Ch.126Change Is Dangerous (2)

To put it bluntly, my phobia had definitely improved compared to before.

Maybe because I’d been overusing the ring lately, I had an intense reaction when the side effects first returned, but after calming down a bit, I could feel the difference.

“Oppa, are you really okay?”

“I-I can manage.”

Right now, I was walking with Seoha along a quiet street outside.

Occasionally passersby or neighborhood kids would walk by, but surprisingly, the side effects weren’t as severe as I expected.

I just felt unsettled and uncomfortable, unable to fully calm down.

‘…It’s definitely improved.’

It might be thanks to my level increasing, or perhaps because I’ve tasted higher realms again after using necromancy several times.

Either way, just seeing the possibility of improvement was a definite achievement.

“Mom! That noona has white hair!”

“Oh my, didn’t I tell you not to say such rude things?”

“Hic.”

Of course, I still had a long way to go before I could say I was free from these issues.

I tried to suppress my hiccups while clinging tightly to Seoha.

“Should we head back now?”

“J-just one more lap around.”

Staying put wouldn’t solve anything. Having decided to face this head-on, I steeled myself and walked one more lap around the neighborhood before returning home.

Plop.

“Hah…”

Seoha looked at me with pride as I collapsed onto the sofa, completely exhausted.

Come to think of it, this might be the first time since returning to Earth that I’ve been this active without some kind of assistance.

Plus, today I didn’t cover my face with clothing or deliberately avoid areas where people were.

Considering how things used to be, this was truly remarkable progress.

“…By the way, how much of your power have you recovered now?”

As she organized her clothes, Seoha suddenly asked this question, as if it had just occurred to her. I turned my head to answer.

“About 20 percent, I guess.”

“…In your current state?”

Since reality isn’t a game, I couldn’t give an exact figure, but that seemed about right.

Around 20% normally, and approaching 50% when using necromancy.

Considering I made Ryan sweat with just 20% of my power, there probably weren’t any hunters left who could match me.

‘That guy Julian was quite strong.’

Since I felt something concerning from him at the end, I thought it would be good to at least remember his name.

And more problematic than that was Hades’ plan to resurrect Gildeon.

“How’s the situation now?”

“Helena says the movement has stopped again. However…”

Helena had also said that the next time Hades shows himself would likely be when he finally executes his plan.

Thinking about it, the final battle wasn’t far off.

“Will it be okay? From what I heard, he sounds like a formidable opponent.”

“No problem. Whoever comes, they’re no match for me now.”

I had absolute confidence in the level I had reached.

Even if this Gildeon was once the strongest necromancer, that was no longer the case.

I got up with my barely calmed body and munched on some jelly that was placed on the table.

Thinking about how I would finally settle things with Hades and those insufferable people.

#

A block away from the apartment where Baek Eunha lived.

Henesia, who had taken up residence there, asked Astride who was sitting blankly, deep in thought.

“Why are you being so strange? Is something bothering you?”

With the cooperation of the Korean government, Henesia had gained more diverse knowledge about this world and now understood everything better than locals.

Both of them had already obtained new identities as Korean hunters, and the government and association had agreed to block anyone trying to approach them regarding dimensional travel or seeking benefits from planet Thebe.

In other words, there was nothing to worry about anymore. They just needed to live according to this world’s rules and do what they wanted.

“Is it because of Gildeon?”

That was certainly something that concerned Henesia as well.

A legendary figure straight out of books. If such a person were to be resurrected and come back to life, it was impossible to imagine what would happen.

However, Astride quietly shook her head.

“…I was just surprised, but I’m not really interested in that.”

Perhaps this was a typical Astride response. She was someone who had demolished some of Thebe’s strongest warriors without batting an eye.

She probably was genuinely surprised about Gildeon, but likely didn’t feel fear or aversion.

“Then what is it? You know you’ve been like this all morning, right?”

“…Sorry. I lost track of time while concentrating.”

Henesia couldn’t understand what had made her so lost in thought.

However, given that it affected Astride to this extent, it was likely related to her teacher.

Sure enough, Astride soon stood up and quietly told Henesia:

“I’ll be back shortly. I won’t be long.”

“Fine. If you’re late, I’ll eat dinner first.”

Clunk.

With that, Astride opened the window and disappeared in an instant.

Even though she had been told that using the front door was common sense here, she seemed to have forgotten immediately.

‘Seriously, what’s bothering her so much?’

Astride was already the type who didn’t express herself well, so it was even harder to guess.

But she would probably explain everything when she returned.

Now accustomed to this process, Henesia sighed slightly and closed the window that had been left open.

On the outside, she left a message using magic telling Astride to use the front door.

#

“S-so, why did you suddenly come here?”

I awkwardly questioned Astride who had barged in out of nowhere.

While I could certainly handle one-on-one conversations now, it was still annoying.

‘…Come to think of it, it is strange. I definitely didn’t experience phobia symptoms with returnees.’

Strictly speaking, Astride wasn’t a returnee, but she clearly wasn’t an Earth entity like monsters.

I couldn’t understand why my phobia was triggered by her.

‘No, perhaps…’

As absurd as it might sound, the possibility I was considering might be the very reason.

While I was lost in thought, Astride addressed me with a serious expression.

“Teacher, that.”

“Th-that?”

Astride raised her finger and pointed directly at me.

That’s when I realized what she was referring to.

She meant the chains of sealing that bound my soul.

“…Should I cut it?”

This was quite shocking.

I had previously mentioned that my power was sealed, but I hadn’t given her the details.

This meant that the current Astride could see through to such deep levels with her own eyes.

Surprised by her unexpected words, I also changed my expression to a serious one and answered her.

“Y-you want to cut this?”

“…Yes. I don’t like it, whatever causal relationship is involved. It keeps bothering me.”

Her words carried many implications. And I immediately understood what conclusion Astride had reached about this seal.

So I spoke without hesitation.

“Ugh. No. Just leave it.”

“…Why?”

First, there was no guarantee she could completely break the seal.

Of course, Astride must have been confident to bring it up, but the level of the seal placed on me already transcended human limits.

Moreover, unfortunately, I had no intention of entrusting my fate to someone else.

I only believe in my own strength. That’s how I’ve lived since falling to Thebe.

And second, this is actually the most important part.

“I-I don’t want to break it right now.”

Even if I could forcibly break the seal, I didn’t want to.

This was actually a recent whim. Normally, I would have gotten rid of this annoying seal as soon as I could.

But through everything that had happened, I had intuitively realized something.

I understood the intention behind this seal placed on me, and what it meant.

So I decided to go along with that intention, just this once.

I would continue to steadily increase my level and gradually regain my original power.

‘…I’ll think about what comes after later.’

That was the decision I had made.