Together Forever (5)
It was then that a change occurred with Jung Hayan’s status window.
[Alignment – Fallen Advocate]
Bile rose up my throat.
‘It wasn’t the right answer.’
Though I had realized this, I also knew I had no other answer to choose from. This was because I didn’t know how she would react if I went the other way and said I didn’t love her anymore.
If neither seemed like the correct answer, then it was best to behave predictably.
However, in this case, I could already predict the outcome. I had to act as naturally as possible, so I continued to smile and laugh as if nothing was wrong.
‘I need to come up with a countermeasure…’
As I had mentioned earlier, I not only had to help save the survivors but also find a way to control Jung Hayan. Although many options came to mind, I soon found out which would be the most effective method to take.
I’ve never thought about excluding Jung Hayan in any situation, but I knew it would work as a last resort.
“I’ll be back in a minute, Hayan. I need to consult with Hyunsung and Sang-hee.”
“Alright, Oppa!”
It was time for the executives to talk.
Hwang Jeong-yeon, Kim Hyunsung, and Lee Sang-hee, who were already huddling together and talking, came into sight.
“A small statue?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I could see that they were installed in certain areas, and for a while, I could feel the voices in my head disappear. I think it temporarily represses the curse…”
“So basing off of that, will it be safe to assume that there is a safety zone in each area?”
“I don’t know if there will still be statues that will have the same effect in other areas, but… It will at least help us to an extent. Divine magic is hard to get by, especially against the curse, so we should make the most of this discovery.”
“Thank God for that. Honestly though, I feel like the curse’s cycles are getting shorter…”
“The statue’s a little far from here.”
As I approached, the others greeted me with a nod. Based on what I could hear, it seemed like Kim Hyunsung had discovered a possible safe zone against the curse.
‘Huh, not bad.’
I knew we were bound to find it sooner or later, but being able to discover this as early as now was definitely impressive.
“How is the 7th unit doing?” Kim Hyunsung asked and looked at me.
Now that he’d come back from scouting, it was understandable that he’d ask about them.
“They occasionally show signs of anxiety, but it’s not too bad. Sun Hee-young, in particular, doesn’t seem too affected. It’s like she doesn’t hear any voices at all.”
“I see.”
“I’m not really sure, but I think intelligence stats play a big part in resisting the curse.”
“Ah.”
“How about the 2nd unit?”
“Those with lower intelligence specs in our party do seem to be more affected quickly. However, the situation isn’t that serious yet. What I’m worried about is how they will be if this curse lasts for another three days or a week…”
“Thankfully though, there are places where we can rest free from the curse. I’m hoping the priests can prioritize the lower intelligence party members. I’m not sure if your hunch is correct, but it’s worth a try. If any other information is gathered, please let us know immediately. It doesn’t matter if it sounds trivial.”
“Alright, will do.”
“Then, we’ll continue after the cleanup. As we have discussed, we will proceed with the search with Mr. Hyunsung in the lead.”
“Alright.”
All of us nodded at this. Lee Sang-hee’s business seemed to be over, but mine wasn’t.
“Hyunsung, I will talk with Jeong-yeon for a moment before I get back.”
“Ah… Yes, okay.”
Kim Hyunsung looked puzzled, and even Hwang Jeong-yeon looked surprised. However, she also looked curious as to what I wanted to talk to her about.
After a moment, Hyunsung excused himself from the conversation, leaving Jeong-yeon and me to talk.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m doing fine. How’re you, Jeong-yeon?”
“I’m fine, too. It seems that having a high intelligence stat certainly has a positive effect. Looking at Kiyoung makes me think he wasn’t cursed at all.”
“Oh, no, I only look fine on the outside.”
“No way. You were able to awaken right away when you get afflicted with the curse. That kind of hurts my pride, hahaha…”
“Have you found out anything else?”
“Ah… Yes. I don’t think it’s enough yet, though. I’ll try and collect more data.”
“For example?”
“For example, the frequency of the voices. I hear a voice every 10 minutes and 46 seconds. It is getting shorter by 38 seconds every hour. The triggers occur slowly if you are resting without doing anything. Of course, there are individual differences, so it’s not accurate, but it’s what I’ve found out on my end.”
“Ah. It certainly helps to have a good memory.”
“Yeah. Of course, it’s not nice to hear the motherfuckers’ voices more and more vividly. What’s up, by the way? Are you trying to keep your promise last time?”
“No, the time isn’t right for now. Park Deokgu’s struggling a lot from the curse as well.”
“Oh, I did see Jung Hayan depending on you… How romantic!”
“The situation’s not really romantic… I think Hayan’s being influenced by the curse.”
“But…”
“She just doesn’t seem like she is on the outside.”
“Is it because you two have been together for so long that you can notice the subtle differences?”
“Let’s go with that line of reasoning, yes.”
“Hmm… Why didn’t you tell Lee Sang-hee or Hyunsung?”
“It’s something I have to solve by myself.”
“It would be nice to inform them, though. Our dungeon strategy can go wrong if even the smallest variable changes. If Jung Hayan is not in good condition, it’ll be a better option to leave the dungeon first.”
“No, there is no guarantee that this curse will be stopped even if we exit the dungeon…”
More dangerous things may happen if I chose that option. It would be better to stick to everyone.
“At least you know, Jeong-yeon. If something goes awry, at least I have an insurance policy.”
“I’m flattered for the trust, but it’s hard to say I’m confident enough to know what to do. I’m not going to tell them, but I also have a stressful situation to take care of. What can I do for you?”
There was no reason for me to prolong it any longer. I spoke.
“Can you use illusion magic, hallucination magic, or psychological magic?”
“Hmm…”
“…”
“Psychological magic is impossible.”
‘Ah…’
“I can, however, do hallucinations or illusion magic. The psychological aspect isn’t actually impossible, but it’s too complex for me to comprehend. I’m sure you know this.”
“Yes, I know that it’s very difficult.”
“It’s not that easy. Fantasies and hallucinations have little effect on high-intelligence people, and even low-intelligence people can resist if they have high magical power. Psychological magic is the same. No matter how much the person tries to accept the magic, humans instinctively tend to push away what suddenly invades their minds.”
I already knew this. However, when I heard that it was impossible right from the beginning, I deflated a little. However, I held onto the hope that Jeong-yeon was the type who loved making the impossible happen.
“It won’t be possible to do at this point.”
“Wouldn’t it be a different subject if the subject was cursed?”
“It will still be a difficult endeavor.”
“Then what if there were medications to help? Or a catalyst?”
“Are you talking about the way you use your magic?”
“Yes. In addition to that, there was a potion I’ve been working on, a potion that can tap into people’s emotions. Of course, it doesn’t really touch your emotions, but you can at least experience a similar effect.”
“…”
“Would it be possible?”
“I don’t know exactly… It’ll be a combination of potion and illusion magic treatment. It seems like it’ll be more effective, though. Humans instinctively remove barriers with potions. However, with the curse, it seems like one’s mental state will have been weakened.”
I stayed quiet as Hwang Jeong-yeon continued to mutter to herself. It seemed like she was mulling the theory over in her head. It felt a little interesting to watch her.
“If this actually becomes a success, it would make it easier for us to attack the dungeon. Of course, it’ll require several experiments, but… No matter how fast…”
“I think it would be better to skip all the chores and start the experiment right away. I have a test subject that I can use.”
“Yeah?”
She tilted her head at my sudden revelation.
“I think it would be better to try it on myself. I’m the one who knows the most about this potion.”
“Ah…”
“Would it be possible?”
“I can’t give you a definite answer. It sounds like fun, though. Let’s have clinical trials every time we take a break. If you ever have any problems…”
“That won’t happen.”
I couldn’t guarantee success, but it was necessary to gamble at this stage if I wanted to maintain a safe relationship with Jung Hayan.
Of course, I knew that there would be a negative effect if Jung Hayan saw me cozying up to Hwang Jeong-yeon.
‘It’s all part of the plan.’
Considering the big picture, this didn’t seem like a bad option.
“I’ll go and talk to Hyunsung for a moment,” I informed her.
“Oh?”
“For the time being, we’ll be moving with the second unit.”
“Yeah. It would be nice to do so. No, it would be better to send one of our party members. I have a lot to do from now on. It would be nice to tell other people that we are researching the dungeon. I don’t know when the monsters will come out, but for now, I’ll be able to experiment freely.”
“That’s true.”
“Did you bring catalysts?”
“Of course. I also brought some Alchemy kits, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Three days. I’ll be able to figure this out in three days.”
“If you can achieve it in a shorter timeframe, then please do so.”
“I don’t think I can, but my supplies are at least sufficient. If you can’t produce the result, you’ll develop a sense of inferiority.”
“This time, Jeong-yeon is the doctor.”
“Yes, my assistant. I am.”