CHAPTER 285: THE SECOND APOCALYPSE (5)

[The Previous World...]

WONHEE was shocked by the System’s "request."

They need my heart?

"Are you crazy?" Semi asked, obviously mad that the System was asking for Wonhee’s heart. "You want my sister to sacrifice her life for the sake of the world?"

"Semi Noona, calm down," Song Moonho said. "Let the System explain first."

But, of course, there was no way Semi would calm down in that kind of situation.

Wonhee stepped in before her older sister yelled at Song Moonho. "System-nim, may I know in what way you’ll be needing my heart? Does it mean I have to die in order to save the world?"

[The only thing you’d lose is your ability as an Awakened Person, Guide Chu Wonhee.]

Whew.

Wonhee was relieved.

Semi and Song Moonho had the same reaction.

However, the System wasn’t done yet.

[But the process will be very painful, Guide Chu Wonhee.]

Oh.

[I, the System, will "harvest" your heart and then extract your Core. The process will be painful not only for your physical body. Even though the Core is embedded in your heart, it is actually connected to your soul. Hence, the process of extracting both your heart and Core would be very painful— even your soul would feel the pain.]

Wonhee gulped because her pain tolerance wasn’t high.

But if it’s for the sake of the world...

"I’m called the God Alchemist for a reason," Semi said confidently. "I will make a potion that would numb the pain for our Hee-ya."

Aww.

Wonhee was touched by her older sister’s determination to lessen her pain.

And I believe in Unnie’s skills.

"But I want the assurance that my baby sister won’t die during the process of extracting her heart and Core," Semi said sternly. "Only then would I agree with this plan."

It wasn’t really up to Semi, but...

I appreciate that Unnie is standing up as if she’s my guardian even though I’m already in my thirties and capable of making sound decisions.

[You have my word. Guide Chu Wonhee won’t die because she won’t be sacrificing her heart and Core alone. If it was only Guide Chu Wonhee, then we wouldn’t have a choice but to take her life as well.

However, there is one more powerful Guide who volunteered to share the responsibility with Guide Chu Wonhee.]

Another powerful Guide aside from Wonhee?

There was only one.

"Is it Bitna?" Wonhee asked nervously. "Did Bitna volunteer to take half of the burden from me?"

[Both Guide Chu Wonhee and Guide-Hunter Bitna have the power to save the world.]

Haaah.

[Guide-Hunter Bitna will arrive in seven days. See you then.]

Oh.

So, they wouldn’t do it right away.

Wonhee was relieved.

I have time to see my friends and family.

***

THE FIRST thing Wonhee did after getting out of the dungeon was to come home.

Semi, on the other hand, volunteered to inform Soobin of what happened.

Song Moonho also volunteered to do the same and inform his fellow Big 4 members who weren’t there— Graham and Lee Seodam— about the dungeon’s condition.

I’ll meet Yool and Ahyeonnie later, but for now...

"Welcome home, baby."

"Our Hee-ya finally remembered her parents."

Kim Minhee.

Jang Wonseok.

My dear parents.

Wonhee chuckled at her parents’ greetings. "I’m sorry for coming home late, Eomma, Appa."

"We’re also here, Hee-ya."

Aunt Chu Sara (her mother’s best friend, a veteran actress) and her husband Uncle Chu Muyeol were also there.

Wonhee’s smile widened. "I’ve missed you, Aunt Sara and Uncle Muyeol."

***

[The Present World...]

WONHEE let out a gasp when she saw that particular memory.

The memory of meeting her parents...

... both the biological and the adoptive ones.

"They were alive?" Wonhee asked in a cracked voice. "My two sets of parents were both alive in the previous world?"

She didn’t know.

Because, according to what Yool said to her before, the Chu Wonhee character in the "novel" didn’t have her parents.

But, then again, Yool was an ’unreliable narrator.’

His memories of the "novel" were mixed with fiction in order to confuse us.

"Your parents were alive?" Yejun asked worriedly. "Then..."

"Lee Seodam was saying the truth," Wonhee said between sobs, patting her chest with her fist because she suddenly couldn’t breathe. "My parents— both sets— sacrificed their lives for me to earn the luck I need in this world."

***

SOOBIN pinched the bridge of his nose after hearing what Semi said.

So, in the end, Wonhee still found out about the secret of their parents’ death.

Knowing our Hee-ya, she’s probably blaming herself for what happened.

"I didn’t want our Hee-ya to find out about the secret in that way," Semi said, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Had I known that bastard Lee Seodam would have ruined it, then we would have told our Hee-ya the truth by ourselves."

"I’m more afraid to know how our Hee-ya would react, Noona," Soobin said, letting out a frustrated sigh as well. "Now she’ll know why we acted like jerks towards her around the time we saw a glimpse of the previous world."

***

YEJUN’s heart hurt so bad knowing that no words could comfort Wonhee at the moment.

Hence, he could only hold her tighter in his arms while making a promise to himself.

I’ll kill Lee Seodam in the most painful and gruesome way possible.

"Wonhee-ya, I know this won’t comfort you, and I know that you might not like what I’m about to say, but I still have to," Yejun said carefully. Yeah, it was true that the most likely thing to do in a situation like that was to shut his mouth. But it wasn’t his style. Having said that, he still chose his words very carefully. "Your parents— both sets— definitely didn’t regret the choice they made. And they most definitely wouldn’t blame you for their deaths."

"I know that," Wonhee said between sobs, her voice hoarse. "But why me? Why my parents?"

It must be the heavy price that Wonhee had to pay for being born lucky.

Rather, to be reborn as lucky as she is.

Hmm?

Wait.

Yejun suddenly felt a feeling of déjà vu.

Was I reborn around the same time as Wonhee?

***

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