CH 337

Cheon Sungheon didn’t answer the question of “why?”

Instead, he closed his eyes.

I waited until he gave me anything, any answer.

But he didn’t budge.

‘He has no intention of answering me.’

Cheon Sungheon’s communication method was limited, but if he were willing to answer, he would’ve given me a hint.

Just like how he blinked to call me, Stalemateless.

Cheon Sungheon opened his eyes, perhaps convinced that I understood that he doesn’t have any intention to answer.

Cheon Sungheon looked at me quietly.

‘Even back then, Sungheon didn’t tell me anything until the end.’

Cheon Sungheon looked gentle on the outside, but he was a stubborn kid.

If he doesn’t want to answer, I have no choice but to find out for myself.

Just as I had to find out what Cheon Sungheon’s family did against me, and what Cheon Sungheon did for me.

‘Well… I didn’t say a word about my lung cancer and suddenly disappeared after leaving a note. I guess I’m not really one to talk.’

Thinking of the old days made my mind go cold.

It was only after I collected myself did I see Hwang Jiho and Cheon Dongha staring at me.

I can’t afford to make any more mistakes in front of the old man and my playable character.

I still felt suffocated every time I glance at Cheon Sungheon connected to life support devices, but I did my best to try to think of what to do next.

‘…Let’s calm down. I’m the only one who can figure out how Sungheon came all the way here and why this thing happened. If I don’t do anything, Sungheon would have to stay here in this state!’

I’d know the full story if Cheon Sungheon becomes able to move again and tell me everything on his own.

Isn’t my least favorite thing having no legal moves at the end of a chess game?

I need to live up to my nickname – Stalemateless.

“Euishin, do you know my brother?”

“Yes, but I didn’t know that he was in here like this.”

“So that’s why my brother didn’t want to call you…”

There was a look of anguish on Cheon Dongha’s face.

The whole interaction between me and Cheon Sungheon was surely strange, but Cheon Dongha hadn’t pointed it out yet.

I took the initiative before he could ask questions.

“Last time, you said that your brother was a player. What type of abilities does he have?”

“He’s not 17 yet, so he can’t use any light skill yet. I looked at his skills, and I think they’re similar to what I have.”

He looked at what his skills were, but he didn’t find anything unusual.

There are two skills that don’t exist in the PMH world — Exclusive Menu for Two-Dimensional Future Transformed Objects and Communication with Transcendent Universe.

Although ‘Use Objects’ is a rare skill, it existed in this world.

Meanwhile, the Destiny skill exists only to the extent that it was abstractly mentioned in old books Hwang Jiho interpreted in the past.

There is still a lot to be discovered about my skills.

Still, I’m sure that they’re nowhere near similar to Cheon Dongha’s skills.

In other words, Cheon Sungheon doesn’t possess skills similar to mine.

‘He still can’t use a light skill, but I’m sure it’s different from mine.’

I still lack clues.

I remembered the moment I cleared the final chapter of PMH and was transported to this world.

Compatibility review.

Information modification.

Dimension synchronization and transportation.

I repeated the words in my head over and over again, but I couldn’t think of what caused Cheon Sungheon to be like this.

‘This won’t do. There’s still not enough hints.’

I thought of something that I could do.

It would be very useful, but the risks are huge.

I assessed the situation and tried to weigh the risks.

‘I might not be able to watch Playlist with the other kids.’

Still, I decided to keep it as an option.

* * *

Hwangmyeong Mansion.

All the tigers who went to offer flowers to Jo Euishin’s family returned home.

White Tiger, Shinsoo, and the descendants went back to the mansion early, while Red Tiger and Kim Shinrok spent some time in the charnel house so they got back a bit later.

‘I can’t believe only Jo Euishin and us came to pay respect. Maybe it’s because Jo Euishin doesn’t talk about his family’s death, but it’s quite bitter.’

Kim Shinrok had a plan of greeting acquaintances of Jo Euishin’s family using the excuse that he is his teacher.

However, no one else came after Yong Jegun, who was on the lookout, finally offered flowers.

There were some other people who came to the charnel house, but only the Tiger Clan and Jo Euishin laid flowers on Jo Euishin’s family’s grave.

Red Tiger simply thought that it was a bitter thing, but Kim Shinrok, who had been integrated into human society for a long time, had a strange expression.

“What’s wrong, son?”

“…It’s quite strange.”

“Strange?”

Kim Shinrok hesitated.

“…It’s strange that no one else visited Jo Euishin’s family.”

Kim Shinrok continued, looking down at his hand that still smelled like chrysanthemum flowers.

“Jo Euishin’s dongsaengs were young, but it’s different for his parents. I heard that both of them worked together. It’s the first death anniversary, but it’s strange that no one visited them even though I’m sure they had a social life.”

“Jo Euishin seemed to care about his family very much. Maybe his parents put their children above anything else, including their social life.”

Red Tiger spent more time in the mansion recently.

Because his son was there.

As a result, he naturally had fewer interactions with people outside the mansion.

Red Tiger spoke with that in mind, but Kim Shinrok looked unconvinced.

“Still, to think that no one else offered flowers to people that raised a son like Jo Euishin…”

Red Tiger looked at Kim Shinrok.

The parts of his face that resembled the Bear Goddess looked especially sorrowful and full of questions.

‘…Is he comparing it to his case?’

Kim Shinrok has been teaching at Eungwang High since the worldly collisions.

He changes his face from time to time.

Working too long might make his impression on students too strong, so he usually changes his identity before he turns 40.

However, there’s recently a rumor circulating in Eungwang High, as if people are beginning to have suspicions about Kim Shinrok.

The rumor about ‘a teacher who kept working at Eungwang High even after death’ was circulating, but it wasn’t widely known enough to have to do anything about it.

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Red Tiger’s son was a good teacher.

Of course, there would be students who would be greatly saddened by his death.

Kim Shinrok saw his students flock to his funeral and cry when he first changed identities in the past.

Since then, he’s been trying not to get too involved with his students when it’s time to change his identity.

Still, there were students of his who honored him.

It was Sung Gukeon who never forgot Kim Shinrok and continued to put flowers on his grave.

“Your old student still seems to be coming to offer flowers for you.”

“…You knew?”

“No matter how fake the death was, I can’t just ignore the place where people mourn my son’s death.”

There was a hint of joy on Kim Shinrok’s face, but bitterness came again.

While the father and son sat in silence, the descendants came out to the living room.

There was soot all over their clothes and there was a distinct smell of something burning as if the kids were cooking in the kitchen just now.

“Red Tiger-nim! Shinrok oppa! Have you seen mountain spirit anywhere?”

“He’s getting more and more serious these days. We were going to feed him the food that we made because we thought he was having problems with digestion but…”

“Oh, today’s menu is egg soy sauce rice!”

They held out a bowl as they announced what food they cooked, but the inside of the bowl was completely black.

There should be hints of the egg and rice in it, but it looks like there’s only soy sauce in the bowl.

Red Tiger thought the mountain spirit must’ve fled to escape the food, but his son seemed to have a different idea.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him all day today. It’s not good for him to go too far from Cheonik Mountain, so I think he decided to stay in the mansion…”

“I’ll look for him.”

White Tiger, who had been silently sitting on the living room sofa, stood from his seat.

Whimper…

Shinsoo shook his tail as if saying White Tiger should just play and hang out with him instead of looking for the mountain spirit.

However, White Tiger picked up Shinsoo and began to walk toward the door. 

“Oh? You don’t have to do that, White Tiger-nim! We just wanted mountain spirit to have a taste of this dish, that’s all.”

“It’s alright. I’ll be back.”

Despite the descendants’ refusal, White Tiger went out of the mansion.

“White Tiger…?”

Although Red Tiger found White Tiger’s attitude to be odd, he began to prepare himself by activating his energy wave to have a taste of the food that the descendants prepared.

* * *

At the Cheonik Mountain.

In front of the holy tree of the Tiger Clan, Cheondansu.

I left Cheon Dongha and Cheon Sungheon back at the Hwangmyeong Research Institute and came here.

‘I asked about Sungheon in this place before.’

In this place, when I communicated with the transcendent universe, I asked a few questions.

Among them, two were about Cheon Sungheon.

— The hoobae that I had before I came to this world, Cheon Sungheon. How is he doing?

— …Is sungheon doing well?

I could see now why the transcendent universe didn’t answer.

Cheon Sungheon was no longer in the real world, and the name isn’t used anymore.

It was difficult to answer the question with a yes or a no.

‘I should’ve noticed back then. I should’ve asked more questions.’

Regrets wouldn’t bring anything back.

There’s no use crying over spilled milk, so I have no choice but to do better this time.

‘…By the way, is this guy going to stay here?’

Before starting communication with the transcendent universe, I glanced at the tiger who accompanied me.

I didn’t come to Cheonik Mountain alone.

“…”

Hwang Jiho was beside me.

He had been silently following me since we left the institute.

“You’re not going to ask anything?”

He asked as we stood in front of the Cheondansu.

Cheon Dongha wouldn’t have realized all the strange things that happened at the institute since the case is closely related to, Sungheon, his brother.

But it’s different for Hwang Jiho.

It’s clear that Hwang Jiho already formed some theory in his head.

“I have a lot of things I want to ask and talk about. I have a few hypotheses that I made based on your actions and remarks so far.”

As expected, this old man has already organized the clues from today’s events.

Hwang Jiho continued to speak.

“I know you will do some reckless things from here on, Jo Euishin. I know that you would not budge even if I tried to stop you. It’s even possible that you’d try to hide those reckless actions from me.”

“…”

Hwang Jiho seemed to have read me clearly.

“That’s why I’m going to at least watch you silently. I will ask all my questions after you’re done.”

“…Okay.”

I put my hand on the Cheondansu and activated the skill.

The system notification sound came right after.

<Skill ‘Communicating with Transcendent Universe’ activated.>

<Skill ‘Destiny’ activated.>

Woooong—!

Light rose from the bark of the Cheondansu and stretched out into the sky.

I faintly heard Hwang Jiho’s astonished voice while my body and head began to feel empty.

“Unbelievable! Two powers activated at the same time…! And the Cheondansu…!”

The risks and burden of communicating with the transcendent universe will be lessened by the Destiny skill.

It’s a good thing since I will be asking complicated things right now, and so I would need everything that I can have.

To resist the emptying feeling in my mind and body, I aggressively patted the tree’s bark once.

“Give me a hint to solve Sungheon’s situation.”

Affirmative and Negative.

The transcendent universe only answers either one of the two things, but it’s given me a hint in the past.

It showed me a place.

The day Woo Kihwan and his group broke through the trap set up in Cheonik Mountain, I used a communication skill in front of the Cheondansu at the recommendation of the mountain spirit.

The transcendent universe manipulated my vision and gave me a hint to keep an eye on Cheonik Mountain.

It happened before, it can happen this time again.

Fwaaaa!

For a moment, my vision turned blue.

I know the surroundings didn’t actually turn blue as I could instinctively feel something as if my optic nerves were being manipulated.

‘The place that’s most blue is… the place where the light is headed…’

The center of Eungwang High, the Silver Hall.

A blinking mass of light in my sight hovered in the air and quickly fell to the ground.

<Warning, excessive communication of two-dimensional future transformed object with the transcendent universe could damage the body.>

I got the hint.

It’s meaningless to continue communication and consume more energy, so I stopped it right away.

My legs lost strength and it felt like I would fall, but Hwang Jiho quickly grabbed my shoulder and supported me.

I didn’t faint, perhaps because the Destiny skill was activated and I only asked one question.

“Jo Euishin! Are you okay? The flow of your energy wave is a mess. We should go to the mansion right away to…”

“What’s in the basement of the Silver hall?”

Hwang Jiho’s eyes opened wide.

He hesitated for a while.

“In the basement of the Silver Hall… the one that I respect the most is asleep.”