This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 463

To be honest, even now, three years later, there are times when my spine chills.

Thinking back to memories related to Heogye tends to naturally induce that sensation.

Should I say I get goosebumps?

Memories even slightly linked to Heogye usually end up like that.

Of course, there’s the overwhelming army of Another Ones that relentlessly surged forth no matter how many times I tried to eliminate them, and the sky looked so terrifyingly stained with blood—nothing like the sky of reality. The ground made me feel as if I was standing on a pile of someone’s flesh—there was nothing normal about it at all.

Perhaps the reason why Anothers invade reality at all times and have such strange ecology, where they treat people as sustenance, could stem from that abnormal environment.

You know, there’s that saying, right?

That the environment is just as important as one’s innate temperament.

In that sense, the environment of Heogye was, quite literally, the worst.

I’d bet even someone born a saint wouldn’t last a month if thrown in there before going insane.

That’s how chilling Heogye was.

And out of all the spine-chilling things in that world filled with horrors, I’d say there were two especially terrifying things…

It was definitely that massive Old Tree, which trapped people taken from all over the world inside it and consumed their life force to maintain its long-lasting existence, along with ‘that thing’ guarding it as if it were its protector.

The Queen of Anothers…

Should I call it that, though?

To be honest, I’m not sure if that’s even the right title anymore.

It clearly took on the form of a girl, but it was already a well-established fact that Anothers do not possess a reproductive organ for their kind.

‘…No, wait.’

Thinking about it again, I realized I shouldn’t conflate ‘that thing’ with ordinary Anothers.

It’s only natural for humanity to predict that there would be a leader among Anothers, but it’s safe to say that no one expected the leader to take on a form resembling that of a human.

Thus, there could be no common sense in that regard.

‘Anyway…’

Even upon rethinking it, it truly was a chilling existence.

The way it looked, resembling a human, along with its boundless curiosity towards humanity… and that formidable learning ability that supported such curiosity.

Yeah, in the end, that thing’s learning ability was the main issue.

I’ve seen plenty of them grow through practical experience, but I had never seen anyone grow as quickly as ‘that thing.’

The exploration project using the recently established partnership or the previous Heogye exploration plan from the Association was dismissed due to that reason.

‘Unless a significant amount of power is thrown in, the exploration team would find it nearly impossible to reach that place…’

But if, by some chance, the exploration team succeeded in reaching that tree? And if they managed to come into contact with the ‘Queen,’ who appeared unable to leave the vicinity of the tree?

A battle would definitely break out, during which the Queen would learn about human combat methods.

If I think back on the incredible learning speed the Queen displayed three years ago, it would definitely happen.

And once the Queen thoroughly learned about human combat techniques… it would spell disaster for humanity.

‘I could clearly see that’s how it would play out, which is why I proposed to the headquarters…’

If we’re going to channel power into Heogye anyway, instead of the current method of mobilizing large numbers of personnel from each branch, wouldn’t it be better to select just the Special-Class individuals scattered across the branches and take care of it all at once?

Using the authority given to me as the Vice Association Chairman, I submitted a direct proposal to the headquarters, skipping over the Association Chairman, but unfortunately, it was rejected.

Even though they may extract lower-level members without issue, it would be difficult to freely detain Special-Class personnel, and there were concerns regarding the power vacuum and ensuing damage if a group of them were to leave their posts.

As someone who personally experienced the ‘Queen,’ my warnings about its potential dangers were likewise dismissed.

So, I had given up on communication with the headquarters, wishing instead that the exploration would fail at a suitable level… Yet here I was, agreeing to participate in an exploration that should fail for the sake of humanity’s future.

Maybe it was because I’d never thought of it this way.

With the current situation of the Association being troublesome enough, after hearing Yoonseo’s story, I began to feel a headache of a different kind.

Of course… I understood why Yoonseo was feeling like this.

Honestly, how could I not?

The desire to do something for Dogun and to be a special existence for him was the same on my end as well.

No, perhaps what I felt was even larger than what Yoonseo harbored.

Yoonseo was just saddened by Dogun’s situation of no longer being able to enjoy his previous daily life, but I had directly borrowed my life from him.

That’s why there was a time I frantically searched for ways to restore Dogun’s left arm to its original state, looking everywhere.

Even so, I couldn’t find anything specific… causing me to think that if there’s anyone who could find a way, it would be the Doctor who prevented Dogun’s changes, so I considered asking for help.

Yet I clearly saw that they would demand Dogun’s wellbeing as a condition for cooperation, so I didn’t even glance in that direction, never expecting it to come back to me like this.

‘Convincing Yoonseo…’

Would probably be difficult.

Even if she’s a free spirit most of the time, she must have seriously contemplated this matter at length before reaching out to me directly concerning Dogun.

And the result of that deep contemplation must have manifested precisely in this form.

“…Are you sure? If Dogun finds out about this, he’ll be incredibly disappointed in you, Yoonseo.”

It must have been clear to both of us just how much that would be the case.

With Yoonseo resolutely set in her decision, the only words I could offer her were those.

It wasn’t a thoughtless remark in an attempt to sway her heart.

I said it because I truly believed Dogun would react that way.

Yeah, Dogun would definitely respond like that.

Even though he had to give up so much due to his arm, he had never once spoken anything that sounded resentful towards me. Not even when he was drunk and couldn’t keep his wits about him.

There was no way someone like him would welcome a situation where a friend he had known for over ten years, since kindergarten, sacrificed himself for him.

Without a doubt, he would be sad, and that would directly translate to disappointment.

Yoonseo, no matter what, couldn’t have been unaware of that straightforward truth.

Among the four who had been around Dogun the longest, Yoonseo undoubtedly knew him the best.

So was that the reason why…

As soon as I mentioned Dogun over the phone, an uneasy silence descended on Yoonseo.

And after that silence, she replied—

“…I know.”

Her voice felt precarious, trembling just a bit.

“And… it’s okay.”

“Really? What if, by some chance, Yoonseo, you get seriously hurt in the process? Dogun may end up ignoring you forever out of guilt.”

“…”

“Would that be fine with you?”

Was she imagining the scenario I described?

A moment’s silence fell on the speaker of the mobile phone, where Yoonseo’s voice had been streaming.

It was a long… silence.

So I thought there might be hope, but…

“…It doesn’t matter. After all… it’s a job I started because I wanted to.”

“…”

“Unni, I just wish… that Dogun wouldn’t have to worry about his left arm when he goes out anymore. I hope he won’t have to suffer in the summer while wearing long sleeves and sweating.”

As the silence lifted, her voice flowed into my ears, firmer than before.

As if… it was voicing Yoonseo’s determination.