Reincarnator's Stream

Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Pakpakpak-.

“Huu, hu-.”

It had been a while since he felt so exhausted without even using his lightning. Suhyuk searched every nook and cranny of the village. From secluded alleys to building rooftops and crowded places.

Every possible hiding spot was thoroughly examined. But no matter how much he looked around, he couldn’t find her.

He knew. If what he was looking for was her, he would never be able to find it.

‘Whether she’s alive or not...’

There were probably fewer than ten players in the entire tower who could find her if she decided to hide.

‘I can’t find her now.’

He thought rationally. He knew it was a futile effort. Normally, he wouldn’t waste his energy on such a futile effort.

But.

He couldn’t stop. Just like the day he first reincarnated. Just like the day he first discovered the ice flower. Even knowing it was futile, he couldn’t just stand still.

‘Are you alive? Really?’

This time, it wasn’t as certain as the ice flower. The unfathomable ice flower. Inside it, he could indeed feel Shiwoo’s magic.

Thanks to that, he was almost sure that he was alive. So he had hope that they would meet someday. It became his driving force to live.

But maybe one more person. Not just Shiwoo, but maybe one more person was alive.

‘Yerang...’

The item he had blasted away took four lives. But according to records, no one survived that incident. If it weren’t for the ice flower, he would never have known that Shiwoo was alive.

But maybe, it wasn’t just one person.

‘Maybe all four?’

Crack-

At the absurd thought, Suhyuk bit his lip hard. He knew it was impossible. At that time, not only Shiwoo but all four of them were a mess.

It would be fortunate if even one of them survived, and miraculous if two did. But all four?

‘Don’t be certain yet.’

He stopped running and stood still, lifting his head. He was out of breath. Despair and hope mingled, creating a complex set of feelings.

The only thing he could be sure of now was Kim Shiwoo. He couldn’t be certain about Yerang just from Un Hyang’s words.

Because.

‘If it were that guy, he would have definitely shown up.’

Yerang wouldn’t have stayed still in front of Minjae’s memento. Maybe it was just a mere fan. It couldn’t be ruled out that by sheer coincidence, an extraordinary player happened to be a viewer.

‘Don’t jump to conclusions. Calm down.’

He stood still and caught his breath. And only then did he realize who was behind him.

Swish—

Un Hyang.

She had been following him all along, maintaining a certain distance.

“Uh... Are you okay?”

Only then did Suhyuk realize how he must have looked to her. He had suddenly dashed out during a meal and ran around like a madman; of course, he must have looked strange.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing. I just thought I saw someone I knew.”

“The person I mentioned?”

“Yes. But now that I think about it, it doesn’t seem to be them. I must have been mistaken.”

It wasn’t a lie. Since nothing had been confirmed, it could indeed be a mistake. But a woman’s intuition was always frightening.

In response to Suhyuk’s hurriedly made-up words, Un Hyang spoke as if she found it odd.

“Suhyuk-nim.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you have any friends?”

“.....”

It was a question that pierced his heart with many implications.

*

Night had fallen.

The streets grew quiet, and at Cha Minwoo’s feet, a pile of discarded cigarettes was gradually forming. They were keeping an eye on the lodging where Suhyuk had entered.

“Did we miss them?”

Hwiyung looked anxious. She was constantly on edge, worrying that they might have lost their target because of a mistake.

“No.”

He was now the latecomer. No matter how great a player he was, overcoming decades of gap wouldn’t be easy. And for that, he needed something more.

For instance—

‘Like that spear.’

Swoosh—

He slipped the kit back into his pocket and raised his hand. The spear that had pierced through Omar Schneider’s body. Though it wasn’t as powerful as the spear that slew the Giant, it was definitely a different kind of weapon.

Since the moment he wielded the Lightning Spear in the second-floor trial, he had thought. He might have been using this power incorrectly all along.

Fzzzt—

Yellow electricity flowed from his fingertips. He had used this power for a long time, but it felt strangely unfamiliar now.

No.

It was more accurate to say he had gotten to know it more deeply.

‘Same yet different.’

He thought he knew everything about the lightning. That if he had enough stamina, he could wield it. Hence, he focused more on his stamina.

But that wasn’t it. This wasn’t such a simple power.

“The second legend is that the gods and giants fought over the lightning.” *

The lightning legend Ferius had told him. A great power coveted by both gods and giants.

Also.

“Gods and giants. Great beings against whom mere human strength could never contend.” *

“This was created to fight and win against them.”

*

A power that humans had started wielding to fight and win against them.

‘I thought I was handling it well...’

Fzzzt, Fzzt—

Grasping the surging electricity in his hand tightly, he mumbled in a quiet voice.

“It wasn’t that, was it?”

Smirk—

Realizing his own shortcomings, he couldn’t help but laugh. If he thought there was nothing more he could excel at, and that turned out to be wrong, then...

It meant he could reach even higher. And the next step towards that was.

‘Thunder Cave.’

Conquering that place would reveal more. About the secrets of this power. Messing with Blue Zone and Kim Ilsoo was just a bonus.

*

The next day. Un Hyang visited a nearby cafe early in the morning.

Cakes, tarts, pies, and tiramisu...

A plethora of sweet desserts awaited her. Visiting alone, Un Hyang ordered her favorite snacks abundantly and, as she savored her favorite cake, she spoke.

“I can’t hear you well. What did you say?”

-I apologize for my impudence!

The voice was loud enough to be impossible to miss. On the screen of her kit, Cheon Ryang was kneeling with both hands raised high.

“What did you say~~”

-I apologize for my impudence... Hey, can’t you at least pretend you heard me with all this?

“What was that? I can’t hear the whining of a guy who lost all his stakes.”

-Aargh!

Cheon Ryang grasped his head and screamed in frustration. The two had made a bet. Un Hyang bet on Lee Suhyuk’s victory, while Cheon Ryang bet on Schneider’s.

And the result was Lee Suhyuk’s victory. Cheon Ryang, who was already struggling financially, now had to give up his entire month’s salary to Un Hyang.

-Hey, you’re rich!

“I have a lot of expenses lately.”

-You’re just going to spend it on cakes again, aren’t you?

“Spend it?”

-Sorry.

Though Cheon Ryang usually lived under Un Hyang’s dominance, this time he had to be even more cautious with her. If he handed over an entire month’s salary, he might really have to starve.

-You already got a fourfold return. Can’t you cut me some slack?

“You want it for free?”

-What do you want? Should I bark? Woof?

“Don’t say disgusting things. Ugh—”

Feigning to vomit, she pretended to think for a moment before speaking.

“Alright, just do one thing I ask.”