Episode 334. Scarlet Light

Poook─

Koong─

The world felt like it was spinning.

I was held by something warm and rolled across the ground.

“Ah, ouch….”

I let out a groan without realizing it.

Although the headache and dizziness still lingered, I could tell something soft was covering my face.

“Lee Hoyeon!”

“Baby’s dad!”

As the dizziness subsided, I started hearing the sounds around me.

‘… What is this.’

I distinctly remembered the centaur’s magic attacking me….

What is this thing covering my face right now?

“Stop! The centaur first! Team Leader 1! Rebecca-ssi!”

“… Yes!”

“I’m deploying the magic circle. Please assist!”

Isaac’s, Irene’s, and Rebecca’s voices reached my ears.

I thought it was the centaur’s last desperate struggle, but thankfully, it seemed like they were succeeding in subduing it.

I really hope they succeed. Because I’m damn tired.

I felt like closing my eyes and sleeping right here.

… Wait a minute.

‘Why am I alive?’

Even if I were alive, I should have woken up in a hospital room. Why am I still in the middle of a battle?

Besides, that final attack was unavoidable….

• Wake up, you idiot! Scout’s gonna die!

“… What?”

Liliana’s words jolted me awake.

What are you talking about.

Why would Scarlet die suddenly.

I pulled my head away from the soft thing covering my face.

And only then did I realize what it was.

“… Scarlet?”

“Seriously… I told you not to come if you were tired. Such a frustrating person.”

“You, you…. Hey. Are you okay? Scarlet!”

• Scout! No, your back is on fire!

Scarlet’s condition was serious.

The front part holding me was unharmed, but her back had turned into a texture like land scorched by lava.

It looked like her suit had melted along with the skin underneath.

“Ah, this is annoying… It just hurts.”

Scarlet, frowning, bit her lip.

Her tone was normal, but the color had drained from her face.

“Treatment, shouldn’t you get treatment! Here! At least try some first aid!”

I yelled towards the pursuit team.

It seemed they hadn’t grasped the situation properly over there yet.

It was because they were far away due to the centaur’s magic.

“Scarlet! Are you okay?”

Just then, a surprised voice was heard.

When I turned my head, I saw Alice with wide eyes.

I don’t know when she got here. Did she come to help Scarlet and me when I was attacked?

“Alice! Call some people who can do first aid.”

“Ah, okay.”

“It’s okay, Miss. It looks like her lungs are completely ruined. She won’t survive unless a Saintess comes.”

• Scout! Lee Hoyeon! Save her somehow!

“… I want to, too.”

Indeed, Scarlet’s wound looked severe.

Forget first aid, her entire back was practically melted.

“Keugh, this hurts like hell. I shouldn’t have taken the hit for you. Huu….”

Tuk─

“Scarlet, Scarlet!”

Scarlet’s neck snapped back, and I quickly checked her body.

She seemed to have fainted from shock due to the immense pain, but if I left her like this, she’d really die.

“Alice. Where’s the medical team?”

“All the pursuit team can do is basic first aid. They should arrive in about 5 minutes!”

“… Too late.”

Peoong!

Just then, Liliana, who had transformed into a necklace, latched onto Scarlet.

“Scout! Wake up! Scout! Wake up!”

“Hey, Liliana! You’re currently….”

“W-what is it. Where did this person suddenly come from….”

“… Haa. Alice. I’ll explain everything later.”

Liliana’s sudden appearance was baffling, but seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, I couldn’t say anything.

‘They said the medical team would arrive in 5 minutes.’

5 minutes? Given Scarlet’s condition, we couldn’t afford to wait even a minute longer.

First, I had to do what I could right now.

I deployed a Rune Barrier.

This was to prevent Liliana from being seen by the pursuit team and Isaac.

Then, I unleashed healing magic from my hands.

“L-Lee Hoyeon. You can heal too?”

“… A-are you okay? Can Scout survive?”

“Just a moment. I need to concentrate a bit. Alice, keep people from getting close from the outside.”

“… Okay.”

“Liliana, turn back into your necklace too. Don’t worry about Scarlet.”

“Ah, okay-kay.”

The healing magic I learned by watching Baek Ayeong over her shoulder.

Even though I learned it haphazardly, thanks to my talent, I was confident I could use it better than most healers.

I could definitely handle the role of emergency first aid.

However, contrary to expectations, it had no effect on Scarlet.

This was because the centaur’s persistent magic was continuously worsening the wound.

No matter how much magic I poured in, the magic burning her body was faster than the healing speed.

If only I had Baek Ayeong’s level of talent, but I wasn’t a Saintess.

‘What should I do?’

I entered a state of deep concentration.

I had to think of another method.

A way to stop the magic burning Scarlet’s body and heal her simultaneously.

‘…Can’t I just do both at the same time?’

What was needed now wasn’t Baek Ayeong’s healing magic.

The ultimate form of the Rune Barrier that Rebecca had shown me.

The magic that could rewind time if one completely mastered the Rune Barrier.

That magic, which restored the destroyed dormitory, was still vividly etched in my memory.

“… If you can’t do it, you’ll die. What can’t be done with that mindset?”

I couldn’t rewind living beings, but I couldn’t lose Scarlet like this.

Because this audacious woman saved me, even though I never asked her to.

I had to return the favor.

I absolutely couldn’t let her die leaving me with nothing but guilt.

Duguen─ Duguen─

I unleashed magic throughout my body.

To use the ultimate form of the Rune Barrier, I had to completely master it.

But I didn’t have Rebecca’s level of proficiency, and I lacked the time to try and master the Rune Barrier right away.

Furthermore, creating magic that defied the natural order by rewinding the time of life was impossible, even with my talent.

If I were to attempt it, it would take an immense amount of time.

So, what I needed was a trick.

Not rewinding time, but stopping it.

I began filling the inside of the Rune Barrier with my magic.

The attribute I imbued the magic with was ‘deceleration,’ not ‘acceleration.’

Slowing down the surroundings, and slowing them down further.

Magic exists in all things in the world.

Scarlet’s body is also made of magic.

Stopping all the magic in a space.

It would be impossible if there were many other disturbances, but inside the barrier, only Scarlet, whose flame of life was extinguishing, existed.

Since there was no resistance, I could do it.

I manipulated the magic, filling the space.

An extreme level of magic manipulation, making my whole body tingle.

It was quite taxing in my current state of fatigue, but I couldn’t stop here.

A little slower.

A little more.

More.

Massaging Alice’s body turned out to be a good experience.

I meticulously filled the space with magic possessing the ‘deceleration’ attribute, ensuring no gaps were left.

After a moment, I had completely taken control of the inside of the Rune Barrier.

Even with the Rune Barrier, dominating the entire space was difficult, so it was more accurate to say time was flowing at an extremely slow pace rather than stopped.

This should be enough.

From now on, it was a battle of pure concentration.

I separated the centaur’s magic that was burrowing into Scarlet’s body.

Because the speed was slow, the difficulty of the task itself was much easier.

Then, I poured healing magic into the vacated space.

Spreading and strongly maintaining the ‘deceleration’ magic throughout the space, while simultaneously using healing magic on Scarlet.

This wasn’t a matter of double or triple casting.

I had to move as if I had become one with the magic.

‘… I can do it.’

My talent.

And the experience I’ve accumulated so far.

I felt fortunate that I had practiced magic training every day to beat Im Sol.

Ttakkeum─

As much as I was using immense magic, my body wasn’t normal either.

All the cells in my body screamed as if they would shatter at any moment, but seeing Scarlet’s back slowly healing, I gritted my teeth.

*

Kwa-ang─ Pa-ang─

Scarlet felt a warm touch.

She remembered trying to push Lee Hoyeon away, taking the attack instead, and losing consciousness from the immense pain of her lungs burning….

“Scarlet?! Are you okay?”

A familiar voice.

It was the voice of the man she had saved.

Scarlet carefully opened her eyes.

She saw Lee Hoyeon looking down at her with bloodshot eyes.

She couldn’t grasp the exact situation, but she still felt a burning sensation in her back and chest.

The attack wasn’t a dream.

Her wounds were beyond saving.

Because she distinctly felt her internal organs burning.

It would take at least 5 minutes for the Iris Guild’s healing team to arrive.

There was no chance of survival.

Was this a deathbed hallucination?

Perhaps she had gained time for a final farewell.

Scarlet looked at Lee Hoyeon’s worried eyes and opened her mouth.

“Scarlet Light.”

“Huh?”

To the man who responded blankly, Scarlet spoke a little more clearly.

“I said, ‘Scarlet Light.’ My full name. You never asked before. You clueless person.”

“… Scarlet Light.”

“Yes. Please remember it. It’s my last… I wanted to say goodbye to Liliana-nim too….”

Haa.

Scarlet closed her eyes.

What a dog-like life.

I tried so hard to live and succeed, only to end up like this, completely smitten by a man.

Still, it wasn’t all bad.

The brief time I spent with Lee Hoyeon and Liliana was more enjoyable than the success I had at the Iris Guild.

‘… Not bad my ass.’

I wanted to live longer.

I trained my whole life for success, achieved the success everyone desired by joining the Iris Guild, but these past few months were far more enjoyable than that time.

I wanted to continue this fun life, which was ridiculous, bizarre, and unlike anything I’d ever experienced.

A man who was like trash but strangely alluring.

I was curious about how this man would act next.

Watching it unfold beside him was quite entertaining.

Of course, I didn’t like how he didn’t treat me romantically, but even that had its own charm.

The more I thought about it, the more regretful I felt.

Just a little more.

If only I had just a little more time.

If there had been time for the affection I felt to grow further….

Scarlet breathed softly.

They say your life flashes before your eyes right before you die, but I guess that was a lie.

It’s so peaceful.

Kwa-ang─!

“What about the centaur?!”

“You guys take care of the injured! The team leaders will handle the centaur.”

“….”

The familiar voices of the pursuit team members and the charismatic voice of the Guild Master, heard thousands of times.

Besides them, the sound of footsteps on the ground and the clamor of people shouting about their hard work.

Scarlet thought as she heard the noisy surroundings.

‘What is this?’

Why is my consciousness so clear?

Scarlet felt something strange, and as soon as she realized the awkwardness, she understood.

The burning sensation in her back was gone.

She thought her pain receptors had gone numb from the agony, but she could still feel the distinct chill rising from the ground.

It felt like she was just lying on the ground with her eyes closed….

“Scarlet Light.”

“….”

“Now get up. We have to go back.”

Scarlet slowly opened her eyes.

The man she had barely saved by throwing herself earlier was looking down at her, his lips twitching.

Based on my experience so far.

He’s definitely holding back a laugh, 100 percent.

“… Why am I alive?”

“Who told you you could die? You still have decades left on your contract, Scarlet Light-ssi.”

“….”

It seemed I had survived.

… Why?

It hurt so much when my lungs burned, I thought I was dying.

This is weird.

I shouldn’t be alive!

I even gave a cool farewell speech thinking it was the end!

Scarlet tried to push Lee Hoyeon away out of embarrassment and run, but her body wasn’t back to normal yet.

As soon as she lifted her arm, her back tingled as if an electric current was flowing through it.

“Uh-uh. It’ll hurt if you move right now.”

“Keugh….”

Scarlet winced at the pain she felt and looked at Lee Hoyeon.

He wasn’t even trying to hold back his laughter anymore.

“I’ll never forget you. Scarlet Light.”

“… Just kill me. Please.”

“Scarlet Light. I’ll let you say hello to Liliana later, so don’t worry.”

“Huuuugh….”

People approaching this way and Lee Hoyeon, shaking his chain necklace with a smile.

Scarlet wished she could just faint.