noveldrama
Chapter 264
Chapter 264
Uijae blinked slowly, staring at the unfamiliar white ceiling. Where was he? He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his waist, making him gasp and swallow a scream. Just then, a cautious hand pressed gently against his chest.
“Stay lying down.”
“…What?”
Uijae blinked again. Sa-young, wearing a gas mask, was crouched on a small chair nearby. He let out a sigh and softly ran his gloved hand through Uijae’s hair, as if handling feathers.
“You passed out, hyung.”
“…I passed out? How?”
“From being hugged.”
“Huh?”
“To be precise… you passed out when I squeezed you a bit too hard.”
Wait, seriously? Uijae touched his waist in disbelief. Even just lying still made his entire body ache, and the pain worsened when he touched the area. He grimaced and, with some effort, lifted his shirt.
“…What the hell.”
Blue bruises shaped like Sa-young’s arms had spread across his abdomen and waist. His shoulders and neck, where Honeybee had hugged him, also throbbed. Uijae couldn’t believe what he was seeing—bruises, on his body? This had to be some kind of joke. While Uijae stared in shock, Sa-young propped his chin on his hand and muttered quietly.
“…I’m reflecting on my actions.”
“What are you reflecting on?”
“I didn’t think you’d pass out from something like that….”
Yeah, I didn’t think so either. Uijae glanced at the IV drip attached to his hand. No wonder it hurt so much when Honeybee hugged him. Normally, even if Baewon-woo slammed into him with full force, Uijae wouldn’t budge.
Uijae looked around the room. Next to the bed was a small table with a vase holding a red rose and his mask. Cool air drifted through a slightly open window, making the white curtains flutter. It was a small, but well-organized hospital room with just a bed and one chair.
“Where am I? Is this Seowon Guild?”
“That’s right,” Sa-young replied with a faint smile.
“They said it’s a special room.”
“……”
“To be precise, a room just for J.”
“……”
“Apparently, the Nam Woo-jin here knows what you look like under the mask.”
The sound of air escaping from Sa-young’s gas mask hissed softly—a sound Uijae hadn’t heard in a long time. Ever since Sa-young learned that Uijae was immune to poison, he had always been around Uijae without the mask. Sa-young spoke in a low voice.
“You’re really not well, are you?”
“…Seems like it.”
“What exactly is wrong?”
“I’ve felt off since we entered the city. At first, I thought I was just a bit sluggish. But then, I started having chest pains, particularly around my heart. It seems like it started the moment I replaced the J of this world.”
“And?”
“When Honeybee hugged me, it felt like I’d been hit by a truck.”
“……”
“Normally, something like that wouldn’t even make me flinch…”
Uijae answered honestly. Passing out just from being hugged—his condition was clearly worse than he’d thought. His body felt weaker, slower. Sa-young, watching Uijae clench and unclench his fists, murmured quietly.
“The J of this world… he died from an illness.”
“……”
“And now, you’ve inherited that illness.”
“You don’t know what kind of illness it was? Or the other guy inside you?”
“I don’t. He just said it felt like his life was being drained away….”
Sa-young clenched his fist tightly, his breathing growing rougher. Uijae motioned for him to come closer. Sa-young hesitated but pulled his chair closer to the bed. Uijae ruffled Sa-young’s messy hair playfully. The hand Sa-young had been about to raise froze in midair, and instead, he muttered irritably.
“What are you doing…?”
“Whatever it is, it’s temporary, right? Isn’t that the case?”
“……”
“This… dungeon, or whatever this place is. The symptoms should only be happening here. Don’t worry too much.”
“…Don’t say things like that.”
“Hm?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Sa-young stood up from the chair. After roughly pushing his hair back into place, he looked down at Uijae. For some reason, Uijae couldn’t quite read his expression through the lenses.
“I’ll go talk to Nam Woo-jin. Don’t do anything stupid and stay put.”
“What stupid thing could I do when I’m in this much pain?”
“You seem like the kind of person who would manage it somehow.”
“Just go already, don’t worry.”
“……”
Sa-young lingered, watching Uijae until the last moment before shutting the door with a click. Uijae tried to focus on his fading footsteps, but his senses weren’t as sharp as they used to be.
‘He told me to stay still, but…’
At the very least, Uijae needed to assess his own condition. He couldn’t afford to move without knowing his limits. This didn’t count as doing something stupid, did it? He quickly rationalized his decision.
With a grunt, Uijae struggled to sit up. Even just getting out of bed was a challenge. His muscles screamed in pain, and he had to grit his teeth to hold back a groan. Once the pain subsided slightly, he swung his legs over the side of the bed.
The moment his bare feet touched the floor, his body swayed dangerously.
“Ugh…!”
Thud! He collapsed to the ground. His entire body throbbed from the impact, and the cold floor felt like ice against his cheek. Blood seeped from the IV needle that had torn out of his hand. Is this for real? Can I not even keep my balance? As he gritted his teeth and tried to push himself up, a white system window suddenly appeared in front of him.
---
[Checking synchronization progress….]
[Synchronization 100% complete.]
[Welcome! This is a Memorial Dungeon created by ??. Your role is J.]
[Warning! The entity J is afflicted with ??? ???. The system has applied penalties to your body: weakness, illness, shortened lifespan….]
[Calculating time remaining until death….]
---
A dizzying array of numbers flashed across the screen. Uijae coughed violently, splattering bright red blood onto the floor. His vision was tinted crimson. He blinked in confusion.
‘What the hell?’
His thoughts were sluggish. Another fit of coughing wracked his body, and he covered his mouth with his hand. Cough, cough, cough… Each cough left his hand soaked. It was a long time before the fit finally subsided. When he looked at his hand, it was drenched in blood.
The numbers on the screen slowly began to stabilize. And then,
---
[168:00:00]
---
The countdown stopped. Words appeared on the system window.
---
[168 hours remaining until the entity J’s death.]
---
168 hours. One week. Uijae stared blankly at the system window, half-sitting up in bed. A moment later, more red text appeared.
---
[Warning! If you die in the Memorial Dungeon, your synchronized soul will die as well.]
---
Hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway, and the door to the room burst open. Uijae turned his head. Sa-young was always faster in action than in thought. Even now, he was a step too late.
I shouldn’t let him see me like this.
“…Hyung!”
Sa-young’s unfamiliar voice echoed in the room. Uijae wanted to tell him he was fine, but his mouth wouldn’t cooperate. Instead,
---
[167:58:51]
---
The decreasing numbers taunted him in his vision. Sa-young’s large hands carefully lifted Uijae’s body. Uijae grasped his hand, wet with blood, and forced himself to speak.
“Sa-young.”
“Don’t talk. Nam Woo-jin!”
“No… no. I need to say this now…”
The metallic taste of blood lingered in his mouth. Why did strength only return at times like this? Uijae swallowed hard and spoke, each word strained and deliberate.
“We’re screwed.”
“What…?”
“We’re totally screwed….”
Darkness swallowed him once again. Damn it, I should have explained why we’re screwed. From now on, I’ll explain the reasons before the conclusion. Uijae made a mental note, letting Sa-young’s frantic grip soothe him like a lullaby as he drifted into unconsciousness.
---
* * *
---
When Uijae opened his eyes again, the 168 hours had dwindled down to 164. Time was passing way too fast. Glaring at the system window, he waved his hand to swat it away, but his arm didn’t move. Or rather, something was restraining his wrists.
“…Huh?”
Uijae lifted his hands to find his wrists tied with soft fabric. What the hell? He quickly scanned the room and spotted Sa-young standing in the corner, facing the wall. His posture looked unusually grim. Uijae cleared his throat.
“Hey, Sa-young. What’s this?”
A cold, ominous voice answered.
“Straps.”
“And why am I tied up?”
“To prevent you from falling out of bed again.”
“I didn’t fall out—”
“Nam Woo-jin already logged it as a fall incident.”
“I was just trying to get up to check my condition—”
“But you fell
. Isn’t that the same thing?”
“No, I was assessing how bad my body is!”
“And you didn’t think to do that while I was here?”
“I didn’t want to bother you with something like—”
“Enough.”
Sa-young turned around slowly. Step by step, he walked toward Uijae.
“That’s enough.”
A strange shiver ran down Uijae’s spine. Was he… scared? Uijae blinked in confusion. Sa-young’s gloved hand gently brushed Uijae’s cheek. This time, through the lenses, Uijae could clearly see his eyes.
Bloodshot purple eyes filled with fury.
“I’m holding back a lot right now.”