56
A familiar ceiling came into view.
"Heh heh. You've come earlier than expected."
A benevolent voice reached his ears.
His mind having cleared somewhat, he first sat up straight. Then, he turned his head toward where Shurodin's voice had come from.
What entered Baek Woojin's view was Shurodin wearing attire that felt more formal than usual.
"Did you go out somewhere?"
The difference in his appearance was so striking that a question he would never have normally asked slipped out on its own.
In response, Shurodin wore his usual benevolent smile and asked a question in return.
"Why, is there something wrong with this old man changing his clothes to lift his spirits?"
"No, of course not, but..."
Only then did Baek Woojin realize just how rude his earlier question could be interpreted as.
"I apologize. That wasn't my intention with that question."
As he bowed his head in apology, Shurodin stroked his beard and nodded.
How could he not have known?
He knew, which was why he had asked in a playful manner.
However, that bright atmosphere was short-lived.
"You."
The old man, who had always shown only a composed, benevolent, and occasionally playful demeanor, showed a serious expression to the young man for the first time.
"You seem to have received help from a very special being."
The moment he heard those words, the events that had occurred before coming here quickly flashed through Baek Woojin's mind. And the face of a certain woman came to mind precisely.
"Olivia..."
It was close to a mutter. That's how quiet it was.
However, he couldn't escape the ears of Shurodin, who had entered the realm of transcendence.
"Tell me in detail."
"Ah."
Realizing he had muttered unconsciously while organizing his thoughts, Baek Woojin continued speaking.
"I once helped a woman who introduced herself as a saintess candidate. She said her name was Olivia."
"Hoho."
As the old man stroked his pure white beard with a completely different vibe from before, Baek Woojin hesitated briefly before opening his mouth.
"You may read my memories directly if you'd like."
Having someone peek into one's memories was an act that would instinctively elicit resistance, regardless of personal preference. However, because he valued efficiency and, above all, trusted the person before him, Baek Woojin could make such a suggestion.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but reading memories isn't as all-powerful as you might think."
Shurodin's stiff face finally softened.
"Is there some kind of restriction?"
"Restriction... rather, it's the opposite."
As long as one wasn't an omnipotent being, it was impossible to read only specific desired parts of another person's memories.
For that reason, Shurodin hadn't read his memories because he didn't want to lose the joy of the future for a moment of curiosity.
Baek Woojin nodded at Shurodin's brief explanation.
"In that case, I'll continue with my explanation."
Since it was Shurodin and no one else, Baek Woojin detailed everything he remembered experiencing in the linked dungeon that day without any hesitation. After that, or rather, the story after he lost consciousness, he revealed that he had heard from Hong Yeon-ha and lightly continued by adding some details.
"Hoho, I never thought the day would come when I'd be surprised at this age."
As Shurodin reached out his hand, a book on the bookshelf slipped out and flew into his hand.
"Look here."
Faster speech and a higher pitch than usual.
It didn't show on his expression, but Baek Woojin could tell that the old man before him was in a considerably excited state.
"Are you looking?"
"Ah, yes."
A beat late, he brought his eyes to the page of the book Shurodin had opened.
"Shurodin."
"Speak."
Taking in the densely written page once more, Baek Woojin shifted his gaze from the open pages to Shurodin's face as he held out the book.
"You seem to be too excited. Have you forgotten that our ability to communicate is all thanks to Shurodin's magic?"
"Hah."
Like someone from the distant past who had shouted "Eureka," Shurodin slightly parted his lips before lightly smacking his own forehead.
"That's right. I was borrowing the power of the will-transmission magic. Hoho, my word."
Shurodin gave an embarrassed smile, stroked his beard once, and closed the book he was holding out. Then, the book left his hand and flew whoosh! back to its original place.
"They say no matter how old a man gets, he's still a boy at heart. Hoho, look at me. That saying fits perfectly."
"I rather liked it because seeing your human side made me feel a bit closer to you, Shurodin."
"My, my. That's not my preference."
"Neither am I, but judging by appearances alone, it seems like I'd be the one missing out."
The two looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter without either of them going first.
After the atmosphere had been refreshed like that.
Shurodin, having regained his composure, stroked his beard once and opened his mouth.
"That child Olivia went to the Goddess's side 20 years ago."
To the Goddess's side.
An earthly being went to the side of a being above the heavens.
In other words, the woman named Olivia had left this world 20 years ago.
"Then..."
"That's right. She protected the Holy Grail from the Evil God Cult's attack that you fended off, and ultimately went to the Goddess's embrace."
Only then could he begin to understand why Shurodin had been so excited.
It was like a blue-eyed blonde foreigner one day telling a story over a drink about how he saved Koreans in the distant past—a story that sounded incredibly familiar as he listened quietly. Just as he was wondering where he'd heard it before, the name Admiral Yi Sun-sin popped out of the blonde foreigner's mouth.
He could guarantee that any Korean hearing such a story would be more than excited—they'd be highly likely to have a fit.
Anyway, while it was a somewhat forced analogy, he couldn't think of a more appropriate one at the moment.
"I believe your words. You have no reason to tell such a lie, and you knew the sect's emblem that only saintesses and their candidates can provide perfectly. For a human from another dimension to know it in such detail would be impossible unless you had seen and experienced it directly."
"Shurodin?"
"Aah, I'm sorry."
Shurodin, whose face had been gradually leaning forward, took a short breath, leaned back completely against the sofa, and continued speaking.
"You saved a saintess candidate who should have gone to the Goddess's embrace 20 years ago. Yet, the history on this side hasn't changed at all."
"Shurodin. The dungeon is──"
"No, it's not."
Shurodin's eyes were filled with conviction.
"That is definitely not a fabricated fake. It can't be. Because..."
Shurodin's clear, transparent blue eyes pierced through Baek Woojin.
"The Goddess's mark is engraved upon your soul."
"The Goddess's... mark...?"
"Yes. That is a mark only inscribed upon those who have received a true blessing from a saintess or saintess candidate."
At that moment, Baek Woojin recalled the words Shurodin had said to him when he first opened his eyes.
"Hohohoho!!"
Shurodin, who had seemed to calm down a bit, became excited again and sprang up from the sofa.
"Did you say linked dungeon?"
"Y-yes..."
"You. You must see the end of that linked dungeon. Without fail."
"I-I'll try my best."
It seemed he was convinced that completing the linked dungeon to the end would change the history of this place.
"The next time you come, I'll have compiled all the movements of the Evil God Cult from that point onward. You'll be obligated to memorize a certain portion. Otherwise, there will be no support."
"Memorizing won't be a problem at all, but the issue is that I can't read the script here."
"Dear me."
Shurodin smacked his own forehead with a smack! rather than his beard.
"I see. Language learning comes first then. Good. It's been a while since I've felt this motivated."
Baek Woojin raised his hand as if he had a question for Shurodin, who was burning with enthusiasm.
"What is it?"
"Just as you can read memories, is it impossible for you to transfer knowledge?"
"It is possible. It is possible."
"Then...?"
Shurodin's wrinkled index finger tapped his own head.
"Didn't I say earlier? Reading only specific desired parts of memories is impossible. If reading is at that level, how would transferring be any different?"
"...Wouldn't that actually be better?"
He thought that if he could absorb all of Shurodin's vast knowledge, nothing could be better. That was until he heard Shurodin's following explanation.
"Let me pose a simple problem."
"Yes."
"Let's say we created a perfect clone of you. Could that clone be considered you?"
At Shurodin's question, Baek Woojin pondered for a moment.
"If it was perfectly replicated, then yes. It could be considered me."
"Good. Now, all other conditions are the same, but there are no memories. Could that still be considered you?"
"That's..."
No memories.
Then wouldn't that just be another person who happens to look exactly like him?
That was when his thoughts reached that point.
"It seems you understand."
It was exactly as Shurodin said.
"Transferring knowledge means..."
"Yes. Ultimately, it means inheriting everything from the transmitter. All memories and even that personality along with it."
Shurodin stroked his pure white beard and asked.
"If you're confident you won't be overwritten by me, I'll transfer it to you."
"Actually, I'm better at using my head than my body."
Their gazes briefly intertwined in the air.
"Heh heh heh!!"
"Ahem."
And they laughed for quite a while.
**
Hot shower water streaming down from above.
"Huu."
Baek Woojin, who had been standing under the water for quite a while, lifted his head and casually swept his wet bangs upward.
'After goblins, instead of orcs, it was trolls.'
At least it wasn't a boss variant, so he could somehow manage to continue the exchange of attacks, but it was practically a complete defeat.
When slashed, it regenerated; when struck a bit deeper, it grabbed the halberd with an absurd muscle density—indeed, while not a boss, the troll proved exactly why it was a C-rank monster today without a shred of doubt.
"More importantly, the language."
Actually, if Shurodin hadn't suggested it first, he would have asked him instead.
Previously, when they defeated the Silence Monkey, a single runestone had dropped to the ground.
When he saw the symbols written on it, he felt for some reason that they weren't unfamiliar. And today, when Shurodin opened the book, he understood why he had felt that way.
It was because the symbols engraved on the runestone were very similar to the writing of the world Shurodin lived in.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
A sound that couldn't be produced unless someone was pounding with their fists came from the bathroom door.
—I'm about to die of hunger, so hurry up and finish washing!!
The culprit was none other than the one and only Sister.
—What kind of man takes a shower for an hour?
Muttering a statement that could easily spark social controversy, Baek A-yeon moved away.
"Argh!?"
Catching a brief glimpse of Hong Yeon-ha's shadow in his younger sister, Baek Woojin gave himself a knock on the head to uproot that thought.