Chapter 142
Breeders need to consume something like medicinal herbs to qualify for having children, and the name of that herb is Jeokdan. Surprisingly, the Great Rift is not a woman but a male child. This is also a very important aspect of the game’s world-building—if a woman gives birth, it’s a normal child that cannot become a “God who came through the side path,” and only a child born from a man can be recognized as a divine being.
However, this baby wasn’t a symbol of peace and love like Jesus Christ, but rather a being closer to Asura, and in that world, there were actually pagans and believers who worshipped this child. The story went that whoever impregnates the Great Rift and makes it give birth becomes the ultimate ruler of that world, and they were still searching for that boy.
“No, so who’s going to have sex when and how. That’s what’s important.”
Eunseong wasn’t interested in things like the prologue of the game; rather, he was drawn to the sensational aspects. He wanted someone to quickly have sexual intercourse, but so far the text messages only contained prologue explanations with no progress beyond that.
“I really don’t know what this is supposed to be.”
Grumbling while staring blankly at the screen, Eunseong was startled by a knock and quickly hid his phone under a book, closing the open drawer with his foot.
Soon Director Nam came in. Eunseong pretended to be studying English, mumbling some conversation practice.
“I want another story, not this one. This one is boring, everyday same story. I don’t care. I’m not interested in having a baby. I want a real story.”
“Is it going well?”
“Yes. It’s going… well.”
“Practicing conversation with someone would help you improve faster than studying alone.”
“I need to know what to say before I can practice with someone. Once I can speak, then I’ll practice together.”
“…”
Under Director Nam’s skeptical gaze, Eunseong casually showed him an intermediate English conversation book, insisting he was really studying hard. Only Director Nam knew that it had been open to the same page all this time.
Just then, they heard Yoo Siwoon returning home. Eunseong jumped up from his desk. Leaving behind the bewildered Director Nam, he dashed outside. He ran to Yoo Siwoon who was just opening the door and embraced him tightly.
“Ah… ahjussi’s smell.”
“You’ll get hurt.”
“It’s been a while since I smelled ahjussi’s scent.”
“Was I very late?”
Like a puppy, Eunseong rubbed his nose and cheek against Yoo Siwoon’s chest, eagerly taking in his scent. Yoo Siwoon’s hand gently patted Eunseong’s hair, tousling it.
Yoo Siwoon distanced himself from Eunseong when he saw an executioner entering behind him. The executioner spotted Eunseong, bowed deeply in greeting, then reported something to Yoo Siwoon.
“We discovered they were growing additional Jeokdan at Yoo Oseon’s subcontractor’s factory. We’ve confiscated everything and moved it to the greenhouse.”
“Hah… he was so obsessed with it that it’s endless. Look for more. Check the corporate vehicle operation records for the past three months, even the toll payment areas—you’ll definitely find more.”
Since Yoo Oseon was one of Seongha’s successor candidates who never drove himself, there would be traces left wherever he went.
“Understood.”
The executioner answered Yoo Siwoon directly, briefly raising his gaze to stare at Eunseong before lowering his head and turning away.
“I’ll take a shower and come back. Did you eat dinner?”
After the executioner left, Yoo Siwoon kissed the top of Eunseong’s head as he came to embrace him, and asked. Eunseong looked up at him quizzically.
“What?”
“…Did that man just now say Jeokdan?”
“…What?”
“He just mentioned Jeokdan. He said they confiscated everything from the factory and moved it to the greenhouse.”
“And?”
“Nothing. Just… I’ve never been to the greenhouse. Do you have Jeokdan in your greenhouse?”
“Nothing happened with Director Nam? Did you study English a lot?”
“Huh? Yes… a lot… I studied a lot.”
“What did you eat for dinner? Was it good?”
Though he was asking kindly and thoughtfully, Eunseong noticed that he was trying to change the subject. Eunseong just nodded.
But that’s a word from the game… like an item from the game?
So it actually exists in real life…?
Eunseong was very surprised to hear a word he’d only seen in text messages actually spoken by someone else, especially from Yoo Siwoon and the security staff’s mouths. He felt an unpleasant sensation crawling up his back like an insect.
After Yoo Siwoon went to take a shower, Eunseong stood dumbfounded for a moment before returning to his room. He took out the phone hidden under the book and carefully read the texts from the restricted number again, this time more seriously.
[The mark on the neck is said to be a sign that the Great Rift can bear a child. When touched, the flesh swells as if veins are protruding, and it turns blue. The blue dragon scales of those qualified to conceive the God who came through the side path appear within. It becomes most prominent during sexual intercourse, and when touched, causes extreme stimulation. Stimulating this area makes the target wet themselves below and open their body, making it easier to accept a breeder who has consumed Jeokdan.]
[They later founded the Yongse Pacheon Church to worship the God who came through the side path, and evolved into a corporate form, still consuming Jeokdan to maintain the breeder’s bloodline and waiting for Asura to manifest through the Great Rift.]
“…He definitely said Jeokdan earlier. Saying someone was obsessed with it and to confiscate it.”
That’s what Yoo Siwoon had said. He ordered his employee to look further, to find everything and confiscate it all.
As Eunseong was getting anxious reading the text messages and about to put the phone back in the drawer and lock it, a short vibration made him jump and drop the phone on the floor. Coincidentally, a text message had just arrived.
Eunseong quickly picked up the phone. This time it wasn’t text like a prophecy preamble.
It was a photo.
“…Huh?”
It was a photo of himself as a child. Since someone who beats their child whenever they feel miserable would hardly keep precious photos of their son, Eunseong didn’t have many childhood pictures, though he did have a few. Eunseong recognized his baby face.
Maybe around one year old?
Looking at the date on the photo, it was taken shortly after his first birthday. Eunseong, just past his first birthday, was lying alone on a bed, holding a toy in his hand. It was a yellow duck toy. But that duck looked familiar.
“…I’ve definitely seen this somewhere.”
There was no way memories from his first birthday would remain in his consciousness, but he clearly remembered seeing this duck toy somewhere recently.
He definitely saw it somewhere. He couldn’t remember where, but he had seen it somewhere. He was certain.
After staring intently at his photo on the phone screen, Eunseong hurriedly put the phone in the drawer, closed it, and locked it with a key.
He rushed to Yoo Siwoon’s room. He opened the door without knocking. Judging by the sound of water dripping from the bathroom beyond the dressing room, he was still showering.
Eunseong crossed the room and entered Yoo Siwoon’s study.
He had seen it somewhere. He saw it here. Definitely in this room, in his study.
Eunseong’s eyes scanned the space where Yoo Siwoon kept things he couldn’t easily throw away. Books on the bookshelf, reports he wrote in college piled on one side, Seolgi’s collar and memorial stone placed carefully in the middle of the bookshelf. And below that, he saw stacked boxes.
Eunseong opened a box. It contained many miscellaneous items. He opened another box. He was certain he had seen it somewhere here, but couldn’t remember which box. It was only when he opened the third box that he froze.
“…How is this here.”
The yellow duck toy from the photo was inside that box. Due to age, one of the duck’s black eyes was almost erased and the tip of its bill was worn white, but it was the same shape as the duck held by baby Eunseong in the photo.
While he sat stupidly holding the duck toy, he heard the door. His heart sank as if he was caught stealing. Without thinking, Eunseong quickly stuffed the duck toy into the back of his waistband.
“You were here?”
“Ah… yes, I was just looking at some books.”
“I doubt there’s anything you could read.”
The bookshelf where Eunseong was sitting only had books in foreign languages. Eunseong awkwardly laughed at his playful remark. The corners of his lips were trembling slightly. No matter how hard he tried to control his expression, he couldn’t hide the unnatural stiffness.
Yoo Siwoon approached, toweling his wet hair, wearing only pants with no shirt. His impressive upper body came toward Eunseong. Eunseong stood up awkwardly and pushed the box behind him with his foot.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
