Spoiler I don't want this reincarnation

Thank you so much for the detailed spoilers

 

Thank you for your hard work!
Also, since HYG rejected HTH, CSY is the end game, right? or he gonna do a "later i relise my feeing" lololol im so itchy to see how CSY gonna react once they meet again

 

Thanks for the spoilers

Isn't this a harem?

 

Thank you for the spoilers now I can read better.. with all those mtl I don't know what I'm reading anymore

 

I don't think it's set in stone yet. I'll post it later with a formal spoilers post but in chapter 202 or so HTH kisses HYG again so it's clear he hasn't given up in the slightest.

It's not really known yet, and probably won't be known for sure until we're close to or at the end, really. In korean it's tagged as a '다공일수' (multi-ML) work but I've seen this tag used in various ways. It can definitely mean the literal harem/3p kind of ending (this is rated pg-13 so it won't have a 'real' 3p scene though), or an ambiguous/open-ended/no-one-wins ending. Or even an everyone-loses ending where MC explicitly rejects everyone. It's also possible for there to be a main ML 'chosen' by the end. The only real guarantee with the tag is that there will be multiple MLs who show romantic interest in or even get with the MC.

 

Thank you so much for the spoilers ❤️

 

So far, I've read it thinking it's a harem because of NU tags
I really don't like HTH, I'm fine with anybody else but him

 

Spoiler: 7 days with the Prophet (150-157)

• The Prophet brings HYG to a small house and makes some floral tea. He explains that he can answer Han Yigyeol's questions, but that there will be a price. HYG says he doesn't know what he can give him but El assures him that there's plenty of things, but mainly he will request two things.
  • HYG: "What are they?"
  • Prophet: "Hmmm, first, shall we exchange greetings? Aren't you curious about my name?"
  • HYG: "Oh. Sorry, what should I call you?"
  • Prophet: "Elohim. You can call me 'El'." (엘로힘 / 엘)
  • HYG: "El."
  • El: "If you don't mind, I'd like you call you Sehyeon. You've already been called 'Han Yigyeol' enough times. Of course, only when there's no one else around. What do you think?"
  • HYG: "...It doesn't matter to me."
  • El: "Good."
  • HYG: (Elohim treats me as if I were a child. Come to think of it, he also called Ha Taeheon 'child'. Perhaps he is the only one in the world who would say 'child' to Ha Taeheon.)
  • El: "Now that we've exchanged greetings, let's talk about the price. Give me two things, and I can answer every question you ask. First of all....I hope you can give me your time."
  • HYG: "If it's time......"
  • El: "Stay with me for 70 days. That's the price."
  • HYG thinks that 70 days is a bit long and he can't answer easily. He bites his lip.
  • HYG: "What about Ha Taeheon-ssi?"
  • El: "Of course, that child should leave. If he reuses the item used to come here, he will be able to exit to the Korean gate."
  • HYG is glad to hear that, but doesn't know how to explain it to HTH given that he had just promised him that he wouldn't leave his side.
  • HYG: "Does Ha Taeheon-ssi know anything about this proposal?"
  • El: "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that. The details of my transactions with others are strictly confidential."
  • HYG: "......" Suddenly he feels like he understands why HTH kept asking him to stay by his side.
  • HYG: "He won't accept my suggestion to go back alone."
  • El: "I suppose. I won't ask you to decide right away. So stay here with him for seven days, and then make a decision."
  • HYG: "I could say no in seven days."
  • El: "I won't hold you here then. But I don't think that's a very good decision."
  • Elohim seemed sure that he would decide to stay.
  • El: "I will tell you the second price after the first price is answered."
• HYG goes back to the sleeping HTH, finding several animals around him, looking like a fairy tale princess lying in a flower field. He sits down nearby and thinks about his future while staring at Ha Taeheon's face.
• A pure white animal sticks its head out of the grass to stare at him shyly. To coax it out, HYG pretends to look away and stay still, so it feels more comfortable revealing itself. It slowly approaches and nuzzles HYG's hand. It looks like a fox, but has four long ears, and its whole body was white and shiny. It had an aura similar to a monster. It seemed relieved at HYG's lack of movement, but is startled into flying away immediately when Ha Taeheon wakes up and says "Han Yigyeol."
• HYG is a little disappointed by the fox leaving and is surprised that it can fly. He responds to HTH's greeting and explains that the Prophet had put HTH to sleep.
  • HTH: "Answer me properly, Han Yigyeol. What happened in between?"
  • HYG: "That..."
  • HYG swallows dryly at the closeness of HTH's face. The corner of his eye where his lips had touched last night at the hotel suddenly feels itchy somehow.
  • HYG: "I spoke with the Prophet for a while."
  • HTH: "What were you talking about?"
  • HYG: "I can't tell you that.....I also asked Ha Taeheon-ssi about this before, but you didn't answer."
  • HTH: "......"
  • HYG: "But there's still a lot of things I haven't figured out yet. That's why, I'd like to spend a week here with the Prophet. This is something the Prophet has also agreed to."
  • HYG proposes it like it was his own idea, instead of something El suggested, since he thinks it'll be easier to explain that way.
  • HYG: "I'm not forcing you. It's okay if you go home first. I will stay a little longer..."
  • HTH: "What are you talking about? I told you not to leave my side, did you forget?"
  • HYG: "But I'll have to stay here for a week or so. Isn't it burdensome?"
  • HTH: "It doesn't matter. It's something I was prepared for anyway."
  • Ha Taeheon, who answered more firmly than HYG expected, stroked the corner of HYG's eye with his thumb, where he had kissed the night before.
  • HTH: "Didn't you say that you would stay by my side no matter what?"
  • HYG: "...All right."
  • HYG: (So this is how it's going to end up being. Had I known it would be like this, I would have come alone with Chloe's favor. I'm going to betray him in a week.)
  • HTH: "Han Yigyeol?"
  • HTH looks at HYG strangely, as HYG can't hide the complicated feelings from his face, and suddenly hugs him in his arms at Elohim's approach.
  • El: "You don't have to be so wary. When you're done talking, follow me. I'll show you where you'll be staying for the week."
• El leads HYG to a plain room with basic furnishings and also gives him a comfortable set of pure white clothes to wear during his stay. HTH's room is right next door, and the back door leads to a path to the oceanside.
• El warns HYG that along the path there is an apple tree that he must not touch the fruit of. HYG: "Apples?" El: "No, fruit." HYG: (What the heck. If it's the fruit of an apple tree, isn't it an apple? Well, even if you don't warn me, I don't intend to touch other people's trees.)
• HYG goes to find HTH, who has gone to the seaside, and indeed sees the 'apple' tree along the way. It's a huge tree with golden apple-like fruit, and HYG feels a strange pull and unconsciously reaches out for one before he comes to his senses and stops.
• He finds HTH on the beach staring out to the sea. They go for a walk along the beach [...lol], and HYG tells HTH that their rooms are right next to each other, and that HYG won't lock his door, so if anything happens in this strange and unfamiliar place, HTH should come over right away, no matter what time of day.
  • HYG: "Of course, if anything happens to me, I'll go to Ha Taeheon-ssi's room."
  • HTH: "You should keep the door locked. What do you mean by keeping it open despite being worried about what might happen?"
  • HYG: "Hey, you know my abilities. I'm confident in being able to run away. Rather than locking the door and Ha Taeheon-ssi not being able to come in...."
  • HTH: "If you're so worried, then we should just sleep together."
  • HYG: "Ah." <Inadvertantly nods because it sounds so plausible.>
  • HYG: "But there's only one bed?"
  • HTH: "Do you care about that now? We've already slept in the same bed twice."
  • HYG: "Ha Taeheon-ssi's bed is big. These beds are singles."
  • HTH: "I'll just sleep while holding you."
  • HYG: (...Between men, that's a little...It's ok to use the same bed, but isn't sleeping while being held too much?)
  • HTH: "You've slept in my arms twice anyway, what's the problem?"
  • HYG: "That's..."
  • HYG: (Somehow, the more we talk, the fewer answers I have.)
  • HYG: "I'll think about it."
  • HTH smiles at him and resumes walking. HYG walks along the sandy beach with him and watches the sea.
• At dinner, Elohim has laid out various salads fruits and soups, but places a cake in front of HYG, saying that he prepared it with his favorite food in mind "and I hope you like it."
• Elohim doesn't seem to understand that HYG can't eat just cake for dinner, even though he does like sweet things, so HTH sighs and pushes a bowl of soup over to him. "You can't eat a meal of just cake, no matter how much you like it."
• Elohim describes the living space as having a total of 4 floors, including a study on the 2nd floor and a simple gym in the basement. The 3rd floor has a glass ceiling from which the Milky Way can be seen. Outside, they should avoid the apple tree, and also for now he's closed the entrance they entered through to prevent strangers from coming in, so if they need to leave they'll need to tell him first. Additionally, there are a lot of animals that seem very gentle around, but are quite strong in actuality, so they should avoid treating the animals harshly. The animals are overall nice and shouldn't do anything if not provoked, however.
• After dinner, HYG goes up to the 3rd floor alone and indeed is able to see the Milky Way from the glass ceiling as promised. He marvels at the sight.
• El comes to talk to him and gives him a candy to eat that is meant to prevent him from dreaming in the 7 days that he's here, because the power in El's space would otherwise influence him to dream vividly, which affects the waking him. Instead he should just be able to relax these 7 days.
• HYG prepared to go to bed, but HTH shows up and moves to get into bed with him.
  • "Wait a minute, Ha Taeheon-ssi."
  • "What?"
  • "Why are you climbing in?" (to bed)
  • "Didn't you tell me to come see you if I was worried?"
  • "That's right but, why the heck are you in bed...?"
  • "I told you I'd sleep with you."
  • (What the hell is this nonsense?)
  • "I said I'd think about it."
  • "Noisy. Just lie down. Why would you sleep along without locking the door? There is the possibility of the Prophet or some monster attacking while you're asleep."
  • "I'll lock the door."
  • "Do you think you can stop an attack by locking such an ordinary door?"
  • "......"
  • (That's not what you said when we were walking on the beach. The feeling of betrayal is soaring.)
  • "As I said before, the one thing I'm confident in is being able to run away. Don't worry."
  • "When you fall asleep, you fall asleep so deeply that you wouldn't even know if someone was carrying you away, it's not even funny. It seems more likely that you'd die without knowing while sleeping."
• HYG can't win physically or verbally, and reluctantly accepts the circumstances.
• As they're lying in the dark together, HYG asks HTH why HTH decided to trust him, and HTH responds that his past actions clearly demonstrated his self-sacrificing nature, so HTH decided that HYG was not one to deliberately harm others.
• HYG thinks it's the first time someone's evaluated him like that, and thanks him, hoping he can't see HYG's blush in the dark.
• HTH adds that he hopes HYG can take better care of himself in the future. When HYG says he will, HTH expresses disbelief.
• 3 days pass, HTH sleeps with HYG every night. It feels reassuring and he's slowly getting used to it, but at the same time HYG still feels a little uncomfortable in a corner of his heart.
• HYG agonizes over El's proposal, which he really wants to accept, and breaking the promise he made to HTH.
• He's looking through the library and finds a red book with no title. The first page reads '57'. He reads it out of curiosity and boredom, and it starts off in the first person perspective of someone fighting against "black-masked" enemies, and wielding a sword referred to as Lilith.
• HYG pauses at that and suddenly feels a weird sensation. He tries to drop the book but it's as if it's stuck to his palm and suddenly his vision blacks out and then lights back up as if he's inside the scene he just read about.
• He sees Cheon Sayeon on a battlefield, but can also hear his thoughts from the book as a voiceover narration. Ha Taeheon is also on the scene, helping to clear enemies, and asking CSY what they should do. CSY looks uncharacteristically anxious, and responds that he "made a mistake again" with a fragile sounding voice.
• Hearing that, HYG feels some unidentifiable emotion well up, and shouts "Cheon Sayeon!" and tries to grab him, but his transparent hands just pass through CSY.
• Samael is facing CSY and taunts him with the tattered body of Park Geonho, remarking that Woo Seohyeok had already died, sacrificing himself to save PGH.
• Samael finds the expression CSY is making really amusing, and then beheads PGH with a sword, laughing manaically.
• HYG hears CSY's narration again, that since "the two of them are dead, even if we survive here...it means nothing." With eyes that have lost their light, CSY takes out the S-class sword that slows healing and makes a deeper than usual cut on his wrist.
• HTH can tell what he's about to do and shouts for him to stop, but the flames from CSY's blood erupt everywhere and he rushes toward Samael.
• Yigyeol desperately also calls for CSY to stop but only feels his own body being pulled back into reality despite trying to crawl forward to reach him.
• He dizzily blinks and sees the interior of the library again. Elohim is calling his name, and apologizes: "I thought they were all removed, but it looks like there was one left."
• HYG asks him what the book is, and El says it depends on how the reader wants to interpret it. "It could just be a book with an interesting story, it could be someone's memory, or it could be a record of the past."
• At the idea that it could be a record of the past, HYG has an ominous thought, and asks how the story in the book ends. El just smiles enigmatically, and tells him that it's something he'll find out if he chooses to stay here.
• At night, he has a nightmare, reliving the memory he'd just seen. HTH wakes him up, shouting his name, because it had seemed so bad. HYG wonders why he dreamed even though he ate El's candy.
• It's nearly 3am, but HYG is covered in sweat so he goes to take a shower first. HTH is awake waiting for him when he comes out, and tells him to lie down and try to rest, even if sleep doesn't come easily.
• HYG lies there, unable to fall back asleep, and can tell HTH is also still awake because he's stroking his wet hair. He wonders if now would be a good time to speak up about not returning to Korea immediately, but chickens out in the end.
• HTH asks him what he had been dreaming of that put him in such bad shape. HYG passes it off as anxiety over the future, since he didn't have any plans beyond meeting the Prophet.
• HTH tells him again to go to Roheon with him after returning to Korea, and then think about what he wants to do next slowly from there. He reassures HYG that it's not weird at all for him to not have a clear goal or plan at his age.
  • HYG: "Ha Taeheon, I..."
  • HTH: "Come to Roheon."
  • HYG: "...I'll think about it."
• HYG manages to fall asleep again and wakes up around lunchtime. El greets him after he gets up, and says that unfortunately, his candy can't stop 'normal' dreams.
• HYG asks El if he really has to send HTH away after the 7 days are over (which is tomorrow). El replies that it's meaningless for HTH to stay here, and that he's needed elsewhere. Plus HYG wouldn't want HTH to know that he'd seen everything through the novel already. El had already given HTH all the information that he needed, and if he were to gain extra, he would have to also pay extra, up to and including his life as a price.
• HYG is really dejected at the response, and El consoles him by saying that if HYG really can't manage to tell HTH by the end and persuade him to go back on his own, then El will help him out.
  • HYG: "I don't want Ha Taeheon to be hurt."
  • El: "You're worrying about the wrong person."
  • HYG: "What do you mean?"
  • El: "Even if Ha Taeheon has been docile in the past, you don't know how things might change when he's dissatisfied. SS-classes are very dangerous beings."
  • HYG: "Ha Taeheon would never attack me recklessly. That person..."
  • El: "Reasonable and cool-headed. Moral, but if he's suspicious of someone and judges them to be a threat, he won't hesitate."
  • HYG: "Is this also a prophecy?"
  • El: "No. I just know more than you do."
  • El: "Sehyeon-ah. You saw it in Abyss. Ha Taeheon's other ability in his right hand."
  • HYG: "...But that ability."
  • El: "He hates using it. That's correct. But when it becomes necessary, he'll use it without hesitation. Remember, Sehyeon-ah. That child must be sent back to Korea."
• See post #4 for spoilers on Chapter 155-157, which cover what happens at night when HYG tries to tell HTH about staying with the Prophet (tldr: he fails spectacularly by getting confessed to instead) and then the following day when El has to force HTH to go back to Korea.

 

I forgot to include it earlier, but there's another scene in chapter 156, at the same time HTH is confessing to HYG, where Elohim gets summoned into Cheon Sayeon's dream.

Spoiler: Cheon Sayeon's dream visit

Elohim criticizes Cheon Sayeon for doing something unnecessary, and comments that Cheon Sayeon looks awful. He can see black circles on his face, and hear fatigue in his voice.

Cheon Sayeon asks how Han Yigyeol is doing. El says that "he's doing well, of course". Cheon Sayeon doesn't seem to believe him, asking if he's "having a good time after leaving his home?"

Elohim retorts that Han Yigyeol may not have considered Requiem his home. And wonders why CSY was under that delusion.

CSY's state seems to become more unstable, with the dream environment starting to crack around them. He explains that he'd given HYG the safest room he could provide, as well as food, clothing, and attached useful people to his side. Why would Elohim say it's a delusion?

Elohim sees that the dream is ending sooner than expected. Calling Elohim here is a task that in itself consumes a lot of energy, but an SS-class should be able to maintain it for about an hour. However, the current Cheon Sayeon was not in a good condition, and couldn't last more than 20 minutes.

El: "Child. There's a lot of things you're missing, but let me tell you two of them..."
El: "Han Yigyeol doesn't trust you as much as you thought."
El: "That's not enough to constitute a 'home' by itself."

Cheon Sayeon's expression, which had been neutral up until this point, distorted.

El: "No matter how many times you call me, I will always give you the same answer. As you know, child."
CSY: "......"
El: "I fully understand your concern for Han Yigyeol, but even so, I will not open the entrance to this place. Give up."

The dream ends and Elohim wakes up to Elaha asking if things will be ok. Elaha is concerned that Cheon Sayeon won't be able to survive the next fight, since he seems more unstable than they'd expected. Elohim assures him that Cheon Sayeon has always exceeded their expectations, and to believe in him.

Elaha then reports that HYG is on the 2nd floor library, avoiding HTH. Elohim goes to find him.

 

Collecting some links to official illustrations so far (the chapters they're included with don't necessarily match the scene being illustrated, I just included them for reference purposes):

• Included with Chapter 133: Min Arin, Han Yigyeol, Kim Woojin
• Included with Chapter 151: Woo Seohyeok, Han Yigyeol, Park Geonho
• Included with Chapter 176: Cha Sooyeon, Hong Sia, Lee Jooha
• Included with Chapter 193: Yeon Seonwoo, Kwon Sehyeon (also featuring the black fox doll gift mentioned in the spoiler below)

Spoiler: Dream-seeing (Chapters 158-172)

• After HTH is sent away, El carries the recovering HYG into a new space with a huge temple built out of pure white marble in a wide field, and tells him that it's where they will be staying for the next 70 days.
• El sets HYG down on a bed inside the temple, and explains that the 2nd price he'll have to pay for information is to eat a candy El gives daily, to cause him to dream during the 70 days (note: eating the candy does not guarantee a dream, so he won't necessarily dream all 70 nights of his stay, only some).
• HYG wonders if that's all, and El explains that even just that will put some strain on his body and mind, but is necessary to do. HYG agrees, and then Elohim leads him further inside the temple. He introduces HYG to his one and only family, his twin brother, "Elaha (엘라하)". (my interpretation is that Elohim and Elaha are Hebrew and Aramaic terms that refer to the Abrahamic God, respectively)
• Elaha looks remarkably like Elohim but with shorter hair and his left eye is gold instead of the right. When they first enter the study to find him, he is floating in the air.
• He comes down after reporting that HTH safely returned to Korea.
• HYG is confused, and El explains that he and Elaha can see most of what happens in the world. What actions a particular person does, what they think, and what choices they make. They can both see, but only Elaha can write what they see down. So Elohim takes care of other things like meeting HYG and HTH, and visiting people in dreams.
• El takes out a black covered book from a bookshelf and hands it to HYG. It's a volume of 'Abyss'.
• HYG staggers as he recalls the memory of Yeon Seonwoo telling him to read the novel the first time.
• El tells him that it's the last volume of the series, and HYG comments that El even knows that HYG had only read up to volume 4.
• El comments that HYG must have come to him because he didn't know the end of the story and wanted to be able to plan ahead.
• HYG asks how Abyss ended up in his original world. El explains that, just like he'd made a passage to send HTH back to Korea, many other passages exist between worlds, and the book seems to have entered one of those passages as a fluke, arriving in HYG's world 10 years ago. Even though the number of passages has increased lately due to the deterioration of the world, such an event still had less than 0.01% probability of happening - almost like it was destiny at work.
• El says that even with the book as the catalyst for HYG to arrive in their world, he still wouldn't have been able to survive without there being a body with a soul worn out from long term suffering that he could enter (ie, the og HYG).
• El: "Is all of this really just a coincidence...or did this collapsing world bring you here to survive? I'm curious about it, and I'm going to try to find out from now on."
• El explains that he and Elaha were born with and will die with the world. The world is currently dying at a fast rate, and Kwon Sehyeon's arrival has only sped it up a bit more.
• El tells him he doesn't have to feel guilty about the gate anomalies though, because as the world died it would've happened eventually, with or without him.
• El explains the origin of the world's decay. He and Elaha had been born at the same time, and watched over the world of humans from afar, envying their beautiful, emotional, and varied lives. They felt a deep loneliness at there being no one else in the world who could understand them and their pain in being immortal beings who couldn't achieve the meaningful endings humans could, and their envious thoughts eventually reached a dangerous point.
• At some point, Elohim came across Elaha attempting to slash his own neck with a sword, and from then on, they stopped watching humans and entered a kind of hibernation-like lifestyle instead.
• One day, they were awakened by a strange aura and, not wanting the world to be destroyed in spite of their jealousy, investigated it in case it was dangerous. They find a mysterious entity chained up in an old house in Israel with a laurel circlet on its forehead. Its appearance was abnormal, with thick fangs and a voice like that of a beast growling.
• Elohim judges that it would be safer to kill it, but Elaha stops him. Sighing, El slices through the shackles instead, and also removes its circlet and ring, the sources of the malevolent energy they'd felt earlier, which tremble and turn to ashes at his touch.
• Freed from restraint, the body starts returning to its original form, a small girl with long golden wavy hair and bright wine-colored eyes.
• They sense that her aura, no longer overshadowed by malevolence, is similar to their own, and ask where she's from. She answers that she doesn't know, and replies that her name is "Kali" (칼리, probably a reference to the Hindu goddess of time/creation/destruction/power) when asked.
• El and Elaha live happily with Kali for a time, and she slowly seems to regain her memories from the past, remembering that she used to live in another world, and served a similar role as they do in this world. But she was kicked out for some reason, which she claims to not remember.
• Kali starts expressing an interest in reading books that pertain to war. "That's right. War is fun. I think it's a stage where human emotions are maximized. Joy, sadness, despair...Still, I like happy endings the most. War is just an intermediate step towards a happy ending."
• Elohim feels mildly uneasy for a moment, but the feeling passes shortly.
• Some time later, Kali proposes via Elaha that they make an oath to be a family by mixing together their blood. So that if anyone dies, everyone else will die as well. Elaha has already made up his mind to agree, but Elohim feels hesitant.
• He feels reluctant to disappoint Elaha in the end, though, and agrees.
• To complete the oath, they slightly cut the tips of their fingers to draw some blood, mixing the droplets in the air, imbuing it with the power of the oath. The blood then turns into a tattoo engraved on the back of Kali's right hand. In order to complete the oath, a tattoo needed to be engraved on one of them, and Kali volunteered so as to not burden El or Elaha.
• A month after the oath is completed, Kali leaves them.
  • HYG: "Why did she leave?"
  • El: "Because she got everything she needed from us."
  • HYG: "The oath?"
  • El: "A place to stay safe until her memories returned, basic knowledge of this world, and finally, the oath to tie our hands up."
  • El: "Yes. Kali used us. And the momentary mistake that I and Elaha made turned out to be irreversible."
  • El: "One year after Kali betrayed us and left, the world started to become strange. Passages large and small opened, and beings from other worlds began to invade. Humans also changed as a result."
  • HYG thinks back to the explanation about 'gates' he had read from 'Abyss'. Gates had appeared 20 years ago, and 6 months after that, people started awakening abilities.
  • HYG: "Is that possible?"
  • El: "We didn't know either. But if you think about it, Kali crossed into our world that way in the first place, so it seems plausible. Only that child would know the details."
  • HYG: "But didn't you say she loves living things?"
  • El: "Kali believes she is evolving humans. The weak are culled and die, and only the strong survive to populate the future."
  • HYG: "......"
  • El: "She said that only then can we have a proper 'happy ending'."
  • El: "Kali began to feel that the Gates alone could not result in a perfect evolution, that there needed to be a stronger catastrophe. Like the story of Noah's Ark."
  • El: "To become a perfect god, she searched for a human who could play the role of a disaster."
  • HYG: "...Did she find them?"
  • El: "Yes."
  • El doesn't elaborate further.
  • El: "Anyway, Kali couldn't kill us, the biggest stumbling block in her plan, so she selected several people to act on her behalf. Sehyeon-ah, you've already met them."
  • HYG: "Is it Samael and the Puppeteer?"
  • El: "There are more than just those two. They just aren't active yet. In particular, the number of followers Samael has, with his mental control ability, is significant."
  • HYG: "The ones wearing black masks that I met when I was kidnapped."
  • El: "That's just a few of them. There are cases where Samael's powers made them lose their minds, but there are many who agree with Kali's ideas and follow them sincerely."
  • HYG: "Ha......"
  • El: "Sehyeon-ah. As you know, they're after you. Those touched by Kali's power are invisible to us, so you have to be more careful."
  • HYG: "Is it because of Han Yigyeol's wind ability?"
  • El: "Your ability doesn't matter. In fact, they weren't even interested until 'you' became 'Han Yigyeol'. The important thing is that Kali's followers will come after you again, and you have to be prepared for it."
  • HYG: "I don't want what happened last time to happen again. That's why I left. If I don't return to Korea for a long time, will the situation change?"
  • El: "No. They are not only in Korea but spread all over the world, so there is a risk of being discovered wherever you go. Until now, it was ok because Ha Taeheon was by your side, but now it's different."
  • HYG: "...So you mean I should return to Korea after I've spent 70 days here."
  • El: "For now, that route is the safest."
  • HYG: "I don't think I can continue to avoid it, but I'm afraid of how that decision might affect the people around me."
  • El: "That's right. That's why you need this."
  • El opens his palm to reveal a round black candy.
  • HYG: "Candy?"
  • El: "You need dreams, not candy. Of course, it's not just a dream, but your past to be exact."
  • HYG: "......" [still doesn't understand]
  • El: "Sehyeon-ah. The reason to use dreams to relive the past is so that you can perceive your ability more clearly."
  • Elaha (interrupting as if frustrated): "Meaning that you, not 'Han Yigyeol', also have an ability."
  • Elaha: "Have you never felt it before? There have been many strange instances. Like when you weren't dragged into the sand at the SS-class gate, or how the S+-class Banshee's magic didn't work. Well, it's unstable, so it wasn't always effective though."
  • HYG: "No, that..."
  • Elaha: "Most recently, you were able to properly block SS-class mind control. How did you not realize?"
  • HYG: "Wait. Just a moment. What are you talking about?"
  • El: "Well...Sehyeon-ah. You have an ability, too."
  • HYG: "What...I don't have one."
  • El: "No, you do. We don't know exactly what your past was, so we don't know when it was awakened, but it definitely exists. It seems that you probably awakened just before you died. So, I think you were able to cross the passage more easily thanks to that ability."
  • HYG: "The world I lived in has no gates or awakenings."
  • El: "If you go through intense experiences while aware of the existence of abilities...It seems you can awaken with a low probability."
  • HYG: "Are you saying I can use Kwon Sehyeon's ability?"
  • El: "You can use it. But it will be different from using Han Yigyeol's wind ability."
  • HYG: "How?"
  • El: "The burden will be heavy due to the gap between Han Yigyeol's body and Kwon Sehyeon's ability. If you use it once, it will probably take some time before you can use it again. So, you should use it carefully."
  • HYG: "Gap......Is it SS-class?" [he's guessing, since it blocked Samael]
  • Elaha laughs at him, and Elohim gives him a look of pity.
  • HYG: "No?"
  • El: "Your ability is outside the classification system."
  • HYG: "Like you two?"
  • El: "No. We're 'technically' unclassifiable. Sehyeon-ah, you are strictly unclassifiable."
  • El: "Your ability is, hmmm, what should I call it? Intuitively speaking, it should be called 'intervention'. Think of it as you please."
  • HYG: "Intervention...?"
  • El: "Not only in reality, but in the past or someone's memory. It means you can interfere with anything that you want."
  • HYG: "I don't understand."
  • El: "...That's okay. To put it more simply, do you remember when you visited Area C12?"
  • HYG: "Where Han Yigyeol used to live?"
  • El: "You had a special experience there. Before that, you forcibly boosted your memory by looking at the documents."
  • HYG: "But that."
  • El: "Weren't you very exhausted after going through all that? As if you had used your abilities to the limit and had no energy left."
  • HYG: "......"
  • HYG doesn't doubt El and Elaha, but finds it difficult to accept because he'd always thought of himself as lacking compared to others, and not special like Cheon Sayeon.
  • El: "There's no need to rush, Sehyeon-ah. If you increase your presence which can be found hidden in your dreams, you'll be able to do it naturally."
  • HYG: "If I can use the ability that El described, will I be able to protect the people around me from Samael?"
  • El: "You will be able to protect more than that."
  • HYG: "Isn't eating the candy and dreaming the second price?"
  • El: "That's right."
  • HYG: "You want to use my ability to stop Kali."
  • El: "Sehyeon-ah."
  • HYG: "I said I'd do it, so I won't back down now, but...I have neither the strength nor the confidence to do that."
  • El: "There is a misunderstanding. Another child has been the one stopping Kali for quite some time. Realizing what ability you have and how to use it is for the sake of a predestined clash."
  • HYG: "...Does Kali know about me?"
  • El: "Not yet. But she will find out soon."
  • HYG: "So, it's an inevitable clash?"
  • El: "It's a future that won't change. The clash as well."
• HYG's first dream:
  • Kwon Sehyeon is standing outside, and the Director approaches him, taking out a cigarette. KSH accordingly takes out a lighter and lights the cigarette for him. The Director takes a drag and then spits the smoke out right in KSH's face.
  • Sehyeon wants to wave away the smoke, but bears it for now. Whenever they come "here", that man's mood was always the worst.
  • The Director walks to the car, where a driver is waiting and opens the passenger door for him. He frowns when he sees that Sehyeon isn't following, and orders him to get in.
  • Sehyeon tries to refuse, but the Director is adamant, and Sehyeon sees that there's no benefit to insisting, and sighs and gets in the car.
  • The driver starts driving, and the inside of the car is silent. Suddenly, the Director grabs Sehyeon's hand, intertwining their fingers. Sehyeon inadvertently frowns at the cold sensation, and his eyes meet those of the driver's through the rearview mirror. The driver seems embarrassed at seeing the act of handholding, and coughs awkwardly.
  • It's been less than a month since the driver was changed, and Sehyeon feels that he can anticipate what kind of look the driver will give him in the future whenever he sees him.
  • Sehyeon feels a rising irritation, and tries to pull his hand free, but his hand is just pushed down more strongly. Clicking his tongue, Sehyeon turns to look out the window to hide his distorted expression.
  • They arrive at the Director's mansion, and he finally lets go of his hand. Getting off the car, Sehyeon notices his cell phone vibrate once, and quickly checks the notification without the Director noticing.
  • It's a message from Yeon Seonwoo asking if he can hang out with him on Sunday. Sehyeon thinks that he can probably make time on Sunday, and plans to call him back later, putting the phone away right in time before the Director turns back to him.
  • The Director mentions that a new liquor had come in. And to bring it to him, while he heads inside to take a shower.
  • Sehyeon goes inside to meet the housekeeper, and asks about the liquor, thinking that he's not going to be able to go home early tonight. The housekeeper prepares it for him, and Sehyeon takes the chance to call Seonwoo back, telling him Sunday is ok, but that he won't know exactly when he's free until Saturday. Seonwoo says it's ok, and that he'll leave all of Sunday open for him.
  • Sehyeon feels a little burdened by that, but Seonwoo insists that he's happy to do so.
  • Finishing the call, the housekeeper brings him a serving cart with the liquor, and Sehyeon wheels it to the innermost room on the first floor. It's a room without windows, but has a big bed, with a large TV screen and stereo system opposite the bed.
  • Sehyeon preps a glass with ice cubes, thinking that it's been about 30 minutes since he went to wash up, so the Director should be out soon.
  • The Director comes out right as he thinks so, taking the ice tongs from him and commenting "Aren't you going to drink?"
  • Sehyeon: "I'm not drinking."
  • In response, the Director takes the other glass and starts putting ice into it. It was such a natural action that Sehyeon wondered for a moment if he had mistakenly said he was going to drink.
  • Sehyeon: "Director."
  • Director: "Sleep over."
  • Sehyeon: "......"
  • The Director forces the filled glass into Sehyeon's hand and then moves over to the TV stand. "Let's watch a movie together. Do you like any of these?"
  • Sehyeon: "...It doesn't matter."
  • The Director picks out an old movie from Hong Kong.
  • Sehyeon thinks to himself that the man would sometimes look for old things like that. Things like movies, books, and songs that no one was interested in anymore. Somehow, complicated feelings arose in a corner of his chest, and he took a sip of alcohol.
  • Director: "Sit, don't stand."
  • The Director makes eye contact with Sehyeon and tilts his head slightly.
  • Director: "Or you can lie down."
  • Sehyeon: "I didn't wash up."
  • Director: "I don't care."
  • Sehyeon: "I'll return home after confirming that you fell asleep."
  • Director: "What's with that...Do as you please. If you can."
• HYG wakes up to the sensation of something touching his cheek and eye. It turns out to be the white fox-like creature from before. It runs away when HYG gets up and asks how it got in here.
• El comes to visit with a glass of water, and comments that fortunately his state doesn't seem too bad after the first dream.
• HYG replies that it wasn't a particularly bad memory. Privately, he thinks that it was a very light dream compared to what he was nervous about. But he complains that the dream was too realistic. Even now, he could feel the taste of the liquor he'd been drinking in his mouth. He had drunk all the alcohol he'd been given, and basically had to almost crawl back home afterward. He feels like if he'd woken up any later in the memory he'd have a hangover from the drinking.
• HYG sees the fox animal again, who had come back and was wandering around the open door. He comments that he'd seen it at the beginning, but wasn't able to catch a glimpse of it again, since.
• El explains that it was probably scared of Ha Taeheon's SS-class energy that was always by HYG's side. The aura would have felt sharp and unpleasant to that child.
• HYG asks El what its name is, but El replies that he doesn't name the animals, but that it's saying it would like HYG to give it a name now.
• HYG: "Is that ok?"
• El: "Of course, if it doesn't like its name, it won't come even if you call it."
• El explains that the white-colored animals around are all children of a ghost-type creature from another world that had come from one of the earlier gates that Elohim had brought in to study, but it died and left behind these children. Having been born and raised here, their energy is now closer to Elohim and Elaha's than a typical gate 'monster'.
• HYG says he'll think about the name.
• At the breakfast table, HYG asks that if the main character of 'Abyss' is Ha Taeheon, then does the red book he read in the library also have a main character? El replies "of course" but that HYG can't read the book himself without paying another price.
• Eating pancakes, HYG recalls the pancakes that Woojin had made for him, and feels a bit melancholy. El notices that he's missing his friends, and brings out a TV to show HYG the current news.
• KWJ happens to be on the news. The reporter is saying the he's finished his post-reawakening training, and successfully completed his first gate attack on the B-class gate in Area G31.
• The screen changes to a scene of an interview with Kim Woojin and one of his teammates, Park Hyeokjoon. HYG thinks that although KWJ's jawline seems sharper and his undereye circles darker, he otherwise looks uninjured, so he feels relieved.
• The interviewer asks why KWJ signed up to do another clear within 3 days instead of the usual 1 week resting period, and KWJ responds that it's just his "personal greed".
• HYG doesn't understand why KWJ's insisting on overdoing it, and worries for him.
• HYG is sitting outside feeling a little lonely when the fox pops out and spits out a branch at his feet. HYG thinks it wants to play fetch, and throws the branch quite hard, but the fox brings it back quickly and seems very excited.
• HYG isn't in the mood to play though, so he throws the branch with all his might so he can escape before the fox comes back, even using his wind powers to quickly run away back into the temple. Even so, he could hear a faint disappointed sound behind him.
• HYG escapes into the library, and Elaha asks him "Play with it some more, why are you here?"
• HYG asks for a book to read, and Elaha first hands him a botanical encyclopedia. When HYG asks if there isn't anything else, Elaha gives him 'The Little Prince' instead.
• Elaha warns him that unlike the library in the house before, he should ask El or him before taking out any of the books here. "Twice is the limit on touching someone else's past without paying a price for it."
• HYG feels guilty at the barbed words, thinking that if it's twice, the first must have been 'Abyss' and the second time...the red book.
• [Perspective switch to Lee Jooha in Korea with HTH] They're heading to a Guild Management HQ meeting together. HTH has gotten the information about a new SS gate that will appear from the Prophet, so Roheon will be able to obtain it without any problems.
• However, after coming back from his vacation, HTH has seemed really angry/in a bad mood the whole time, and Lee Jooha is surprised since it's pretty unusual for HTH to be that emotional.
• They arrive at HQ and meet Cheon Sayeon in front of the elevators. LJH thinks he looks like he's lost weight. She also notices his new earrings.
• CSY congratulates them on the new gate in advance, but LJH narrows her eyes, replying that it's not guaranteed to be Roheon's yet, but CSY insists that it's basically confirmed.
• CSY requests that LJH go ahead, and that he'd like to talk to HTH alone. HTH agrees, so LJH, confused, goes up the elevator alone.
  • CSY: "You had a pretty long vacation."
  • HTH just stares at him silently without any reaction.
  • CSY: "Indeed. How was your first vacation? Why don't you brag a little."
  • HTH: "I don't know." (Ha Taeheon smiled very slowly, but surely, the corners of his mouth raising.) "Wouldn't it always be fun to travel with good people?"
  • CSY: "......"
  • In a rare turn of events, Cheon Sayeon has nothing to say in response.
• After a while, he changes the subject back to the gate, and suggests that Requiem assist with the first clear. HTH asks what's in it for them, and CSY tells him he'll make sure there's no casualties.
  • Cheon Sayeon, seemingly done with what he had to say, turns and walks toward the elevator.
  • HTH: "Is that all?"
  • CSY: "What do you mean?"
  • HTH: "It seemed like you had more to ask. Didn't you?"
  • CSY: "Hmm...my apologies. Do you remember what I said before?"
  • HTH: "......"
  • CSY: "I said we'd bet on who could put a leash around the dog's neck first."
  • CSY: "It seems to me that we both failed."
  • HTH: "...Failed?"
  • CSY: "Didn't we? I lost hold of him, and you...seem to have been abandoned."
  • CSY: "Let's stop here. If we're both late to the meeting together, that'll be a sight worth seeing."
• Hong Sia greets Lee Jooha energetically as she enters the meeting room. When HTH and CSY walk in, Hong Sia greets them as well, though CSY ignores her.
• She accuses of him of ignoring her messages every day, though CSY says it's because the messages were insignificant. Lee Jooha asks why Hong Sia was trying to contact CSY, and she explains that Cha Sooyeon was trying to get into contact with HYG, who wasn't answering his phone.
• Cheon Sayeon tells them that HYG is currently absent due to circumstances, and if that's the reason she's contacting him, she should send him the message again, and he'll pass it along for her.
• Hong Sia asks where he's gone that he can't be contacted by her, but it's HTH who cuts in and responds that he's in China. He adds that since he's close to Cha Sooyeon, he can be the one to contact her after the meeting and pass along the message.
• CSY argues that he's Yigyeol's guardian, so he'll take care of delivering the message. HTH says that Cha Sooyeon, he, and HYG have met several times and are familiar so he can invite them together again once HYG's back. CSY says that Yigyeol will come see him first when he returns to Korea, so she should give him the message if she wants to be contacted more quickly.
• LJH and Hong Sia are mystified at the increasingly cold atmosphere between them as they continue to bicker over technicalities, but the tension is broken by Choi Mijin's arrival, and the start of the meeting.
• [Perspective switch to KWJ] KWJ is visiting Hyde, who comments that KWJ looks a lot worse than before, with bloodshot eyes and an unhealthy complexion. KWJ brushes aside Hyde's concern and insists on hearing about the information Hyde was able to find on HYG.
• Hyde explains that a man that looked like HYG but with black hair and black eyes was seen in Nanjing, China, and that it might've been HYG using a disguise item. KWJ asks for the coordinates so he can pass them on to someone.
• When Hyde asks if he means to give it to Cheon Sayeon, KWJ flashes back to the past few days, where he had originally been confident that HYG would come back and was patiently waiting. But as time went on he gradually started having doubts and nightmares about it, unable to relax or sleep properly. Eventually he snapped and stormed into CSY's office, begging him that he'll do anything if CSY would just bring HYG back (even though he knows that HYG left purposefully to avoid being caught by CSY). But CSY just coldly tells him to calm down and do his job properly, and that at this rate he'll die or get injured at the B-class gate scheduled in 2 days.
• Back in the present, KWJ asks Hyde for the data again. He plans to work with PGH to send someone to China to look for HYG.
• [Back with HYG] HYG is with El, drinking some milk El had given him. The fox is there too but it seems to be angry with HYG for running away from the game of fetch last time.
• El asks if he's decided on a name yet, and HYG replies that he thinks it would be ok just to call it Fox. "Fox. Isn't that too simple?" "A simple name is best. So, how is it?" The fox doesn't seem to like it very much and doesn't react.
• HYG asks El that since El can't show him more about HTH or CSY's pasts, can he see the original Han Yigyeol's past?
• El is confused as to why he cares, but agrees that it's possible. But he won't have the mental energy to withstand it until he's dreamed at least 3 times, so to come to the library after the 3rd night to receive the book. He warns him that HYG's past might be very different than what he expects.
• The news on the TV announces the meeting at the guild management HQ regarding the ownership of the new SS-class gate.
• HYG asks if Elohim had told HTH about the new gate in advance, as the means to legitimize HTH's ownership of the SS-class coat.
• HYG understands that this is why HTH had to return to Korea, but El adds that beyond the issue with the coat, HTH should be with CSY in Korea, in order to minimize casualties.
• El elaborates that CSY must have realized that the situation has become more dangerous, and the time when Kali's followers will start acting is slowly approaching.
• HYG tries to ask why it's important for HTH and CSY to be together but is interrupted by a sudden darkening of the sky with peals of thunder. A strong gust sweeps through the room via the open window. HYG is bewildered by the sudden change, but El only tells him that "You need to be strong, Sehyeon-ah. Otherwise, millions of people will die again, and perhaps this world will no longer..."
• HYG's next dream:
  • "Hyung-nim." The door opened after a knock and a familiar face came in. His name was Dongju, and he's there to report that there's an issue downstairs that needs Sehyeon's attention.
  • Sehyeon thinks he more or less knows what's happening, since it's been about a week since a newbie joined and it's around the right time that an accident would happen. As he goes downstairs, he can hear the sound of cursing and bottles shattering.
  • He arrives just in time to grab the customer's wrist before he could hit the newbie. The customer asks his what the hell he's doing, but Sehyeon calmly takes stock of the situation in the room first. He glances around the room and sees the multiple bottles of expensive wine shattered on the floor, and a few women who seemed to be in the same group who were pale and cringing in fear. In the back, a young man with bleached blond hair and ear piercings makes eye contact with him, looking at him with interest.
  • The customer angrily tells him to let him go, and Sehyeon belatedly remembers that he's still holding onto his wrist. He lets go and tells him to calm down.
  • The customer tries to intimidate Sehyeon, who confirms that he's the owner of the bar, criticizing his customer service and demanding compensation, but Sehyeon just smiles brightly and says "Customer. I'm sorry, but we won't give you any compensation. What service...If our employee endured up to this point, I think he did a pretty good job. You're disrupting our business, so please leave."
  • The guest seems like he's going to put up a fight about it, but then the blond in the back chimes in and also tells him to leave. The guest seems intimidated by the blond, Yeon Seonwoo, and curses before ultimately leaving the room in shame.
  • Sehyeon turns to the rest of the party and tells them he'll have another room prepared for them, since this one is ruined.
    • Seonwoo thanks him, and asks "Are you really the owner of this place? You look very young."
    • Sehyeon: "...I'm the manager."
    • Seonwoo: "No need to bring us alcohol again, so can you do me one more favor?"
    • Sehyeon: "...What is it?"
    • Seonwoo: "Smile one more time. As wide as before."
    • At the unexpected request, Sehyeon furrows his eyebrows.
    • Seonwoo: "No?"
    • Sehyeon: "......"
  • Starting from around that time, Yeon Seonwoo became a regular at the bar. Kwon Sehyeon tried to send him on coffee errands just to try and get rid of him, but he was so tenacious that it gradually lost its meaning.
  • Despite seeming like he came from a well to-do family, no matter what Sehyeon said to him, he wasn't discouraged. Even today on a hot summer day, he brought over coffee without complaints.
  • Sehyeon tries to persuade him to stop, again, since he doesn't want to see a young man like Seonwoo constantly going in and out of a bar to visit a guy like him, instead of socializing with good people who would suit him better.
  • He warns him that if he doesn't spend more time studying instead of playing at a bar, he'll become someone like Sehyeon (ie, someone with an unrespectable profession/background, etc) but Seonwoo playfully replies that it would be great if he could be a "sexy, well-to-do guy like hyung-nim."
  • Sehyeon just shakes his head and tells him that if Seonwoo participated in a bullshitting content, he would win. He remembers a few days back when Seonwoo had given him a black fox doll about the size of his hand, and told him that he bought it because it looked 'just like hyung-nim'.
  • Sehyeon seems to particularly like the vanilla latte that Seonwoo's brought the last two times, and tells him to buy his own drink too the next time he comes. He thinks that, after having to run an errand in midsummer, it's the least he can do for Seonwoo. Seonwoo smiles happily at the permission, and Sehyeon thinks he looks as bright and warm as the sun outside the window.
• HYG wakes up from the dream, and sits up, his hand trembling. Teardrops drip from his eyes onto the blanket below him, and he bites his lip to swallow his sobs. He can faintly hear Fox's cry of concern, but he can't lift his face.
• 'Yeon Seonwoo. Seonwoo-ya.'
• He recalls the dream over and over again, constantly repeating the name he couldn't say aloud.
• Elohim greets him when he enters the library by remarking that his energy seemed pretty clear, asking if he'd had his third dream.
• HYG replies affirmatively, but asks what he means by his energy becoming clearer.
• El reminds him of Chloe Asner and her special ability to see peple's auras. She should have told him that his energy was a dark blue color. He explains that that color is actually a mixture of the colors of 'Han Yigyeol' and 'Kwon Sehyeon'.
• HYG remembers that previously El had given him the option between a light blue candy and a black candy, but that all the candies these days were black. He makes a guess. "Is mine black?"
• El explains that the higher the rank, the clearer and darker the color of the energy. The original Han Yigyeol's soul had been worn out by prolonged suffering, so before Sehyeon's arrival in his body, it had been turning light blue, instead of its original deep blue. But with Sehyeon's arrival, the color was restored to deep blue and furthermore with the mixing in of the black color, it turned dark blue instead.
• He further adds that although the colors are mixed normally, when HYG uses his abilities, the color will be one or the other. HYG realizes that Chloe must have noticed this difference when he was using his wind ability to leave from the window of the hotel last time. Since the color would have been deep blue instead of dark blue, and that's why she had been surprised.
• El hands over the promised blue-covered book containing HYG's past, explaining that because there was relatively little material on HYG, they also supplemented it with pieces from Cheon Sayeon's perspective. Normally that would be against the rules, but, since he had promised HYG, he can't help it.
• He warns him that there will be a severe burden on his body for a week after he reads it, though the reading itself should be ok. HYG accepts it and starts reading.
• See "The original Han Yigyeol's past (Chapters 164-169) from post #4 for the contents of og!HYG's past.
• HYG wakes up from the memories with a jolt, clutching at his chest. A cold sweat is breaking out, and he feels sore. He feels his body is in a much worse condition than the last time he read a book, and El explains that it's because he read it for longer.
• Elaha scoffs at how weak he is, and HYG protests that he's average for an A-class. Elaha: "Don't be ridiculous. You are not average for an A-class. Don't talk back uselessly and just go to sleep."
• El carries him to bed, but tells him that since he's covered in sweat, which will leech away warmth as it cools, he should probably shower before sleeping, but HYG is too drowsy and passes out anyway.
• HYG opens his eyes to find himself in a dark, barren land. [Note: to readers, it is immediately obvious that this is the same setting as the dreamscape that Cheon Sayeon summoned Elohim to earlier. That is, this is Cheon Sayeon's dream, and CSY knows it. However, for the duration of the dream, HYG will remain unaware and just think it's a regular dream]
• With nowhere else to go, he wanders forward until he hears the sound of waves crashing, and then heads toward that, only to find Cheon Sayeon standing at a cliff looking down at the ocean.
• He realizes this must be a dream, and he's probably thinking of CSY because of the memories he'd seen earlier. Thinking it's a dream, he calls Cheon Sayeon's name.
• CSY immediately turns to look at HYG, and widens his eyes in surprise. He quickly walks over and grabs his wrist. "Han Yigyeol? How are you here?"
  • HYG: "Huh?"
  • CSY pulls HYG into his arms. HYG doesn't understand what he means and just blinks foolishly.
  • CSY: "Did the Prophet send you?"
  • HYG: "What?"
  • CSY: "No, if that were possible in the first place......"
  • (Are you muttering to yourself without answering the first question that I asked? With my hand that wasn't caught, I pushed Cheon Sayeon's shoulder slightly and opened my mouth.)
  • HYG: "What do you mean, send? When I came to my senses, I was here."
  • CSY: "You weren't sent?"
  • HYG: "Yes. It's just a dream."
  • CSY blinks expressionlessly for a moment, and then raises the corner of his mouth in a crooked smile.
  • CSY: "I thought you came because you missed me."
  • HYG: "Strictly speaking, you're the one who came to my dream..."
  • CSY: "If you'd like, I can try that too."
  • HYG doesn't understand what he's talking about, and wonders why they seem to be unable to communicate properly after not seeing each other for a while.
  • Unlike the frustrated HYG, CSY seems to be in a pretty good mood, and keeps fiddling with HYG's face.
  • HYG: "Stop touching me."
  • CSY: "Why?"
  • HYG: (What do you mean, why?)
  • HYG: "It's annoying."
  • CSY: "Endure it."
  • HYG: (This son of a bitch...)
  • HYG: "Cheon Sayeon."
  • CSY: "Speak."
  • HYG: "Are you all right?"
  • (It was a nonsequitur, but I couldn't bring it up any other way.)
  • (Cheon Sayeon didn't play dumb or wonder why I asked this sudden question. He brushed my cheek with a strange expression before opening his mouth.)
  • CSY: "Well."
  • HYG: "......"
  • CSY: "I don't think I'm all right."
  • HYG furrows his brows. 'As expected, this is a dream. There's no way that the real Cheon Sayeon would answer this honestly.'
  • CSY, seeing HYG's expression, presses his finger to HYG's forehead with a mysterious smile.
  • CSY: "But I think I'm doing a little better now."
• At these words, the fog around them fades and disappears, and the black, barren soil on the ground turned moist and beige, with tiny green shoots rising through it.
• Cheon Sayeon leads him by the hand to the edge of the cliff where they can now see the blue ocean clearly. The sunlight shining down through the dissipating grey clouds was slowly spreading an encompassing white light.
• Cheon Sayeon whispers "The dream is coming to an end." and hugs him tightly again as the pure white light engulfs the sea and quickly approaches them.
  • CSY: "Han Yigyeol."
  • HYG: "Yeah."
  • CSY: "Come back again next time."
  • CSY looks at him and smiles softly. HYG is mesmerized by his smiling face, and before he can reply, the bright white light engulfs everything.
• HYG wakes up and lifts his left hand, which CSY had held during the dream. Somehow, the vague sensation of his hand being held was still felt.
• El is by his bedside, and tells him it's been 3 days since he fell asleep, due to being overburdened by seeing HYG's past.
• HYG is told by El that his last dream is special, and that HYG had actually visited CSY's dream using his Intervention ability. So CSY would remember what had happened during the dream.
• HYG feels his neck and ears burn. He thinks to himself that he only let CSY hold his hand because he had assumed it was just a dream.
• El asks if HYG missed CSY so much that he would use his ability unconsciously to meet him. HYG vehemently denies it, protesting that it's just because CSY had been so prominent in og!HYG's past that he ended up thinking about him.
• HYG gets up and goes to wash up but pauses when he realizes he feels clean and not gross despite passing out covered in sweat.
  • HYG: "El. Did you wipe down my body while I slept?"
  • El: "No, I didn't wipe it."
  • HYG: "Really?"
  • El: "I just bathed you."
  • HYG: "What?"
• HYG feels a deep embarrassment and hides his face in his hands as El leaves first. He can't believe that not only Ha Taeheon had changed his clothes (in the hospital) but now even Elohim had washed his body...
• After washing up he goes to eat, and asks El how much it would cost to read the books on Cheon Sayeon's past. El seems surprised by the request.
  • HYG: "Did you not expect that I would make this request?"
  • El: "I did to some extent, but I wasn't sure. The reading of a book is very difficult and...I didn't think you would have this much affection for Cheon Sayeon, that child."
  • HYG: "There is no affection." <cough> "So, what do you say? Is it possible?"
  • El: "...Are you certain you want to know? At any cost?"
  • HYG: "Well, of course I don't want to if it'll cost me my life or anything too much like that. I'll listen to the price and accept it if it's appropriate."
  • El makes a complicated expression and stays silent.
  • HYG: "El?"
  • El: "It's not such a simple matter."
  • El: "Cheon Sayeon is a child who is deeply connected with Kali. More than anyone in the past, present, and future."
  • HYG: "......"
  • El: "Sehyeon-ah, if you find out about Cheon Sayeon's past, you too will become like that. Isn't that frightening?"
  • HYG: "You're testing me, El."
  • HYG: "After seeing Han Yigyeol's past, I thought of a few theories."
  • El: "Theories."
  • HYG: "It's nothing incredible. To be honest, I'm not sure if my theories are correct."
  • HYG (thinking): It's not very realistic. But in a world where the dead can enter other people's bodies, people have abilities, and a being akin to a God prepares meals for me, I wonder if that's even meaningful.
  • HYG: "Time keeps repeating itself starting from a certain point in this world."
  • El: "......"
  • HYG: "Cheon Sayeon seems to be at the center of it."
  • HYG: "Is that correct?"
  • El: "I can't give you any answers."
  • HYG: "If it's true that time rewinds backwards every time something happens to Cheon Sayeon..."
  • HYG: "If time rewinds again this time, then what will happen to me?"
  • HYG: "Didn't you explain it last time? That it was a very slim chance that I was able to arrive in Han Yigyeol's body."
  • El: "......"
  • HYG: "If the starting point of the regression is before I come into this world, then a miracle like that one...I don't think it will happen again."
• El sighs and remarks that Sehyeon really is a smart child. But he corrects him that it hadn't been a test, and that they sincerely hope for him not to become any more entangled with them (CSY and Kali I assume). But he's already crossed the line a bit.
• El confirms that if Cheon Sayeon fails again this time and time rewinds, HYG will disappear. HYG declares that he doesn't want to die in vain, and that in order to live he'll help Cheon Sayeon.
  • El: "Cheon Sayeon is the most important child in this world. You must pay a price to see his past."
  • HYG: "I'm prepared."
  • El: "Also, this child's past is very long. Dozens of volumes long. It'll take a least three months to read it all. So, you'll need a book that's been condensed to only the important parts, but even then it will take a few days to finish."
  • HYG: "Well......"
  • El: "Consider it carefully. Even though Han Yigyeol's past only took 6 hours, it was already very difficult."
  • HYG: "Wouldn't it be better for me to see Cheon Sayeon's past? I'll understand the situation better."
  • El: "There is another method where you can pay a lighter price, and simply listen to my explanation."
  • HYG thinks about it for a while but ultimately shakes his head.
  • HYG: "No, if I have to pay a price anyway, I'd rather see it for myself."
  • HYG: "If I pay the price, will I be able to know the end of the red book I saw in the library, and the end of 'Abyss'?"
  • El: "Yes. I promised you those two things from the beginning, so those I can tell you at no cost. In any case, if you look at Cheon Sayeon's past, you will know everything."
  • El: "It will take some time to organize Cheon Sayeon's past. It would be better to discuss the price of viewing it, as well as those two things you just mentioned, once we are done."
  • HYG: "How long will it take?"
  • El: "Well, we have never done such a thing before, so we do not know exactly. It it possible it will not be complete until the day you need to return to Korea."
  • HYG: "Then......"
  • El: "If it takes that long, then you should return to Korea."
  • El: "It is better that way, Sehyeon-ah. You have to be stronger than you are now if you want to endure viewing his past. You will not be consumed by the book if you continue dreaming and build up strength while we are organizing it.
  • HYG: "...All right."
• Starting the next day, El and Elaha immediately start organizing the red books in the library, laying them out all over the floor, and HYG is forbidden entry lest he accidentally touch one.
• The fox finds him to play fetch again, and though HYG isn't very enthusiastic, he plays with it, throwing a stick around 27 times before it finally gets tired and lays down to take a nap.
• He hasn't had his 4th dream yet, and is feeling a little anxious about how it's already been 5 days since the last one.
• Elaha comes to find him to hand over some freshly made waffles.
• HYG comments that he doesn't know why the fox keeps following him, and Elaha replies that of course it's because it's interested in him.
• Elaha tells HYG that he and El will be holed up in the library all day, so he also prepared some other food and left it on the table inside, and HYG should eat it when he's hungry.
• HYG feels bad that he's causing all this apparent work for them, but Elaha dismisses it as something that needed to be done anyway. Additionally, he doesn't need to feel awkward about being taken care of or fed by them, since in reality they are countless number of years his senior, so he shouldn't think too much of it and just eat well.
• Elaha points out that he hasn't finished reading 'The Little Prince' yet, and HYG thinks to himself that unpleasant thoughts kept coming to mind as he was reading it, so he stopped. Elaha suggests that, whatever reservations he may have, it would be good to read through it once.
• Elaha smiles at him and comments that it's interesting that HYG's not uncomfortable with them, which is the norm for people when they find out that he and Elohim can see their past and even their thoughts.
  • HYG: "Is that a problem? You've already seen it all until now anyway. Well, I don't understand why you would be looking at me specifically when I'm not that great though."
  • Elaha: "Well, I knew you were particularly dense in this regard, but...Because we've seen it all already, you don't feel bad? Just for that reason?"
  • HYG: "Elaha."
  • Elaha: "Before I met you, I thought you were just born that way. You're not the first person to sacrifice yourself for others without anything in return."
  • HYG: "......"
  • Elaha: "But now that I've seen you in person, it doesn't seem like it's that simple. You're terribly uninterested in yourself. You take it for granted that others interfere with you."
  • HYG: "...I don't know what you're talking about. I–"
  • Elaha: "You don't belong to anyone else, Kwon Sehyeon. It's time for you to realize that."
• That night HYG has his 4th dream:
  • He rushes to the basement of a building, where there's an extremely beaten up body groaning on the ground.
  • "Where are you looking?"
  • He had only looked down for a moment, but a thunderous rebuke flew in. He made a mistake. A cold sweat ran down his spine.
  • He looks up to see the Director sitting in a chair with a cigarette in his mouth.
  • "You're late?"
  • "I'm sorry."
  • "How many years have you had this store?"
  • "...It's been three years."
  • "Yes, yes. Three years."
  • The man gestures, and the guard at the door grabs the man lying on the ground and lifts him up.
  • "I understand that you underwent a lot of hardship for three years because you were forced to come here, Sehyeon-ah."
  • "But still, you have to take care of the young ones under you."
  • "......"
  • "You let him go despite knowing he's fucking spreading a rumor around?"
  • A rumor. He knew that the person who had been brought in now was talking nonsense about sleeping with him, and trying to get out of here using him as a stepping stone. But he didn't want to bother with it. No matter how ridiculous or vain their dreams were, they couldn't become reality anyway. But if he'd known things would turn out like this, he would have cracked down on him in advance. Belated regret rushes over him.
  • "Or what, is this bastard telling the truth?"
  • "Director."
  • "Tell me. Did you roll around with this stinking rent boy bastard?"
  • "No."
  • "But why are you making that face, Sehyeon-ah? It's like you were really rolling around with this bastard."
  • "...I'm sorry."
  • He quickly lowers his head at the angry voice. He'd rather the man direct his anger at him, but there was no possibility of that. That man knew very well that for him, it was more effective to involve others.
  • After a long silence, the man taps the armrest of his chair with a finger. "I was wrong. I thought you would learn something by seeing the bugs crawling around on the floor here, Sehyeon-ah."
  • "......"
  • "Rather than learning, there's even a rumor that he rolled around with a rent boy. How ridiculous..."
  • "Yes...I think Hyehyang Village* was a bit premature. There was all sorts of noise when I handed it to a kid who was only 27 years old."
  • (Even though I said I didn't want it to that extent, you forced me to do it, and now, you regret it.)
  • The man turns to the attendant by his side and asks. "What kind of store is Park Seokjae in charge of?"
  • "A bar located in Gangnam."
  • "Not bad. Would you like to have it?"
  • "I......"
  • He was about to shake his head when the man aimed a meaningful glance at the person on the ground. The rejection that had been about to come out felt choked in his throat.
  • "What will you do, Sehyeon?"
  • "......Yes."
  • The man smiles for the first time since he entered the room and walks over to him.
  • "Yes, you made a good choice. It's better to sell alcohol than to get caught up in rumors that you rolled around with a dirty male prostitute."
  • While the man pats his cheeks as if he were a docile dog, he simultaneously orders the attendant to "throw away" the person on the floor, implying that they're too broken to keep selling their body. (possibly implying to harvest their organs to help pay off their debt? not sure)
  • The man notices Sehyeon's adverse reaction to hearing this and adds, "Since my Sehyeon listens to me so well, I'll be generous. Give him some anesthesia before getting rid of him."
  • The man begs brokenly as he's being dragged away, but Sehyeon carefully maintains eye contact with the Direct's silver-grey eyes. But after a while, he feels his gaze is suffocating, and has to look down.
  • "Sehyeon-ah."
  • "Yes."
  • The man grabs ahold of his waist.
  • "Are you upset?"
  • He misses the timing to reply due to trying to remove the arm on his back.
  • "But no matter what I can't let it go this time. Shit, it doesn't make sense. Even if you play around, would you play around with a rent boy?"
  • "I've never done that."
  • "I know. Our good Sehyeon wouldn't do that. Why would you fuck around with a bunch of scumbag men?"
  • Suddenly, the man grabs the back of his head and forces him to look up.
  • "–Ugh!"
  • "I've told you over and over again. If you want to have sex, let me know. Yeah? I'll introduce you to a very nice woman."
  • "......"
  • His shoulders stiffen at the terrible words that he's heard over and over again for the past 7 years, ever since he'd reached adulthood.
  • (Crazy bastard. Calling someone over was already fucking shitty enough, but even if I agreed to that, with that man's personality, there was no way he'd leave the room during the act. I'd rather just not do it for the rest of my life. I didn't want to live dirty like that.)
  • "No need."
  • When he finally manages to answer, the man hums and lets his hair and waist go, and tells him he'll send someone else here, so he should get the handover sorted out within one day.
  • Sehyeon thinks it's kind of nice that he doesn't have to go to Hyehyang Village anymore, but during the handover period he's been forced to stay at the Director's house under the ridiculous excuse that it was necessary for the transition.
  • In order to avoid running into the man, he'd been using the restroom late at night and heading straight back to his room after, but tonight he hears some chatter downstairs and descends the stairs partially without revealing himself to take a closer look.
  • It's a voice he knows well, Park Seokjae, complaining about the bar being taken away from him. The Director has absolutely no sympathy for him, and derides his ability to manage the store.
  • Sehyeon thinks that it's bad timing, since the Director's already-oversensitive temper had already been triggered by the rumor incident two days earlier, and Seokjae is just pouring oil on the fire. When it seems to be getting particularly bad, he decides to reveal himself, casually descending the rest of the steps as if he'd just happened to come downstairs naturally.
  • "Director."
  • He steps between Park Seokjae and the man sitting on the couch. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he still found it hard to open his mouth in the cold atmosphere around him.
  • "Yes, Sehyeon-ah. Speak."
  • "Well......"
  • Thinking that he can't run away now anyway, he smiles awkwardly and does his best.
  • "That, Director. I asked you earlier...if you wanted to have a glass of wine together. Do you remember?"
  • "Wine?"
  • "Yes. If you don't mind......"
  • The man rubs his cigarette out on the ashtray and lifts the corners of his mouth.
  • "Wine."
  • The man who had noticed his intentions mumbles leisurely as if he's teasing him. He feels increasingly nervous, but knows that any additional coaxing now will only backfire. Biting his lips, he waits for permission.
  • "I don't want wine."
  • "What?"
  • "I think there should be some of the liquor left over."
  • "......"
  • (Hard liquor? The difficulty level suddenly increased, but I couldn't refuse now.)
  • "You don't seem to want to. Then let's not."
  • "No, I'd like to drink."
  • "I was going to sleep early because I was tired, but if our Sehyeon is drinking, we should drink."
  • The man walks over to the liquor cabinet before stopping and addressing Seokjae again.
  • "Get going, Park Seokjae."
  • "Director."
  • "Since you said you've put a lot of effort into it, I'll give you a week to organize things. That's enough, right? I gave Sehyeon a day."
  • "......" Seokjae's face distorts and turns red.
  • "What are you doing? Get out of here. I don't want to drink while looking at your stupid face, Seokjae."
  • "...Yes, I'll be on my way."
  • Park Seokjae, swallowing his anger, bows to the man who doesn't even look his way, and leaves without ever looking Sehyeon in the eye. As Sehyeon stares blankly at Seokjae's clenched fist as he leaves, he feels a gentle hand stroking his cheek.
  • "Why are you looking so intensely at a guy who's leaving?"
  • Sehyeon reflexively turns to look at the man and trembles when he's much closer than he'd expected. He smiles at Sehyeon's reaction and walks away again.
  • "You don't know how to do anything else, but day by day your aegyo increases. That's why I worry."
  • The man takes out a bottle from the cabinet and heads to the kitchen. Sehyeon tries to say that he'll prepare the glasses but the Director just orders him to sit down.
  • Sehyeon breaks out in a cold sweat at how happy the man looks. 'I think I'm screwed...Can I stay conscious enough to return to my room? I think it'll be difficult. My shoulders are already drooping from fatigue.'
  • "I'm really looking forward to see how far our Sehyeon will last this time."
  • "That..."
  • He's handed a glass with ice cubes, while the Director himself drinks from a glass with only alcohol. Even so, Sehyeon sheepishly asks if he can have just one extra ice cube (I assume this is so there's less space for alcohol in the glass, and/or it becomes more watered down with time) and fortunately the Director just laughs at him and drops another ice cube in.

*혜향촌 = Hyehyang Village, where Hyehyang is a word that means something like the scent of incense. This seems to be the name of the shop or area that their organization controls and was given to KSH to manage, and likely deals mainly with sexual services.

I recently realized that the author had stated on Twitter that 'Elaha' should be 'Elatha' but....given the author's previous track record of being relatively unsure about correct romanizations*, I'm going to respectfully take this with a grain of salt, as potentially just a romanization that they found that is correct for some cases, but might not be the most appropriate option in this case. Fully prepared to be corrected on this point though.

Mostly because, 'Elaha' has much stronger tie-ins with the various Abrahamic religious references the Abyss world otherwise has going on, rather than suddenly bringing in an Irish mythological reference. For instance, names like Elohim, Lilith, Samael and Abel, Requiem, and the not very subtle tree of golden fruits-that-aren't-apples/tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden. And of course, our very own Cheon Sayeon whose name means 'Angel'.

We do have one non-Abrahamic religious reference, which is 'Kali', but that fits in with the metaphor since she migrated over a 'different world', which one might assume has Hindu themes, and similarly has references to her ideals of destruction of evil/impurities and the idea of cycles of reincarnation and recreation of the world.

* I'm gonna be hypocritical and be happy about the fact that they confirmed 'Roheon' as the right spelling for the guild though, since that had also been a mystery for me.

 

Thanks for the spoilers
I wonder what did the director do when he found out mc is dead

 

thank you as always!!

I swear CSY is 90% end game ML. i mean look at how devoted our MC is towards the guy, he even reached out to him unconsciously

 

Spoiler: D45 Gate Clear (173-181)

• A little girl with blonde twintails is skipping down a hallway toward a room where the sound of a drill and a person's screams can be heard. She pushes open the door and asks the "Doctor" if he's busy, since she has something to tell him.
• The Doctor turns off the drill, dripping with blood, and complains that he was in the middle of something important. After looking at the person struggling on the iron table, the girl comments that "Samael said not to touch Koreans yet."
• The Doctor dismisses Samael's concerns and asks how Abel had made this new doll without the Doctor's assistance. Abel spins the doll in a circle to show off her cuteness and answers that among the newcomers, there's a Producer whose ability could be used.
• Abel hands over a box containing a marble, a glass of blood, and a piece of paper with coordinates written on it. He tells the Doctor that Samael told him to deliver it to the Doctor so he could make another space-transfer bead.
  • Doctor: "I'm bored to death."
  • "Hang in there. From now on, it's going to be pretty fun right? He told me to look forward to it myself."
  • "I'll make it, so tell Samael. Send me more men to use for experiments."
  • "Aren't you still getting 10 people every month? You still need more?"
  • "It's not enough! It's very lacking. Bring me healthier people."
• ***
• The new SS-class gate is designated as Area D45. It's the day of the first gate clear, and Lee Jooha has to break up Ha Taeheon and Cheon Sayeon, who start bickering as soon as they see each other.
• Min Arin, who has come with Requiem, cheerfully introduces herself to Lee Jooha.
• Cheon Sayeon had offered to supplement Roheon's team with Requiem healers, along with himself. LJH was originally going to refuse, but Taeheon had convinced her to just accept it this time and keep an eye on what CSY's up to.
• LJH instructs the healer team leader on Roheon's side, Do Haseok (도하석), S-class healer, to greet the healers on Requiem's side as well, in particular Min Arin who is the team leader.
• Do Haseok jokingly replies that of course he should say hello, but can he get even closer than that too? LJH just shakes her head and tells him to do as he pleases.
• HTH waits before LJH leaves before asking DHS to take HTH with him when he goes to say hello to Min Arin. DHS readily agrees but misinterprets HTH's request as him being interested in Min Arin. "I didn't know you liked that type."
• HTH denies it, but DHS keeps teasing him, adding that he's upset that HTH didn't bring him back any gifts from the first vacation he'd taken since joining the guild.
• DHS points out that he's been curious who HTH went on vacation with since in the past he used to bring back injured women all the time but he stopped all of a sudden and is now even going on a vacation. (Note: Do Haseok should be the healer HTH brought in when he brought HYG back to the Roheon hospital that one time)
• HTH blinks slowly at Do Haseok's words and thinks about it, unable to really remember anything clearly except things related to Han Yigyeol. He realizes again how deeply he had fallen. He continues to think about Han Yigyeol as Do Haseok's chatter goes in one ear and out the other.
• Preparations complete, Lee Jooha leads the team into the gate, which seems to contain what looks like an entire city in the medieval style.
• Cheon Sayeon sticks closely to Ha Taeheon, staring holes into his back, but when HTH gets mad and confronts him about it he plays dumb. HTH finally warns him that if he keeps this up, HTH won't trust him and cooperate with him a second time, so CSY relents, and sincerely advises that they should stick together, because not even CSY knows what will happen from here on out.
• Before HTH can ask him what he means, the survey team announces that there's monsters incoming, so he puts off the conversation for later.
• CSY also prepares to sortie, but because HTH's behavior of speaking informally to him when no one's around keeps reminding him of someone (ie, HYG, who also does this), he inadvertantly cuts his palm more deeply than usual. More blood flows out than should be necessary for just a bunch of A-class monsters.
• HTH notices this abnormality and seems surprised. Cheon Sayeon just looks at his blood soaked blade for a moment before wearing a disappointed smile and swinging it at the monsters.
• After clearing the wave of monsters, the healers checked over the combatants individually. Min Arin approaches Ha Taeheon first, and even though he's not injured, he holds out his arm so she can pretend to heal it, because she seems like she has something to say to him.
• MAR: "Is Yigyeol-ssi ok?"
• HTH: "......"
• HTH: "How did you know?"
• Min Arin admits she actually wasn't sure until just now, but because Yigyeol isn't close with that many people, and she had already asked Cha Sooyeon and Hong Sia, Ha Taeheon was the only other option left, especially since he had just recently gone on vacation.
• Ha Taeheon apologizes and says there's nothing he can tell her, but she grabs his arm before he can leave and firmly states that "There is only one thing I want to know. Is Yigyeol-ssi safe and sound?"
  • HTH: "Healer Min Arin."
  • MAR: "Can you please tell me just that much?"
  • HTH: "...He's doing fine."
  • MAR: "Are you sure?"
  • HTH: "At least he was fine when I was with him. It's been almost two weeks since I've seen him, so I don't know how he is now."
  • MAR: "Is there any chance he'll be back?"
  • HTH: "I can't answer any more than this."
  • MAR: "All right. Thank you."
  • HTH: "Why are you asking me, instead of Guildmaster Cheon Sayeon?
  • MAR: "Of course, it's because you seem to know more than the Guildmaster. Besides, the Guildmaster isn't a good match for my weak threats."
  • HTH: "......" (Then what does that make me?)
• Do Haseok comes up to HTH after, asking what had happened, since the atmosphere had seemed so serious between them that he hadn't wanted to approach. HTH just tells him that he doesn't need to take HTH with him to greet Min Arin anymore, and doesn't provide any additional detail.
• [175]
• Elaha opens his eyes in the study and reports that the situation is ok, although Cheon Sayeon also seems nervous since, like them, it's the first time he's encountering such a sequence of events.
• Elohim tells Elaha to keep monitoring the situation while El goes to find Sehyeon. As soon as he exits the study, though, Fox is there, trying to get his attention and to get him to follow it by biting his pants and pulling him.
• Elohim is initially confused, since none of the animals have ever done this before, but soon understands and follows it to Sehyeon's room, where he is panting and sweating while asleep in bed.
• Elohim does not wake him up from the apparent painful memory, since dreams triggered by the power of the candy could not be ended prematurely without risking mental injury.
• El stays by his side, gently caressing his face as if to cheer him on, until he eventually awakes from the dream. As he blinks his eyes blurrily open, the tears that had been pooling at the edges of his eyes finally ran down his temples.
• Elohim quietly calls his name, but when HYG hears it and turns to discover Elohim, he's startled and slaps Elohim's hand away. He quickly retreats to the edge of the bed as if faced with an enemy about to kill him, and stared at Elohim with a wary expression.
• El looks down at his rejected hand for a moment, but quietly steps back and waits in silence until HYG calms down.
• Yigyeol seems to quickly regain his composure and realize that the dream is over, apologizing to El for his actions. El tells him not to worry about it, and as if to demonstrate, pulls HYG roughly over to him just by grabbing one of his thin ankles, telling him that there's no way he'd be offended by a bit of wariness.
• El asks him how many dreams it's been. HYG: "It was the 7th."
• El asks if it had been a particularly difficult dream, but Yigyeol is evasive about the answer. El closes his eyes and can see the thoughts that HYG is thinking. He was in a state of deep depression, facing the past he had never wanted to recall again. A bloody knife lying atop a yellow floor, someone shouting, a snake showing its teeth in the dark. Fragmented images come to mind and disappear. Even after waking up, Han Yigyeol was still trapped inside.
• El tells him to hang in there a little longer, even though it's hard. After 7 dreams, his energy has definitely gotten stronger. But there also isn't any need to worry if the dreams come slowly, since at this rate he's already doing pretty well.
• Fox jumps up onto HYG's stomach and wags its fluffy tail as he awkwardly pets its ears and neck.
• Since it dosn't seem like HYG will be able to go back to sleep anytime soon, El offers him some wine. HYG is very tempted, but doesn't want to drink too much and get drunk again, so he asks for just 1 glass of wine.
• ***
• Back on the D45 gate side, it's been 4 days since the clearing team entered, and on the outside of the gate, several news station crews and Roheon guild staff are waiting around for when the clearing team might exit.
• A member of Roheon's administrative department, Kim Jiho (김지호), is nearing the end of his 8 hour shift when he notices a suspicious tall man dressed staggering near the gate. When he brings it to his colleague's attention, the colleague dismisses him as just one of the employees from N-channel broadcasting station.
• However, Kim Jiho notices upon a closer look that the man's skin seems almost grey-colored, and there's a strange ticking noise originating from his body. Guards finally seem to notice the man and try to get him to leave, but 3 sharp warning beeps sound before the man's body suddenly emits a white light, and an explosion engulfs the entire area in front of the gate.
• [176]
• Inside the gate, the clear has been going quickly and easily, since it's all been A-class monsters so far, and the clear team has two SS-class powerhouses, the S-class Lee Jooha, and 20 healers to boot.
• Do Haseok and Min Arin are chatting and getting along well. Do Haseok is telling Arin about how Ha Taeheon is the type of guy who doesn't stop people from pursuing him, but also doesn't chase after them when they leave, even though he seems like he'd be a gentleman.
  • HTH: "Shut up."
  • MAR: "Well, our Guildmaster is a bit quiet these days, but it was messy in the past. Women who had just been dumped by him would come to the guild and make a fuss."
  • DHS: "Oh, I think I've heard about that. Ha Taeheon-ssi and Guildmaster Cheon Sayeon sure are sinful guys."
  • MAR: "That's true." Arin looks at Ha Taeheon with a suspicious gaze that seems to judge how light Ha Taeheon's feelings for Han Yigyeol might be.
  • HTH: "......"
  • HTH wants to refute right away that HYG is different from those other people, but knows that it'll only sound like an excuse in this situation, so he holds it in.
  • DHS: "But Ha Taeheon-ssi, like Guildmaster Cheon Sayeon, hasn't met anyone for a while, has he? The last time he brought in an injured person it was an A-class ability user."
  • MAR: "If it's A-class...was it perhaps Han Yigyeol?"
  • DHS: "Yes, that's right. Come to think of it, he's staying at Requiem, so do you know him, Min Arin-ssi?"
  • MAR: "We're very friendly."
  • DHS: "Oh, really? Is he doing well? I haven't met him since the time Ha Taeheon-ssi brought him in, but I've heard a lot from the news."
  • MAR: "...He's doing okay. I never expected Haseok-ssi to know Yigyeol-ssi."
  • DHS: "Haha, we only met for a short period, so Han Yigyeol-ssi probably doesn't remember me."
• Ha Taeheon is seriously considering separating the two of them, but his thoughts are interrupted by the discovery of the gate exit in front of a baroque-style building, on top of a steep set of stairs.
• Lee Jooha happily leads the team toward it, but suddenly dozens of S-class Wyverns flock in from all directions. She organizes a formation with non-combatants protected in the center, but there are simply too many Wyverns to deal with and their shields are ineffective against the S-class Wyverns.
• They move to hide under a building instead, prioritizing protecting the non-combatants.
• Cheon Sayeon tells Ha Taeheon to use his ability to create footholds in the air. HTH doesn't understand what he means at first, but sees Cheon Sayeon mounting and killing a Wyvern and then using its corpse as a platform to jump off of in midair. However, the distance was still insufficient to reach other Wyverns, so HTH creates a foothold out of dust, which CSY steps on accurately, and jumps onto another Wyverns back, cutting off both its wings in an instant.
• On the ground, the long-distance offense team blocked the brunt of the Wyverns while Cheon Sayeon, Ha Taeheon, and the melee team took care of the ones that were missed.
• Lee Jooha takes out a modified grenade launcher from her inventory and fires it at the center of the swarm, creating a strong explosion, the torn corpses of the Wyverns caught in the blast radius falling down from the sky.
• ***
• Back with HYG, he opens his eyes to find that it's raining, despite it always having been sunny here before. It's two days since his 7th dream, and he's just had his 8th dream, which covered 3 whole days of memories, but he'd only been asleep for 5 hours.
• He washes up and goes to eat, finding the table again filled with various foods that are still warm. He wonders if they know when he will get up, or how else they can prepare it so it never goes cold.
• Fox greets him as he eats the soup, and HYG feels happy to see it, thinking that he won't have to eat alone in this depressing silence. It whines at him to pick it up and while he good-naturedly grumbles that can't Fox just fly itself up, he picks it up and places it on the table, giving it some strawberries and turning on the TV.
• On the TV, though, is the news about the D45 gate bombing, which shocks HYG. Furthermore, the newscaster announces that after the explosion, an unidentified group appeared in the chaos, all wearing black masks, numbering 30. They all went inside of the gate without hesitation. The Roheon Guild, which learned of this belatedly, recruited volunteer reinforcements to enter the gate, but 6 hours had already passed...
• HYG gets chills at the mention of black masks, knowing that HTH had also entered that gate.
• At that moment, Elohim calls his name to get his attention, and tells him there's something El needs HYG to do.
• [177]
• El brings HYG to the study, telling him that the situation isn't good even though Cheon Sayeon had followed Ha Taeheon into the gate due to anticipating the danger. At this rate, both of them would be in danger. It's the first time Kali's servants have made a public appearance at such an early stage.
• The gate itself was one that was created due to the world being weakened by repetition, so even they do not know what kind of variables might occur inside, outside of basic predictions due to accumulated experience.
• HYG understands that they need him to use his abilities, but he doesn't know how. El tells him that he and Elaha will help.
• By reading the book that Elaha is recording currently about what's going on, even if he can't go there with his body, he should at least be able to project his consciousness there. El and Elaha will pay the price for him reading the book this time.
• HYG: "If I can't use my abilities even after I arrive......"
• El: "You'll be able to do enough. Trust us. Sehyeon-ah, please."
• HYG accepts the book and a white light engulfs his vision. After a dizzying sensation like he's falling, he reopens his eyes to a changed surrounding.
• ***
• Ha Taeheon has just killed the last Wyvern, but the clear team is just about out of energy, so Lee Jooha calls for a rest first before moving ahead.
• Ha Taeheon takes the moment to try and "plant" the SS-class coat somewhere, so it could seem like he had discovered it in this gate instead, but is wary of CSY, who approaches him first.
• He continues to ask CSY why he'd told HTH to stay by his side, but CSY replies that since they're exiting the gate now anyway, doesn't it not matter anymore.
• HTH tsks, thinking that he's never going to accept CSY's offer again, when he notices a black hooded man staggering toward a Healer, who asks if he's injured.
• Cheon Sayeon follows HTH's gaze, immediately shouts at Ha Taeheon to not let the man get near, but before he can finish, the man explodes in a burst of white light and a deafening roar, and Cheon Sayeon and Ha Taeheon are blown backwards by the shockwave.
• Successive explosions are heard here and there, as well as shouts and screams from the clearing team.
• Cheon Sayeon, bleeding from his forehead, forcibly pulls Ha Taeheon up from where he'd landed after the first shockwave. HTH checks the situation, and finds Lee Jooha lying on the ground with severe burns but still alive. The Healer next to her explains that LJH had gotten hurt protecting them from the blast.
• Luckily, Min Arin and Do Haseok are unscathed, so HTH entrusts LJH and the Healer to them and goes back to CSY.
• Following CSY's gaze, he can see a group of people in black masks approaching at high speed. He recalls what HYG had told him about his kidnapping.
• It's clear now that this wasn't some accidental terrorist bombing, but a well-planned out attack. HTH thinks back to how CSY had stayed vigilant even after the Wyverns had been dealt with, and wonders if this group is the real danger CSY had been worried about and had insisted on joining the clear team for.
• HTH thinks to himself that he'll absolutely need to wring some answers out of CSY after this.
• CSY slowly cuts his palm while staring at the blonde girl at the back of the group of 30. He never expected they would use a bomb doll like this. It was an attack that aimed at the time when everyone was tired and careless in the aftermath of a difficult fight.
• Now, with most of the clearing team dead or injured, it was up to him and HTH to stop all 30 of them. He feels the shadow of unhappiness over being tired of all this creeping over his body again. But even so, Cheon Sayeon never lets go of his sword.
• [178]
• Cheon Sayeon thinks that, depending on the abilities and ranks of the thirty black-masked people, the odds could still be in their favor. However, Ha Taeheon is always agitated the first time he needs to kill a real human being, so it would've been nicer if Lee Jooha were not out of commission, since at the prospect of her guild members being hurt she would have been able to kill people out of rage.
• Any other time, he could have taught HTH step by step like he's always done in the past but this time he needs to rush it and bluntly tell HTH that the black masked people all want to kill him, and that if he deals with them leniently, he will die. Moreover, if any of them break through, the clearing team behind them will be annihilated.
• HTH seems to accept it with a heavy expression, and seeing this, CSY feels even moreso that things have changed beyond his recognition this time.
• Abel greets them through the blonde doll, commenting that the two of them were together last time as well, and that it's good to be friends, since they can both be buried here together as well.
• With that, the black masked ability users spring into action, and HTH quickly finds himself just barely being able to deal with them, and CSY is not in much better shape.
• Unlike CSY's fears however, HTH does not hesitate in the slightest to cut them down, and actually, more than anything CSY had said, what convinces HTH that it's necessary to deal with them properly is because the black masked people had gone after Han Yigyeol before.
• CSY gauges that if he can clean up his side first and then go to support HTH, that should be enough, but he suddenly notices that another bomb doll is approaching HTH, disguised as a regular black mask.
• He tries to warn HTH, but HTH isn't able to hear him, and seeing the opponent wearing a black mask, doesn't hesitate to slice his neck off, detonating the bomb, as well as other nearby bombs in succession.
• HTH loses consciousness for a brief second from the impact, but comes to his senses in time to block another attack aimed at his head.
• It's been over an hour since the attack started, and even as an SS-class HTH can feel a headache coming on as he runs low on energy.
• CSY manages to reach his side, and ignites the blood that he's scattered around them to briefly keep the enemies at bay. There's only 13 left, but they're still at a disadvantage.
• CSY thinks that the main problem is the doll, which is probably SS-level, considering the care with which it was made. He thinks that if HTH takes on the doll for now while CSY cleans up the rest of the black masks and then joins him, there's a risk of losing a limb or so, but everyone might be able to survive as a result.
• But as he's about to explain this plan, both HTH and CSY feel a familiar energy, and look to the side as a familiar wind blows through their hair as if to cheer them on.
• [It's ok, Cheon Sayeon.]
• CSY: "How......"
• [You can both survive without getting injured.]
• The wind swirls their heads again, as if telling them to concentrate now, and both CSY and HTH look forward again, determined.
• HTH (sighing): "...There's even more explanations I need to listen to, now."
• Cheon Sayeon smiles at HTH's sigh, feeling like the shadow of unhappiness that had come over him had completely disappeared.
• [Cheon Sayeon, Ha Taeheon-ssi.]
• CSY couldn't see him, but his face, complete with a confident smile, came to mind easily just at the sound of his refreshing voice.
• [Go. I'll support you.]
• [179]
• At first, HYG had only been able to watch the battle unfold without being able to do anything. He'd been increasingly agitated, and at the moment he'd heard HTH's thoughts, and also CSY's thoughts that he could save everyone at the cost of a limb or so, he felt strongly that he had to help.
• Suddenly, he felt the barrier between him and them vanish, the effect of his Intervention ability, allowing him to wrap his wind ability around them as he'd done time and time again in the past.
• Abel is visibly surprised at HTH's sudden boost in speed, and then also realizes that HYG's energy can be sensed nearby, although he's invisible.
• Cheon Sayeon and Ha Taeheon are quickly able to turn the situation to their advantage, but Han Yigyeol on the other hand is more burdened than usual to support them even for a brief period of time, as he has to maintain not 1 but 2 abilities at once, and furthermore doesn't have the energy replenishing rate buffing bracelet on him anymore.
• But although he runs low on energy very quickly, he hangs in there and doesn't change the amount of wind support, so that no one notices his condition.
• Finally, the blonde doll is the last one left. It questions why Cheon Sayeon isn't on their side and is rejecting 'her' (meaning Kali).
• Abel (puppeteer): "It sounds like you've been repeating this pointless resistance for quite some time. It's no use trying. Eventually, this world will fall into her hands, and you'll pay the price for not accepting us."
• HYG takes note of the fact that Kali's followers also seem to lose their memories of past regressions.
• Abel tries to argue that somehow CSY is responsible for all the lives that have been lost throughout all the regressions, and that by being stubborn he's just creating more victims, but CSY laughs and tells Abel that he (CSY) is "the victim" and why would he try to turn the blame on him when Abel's side is one sacrificing everyone.
• Abel gets angry that CSY would call himself a victim when Kali had given him the gift of divine blessings that no other human could have.
• CSY: "No matter how valuable and precious it is, it's jsut violence if the other person doesn't want it."
• CSY ends the conversation there and tells HTH the special properties of the scythe the doll is using, warning him to be careful of the red lightning attack. HTH, who was staring at him with a subtle expression, attacks the doll without responding.
• As they attack again, HYG covers his mouth to block his groan of pain at reaching the limit of his energy, but thankfully under the two's relentless attack, the doll starts breaking apart quickly.
• "Do you know how hard it is to make an SS-class doll? Ignoring the grace bestowed upon you, you ingrate! I'll kill you, I'll kill you!"
• The doll throws a final tantrum before Cheon Sayeon beheads it boredly.
• [180]
• After HYG confirms that everything's over, he deactivates the wind ability and collapses to his knees on the ground, panting.
• CSY and HTH hear the sound and rush over, but stand there awkwardly since they can't actually see him. He tries to tell them he's all right between breaths, but they're still concerned.
  • CSY: "You seem to be having a harder time than usual."
  • HTH: "Does it have to do with how you're able to be here right now? Is the Prophet forcing you?"
  • HYG: "I wasn't forced. El suggested it, and I accepted the suggestion."
  • HTH: "What recklessness...Did you accept it recklessly without knowing what was going to be asked for in exchange?"
  • HYG: "The price will be paid by El, not me. Don't worry. There's something more important than that."
  • HYG lightly grabs HTH's arm as if to reassure him that there's really no problem, and HTH trembles slightly at the touch. HYG is glad he seems to actually be able to touch things.
  • HYG: "There was a bombing at the gate exit, just like here. It happened at dawn this morning."
  • HTH: "...I expected it. Due to the direction they came from."
  • HYG: "Yes. The damage is serious. There are casualties. All of them...belonging to Roheon."
  • HYG: "So, I mean...Well......"
  • He was prepared, but when he saw Ha Taeheon, who seemed upset, he couldn't get the words out. As if noticing his hesitation, Ha Taeheon opened his mouth with a sigh.
  • HTH: "It is true that it's a chaotic situation, but neither I nor the Guildmaster will be shaken by this much."
  • "...Yes."
  • HYG feels a little reassured by the firm voice. He relaxes a bit and turns toward Cheon Sayeon, who he belatedly realizes seems to be looking at him with a dissatisfied expression.
  • HYG: "Cheon Sayeon, you...What is it?"
  • CSY: "What?"
  • HYG: "What's wrong?"
  • Contrary to Yigyeol's concerns, CSY just wipes away his previous look and puts on a picturesque smile.
  • CSY: "It's really sad that you're only talking to Ha Taeheon despite knowing that I'm right here next to him. That heartlessness pains my tender heart..."
  • HYG: "Crazy bastard."
  • In an instant, HYG feels goosebumps rise all over his body and he shivers. Ha Taeheon also shoots CSY a contemptuous look.
  • HYG notices a white light approaching from the other side at a high speed.
  • HYG: "Ah......"
  • CSY and HTH's forms in front of him also start turning cloudy. He realizes that his Intervention ability is ending.
  • CSY and HTH can also sense from his fading energy signature that he's about to leave. HTH grabs his hand which had been holding HTH's arm.
  • HYG: "Cheon Sayeon, help Ha Taeheon-ssi with the coat issue."
  • At his request, CSY blinks a few times in quick succession.
  • CSY: "Well. Why should I?"
  • HYG: "Because of those damned guys, Ha Taeheon-ssi's plan went awry. It doesn't seem like you want to take the coat anyway."
  • CSY: "Hmm."
  • CSY: "I won't do it for free. If you accept my suggestion, I'll gladly do it."
  • (This son of a bitch...)
  • Even if HYG wants to argue though, he doesn't have time.
  • HYG: "What's your suggestion?"
  • CSY: "Put your hand here."
  • CSY holds his right hand out toward HYG and HYG doubtfully places his hand on his outstretched palm. CSY takes out the red-jewelled A-class bracelet from his jacket's inside pocket, and places it in HYG's hand.
  • HYG: "This is......"
  • HYG: "How can I......"
  • (I never imagined that Cheon Sayeon would take out this bracelet here. It wasn't even in his wristwatch inventory item, but his inside coat pocket. Did he keep it with him?)
  • CSY: "I don't know if you can take it, but there seems to be a possibility since our bodies can touch."
  • HYG: "......"
  • CSY: "If you can't take it, this transaction will be null and void. If you fail this time, I'll take care of it, so make sure to visit me later."
  • HYG: "...Yes."
• ***
• HYG opens his eyes back in the study, with El supporting him as he staggers from the shock. When he opens his tightly gripped fist, he finds the bracelet still there to his surprise.
• He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, falling unconscious.
• When he opens his eyes again, he's back in his bed, and the bracelet has been put on his wrist. Thinking back on Cheon Sayeon's words, he chuckles and thinks that in the end CSY would have helped HTH even if he hadn't been successful in taking the bracelet.
• Because, like HYG who had read 'Abyss', CSY with his regression experience must have known about the existence of the coat, and had plenty of opportunities to take it, but had left it alone ostensibly so that Ha Taeheon could have it instead.
• "......" HYG thinks he understand the path CSY is walking on a little better now.
• HYG finds El at the dining table, but is startled when El turns around and has a white bandage over his eyes, under which the rest of his face also looks sickly grey.
• El reassures him that it's temporary and not a big deal, and just part of the price he and Elaha are paying for allowing HYG to read the book last time.
• He explains that he can't see, but he's covering up his eyes since it might look a little disturbing to HYG (when HYG asks, he reluctantly shows him that instead of his usual eyes, his eye sockets are now filled with some black slimy substance wriggling around like a leech).
• El explains that Elaha's price was his legs instead, since he needs his eyes to record things. In addition to El's eyes, a few organs were affected as well. However, he assures HYG that it isn't too bad and he shouldn't worry about it. HYG wonders how much they've paid in the past regressions to help Cheon Sayeon and stop Kali.
• [181]
  • HYG: "When does the price end?"
  • El: "Well. It won't go away for a few more days. We just allowed you to go there. Being able to help the two children was truly your own strength. Still, I'm glad you got up sooner than I expected. It was a very difficult situation, so I expected you to sleep for a few more days."
  • HYG: "How long did it take for me to wake up?"
  • El: "It took about two days. Originally, you would have slept for four days, but......Thanks to the item, the time taken to recharge your energy seems to be much shorter than usual."
  • HYG: "Oh." Belatedly, he remembers the bracelet.
  • HYG: "I'm sorry, without asking, I......"
  • El: "You don't have to apologize. It's a good thing that it helped you recover."
  • HYG: "But, it. Its location can be tracked."
  • El: "You don't have to worry about that. This place was created by us, so it's impossible to trace. Besides, that child, Cheon Sayeon, knows that you are with us anyway."
• The fox is wandering around the dining table, but HYG is worried it might fall over the edge. Elohim assures him that even if it falls it won't get hurt, since it's not an ordinary animal. In addition, all the spirit animals also have the extra abilities of being able to fly, change shape, or go invisible. Though they stay in their normal shapes as the status quo usually.
• The fox is the youngest of the animals though, and can't turn invisible yet. HYG pets it out of pity, and gets his finger bitten in return for his troubles.
• Elohim apologizes that HYG's viewing of CSY's past will be delayed further now, since El can no longer help with the organization of the books without the use of his eyes.
• HYG responds that it's ok since there's still time, but as soon as he says so, thunder roars outside and Elohim states that there seems to be a problem happening in Korea.
• They go to the library and Elaha explains that somethings happening at the Guild Management headquarters. Elaha floats the book in front of HYG and instructs him to read it to El since he can't see, because Elaha has to focus on writing.
• He warns HYG not to think about intervening with the situation, since his ability might accidentally activate.
• ***
• On Ha Taeheon's end, he's organizing the documents on the casualties of the D45 gate bombing. They had held a press conference where Lee Jooha had bowed deeply and apologized over the incident, vowing to hunt down the perpetrators and make them pay.
• Lee Jooha has been busy since then, attending funerals and investigating. So HTH is staying at the guild as the deputy guildmaster in case the black masked group appears.
• At this time, he's visited by Cha Sooyeon, who asks after Han Yigyeol, and asks Ha Taeheon to give Han Yigyeol something for her.
• It's the necklace with the broken jewel in the middle that they'd pretended was an ability supression item before. Ha Taeheon recognizes it.
• Cha Sooyeon explains that if HYG had left in such a hurry that he couldn't even grab his cell phone, he might be concerned about the necklace, since it's very important to him. So she's giving it to HTH to hold onto because it seems like HYG would contact HTH before her.
• HTH takes it in his hand, but is confused, because he thinks it's just a shutter item, and Cha Sooyeon suddenly remembers that HTH was the one who broke it and then suddenly feels awkward about the whole thing.
• She hesitantly explains that it's actually just a regular necklace and that its only importance was that HYG had been planning to give it to his sister, who is already......
• HTH's eyes tremble violently at the revelation, and he feels a strong pain in his chest, as if his heart had stopped beating. He subconsciously relaxes the trembling hand that is holding the necklace so as to avoid breaking it further.
• [182]
• Cha Sooyeon sighs regretfully and wonders if she acted too hastily, but since she honestly still believes HYG is dating HTH, she thought HTH would definitely be the first person HYG would contact, and would also look for Cha Sooyeon through HTH if he needed the necklace.
• HTH thanks her for telling him and puts the necklace into his own inventory to prevent any further damage. He's about to escort her back out to the first floor of the Guild when the attendant knocks to tell HTH that there's a situation at the Guild Management HQ and Cha Sooyeon simultaneously gets a call from Hong Sia about the same thing.

 

I hope CSY is the ml.
Although he is forceful and needs some character development,he is my favorite.
Thanks for the spoilers

 

Spoiler: Attack on the Guild Management HQ + End of the 70 days (181-191)

• The Guild Management HQ has been bombed and the building has collapsed. There's smoke everywhere as Choi Mijin organizes the remaining evacuation of the lab staff in the basement.
• Choi Mijin is discussing the status with one of her employees when she suddenly pushes him out of the way of an attack from a woman with long purple hair wearing a black mask. Dozens of other people in black masks are lined up behind the woman.
• They introduce themselves as the Praus Worshippers (프라우스 신도단: Praus = biblical greek word πραΰς, meaning "meek", but specifically biblical connotations of meekness (I'm not a theological expert, but feel free to google it). Also I'm just going to call them the Praus Cult from now on because it's easier.)
• Choi Mijin: "I was wondering who would do this, but it was just a childish pseudo-religious organization?"
• Cheon Sayeon arrives in the nick of time to pull Choi Mijin away from the attack that the purple hair lady aims at her. HYG sighs in relief since he had been nervous that he'd try to Intervene to save Choi Mijin instead. Cheon Sayeon tells Choi Mijin he'll handle these guys so she should go see the waiting support staff, and she agrees.
• The Praus cult seem to recognize Cheon Sayeon and he greets the purple haired woman. "Azazel. I see that you've come, so Samael must be nearby."
• They exchange some taunts until Samael intervenes to stop Azazel from responding to CSY's provocations. HYG's hands clench at the sound of the familiar voice from that previous hellish scenario he'd experienced.
• Samael is carrying Kang Seunggeon with him, and drops him on the ground in front of Azazel while taunting CSY that he'd heard that Abel was looking forward to bringing back the head of the one Cheon Sayeon held dear. "What was the guild name? Roheon? The Deputy Guildmaster. Right? It's a shame that he failed. I would've liked to see you go crazy."
• HYG is confused why they're after KSG of all people, who isn't able to use his abilities like before anymore due to overuse of energy.
• Samael claims he has no intention of fighting this time. CSY finds it hard to believe. "My good brother always doesn't believe me. How sad." (Samael refers to CSY as 동생/dongsaeng here which means younger sibling, but it doesn't necessarily mean blood related brother, could be like a younger member of a group or something like that.)
• One of the other black masked men steps forward and raises his voice to address everyone. He seems to have an ability that amplifies his voice to the point that those who hear it cover their ears in pain, other than the other Praus Worshippers and SS-class Samael and Cheon Sayeon.
• Cheon Sayeon is frowning like he's never encountered such a situation before.
• The man dramatically addresses the broadcasting news cameras directed at the scene, announcing that "All of this is just the beginning. Now is the time to open our eyes. Stand up, you who have evolved. We are the beings who will rightfully rule this world."
• At this moment HYG seems to realize why he's getting an ominous feeling, and CSY also flies forward toward the speaking man.
• When Samael sees CSY moving, he smiles and activates a space transfer marble, teleporting himself and the rest of the Praus cult away.
• "Until there is true peace, not silence."
• Cheon Sayeon grabs the neck of the voice amplifier and throws him to the ground. The man spits out the last words "Upon this rock I will build His works"* before he dies.
  • * I believe this is meant to be a vague reference to the biblical passage "[...] upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18) and have accordingly capitalized 'His' in the religious sense here. It is important to note that Koreans ordinarily do not use gendered pronouns so in this passage the pronoun of the god they worship is also gender-neutral, though the reader may infer that it means Kali, but the audience to whom the man is speaking would not be able to infer any particular gender from the speech.
• Countless eyes and cameras are focused toward Cheon Sayeon as he straightens up. His face is pale and shadowed. A suffocating silence descends upon the area, and Cheon Sayeon, enduring it all alone, exhales a tired breath. HYG unconsciously calls out Cheon Sayeon's name, despite knowing that it couldn't reach him. The scene blurs white.
• [183]
• HYG flips through the news channels, which are reporting on the Praus cult and the apparent rise in violent crimes between ability users and ordinary people.
• He sighs and turns off the TV. Turning to Elohim he asks why the Praus cult targeted Kang Seunggeon. El also doesn't know, since it's the first time they've done such a thing. But speculates that even without the use of his abilities, he's still an S-class body, and the only son of a member of Parliament. Said parent is also apparently putting pressure on Guild HQ to help find KSG, though rather than it being out of concern, it was more just that they'd suffered a lot of humiliation during the Gangnam incident and were trying to pay it back.
• HYG: "Is Cheon Sayeon...okay?" El: "Hmm. I was worried too, but he seems to be doing better than I thought."
• El explains that the Praus cult has moved faster and more aggressively this time than any other, which feels ominous. CSY and the Praus cult may have both noticed that since the world has weakened, there may be only a few chances left to interfere with time.
• HYG thinks to himself that unlike dealing with Abel in gate D45, Cheon Sayeon seems to be a lot more sensitive against Samael. He wonders if he'll find out why if he reads CSY's past.
• El suggests that if he's so worried about it, he should just go see Cheon Sayeon again.
  • "What?"
  • "It will be easier since you've already done it once."
  • "...What?"
  • "I'm talking about entering his dream with your powers. Now that your energy is stronger than 'Han Yigyeol's, you should be able to do it without much effort."
  • "Ah, no, that......"
  • I didn't know what to say. I lowered my gaze as I covered the nape of my neck, which had reddened with scorching heat.
  • "It's not that I'm...that worried."
  • "Really?"
  • "Yes. It's just a little bit...But is it possible to connect right away just because I want to enter a dream?"
  • "It would be difficult with other children, but Cheon Sayeon will be possible. Because we have an agreement. If it's difficult to meet in person, the fastest way is to use our dreams."
  • "I see."
  • "Of course, if you want to meet, Cheon Sayeon will need to fall asleep on his side, but...Sehyeon-ah, I don't think there will be an issue since that child seems to have slept less on purpose ever since you came here."
  • He's been sleeping less on purpose? I blinked at the words I couldn't understand.
  • "I don't know what my coming here has to do with Cheon Sayeon sleeping less."
  • "Well......"
  • Elohim smiled mysteriously at the question and changed the subject.
  • "Anyway, if you want, I will open the way to his dream. What will you do?"
  • "......"
• ***
• Cheon Sayeon arrives at a hotel near the collapsed Guild Management HQ where a guild meeting is being held. HTH intercepts him before he arrives at the meeting room, but Cheon Sayeon attempts to pass him by after exchanging some teasing greetings.
• HTH grabs his arm to stop him and asks him if there isn't anything CSY wants to explain to him. CSY plays dumb and tells him that if he wants information, he should pay a price for it or else do his own investigation.
• He adds that regarding the SS-class coat, he had promised HYG, so he'll help HTH with that matter, but even though he said so, there's not much he can do besides put in a few words of support at the meeting where they announce it.
• He's in the middle about talking about the coat announcement meeting when he suddenly stumbles and would have fallen to the ground if it weren't for Ha Taeheon's hand grabbing his arm.
• Cheon Sayeon stares blankly for a moment without responding to HTH's calling of his name before asking HTH how long there is until the meeting starts.
• Hearing that there's 15 minutes, CSY tells HTH to follow him into a waiting room, locking the door behind them, and walks over to the sofa, telling HTH he needs to fall asleep for now. He asks HTH to stay with him while he sleeps, promising him an answer to one of his questions if he agrees. "I should wake up before the meeting, but if not, don't force me to wake up. This is more important than that useless meeting."
• HTH tsks at the offer he can't refuse and sits down on the sofa opposite CSY. Seeing that HTH is staying, CSY lies down on the sofa and slowly closes his eyes.
  • Note: narratively, this dream passage is told from CSY's perspective.
  • Cheon Sayeon opens his eyes to an unfamiliar sight. Unlike his normal dark and gloomy dreamscape, there are yellow flowers blooming amongst fields covered in light green grass under a deep blue sky.
  • He had entered the dream because he'd received a signal from the Prophet, but wonders if he should've been more careful. Something seems to be wrong.
  • "It really worked......"
  • A familiar voice comes from behind Cheon Sayeon. He turns around quickly to find the face he'd been waiting for, standing there looking at him.
  • "Cheon Sayeon."
  • Han Yigyeol calls out his name with an awkward expression. Standing with his back against the sun, his brown hair shines as bright as gold.
  • Cheon Sayeon stares at him without blinking, as if the Han Yigyeol in front of him might become a mirage and scatter away. Yigyeol is dressed in all white, and CSY can see the bracelet on his wrist, exposed due to having rolled up his sleeves.
  • Like Cheon Sayeon, Han Yigyeol also takes in what Cheon Sayeon is wearing.
  • "What...is there a meeting?"
  • "That's right. It's a meeting held by Guild Management headquarters. The building collapsed, so the location was changed to a nearby hotel."
  • "Ah...then do you need to hurry and go?"
  • "No."
  • Immediately, Cheon Sayeon answered and smilied brightly.
  • "There's still time until the meeting, so don't worry."
  • "That's a relief."
  • "I'd like it if you could come a little closer now. Isn't this too far to have a conversation?"
  • Han Yigyeol looks at the beckoning Cheon Sayeon and answers with a smirk.
  • "If you're dissatisfied, you come to me."
  • "Hm?"
  • "It's not like I'm a dog you can call......"
  • The unexpected complaint makes Cheon Sayeon ponder for a moment before gently raising the corners of his lips.
  • "Yes. I suppose you're right."
  • A gentle voice filled with tenderness flowed out.
  • "I'll come to you, Han Yigyeol."
• [184]
  • Note: narratively, this dream passage retells the same scenario from HYG's perspective.
  • HYG comes into the dream with Elohim's help and notes that it seems different from last time, with green meadows and a blue sky instead of a cliff full of fogginess and waves.
  • He looks up to see a tall man standing on the other side. It's Cheon Sayeon, who is wearing a perfectly fitted 3 piece suit. He looks like he's about to attend an important event.
  • "It really worked......"
  • Cheon Sayeon hears his muttered words and looks back immediately.
  • "Cheon Sayeon."
  • The black eyes that Cheon Sayeon is staring at him with seemed somehow dazed. What was wrong with him? Yigyeol had never seem him be so vigilant before.
  • "What...is there a meeting?"
  • Yigyeol suddenly feels awkward and asks while averting his gaze. Cheon Sayeon answers with his usual smile, as if he had come to his senses.
  • "That's right. It's a meeting held by Guild Management headquarters. The building collapsed, so the location was changed to a nearby hotel."
  • "Ah...then do you need to hurry and go?"
  • HYG had a lot to ask him. Cheon Sayeon smiled like a flower blooming at the worried HYG.
  • "No. There's still time until the meeting, so don't worry."
  • "That's a relief."
  • "I'd like if you could come a little closer now. Isn't this too far to have a conversation?"
  • Cheon Sayeon beckons toward him. HYG is about to reflexively step forward but quickly changes his mind when he remembers how CSY had always been calling him to his office whenever he wanted before and even here he's beckoning him to 'come here'. After realizing this, he feels wronged. Does he have to be like this even in his dreams?
  • "If you're dissatisfied, you come to me."
  • "Hm?"
  • "It's not like I'm a dog you can call......"
  • Cheon Sayeon ponders this while stroking the corner of his mouth. After a moment, he slowly relaxes his expression and smiles.
  • "Yes. I suppose you're right."
  • "......"
  • "I'll come to you, Han Yigyeol."
  • Cheon Sayeon somehow agrees and walks over without hesitation.
  • HYG blinks, mesmerized, and the distance narrows in an instant. He can feel Cheon Sayeon's hand gently stroking his wrist that was wearing the bracelet.
  • "Han Yigyeol."
  • "...Mm?"
  • "I think it's time for an explanation."
  • "What explanation?"
  • Cheon Sayeon's hand, which is much bigger than his, completely envelopes his wrist. As he wonders whether he should try to resist or not, Cheon Sayeon continues speaking.
  • "How are you able to enter my dream? The Prophet wouldn't have this kind of power."
  • "That......"
  • It's his "Intervention" ability, but in order to explain that, he would have to talk about having taken over this body. 'Of course, you had already noticed before that I'm not the real Han Yigyeol......'
  • Still, it's too difficult to say. He especially does not want to tell CSY in a dream that is going to end soon.
  • After hesitating for a long time, he comes up with a brief answer that omits several things.
  • "It's my new ability."
  • "Ability?"
  • "Yes. Like my wind ability."
  • Cheon Sayeon tilts his head slightly with a curious look.
  • "A new ability..."
  • Suddenly, he wonders what Cheon Sayeon will think. Based on what he had seen in "Han Yigyeol's" past, it seems likely that he's trying to gauge how helpful my new ability will be.
  • It feels a little bad, but he has to help Cheon Sayeon in order to live anyway, so if he asks him what kind of ability it is, he'll just give a rough explanation...
  • "A new gift is needed."
  • "What?"
  • "This bracelet."
  • Cheon Sayeon lifts his wrist a little and strokes the red jewel embedded in the center of the bracelet with his thumb.
  • "I don't think an A-class energy recovery item will be enough if you want to use your new ability."
  • "......"
  • "Didn't you have a hard time even with just the one wind ability due to how little energy you have? Now that you have another ability, you should use something better to recover energy."
  • "My energy levels are average for A-class."
  • He sighs, correcting him.
  • ...He really didn't expect this.
  • "The item is enough."
  • "Hmm. Then, instead of energy recovery..."
  • "Aren't you going to ask me what the ability is?"
  • He cuts off Cheon Sayeon, who was continuing to talk nonsense even when he gave him a chance to ask the question on purpose.
  • "I'm curious."
  • "You're curious. But then why aren't you asking? If I were you, I'd ask and wonder how best to use it."
  • A wind blows in from afar, and the sound of rustling grass spreads around them. Cheon Sayeon looks at him silently until the wind stops, and then lowers his face slightly and raises the corners of his mouth.
  • "That's surprising. Did you expect me to say something like that?"
  • "Stop talking nonsense."
  • "No, I'm serious."
  • He can't understand Cheon Sayeon's intentions. Cheon Sayeon is on the receiving end of his unfriendly glare, and speaks first.
  • "You don't have to look at me like that. There's really no particular reason."
  • "Tell me."
  • "Well, it didn't seem like you'd tell me even if I asked."
  • That's...true.
  • "I'm hiding many things as well."
  • That's...also true.
  • "Do you remember what I'd said before?"
  • Cheon Sayeon lightly caresses the corners of his eyes, which were exposed under his hair that was ruffling in the light breeze.
  • "I said that we were in a position to hide our hidden cards and be wary of one another."
  • "That was a long time ago."
  • "Things have changed a lot over time...but the basics are the same. Predicting, discovering, and using each other's hidden cards."
  • "Those were annoying words back then and also now."
  • He knocks away Cheon Sayeon's hand that had kept touching his face.
  • "So? What do you want to say?"
  • "What is your identity in Han Yigyeol's body, how you got Ha Taeheon's coat, and how much you've seen while living with the Prophet...There are many things I'd like to know."
  • "......"
  • "I'm not so curious that I'll force you to reply and get fake answers in return. Of course, it'd be fun to discover things by chance though."
  • "In other words, as long as you can use me without issues, you don't intend to find out?"
  • "Oh my. What a prejudiced summary of my passionate heart."
  • Cheon Sayeon reacts as if he finds Yigyeol's words difficult, but doesn't deny that it is the case.
  • He swallows dryly, feeling a bitterness in his mouth from the complex emotions.
  • He had expected it to be like this. But he can't help feeling upset after hearing it in person anyway.
  • "Are you sure that's enough?"
  • Cheon Sayeon seems a little confused, perhaps because he didn't think he would ask again.
  • "Relationships where we just use each other. Is that enough, Cheon Sayeon?"
  • "......"
  • Cheon Sayeon doesn't answer for a long time. His black eyes, which had been trembling with a complex expression, soon subside into calmness.
  • "Yes."
  • Yigyeol, who had raised his expectations slightly, gives up at the resolute answer. The opportunity to redefine their relationship ended without anything changing.
  • "Okay."
  • He pulls away his wrist, which had been held onto the whole time, and immediately gets to the main point.
  • "What is the situation with the Guild Management Headquarters? The building completely collapsed."
  • Cheon Sayeon, divested of his wrist, blinks for a moment before speaking in his usual voice.
  • "Director Choi Mijin did a good job, but...there were quite a few deaths. Most of them were lab workers in the basement. Did you see it yourself?"
  • He nods in reply to the question of whether he had seen it through the written book.
  • "How has Ha Taeheon-ssi been since the gate?"
  • "Whenever he has a chance, he's been following me around."
  • "...Him? You?"
  • "He seems to have a lot of questions after the gate attack. Thanks to him, I'm very busy running away these days."
  • HYG sighs at the playful remark. He seems like he's having a lot of fun.
  • Ha Taeheon's feelings are perfectly understandable. Of course he would be curious after that whole mess.
  • "Aren't you going to explain it to Ha Taeheon-ssi?"
  • Cheon Sayeon answers noncommittally and when pressed, explains that he's tired of explaining everything to Ha Taeheon. And that from experience, he knows that now is not the time.
  • HYG reluctantly accepts the answer, and thinks it's best to let the 2 of them work out the issues between them. He asks about the Praus cult and the increased crime rates.
  • CSY says that the Praus cult won't move for a while again after this time, and that there's not much he can do against the crime rate, but that HYG shouldn't worry so much, because ability users have already been around for 20 years, and it will take more than one random pseudo-religious group to shake the foundations of that society.
  • HYG's forehead, which had been stiff with worry, loosens a bit with relief at CSY's words. Cheon Sayeon notices and smiles.
  • "So?"
  • "What."
  • "When are you coming back?"
  • As soon as HYG had felt that the necessary conversation topics had been covered, he sees the white light slowing engulfing everything from far away. He feels that his Intervention ability may be a little too honest.
  • "Even if I return to Korea, I won't go to you. Don't count your chickens before they hatch."
  • "Gosh. Don't you feel sorry for our guild members who are waiting for you?"
  • "I'll meet with them secretly."
  • In the meantime, the light reaches up to right behind Cheon Sayeon. HYG gently pushes his shoulder and says something cold on purpose.
  • "You haven't forgotten our deal, have you? Please help Ha Taeheon-ssi properly."
  • "As you wish."
  • The dream ends with Cheon Sayeon's sly answer.
• [185]
• Cheon Sayeon wakes to the sound of Ha Taeheon on the phone with Lee Jooha. Ha Taeheon ends the call, and when asked, tells CSY that it's been an hour and a half.
• CSY is surprised that it's been that long. Initially when he thought it was just Elohim, he hadn't planned to sleep for long, but someone unexpected came instead. Meeting Han Yigyeol was more important than the meeting, where they would have just been nagged to find Kang Seunggeon anyway.
• HTH demands an explanation now, and CSY tells him that he only promised one answer after waking up, so does HTH want to spend that on asking why CSY had to fall asleep or?
• CSY knows that if he dangles the bait that he met HYG in his dream in front of HTH, HTH will definitely choose to ask about that, but when he thinks back to how HYG had asked him if a relationship where they just used each other was enough, he sighs and decides against it, letting HTH formulate his own question.
• HTH ponders for a while and chooses to ask what CSY knows about the Praus cult.
• ***
• HYG sleeps for a full day after visiting CSY's dream. Elohim hands him a glass of water after waking up, and comments that, based on HYG's expression, the conversation must not have gone well.
• HYG replies affirmatively, still feeling bitter. El explains that Cheon Sayeon has been by himself for too long. Even if he gets help from someone and cooperates, in the end, it's meaningless, so he's chosen to deal with it alone.
• HYG replies that he understands, but can't help feeling frustrated anyway. But he feels he's not in a position to talk since he hasn't been honest with Cheon Sayeon either.
• "Just as you understand Cheon Sayeon, that child will understand you, Sehyeon-ah."
• HYG wonders if that's really the case, since after reading og!HYG's past, he still couldn't understand what Cheon Sayeon thought of him. Because he's too good at hiding what he's feeling. The smile he wears while looking at him, the gentle eyes, and the hand that gently grabs his wrist. All of them could just be fake, and meant to take advantage of him.
• HYG admits to El that he had been thinking about asking for Cheon Sayeon's consent to read his past. But then since CSY said they were still just using each other, he'd decided that even if Cheon Sayeon refused, he'd still read it, but that he'd at least like to let Cheon Sayeon know about it since he's an involved party.
• El reassures him that he doesn't have to be concerned, because CSY already gave up his own rights to his past in exchange for something a long time ago. Not just his past at the time, but any records made in the future as well.
• HYG asks El if it's true that the Praus cult will be quiet for a while now.
• El agrees that Kali's children (as in like Samael, Abel, etc) do not move in haste, so they probably won't appear for a while again. The cult members however, will likely start moving more now that they've made their opening salvo. They're not as dangerous as Kali's children though.
• ***
• Kwon Sehyeon is leaving work when he notices Yeon Seonwoo driving up to him. Yeon Seonwoo complains that he didn't get to see Sehyeon yesterday and tries to cajole him into going on a drive with him. Threatening that if he won't get in the car with him, Seonwoo will continue to follow behind Sehyeon in the car as he walks, even if they reach the main road and all the cars behind him start honking at him.
• Sehyeon feels really burdened by that threat and thinks that Seonwoo has never been like this before and must really want to go. So he acquiesces.
• When asked, Seonwoo says he's heading to Seongnaecheon Stream (or Seongnae Stream, a scenic river/stream by the Olympic Park in Seoul, apparently nice for viewing cherry blossoms/other spring flowers).
• Sehyeon worries that there'll be a lot of people but Seonwoo assures him that since it's still early morning it'll be ok.
• Sehyeon has neither been to Seongnaecheon, nor has he ever gone flower-viewing in general.
• Seonwoo promises it'll take no longer than an hour, but Sehyeon finds his behavior a little sus.
• [186]
• They park nearby and enter a promenade full of cherry blossoms and forsythia. Seonwoo tells Sehyeon they won't walk far since Sehyeon is still in a suit, and next time, Sehyeon should wear more comfortable clothes. Sehyeon just marvels at how naturally Seonwoo assumes there will be a next time.
• Sehyeon mentions that it should be exam time for college students, but Seonwoo complains that his head hurts from studying so hard and that he held on just so he could have a date with his hyung-nim.
• Sehyeon doesn't believe that he studies hard since he spends so much time in the bar, but Seonwoo insists that he's smart and also studies hard.
• Sehyeon starts giving him a pitying look, thinking that he must be busy as a college student but still spends his free time looking for a gangster like him instead of hanging out with friends. He still couldn't understand why Sehyeon was even interested in him. Did he just want a hyung-nim with a big age gap? Or could it be that he was being bullied at school and didn't have friends...Come to think of it, it might be difficult to make friends with a rich second-generation.
• Seonwoo calls for him, wondering why he's just standing there blankly, and asks if he's very tired after all. Sehyeon is about to tell him he's ok when they're approached by two women who ask if they can take a photo for them.
• Sehyeon leaves it to Seonwoo, who sullenly takes their proffered cell phone and agrees to take the photo. He does very well at taking the photos, however.
• They thank him and praise his photo-taking skills, and in return he asks them if they can take a photo of him and Sehyeon.
• Seonwoo drags Sehyeon under a cherry tree for a picture, slinging his arm over his shoulders. Sehyeon tries to object but no one listens to him. Seonwoo looks at the taken photos afterward and thinks they came out pretty well, showing Sehyeon a shot of them smiling while looking at each other under the cherry blossom petals.
• Sehyeon doesn't really remember smiling and thinks he doesn't look good, compared to Seonwoo, but Seonwoo insists he really likes that photo, and that it's the best one out of the ones that were taken.
• A strong wind blows, scattering cherry blossom petals like snow. In between them, Sehyeon sees Seonwoo staring at him. In the bright sun, his hair shone like gold. He reaches out and gently removes a petal from Sehyeon's forehead.
• ***
• After the flower viewing, Seonwoo drives Sehyeon back home. The alleyway is too narrow for the car to enter so it's parked outside.
• Looking at the house, Seonwoo expresses that he hopes that the house at the end of the alley isn't where Sehyeon lives, but Sehyeon just says that it is.
• Seonwoo is surprised, given that Sehyeon appears to be well-to-do enough to manage the bar, but it's not a matter of money for Sehyeon. ('Besides, whatever I need, that man will give me.') He just prefers to live in such a space. [Note: remember how HYG felt comfy visiting Kim Woojin's old apartment?]
• Sehyeon changes the subject by asking if Seonwoo is disappointed that Sehyeon doesn't seem to have much. Seonwoo denies it, saying that he rather thinks it's good, because he (Seonwoo) on the other hand, has a lot, and immediately asks if Sehyeon would like to move in with him.
• Sehyeon just groans since he can't keep up with Seonwoo's slick mouth. He tells him to stop joking around, and that although it's a bit small and shabby, Sehyeon likes it here.
• Seonwoo tries to invite himself over for coffee, and Sehyeon is in awe of his audacity, after keeping him out for a whole 3 hours despite promising only 1, now he wants coffee? Seonwoo whines that it's just because time flies when you're having fun, and that if not coffee, ramen is fine too.
• Seonwoo suddenly receives a phone call, which he initially rejects, but they call again, so he picks it up, annoyed. It seems to be from his (older) sister, angrily asking him where he is and how he needs to change before the lunch in 2 hours unless he's trying to make 'Dad' angry again. She asks if he's at 'that bar' again and he hastily hangs up.
• He reluctantly tells Sehyeon he has to go home for now, so they'll have to take a rain check on the ramen. Sehyeon retorts that he never agreed to treating him to ramen in the first place. Seonwoo pouts.
• Seeing how sad Seonwoo looks getting back into his car, Sehyeon relents and smiles at Seonwoo, patting him on the head and promising to buy ramen for next time.
• Seonwoo blinks, momentarily dazed, and then flushes red in an instant.
  • "...You're doing this on purpose......"
  • "What?"
  • "I'm the only one struggling here, really. I feel wronged......"
• Seonwoo doesn't clarify and starts the car, driving off with a promise that he'll come see him again tonight.
• [187]
• Park Geonho complains that he's bored, and his Special Ops team agrees, having not been on a gate clear in over three months. Cheon Sayeon has apparently told him that he's going to be more cautious in deploying his team now.
• PGH thinks it's not unreasonable, given the turmoil in Korea and abroad, due to the appearance of the Praus cult. As he's pondering this, CSY calls for him, so he heads up to his office.
• On the way there, he runs into Min Arin outside the door, and when they go in, Woo Seohyeok, Kim Woojin, and Kwon Jeonghan are all already inside.
• Once they're all there, Cheon Sayeon hands each of them a ring with a green gem. It's the same time of ability-nullification item HYG had gotten before.
• PGH thinks this group of people gathered to receive the items is strange, and questions CSY on it, asking wasn't the SS-class mental ability targeting HYG last time?
  • "It's been over two months since Han Yigyeol has left, and you still doesn't have any plans to look for him?"
  • "Well, why should I look for him? He's not even a member of the guild."
  • "That's unexpected. I thought your patience would have reached its limit."
  • "You've got an interesting idea, Team Leader Park Geonho. Don't run your mouth too much and just wear the ring properly. If you're hit with the mental ability, things will get complicated."
• Park Geonho stares at CSY's smile for a moment before sighing and backing down. CSY kicks everyone out of the office as soon as the discussion is over.
• The kicked out people agree that CSY seems to already know where Han Yigyeol is, wondering how he knows when even HTH who went to China with HYG doesn't seem to know anymore.
• WSH just says that CSY can find out anything he's determined to find out.
• They also discuss how the black masked people in the Praus cult seem to be the same black masked people involved in HYG's kidnapping case, and that now that they're on the move in public, it's not strange for other ability users like themselves to also be targeted, therefore the need for the ring.
• Kim Woojin surmises that if CSY does know where HYG is, but hasn't brought him back, then in this situation...it must be because it's safer where HYG is now than in Korea.
• Everyone silently agrees.
• PGH asks the worn out looking Woojin if he's ok.
  • KWJ: "...Of course I'm fine."
  • KWJ: "I understand that Han Yigyeol isn't returning and that the Guildmaster isn't looking for him."
  • "......"
  • KWJ: "I don't care as long as Han Yigyeol is safe."
  • MAR: "Woojin-ssi..."
  • Min Arin reaches for KWJ, but before her arms reach him, he turns and leaves the hallway.
  • MAR: "I think I understand what he means, but......"
  • Considering HYG's personality, he'd definitely get himself involved in something dangerous if he were here now.
  • MAR: "But I miss Yigyeol-ssi so much......"
• [188]
• On HYG's side, a number of peaceful days pass quickly. As anticipated by CSY and Elohim, while the Praus cult has been active, there have been no major incidents with Kali's servants yet.
• Elohim tells Yigyeol that for now it'll be more important to focus on 'variables' - or occurences that have rarely happened in the past. Sehyeon's existence is in itself a variable, but Elohim is more concerned about Kang Seunggeon, who has never been taken before.
• Compared to every past regression, where there were always some small changes, the butterfly effect from Sehyeon's arrival this time has made the variance quite large, so they should take precautions against the unknown.
• HYG resolves himself to overcome the situation somehow. Thinking that if he hadn't come to the Prophet's realm and learned all this, he would have just quietly disappeared upon Cheon Sayeon's next failure.
  • "Now I understand why you gave me the candy."
  • I had thought that they were trying to use me to stop Kali.
  • "At the end of the day, I need this ability in order to live."
  • Elohim, whose eyes had been restored and could see all of my thoughts, smiled bitterly and stroked my hair gently.
  • I hesitated at the affectionate touch as I opened my mouth.
  • "If you had explained it, I would have accepted it even if it wasn't as the price."
  • "I couldn't do that. It was us who wanted you to be aware of your power, so of course we should pay the right price."
  • "...Did you not want me to die?"
  • "Of course. Not only I, but Elaha as well."
  • "It's nothing special, Sehyeon-ah. If you were in our shoes and could see how you've endured so far...you would also wish for youself to live and not die."
  • "......"
• HYG feels something hot spreading in his chest, a mixture of embarrassment and sadness. He can only reply "Thank you" in return.
• Elohim tells him that he doesn't need to eat any more candy. After 12 dreams, his aura is pretty close to pure black now. Even without candy, he may still dream of the past, but it should be much rarer. However, he still needs to stay the rest of the 70 days before returning to Korea (about 10 days remaining).
• HYG finds it hard to believe that the 70 days are finally coming to an end, but feels glad that his last dream for now ended up being of Yeon Seonwoo. Dreaming of the past was always painful, but the silver lining was being able to see the faces he'd missed.
• With a lonely voice, Elohim remarks, "It's going to be quiet here again."
• ***
• Suddenly filled with free time, HYG is wondering what he should do when one of the white spirit animals approaches him, a cat this time. It calls for him like it needs something from him, and bites the hem of his pants to get him to follow it.
• It leads him all the way to the dark forest at the end of the flower garden in the area he and HTH had stayed in before. The cat stops at the entrance to the forest and calls again, as if asking for help.
• HYG suddenly gets a bad premonition and flies into the forest. In less than 5 minutes after entering, he feels a headache coming on, and his energy seems to circulate slower than normal in the forest.
• He continues deeper into the forest for a long time before finally hearing the familiar cry of the fox from a cave filled with purple flowers. It cries harder upon spotting HYG, and HYG clicks his tongue before descending to see what's wrong.
• The fox seems to have gotten tied up in a hard vine covered in a dark purple fluid, and he can't pull it loose with just his hands. He manages to cut it with his wind, freeing the fox, telling it to thank its sibling when they get out.
• But as soon as he tries to stand up again, pollen bursts out from the purple flowers all around them, instantly paralyzing him. His headache is worse than ever, and he belatedly notices that the vine that had been trapping the fox is now wrapped around his ankle and dragging him further inside the cave.
• He yells for the fox to flee, planning to cut the vine with his wind again and follow, but both of his legs are suddenly dragged into the soil, and the vines are no longer visible to cut.
• As he struggles, not knowing what to do, Elohim suddenly appears, coming to his rescue.
• [189]
• Elohim hugs HYG's shoulders and warns the being in the cave to back off and let him go. He emits a bright white light, and the vine that was grabbing HYG's leg disappears.
• HYG's body is still too weak to walk, so Elohim picks him and the fox up and leaves the cave. He is expressionless as they leave the dark forest. With his every step, green sprouts pop out from the black soil, but then wither and die in an instant.
• HYG tries to apologize for entering without asking, but Elohim reassures him that it's ok. He knows Sehyeon did it to save the fox, and on the contrary he's thankful rather than angry.
• He explains that the creature in the cave was a child who used to live with them, in times before the spirit animals were born. It had been Elaha's favorite child, so they couldn't bear to kill it.
• It had been different in the past, but changed after eating the fruit of the golden apple tree.
  • "The fruit has the power to realize the desire of the one who holds it. Therefore, it is dangerous to eat it carelessly."
  • "It must have eaten it without realizing."
  • "No."
  • "Kali fed it. Directly."
  • "......"
  • "Since Kali fed it the fruit, it is because of Kali's desire that it changed."
  • "It's the price of loving someone you shouldn't love."
• HYG cautiously asks if Elaha is ok. Elohim explains that unlike himself, Elaha loved Kali with all his heart. He trusted and relied on her for a long time, and considered her family. He wants Kali's death more than anyone else, but also still loves her. He'll carry the wounds from Kali for the rest of his life.
• HYG has no words of comfort to offer in response.
• Having returned to the temple, El places HYG back on his bed and tells him that the paralytic effect of the pollen should disperse in about an hour, so just rest until then.
• HYG agrees, and El thanks him again for saving the fox, who would have otherwise definitely died.
• When HYG asks why the fox went into the forest in the first place, Elohim replies that he'll find out while HYG is resting, and give the fox a good scolding.
• ***
• The fox squeaks at him as soon as he enters the dining area and HYG feels relieved at the sight. As HYG sits down, it affectionately rubs against him over and over again.
• El tells him that since HYG saved it, it likes him now. HYG feels that its feelings are a little burdensome and squishes the tip of its nose with his finger.
• He wonders if El really scolded the fox, given how excited it still seems.
• El explains that the reason the fox went into the forest was because it was hoping to awaken the invisibility power it still didn't have through an adventure.
• HYG thinks this is a really silly reason and pinches and pulls the fox's cheeks for a while despite its protests.
• After a while, the rabbit spirit animal jumps up onto the table, and as soon as it reaches the fox, smacks it on the head with its paw.
• It raises its paw to smack the fox again but HYG hurriedly hugs the fox in his arms and asks what's going on. El says that the rabbit is here to scold its sibling.
• HYG thinks that scolding is ok but hitting it on the head is a little...Don't they say that hitting kids on the head kills brain cells and makes them dumber...
• However the rabbit is still incredibly unsatisfied and wants to hit the fox more, so HYG asks El to please stop it. El does so by picking the rabbit up and flinging it out the window.
• El comments that the rabbit is the most aggressive out of the siblings, and HYG is surprised since it doesn't match his mental image of rabbits. El says that in fact, despite their cute looks, the creatures known as rabbits have had bad personalities since a long time ago.
• HYG puts the fox back on the table and warns it that although he stopped the rabbit's scolding this time, there won't be a next time, because it really did deserve a scolding. All 4 of the fox's ears droop at El and HYG's combined nagging, and it sulks away from them.
• Elohim reminds HYG about the flower pattern he'd found on the floor of the gate with the hidden area that he had cleared with Ha Taeheon and confirms that there is indeed an item hidden beneath, but that he'll need El's help to get it. El promises to open the passageway back to Korea through that gate so they can retrieve it on HYG's return trip.
• [190]
• It's the day of the return, and HYG is wearing his normal jeans, jacket, and tshirt again. The fox lands on his shoulder as he approaches the passage Elohim and Elaha have opened.
• Elaha asks if he'll take the fox with him. When HYG is confused, Elaha clarifies that the fox seems to have planned to follow him. HYG is surprised and tries to pull the fox off from his shoulder, but it refuses to let go.
• Elaha doesn't seem to think there's a problem with it, but HYG is unsure about taking this spirit animal, who has never been outside of the El brothers' realm, back. And he's also unsure he'll be able to take care of it or protect it.
• When Elohim also tells him 'Why not just take it?' he feels like no one is on his side.
• Elohim explains that, as a monster and not an ordinary animal, HYG doesn't have to worry about feeding it or cleaning up after it, and it might be useful to him.
• The fox continuously whines at HYG pitifully. Elohim suggests that they take the fox with them to get the item from the gate, and if HYG still doesn't want to take it with him at that point, them El will bring it back.
  • Elaha: "Kwon Sehyeon, you should know because you read the book. You have to take responsibility for what you've tamed. Even if you didn't mean to."
  • "......"
  • "The same goes for the other children, as well as the fox."
  • "Be careful on your way, Kwon Sehyeon. I hope we can meet again someday."
• HYG takes one final look at the beautiful meadow around them with the temple in the background and Elaha standing in the middle of all of it. He wonders if he'll be able to come again. Taking Elohim's outstretched hand, they slowly walk into the passage together.
• ***
• They exit the passage right into the hidden area with the flower pattern on the floor that HYG had stumbled across before. Even though it's been 5 months, the area looks exactly the same as before, with the boss statue still in ruins. El explains that hidden boss monsters don't revive even when the gate resets.
• El explains that gates are imperfect passageways to other worlds. They specifically connect to a given point in time of a part of another world, when the monsters are alive. But when the gate resets then it resets back to that point, and the regular monsters also revive. However, since Kali has opened up so many passageways, the connection for each is weak and unstable, so strong monsters like bosses cannot regress to the starting point where they are still live, and remain dead.
• They arrive at the flower pattern on the floor, and El informs HYG that it's actually a Peony design rather than a rose, like HYG first thought.
• El uses his power to open the floor tile, and beneath it is a long sword with a dark blue jewel in the center. It's a little larger and wider than the Lilith's sword that CSY uses, but it emits a similar aura. It's also SS-class.
• HYG smiles broadly when he imagines Ha Taeheon fighting with this sword. Since Roheon successfully had the press conference about the SS-class coat 20 days ago, HTH can now proudly wear the coat around, and it should be ok to give him a new gift.
• El strokes his hair and asks.
  • "Are you that happy?"
  • "I really didn't expect it to be SS-class."
  • "That's good. Ha Taeheon, you've already made up your mind to give it to that child."
  • "Mm. The only people around me who use swords are Cheon Sayeon and Ha Taeheon-ssi, and Cheon Sayeon already has one."
  • "And since this is the gate Ha Taeheon-ssi is in charge of, it seems appropriate to give it to him."
  • "To me, Sehyeon-ah, it seems that it would be good for you to have it."
  • "......"
  • He looks at the sword in his hand for a moment.
  • "No, it's too heavy for me and I've never handled a longsword like this before. For many reasons, it's better to hand it over to Ha Taeheon-ssi."
  • "Really?"
  • "Yes."
• The letters 'Kayin' seem to be engraved on the blade and Han Yigyeol wonders if that's the sword's name. [T/N: it is Kayin spelled with the Latin alphabet in the raws, which is an alternative spelling of the name of the biblical figure 'Cain'.]
• El seems to recognize the name, and wonders if finding this sword was predestined.
• El tells HYG the sword rightfully belongs to HYG since it would never have been discovered without him, and that HYG should feel free to gift it to whomever he wants.
• Elohim asks him where he'd like to be returned to in Korea, now that they've retrieved the sword. HYG says that a place where he can avoid being seen as much as possible would be good, and then wonders what to do about this sword since he doesn't have an inventory to hide it in.
• [191]
• Elohim suggests that he'll connect the passageway to an empty shopping area alley in Gangnam, since HYG needs to return to Gangnam anyway. Additionally, he suggests that HYG let Fox take care of the sword by turning it invisible with its abilities.
• HYG is suspicious of why El waited until now to tell him that Fox had acquired the invisibility ability and that the ability could turn objects invisible too. And complains that this must have been a premeditated scenario, but relents and agrees to take the fox with him.
• Elohim connects the passage, and tells HYG to visit him in a month or two again, when the organization of Cheon Sayeon's book will be complete.
• Elohim pulls him into a hug, and bids him to take care of himself. If there's any need to meet before the book is finished, El will contact him in a dream. With El's smile to bid him farewell, HYG steps through the passageway.
• HYG tries to reenter Korea quietly but he almost immediately runs into 2 college kids getting attacked by a drunken seeming older man with a knife so he helps them out by beating the man up a bit until he runs away. A small crowd gathers with their phones out, so his gallant rescue is probably going to go viral immediately again.
• After saving the 2 students, he takes one of their baseball caps as compensation (to help hide his face I guess....but it's already too late) and flies off.
• He decides to go back to Requiem first to at least retrieve his wallet and phone so he can contact people ('And if I'm lucky enough to run into Cheon Sayeon, he can fill me in about the Praus cult.').
• He plans to see Ha Taeheon as well, eventually, but not immediately.

A little mad at Cheon Sayeon for continuing to keep Han Yigyeol at arm's length, but I suppose he has his reasons. I'm sure he'll come to regret it later though...

Next time, it'll finally be the big reunion

Also, this month the author copied the birthday side stories for most of the MLs onto their postype, as well as the supernatural/exorcist AU side story in celebration of the 1st anniversary (side stories were previously posted on Twitter in thread-form). They also backfilled more of their Twitter Q&A answers, which are always fun to read as well.

 

Ok, so Seonwoo definitely have a crush on Sehyeon. Then why did he kill him? Was he threatened? Was he actually a yandere??? What’s going on?

El is so touchy-feely with Sehyeon. It almost makes me want to expect something.

 

I totally get why it seems like it might be Seonwoo who stabbed Sehyeon in the flashback in the first chapter (I too suspected this for a time), but I don't think it's actually confirmed yet, and could still just be a younger member of Sehyeon's gang that Sehyeon was fond of. It wouldn't be the first time an underling had betrayed him, even.

In general Sehyeon's own emotional reaction to seeing Seonwoo's face in his dreams seems to be one of profound affection mixed with remorse, given how much he cried over it the first time. Almost to the extent where I wonder if Seonwoo's involvement with Sehyeon somehow got Seonwoo killed/hurt in the original world already. (Complete speculation). Somehow I feel like he would react a little differently if Seonwoo had been the one to betray/stab him, but his reaction upon realizing he died in ch1 is actually pretty lukewarm. More embarrassed than heartbroken. (Well, not that I really understand Sehyeon's mindset all that well despite seeing the story from his perspective. I can't for the life of me tell what his actual feelings regarding the Director are, for one.)

And yeah! El showers him in a lot of physical affection. Sometimes (usually upon request) the author includes the El twins in their Twitter Q&A answers for questions like 'what if Han Yigyeol and the MLs were in <x> scenario?' (for example, 'If dating. What if HYG throws away the couple ring during a fight?') so they're like, not not potential love interests. But they are mentioned less than the others for sure.

 

Just how long is that chain?
It’s long enough to go out through the window and climb up to the room on the furthest end of the floor above? But not long enough to go to the bathroom of said room?

I wonder why the commenters would think that it’s the Director specifically?

 

Ah, good catch, I opted not to mention it before but it's actually not KWJ's normal room (Jeonghan tells Yigyeol that "Woojin couldn't make it all the way to his room" just to make HYG feel extra bad...) so they just put him temporarily in the room just above HYG's for the night. So it's not quite that far! But yeah chain is of ambiguous length. I think it's meant to be long enough that he can go anywhere in his current room and then some, which depending on how close the sofa is to a window might be long enough to reach the floor above too?

I think it's probably part wishful thinking, and part that if it is some new person interfering like Yigyeol suspects, then Director-nim is one of 2 people we know that are significant from Sehyeon's world, and I guess seems more likely than Seonwoo to be working with "the bad guys" so to speak.