Episode 217. Attack

Saturday afternoon. Ironblood Hospital.

“Thank you for your hard work, Saintess-nim.”

“Thank you. I’m heading out first.”

Having finished her work, Baek Ahyoung stood up from her seat.

“Yes! Thank you for your hard work!”

• Thank you for your hard work!

“Thank you.”

When Baek Ahyoung left work, everyone in the hospital greeted her. Even the patients.

After finishing her greetings one by one while making eye contact, Baek Ahyoung stepped outside.

Click-clack.

Since she finished all of today’s work, she planned to go home and rest.

‘Only two days left now.’

When I return to the Academy, I’ll probably have to work as the school nurse again.

The position of school nurse was hastily created by the Academy just to accommodate Baek Ahyoung, so honestly, it wasn’t a busy job.

‘It’s not bad dealing with patients again after so long.’

The intense emotions I felt every day while working at the Association.

Helping people and receiving their thanks.

For Baek Ahyoung, that was healing.

“Ahyoung~ Are you done?”

As soon as she stepped out of the building, a high-pitched voice hit Baek Ahyoung’s ears.

“…Yeji?”

“I came because I missed you after so long~.”

Min Yeji, a beauty with cat-like features.

She was Baek Ahyoung’s acquaintance.

She was the Team Leader of the Ironblood Guild, and it was thanks to Min Yeji that Baek Ahyoung was assigned directly to Ironblood Hospital where Lee Hoyeon was hospitalized.

“Weren’t you busy with work? What brings you here?”

“I happened to have something to do in this area. I have an investigation.”

“Investigation?”

“Yeah. I heard one of the kids from a famous guild seems to have become demonized.”

“Ah.”

Hunters becoming demonized.

It’s rare, but it does happen.

“While I’m at it, I came to see if our Ahyoung is working hard. Someone I recommended shouldn’t just be goofing off~.”

“Huhu. Thanks. Still, I’m glad you made things convenient for me.”

“Not at all. Having the Saintess here, even for a short while, is such a big help. Speaking of which, did you have a good hospital stay with Student Hoyeon?”

“…Yeah.”

The hospital stay spent with Lee Hoyeon.

It was only about a week, but it was a happy time.

We confirmed each other’s feelings, and we established a definite relationship.

Especially when we confessed to each other… it felt really good then.

Thinking of that night, Baek Ahyoung’s face turned slightly red, and Min Yeji, seeing that, linked arms with her.

“Wow, you must have really liked it. Look at our Ahyoung’s expression. Such a pure kid.”

“…Well, that can happen.”

Baek Ahyoung pushed Min Yeji away slightly and managed her expression.

The corners of her mouth were trying to go up unconsciously.

“Alright. Let’s meet again when the Ironblood Hospital work is over. How about the three of us having drinks, including Sol?”

“I can’t drink much, but… sure. Speaking of which, is Sol still researching?”

“Yeah. She said it’s almost finished. Apparently, next week there’s a magic expo or something.”

“Magic expo?”

“That’s what she said, but I don’t really know what it is either.”

Min Yeji raised her arms in a gesture of not knowing, but Baek Ahyoung remembered hearing about it from Sol.

‘I’m sure she said she was going with Hoyeon.’

Im Sol and Lee Hoyeon.

They’re master and disciple, but I can’t let my guard down.

“Isn’t that something Hoyeon is doing together with?”

“Oh… was it? It seems like it might have been.”

“…”

“Hey, don’t worry. Sol doesn’t pay attention to guys, right? My teasing is just teasing.”

“…Yeah. I know.”

But Baek Ahyoung still remembered that feeling she had before.

When Im Sol talked about Lee Hoyeon.

It didn’t seem like strong affection yet, but… there was definitely some affection there.

‘She could become a competitor at any time.’

Even if I’m ahead right now, I absolutely cannot let my guard down.

Lee Hoyeon is that kind of guy.

Baek Ahyoung clenched her fist, steeling her resolve.

---

“Are you sure? It’ll be hard to follow.”

Rebecca and I stood facing each other in the training ground inside Rebecca’s hideout.

She was holding a staff with a purple crystal orb, though I didn’t know where she got it from; it didn’t seem like a particularly useful artifact.

“Is that staff just for decoration?”

“Ah, yeah. You noticed? Like this, I look a little scarier.”

Definitely, like that, she looks like a real witch.

“Hmm, perhaps it’s better to quit even now…”

“Why?”

Rebecca had been repeating that phrase since a while ago.

Was asking her to teach me the Rune Barrier that difficult?

Seeing as she wants to revive the Rune clan, she probably wouldn’t hate teaching it.

“…The Rune Barrier isn’t simple.”

“Let’s just try it.”

Anyway, I feel strange coming to the training ground after so long.

It’s been a long time since I went, even at the Academy.

“This isn’t something covered by talent… it’s training passed down from the Rune clan…”

Why was she so worried?

We can just try it.

“I get it, Ms. Rebecca. It’s okay. I’ll just try it.”

I said somewhat firmly.

“…Hmph. Fine. Listen carefully. Don’t get hurt if you can’t do it.”

Ah, so that’s why she was like that, worrying I’d get hurt.

There’s no need for that.

Swish-

After a moment, Rebecca’s magic power began to envelop the inside of the training ground.

It was the familiar Rune Barrier.

I observed the sphere of magic power spreading slowly, but as expected, there was nothing different from my magic circle.

“The Rune clan must completely dominate the Rune Barrier.”

Rebecca murmured quietly.

Her demeanor was completely different from the atmosphere she had shown until now.

Thump-

At the same time, the air around me grew heavy.

An immense pressure bore down on my shoulders, and my combat senses began to activate.

“Try activating the Rune Barrier.”

“…”

I frowned, enduring the pressure, and created the Rune Barrier.

I activated it, wrapping it around my body to block the pressure pressing down on me.

• Crackle

But my barrier collapsed immediately as soon as it was manifested.

Because it couldn’t withstand the pressure emanating from Rebecca’s Rune Barrier.

“The Rune Barrier isn’t like that.”

Rebecca, who approached me, smiled slightly then collapsed her own Rune Barrier.

The Rune Barrier, which was slowly losing its form, stopped at a certain moment.

“Whoa…”

It was a state where the magic was activated, but simultaneously not activated.

“No, how is this possible?”

I had never heard of or seen such a phenomenon before.

If I showed this to Im Sol, she’d probably fall backward in surprise.

“The magic the Rune clan learns is only one thing for their entire lives. Therefore, the space within the barrier becomes the Rune’s.”

Rebecca extended one hand, and I could see the magic power flowing from it was connected to the barrier.

“This… isn’t being maintained continuously. It’s just… like it’s been connected from the start…”

“Right. My magic power already has the same structure as the Rune Barrier. …But I haven’t visualized it yet, how did you see it?”

“Such a thing is possible?”

Although Rebecca expressed doubt, I widened my eyes in surprise.

How on earth is it possible for magic and a human to have the same magic power structure?

“That’s because we’re the Rune clan. Well, this is why I didn’t want to show you. I thought you’d just lose motivation.”

Actually, my motivation didn’t drop.

If anything, it increased.

Because there were concepts of magic I didn’t know about.

“B-but it’s okay.”

Rebecca, perhaps misunderstanding my enthusiastic eyes, started saying something.

I let Rebecca’s words go in one ear and out the other, observing the Rune Barrier she manifested.

The fusion of magic power and human.

‘Could I do that too?’

No. Absolutely impossible.

That’s a phenomenon that requires a long time during the period when the body is still developing.

I’m already too late.

Even if it were possible, I would need other magic besides the Rune Barrier.

If so, I need to find another way…

“Your talent is sufficient… If you just have a child with talent, I’ll raise them from childhood…”

“Ah.”

Although Rebecca was saying something, I couldn’t hear her.

Because something started happening inside my head.

When I learned about a new concept unknown even to me, who possesses [Magic Sensitivity], my talent forcibly evolved my body as soon as I understood it.

This was an awakening.

Just like when I first felt mana.

Just like when I first used my combat senses.

Just like when I created a new skill.

Just like when I awakened during sex with Liliana.

Perhaps even more than that, some kind of evolution was occurring.

I can’t completely change my body’s magic circuits like Rebecca.

Her body is solely for the Rune Barrier.

The very nature of Rebecca’s magic power changed to be exactly like the Rune Barrier.

That’s why every time she sets up the Rune Barrier, it connects to her own body.

Because she becomes one with the barrier, rather than directly controlling it, it’s stronger.

It’s a phenomenon different from normal magic.

It can’t be copied, and shouldn’t be copied.

But.

This body can do it.

‘If it doesn’t connect, I just have to hold onto it.’

Force it if it doesn’t work. Add my own method to it.

“…Rune Barrier.”

I deployed the Rune Barrier again.

Threads of magic power from my body instantly drew out a magic circle, merging at the core formation in the end.

Since I can’t hold the whole thing, I’ll just hold onto the core formation.

In this state, I’ll change the core formation.

‘To have the same magic power nature as my body.’

Then like this…

Crack-grind-

A spherical Rune Barrier was created centered around my body, and at the same time, the pressure disappeared.

I had created my own domain within Rebecca’s barrier.

“Haa… It seems like it worked? How is it, Ms. Rebecca?”

I looked at Rebecca, sending her a proud smile.

This feeling of my magic skills improving.

It always feels good whenever I feel it.

Rebecca stared at me with her mouth agape, then quietly opened her mouth.

“…Our baby’s father has really good genes.”

---

The article stating that Shin Dongmin, the eldest son of the Shinyoung Guild, had contact with a demonized person.

At first, the public was furious like fire, but one by one, they found other things to gossip about and moved on.

Even with the article about Shin Dongmin going missing, they only showed interest at first before gradually growing quiet.

Thus, the public’s interest in the Shinyoung Guild gradually decreased, and even when the timing came to quietly return, Shin Dongmin did not go back to his family home.

He would be confined in some mansion, watched for life, unable to leave.

Because he himself was demonized.

‘He doesn’t kill me, but keeps me under his control.’

He doesn’t abandon his son even if he’s demonized.

His father is that kind of person.

Perhaps he might have even hired hunters to track me down.

Rather than living like that… I’d rather get back what I suffered.

The cause of him becoming like this.

Lee Hoyeon and Moon Surin.

Gurgle-

Veins bulging all over his body.

A hideous face and horns, with his original appearance faintly visible.

Shin Dongmin, who had completely become demonized, ran out of his house and contacted Pandemic.

Since he brought a lot of slush fund money when leaving home, he could hire Pandemic’s demonized individuals.

“…The plan?”

“Yes. They have already departed for Lee Hoyeon and Moon Surin’s dormitory.”

Tap-tap-

On the monitor in front of Shin Dongmin, two men wearing familiar skull masks were heading somewhere.

“…You got the right ones, didn’t you?”

“Yes. They are S-class demonized individuals I personally dispatched.”

“I heard there are many crazy ones among S-class demonized individuals. They’re guys I paid a lot for, so they better handle it properly.”

“That may be true, but… there won’t be any problems with the job.”

“…Alright.”

This is the end.

Just by hiring the two S-class demonized individuals, I’ve spent all the money I brought, and I have nowhere to return.

“…”

Shin Dongmin watched the demonized individuals disappear from the monitor and stood up from his seat.