Chapter 86: New Life (End)

Gyeonwoo knew well what adoption meant.

A kind of contract to take in a child without parents, a child not connected by blood, as family.

So…

Uncle would become my new dad…?

Gyeonwoo, who’d been ready to apologize to Pureumi, froze stiff in place.

“…Did you hear?”

“Eek! P-Pureumi doesn’t know! Pureumi doesn’t know what this means!”

Her upright hair showed how shocked she was.

And usually when Gyeonwoo was this flustered, it was only in negative situations.

Pureumi heartlessly pretended not to notice and fled to Kang Hari’s arms.

“Or did something happen outside?”

Even the usually stoic Guild Master Lee Sunghwan couldn’t hide his confusion as he carefully watched Gyeonwoo’s reactions.

But Gyeonwoo couldn’t answer.

New dad.

If uncle really became my family, wouldn’t that be so happy?

Yes, my heart must be pounding because I’m happy.

He’s kind, cool, strong, and righteous.

She almost answered yes without thinking.

But still…

Even so…

Getting new parents while my parents are deceased.

That’s betrayal.

That’s impossible.

I feel guilty just being happy alone, I can’t betray my deceased parents like this.

I shouldn’t do that.

“First, calm down and come sit here.”

“Oh dear, I knew this would happen. Gyeonwoo, come talk with sister?”

Maybe this happened because I wanted too much.

Maybe I made uncle uncomfortable without realizing it.

Uncle must be sacrificing himself, offering to adopt useless me for my sake.

That can’t happen!

Gyeonwoo’s newfound confidence turned against her.

The arrogance unique to children feeling the world revolves around them.

Gyeonwoo closed her eyes and made a wish, lost in her own world as if she couldn’t hear Guild Master Lee Sunghwan and Kang Hari’s voices.

I want to disappear from uncle’s sight.

And…

I miss Mia.

The one person in this world who can understand me.

Who wanted nothing from me and helped me.

My family not connected by blood.

Gyeonwoo’s wish came true in the blink of an eye.

Before Guild Master Lee Sunghwan could gather his telekinesis to grab her.

Before Guild Master Kang Hari could place a tracking spell.

“Gyeonwoo!”

Just as she’d appeared in the conference room, Gyeonwoo vanished instantly without a trace.

Who could have imagined this would happen while they played with Guild Master Jang Jin-yu, planning to discuss adoption with Pureumi.

“…Kang Hari. Please watch Pureumi.”

“Going to look for her?”

“Have to. It’s my fault.”

“You won’t listen if I try to stop you? Don’t be too late.”

“…Thank you always.”

Maybe adoption was just my arrogant desire without considering Gyeonwoo’s feelings.

But I won’t give up.

The child who used to just watch others’ reactions without speaking has changed this much.

After seeing that.

I can’t ignore a child who could become even happier.

Even if he had to search the whole world for Gyeonwoo, he would.

And so Guild Master Lee Sunghwan, along with Guild Master Jang Jin-yu and the Han sisters who arrived late.

Even Yang Joya, Kim Seongyeong, the monks, and members of the three major guilds.

Everyone who couldn’t help but love her joined together to search all of Korea for her.

Naturally this led to discovering and eliminating hidden cult members along the way.

But no matter how hard everyone tried, Gyeonwoo who had already vanished couldn’t know this.

Blink, blink.

Her vision blurred from using too much blood.

Feeling like she might throw up at any moment.

“…Y-you! How did you find this place?!”

Gyeonwoo witnessed a horrifying scene along with a familiar voice that made her feel like she might lose her mind.

“T-turn away right now!!”

A room completely surrounded by concrete without a single window.

The walls were covered edge to edge with thick-framed photos that seemed coated to reflect light.

“Huh?”

For some reason the person in the photos looked very familiar.

“Aaaahh! Don’t look!!”

Long aqua hair flowing past her waist and beast-like yellow eyes.

A baggy white t-shirt showing her collarbones on her skinny frame.

Like… photos from Gyeonwoo’s past living in the cult’s basement.

And they weren’t all the same photo.

There were various types showing her growing up over time, being happy, sad, in pain, and more.

Almost like someone’s life story.

“W-what is this…”

But unfortunately Gyeonwoo had no chance to look at all the photos.

“Hey, hey! No fuck! Why do you always show up looking half dead?!”

Already barely holding onto consciousness, hearing that shocking scene and all too familiar tone and voice.

Flop-

She collapsed, unable to maintain consciousness any longer.

She braced for impact with the obviously hard floor.

Poof- But instead of pain she felt soft warmth.

“Haah? Hm? Must be having a good dream? You better be ready when you wake up.”

And so Gyeonwoo let go of consciousness peacefully, feeling gentle hands stroking her cheeks.

*

Seo Mia.

After being sold off expensively by her parents, she resented the whole world.

No one else could have suffered as horribly as me.

No one could understand my feelings.

Thinking this, she refused to submit even to the cult’s harsh education.

“What’s this gonna eat…?”

Until meeting Gyeonwoo.

A child with the ridiculous ability to achieve anything by sacrificing herself.

It was an impossible ability.

Even in a world overrun by Awakened and monsters…

An ability like a miracle that defied common sense.

Even Mia, praised for having the greatest regeneration ability in history, couldn’t help envying it.

Perhaps that’s why.

“Then make a promise with me.”

“Huh? Promise?”

“Since you say you’ll escape the cult, promise not to die until we meet again.”

Mia couldn’t just watch Gyeonwoo’s precarious state.

Since Gyeonwoo’s ability worked through self-sacrifice.

Surely… she’d reach her limit someday.

The cult might find an elixir to save Gyeonwoo, but.

“Ha, like those bastards would save you!”

Gyeonwoo was both an irreplaceable treasure and a threat to the cult.

With power that could make the entire cult “not exist” if she wanted.

Once they decided she was no longer useful, they’d surely dispose of her like the other children.

So she escaped the cult.

She avoided untrustworthy humans while building strength and searching for ways to save Gyeonwoo.

First she tried getting an elixir.

But.

There were only three in South Korea, and their owners were Guild Masters that even Mia’s ability couldn’t defeat, so she had to give up.

But she didn’t stop there.

Mia turned her attention to using her own regeneration ability.

Her “greatest in history” regeneration ability.

It was worth trying with power that could regrow severed arms and repair holes in the brain.

“If I split my body in two… would the regeneration ability still work?”

The experiment was a huge success.

The source of Mia’s regeneration ability wasn’t her “brain” or “mind” but her “heart.”

When she removed the heart from her body, the empty shell disappeared and a new body formed.

Though it took several years to regenerate her whole body.

“This is it! With this, I can save Gyeonwoo!”

Faraday box.

A one-time item that appears extremely rarely in dungeons with the effect of cutting off the outside world.

Mia immediately got a Faraday box and sealed half her heart inside.

The sealed heart remained intact.

“Cough, cough…! Huu… success…”

A new heart regenerated in her body that should have disappeared.

She’d created a body to give to Gyeonwoo.

Though…

She didn’t know how many years it would take to regenerate a new body after giving up her current one.

Though they might never meet again.

Better I sacrifice myself than let Gyeonwoo die.

So…

Until Gyeonwoo leaves the cult, it’s okay for me to live for her sake?

Mia secretly snuck into the cult and took countless photos of Gyeonwoo sleeping, smiling, crying.

Preserving them until she could memorize every down hair.

That’s how the collection Gyeonwoo discovered came to be.

“Haah…. Though I never imagined she’d become a girl.”

Watching Gyeonwoo lying in bed with eyes tightly closed, breathing raggedly.

Mia poked her swollen chest grumpily while muttering.

“Well, for Gyeonwoo, being male or female doesn’t matter.”

What worried her now was that Gyeonwoo had gained too many connections.

Those old monk bastards who dared touch Gyeonwoo.

That ignorant spoiled boy leering at Gyeonwoo.

Even that brat clinging to Gyeonwoo calling her mama trying to monopolize her.

“Hmph, you’re saying you don’t care if it’s me or someone else?”

Just as a sulky Mia started pinching Gyeonwoo’s cheeks.

“Hnng… it hurts…”

Gyeonwoo, who’d been unconscious for nearly half a day, rubbed her eyes and sat up unsteadily.

Unlike usual she whined like a child, being weak to sleep.

Though this sudden awakening should have been startling.

“This much hurts? But draining your blood till you’re nearly dead doesn’t hurt? Huh? Do you know how much it hurt me seeing you faint like that?!”

“Waaahh!”

Instead Mia saw her chance and mercilessly pulled Gyeonwoo’s cheeks, eyes flashing.

Her plump cheeks stretched like rice cakes, turning red.

“Miaaaa! It huuurts!”

Her voice stretched unintentionally as her mouth pulled wide.

Though embarrassed by her whiny tone, Gyeonwoo couldn’t help giggling “heehee” at this familiar situation.

Whining about pain then laughing because it feels good?

“If you laugh while crying horns will grow on your butt.”

“Hehe, that’d be good since it means more things to use as payment for wishes!”

“Oh really?”

At that moment Gyeonwoo and Mia’s eyes met.

“Long time no see.”

“Yeah…!”

They both broke into bright smiles and hugged each other tight.

This wasn’t a hallucination like before.

Not just a voice in her head, but the real Mia in the flesh.

She’d kept her promise and stayed alive.

“How are you alive?”

Though I’m so happy you’re alive, more than words can express.

But how is this possible?

After giving me your body.

You didn’t use some bad method, did you?

Seeing Gyeonwoo’s clear worry.

Her drooping eyes, Mia silently tapped the wall behind the bed.

“This is inside the Gate.”

“…Huh?”

“I have to stay here until my body recovers. Why did you come looking for me?”

Actually Mia was more surprised.

This space was essentially cut off from the world.

She shouldn’t have been able to find it just by tracking Mia’s traces.

Obviously she must have made a foolish wish like “I want to go to Mia!”

After she’d so earnestly asked her to take care of herself before parting.

As Mia sent her a cold look like she might get angry any moment.

“Ah, n-no! That’s not it! I h-have something to discuss!”

Gyeonwoo rolled her eyes around avoiding Mia’s gaze, making excuses afraid of being scolded again.

“Discuss? You used up buckets of blood to come discuss something? Are you really crazy?”

Of course such excuses wouldn’t work.

Bonk!

“Huuu…”

Mia gave her a swift knock on her round head before Gyeonwoo could block.

Though she was happy to meet Gyeonwoo like this when she’d thought they couldn’t meet for years…

She hadn’t wanted to see her in pain, collapsing.

“Don’t ever do that again.”

However, today’s Gyeonwoo was different from the weak, timid Gyeonwoo of the past!

“N-no! I came because I wanted to see you! I-I’ll keep coming whenever I want?!”

Today’s Gyeonwoo had evolved into Super Ultra Gyeonwoo thanks to Guild Master Jang Jin-yu!

Her overflowing confidence couldn’t be stopped even by Mia!

“Hmph, is that so? Then I’ll have to hide where you can never find me again. Bye.”

“Aah! I’m! I’m yours!”

But sadly, confident Gyeonwoo was subdued in 3 seconds.

She’d be sad if she couldn’t meet Mia, if nothing else…

“Um… you won’t avoid me…?”

Gyeonwoo fidgeted with her fingers while watching Mia’s reaction.

After their playful squabble and confirming each other’s safety.

After briefly catching up on what they’d missed.

Finally Gyeonwoo carefully brought up the main topic.

“Um, do you know Guild Master Lee Sunghwan…?”

“Of course. He’s famous.”

“W-well, uncle said he wants to adopt me… what do you think?”

In her shock and excitement she’d unconsciously made a wish and ended up here.

It felt like betraying her parents with her own hands to say yes herself.

Actually she partly wanted to hear positive answers from a third party like “you deserve it” or “accept it.”

But Mia didn’t answer.

She just stared at Gyeonwoo then.

Poof-

Hugged Gyeonwoo tight, her original small frame now even tinier as a girl.

Sometimes actions speak louder than words.

At Mia’s warm temperature Gyeonwoo’s head drooped.

She rested her forehead on the delicate shoulder, her expression crumbling freely while her face was hidden.

I’m confused.

I don’t know what I want either.

I like uncle, Pureumi, and the sisters.

But still, every time I sleep I see my parents’ faces as they died.

Can I be happy alone while leaving behind the parents who died because of me?

Was it selfish from the start to want to live and atone to my parents?

What… what should I do?

Drip drop- Tears soaked Mia’s shoulder.

Only sniffling sounds continued as she cried silently like she’d forgotten how.

Seeing this tiny trembling body made her want to beat that Guild Master to death, but.

“Haah….”

Mia had lived watching only Gyeonwoo for decades since the cult.

Of course she knew Gyeonwoo wasn’t crying because of Guild Master Lee Sunghwan.

Rather…

She probably wants to accept his offer.

She’s too gentle and foolishly kind, so she’s hurting like this unable to let go of her dead parents.

Mia could easily guess Gyeonwoo’s feelings.

So.

“I was sold by my parents so I don’t know how you feel.”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to make you remember bad things…”

She wanted to tell her to reject such nonsense.

To abandon these humans hurting her again and live together with her, but.

That would steal away Gyeonwoo’s happiness.

She decided to give in just this once.

After all, this was all for Gyeonwoo who had suffered so long.

“So go tell them.”

“Huh…?”

Gyeonwoo tilted her head at these words without context.

Mia continued in a gentle voice while fixing Gyeonwoo’s hair that had fallen loose:

“I’m still recovering so I can’t leave here for at least a year. So during that time, live with those people and confirm there are good people too.”

It was a nonsensical answer even to Gyeonwoo.

Confirm there are good people in my place?

That’s… something I could confirm without accepting uncle’s adoption offer, right?

“And!”

As if noticing Gyeonwoo’s doubt, Mia poked her side while adding:

“Eek!”

“And you too. You need to show your parents in heaven. That thanks to their sacrifice you’re living happily like this. That you’ll keep living happily. That you won’t forget their sacrifice, and you’ll live just as hard. That’s what I mean.”

This was the real point.

Maybe after Gyeonwoo’s brainwashing and trauma completely disappear…

But for now, she still needs a reason to live, so Mia pointed that out.

Advice only someone who understood Gyeonwoo so well could give.

“…Yes!”

Gyeonwoo finally nodded with a bright smile.

She’d made up her mind.

Even now while I selfishly ran away, uncle must be looking for me.

Maybe not just uncle but Pureumi and others are really worried too?

I said I’d act mature.

But somehow I end up acting foolishly around real adults.

Though this feeling is new…

“I’ll go talk to uncle then.”

“Good. Next time don’t use your ability until you collapse.”

My deceased parents would probably say it’s okay with these people.

So I’ll go back and apologize.

Apologize and thank him for letting me be his daughter.

Hug him tight and eat delicious desserts together.

And make others as happy as I’ve become!

Gyeonwoo jumped up preparing to teleport, looking at Mia sitting on the bed.

But for some reason she had an unusually mischievous expression…

“Heehee, no! I’ll come visit again!”

Watching her disappear after that playful declaration, Mia burst out laughing.

If it was Gyeonwoo being this happy, she’d be glad to see her anytime.

“Yeah, see you next time.”

She answered with a laugh though she knew Gyeonwoo couldn’t hear.

She looked forward to when her treatment finished.

Several months passed after Gyeonwoo overheard the adoption offer, ran away, then returned to accept it.

“Um, I’m sorry! Thank you for accepting someone like me! If I can be your daughter… I’ll accept adoption!”

“Thank you for trusting me.”

Guild Master Lee Sunghwan pushed forward with the three major guilds to accelerate eliminating the cult, leading to chaos as many high-ranking figures were arrested.

But once Gyeonwoo’s support began, the domestic cult was completely eradicated without a trace.

One peaceful morning like any other.

“Daddy!”

Gyeonwoo showed a playful smile while waving the smartphone she gripped.

“What, did you see something you want to buy?”

“No brother. Why are you scolding the child!”

“…This is just how I talk.”

Her bouncing around like a rabbit made him happy.

Guild Master Lee Sunghwan and Kang Hari were chatting on a bench, naturally extending their arms to welcome Gyeonwoo, but.

“Daddy, are you a misogynist?”

What kind of question was this in that sweet voice?

The two Guild Masters gaped blankly at Gyeonwoo.

What on earth had she seen on the internet this time?

“Where did you learn that term?”

Lee Sunghwan reflexively stood up and approached Gyeonwoo.

The cause must be in that smartphone she kept waving around.

“Heehee! Got it!”

Gyeonwoo stuck out her bright red tongue and ran away as if she’d been waiting for this.

“Stop right there!”

“Bleh- Pureumi! Hide me!”

“Stop bullying our mama!!”

Then she grabbed Pureumi’s hand from behind the bushes and fled to the other side of the park.

Clear laughter rang out like background music with each of the children’s running steps.

Though she still had much to learn…

“Brother, aren’t you going after them?”

“No need. She’s probably waiting with some other prank prepared.”

“Our children will be disappointed brother’s not chasing them.”

“…Do you like me or the children more?”

“Pfft. I like brother, but lately I might like Gyeonwoo and Pureumi a tiny bit more?”

Still, at this moment everyone was happy and could dream of a happy future.

END –

[raei: and that’s all! Hope everyone enjoyed the novel. The author has health problems and ended up deciding he had to cut the novel short. It was planned to be a slice of life with Gyeonwoo growing up with hundreds of chapters but uh that’s just how it goes sometimes.

Anyways off to look for more novels! Cya!]