Chapter 42

“The moment my status window becomes complete will be the turning point, then,” Eui-rim reasoned.

[Indeed,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 agreed.

“What if I don’t enter dungeons?” Eui-rim asked.

Instead of answering, 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 narrowed his eyes slightly. Eui-rim pressed on. “In the vicinity of Abyssal Origin Cave, the skill error resolved, and after entering Utopia, three traits awakened at once. Seeing that, it feels like the changes in my status window are connected to dungeons… Wouldn’t avoiding them prevent the status window from ever being completed?”

[Well, it’s not an incorrect deduction,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 admitted, [but you’d better complete your status window as quickly as possible. Because it hasn’t determined your weight, that thing over there can’t perform its duty right now. That’s why the balance is tilting to one side in the first place.]

As soon as he finished speaking, the entity pointed toward the Scales on the dais. Looking at the plaster sculpture shaped like a pair of scales, Eui-rim voiced the thought that sprang to mind.

“Come to think of it, you mentioned that you were able to appear in the dungeon because the balance tilted,” Eui-rim recalled.

[Yes,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 confirmed.

“What does maintaining the balance mean exactly?” Eui-rim pressed. “What role do the Scales play? Is this another question you aren’t allowed to answer?”

[Mm…] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 paused, humming in contemplation.

After a brief hesitation, 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 began to explain.

[The Scales maintain the balance between order and power,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 said. [If they tilt to one side, something similar to the previous life will occur.]

Hearing that explanation, what immediately came to Eui-rim’s mind was the colossal shadow that had blotted out the firmament in the previous timeline—the colossal single eye looking down upon the world, and the horrific seeds it had sown.

The reason those things appeared was because the balance between order and power collapsed?

[That’s right,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 replied, reading the thought as it formed.

“Yet you said the balance is tilted even now,” Eui-rim pointed out. “Doesn’t that mean a problem has already occurred somewhere?”

[Clever,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 remarked. [Grasping it so well even without being told.]

“Please don’t joke around. Don’t tell me a shadow has appeared, or…” Eui-rim pressed, anxiety tightening his chest. 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 merely gave a casual shrug.

[Compared to the previous life, it’s rather cute, so don’t worry,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 said.

“Cute?” Eui-rim repeated in disbelief.

Tap, tap 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 lightly tapped the marble floor with the monster’s leather dress shoes.

[For now, it can only exert influence inside dungeons,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 explained. [You could say it’s limited to corrupting fields and mutating original monsters into new ones.]

Eui-rim exhaled a heavy breath at the explanation. The morphed terrain, the high-tier monsters appearing out of nowhere—it matched Utopia Dungeon’s sudden mutation down to the letter.

Seeing that Eui-rim grasped the situation, 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 put on an easy expression.

[So if those things were to manifest outside dungeons,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 added, [you’d have to consider the Scales tilted to the point of being practically broken.]

“Why did they tilt so far to one side in the previous life?” Eui-rim asked.

[Who knows? I don’t know that far myself,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 admitted. [Ask the Gatekeepers later. It seems you’ll meet them eventually anyway.]

“The Gatekeepers…” Eui-rim murmured.

Come to think of it, that title had been brought up continuously. Swept away by concepts like ‘the Scales’ and ‘the Origin,’ Eui-rim had let it slip by, but the term had surfaced time and time again.

〈Seo Hae-gun〉 seemed to read the intense curiosity in Eui-rim’s eyes once again. Letting out a soft chuckle, the entity spread the beast’s five fingers as wide as they would stretch.

[You know, those friends who look like this,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 teased.

“Ah,” Eui-rim breathed.

Just looking at the gesture made it instantly clear what the entity meant: the beings that had placed Eui-rim onto the Scales when he crossed the timeline.

Those grotesque, elongated fingers bearing opalescent irises and vivid blue pupils.

〈Seo Hae-gun〉 wiggled his middle and little fingers, speaking in a lighthearted tone.

[They’re the fellows who reside in the timeline and guard the Scales,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 said. [They called themselves the Gatekeepers of the Timeline.]

Only after hearing this could Eui-rim piece together the baffling circumstances somewhat.

So that’s why Shim Woo-joo couldn’t diagnose me. Because entities of a higher dimension than her were watching over me, her skill was deflected reflexively.

The hourglass was letting sand slip through slightly faster than before. Noting the mound of dark grains rising like a small hill at the bottom, Eui-rim called out to him.

“Hunter Seo Hae-gun.”

[Hm?] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 responded.

“Then while the Scales remain tilted, can we keep meeting like this?” Eui-rim asked.

Perhaps it was an unexpected question, as an answer did not follow immediately. Staring at Eui-rim quietly, 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 burst into hearty laughter a moment later.

[Why?] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 asked, eyes curving. [Do you want to see me again?]

“Well, of course…” Eui-rim muttered, flustered.

Naturally he wanted to meet again. Seo Hae-gun was the one person who could resolve his doubts, the sole individual with whom Eui-rim could speak candidly about everything. He wanted to converse longer, to spend more time in his presence.

Above all, the most crucial thing was confirming the man’s well-being. Eui-rim wished to see with his own eyes whether 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 was hiding safely from the fragments—whether he was keeping himself intact.

[Who knows,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 murmured softly. [It might be difficult for the time being.]

“Couldn’t we just meet before my status window is completed?” Eui-rim pressed.

[You know that Utopia is a dungeon similar to the Tower of Time, right?] the thoughtform asked.

When Eui-rim nodded at the sudden question, 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 gently elaborated.

[Utopia and the Tower of Time are the only dungeons connected to the timeline,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 explained. [That’s how I was able to intervene briefly.]

“Which means…” Eui-rim prompted, his stomach sinking.

[It means that even if an anomaly occurs in other dungeons, it would be difficult for me to intervene,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 said. [For the record, Utopia will return to normal as well, so don’t get your hopes up.]

The clear boundary drawn between them left Eui-rim at a loss.

We can’t meet again in Utopia? Then how am I supposed to confirm that 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 is safe?

He did not know what the Origin truly was, nor what objective drove the fragments derived from it. The Scales that weighed New Humanity and maintained equilibrium, the unprecedented circumstances befalling him—all of it remained baffling.

Yet no matter how many extraordinary events occurred, Eui-rim could neither turn away from him nor leave him to his fate. After all, liberating ‘Seo Hae-gun’ as a fragment went hand in hand with averting destruction. For the sake of the Seo Hae-gun from the previous life, the Seo Hae-gun of this life, and his own survival, he had to help 〈Seo Hae-gun〉.

He had to protect him.

[To be honest, I thought you’d be scared this time around,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 remarked softly. [You haven’t changed a bit, Healer Kang Eui-rim.]

Only a third of the grains remained in the hourglass now. 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 rubbed the ram’s throat halfheartedly, murmuring in a casual tone.

[You don’t even resent me,] the thoughtform added.

“Why would I resent you, Hunter Seo Hae-gun?” Eui-rim asked, bewildered.

[Your life was put in danger because of me,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 said. [You got dragged into a mess like this—you have every right to resent me.]

“That’s not your fault,” Eui-rim answered firmly.

[Right. Actually, I figured you’d say that,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 replied with a quiet smile.

As the hourglass raced toward its end, the beast’s silhouette began to blur. Looking down at the monster’s fading body, 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 flashed a faint, mischievous grin.

[We’ll be able to meet again,] 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 promised. [In whatever form.]

“Hunter Seo Hae-gun,” Eui-rim called out, stepping forward.

[So stay healthy until then,] the entity said, his voice thinning like vapor. [Even if the current me acts a little mischievous, cut him some slack.]

The moment Eui-rim instinctively reached out, a choking sensation seized his throat. His vision distorted as time slowed to a crawl once more, and the hourglass affixed to the beast’s neck ceased flowing.

Eui-rim stared blankly as the vessel that had contained 〈Seo Hae-gun〉 crumbled into fine dust.

Even though he had known this moment would come, the realization that he couldn’t avoid another one-sided farewell left Eui-rim’s chest suffocatingly tight.

Right then, over the vacant spot where not even a bloodstain remained, an unfamiliar notification window popped up. Typically, rewards granted upon clearing a dungeon quietly materialized in one’s hand, yet this translucent window had surfaced as if he were acquiring a new skill or trait.

Before long, an arched doorway manifested in the core chamber. Beyond undulating streams of light, familiar outdoor scenery came into view, and the temple-like surroundings—centered around the plaster statue of the Scales—dissolved into darkness.

“Eui-rim-ssi,” a deep voice called out.

Deep navy-blue eyes filled with dazed bewilderment were looking down at him. As if unaware that he had been frozen in place, the Seo Hae-gun standing before him wore a completely uncomprehending expression.

Forcing his expression into composure, Eui-rim pointed toward the exit. “…For now, I think it’s best we get out of here. We can talk things over slowly.”

As if nothing had happened. Leaving that frozen, impossible moment behind.