Together Forever (9)
“How are you doing, Miss Gahyeon?” I asked.
“I think I’ve improved a little. I can still hear the voices, but my head doesn’t hurt anymore. How could this be?” she replied.
‘It’s all thanks to Jeong-yeon.’
Of course, I didn’t mention this. It wasn’t a bad thing to maximize my own value. I had to show them that I also managed to play a competent role during this expedition.
“What kind of magic did you use?”
“Hahaha. I didn’t really use a complete type of magic. The brain is made up of associated neurons, responsible for receiving and processing stimuli. So, medically, the brain is classified as the central nervous system.”
“Yeah? That…”
Park Gahyeon’s expression showed that she didn’t know what I was talking about. Even I didn’t know what bullshit I was spouting. I didn’t know anything about the brain, and I sure as hell wasn’t a psychology expert.
However, the expressions of those around me had changed. Although they had already overestimated my abilities initially, their eyes had still widened when I continued to show off my so-called expertise.
“The central nervous system has a metabolism that is differentiated from other organs. To make adenosine triphosphate, you need a supply of oxygen to…”
How many people in Korea had this kind of knowledge? I knew no one would understand me, which was why I was bold enough to spout whatever came to mind.
‘There is no one here who has worked at the Brain Science Research Institute…’
Even if I didn’t understand it, combining magic and alchemy knowledge was a field I was an expert in.
“Ah. I explained it in such a difficult manner…”
“Ah… no…”
“To put it simply, this kind of curse, even if it comes in the form of unknown magic, eventually involves the brain. Whether it’s alchemy, black magic, or divine power, in the end, it relies heavily on the brain.”
“Alas…”
“You can think about hearing voices because your brain has been led astray. Of course, I couldn’t correct the illusions, but at least I could give antibiotics.”
“What…”
“It is the perception that what we see and hear is not reality. The human body is really amazing. Of course, these illusions cannot be cured with drugs. The science of magic is more complicated than you think. Let me explain by involving alchemy…”
“Ahhh… That’s right. Yeah.”
I could see people nodding, but I knew they did not understand. Even if one knew about how the brain worked, they still wouldn’t understand, nor would they call me out on my bluffing.
Of course, in Jeong-yeon and Hayan’s case, their questions were a little more different. I explained things as subtly as I could, to the point where they believed I had given an accurate answer.
‘Very good.’
I could already feel my reputation rising. When I first came to the guild, I would not have thought that this would happen.
“In fact, when I first heard that the alchemist was brought at that price, the executives thought the higher-ups were crazy… Looking at you now, I realize that you really are a genius. Ha… What have you been doing back on Earth?”
‘Genius is such an inaccurate terminology.’
The word scammer fits me better.
“I haven’t done anything that warrants such praise.”
“Did you work in a research institute or something?”
“Well, in a way, yes. It’s a bit difficult to tell in detail.”
Of course, that was a big fat lie.
“Thank you very much. I am really reassured to have Kiyoung around. I thought the media was lying when they said you were a genius, but it’s actually amazing to have such a person in the party.”
It feels good to be praised, but I knew an age-old trick that would surely make me seem humble. Rather, it is guaranteed to warrant more praise.
“Hahaha. I feel embarrassed now. It’s not like that. A lot of magazines exaggerate.”
“You look like the smartest person I’ve ever seen!”
Even this woman, Park Gahyeon, expressed her likability towards me. We were similar because we had left our younger siblings behind, and she seemed to be attracted to me. However, she couldn’t express this outright.
This was because Jung Hayan had fixed her attention on her with a glare, making her whole body tremble.
‘I haven’t completely fixed Hayan yet.’
Perhaps Jung Hayan’s obsession with me could not be cured, even if a lifetime were to occur.
“Oh, I’m overdoing this. I feel so embarrassed in front of Jeong-yeon.”
“No. I just have a good memory.”
In summary, they were starting to recognize me as a genius alchemist, wondering if I was the type who was only born once every tens of thousands of years.
“The other alchemists I met before didn’t feel like this.”
“There are alchemists who are smarter than me in Lindel. The only difference would be that they didn’t get support, and I had a good start. In fact, everything is thanks to the Blue Guild.”
“Ah, you are so humble.”
It was not humility; it was the plain truth. No matter what bullshit I spouted at this point, my pure image had already been established and would not collapse.
‘Lee Kiyoung, a genius alchemist from the sky.’
Humans were usually jealous of people who are good at what they can understand. However, I was treated with reverence for my so-called achievements. Once this dungeon expedition was over, I would have permanent, substantial influence in Blue.
This was also because Lee Sang-hee failed on her responsibilities as a good leader. Of course, she wasn’t the type to be obsessed with power. She had a sense of responsibility, but she didn’t bode well under pressure.
Currently, she seemed to feel ashamed of how she had chosen to react under the curse’s influence. She must’ve thought something along the lines of ‘I almost killed all the guild members,’ or ‘This job doesn’t suit me.’ Her self-blame was highly evident.
As I rested, Kim Hyunsung began to talk to the rest of the party, never missing the opportunities I opened up. Again, humans either despised or revered what they could not understand.
Until now, it had been me who had proved my worth, but now, it was his turn. He moved while I was taking a short break.
“I’m really sorry about that.”
“Ah…”
“No matter how much the curse has influenced me, I should have kept my cool, yet I put you at risk. I have no excuses.”
It was Lee Sang-hee who spoke up. Her personality was my favorite. She was the type to apologize even if there was nothing to apologize for.
“From this point on, we will adjust the party’s route. We will consider clearing the dungeon as the primary priority rather than rescuing the survivors, and we will rescue the corpses and any survivors after completing the attack.”
‘Finally.’
It was a very reasonable judgment. To save the dead, a living person cannot die.
The order had only been reversed, but Lee Sang-hee’s words meant a lot.
“But…”
“Of course, we will not stop searching for survivors. We will change the formation and move faster.”
“Of course.”
“I will have Mr. Hyunsung take the lead.”
“Of course. I’ll do my best.”
It looked like Kim Hyunsung had bided his time until the perfect opportunity arose. No more party members were affected by the curse. From his point of view, one worry had gone away.
Kim Hyunsung looked at me with mirth dancing in his eyes. It was certainly advantageous for him to have the lead handed to him without any further complications. There was also something ominous in the way he presented himself.
‘Is this intimidation?’
It was a fervor. Slowly, the party members stood straight, almost as if possessed.
‘That’s right.’
Kim Hyunsung was the ideal leader. Even Lee Sang-hee was also looking at him with a blank expression. He could be seen as a little dogmatic. But in the first place, it could be considered that his judgment excluded the party members’ opinions.
He did what he thought was right and went straight for the goal. His whole demeanor screamed, ‘This is the right way. Let’s go together.’
Simply put, he possessed the charm that would make anyone want to follow him—the ideal leader. Though I wasn’t knowledgeable about a ruler’s workings, he was born to be a leader.
“We’re going.”
The effect was immediate. Everyone went to obey Kim Hyunsung.
He urged the party to move at a faster pace, and so we quickened our steps. We ignored the search for any other alternative directions and focused on moving forward. I had no complaints about having him lead us as I trusted him immensely.
We moved as if we weren’t worried about encountering monsters. We didn’t take into account any traps that may lie waiting. There was something about Hyunsung’s confidence that compelled the members to not worry about such trivial matters.
‘Are there really no monsters?’
I knew it was a possibility, but I hadn’t expected it to be true. Perhaps this dungeon solely relied on the curse itself. If that hypothesis were correct, it would be obvious where Kim Hyunsung would be heading. We would be searching for the dungeon owner and the magician who had cast the curse.
As we continued to walk, the scenery began to change. The number of forks in the passages lessened, and the small room where we came from was now invisible. Although we were walking at a fast pace, it seemed like the end of the dungeon was still far off.
Of course, there were several attacks from the curse, but no one suffered lasting damage. This meant that the ‘treatments’ were effective.
“The undead… No…”
“I definitely got a report….”
“Perhaps seeing the undead near the entrance triggered the curse. It’s not confirmed yet, but I think it’s safe to assume that.”
“Please stay vigilant anyway.”
“Yeah.”
Bodies were eventually found. They were confirmed to be former guild members of Blue. I didn’t confirm in detail why they died, but I could predict it. They either took their own lives or had turned on one another.
Lee Sang-hee expressed confusion at this, but she did not stop the party from advancing further.
After some time, we came across a small door that was crudely decorated.
As I slowly opened the door, I could see a woman sitting on a chair. She had her eyes closed, and her expression was immensely pale.
Immediately, new information started pouring into the status window.
[You have encountered a heroic-grade dungeon, the Cursed Shrine owner, the cursed Saint Juliana. The quest is activated.]
[Heroic-grade forced quest is activated.]
[Heroic-Grade Quest – Eliminate Juliana (0/1)]
We had reached the end.