. We stopped by a clothing store and left wearing completely different clothes. Then we ate at a restaurant and I forced her to try some pancakes.

We spent two and a half hours together before I drove her to the portal station.

[Domestic Portal Station]

“Ah… mm…”

The portal she had to take led to the North Hamgyeong Province. However, she hesitated to leave and stayed by my side.

“Hurry, you’re going to be late.”

I couldn’t look at her and only muttered at the portal in the distance. Chae Nayun nudged my shoulder.

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

“Today was fun.”

Her words pained me.

“I’m glad.”

“By the way, before I come back, don’t…”

She didn’t finish before shaking her head and smiling.

“Never mind. I’ll see you soon.”

She reached out with her small and pale, yet calloused hand. I grabbed it with a bitter smile. Her cheeks turned faintly red.

“Your hand is pretty big… and soft.”

“I only have to pull the trigger when I train.”

“I’m jealous. Cough, anyways.”

She let go of my hand.

“I’ll see you later.”

I smiled without a word.

“Then I’m going.”

“Yeah.”

“Stay safe.”

Chae Nayun walked to the portal while glancing back.

***

The 3rd of January finally arrived with sleeting weather. I got in a sedan in a desolate park. Jain and a man I hadn’t met before sat in the front with Boss in the back.

“This is the helper I mentioned. Don’t be too surprised.”

“Hello.”

Judging by the man’s reggae-style hair and black skin, he was likely Khalifa, the Chameleon Troupe’s blue seat.

“Now that the main hero is here, everyone close your eyes and entrust yourselves to my magic.”

Jain unleashed her magic power and I could feel something painted over my skin.

“Done. Here are your fake IDs.”

It only took 3 minutes to become completely different people. I opened my eyes and looked at the rear-view mirror. It reflected a nurse instead of Kim Hajin.

“I don’t know why you want to make things difficult. We could’ve just used poison.”

However, the devil’s seed couldn’t be killed so easily. I had to use the god-slaying bullet.

“The plan is simple. We’ll enter Chae Jinyoon’s room as nurses. Then we’ll bring him away and kill him in a secluded area.”

Jain made it sound easy, but it would be extremely difficult considering the security. However, it would be possible thanks to Jain’s disguises and Khalifa’s portal ability.

“As for how we’ll kidnap Chae Jinyoon, that’s why he’s here. Our helper can open portals, but we’ll be found out if the magic power is too great. Our best bet is a small portal that only travels 20 km. My disguise will wear off once you go through the portal, but you won’t have to worry about anyone seeing you. We already have a barrier set up where you and Chae Jinyoon will arrive.”

I would face Chae Jinyoon there alone.

“Boss and I will create a fake Chae Jinyoon once you and Khalifa leave. All you need to do is finish your task and come back through the portal.”

Jain’s ability wore off once her target went past a certain distance. She had to stay in the hospital room to maintain the fake Chae Jinyoon.

“Now, get off and pretend like you’re heading to work. Only I will be in the sedan. I’ll stay close enough to maintain your disguise, so don’t worry. Just make sure you’re no more than 4 km away.”

Her distance was restricted to 10 km for 1 person, 8 km for 2, 6 km for 3, and so on. Khalifa got off first, followed by me, then Boss. The sedan drove off slowly as the three of us maintained an appropriate distance.

***

We successfully entered the VIP ward as I headed to the counter and waited for Jain to call.

“Haeyeon?” Jain called at exactly 11:00 A.M.

“Yes?”

“It’s time to check on Chae Jinyoon. Follow me downstairs.”

“Ah, yes.”

I followed Jain along with another nurse and doctor who were actually Boss and Khalifa. We took the escalator down and arrived in front of Chae Jinyoon’s room. Jain looked at the clipboard and spoke to the mercenary.

“It’s 11:10 A.M. Time for a check-up.”

“Yes.”

He let us through without any suspicion. We locked the door as soon as we entered. Chae Jinyoon was sound asleep. Jain murmured, “CCTV.”

I was in charge of dealing with the CCTV and temporarily stopped it with my smartwatch. It cost 200 SP.

“It’s done.”

“Good.”

Jain turned to Boss.

“Boss, be careful so the mercenaries outside don’t notice.”

“I know.”

Boss carefully unleashed her magic power and created 2 puppets. Then Jain turned them into Chae Jinyoon and the nurse I disguised as.

“Alright, you’re up, Khalifa.”

“Okay.”

Khalifa created a small portal. Wooong— The undulation of magic power felt slightly stronger this time. We had to hurry before the mercenaries noticed.

— W-What was that? Hello? Did something happen inside?

I placed Chae Jinyoon in a wheelchair and walked into the portal.

***

The portal led to a desolate forest with sleet covering the ground and leafless trees all around. I parked the wheelchair next to a wooden bench and waited for Chae Jinyoon to wake up. Chae Nayun’s face suddenly overlapped with his as she smiled at me. I tried to suppress the thoughts in my mind.

“Fucking hell.”

But I just couldn’t do it. I pulled out a cigarette. Then I put it in my mouth and lit it with magic power. The acrid smoke passed through my throat into my lungs. The combination of nicotine and tar made me relax just a little.

Chae Jinyoon finally opened his eyes after an unknown amount of time.

“…”

He stared at me, unbothered by the foreign scenery. I stared back and bowed.

“… Kim Hajin?”

I didn’t reply.

“Where are we?”

I didn’t reply.

“Did something happen to the hospital?”

I didn’t reply. Instead, I took out my gun and loaded it with the god-slaying bullet.

“Hajin?”

Chae Jinyoon’s innocent voice caused me heart-wrenching pain. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then I dropped the cigarette and stomped it out.

“Chae Jinyoon, have you heard of the devil’s seed?”

“What?”

“It should be something that hasn’t been confirmed in this world yet.”

I continued while looking at him. I felt like I needed to explain why he had to die out of respect, but it was honestly just my cowardly justification.

“A devil’s seed is a devil that takes over a human like a parasite. Once the seed sprouts, the devil will take over and transform the host.”

My clothes fluttered in the wind. I could taste the bitterness from the first cigarette I smoked in almost a year. I slowly raised my gun and pointed it at his head.

“Chae Jinyoon, this seed is inside you.”

He silently stared at me.

“You will become a devil.”

My vision turned blurry and my hands trembled uncontrollably.

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

I held the gun with both hands and tried my best to stop trembling as I placed a finger on the trigger.

“I’m sorry. I really am. I’m sorry…”

However, I couldn’t help but hesitate. Chae Nayun’s smiling face overlapped with Chae Jinyoon once again. Her feelings made my heart ache. The pain and sorrow suffocated me. I was afraid. Afraid of the pain she would feel and the wound she would bear.

Chae Jinyoon’s face suddenly contorted and demonic energy rose from his body. It burned the ground and stifled me. His entire body turned ash-black. Chae Jinyoon, or rather the devil, reached out to me. I could feel the killing intent from its deathly black fingers and bloodshot eyes. I hesitated even as its hand drew closer to my neck. I didn’t have the strength to pull the trigger from mental exhaustion. My hesitation should’ve killed me. However, no danger occurred. It felt as though the world had stopped.

I looked into the devil’s eyes in the middle of this serene forest. Its bloodshot eyes froze, but carried a hint of tears. My heart sank. The devil’s seed couldn’t fully sprout due to Chae Jinyoon’s will.

“…”

Chae Jinyoon stared at me and suppressed the evil within him. I couldn’t say anything. He had made his decision and I couldn’t betray his conviction. I couldn’t let his efforts go to waste. I clenched my teeth and aimed.

“I won’t hesitate this time. For the both of us.”

A small thought crossed my mind as I pulled the trigger. Chae Jinyoon, the man I created. A kind, warm, selfless, and righteous… hero.

KWANG!

The world seemed to grow farther as a brilliant light dyed the surroundings white. The god-slaying bullet pierced Chae Jinyoon’s forehead and destroyed the seed. His blood and brain splattered all over me and his bones pelted my skin. A strange ringing reverberated in my ears. My legs gave up as I collapsed to the ground. All sorts of emotions swept through me. My face felt wet from what could’ve been tears or blood.

“Ah…”

An indiscernible sound came out of my mouth. I couldn’t tell if it was the cry of a human or a beast.

Today, I had murdered Chae Jinyoon.