Ch.13Chapter 1. To Become Stronger (4)

The conversation was in full swing, and just as we were finishing our delicious meal, it seemed like it might be time to part ways.

“Ji-hwan.”

Baek Seol-hee had started calling me by my name.

“If you were to awaken as an ice ability user, how would you use that power?”

“Are you asking me for advice as an ice-type specialist?”

“Yes. Just a question. It would be helpful for me.”

“I’m not sure what advice I could offer to someone who’s already a specialist in ice abilities.”

“They say two heads are better than one, right? If you were an awakened ability user with ice magic, if you could freely create ice, how would you fight?”

“Hmm…”

Is she seeking advice from an enemy?

Well, she doesn’t know I’m an enemy yet, which is why we can talk so comfortably.

“I only know how you fight from videos I’ve seen. You use ice whips, create ice walls, and spread ice wings…?”

“That’s right. If I were to add some variations, what do you think would work well?”

“Hmm…”

Should I help her?

When it comes to ice-related abilities, I definitely know more than Baek Seol-hee.

Ice abilities are, after all, an essential power in subculture.

“How about… ice awls?”

“Ice awls?”

“Yes. Literally awls, but the size of stalactites. You could stab enemies with them to subdue them. If one pierces through an enemy’s shoulder and pins them to a wall, they couldn’t escape unless they break the ice, right?”

“I see.”

Her reaction is lukewarm.

Probably because it’s not much different from her existing skill—ice spears.

‘What should I do?’

Should I tell her about the ice magic she awakens to in the original story?

Or should I tell her about ice magic that I know about but doesn’t exist in this world?

‘Boss. You told me to do my best to win her over to our side, so don’t blame me later.’

If Baek Seol-hee, Snow White, complains to me later about strengthening her, I’ll just say I was faithful to my mission.

“It seems you already know about things like ice awls.”

“Well… somewhat.”

“Then how about this? Scatter ice crystals in the air. Like compressed dry ice that instantly freezes any enemy it touches.”

“…Hmm.”

This time she looks troubled for a different reason.

“Is that… possible?”

“Whether it’s possible or not depends on you, doesn’t it? Isn’t an ability user’s power developed based on imagination?”

“You know quite a bit about ability users’ powers.”

“In this world, knowledge about abilities is like knowing how to use computers or smartphones.”

I casually deflected Baek Seol-hee’s suspicion, then pointed to the ice cream that had been served as dessert.

“Ice fragments about this size would spread in all directions, numbering in the hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands. When they touch the target, the compressed ice fragments expand and envelop the opponent in cold.”

“Hmm…”

“You could name the technique something like ‘Icy Spirit Scattering Mirror.'”

“Even a technique name? You’re quite specific.”

“Didn’t everyone create their own heroes when they were young?”

The so-called “creating your own character.”

“It’s just an expression of that kind of imagination.”

“No, this is very helpful. I don’t quite grasp it yet, but if I can develop an idea from this, it could become a powerful technique later.”

Of course.

That’s your ultimate technique in the original novel.

I barely managed to swallow the words rising to my throat with a spoonful of ice cream.

“Then if you were an ability user, what kind of ability would you want?”

“Me, an ability user?”

“Yes. Any ability would be fine. Any grade would be fine. Do you have a desired ability?”

“Hmm…”

If this was me before becoming a Goblin, I probably would have wanted such an ability.

No, I still want it.

“The ability to enter books?”

“Pardon?”

“The ability to directly experience various story worlds. To actually enter worlds I’ve only read about in text, to see, hear, and feel the protagonists in action, experiencing those worlds vividly.”

“You… really love stories, don’t you?”

“Yes, I really do.”

And because I loved them so much, I read all sorts of things, criticized an excessively nationalistic light novel, and ended up coming directly to this world.

“There’s something… pure about how you enjoy stories. Other people analyze stories, thinking about how to make them their own.”

“What?”

“That’s how it is. We live in a world where others’ imagination can develop into your own ability. Using abilities straight from comics or novels isn’t considered plagiarism but ‘homage’—that’s the reality of our current era.”

“……”

“Do you know what sword most awakened ability users use, Ji-hwan?”

“A lightsaber, isn’t it?”

Orange.

A sword that emerges with a sound.

A sword created based on the power of the F-rce.

“That’s right. That’s what we all learned from. After we awakened our abilities… that’s what we saw from childhood.”

The reason it became popular was because that was the “superhero content” adults could show to children who had awakened abilities during that era.

“Have you watched children’s TV channels often? Most of what they show is like that. Content educating children not to use their abilities recklessly. Only when children reach an age where they have self-awareness and can be controlled do they finally get to enjoy stories.”

Of course, as children grew up, they began to develop their own abilities, and adults created media worlds from their imagination to show children, helping improve their abilities.

“You know, I feel this world is quite harsh when it comes to expressing imagination. A world where people can’t enjoy entertainment for entertainment’s sake, but only view it as a means to improve abilities.”

So.

“Do you know what I thought when I watched that movie earlier? That’s exactly how I would fight if I could create ice dinosaurs. How should I fly if I create ice wings to fly into space? How should I use ice magic to stop a meteor falling from space?”

Even the movie we watched is something ability users can only analyze in terms of “how to break through the atmosphere” or “how to fight if transformed into a dinosaur”—that’s the reality of this era.

“In that sense, I envy you for purely enjoying the movie. You enjoy content purely as content.”

Baek Seol-hee smiled brightly and genuinely as she raised her tea to me.

“When I go to Sejong Academy, would it be alright to have conversations like this occasionally?”

* * *

Evening.

After her meeting with the mysterious man Do Ji-hwan, Baek Seol-hee returned home and threw herself onto her bed.

Beep beep beep beep!

As soon as she switched from privacy mode—which blocked all contact except emergency calls—to normal mode, all sorts of messages started pouring in.

Requests to appear in hero public service announcements.

Invitations to make appearances at official government events.

Requests to attend the Busan Heroes Hometown Association meeting.

All public matters where she needed to appear as a “hero” in front of others.

The individual, the human “Baek Seol-hee” didn’t exist there.

Only the S-class ability user, the pride of South Korea.

“Sigh.”

Baek Seol-hee covered her face with her hands.

“Do I have to live like this for the rest of my life…?”

Probably until death.

Even marriage would be a national concern.

If she fell in love with and married a foreigner, the entire country would mobilize to give unsolicited advice and criticism about her marriage.

She had already lost her freedom as a hero.

From the moment she began walking the path of light.

Heroes with overwhelming power could roam freely abroad like gods, but that was difficult in Korea.

“I…”

As Baek Seol-hee reached her hand toward the empty air.

“…!!”

Without realizing it, ice crystals she had created in the air began to scatter instantly.

Small ice fragments multiplied from one to two, two to four, four to eight, doubling each time.

She picked up one of the ice fragments that had spread out in a grid-like pattern like a cube and gently threw it toward the balcony glass.

Crack.

The balcony window began to freeze as if covered in frost.

Although it was only an area the size of a palm, the small ice fragment had exploded with “cold” like a bomb.

“Wow…”

How did this happen?

Could it be that the conversation with that man helped her develop a new skill?

Just because of something that man mentioned once?

“…No way.”

She hadn’t thought of this skill herself.

Yet she had acquired a new skill as if she had known it all along.

Thanks to Do Ji-hwan’s imagination.

“…Hehe.”

Baek Seol-hee grabbed her smartphone.

And examined the profile picture of the man called Do Ji-hwan.

“…What?”

His profile clearly showing his face was.

“A selfie? Pfft.”

A selfie taken with an awkward expression.

“…Hmm.”

Click.

With the sound of a screenshot, Baek Seol-hee began examining his profile pictures.

Click.

Click, click.

Click.