HG Ch 29

<29>

“Huh?”

“I’m saying I’ll quietly follow the standard route now.”

He had the nerve to say “quietly” after all the abrupt decisions he’d made? Now that all trust is broken, how could anyone know what he might do next?

He wanted to snap back with a harsh retort, but realizing he had him by the scruff of the neck, he opted for a softer response.

“No, I don’t want that.”

“What?”

“You got caught treating me like an NPC, not a real person. How’s your conscience holding up?”

But the more he spoke, the angrier he got.

“It’s not that I’m treating you like an NPC…”

It turned out he was the only one who thought they were comrades. He should’ve realized back when he started pushing him around under the pretense of carrying him through quests.

“Yeah, well, this NPC is now leaving. I’m max level now, so let’s go our separate ways. All I need is to reach the end, right? I’ll get there on my own. I’m good at games. I specialize in solo play. And based on my experience partying up with hyung-nim…”

“……”

Eunho looked over at Yoon Iseo. It seemed as though some sort of system window had popped up next to him.

Were you satisfied with the game with this player?

“Honestly, our play styles totally clash. It’s better if we split up, hyung-nim.”

Fucking no.

The decision was made. He was ready to go his own way now, but then the back of his neck began to throb with a sharp pain.

Yoon Iseo muttered, “Just because we’re a little different, and fought a bit…”

Then he leaned in, face drawing closer.

Still gripping Eunho by the nape, Yoon Iseo tilted his head. Since the whole “Vow of a Hundred Years” incident, the wear on his face had become noticeable, and now, madness flashed across it.  

“To split up just like this out of nowhere…”

“……”

“Is that really right?”

In that moment, the word “right” coming from Yoon Iseo’s lips felt like a homophone^[1] to Eunho. And the fact that this towering man could now touch him as much as he wanted was terrifying.

“S-so, our compatibility is…”

It really felt like he might hit him.

“Mm-hmm.”

“…You’re s-supposed to work those things out… over time…”

In an instant, Yoon Iseo returned to his usual composed expression and acted as if nothing had happened.

“Young people really do have such pliable thinking.”

Is that a compliment or an insult? Pick one.

Though it didn’t sit well to have given in under pressure, there was no way around it just now.

His eyes just now… He was out of his mind, right?

There is one crucial fact.

You should never go up against a crazy person. It’s best to keep your head down and avoid them.

Besides, everyone knows, the more bluntly you speak, the sooner you die. So when face-to-face, the best strategy seemed to be bowing like a sycophant and running away when the chance came. That’s how Joo Eunho ended up fleeing from Yoon Iseo in less than five hours after saying, “Let’s try to work on our compatibility.”

* * *

Huff, huff, huff.

Taking advantage of the brief moment when Yoon Iseo was distracted, he used a teleportation spell. Then, he deliberately slipped into the forest. Heading into a village or dungeon would’ve just gotten his location automatically shared through Yoon Iseo’s “Vow of a Hundred Years” list. Showing up as somewhere vague like “deep in the forest” would at least be more confusing.

After trudging through the forest trail for a while, Eunho sat down on a tree stump. The absurdity of the situation made him groan out loud.

“How did it come to this? I thought he was the sane one, but turns out he’s the craziest of them all…”

[SYSTEM] Your lover wishes to come to your side. Do you accept?

Decline.

[SYSTEM] Your lover wishes to come to your side. Do you accept?

Decline…

[SYSTEM] Your lover wishes to come to your side. Do you accept?

I said no!

It seemed Yoon Iseo had caught on to Eunho’s escape, because he kept spamming teleportation requests like his life depended on it. All of it only proved how utterly unhinged Yoon Iseo really was.

“…Maybe I should just die.”

Honestly, he had considered it.

[SYSTEM] Even in death, the soulmate engraved on your soul will not be forgotten.

But apparently, even death wouldn’t reset the “Vow of a Hundred Years.” His only option was to keep running and dodging for the rest of his days. Still, it was a relief that this had happened after he reached max level. Since they were both at max level, at least their physical capabilities wouldn’t be too far apart.

So what do I even do now?

Eunho sat down on the stump, stood up again, wavered, then sat again, only to get back up.

“Right. The prophecy book.”

Since he’d quit reading the novel midway, Eunho didn’t know much about the main quest that was about to unfold. But he wasn’t worried. He was max level now, and as long as he followed the story carefully, he figured he could manage.

Let’s look on the bright side. At least the <Beauty That Can Overthrow Nations> effect is gone. No more mobs of lunatics charging at me like last time.

For a second, the face of the craziest lunatic of all flashed in his mind. He tried to ignore it, but the image drew closer until he could almost feel that hand clamping around his neck, that mouth closing in for a kiss…

Bang!

With a shot fired into the air to chase away the intrusive thought, Eunho stood up again. He pulled out the “Worn Prophecy Book” he’d obtained in the village, along with the “Prophecy Interpretation Volumes I & II” he’d gotten by clearing a dungeon. He stacked the three books on top of the tree stump he’d been sitting on.

And then, a system window popped up.

[SYSTEM] Would you like to combine them?

Yes!

At his confirmation, a bright yellow light enveloped the three books. Once the light faded, only a single book remained, lying there alone.

Eunho picked it up.

[SYSTEM] This is a prophecy book of unknown authorship that emerged in the mid-Joseon period. Could it be a sequel to the Goryeo Dynasty prophecy of the Eighteen-Character King*? [SYSTEM] You open the prophecy book. [SYSTEM] Due to countless repeated wars, the innocent blood has subdued the spiritual veins of the four great mountains, causing the spiritual energy that once safeguarded Joseon to be damaged. When the lifespan of the mountains ends, the nation’s fortune will decline, and Joseon will become a land overrun by monsters. [SYSTEM] Hallasan’s energy governs life. It controls the weather and climate, bringing vitality like thick green foliage. [SYSTEM] Jirisan’s energy is firm, swift, and powerful. It is said to be the most valiant and the strongest of the four mountains. [SYSTEM] Seoraksan’s energy is wise and intense. It penetrates even the deepest hidden secrets. [SYSTEM] Deogyusan’s energy is graceful and wise. It burns anew and judges fairly. [Main Quest: The Prophecy Book Wandering the Village (Completed)] [SYSTEM] Prerequisite quest completed. A new main quest, “Guardian of Hallasan,” has begun.

Hmm. It looks like some kind of max-level raid.

Judging from the story, it seemed he needed to visit the four mountains and purify their contaminated veins.

“But if it’s Hallasan, that’s Jeju Island.”

Starting off in Jeju Island? Eventually, Gwanghaegun^[2], who was ousted from the throne after the Injo Restoration^[3], would end up there anyway. So why did he have to go too, and raise the population density? Just thinking about spending that long on a boat was already making him dizzy.

Wait, how did they travel to Jeju Island back in the day? Was it from Ganghwa Island? And if so, how long would that voyage take?

He had no idea whether he should leave for Ganghwa Island right away or if there was another route entirely.

“Why did my butterfly have to disappear? Summon guide!”

[SYSTEM] Invalid command.

“Activate guide!”

[SYSTEM] Invalid command.

“Help me, guide!”

At that moment, a system window popped up. For a brief second, Eunho felt a flutter of hope, thinking he’d accidentally stumbled upon the right command by sheer dumb luck.

[SYSTEM] Your lover wishes to come to your side. Do you accept?

And just like that, the hope in Eunho’s eyes instantly died.

Fuck. Of course, this game wouldn’t go the way I want.

“Decline!”

Frustrated and disappointed, Eunho snapped back without holding anything in.

And in that very moment—

A familiar voice, suddenly five hundred times more sultry than usual, whispered right into his ear.

[Just accept it already.]

It felt as if Yoon Iseo were breathing directly into his ear, close enough to feel it. Goosebumps spread across Eunho’s entire body, and he let out a scream.

“Aaaaah!”

[Ugh, don’t scream when I’m trying to talk nicely… That honestly sounds way too provocative.]

At that moment, Eunho recalled the description of the private message feature, one of the effects of the “Vow of a Hundred Years” title.

[SYSTEM] As a title effect of <Vow of a Hundred Years>, the private message function <Pillow Talk> has been activated with your lover.

So this is why it is called “Pillow Talk”?

“Gross!”

[We both feel gross, so hurry back and let’s restore peace.]

The whisper, laced with breathy undertones, dragged on. Eunho shrieked again and clawed at his own ears, trying to scrub the sensation away. Even as he resisted, he kept yelling back.

“No! Isn’t it you, old man, who’s actually the NPC?  You fell for me and now you’re trying to date me, right?”

[Do you seriously want to keep saying bold crap like {meow}?]

“Ack!”

[Ugh!]

At that moment, Yoon Iseo lost his composure, and a “Nyaaang♥” sound rang in Eunho’s ear. Eunho couldn’t take it anymore and screamed. Maybe Yoon Iseo was stimulated by that, because his reaction sounded like a strange moan, which shocked Eunho once more, causing him to collapse.

All this, thanks to the utterly unwanted Pillow Talk feature, was turning into a disaster with only victims and no winners.

Finally, an irate Yoon Iseo brought up the system window again.

[SYSTEM] Your lover wishes to come to your side. Do you accept?

---

Author’s Note:

*Eighteen-Character King: It means “A person bearing the name ‘Eighteen Characters’ will become king.” The characters 十 (ten), 八 (eight), and 子 (child) combine to form 李 (Yi or Lee), which was interpreted as a prophecy that a king would come from the Lee clan.