abcnovels
Chapter 244:
Chapter 244:
Chapter 244:
Chapter 244
Yu-hyun walked across the ruins, looking straight ahead.
He didn’t want to feel any regret, or get swept away by his emotions.
So he deliberately avoided looking back.
Just as he wanted to show him his best side, Yu-hyun also wanted to remember him in his best light.
“…”
Suddenly, he saw the small leather bag that he carried around with him along with Don Quixote’s sword.
He opened the leather bag and saw some portable food and a potion in a glass bottle inside.
‘Is this… a potion?’
Yu-hyun checked the item.[Fierabras Oil]
Grade: Legendary
A knight’s elixir that has been passed down from the age of myths. It can heal any wound when consumed. Only knights can use it.
Yu-hyun’s eyes widened as he saw the contents.
A legendary potion.
And one that was only a notch below an elixir in terms of quality.
That alone was astonishing, but what surprised Yu-hyun more was something else.
‘Wasn’t Fierabras Oil just a figment of Don Quixote’s imagination?’
In the novel, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza had drunk Fierabras Oil and suffered from stomachaches several times.
They vomited their guts out, but still believed that their bodies were healed.
Don Quixote’s delusional behavior was nothing but laughable from the reader’s perspective.
In the end, Fierabras Oil was a fake with no effect, created by Don Quixote’s imagination.
But the Fierabras Oil that Yu-hyun was looking at now was the real one, as described in the legend.
‘If all the fantasies in the world have disappeared and we have woken up from the dream, shouldn’t this oil be nothing more than simple grease?’
Why did this oil retain the story of the legend?
‘Could it be?’
Yu-hyun hurriedly turned around.
A hill covered with weeds and rubble.
At the end of it, there was a shabby hut where a woman was standing and looking at him.
Her golden hair fluttering in the wind caught Yu-hyun’s attention.
He felt like he was dreaming.
‘What on earth…’
He stared blankly for a few seconds.
A gust of wind blew.
The lady vanished like a petal in the wind.
Before she disappeared, her last mouth movement was saying thank you to Yu-hyun.
“Ha, haha.”
Yu-hyun laughed.
He couldn’t help but laugh.
“So that’s how it was. That’s how it happened.”
That man.
The man who had to accept reality and suppress all his ideals in his heart.
In the end, he received salvation at the very last moment.
He bit his lip and smiled.
“I’m glad.”
Really, I’m glad.
Yu-hyun muttered sincerely.
The wind that came from afar brushed lightly against Yu-hyun’s body.
Between the sound of the wind, he thought he heard a horse’s neigh and a familiar laughter mixed together.
Yu-hyun looked down at Don Quixote’s sword in his hand.
The sword crumbled into dust and seeped into Yu-hyun’s body.
All the wishes and beliefs of the knights contained in the sword filled his chest.
Dream impossible dreams.
Defeat invincible enemies.
Endure unbearable pain.
Risk your life for noble ideals.
Know how to correct your mistakes.
Love with purity and goodness.
Fall in love in impossible dreams.
And…
“Have faith and reach for the stars.”
This was not a simple sword, but a story where all the knights’ wishes were condensed.
It was an oath that transcended generations and generations, fantasies and realities.
Yu-hyun, who inherited that oath, finally became the ultimate guide and a true knight.
[You have cleared the world view ‘Don Quixote of La Mancha’.]
[You have acquired 300,000TP.]
[Congratulations! You have cleared the Mental Realm more perfectly than anyone else!]
[You have acquired an additional 150,000TP.]
The world shattered.
Like the wind. Like petals. Beautifully.
The vast land of La Mancha, the plain of Montiel, the village of El Toboso.
They turned into letters and disappeared with the light.
[You have acquired the wishes of all the knights.]
[The title ‘Knight without Honor’ has changed to ‘The Last Knight’.]
[You have acquired a legendary title.]
[You have received 150,000TP as a reward.]
Now the stories and letters that had flowed away rose high in the sky.
Some of those letters gathered and changed into the shape of a gallant knight on a horse.
The knight ran towards the sky.
No, he went further towards the stars.
[The Divine Spirits are moved by your story and the story of the great knight.]
[Your name spreads widely in the mixed world.]
[You have received 243,000TP as a settlement reward.]
Yu-hyun had always seen things that would crumble with his eyes.
He remembered the moments when those things he had never held in his hand fell apart.
But that was then.
What did he see now?
What he thought had collapsed stood up again.
Don Quixote’s laughter still sounded clear in his ears.
Chwaruruk.
In the brilliant light, Yu-hyun saw letters gather in front of him and make a book.
The book that told him that this world had existed, contained a story that would never have been revealed if it weren’t for Yu-hyun.
Yu-hyun moved his hand as if bewitched and engraved a title on the book.
[The Great and Wonderful Adventure Knight Don Quixote]
The man had been saved and embarked on a new adventure he had longed for.
He already missed his laughter.
‘It’s okay.’
Relief and regret.
In that ambiguous boundary, Yu-hyun recalled the knight’s words.
Although the end of the adventure was regrettable, it was really fun while it lasted.
That was enough.
Yu-hyun held the book with both hands and quietly touched his forehead to it.
As if reminiscing about the fun adventure he had with that man.
***
It had been about three days since Yu-hyun entered the Mental Realm.
The people from the association who were watching the situation outside looked at the Mental Realm with hopeful eyes.
Most collectors bounced out in less than half a day, and even Yu Seong-ah, who was considered a star by the association, couldn’t last more than a day.
But Yu-hyun hadn’t come out for three days already.
‘Could it be?’
‘Could he, this time?’
Unlike the first day when they thought that even Kang Yu-hyun wouldn’t make it this time, soon enough, expectations rose in the hearts of the people waiting at the scene.
Yu Seong-ah also came to the scene early the next day and wandered around near the entrance to the Mental Realm.
She felt the same as others. While muttering what if Yu-hyun clears it, she secretly wished that he would come out safely.
And then, around noon when the sun rose high.
There was a change in the Mental Realm.
“Wha, what? It’s shining! Clear! It’s clear!”
“Crazy! He really cleared it!”
Yu Seong-ah, who was eating lunch at that time, also heard the news and ran over in a hurry.
She didn’t even care about the rice grains on her mouth, and she found the scenery of the Mental Realm disappearing with the light.
And, along with the light, she saw him appear.
“Wow!! It’s real!”
“Kang Yu-hyun Teller did it again?”
“Uh, but something seems different?”
Yu Seong-ah also felt it.
Unlike when he entered, Yu-hyun’s atmosphere was somehow different from before.
She didn’t know exactly what it was, but Yu Seong-ah thought that he looked like a boy who had grown up into a young man in an instant.
People who met Yu-hyun’s eyes, which had become deeper and more profound, shuddered and froze in their places without knowing it.
Would it be too much to think that they wanted to serve and follow this man sincerely, just by looking at him?
“Hey, are you. Okay…?”
When no one else dared to approach him, Yu Seong-ah took charge and asked him.
Yu Seong-ah flinched when she met his eyes without knowing it.
‘Wha, what is this. This guy became a completely different person in just three days?’
Is this what they call a remarkable opponent?
Even though he was standing right in front of me, I felt like I was looking at something much bigger and more powerful than his existence. I was overwhelmed without realizing it.
“Miss Yoo Seong-ah?”
The voice that brought me back to reality was Yu-hyun’s.
“Ah, yes!”
“We’ve just cleared the entire Mental Realm.”
“Oh, you did? Good job.”
I didn’t even notice that my tone became more polite to Yu-hyun.
He didn’t point out that part either.
“Yes. I’m tired, so I’ll go back now. Anyway, there’s no need to fill out any paperwork for the cleared Mental Realm, right? That’s fine, right?”
“Yes? Oh! Of course.”
“Then, I’ll be going. Take care of the rest.”
It was astonishing, if not bizarre, to see a teller who wasn’t even human clear a Mental Realm that most collectors had failed.
And what was even more surprising was that everyone had come to accept that Yu-hyun could do that as a matter of course.
Everyone on the scene just stared blankly at Yu-hyun’s back as he left.
He didn’t show off or brag about clearing that difficult world.
Rather, his calm attitude made him look even more impressive.
No one moved as if they were nailed to their seats until Yu-hyun completely disappeared.
***
As soon as he returned home, Yu-hyun went to find Kwon Jia.
“You said you’d be back soon.”
“It took longer than I expected.”
Kwon Jia rolled her eyes at Yu-hyun. How much anguish had she gone through in the past three days, would he ever know?
“You’ve changed quite a bit. You’re on a roll.”
“Ah. Do you feel it?”
“You got some good news, huh?”
“I got the title of the Last Knight.”
Kwon Jia barely managed to stop herself from falling over.
“What, what?”
“The title of the Last Knight. Do you know it?”
“No, what…”
She knew it very well.
It was a legendary title.
As a regressor, she couldn’t not know it.
It sounded impressive enough, but it had the effect of raising all skills by one level.
And the way to get it was impossible by ordinary means.
The Last Knight was a title that required bone-grinding effort to obtain.
You had to have a heart of justice that no one could surpass, and you had to receive direct recognition from a great knight that everyone could acknowledge.
And not just once, but twice.
To name such knights, you had to face the knights of the Round Table or those under Charlemagne.
“What did you meet inside?”
“A hopeless old man.”
He said it as if he was annoyed by the mere memory of him, but his lips were full of smiles.
“But he was someone who had the most amazing dream.”
“…I see. Sigh. Well, it’s funny to ask how you got it when you already have it. So did you think about it for the last three days?”
Kwon Jia took out a Drakma silver coin from her pocket.
This seemingly insignificant thing had a huge weight at this moment, and Yu-hyun knew it very well.
“Yes.”
He had been busy with Don Quixote for the past three days and had put Kwon Jia’s memory on the back burner.
But now, his mind was clear enough to give an answer.
“I guess we should postpone finding your memory…”
“Let’s do it. Now.”
“Huh, huh?”
“Let’s find your memory, Miss Jia.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really. I’m not joking.”
If he said it with such unwavering eyes, even if it was a lie, she would believe it was sincere. Let alone when it was true without a trace of falsehood.
“…You’ve changed.”
“Please say that my hesitation is gone.”
The past three days with a knight had tempered Yu-hyun’s heart even stronger.
Kwon Jia sighed with relief and nodded.
At least this man wouldn’t waver, and that fact eased her heavy burden.
“Okay. Then let’s do it right away.”
They headed straight to the floor that was used as a dining hall.
“Do you need anything?” he asked.
“No, I don’t. Just this drachma coin and…”
Kwon Jia filled a glass with water.
“This water is enough for me.”
“I wonder how this coin can help you find your lost memories.”
“It’s not a simple coin. This drachma silver coin is one of the first ones that were minted back then.”
Kwon Jia dropped the drachma silver coin into the bottle.
The coin slowly sank to the bottom, releasing tiny bubbles.
Upon closer inspection, the coin was gradually dissolving in the water.
“The coin is… melting?”
“Yu-hyun. Do you know the origin of the word ‘money’?”
Despite the sudden question, Yu-hyun seriously pondered.
“If I remember correctly, the word ‘money’ comes from the Greek goddess Mnemosyne…”
“Do you know what she is the goddess of?”
“That would be memory.”
The goddess Mnemosyne was the personification of memory in Greek mythology.
She was not part of the Olympian pantheon, but she was a being comparable to the first generation of divine Divine Spirits in terms of her longevity.
“Ah.”
“You figured it out. Mnemosyne is the goddess of memory. And what she owns is called the pool of memory, which is the opposite concept of the river Lethe, where the dead forget their memories.”
Before they knew it, the silver coin had completely melted away.
Kwon Jia lifted up the cup.
“Don’t tell me this water is… the pool of memory?”
“It’s not perfect, but a slightly degraded version.”
But it was more than enough for her to regain the memories she needed.
Kwon Jia looked at the water of memory in the cup and hesitated for a moment, then made a determined expression.
She gulped down the water of memory.