Mod7 Translations

I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 321

Added 2025-02-28 00:51:31 +0000 UTC

Chapter 321: Alone (4)

My mind raced, calculations flashing through my thoughts.

Kim Min-hyeok.

Yes, that was my name.

My real name, from my world.

But how did he know?

It was impossible.

I hadn’t used that name. I had been living as Carsein Bagrand.

There was no way he could know.

The Prophet’s power? That couldn't be it. While he was renowned throughout the Pesselus Empire and the Western tribes, he wasn't from my world.

The system? That was a possibility. But even if the system knew my name, it wouldn't reveal it. How could it? Why would it?

Perhaps Pollux had told him. A slim chance, but I knew how discreet he was.

It was impossible.

There was no way Veneris could know my real name.

But the impossible had happened, and it gave me a strange sense of certainty.

“Right. That’s it. You’re the same.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play coy. We’re in the same situation, aren’t we?”

My name, written clearly in Korean.

Not mispronounced, not butchered, not a nickname, but my real name.

There was only one explanation for this impossible situation.

“You know my name because you’re Korean. Because you’ve been transmigrated into this game world. Am I wrong?”

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Hah, still playing dumb? Then let me present some evidence. The Wederos Kingdom was destroyed long ago. But a Prophet suddenly appeared, possessing the power of the Wederos Kingdom. And thanks to that, weather prediction devices, something that shouldn’t exist in this era, are being used. What do you think about that?”

“…”

“If it was just about prophecies, there would be no need for such devices. You could just tell them the weather.”

I pressed him, and Veneris, his gaze fixed on me, finally spoke, his voice filled with a strange sadness.

“Those eyes… I see. You’ve lived a difficult life as well.”

“What?”

“I once had those eyes. I understand.”

I had thought he would deny it.

Why was he suddenly saying this?

“The world must have been hell for you. Constantly tormented, falsely accused, with no one to help you, the people around you disappearing, and those closest to you hurting you the most.”

“…!”

“You must have been so lonely, so desperate to survive. Relying on calculations, your emotions slowly fading… And experiencing that twice… it would break anyone.”

My mind reeled.

He was essentially confirming that he had been transmigrated…

“…This is as far as I can go.”

He smiled wistfully, his gaze shifting towards… nothing. It was the same look he had when he checked the status window.

But Veneris was denying it, refusing to confirm my suspicions, giving vague, evasive answers.

‘Hah… I see.’

His contradictory behavior had revealed the truth.

There was only one explanation.

The system was warning him.

Then I had to be careful as well, avoid triggering any alarms.

“Veneris, you’ve been active in the Empire for much longer than I have, haven’t you?”

“…That’s correct.”

“Then you must have learned a few things.”

Veneris’s gaze, which had been fixed on some distant point, returned to me.

“I have.”

Oh?

So he was willing to talk.

I hadn’t used any specific keywords like “transmigration” or “player.”

Which meant I could have this conversation, as long as I avoided certain phrases.

I started slowly,

Asking the most important question.

“But before that, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“You’re running out of time. You can’t go back to where you were staying. They’ve started searching.”

“…!”

“According to the prophecy, you can only hide one of them. Choose wisely.”

-Ding!

▶ Warning! One of your pursuers has discovered a clue! ◀

▶ Pursuit event activated. Illeor is being searched. ◀

▶ Compiling episode progress information… ◀

…

With so many unexpected events occurring, I had forgotten.

I had been trying to confirm the clear conditions, to complete the episode.

And before that, I had been planning to leave Illeor due to the approaching Cold Week and my dwindling funds.

It wasn't surprising that they had found me.

‘But thanks to this, I have some time.’

▶ High affinity with the workers. Pursuit speed reduced due to favorable relations. ◀

[Pursuit Speed Reduction: 10%]

▶ High affinity with Monen, a key figure. Pursuit speed reduction increased. ◀

[Pursuit Speed Reduction: 25%]

Good.

Then I had to gather as much information as possible.

“I, Veneris, the Prophet of Wederos, will tell you what you wish to know. Ask.”

***

I had so many questions.

How to escape this pursuit.

How to avoid being captured by my family.

What choices to make to survive Chapter 4.

I could have asked him countless questions.

But I couldn't be distracted by the immediate threat.

I had to focus on the bigger picture.

I had to get all the answers with a single question.

And that question,

Couldn't be limited to Chapter 4.

Two experiences.

My past life, and this game world.

As Veneris had said, the world had been hell.

Whether it was in reality or in this game, I had always been the adopted child, the outsider.

A child, taken in by a mentally unstable mother, living in a wealthy household, yet…

The reality I had faced was cruel.

Because I wasn't related to them by blood,

I had been subjected to constant ridicule and contempt.

I had received no affection from that so-called family. And at some point, even my adoptive mother, the only one who had cared for me, had turned away.

And then, the incidents had begun.

The bullying, the discrimination, the false accusations.

My protests had only made things worse. The more I resisted, the more I was blamed.

I had been physically and verbally abused, a constant target of their cruelty.

And it was my own family.

And what about the outside world?

It had been no different.

I had been bullied, discriminated against, ostracized.

My past, my origins, had followed me like a shadow, making it impossible to live a normal life.

Whether it was school or noble society, it didn't matter.

I had been forced to endure their torment, to accept the blame, unable to even express my anger, my frustration, despite living in the same luxurious environment, enjoying the same privileges.

Who would help me?

If only my powerful family had intervened…

But they hadn’t. And knowing that, the bullies had become even more relentless.

The anger, the resentment, had built up inside me, until it turned into a cold indifference.

I had become numb, resigned to my fate.

I had stopped seeing them as family.

I had stopped seeing that house as a home.

They were demons,

And that place was hell.

To survive in a place where I couldn't even trust my own family, I had to become an outsider.

I had to survive, alone.

I had severed all ties, withdrawn into myself.

I had buried myself in my studies, in endless calculations.

My blood running cold.

“…Have you finished your calculations?”

“I have.”

The conclusion, reached after countless calculations, a conclusion devoid of formulas and equations,

Had been distilled into a single question.

“I’ve experienced this twice. And most of the details are the same. The Pesselus Empire, the Bagrand Duchy, the similarities between certain characters, the events, the Memorials, the solutions… everything.”

-Tap.

Carsein tapped the ground with his scabbard.

“Except for one thing.”

“…”

Veneris’s gaze, fixed on the spot where the scabbard had touched the ground, shifted to Carsein.

“The Wederos Kingdom. This doesn’t overlap. It wasn’t part of my world. And you’re not the main character. So how did we end up in the same situation? Why do we both possess the power of the Wederos Kingdom, a kingdom that was destroyed long ago?”

“…”

“And you know this isn’t the only inconsistency, don’t you?”

A simple game setting?

There were too many discrepancies.

So, the question led to a single path.

“What is the Wederos Kingdom?”

The Wederos Kingdom.

It was the biggest anomaly.

While everything else overlapped with my past life, this didn’t.

And Carsein… no, Min-hyeok, was certain that this unnecessary element, this anomaly, was the key to clearing the game.

A brief silence followed.

Then, Veneris chuckled and replied,

“You already know the answer. Pollux told you, didn’t he?”

“Pollux…?”

Carsein tilted his head, confused.

“When did he…”

-So I’ve been thinking. Veneris, and you… perhaps the power of the Wederos Kingdom is simply a bridge, a way to cross over to this world.

“Don’t tell me…”

“That is the truth of this world.”

The Prophet’s words were never wrong.

If the only difference between the two worlds, the only thing that didn’t overlap, was the Wederos Kingdom…

Then the power of the Wederos Kingdom was simply a bridge. Not a game setting, but a means of transmigrating a person from the real world into the game.

“B-but…! That’s impossible! How can things be so similar?!”

“You could say it’s a shared experience. But for the same events to occur, repeatedly… that’s not a coincidence.”

“…What?”

“Kim Min-hyeok, there’s a reason why you’re in Carsein’s body. In other words,”

-Flutter.

A piece of paper, with the name “Kim Min-hyeok” written on it, fell to the ground.

“There’s a reason why you’re here. Just like me.”

“Wait, what are you…!”

Veneris turned away.

“You should leave now. The pursuers will be here soon. There’s an escape route in the back. And if the prophecy is correct, someone will be waiting for you.”

“…!”

-Ding!

【 Your choices will determine the fate of someone else in this world. 】

【 You failed to save someone in the past, and that person died. 】

【 Will you be able to save her this time? 】

【 Your death brought despair to someone. This despair, spreading like a plague, has anchored their soul to this place. 】

【 It’s not too late, Kim Min-hyeok. 】

▶ Adding to the secrets of the world. ◀

【 It is inevitable. Your arrival here, your transmigration into Carsein’s body. 】

I had more questions, but there was no time.

I had to escape before the pursuers arrived.

Just then, Veneris offered a final piece of advice.