CHAPTER 257: THE CURSE

MOON NOA heard the System loud and clear.

And, yet, he thought it was bullshit.

He tried to make sense of what was happening while watching ’Noh Yihun’ create more layers of shield.

The possessed kid had done that as soon as he spoke to him.

Perhaps to prevent the enemy from eavesdropping.

As a result, they couldn’t hear any sound from outside either.

It was actually funny how the ’thing’ possessing Charles Kang was punching the barrier with an angry look on his face.

And, yet, the silence was deafening.

Even the sound of the barrier getting cracks all over couldn’t be heard.

So, it’s like I’m watching an old cartoon that has no dialogue.

Funny.

"If you seal my memories, then everything will be pointless," Moon Noa complained. "We finally have a clue about the horrors that Charles Kang and his cronies have been creating in this Lab. But if you make me forget everything, then how are we supposed to know the atrocities that have been committed here, huh?"

"I understand where you’re coming from, but you’ve seen two gods already," the System, still possessing Noh Yihun’s body, said sternly. "You’re lucky that both the Virus and I are not using our real forms. Had you seen us in our celestial bodies, you would have gotten blind at first glance before you disintegrate."

Ah, so that was why this creature asked Noh Yihun to close his eyes, then Noh Yihun asked Moon Noa and Ryu Sungbin to close their eyes, too.

Yeah, I was already conscious then.

"How is the fact that we’ve seen two gods a big problem?"

"I have been hiding from the Virus all this time because I haven’t recovered fully yet. In fact, I’m using what little strength is left in me at this very moment," the System explained. "I need the virus to forget that I’m using Guides as my vessel to conceal my presence. Hence, you all need to lose your memories of this incident."

Hmm.

To be fair, Moon Noa could also see where the System was coming from.

It made sense now after hearing a proper explanation.

However...

"I still have to insist on keeping my memories," Moon Noa said firmly. He didn’t care anymore if he was being pushy. He still had to fight for his right to keep his memory for the sake of the country. And of the world as an extension. "I can’t afford to forget everything that I learned from this incident. The Lab has to pay for its crimes. Everyone involved in creating this hell must be punished properly."

"You’ll have no one to punish if everyone here dies today."

Oh.

Moon Noa hated how the System made such a valid point.

He couldn’t refute it.

Everything will still be futile if no one lives to tell the tale...

"And I said I’ll ’seal’ your memories— not ’erase’ them."

"Then please tell me what will happen if you seal our memories."

"You will not forget everything— only the memories you have before meeting the Virus in his human vessel would be sealed," the System explained. "The same thing will happen to Noh Yihun and the Esper there."

The System was talking about the unconscious Ryu Sungbin.

"Once you forget everything about this incident, the Virus will also forget about how special you are. And, when that happens, the Virus will not chase after you and this child," the System said, placing a hand on his chest. "Moon Noa, you have to protect Noh Yihun. Even if you lose your memories, I’ll make sure you’ll stay overprotective of this child."

"You haven’t answered my question yet: why is Noh Yihun special?"

"All I can tell you is there’s only one E-Class Guide in the world— and that’s Noh Yihun. Everyone else is just an ’imitation.’"

"So, how relevant is Noh Yihun’s class as an E-Class Guide?"

"I’ll tell you about it the next time we meet."

"And when will that be?"

"Once you unseal your memories."

"Oh, so I can unseal them?"

"I won’t let you forget that your memories are sealed," the System assured Moon Noa. "I’ll make a ’folder’ in your Status Window. It will appear once the strong need for you to unseal your memories comes. Until then, it will remain hidden and protected."

Okay, to be honest, that was a little overwhelming.

But I’m seeing the big picture now.

They had to sacrifice big time.

At least, for now.

"Alright. I’ll accept defeat in this battle to win the war later," Moon Noa said, sighing. "I’ll trust you this time, sir. Please don’t make me regret this decision."

"Your survival equals my survival, so I won’t let you down," the System said, turning his back on him as he finally faced the Virus, who was close to breaking the barrier now. "Close your eyes, Moon Noa— don’t open them, whatever you hear or feel."

***

"NOH YIHUN— are you awake?"

Hmm?

Yihun was woken up by a strong shake of his shoulders.

When he opened his eyes, he was greeted by Moon Noa and Ryu Sungbin’s worried faces.

Oh.

When did they get here?

Yihun woke up with a splitting headache, so his memories were a little hazy.

"Noa Hyung, stay with the kid."

Hmm?

When Yihun raised his head, he saw Ryu Sungbin standing protectively in front of them while Moon Noa was helping him stand up.

Then he focused on the ’enemy’ that the Esper seemed to be wary of.

Despite his disorganized thoughts, he still recognized the opponent.

"Ni-ki?"

It was one of his ’siblings.’

Ni-ki was hostile to me, but maybe he was just possessed like the others—

"Noh Yihun Hyung, did you kill Mr. Charles Kang?"

Oh.

Yihun couldn’t answer because his memories were still hazy.

But I think I asked Moon Noa-ssi to kill Charles Kang?

"Well, it doesn’t matter whether you killed Mr. Charles Kang or not. The fact that he’s dead now won’t change," Ni-ki said in an eerily calm manner. "But Yihun Hyung, you don’t know that Mr. Charles Kang gave me a secret mission to punish you once he’s dead, right?"

"It’s a ’secret mission,’ so of course I wouldn’t know."

Noh Yihun didn’t mean to be sarcastic— it just came out naturally because he was nervous.

Fortunately, Ni-ki didn’t react violently.

And that scared him,

Ni-ki is loud and violent, so he’s scarier when he’s being this quiet.

"Yihun Hyung, this is your punishment from Mr. Charles Kang."

Ni-ki then pulled two body bags from his Inventory, and then he threw them to the floor.

The body bags unrolled by themselves, revealing two corpses...

... dead bodies that were chopped up cruelly.

Argh!

Yihun covered his mouth with his hand when he almost threw up upon recognizing the two severed heads that rolled on the floor, only stopping a few feet away from where he stood.

Park Suro and Jung Ara.

Those two served his family and took care of him even after they went bankrupt.

Eventually, Park Suro and Jung Ara became Yihun’s guardians.

And they are the ones who helped me reach out to Moon Noa-ssi...

This couldn’t be.

No... this can’t be real...!

"They’re dead because of you, Yihun Hyung," Ni-ki said, laughing like the madman that he was. "And all the people who’ll love you in the future will end up dead, just like the others who loved you in the past."

Yihun fell to his knees, throwing up.

Park Suro and Jung Ara were more than his legal guardians— the two actually treated him like he was their own son, unlike his biological parents.

As far as Yihun was concerned, Park Suro and Jung Ara were his parents and nobody else.

But they died a gruesome death because of me...

***

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