STM 12

“Adrye Lantuya’s carriage happened to pass near the Eye of Hell, and it met with an accident. Because of that, even though I didn’t have an antenna, I entered this body. And by a miracle, there were skilled healers and mages nearby. The odds were absurdly small.”

Her explanation was brief, but the calm expression on her face showed the confusion and pain she must’ve felt at that time.

“I survived like a miracle, but for several years, for many reasons, I couldn’t move or act properly. I should’ve closed the Eye of Hell as soon as possible, but… The Eye of Hell was created here in Tubain.”

Her eyes filled with anger.

“When the Eye of Hell first opened, the visions that many people saw were real.”

A vision. I didn’t see it, but it was as she said. When the Eye of Hell opened for the first time, space itself tore apart and an enormous light engulfed countless people.

And among them, many witnessed the same vision. A barren land without a single blade of grass. Dozens of people stood before an altar made of stone.

A woman who seemed to be a knight walked toward the center, and a golden radiance spread behind her. The light grew so blindingly bright that when it exploded outward, the Eye of Hell appeared in the air.

Soon, from the black valley across from it, the monsters came forth and were sucked into the Eye of Hell.

Because of that vision, people assumed there was another world beyond the Eye of Hell, and that those beings had created it, so they worked endlessly to send people to the other side.

The person in front of me was the proof of that miraculous success.

“I needed to deliver what I’d learned about Tubain, but I had no way. Ha. So after I gathered some strength, I sent scrolls shielded by sacred relics. I didn’t think they’d ever make it through. But you really received my information…”

Her voice trembled with emotion. I waited for her to calm down before I told her something even more miraculous.

“At first, no one thought it came from our side. The part we received didn’t contain any information about you, Doctor Kim.”

“I left my information out on purpose, so they wouldn’t track it if the scroll was intercepted.”

“Yes. They say anyone who approaches the Eye of Hell is executed regardless of rank.”

“That’s right.”

Doctor Kim gave a bitter smile.

“Especially the temples, they treat the Eye of Hell as something sacred. Ah, don’t frown like that. The Eye of Hell was created through the sacrifice of a divine beast. More importantly, how’s our side?”

Her eyes turned serious as she looked at me with worry.

“It’s already been ten years since I left. The Eye of Hell has opened several more times since then. We have advanced technology, so… you’ve been holding on? You have, right?”

“We’re holding on. Because the ones left behind have to live somehow.”

She stared at me silently for a long time, then finally asked,

“It’s really bad?”

I tried to find the right words but gave up.

“Whatever you imagine, it’s worse than that.”

“……”

“Doctor Kim.”

“It’s fine. I’m still fine.”

She raised her hand, put the breathing device hanging from her neck to her mouth, and inhaled. After a few breaths, she set it down and drank a bottle of medicine from the desk. She moved her hands without even looking, showing how familiar she was with the routine.

“Give me a moment.”

She murmured softly with her eyes lowered.

“I’ve gained quite a bit of influence here now. The Eye of Hell was opened through the power of a divine beast, so to close it, another divine beast is needed. Fortunately, closing it doesn’t require the divine beast’s death, so I can persuade the divine beast’s family. Three years, no, just one year more, and I can do it.”

“How’s that possible?”

“With money.”

“…Excuse me?”

“So you just need to hold on a little longer. Just a little more.”

Her voice trembled like someone burdened by guilt. I couldn’t even imagine how she had survived in a foreign world with a broken body for so long, how she had endured and achieved success, all for the sake of saving the world she had left behind.

After all that time, she hadn’t forgotten the world she came from.

Because of that, I couldn’t bring myself to say the words I needed to say.. She’d definitely be shocked if she heard them.

Doctor Kim raised the device to her mouth again, then took it off. Seeing that, I couldn’t help but ask.

“Doctor Kim, how did you even live in that body?”

“With money.”

“Ah, I see…”

“But your pronunciation of ‘Doctor Kim’ is really precise. You must be familiar with Korean?”

That’s right. I shrugged and added casually.

“Because I’m Korean too.”

Her eyes slowly widened, and the same wave of emotion I’d seen before swirled inside them.

Ah, wait, I’ve seen this before a week ago…

“Ah! You, you’re from home!”

And then…she collapsed.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

The bells rang as the door opened. The healers rushed in again and began reviving the fainted Doctor Kim with all their strength. Beside me, the familiar voice shouted again.

“What in the world did you say this time?!”

The chief aide glared furiously at me. But this time, I was really innocent. I really hadn’t said anything crazy this time.

Four days later, I met Doctor Kim again. The same study, the same device, and more medicine bottles than before.

“So, you’re Korean?”

She asked as soon as she saw me. No pause, no hesitation. Was she seriously continuing the same conversation like nothing happened? But after four days of being scolded nonstop by the chief aide, I decided to check her condition carefully first.

“How are you feeling today?”

“The best. Cough, cough.”

“……”

“Wait a bit.”

She raised her hand and rang a bell. Then, as if already prepared, a maid came in with tea, placed it in front of me, and left. A pale reddish-brown drink. Was it black tea? I glanced down absently, but Doctor Kim’s gaze felt heavy.

“What is it?”

“Aren’t you going to drink?”

I had just eaten breakfast, so I wasn’t really in the mood, but if I didn’t drink, she might glare at me again and faint. I quickly picked up the teacup, took a sip, and froze.

“Oh?”

“Sujeonggwa¹?”

Startled, I looked at Doctor Kim. Her brow furrowed as she strained to keep a straight face. Anyone could tell she was trying not to laugh.

Ahem! She cleared her throat once and asked casually.

“That’s what it tastes like to you?”

“Yes, exactly. It’s Sujeonggwa. It’d be perfect if there were pine nuts floating in it.”

At that moment, a shadow fell over her face, and I heard her murmur a curse.

“Damn it, there aren’t any pine nuts here. This cursed land.”

I mean, no pine nuts wasn’t enough reason to curse the continent. I quickly complimented the drink.

“It’s still delicious. I didn’t expect to have sujeonggwa here.”

I sipped the cold drink, but she didn’t respond. Worried she might’ve fainted again, I lifted my head and met a gaze even heavier than before.

It overflowed with trust and belief, almost embarrassingly so. I felt like I’d just become her right-hand man with one cup of sujeonggwa. If the chief aide saw this, she’d probably cry.

“How did you even make this sujeonggwa?”

“With money.”

“Ah… yes.”

“So, where’s your hometown?”

“Incheon.”

“Ah!”

Doctor Kim’s face went completely pale, and her breathing turned rough. I instinctively stood up, but she pressed a button on her desk faster than I could move.

Within a second, the door opened, and two healers ran in. They checked her condition like it was routine, administered treatment, and quickly left.

What the hell was that?

While I stood frozen in confusion, Doctor Kim gestured for me to sit down. Then, while breathing heavily, she spoke.

“I’m from Incheon too.”

Her eyes sparkled brightly even as she gasped for air.

If she found out we went to even one of the same schools, I might as well dig a grave right now.

“So, which kindergarten did you go to?”

Wait, she was starting from kindergarten?

I tried to keep my composure as my eyebrow twitched.

“Well, one called S Kindergarten…”

“Ah!”

She gasped again.

“Doctor Kim, are you okay?!”

Startled, I jumped up, but again, she was faster. She drank a vial of potion, and as if nothing happened, she asked casually,

“Near Incheon City Hall?”

While she recovered instantly thanks to medicine, my heart was still beating hard. Did the location of my kindergarten really matter that much?

“Doctor Kim, maybe we should talk about my background later? You seem a little… worked up.”

Her lips moved to deny it, but then she nodded.

“Sorry. It’s just, it’s a miracle that someone from the Unified Research Institute came, and you’re from the same hometown. I got carried away.”

“I understand. But I’m not from the Unified Research Institute.”

Not? Confusion appeared on her face.

1. Traditional Korean drink made from cinnamon, ginger, and sugar, usually served cold with pine nuts floating on top. ↩︎