Chapter: 616
[The youngest of the Blue Family is cursed.]
This is a story that spread throughout the North Sea.
Cursed child.
This is what everyone said when they saw the child who had just turned ten.
– It’s creepy how he looks at you, as if he knows everything.
– I have no idea what he’s thinking.
– There must be a reason he treats the Blue Wolf lightly, even though it’s his own blood.
– Well…
A child who has escaped from his father’s sight.
The youngest there was in that position.
Where did it all go wrong?
The boy pondered occasionally.
If something went wrong, when was that fateful moment?
Was it when he first learned of his mother’s infidelity?
Or perhaps when he realized his brother’s secret?
Or maybe when he recognized his father’s ambition?
Honestly, anything was fine.
That kind of stuff didn’t matter to the boy anymore.
“…”
He gazes at the sky with hollow eyes.
It was snowing.
The boy’s cheeks were flushed red as he stared up.
It was because he had just been slapped by his father.
[Don’t look at me with those disgusting eyes!]
It was simply for looking.
Swish.
The boy caressed his cheek.
Despite the cold weather, his cheeks were still hot.
Unlike the warmth spreading through his cheeks, the boy’s eyes were gradually growing colder.
He hears what others cannot.
Just that alone twisted the boy’s life.
When the mother’s affair was revealed, the father’s fury erupted, and chaos followed.
And when he discovered his older brother’s secret.
His brother had to be abandoned in a desolate area.
Because of these two incidents, the boy finally sealed his mouth from the sounds he could hear.
His father must have thought while looking at him.
Perhaps.
Perhaps he would also notice his own secret.
Was that what terrified him?
The boy became an uncomfortable presence for his father.
And it turned into a thorn that wrecked the boy’s life.
Cursed child.
The boy did not deny the words that echoed around him.
How could he deny it?
[That… yeah… that… .]
[No….]
[Krrrrrr… rrrrr.]
Because even he understood it was indeed a curse.
The boy covered his ears.
He tried desperately to block it out, but the noise still rang obnoxiously in his ears.
Whimper.
Sounds of anger.
Cries.
Screams.
A tempest of violent and ripping emotions.
No matter if he closed his eyes and plugged his ears, he couldn’t stop the noise.
Emotions made their own noises.
The cacophony accumulated into pure noise making life a hell for the boy.
His relationship with family crumbled because he could sense the concealed emotions of others.
His mother blamed him.
His siblings feared him.
His father despised him.
There was nobody to comfort the boy when he cried, nor was there a shadow to shield him from the falling snow.
The boy, who could hear the emotions of all things, was actually growing cold toward his own emotions.
Such was his life.
And it was the life he must continue to endure.
If this isn’t hell, then what is it?
The boy thought as he watched the snow fall.
They say there are four seasons in the world.
Among them is spring.
The season when all the snow melts and flowers bloom, making everything splendid.
He’d heard there was certainly such a thing in the Central Plains.
But here, the snow continued to fall, and spring would never come to the North Sea.
That was just like his own life.
A life buried in snow, slowly dying.
The North Sea and his life were not different.
And that meant.
“If I die, could I find peace?”
Rather than waiting for the spring of life…
If he ended it all before facing another cold winter.
That might be a somewhat better option.
Suddenly, a thought crossed the boy’s mind as he looked ahead.
There was a frozen lake in front of him.
What did he think while gazing at that?
Now, the memory was faint.
If he struggled to recall it,
The young boy was merely tired and exhausted.
So exhausted that he was too swept away by the noise to discern anything right from wrong.
Thus.
There was no hesitation in his steps.
At his age, where naivety was acceptable, he was enchanted by his own choices.
Surely, that was likely why.
Plop-!
With the sound of splashing, his breathing stopped.
The cold water, stinging as it enveloped his body.
When he opened his eyes, he saw nothing.
So he shut his eyes once more.
Do you know what was funny during that time?
Amid the heaviness and gasping for breath,
The first thought that emerged was not pain or fear, but comfort.
‘…So quiet.’
The sound that had just been maddening disappeared in an instant.
How long had it been since such tranquility?
In that moment, the boy felt a sense of liberation.
But.
That feeling of release didn’t last long.
Grrk…!
He couldn’t breathe.
At the point when all the air had left him, where only pain remained.
His body began to gradually freeze in the icy water.
He moved as if thrashing.
Though it was a choice he made himself.
The boy had to display unseemly behavior at the very end of it.
Did he yearn for life? Probably not.
He was unsure.
He couldn’t recall up to that point.
If there was anything that did come to mind.
Ugh… Ugh…
When struggling left him teetering on the edge of consciousness.
Plop-!
The distant sound resounded, just as—
Whoosh-!
Something pulled him back.
Thin, delicate arms wrapped around him.
A brief moment passed.
“Phew!”
The boy found himself emerging from the water.
Cough… Hack…
Shivering, he lay face down on the ground, spilling out water.
After a while of spitting everything out,
Something wrapped around his body, trembling with the chill.
It was a dry fur coat.
Wondering who the other person was, he looked at the one who covered him with a garment.
“Whoa! It’s cold…!”
The first thing he noticed was hair as white as snow.
Soaking wet and damp, just like him.
There didn’t seem to be much of a difference in age.
She was a girl of the exact same age.
As the boy gazed at the girl with an expression of confusion.
The girl smiled and spoke to him.
“It seems the weather has gotten a lot colder lately. Doesn’t it?”
“…”
“The water is so cold. It feels way too early for swimming.”
What a truly clear smile.
Through the cascade of snow, the boy gazed at the coat that wrapped around him.
“So, if we’re going swimming, let’s do it together next time when it’s a little warmer.”
“I…”
“It’s too cold now!”
The boy tried to say something.
But the girl interrupted him.
It turned out later that she already understood what he had wanted to say.
At that moment, the little girl couldn’t think of the right words to change the boy’s mind.
So that’s how she spoke.
What can be said?
It was just a remark that drew out a laugh.
In a situation he didn’t understand, the boy couldn’t find his voice.
This was a space that shouldn’t be entered carelessly.
Even though the boy’s father had barred anyone from stepping foot in here.
How on earth did this girl manage to get in?
When such a question swirled in his mind.
“Nice to meet you.”
The girl extended her hand towards the boy.
“Are you the youngest son of the Blue Wolf?”
“…”
How many people in the North Sea would dare address his father like that?
The boy, though young, was clever enough to guess the number wasn’t many.
He could probably count them on one hand.
Especially a child so young—that answer was clear without even needing to verify.
Despite knowing that, the boy remained unresponsive.
He merely continued staring at the girl.
At that moment.
Swish.
The girl reached out her hand towards him again.
“I’m Yuri.”
Looking into her blue eyes, he thought.
They truly were enchanting.
“What is your name?”
The boy, at that time, likely had no idea.
That this girl would become both his belief and his spring.
Drop.
Drop.
Blood trickles down the sword.
The crimson liquid dribbled to the floor, staining it red.
How deep did the tip of the sword sink?
Pain surged.
He thought he had adjusted it to his liking, but apparently, he made a slight oversight.
“Damn… this hurts like hell.”
He had avoided vital spots and inserted the dagger, yet the pain was still very real.
‘How long has it been since this happened?’
How long has it been since he was stabbed?
He’d faced plenty of cuts before, but for some reason, this one felt very different.
It was probably the first since his regression.
Drip.
Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth.
He didn’t bother to wipe it away.
Suddenly.
A jolt of sensation rushed through the sword embedded in his stomach.
The moment he felt it, he gripped the blade tightly.
“Don’t move. If you move too hard, you’ll hurt my hand.”
“…You…!”
The sword wielder spewed a warning.
Woohyuk widened his eyes and exclaimed, “What the hell are you doing?!”
“Don’t you understand what you see?”
Each time he spoke, blood bubbled in his mouth.
It’s ridiculously filthy.
He forced himself to ignore it.
“I’m just trying to bring you to your senses.”
“Pull the sword out right now…! We need to stop the bleeding…!”
Woohyuk’s words made him chuckle softly.
“Earlier, you said you wouldn’t let me through unless I killed you. So what’s the hurry?”
“…!”
As soon as he mentioned their previous conversation, Woohyuk grimaced.
Then he clenched his lips tightly.
The sight was downright amusing.
Kid’s been acting all indifferent, but seeing his expression actually crumple was satisfying.
That much twist up was at least worth being stabbed.
With blood still on him, he spoke to Woohyuk.
“I’ve given it some thought.”
Although Woohyuk kept staring at the sword stuck in his stomach.
“You just attempted to die, didn’t you?”
“…!”
Woohyuk froze at those words.
“You aimed to die by my hand.”
No response came.
But he already knew the answer.
Woohyuk had just tried to die.
He meant to die at his hands.
So, it was likely he relaxed the strength of the sword at the last moment.
“What are you talking about?”
Woohyuk seemed to want to play dumb.
“Don’t pretend not to know. You’re smart enough to catch on.”
That wouldn’t work on him.
“When did it all start? When did you decide to do that?”
“…”
“Say it, damn it.”
He spat out a curse while tightening his grip on the blade.
It was to puncture deeper.
“Are you insane…!”
Not realizing it, Woohyuk pressed harder on the handle.
It turned into an odd scenario where the assailant wanted to pull out and the victim wanted to drive it deeper.
“Are you seriously trying to die!? Have you lost your mind?”
“Well, am I crazy or not? Why does it work for you and not me?”
Woohyuk shouted, prompting him to furrow his brows.
“Don’t you know how messed up that is?”
You probably don’t realize the weight of the choice you’re making here.
Conversely, he completely understood how it would haunt the other person.
In the midst of it all.
“What the hell? Are you really planning to do that to me again?”
Are you attempting to put me through this once more?
Bam-!
With a swift motion, he seized Woohyuk by the collar with his free hand.
“If it’s been a while since seeing you, you should’ve just offered a warm greeting instead of conjuring up this pile of crap!”
He sensed Woohyuk strain against the sword to prevent it from slipping.
He couldn’t help but ponder.
What was Woohyuk’s intent in doing this to him?
How could he act so irrationally even when realizing there was no way he could win?
Moreover, why had he looked at him in such a way?
‘Did he look at me as if it was for the best?’
How strangely enlightening it felt.
He welcomed this outcome with bitter relief.
What was the reasoning behind it?
Why did it have to play out that way?
Those answers suddenly became clear when he stared into Woohyuk’s eyes.
To behave like that while having eyes reminiscent of his own, carrying the same guise.
The meaning behind it was something he was all too familiar with.
Only…
‘I merely harbor a bit of malice for you trying to put me through that.’
He felt resentment towards Woohyuk.
It was probably the first time he ever felt such an emotion.
So, he knew.
He gazed at Woohyuk, who was beginning to tremble, and said.
“Idiot. Isn’t it fatal? Just run away.”
Now he finally realized, albeit late, why his father had treated him as such back then.
A delayed epiphany.
That kind of sentiment dripped from his words.
“What do you know…!!”
Woohyuk’s voice heightened slightly.
“…You don’t know a single thing about me. How are you able to say that…!”
Smash–!
He threw a punch.
Woohyuk, hit square in the face, tumbled back and rolled over.
Thud-!
The sword that had been lodged in him was drawn out and plopped to the ground.
Drip.
He could feel blood trickling out of his abdomen.
Oh damn… it came out so suddenly.
He tried to disregard the agony as he moved closer to Woohyuk.
“Ugh…”
“You’re clueless, aren’t you? How could I know when you never told me?”
He didn’t know a thing.
About Woohyuk. He didn’t know much, all encompassing, including both lives.
There were things he hadn’t particularly bothered about.
And there were also things Woohyuk had refrained from telling.
But that didn’t justify this outcome.
“Well then, you should’ve said something.”
He strode forward and grabbed Woohyuk again near the collar.
“You could have asked for help instead of acting all tough.”
“…”
“Why the hell are you being dramatic when you’ve said nothing?”
It had been Woohyuk who immediately wanted to fight.
“What is it? Why are you doing this?”
“…”
“Speak up! For heaven’s sake, so I can either help or smack some sense into you.”
His words, laced with irritation, seemed to raise questions in Woohyuk’s eyes.
“…Why…?”
“What?”
“Why on earth are you doing this to me…?”
Not only in his gaze, but his words dripped with confusion.
Why am I doing this?
“…It can’t have been that long. You have no reason to do this to me.”
They hadn’t known each other for long; a maximum of four years had passed since.
Even if he referred to Woohyuk as a close friend, it was primarily due to his memories from the previous life.
That he’d sacrificed for him.
That in moments of his breakdown, the thought of Woohyuk supporting him filled his mind.
Yet.
“Why are you taking this path with me?”
Current Woohyuk likely had no clue.
And that…
“I don’t know, punk. You should ask yourself since I don’t have the answer.”
This was reminiscent of what Woohyuk had done to him in his previous life.
“What…?”
“We weren’t particularly close, nor would there be any grounds to become close. You were the one who reached out first.”
Eras marked by meteor showers.
The one at the epicenter had reached out to him, filled with complaints against the world.
Even when hurling every insult possible, the kid never left his side.
Why had he done so?
When he questioned Woohyuk as to why he acted that way,
What was it that Woohyuk had said back then?
“Because we’re similar? I guess that’s the case.”
Because they shared similarities.
So it was easier to connect.
Woohyuk had explicitly laid it out back then.
“Don’t you know? Hearing that back then made me genuinely annoyed, you know?”
A genius among geniuses.
Indubitably among the next generation of shamans.
Such a fellow claimed alignment with the disgraceful Sega that was himself.
Was he ridiculing him?
Initially, he thought, leading to an even more bitter frustration.
“Now that I think back, I believe I understand a bit.”
Now, he felt he had a grasp on it.
Woohyuk’s words mirrored truth.
You and I are similar.
That’s why you approached me.
At that moment, he gleaned a fragment of understanding from the brooding dragon’s murmurs.
Both wanted to live without regrets.
They sought something unattainable, resulting in their emptiness.
That encapsulated them.
“You told me to live.”
Live on.
Life is precious, thus you must live.
Woohyuk had often said this with habitual sincerity.
“Was that perhaps aimed at me? No, that wasn’t it.”
It was another late realization.
“So it was directed at you?”
A question he’d no longer hear the answer to.
Because it bore no significance to inquire of Woohyuk now.
“I would wager that it was. You saw a reflection of yourself in me.”
“…What are you rambling on about?”
“Just listen, it’s my turn now.”
What held him up through his collapse.
It was to ensure that he wouldn’t succumb.
If the broken version of himself sought restoration,
It must have stemmed from his own crumbling existence.
Was it empathy or sympathy?
Now, it hardly mattered.
It wasn’t the kind of thoughts he ought to be having right now.
And it wasn’t what he needed to vocalize.
“Live. Just freaking live, you punk.”
He should have relayed to Woohyuk the sentiments voiced in his previous life.
Somewhat differently, yet the essence remained.
“If there’s an issue, I’ll assist a bit, and so forth. Just try to live, would you? Stop this nonsense already… Ugh, my stomach hurts like hell.”
He needed to clutch his stomach, overwhelmed by pain to continue speaking.
He managed to apply pressure to stop the bleeding, but the condition was still poor.
Given his extraordinary regenerative powers, he’d likely recover in three days.
“…Hah…”
While observing him like this, Woohyuk suddenly released a heavy sigh.
“This is absurd…”
“How do you think I feel? We met after a long while, and straightaway, you stick a knife in my gut. Pleasant, huh?”
“That’s you…!”
“Enough of that, now tell me. Why are you acting this way?”
He had punctured his abdomen merely to elicit that single answer.
Now he felt a readiness to listen a little more.
No, now it was necessary to truly hear.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll put another hole in you?”
It was a threat that hung in the air, as he gripped the sword that had fallen.
If you keep silent, I’ll create another wound.
That was the nature of his coercion.
The issue was.
“…What kind of threat are you making with your own body? Do you really think it’ll work?”
“Not effective? Want to try? Do you? I’ll do it now. Watch closely.”
He lifted his sword, aiming to stab at his stomach.
“Stop…! Stop it!”
Woohyuk raised his hand to halt his actions.
Words that seemed ineffective were somehow working.
“You insane bastard! You must truly be out of your mind.”
“I receive that comment often.”
Hearing it from the second most frequently voiced statement felt oddly surreal.
He put the sword down obediently and turned to look at Woohyuk.
He crossed his arms, as though urging him to spill the words.
So then.
“Haha…”
Woohyuk chuckled softly, almost disbelieving.
“…How on earth did I become friends with this guy?”
A shade of regret danced across his face, shiny but too late.
“You ought to blame the prior version of yourself for that.”
No matter what he said to Woohyuk back then, nothing would alter.
“Alright, first and foremost, let’s stop the bleeding…”
“Just say what you need to, I’ll handle the rest.”
The energy inside him was already whirling quickly.
It served as a method to raise his regenerative ability alongside stemming the bleeding.
In actuality, the bleeding had ceased a long time ago.
He still felt dizzy from losing so much blood…
Woohyuk, still staggering, began to lift himself.
The animosity that hung in the air seemed to have decreased somewhat.
He looked on and asked.
“Speak?”
“Don’t rush me…”
“If you won’t, then again—”
“I will, I will! I will… But you’ve got other matters to attend to first.”
Hearing Woohyuk’s words made him turn his head.
That was right.
Though situations became muddled, Woohyuk wasn’t the purpose of his visit.
Recalling that, he stepped forward and extended his hand.
It was a gesture to grab him and help him up.
“If you don’t fess up later, you’ll really be in for it.”
“…Me? Or you?”
“It’ll depend on circumstances.”
On this point, he would clarify and decide based on convenience.
“Hahaha…”
Upon hearing that, Woohyuk shared a look of wry amusement as before.
Then he extended a hand to grab his own.
At that very moment.
“Is this the end?”
An unfamiliar voice drifted in.
“Then it’s awfully dull.”
And it came from right next to him.
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