Chapter 324

[What the…? Kyahhh!]

Bang Eunji’s voice ominously cut off right there.

“Bang Eunji? Can you hear me, Bang Eunji?!”

[……]

I hoped to hear anything–any sound–but I couldn’t even hear noises from her after her voice was cut off.

I didn’t want to be pessimistic, but, judging by our current situation, she was probably attacked by ‘Seo Dawon’ and was rendered incapable of maintaining her communication skill with me through the ring. After all, most people could only use one skill at a time.

In a worst-case-scenario, Bang Eunji may have suffered a hit from ‘Seo Dawon’s’ attack. I’m not exactly sure how that would affect the [Vengeful Ghost Contract], but I’m sure it couldn’t mean anything good.

‘…The worst outcome would be for me to fail to receive the contract. The [Vengeful Ghost Memory] can only be accessed once, and if I don’t succeed, the opportunity will pass by forever… As nothing has changed yet, I don’t seem to have failed…But, I can’t afford to be leisurely about this.’

I tried to calmly brainstorm a way to escape this box or to turn the situation in my favor.

To be honest, there wasn’t much I could do while stuck here. However, if I could somehow utilize the [Vengeful Ghost Memory] system, perhaps I could reign in the chaos once more. Though the [Vengeful Ghost Memory] plots were too complicated–and it was difficult to determine what the system wanted from me–the memories all had to have something in common.

Usually, when the plot finished, the Vengeful Ghost would appear and sign a contract with me. In Seo Dawon, Kim Olim, and Jung Garam’s cases, I would commandeer or watch their intense memories just before their death before the contract was signed.

In other words, there was a pattern there.

I hadn’t figured it all out yet, but if I could somehow utilize this hidden rule well, I may be able to complete the contract with Bang Eunji. No–I had to figure it out.

As I traced back my memories, I realized that the [Vengeful Ghost Memory] process became twisted starting with Woo Ragi’s contract. Before then, with Seo Dawon, Jung Garam, and Kim Olim,  I entered into a contract with them quickly after experiencing their memories or their intense hatred just before their death.

However, ever since Woo Ragi…

‘Ever since then, a Seo Dawon that was different from Seo Dawon in reality–who only resembled the Mage on the surface–began to appear.’

The Seo Dawon that turned into a monster and the Seo Dawon clad in a school uniform appeared at the same time, confusing me.

I frowned as I fumbled through that distant memory.

“At that time.. They both said a lot of meaningful things.”

At that time, so much had happened. It was the first time I had encountered such a deformed version of the [Vengeful Ghost Memory] that I couldn’t understand the back and forth conversation properly. But, now that I think about it, the Seo Dawon that turned into a monster said a lot of significant things as soon as he saw me.

He didn’t merely strangle me and show unwarranted aggression.

[Lee-kyung-ah, I’m searching for the real one.]

[After you disappeared… I ransacked the entire world searching for you.]

He made such unexpected remarks and acted somewhat unstable.  According to those words, ‘I’ must have disappeared from the Mage’s side, and he committed terrible deeds to find me.

At that time, I had experienced this [Vengeful Ghost Memory] as if I were watching a play. However, now that I thought about it, it was quite strange for Seo Dawon to appear in Woo Ragi’s [Vengeful Ghost Memory.] I was deprived of the chance to learn more about Woo Ragi’s ego, his memories, or his thoughts.

The abnormality of a ‘Seo Dawon’ shaped interference had repeatedly occurred ever since then.

“I should have asked Woo Ragi back then. Now, I’m doubtful that the [Vengeful Ghost Memory] that Woo Ragi watched and I experienced were one and the same.”

I regretted not asking Woo Ragi for further details, but how would I have known the issue would become so huge? From then on, this fake ‘Seo Dawon’ interfered with me at every opportunity.

“…But, at that time, it seemed like Seo Dawon was divided into two different egos?”

Furthermore, the school uniform-clad Mage was also a hindrance to the completion of the [Vengeful Ghost Memory].

“That’s right… That guy also begged and pleaded for me to not return to reality.”

[Are you returning?]

[The ‘bug’ can be fixed quickly.]

[I can also modify it to match anything you want.]

He spoke as if I could stay there with him forever. In addition, the Seo-Dawon-turned-monster and the school-uniform-clad-Seo Dawon did not seem to recognize each other.

The Seo-Dawon-turned-monster attacked the other.

“What the… Then… There’s at least two groups that are invested in me failing these [Vengeful Ghost Memories]?” I jumped to attention from my slouched, crouching position, startled by my own musings. However, it soon occurred to me that there were far too few clues for me to come to a definite conclusion. At the moment, we only had ‘possibilities.’

But…

“Still… If I’m right, then which ‘Seo Dawon’ is this one?”

If, as I had suspected, there were two different obstructors…

Also, there was a noticeable difference between those two. That difference was particularly salient in Woo Ragi’s [Vengeful Ghost Memory]–where those two first appeared.

Going through those memories with a fine tooth comb, I decided to try and distinguish them again.

“For the monster… He appeared in an entirely different context than the rest of the [Vengeful Ghost Memory].”

That guy appeared in his own form (as a monster) that didn’t fit the classroom environment. Furthermore, he destroyed the original environment in the [Vengeful Ghost Memory].

However, the uniform-clad Seo Dawon was different–he mentioned that he had developed the ‘plot’ according to his and my taste. He said that ‘the bug can be fixed’ and that he can modify whatever I wanted. When placed side by side, the two really did seem like unaffiliated hindrances.

And, unlike the monstrous Seo Dawon, who attacked me without hesitation, the school uniform-clad Seo Dawon seemed eager to give me everything I wanted.

In other words…

“One side is trying to maintain the illusion, and the other is trying to break it…?”

However, since then, it’s been difficult to find a clear opportunity to distinguish the two. I wracked my brains and came up with very little. In addition, when I recalled the nightmare I had been trapped in alongside Koo Hui-seo…

“…Damn. This isn’t something I can distinguish by myself here. I should return and discuss this with Seo Dawon or the other servants. But… I neither have time nor the leisure to wait anymore.”

I eventually decided to run, head first, and brute force the argument. To be honest, the two were incredibly similar. But, I couldn’t help but remember our current ‘Seo Dawon’s’ words.

[But still, from now on, I need you to stay by my side.]

[I’ll say I like…I love you as much as you want.]

“…In any case, this Seo Dawon wants to stay here forever with me, right? Like that school uniform guy…”

I now understood why he attacked Bang Eunji. I didn’t know what his true motives were, but the fake Seo Dawon seemed to be afraid of me potentially waking up back in my own reality.

It felt like, to him, it was more important to keep me in this ‘space’ with him rather than to interrupt the [Vengeful Ghost Memory] process. That may be why he was trying to remove Bang Eunji from the equation.

Since Bang Eunji was my contract partner, meeting with her and signing the contract meant that this [Vengeful Ghost Memory] would be completed. ‘Finished.’ Just like jumping off of a cliff and waking from a dream, signing with her would soon move my consciousness into the real world; my mind would awake within my physical body.

In other words, Bang Eunji was basically an escape mechanism from the world this ‘fake’ Seo Dawon created. If I don’t meet with her, I’ll live here forever, as he desires.

“However, there’s no way for me to go meet Bang Eunji from inside this box.”

Similarly, there was no way to directly resist the fake Seo Dawon here. Eventually, I could only sigh, wondering if I had no choice but to be helpless…

“Huh…?”

Suddenly, the ring I was wearing began to transform. My eyes were wide open as they watched the ring deform, grow inside my hands, and emit light.

And, a few seconds later, the ring turned into something I knew very well.

“How…”

[Sylph’s Fall]

The dagger that Seo Dawon had forced me to hold onto. Flustered, I stared vacantly down at the dagger and its blue blade, when…

Click–

Suddenly, the lid above me opened to let bright light flood inside.

I narrowed my eyes towards the light, hiding the dagger reflexively behind my back. A familiar voice bred tension and fear within me.

[Have you reflected enough?]

It was ‘Seo Dawon.’