"...Are you even fabricating false memories now? They wouldn't have any impact if they aren't real."
"Really?"
The voice of the jellyfish creature echoed.
"What appears before you is all a product of your own creation. While some of your brother's memory data might be mixed in, it's based on you. Doubt, worry, anxiety, concern, and so on~ My skill only provides guidance!"
There's no need to deeply engrave such nonsense. Let's just focus on retrieving Yoohyun's memories and defeating that jellyfish creature. That's all we should think about.
"Because of me, it's been hard on you."
"...That's utter nonsense."
Unconsciously, I grit my teeth. The face of Yoohyun, who once said to me that I seemed like a burden, flashed in my mind. Is this illusion appearing because of that memory?
"If it wasn't for me, you could have had a normal, orderly family. Our parents, they were good people."
"It was my choice to have you. I could have gone to our parents anytime. Damn it, what did they base me on?"
"You wouldn't have had to go through all those difficulties. None of the violence or verbal abuse. You wouldn't have had to painfully lose the people around you."
Ordinary people would have faced only the usual level of difficulty, Yoohyun silently chuckled. They wouldn't have to enter dungeons, risking their lives fighting monsters, or even resort to murder. Even if they awakened, they wouldn't become Hunters; there was no reason for them to plunge into danger with low stats.
S-rank Hunters were merely figures on TV screens, or objects of simple admiration. Without knowing how the world was turning, they thought of dungeons, monsters, and Hunters as distant tales.
"You could have been happy if it weren't for me."
"Hey! Han Yoohyun! No, you bastard!"
Unable to bear it any longer, I approached Yoohyun with determined steps. I grabbed him by the collar and looked into his dark eyes.
"I'm living well now! I'm fine, I understand your true feelings. So shut up if you don't know!"
"Don't lie. If you were really okay, hyung, you wouldn't have attempted regression."
Yoohyun's hand enveloped mine, gripping the hand holding his collar. It felt exactly the same, with the same warmth, and for a moment, my heart raced. Even though it's not real.
"It was a wish stone."
"..."
"I wanted to erase everything and go back as if it never happened. Because it was already so exhausting.."
"No, I wanted to save you. But it seemed impossible, so I lied."
"If you could have saved me, if you could have gone back, what choice would you have made if you thought I would come back perfectly fine?"
...Even if you had saved Yoohyun, the world would have remained the same. Still, it wasn't easy to say, 'As long as I have you.' If you were to tell me to give up everything I have now and go back, I...
"For me Yoohyun, you're the most important."
"I'm' is also here, Hyung. If both sides have me, you wouldn't need to hesitate. Right?"
"Yoo Hyun."
"Your leg too."
My spine chilled at the sudden lowering of his voice. Yoohyun lightly pushed my hand away and gently leaned forward towards me, causing me to fall to my knees.
"You wanted it to get treated."
My brother held onto my injured leg tightly. As his fingers pressed around the scar, a sharp pain shot through me reaching the tip of my head. It was a sensation I had forgotten and wanted to forget.
"You kept coming back after pondering it over and over, until you finally came to beg for help."
"Let go!"
"And I, too, Hyung."
Yoohyun said as he held onto the injured leg.
"I struggled because of you."
His voice was still gentle and tinged with sadness. He brought up the thing I was most worried about. The thought that I had buried deep inside but occasionally pierced through like thorns poking at me from all directions.
"If you had given up on me."
"Shut up."
"I wouldn't have turned out like this, right? I wouldn't have liked you from the beginning, and I wouldn't have unnecessarily cared about other people. I would have remained as I originally was."
My throat tightened. I couldn't help but think such thoughts honestly. Which side would have been better for Yoohyun? Which would have been better? Would Yoohyun have been happier without me?
"You made me who I am because you loved me. You created me like this. The person I am now, it's all because of you, Hyung."
"...Han Yoohyun."
"You killed me, Hyung."
"The fake narrowed his eyes. Yoohyun would never, ever say such things to me. Even if I were to choke him with my own hands, he wouldn't blame me. He'd even ask if I was angry with myself. But this Yoohyun isn't speaking his true feelings.
Then It's mine.
"You slowly strangled him to death. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have died."
"...Alone, you couldn't have lasted long. You couldn't, that's why."
"You don't know, hyung, And at least it wouldn't have been as torturous. I would have lived as I pleased, without restraint. There wouldn't have been someone like the suffocating F-class brother digging into my heart."
I swallowed my breath. Several times. It felt like my throat was going to tear apart. I scratched the floor with my fingertips.
"Admit it, hyung"
"..."
"We were poison to each other."
Yes, we were. Slowly killing each other. Look at the end. What's left.
Yoohyun came closer to me. He smiles so beautifully.
"We shouldn't have met from the beginning."
"Yoohyun."
"I still feel like I'm being suffocated and tied to you."
"Han Yoohyun."
"Let's end it here. I'll be fine. If I erase all memories of you, I'll live freely likewise yours hyung
"But you're waiting for me."
No matter what he says, I'll go back. With Yoohyun's memories. I wonder if everyone is worried because I'm not coming out. If I go out now, certainly, they will greet me with bright faces.
"And then, I'll get a watch as a gift. You'll certainly say sorry for making me wait too long. I'll say it's okay and curse at the jellyfish. Coz what's even your fault, Yoohyun so don't apologize."
But being late is being late! Yerim will certainly scold me. Maybe she'll offer to give me a gift, asking if there's something I want. Peace may grumble and rub his body between my legs, and Noah would also take a cue, joining in, looking for an opportunity. My partner may also bring up his gift and discuss, Sung Hyunje will not let himself be left out. Hyuna-ssi will cheer and find it amusing, ah right, I also need to pass Sigma's message.
"We're going home together. To our home."
"Hyung."
A familiar hand grabbed my neck and pushed me down. The back of my head hit the living room floor.
"That's unfair. You're doing violence now, this is not what I remember."
"I can't go back."
The words tore my heart even before they left my mouth or reached my ears.
"You gave up on me."
"No..."
"You abandoned me and chose others."
"I neither gave up nor abandoned you."
"You had a chance to reclaim me but you left me. If it was going to end up like this, why..."
"I said no."
"Why did even you love me?"
If you were going to give up like this, why didn't you let go sooner? Yoohyun's voice criticized me for holding onto him. No, it was my voice.
I should have just let go sooner. Then I wouldn't have died. It wouldn't have been so hard. It wouldn't have been so lonely and fighting it alone, to be alone again, and be left far behind just like that. If I had known it would end like this, why did I forcibly hold on?
It all felt like my greed, it's all my fault.
But still, Yoohyun.
"How could I?"
I pushed away the hand that grabbed my neck. I stood up.
"It was painful. It is still painful. But even with all that in front of me, I could never not love you."
"Why the hell."
"I wonder why."
I saw the fog under my feet. I could sense the King of Harmlessness's skill was about to disappear. I had a vague idea of what a terrible skill it was. To unfold a painful past one by one, to force to relinquish these painful memories. If you want to move on and erase your past, you probably would have your memories taken away by the King of Harmlessness.
Choi Seokwon swallowed memories to become stronger, so the King of Harmlessness was likely similar. Moreover, if a large amount of memory is lost, you may forget things like combat experience or how to use skills. I thought it was a just mental attack, but it was a more dangerous skill than I thought.
It'd be easier to take you away if all my memory disappeared entirely.
Suddenly, flames rose, consuming the mist. Han Yoohyun moved back. His figure became blurry.
"It's time to give up now."
I felt the weight on my shoulder again. The Changeling wagged its tail heavily.
[I don't understand.]
The futile voice of the jellyfish creature echoed.
"How can you carry on with such a past? You're a regressor! Those who have turned back time are much more susceptible to temptation. They're weak. Having experienced being given another chance, they could easily give up."
"You're mistaken."
The old house disappeared and instead fog filled the place. Having turned back my life, and given the opportunity again.
"It's not about turning back. It's about continuing. If it weren't for that crazy time, I wouldn't be who I am now."
If I had cleanly erased five years and regressed as if they never happened. Then, ultimately, the same thing would have repeated.
Regressing didn't mean being given another chance. It was because of everything that happened that the opportunity was given, or rather, created.
It was what my brother created.
It must have been agonizing, difficult. But Yoohyun smiled. To discard that. Is he insane?
"If you don't have the ability to hold me back any longer, keep the contract, King of Harmlessness."
There was no response. Instead, a small bead appeared in front of me. Gripping it with resolve, I held the bead in my hand. At the same time, the fog thickened even more.
Szzz!
A sound like a snake hissing echoed. Even if I lost the bet, it seemed there was no intention of giving up. That's how it should be. Along with the current, I scattered blue birch leaves. At the same time, I used the teleportation skill. It was still rough, but it was enough to avoid the extending attacks.
"It seems you're trying to obscure my vision with fog."
Right after moving in the air, I stepped on the birch leaves and changed direction. A tentacle protruding from the mist viciously slashed at the spot where I had been. The air vibrated strongly.
"But in the end it's useless!"
The minute electricity that extended helped me go through the place where my eyes didn't reach. It was similar to a kind of radar that improved due to the magic sensing ability. I could detect the tentacles twirling in the fog. It's disgusting.
I was also able to easily detect the main body of the King of Harmlessness. I tried to use the space teleportation skill, but it was still difficult. I wonder if you can't use it if the species' inherent traits are not the basis. Ihen I inflicted a long wound on my arm.
The overflowing blood turned into black flames and rose. Suddenly, I remembered the spreading blue flames.
"...Now it's only left to me."
The black blood feverishly swirled. The tentacles, which hadn't even reached me properly, melted away. I threw the spear made of blood with all my might, pulling my arm back.
Kwa-gwag-gwag─ The spear of flames pierced through the fog with a large hole. Like a flock of sheep chased by wolves, I leaped without hesitation into the storm of fire that even most S-class hunters wouldn't dare approach. Even if it wasn't out of gratitude, I believed in my sibling's incredibly high fire resistance.
Kwurung, I struck lightning down onto the weakened King of Harmlessness' shield and stabbed deeply with the blood-made sword. The shield couldn't hold and shattered into pieces. The jellyfish swung a huge sword with golden patterns, blocking my attack.
"Look at yourself! How much longer do you think you can hold on?"
"Longer than you."
About a hundred years longer. Kaga-gak, the swords clashed harshly.