Chapter 67 – Promise (10)

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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‘That is…’

Confirming the shape that popped out from the ring, I wore a subtle expression.

“A ca…?”

It was not just any cat, but a tiny kitten with very pure white fur.

‘A cat, not an NPC?’

Not knowing how to react to this situation, I was just blinking my eyes when the cat that popped out of the moonstone stretched its body long and began to lick its front paw.

After staring at it blankly for a moment, I snapped to my senses and barely managed to squeeze out my voice to speak.

“Help me… a bit…”

As if it heard my voice, the fellow also looked at me.

Its deep blue eyes were shining like gems.

“My pocket… Hey!”

I was trying to ask the cat to bring the combat rations in my pocket to my mouth, but the guy ran off somewhere in a dash without even listening to all of my words.

Because I even shouted when I was already struggling, a pain that felt as if my spine was truly going to break was felt.

‘What on earth is that guy?’

Watching what it was doing in resignation, the cat was climbing the body of the Snow Giant, which was skewered by the icicle and motionless.

What on earth was it trying to do?

Watching further, the fella had reached the Snow Giant’s forehead before I knew it.

‘Did it go aiming for the gem?’

Was it trying to bite the gem with its teeth?

It seemed like those tiny teeth wouldn’t even be able to leave a scratch.

I thought so, but I saw the fellow press its forehead against the gem.

The moment I thought the fella seemed to be expressing condolences for the Snow Giant’s death.

The gem embedded in the forehead came out of the Snow Giant’s body and floated in the air.

“……!”

Did it just… extract the monster’s gem?

It has such an ability?

‘What is that fellow’s identity?’

A phenomenon that even I, the conqueror of all zones, had never heard of or seen.

Was that guy also a legendary-class monster possessing supernatural abilities like the Snow Giant?

However, to be a monster, no gem could be found on that small kitten’s body.

There was only the moonstone ring, which lost its light and turned like a lump of stone after that fella came out, shabbily worn on my finger…

In the meantime, the cat jumped down with the Snow Giant’s gem in its mouth.

Simultaneously with the cat landing lightly on the ground, the Snow Giant’s body fell sideways along with the icicle, making a loud noise.

I involuntarily frowned at the dust storm caused by the fella collapsing, and when I opened my eyes, the cat holding the gem was right in front of my eyes.

Although it did not feed me the combat rations as I wished, seeing that it defeated the Snow Giant, it was clear that it had appeared to help me.

“Than… mhp?!”

Into my mouth, as I was about to extend my thanks to the fellow, something entered.

The fellow had recklessly shoved the Snow Giant’s gem, which it held in its mouth, into my mouth.

“What are you do…!”

At the same time as the gem in my mouth turned into blue particles and disappeared.

A pain greater than a broken spine surged in, and I lost consciousness just like that.

* * *

When I regained consciousness, it was a familiar ceiling.

It meant it was the very hospital room where I had lain after being shot by the Unicorn zone player fellow before.

“Lord Haydam!”

For some reason, Bones, holding a comb in his hand, jumping up from his seat was the first thing visible, and.

Next, Lucas, Plato, and CornerHoney entered my view in turn.

Lucas asked me.

“Are you conscious?”

Perhaps because I had been lying down for so long, trying to answer the fellow’s question made it feel as if my throat was cracking wide open.

“Water, please…”

As soon as I spat that out, two people dashed out of the hospital room.

One was Lucas who ran out saying he would call a doctor, and the other was Plato who followed out saying he would fetch water.

CornerHoney poured water into a glass with a kettle, handed it to me, and said as if it was absurd.

“What does that guy think he has been drinking until now?”

I was dumbfounded by CornerHoney openly cursing at an officer even with Bones present, but.

Bones had a face showing no emotion, as if it was an all too familiar occurrence.

What on earth happened while I was unconscious?

The water CornerHoney handed over turned into blue particles and disappeared as soon as it touched my mouth, and after a moment, the dryness was gone.

“Lord Haydam, is there any place that hurts?”

“Uh…”

Until right before losing consciousness, my entire body was in pain, but now that I opened my eyes.

I felt no pain at all.

No, rather, something far more powerful than before was felt inside me.

“How long have I been hospitalized here?”

“Today was exactly the first week.”

A week?

Even if I had been unconscious for a week, it was by no means an injury that would heal in that time…

‘Did CornerHoney get involved in the treatment?’

If CornerHoney was the one who treated me, it would explain why Bones turned a blind eye to that guy’s cheekiness.

“The commander… no, father?”

“He is safe. Since Lucas went to call the doctor, His Excellency will also soon know that you have awakened, Lord Haydam.”

I let out a sigh of relief at the fact that everyone was safe.

It was only natural.

Since the Snow Giant was dead, the blizzard probably stopped as well, and if so, the rescue operation wouldn’t have been difficult.

‘I wonder what became of the Team 2 leader…’

About to ask about what happened while I was unconscious, I sat up from my lying state and inspected my hand.

Luna Moon’s ring was worn on my finger, emitting a dull light as always.

The difference was that instead of being loose as usual, it had shrunk to a size that fit my finger perfectly.

I quietly stared the ring and asked Bones.

“Did you, by any chance, see something like a cat when rescuing me?”

“A cat?”

Bones wore a puzzled expression, as if he did not know why I was asking such a thing.

“For now, since I was hospitalized at the time of the rescue, I do not know in detail. But I have not heard stories of anyone seeing a cat-type monster.”

I asked if they saw something like a cat, and he naturally assumed it was a monster.

Indeed, there was no way a normal cat would live beneath such a cliff in this era.

Although the cat I saw was a perfect kitten in appearance, judging by its strange abilities, it was probably closer to a monster.

“Seeing you talk about cats as soon as you wake up, it seems you haven’t fully returned to your senses yet.”

Bones, who did not let it slide this time at CornerHoney’s muttering, frowned as much as he could.

“Lord Haydam, is that guy originally that cheeky?”

“By the way, why is that guy here? And why are you all here too?”

“We were also hospitalized here.”

Come to think of it, Bones was wearing a hospital gown.

It seemed Plato and Lucas, who ran out earlier, were also dressed in hospital gowns…

Seeing CornerHoney in his military uniform, he seemed to have returned safely to the zone with Meursault.

At that moment, CornerHoney came a step closer and spoke triumphantly.

“Thank me, Haydam.”

It seemed he was trying to boast about treating me, but since it was true that I received help, I was about to thank him when the fellow added.

“Because the one who found you was me.”

“The one who found me was you?”

“Yes! Otherwise, how would anyone know of a cave in such a cliff and go to search for it?”

Since they knew the position where I fell, I had thought they rescued me by searching with a drone.

Had CornerHoney given them the exact location?

However, that cave was a place even I was seeing for the first time.

“How did you know about that cave?”

“Because it’s a cliff I know.”

A cliff you know?

I stared at him with a face of disbelief, but CornerHoney wore an expression indicating that was all.

Looking at Bones, he also just shrugged his shoulders as if he knew nothing.

“He’s a funny bastard. We also asked how he knew, and he wouldn’t say anything other than it was a cliff he knew.”

That guy CornerHoney… had he perhaps fallen down that cliff before while playing the game?

“Then… my treatment?”

“Treatment?”

CornerHoney and Bones looked at each other briefly, and then spoke in turn.

“We didn’t do any treatment.”

“I heard that at the time of discovery, your clothes were only slightly torn and you were fine, though.”

“That’s why the entire zone is in an uproar right now.”

“Saying that you are the miracle of the crevasse, Lord Haydam.”

W… What miracle?

The miracle of the crevasse?

It’s not even funny…

“By the way, why the cat? Is it important?”

“That is—”

“Lord Haydam!”

Just as I was about to reply appropriately to CornerHoney’s words, the doctor brought by Lucas appeared and kicked out the outsiders, telling them to beat it, so we could not continue the conversation further.

The commander appeared exactly ten minutes later.

“Haydam!”

Revealing all his emotions like never before, he approached me and hugged me.

It was a hug with all the force removed, fearing I might be in pain.

The arms holding me trembled slightly.

‘I feel somewhat guilty for some reason…’

Since it was completely different from his usual coldness where he would ask if I could recover even if injured, I realized that he had secretly hidden his worrying heart for me all this time.

The commander let go of me and spoke without even taking a breath.

“Do not ever think of doing such a reckless thing again.”

“……”

When I remained silent without replying, the commander looked at me with rather frightened eyes.

“Please… I beg of you. If something went wrong with you there, with what face would I meet Luna Moon after death…”

The commander’s voice was trembling finely.

“Please, Haydam. Promise me you won’t do it again. You are a regressor, not an immortal!”

The commander’s words were not wrong.

Since I was a player, not an immortal.

Even if I answered that I would do so here, there would be no problem.

Since I realized this time that I could kick the bucket if I acted too arrogantly relying on my abilities, from now on, it might be better to just diligently take successor lessons in a safe place and continue the clearance.

If not for the ring’s power, it would probably have been game over there.

But all the more, because of that, I had to answer like this here.

“I cannot do that.”

“Haydam!”

“Because I already promised mother.”

The commander, who was about to say something to me, paused briefly when the word mother came out of my mouth.

“A promise… you say?”

“When I regressed, I swore at mother’s grave. That I would definitely protect father in this life. Therefore, if I cannot protect father, there is no meaning to my regression.”

At my words, the commander had a face lost for words.

When a ten-year-old son claims he regressed to save him, is there any person who wouldn’t be lost for words?

“Haydam…”

The commander barely opened his mouth to say something, but the doctor who opened the hospital room door and entered at the perfect timing informed us that visiting hours were over.

“Since it hasn’t been long since he regained consciousness, mental and physical stability is most important right now. Of course I understand your worrying heart, but you must let him rest.”

At the doctor’s explanation, the commander reluctantly left me a greeting and slipped out of the room.

After even the doctor and nurses left, leaving words to press the bell if there was a problem.

I muttered in a low voice.

“…That is the answer you wanted, right?”

A light hovered once over the ring’s moonstone as if hit on the spot, and then disappeared.

“I did as you wished, so now come out and explain.”

I lifted my hand and whispered to the ring.

“You, what on earth did you do to me?”