Episode 98
* * *
January 1st. December 31st.
Siblings born at the beginning and end of winter in the same year.
Although their birth dates were different, their weather was exactly the same.
It was a day when white snow poured down like rain from the sky.
Kyeonji-oh remembers the first time he saw Kyeonji-rok. Kyeonji-rok was the same.
“Look, Geo. Isn’t he pretty? That’s your little brother.”
The generation born after the Tower of Babel.
Children were born more evolved, befitting the description of a new human race and a turning point for humanity.
So, it wasn’t uncommon for people to remember things from the moment of birth, but it wasn’t necessarily for that reason.
It was just ‘instinct’.
That feeling of having another me come into being is something I can only describe.
“Hurry up, Bambi.”
“Oh my. Honey, did you hear that? Oh my, oh my, that’s right. This is our Bambi, Bambi.”
“Su, Sunyo, look! Jirok is holding Geo’s hand. Sa, camera! Where’s the camera?”
“Hey, stop making such a fuss! Hey, what’s wrong, you’re crying again? This guy is really crazy.”
“Kids… … Ugh, take care of each other, okay? Protect each other, and grow up healthy… … Okay?”
“What do you think those kids who can’t even speak can understand! I can’t stop them, really.”
The siblings grew up just as Gyeon Tae-seong had hoped. Well, actually, it’s not exactly accurate, but it’s a bit excessive.
“Um… Jirok, can I please sit next to Geo just for today? Please, I beg you.”
“Get out. Unless you want to take a sand shower.”
“Eww! Teacher!”
“Me, Nayoung! Jirok, the teacher said not to use bad language towards your friends, I didn’t!”
“If you don’t want to hear harsh words, then just don’t show harsh behavior in the first place.”
“Tch, I can’t argue with that! Nayoung, did you really ask Jirok to switch seats again?”
“Ha, but! Geo’s original partner was me! He was originally supposed to be there for me!”
“The teacher told me to just give up… … !”
After the stormy days of the morning star kindergarten.
“Hey, hold on! Oh, just for today… … Ahem!”
“Hey, hey Son Heung-min, don’t be scared, you punk. You can do it, you punk. You’re strong, believe in yourself.”
“Then you guys do it! It’s so scary.”
“Are you kidding me? You lost the lottery. Hurry up and do it.”
“Kuuuuuu, hold on! Just for today! Water, we won’t back down! Give the Hold’s Record back to us!”
“Oooh! Give it back! Give it back!”
“Haam. Be quiet.”
“Hey! Guys! Our Geo is making noise! Get out of here right now!”
“Hey, hey, step back. This is the Jianzhi Guard. What the hell kind of harem have you created at this fucking school? Shouldn’t you report this to the Board of Education?”
“They can’t even go near Jianzhi, they can only peek, so what the hell are these guards called guards? They’re so ugly. Huh, huh. Jianzhi is looking this way. Shh, shh!”
“Hey. Why do you keep asking me to turn back? Do you want to die?”
“But today is the soccer finals, and without Jiroku, our class has no hope!”
“Can’t you see that I’m using it as a pillow right now? Do you want your life to be hopeless? Hmm, well it already looks like it’s gone.”
“Hey, Hong Min-ah! Tasha! Don’t cry!”
“This kid said he liked Jianjiao, but was that really true…? Those devilish siblings….”
After the deadly morning star elementary school days… … .
Maeam- Maeam-.
“I got a ‘ticket’.”
「… … .」
Second year of middle school.
Summer of my fifteenth year.
The siblings, born in winter, were extremely vulnerable to the heat.
It was an afternoon recorded as the hottest summer day ever, with cicadas chirping noisily.
There was a fan spinning loudly, but it was useless. Even so, the two sitting on the attic windowsill did not move their backs.
Kyeonjirok asked.
“Should I not go?”
“I’m going to go.”
“I asked out of courtesy since you hated it so much.”
“Crispy,” muttered Gyeonjio, biting into the ice cream.
“Don’t die.”
「… … .」
“If you die, I die too.”
“……know.”
Kyeonjirok answered, tilting his head back. Kyeonjirok is so small that it’s so uncomfortable to even lean against him… … .
“How can I die leaving you behind?”
「… … .」
“What’s your covenant? It’s time to do it.”
“You’re already fucking crazy. When you say nice things, you’re like, ‘You have five or six lives.'”
“Anyway, it’s unusual.”
“One or two days?”
“Still, don’t worry. Byeol will be by your side until the end.”
「… … .」
“Don’t be a shut-in in your room like a loser again when I’m not around. If you can’t sleep, sleep with Geumgeum or something.”
“He hates me so much.”
“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just awkward. Wouldn’t a child be surprised if someone who normally doesn’t act like that suddenly acts like her older sister?”
「… … .」
“Honestly, you too.”
“… … It’s a bit difficult. That’s not what I meant, but it feels like I can’t reach it and it keeps getting blocked. It’s frustrating.”
“That’s just how it is. Not everyone can understand you right away. That’s why language exists in the world.”
Gyeonjirok turned his head diagonally. Their hot foreheads brushed against each other’s and they looked into each other’s eyes closely.
“Like this. Make eye contact and talk to get to know each other.”
An iris that turns golden when exposed to light.
Although they were siblings who had little in common, their eyes were exactly the same, as if they were copied from each other. Geo muttered.
“But you know everything.”
The observation log burst into laughter.
“Other people. Not me.”
「… … .」
“Hey. What are you really going to do? You’re not socializing well. I told you not to use me as a reference point.”
“Then you. Do you get along well with other people?”
“Why do you ask when you know the answer?”
Back to back again.
The golden ‘Babel’ emblem shining on the back of his arm. Gyeon Ji-rok, who was staring blankly at the ticket, nodded without any expression.
“That can’t be… “
Everyone but you is an alien.
* * *
They weren’t twins, but they were almost identical. They had been together before they knew what a person was or what the world was.
So, that’s basically the story.
I know you better than you know me, and you know me better than I know myself.
‘How could you not recognize me just because my face changed a little?’
The moment Geo checked the necklace was just yesterday.
The same was true for Byulnim. He stopped informing us of the life and death of Gyeonjirok every hour.
I knew we were together, so there was no need to do that.
Shaaaaa… … !
Geo smiled faintly at the light that enveloped his opponent. I came, I saw, I did it.
‘This is the power of blood.’
[Curse (Special): Eternal Winter’s Mark – Free from ‘Depredation of Name’!]
/[Damage] Curse – A powerful curse that applies to all targets within range. If the accumulated damage continues, life will be seriously threatened./
/Conditions for giving: 1) True name from a loved one 2) Curse accumulation removed when exposed to sunlight/
[The curse was lifted for the first time in the scenario.]
“Hey, middle school Bambi.”
“It’s noisy.”
Gyeonjirok smiled wryly as he grabbed Geo’s hand that was wrapping around his cheek.
Messy hair, rebellious eyes and lips.
Although he had a younger face than his actual age, he was my younger brother whom I hadn’t seen in a month.
The eye level changed in an instant.
Gyeonjirok, who had been looking down at Geo for a moment, looked around.
From Geo and Baek Do-hyun suddenly appearing in front of you, to people blankly staring at you, a noisy notification window, to a plaza on the verge of chaos, etc.
The situation was quickly grasped. The impression was quickly crumpled.
“… … F**k. This is so embarrassing.”
“leader!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Uh. Hey, how much time has passed outside?”
“About a month… … No, more than that. You were Jay… … ? Mr. Geo, how on earth did you find out?”
Ahem. King Geo, who raised one thing so high, raised his arrogant nose. What do you mean, you know what I’m talking about?
Next to the grumbling Geo, Gyeonjirok clicked his tongue softly. One month. The estimate is given.
“Everyone must have been really excited with the death rumors and everything outside.”
“What happened? Are you okay?”
“I don’t remember anything after I fell into the river to save a kid. Judging from the notifications, I think I was cursed… … .”
Kyeonjirok checked his body condition by clenching and unclenching his hands. He felt that the time he had been bound by the curse was slowly being released.
“Even the penalty ability is frozen. It looks like it’ll take quite some time to return to its original state.”
It’s like a Babel like X.
It was exactly the body I had when I first entered the tower. It seems like they are going to reset it to the beginning and slowly return it to me.
The nervous, brain-scratching Gyeonjirok stared ahead. A white bird sitting on the fire was looking at them curiously.
They exchange brief glances.
“I’m sorry for causing trouble, your lord. I’ll pay you back when I get back.”
“It’s not your fault. It was just unavoidable. By the way, you two are siblings. I can tell by looking at your eyes.”
Me, siblings! Gyeon Ji-rok glanced at Na Jo-yeon, who was groaning in a corner, and firmly drew the line.
“I am the leader of the troop. It is my fault for not being able to properly take responsibility for the troop I was assigned to.”
“hmm.”
“Let’s talk about unnecessary things later when we have more time. Let’s listen to what’s necessary first. What’s the current state of the strategy?”
It was at the same time that the questioning ended.
Tiring! Ding! Ding!
The timing was as if it had been planned. The notifications rang continuously.
[Danger! The frozen ground shakes under the influence of the curse that has been cast.]
[Special Alert: The Archdemon ■■■■ is preparing to awaken from hibernation.]
[An unknown magical power is eating away at the saint.]
[The space is becoming unstable. The place you are currently staying is no longer safe.]
[Safe zone release is forcibly accelerated.]
[Time left until safe zone deactivation – 00:00:29:59]
Warnings indicating phase transitions.
Wow, Gyeonjirok cynically exclaimed.
“It doesn’t look that good though.”
“… … Let’s move to the castle wall. It would be better to explain while looking.”
The white bird got up first. The group followed her, taking long strides.
The watchman who was watching them touched Geo. He whispered.
“Sister, I am in your debt.”
“If you know, pay me back.”
“What about Mom?”
“Just before lying down. Go quickly.”
“You’re leaving me speechless. Your Majesty the King personally came all the way to the tower.”
“I already regret it so much.”
‘lie.’
A hand that pressed against his head once with a snicker and a light laugh was all he could show to express his gratitude and apology.
【That damn bastard. He can’t be fooled.】
That’s right. Whose deer is that? You’re really good.
Geo walked leisurely.
A sense of calmness, a weight lifted from his shoulders, and his usual calm expression.
* * *
The castle walls are getting more and more blustery.
The explanation was over, and everyone naturally looked to one side. The returning leader of the tactical team, Gyeonjirok, declared.
“We will share the power.”
A guide to proper living for rankers.
