Chapter 742: Sleeping Beauty (2)
Thunk! Ratatat–thunk!
The shields all came up at once with a deafening crash. Yuhyun grabbed me and yanked me backward. I waved frantically at the snarling Peace.
“Fall back! Take Yerim and go!”
Peace flinched, then bit down on Yerim’s clothes and dragged her away. She tried to resist, but she was no match for his strength. Her body armor was tough enough that it didn’t tear as he hauled her straight back toward where Seong Hyunjae and the others were.
“Ugh!”
One hunter lost to the force of the thorns slamming against the shield and went down. Just before a thorn could punch through his skull, he vanished with a startled cry. He’d woken up from the dream. Moon Hyunah, standing in front of us, looked back over her shoulder.
“With Director Han here, we can’t use heavy weapons!”
If Yuhyun or I got caught in the blast, we’d die for real. Should we pull back for now? I was pushing myself up when I heard the chopping sound of helicopters overhead. Then came a sharp whine through the air, and a shell dropped onto the thorn wall around the castle. It landed far enough away from us, but the moment the heat burst outward—
“It’s useless!”
A soldier shouted from the helicopter. The thornbushes and the castle walls didn’t even have a scratch on them. The flames that had billowed up vanished almost instantly, as if they’d been erased. Hyunah clicked her tongue. The shield-bearing hunters slowly retreated.
“Let’s fall back first.”
I nodded. But before we could even turn—
Rumble—
The ground shuddered, and vines started erupting behind us.
Crunch, crack!
They tore through the earth, spraying dirt and rock as the thornbushes shot up in an instant, forming a towering wall.
“Mister!”
Yerim’s voice rang out from beyond the barricade of vines. Park Hayul, you miserable bastard!
“Damn it, cover the two of them! Call for reinforcements from the helicopters!”
Hyunah spun around to stand behind Yuhyun and me, raising her shield high. As if they’d been waiting for that exact moment, thorns came pouring down from both front and back like rain. A few hunters who hadn’t managed to cover the rear disappeared, and helicopters carrying more personnel flew in. Then, without warning, one vine shot out long and fast toward a helicopter trying to cross over the wall. The thorn-covered tendril speared it clean through.
Boom!
The helicopter lost its rotor in one strike, then dropped like it had been swatted out of the sky, crashing to the ground in flames. After that, the other vines began to writhe one by one, thicker and heavier than before. A vine lashed down like a whip. The shield beneath it flattened instantly, and the hunter under it vanished at the same time.
My mouth went dry. Hunters jumped down from the helicopters that had made it over the barrier and surrounded us, but if those vines started moving in earnest, they’d all be swept away in seconds.
‘What do I do.’
There was no answer except persuading Park Hayul. That lunatic had gone after Yuhyun, not me. Which meant his twisted fixation on me was still intact. If Yuhyun and the other S–ranks around me disappeared, he’d probably calm down. But unlike Moon Hyunah or the others, Yuhyun wasn’t a dream. If he died, he died for real.
“Park Hayul!”
I shouted at the wall of thorns. What was I even supposed to say? Should I start with sorry? No—wait. This was a castle, and Sleeping Beauty was a story about a prince coming to a castle to wake the one trapped inside. Boom. A vine slammed into the ground, then swept wide toward the hunters. They went flying in a heap, shields and all.
I turned to look at Yuhyun.
Then I lifted my head again and looked toward the thornbushes, toward the castle. That wasn’t Park Hayul in there. It was Yuhyun. My little brother, waiting for me. I put everything I had into the words. Honestly. Deeply.
“Hyunah, just a second.”
“Hyung, it’s dangerous!”
“Please take care of Yuhyun.”
“Hyung! What are you doing!”
“He won’t hurt me.”
I stepped forward and looked straight at the castle.
Yuhyun.
“I missed you.”
I said it to the thornbushes bending toward me. The one in there was my little brother. My throat tightened.
“I’ve been looking for you the whole time.”
From the moment I realized I’d left you behind.
“I never forgot you. Not for a second.”
So—
The vines stopped moving. The rain of thorns ceased.
“Open the door.”
I took another step. The hunters parted for me.
Wow. Okay. Now this was getting embarrassing. Just to be clear, I was not saying I missed Park Hayul. This was acting. Acting.
Thud. Creak.
The sealed castle gate began to open. Just enough space for one person to slip through. So that was it. Only I was invited in.
“Hyung, no.”
Yuhyun grabbed my arm in a panic. Hyunah looked worried too.
“You saw it yourself. He’s not attacking me. I can talk him down.”
“…But.”
“If we drag this out, he might start again. Hyunah, I’m counting on you out here.”
“Got it. Bear with it a little longer, young master. We don’t have another option anyway. Our retreat route’s blocked too.”
Yuhyun’s hand slowly fell away.
I told him not to worry and walked to the gate alone. Right before stepping inside, I looked back and said,
“So the thorns should disappear now, shouldn’t they? I made it through. Or do I have to chop them down myself? That’ll take a few days.”
Move them, Hayul.
At my words, the thorn wall towering overhead vanished. He really did listen. With the barrier gone, I could see Peace and Yerim again. Seong Hyunjae and Song Taewon had somehow made it over to Yerim’s side too. Yerim waved both arms at me wildly. I waved back, then turned around.
‘So it’s not like he’s completely impossible to talk to.’
The problem was that he turned hostile the second anyone around me got involved.
Inside, the place looked like exactly what you’d expect from a lavish fairy-tale castle. A great chandelier sparkled overhead in the broad central hall. The sight of the grand staircase curving upward in a sweep made a sigh slip out of me.
No elevator, huh.
‘He’s obviously at the very top.’
If there was one room this guy would be in, it would be the highest one in the place.
I climbed the stairs without letting my guard down. As I rounded the spiral, a huge painting hanging directly in front of me came into view.
It was a portrait of me.
‘…I want to die.’
It had me dressed in an elaborately embroidered formal outfit, painted like some royal portrait. God, my face was burning. Thank God I’d come in alone. What was wrong with that idiot? Maybe I shouldn’t have saved him back then. I turned away as fast as I could and kept climbing.
‘Okay, maybe the whole suddenly appearing and rescuing him thing could’ve felt a little… prince-like…’
It had been dramatic, sure. Still…
Oh no.
On the next floor there was a statue.
It was me, with Peace in his adult form standing behind me. You know. One of those heroic statue poses.
I suddenly wanted to run back downstairs, throw open the castle doors, and yell for everyone outside to stay the hell out. This was Park Hayul’s doing and does not reflect my personal views in any way. Peace did look cool, though.
I climbed again. I had to be getting close to the top now.
Then I stepped onto the final landing and just stared blankly at the wall.
It was a gigantic tapestry.
Woven into it was the scene of me saving Park Hayul, with fallen hunters all around us.
Why did doing a good deed have to result in this kind of suffering? Was saving someone a crime now? Back then, I had no idea he was this insane.
‘…Let’s just nuke the castle.’
It was a dream. That made it fine, right? I bet even the president had wanted to press the nuclear button at least once. Did this bastard seriously think I was his prince? Then why the hell had he kidnapped me? If he was grateful I saved him, he could’ve sent premium beef for the holidays like a normal person. Now that I thought about it, I didn’t get anything for Chuseok. Not even a New Year’s greeting. Fine. If he helped quietly this time, I’d count all that as settled. I’d send him top-grade beef for Lunar New Year. The really expensive kind.
“Oh my, what on earth are you wearing!”
A bright, chiming voice rang out. My hand dropped toward the gun at my waist as I spun around.
Three round little figures floated in the air.
“You need to be dressed properly!”
“That’s right, that’s right. Come this way!”
So… fairies. The kind that showed up in every storybook.
They told me I wouldn’t be allowed into the final room unless I changed, so I reluctantly followed them. Thankfully, what they handed me was just an ordinary tailcoat. Modern prince, thank God. I could live with the puffed sleeves, but those clingy tights-looking things were a little much…
As I gathered my weapons, the fairies thrust a bouquet into my hands.
I wanted to throw it and bolt.
I carved the character for patience into my heart and headed for the room at the very top. When I opened the door, sunlight streamed in from a huge round window, spilling across a massive bed.
Park Hayul was asleep in it.
I’d half expected it, but at least he wasn’t in a dress. Just regular sleepwear.
“Ahem. Hayul.”
Kindly. Gently. I needed to keep him happy for now.
Holding the bouquet, I walked toward the bed.
“Park Hayul.”
Why wasn’t he waking up?
I gave his shoulder a light shake, but his closed eyes didn’t so much as flutter. No way. Come on. No way.
‘Sleeping Beauty…’
Yeah, I knew the story. The prince kisses the princess with true love, and she awakens.
I looked up at the ceiling.
No. Absolutely not.
‘…Would the forehead work?’
Also, for the record, there was not even an ant’s eyelash worth of love involved here.
Once again, I was overwhelmingly grateful I’d come alone. If Hyunah or Seong Hyunjae had been here, I’d never hear the end of it. Hwang Rim would’ve stuck his face out and asked for a kiss too. Maybe Yuhyun would have as well. He always wanted whatever I gave someone else.
“S–so, Hayul. Is there any chance we could do something else? Snow White… kissed on the lips too, right? What about Cinderella or something. I could put a shoe on you.”
I figured I’d try the forehead first, so I leaned in close to the bed.
Park Hayul was sleeping peacefully. The blanket was pulled neatly up to his chest, and even his posture was proper.
He was obviously just pretending, so why—
‘Wait.’
I stopped myself halfway through leaning down and lifted my head again.
What if he wasn’t pretending to sleep because he wanted to play princess.
What if he really couldn’t wake up on his own?
‘…Park Hayul fell asleep and became the dream in Mari’s place.’
In the dream Park Hayul had, Mari had been a classic princess. She’d changed a lot by now, sure, but at first she’d been the kind of girl who would marry a man she’d just met because her mother, Marisa, told her to. She had kidnapped her prince, but maybe even that had been influenced by Park Hayul. After all, he’d kidnapped me too.
Which meant the current Park Hayul really was playing the role of the classic princess—and he’d been put to sleep by Mari, by someone else. A princess put to sleep by a witch couldn’t wake up on her own. She needed the prince’s help.
I took one step back.
A chill ran down my spine.
‘Even though the monsters couldn’t really hurt us, Crescent Moon kept attacking.’
There had been no point in doing something that meaningless. If it was Crescent Moon I knew, she would’ve found a new approach almost immediately. What if this had been the new approach? What if the goal had been to make me wake Park Hayul? To corner him, pressure him, make him feel hunted until he reached out for help.
‘If Crescent Moon hadn’t kept attacking, I wouldn’t have rushed to find Park Hayul like this.’
Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe it was too much of a stretch.
But something felt off.
Was it really safe to wake Park Hayul here? We needed his help. We needed his power. But even so—
“…Hayul, sorry, but I’ve sworn to save my first kiss for marriage. Boy or girl, if I’m not marrying them, then no lip contact, no linking arms, not even holding hands.”
I’d just decided that about thirty seconds ago. You had to protect what mattered for your future spouse. Even if marriage probably wasn’t in the cards for me.
“The thornbushes are moving, so it’s not like you’re fully asleep anyway. How about we call the fairies and talk instead? For starters, why don’t you send the S–ranks you hate back home? Don’t hurt them—just send them away. Clean and simple.”
Bang!
The door flew open.
The three fairies came bobbing inside.
“Kiss! Kiss!”
“You have to wake the princess!”
“Come on, hurry!”
Oh, for the love of—
I tried to scramble away from the bedside, but the fairies launched themselves at me. The round little creatures grabbed my arms, hung off my back, and wrapped around my legs.
“Hey! Let go!”
“Wake him up!”
“Prince, hurry!”
“I’m not a prince, I’m a citizen! The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic!”
I swung the bouquet like a weapon, smacking fairies with it. Petals scattered everywhere. My body tipped sideways, and I staggered toward the bed. I fell across the absurdly wide mattress and rolled. I thrashed around, trying not to get dragged toward Park Hayul’s face. The bouquet whipped back and forth and then smacked him in the face.
Thump.
A rosebud broke apart, and the scent of flowers grew thick in the air.
“Put the rose on his lips!”
“How romantic!”
“It’s a rose kiss!”
The fairies shrieked in excitement.
…What kind of nonsense was that?
In the middle of all that fairy gibberish, Park Hayul opened his eyes.
Had he slept in contacts? His bright blue eyes locked onto me.
“…Hyung! You came to save me, again!”
Park Hayul sat up in bed, deeply moved, and threw his arms wide open. Sometime in the middle of that, the fairies had vanished. I got up and looked at him flatly.
“Uh, Hayul. So. This time I actually need you to help me.”
“Okay, hyung.”
Park Hayul smiled.
Right. Good. As long as he listened—
“Let’s wipe out all the hunters!”
“…You littl– I’m a hunter too!”
The curse shot up so fast I barely managed to choke it back. Park Hayul yawned like he hadn’t heard me at all. I swallowed my irritation and tried to soothe him.
“Let’s not do that. Just send them back. People shouldn’t hurt other people.”
“You’re too nice, hyung.”
Park Hayul rose from the bed.
The sunlight pouring in through the window shifted to moonlight.
A bad feeling hit me hard.
Those blue eyes curved at me in a smile.
“Thank you for waking me.”
“…I didn’t wake you.”
“I knew you’d come find me no matter what! Fighting through every danger! I felt it from the moment we first met!”
“…Felt what, exactly?”
And those “dangers” were the thornbushes you made, weren’t they?
“In that blurry world, you were the only one shining!”
I had no idea what kind of insane nonsense he was talking about.
…Wait. Was it because I’d regressed? Park Hayul was a Transcendent seed. Maybe on some unconscious level, he’d sensed the difference between me and everyone else.
“The Sesung Guild Master glittered a little too, though.”
Or maybe it was just a stats issue. Seong Hyunjae kept it hidden well, but he was still something carrying power beyond even a Transcendent’s. And me—I had Nurturer, Dragon Slayer, all kinds of ridiculously high-grade skills.
“Hayul, come on. Send everyone else away and stay with hyung instead. Okay?”
“Sorry, but no.”
Park Hayul turned to me with an unfamiliar look in his eyes.
“I don’t know why, but starting now, I have to destroy this world~.”
–TL Notes–
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