Chapter 76

Chapter 76. Neo Hyeong-seok

I asked Neo Hyeong-seok several questions:

Did he know how to become a Dominant?
How did he end up here?
Did he know anything about the giant skeleton monster?
And more.

［Please give me a moment. I need to recall the memories.］

Neo Hyeong-seok took a while to search through his memories.

It was understandable—it wasn’t just Min Hyeong-seok’s memories; the other bodies that had been synthesized into him also carried their own.

［Ah, this must be the memory of the one named Min Hyeong-seok. I can now answer your questions.］

【Pururu】─He refers to himself like a separate person. It’s clear he really isn’t Min Hyeong-seok anymore.

【Bubble Bubble】─Of course, he doesn’t have a soul.

After retrieving the memories, Neo Hyeong-seok answered my questions one by one.

［I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to become a Dominant.］

［I was brought here after being chosen by the labyrinth. Min Hyeong-seok, upon arrival, was already an Explorer. There were other Explorers who were chosen alongside him, but they all died quickly.］

［The giant skeleton monster’s name is Giant Bone Fiend. Normally, it doesn’t attack first, but Min Hyeong-seok provoked it by kicking the Bone Fiend for no reason. That’s why they fought. I got this information from memories other than Min Hyeong-seok’s.］

“That idiot. Why would he provoke a monster that wasn’t doing anything?”

I was dumbfounded.

Maybe he had a death wish?

‘Picking a fight with an SSS-class monster… He totally deserved to die.’

…Although, Min Hyeong-seok probably didn’t know how strong that giant skeleton monster was.

He didn’t have the ability to sense danger levels like I did, but still, it was stupid to provoke something without even gauging its strength.

［Are your questions finished?］

“No. I still have plenty more.”

I continued asking him questions:

How far had he explored the labyrinth?
Were there any particularly dangerous areas?
What were the conditions for controlling monsters?
And what exactly had he done to Melody Fox and the other monsters to make them hate him so much?

The reason turned out to be pretty simple.

［He made the controlled monsters fight each other every day. Just for fun.］

【Mysticism】─No wonder they hated him. 😠

【Pururu】─Can’t shake his bully nature. Tsk tsk.

In addition to that,

I asked many more questions over a long period, gathering all the answers I needed.

Lastly, I asked if he had ever summoned other companions and sacrificed them to monsters like he had tried to do with me.

Neo Hyeong-seok paused briefly before replying.

［Yes. There were about five others.］

“So trying to sacrifice me wasn’t a one-time thing. He’s a habitual offender. A real maniac.”

【Pururu】─What a complete piece of trash.

【Mysticism】─🤬🤬🤬

【Yumi】─Let’s hit him some more. This is unforgivable.

【Rizenova】─That’s not even the real Min Hyeong-seok.

【Bubble Bubble】─Yeah, Neo Hyeong-seok is a different being.

It seemed like I had gotten all the answers I wanted for now.

There might be more questions later, but for now, my curiosity was satisfied.

It was time to hear about the love drama we’d put off.

Honestly, I was most curious about that at the moment.

I decided to ask Pururu about the story first, then confirm it with Neo Hyeong-seok afterward.

***

【Pururu】─You know that Min Hyeong-seok and Lee Eun-ji got back together as adults, right?

“I didn’t know that. How would I?”

Lee Eun-ji was the name of the girl I had once liked.

In high school, she had briefly dated Min Hyeong-seok before breaking up with him.

It seemed they reconnected as adults and ended up getting married.

This was news to me.

【Pururu】─You didn’t know, huh.

【Pururu】─Anyway, that b*tch Lee Eun-ji cheated on him.

【Yumi】─What?!

【Bubble Bubble】─She’s trash.

【Mysticism】─😠

Pururu’s statement was shocking.

That sweet girl had cheated on her husband?

Had she lost all the innocence she had as a child?

It just goes to show how unpredictable people can be.

“So that’s what he meant by being betrayed?”

【Pururu】─No, that was just part of it. The real betrayal was much worse.

【Pururu】─She and her lover framed Min Hyeong-seok for a crime.

“Wait a second. Lover? Are you talking about a woman?”

【Pururu】─Yep. She cheated with another woman.

【Yumi】─What?!

【Mysticism】─🤢

【Bubble Bubble】─Trash.

This was another shocker.

She had cheated not with a man, but with a woman?

Every revelation seemed crazier than the last.

I couldn’t imagine Seo Dan-bi lying about something like this, so maybe it wasn’t just gossip.

To verify, I asked Neo Hyeong-seok, and he confirmed it. It was true.

“…This is dizzying. So, what crime did they frame him for?”

【Pururu】─They accused him of domestic abuse throughout their marriage.

【Pururu】─She used that to get a divorce and took a ton of alimony.

【Yumi】─Is she insane?!

【Bubble Bubble】─Seriously, she’s trash.

【Mysticism】─Trash.

【Pururu】─And that’s not all.

【Pururu】─After the divorce, she filed for a restraining order, reported him for stalking, accused him of sexual harassment, and spread rumors to destroy his social life.

“…”

【Pururu】─And the most unbelievable part?

【Pururu】─All of that was a lie made up by Lee Eun-ji.

【Pururu】─Luckily, she was counter-sued for false accusations. LOL.

【Rizenova】─So was she punished? Did she get her comeuppance?

【Pururu】─I see you know the phrase “comeuppance.”

【Pururu】─Anyway, she didn’t really get what she deserved. She just paid a fine and that was it.

【Rizenova】─What do you mean, just a fine? She committed a serious crime.

【Bubble Bubble】─She ruined someone’s life, and all she had to do was pay a fine?

【Pururu】─Yep. Fines. No prison time. I heard that in most cases like this, people get probation, but maybe she had some powerful connections.

【Yumi】─That’s just how it is in Korea. The laws are a mess, and people like her exploit them.

【Mysticism】─Even though she did awful things to you, it’s hard not to feel bad for what happened to Min Hyeong-seok. 😠

【Rizenova】─Such things would never happen in Lumina. It sounds like your world could use a revolution.

【Mysticism】─You should come here and start one, Rize.

【Pururu】─Anyway, there are lots of crazy women out there these days. Be careful, Kang.

【Pururu】─You need to meet a real, level-headed woman like me.

【Mysticism】─What nonsense.

【Bubble Bubble】─Delusional.

【Yumi】─Pururu, aren’t *you* one of the crazy women?

【Yumi】─So, the trash woman who ruined Min Hyeong-seok’s life was Kang’s old crush?

“Yes, that’s right.”

I answered honestly.

It wasn’t embarrassing to admit I had once liked someone.

My feelings for her had faded long ago, but I couldn’t deny that I had liked her at one point.

【Yumi】─Why did you even like someone like that?

“She was… just so kind. Not just a little kind, but extremely kind. I can’t believe she did all those things Pururu mentioned.”

【Pururu】─Yeah, she really was kind.

【Pururu】─When I first heard the rumors, I didn’t believe them either.

【Pururu】─She must’ve been hiding her true nature the whole time.

There wasn’t a single lie in what Pururu said.

I knew because I was asking Neo Hyeong-seok in real time, and he confirmed everything.

【Yumi】─You don’t still like her, right?

【Pururu】─He doesn’t.

【Yumi】─How would you know, Pururu?

【Pururu】─I know. Kang’s crush didn’t last more than a few months.

【Pururu】─Plus, after Lee Eun-ji broke up with Min Hyeong-seok, she confessed to Kang, and Kang turned her down.

“What? How do you know that, Danbi?”

Had I told her?

I was sure I hadn’t told anyone about Lee Eun-ji’s confession.

【Pururu】─LOL, I just happened to witness it.

【Mysticism】─So you were stalking!

【Pururu】─What am I, you?

【Yumi】─Why did you reject her?

“Well, I rejected her because I’d lost interest in her by then.”

Back when she was dating Min Hyeong-seok, I had liked her enough to feel jealous.

But that jealousy quickly faded.

My feelings for her had died out.

Maybe I had never truly loved her.

The jealousy I felt might have been more about feeling inferior to Min Hyeong-seok than anything else.

【Pururu】─Your rejection speech was unforgettable. LOL.

“My rejection speech? What did I say?”

【Pururu】─You don’t remember?

“No, it’s been so long.”

【Pururu】─Then let me remind you.

【Pururu】─You said: ‘Thank you for your feelings, but I’m sorry. I did like you for a while, but those feelings are gone now.’

【Pururu】─And when Lee Eun-ji said that if you dated her, those feelings would return, you responded like this:

【Pururu】─‘Maybe. But I’d rather date someone like me, who’s never had a relationship before.’

【Pururu】─LOL.

【Yumi】─What?

【Bubble Bubble】─Hahaha.

【Mysticism】─A unicorn.

“…Did I really say that?”

【Pururu】─Yep. You really did. I’m not making this up.

The memory was vague, but it did sound like something I might have said.

【Mysticism】─Oppa, do you still prefer someone who’s never been in a relationship?

“Well, it’s not a strict preference… but I guess I’d like it. Doesn’t everyone? Whether they’re a man or a woman?”

Although I had adapted to life in Elemencia and come to prefer multiple partners,

I kept that thought to myself to avoid unnecessary complications.

After all, I didn’t have anyone I particularly liked right now.

【Mysticism】─I’m kind and have no dating experience. 😉

【Yumi】─I’ve never dated anyone either!

【Pururu】─Is this some kind of self-promotion contest? I’ve never dated anyone either. Heh.

【Bubble Bubble】─Hahaha.

【Rizenova】─For what it’s worth, I’ve never dated anyone either. I’m genderless.

What am I supposed to do with this information?

【Mysticism】─Yumi and Pururu, isn’t it weird that you’re both still single at your age?

【Yumi】─I’ve been focusing on my life! ㅡㅡ

【Pururu】─I haven’t been focusing on anything, but yeah, I’ve never dated. And I’m the same age as Kang, so your comment insults him too. Apologize.

【Mysticism】─Sorry.

【Mysticism】─But Kang, are you still a virgin?

【Pururu】─No clue.

Anyway.

Everything I had just heard was confirmed to be true by Neo Hyeong-seok.

Min Hyeong-seok had a tragic and pitiful life.

And here’s one more shocking fact:

One of the people Min Hyeong-seok had summoned and sacrificed to monsters was Lee Eun-ji.

【Pururu】─So Lee Eun-ji went missing, too. I didn’t know that.

Upon hearing that, any pity I had for Min Hyeong-seok vanished.

And as for Lee Eun-ji?

There was no lingering affection.

They were perfect for each other.

【Pururu】─This is just a rumor, but…

【Pururu】─They say Lee Eun-ji actually liked you back in school but started dating Min Hyeong-seok to make you jealous.

【Pururu】─And some say she married Min Hyeong-seok and ruined her life because she was angry that she never ended up with you.

【Bubble Bubble】─Is this Lee Eun-ji woman an idiot?

“That’s definitely a rumor. Don’t spread things that aren’t confirmed.”

【Pururu】─Got it.

We decided to drop the subject.

Min Hyeong-seok and Lee Eun-ji no longer existed in this world.

There was no point in further desecrating the dead.

***

［Master of Master!］

Curse Devil suddenly called out to me.

“Curse Devil. I’ve been meaning to say this… Don’t call me ‘Master of Master.’ I’m just your master’s friend.”

［Then I shall call you Master! A friend of my master is also my master! Yohoho!］

“…Do whatever you want. Why did you call me?”

［Ah! The egg is starting to crack! You should hurry!］

The egg was cracking?

I checked the time remaining on the evolution.

『Time until evolution is complete: 00:00:15』