episode_0084

*****

‘Jamming the large monster, don’t let go of all control of the miscellaneous mobs!’

‘Oh, no, this. The magic power is so… .’

‘No, you can! Do not give up! Be a little hotter!’

‘Nothing that can’t be done can’t be done! Wow, the control… ! Guweeeek.’

omg! I jumped out of bed with a gasping sound. The wet feel of cold sweat awakens my sense of reality.

It seems like the terrible scene just moments ago was a dream. As relief filled my heart, I had time to look around.

“… But what are you two doing?”

“Huh!? Well, well~?”

“I was doing nursing.”

I’m concerned that Raon and Mari sitting next to me are embarrassed. Did he scribble on my face while I was sleeping?

Well, it’s not too late to check that later. Right now, the first thing I need to do is relieve this bad feeling after having a nightmare.

“Rather, it’s about the dream I just had.”

It was a really terrible dream. Going to the northern front and dealing with monsters that come flooding in. There’s no way that’s possible for someone like me.

Still, it was a pretty realistic dream. I still feel like the feeling of magical power flowing backwards from being assaulted by the instructor still lingers in my stomach. haha.

“… A dream, right?”

Swish, swish. After hearing the dream, both people avoid eye contact. That sight brings back the scene from before that I had tried to forget.

The wolf-like monster opened its mouth. The smell of animals and blood made me think, “If I get bitten, I will die.”

But the wolf was cut in half by the wind’s blade. Things inside it, like internal organs and blood, were pouring out and splashing, and they were really warm despite the cold. lol.

… Uweek.

“No, no more, it’s impossible… .”

“Ahaha… . Thank you for your hard work, Bobbin.”

Tuk. Raon caresses me as I fall down. Ah, it’s really just Raon. As the warmth seeps into my heart, I cling to Raon even more.

But when I think about it, it’s Raon’s fault that we’re in this situation. Isn’t it okay to give a bottle and medicine?

“Is it that hard?”

“Rather, I’m more surprised that Raon and Mari are fine… .”

“Hmm~, I guess I didn’t pay much attention to begin with. I guess I saw it often before I lost my memory.”

“There are many cases of witchcraft that require blood. Because the teacher is a bit extreme. I’m used to that kind of thing.”

Hehehe. These are two people with cute faces who say terrible things.

But when I think about it, these two people, especially Raon, are heroes who have defeated Genesis’ attacks several times. My experience level is fundamentally different from mine, where I only worked as a spy assistant in a comfortable place.

“I don’t like it anymore, I want to go home… .”

“It’s okay! Because the bobbin has improved a lot compared to the first time.”

“In this place, you can definitely become stronger.”

That’s right. In fact, it makes me wonder whether it is possible to fight to this extent and not become stronger. There was a time when I woke up at 3 a.m. and went on a sortie!?

At least this is what I’ve gotten used to over the past few days. At first, I was so scared that I couldn’t use my magical power properly, so I was almost like a burden.

From what I’ve heard, most heroes aren’t this tough. Since we came from Cheonmyeong High School on the recommendation of the Emperor, we are pushing ourselves to the limit of our abilities. But that means you have to do this when you reach executive level, right?

I think I understand why everyone is trying to get out of the front line and become part of a company. When I go back, I’ll have to grab someone from the corporate world and beg them.

“But wait a minute, I never specifically said I wanted to become stronger?”

“But it’s dangerous if you don’t become stronger.”

“We are too entangled with Genesis. You must have the minimum strength.”

Ah, that’s it too. This would be a common sentiment for heroes who are connected to Genesis. I wasn’t really wary of it because that’s where I originally belonged.

The reason they dragged me here is probably because Raon and Mari are worried about me. I feel happy about that though.

Anyway, that level of training is too much. I die from training before being killed by Genesis!?

“They both care too much. Will I ever run into Genesis again?”

They seem to have become numb after seeing them so often, but Genesis is not a group of villains that are easy to see. Ordinary heroes only see each other once when a big incident occurs.

If we continue this misunderstanding, no matter how many lives we have, it will not be enough. It’s my fault, too, because I keep giving it up and getting into the mood. There is a need to correct this at least once.

However, it was quicker to open the break room door than to say something to the two people.

“Oh, Bobbin. Are you awake?”

A tall, handsome man with blonde hair greets me warmly and approaches me. Raon and Mari, surprised by the sudden appearance, ask ‘Who?’ He is looking at me with questioning eyes.

… Iknow, right. Who could it be? I want to know too!

I’m not stupid either. The other person even referred to me by my name and seemed friendly. There must be a reason why someone you’ve never even seen does something like that. Considering my position, of course I have to respond.

But what can I do? Looking at Raon and Mari’s seemingly unfocused eyes, I want to claim that they are seeing each other for the first time.

I seem to be experiencing this creepy feeling often these days. Is it because of my mood?

“Hello, it’s been a while.”

“Haha, why are you acting so awkwardly? Are the two people next to you friends?”

Even though I know I can’t avoid it, I tried to draw a line, but the other person easily gets over it. The two people are looking at the man suspiciously, but they can’t just jump out at him outright. The man is wearing the uniform of a Northern Front official.

“I have something to talk to Bobin about for a moment. It will only be a short while, so could you please leave?”

“Hey, Bobbin just fell down and got back up… .”

“It’s okay, it’s really just for a little while. I will also take good care of Bobbin.”

There is no justification for refusing unless you say, “Please give me 5 minutes,” and come up with specific numbers. Raon and Marie walked out of the room, looking at me with concern.

A bright landscape filled with beautiful girls turns into a dull landscape with just the man and the two of them. I opened my mouth, glaring slightly at the man in protest.

“So, what’s going on?”

“If I tell you the business, can you answer?”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

Nothing is an answer. The prohibition of Titania within me made me express a definite refusal as an attitude.

Fortunately or not, the other person seemed confident in my identity.

“Are you forced to go that far? When I heard that the soul connection was broken, I was skeptical, but it really is a terrible restriction.”

“If you keep saying such strange things, I will report you.”

“Don’t react so sensitively. This is just a story about how the world goes. You and I have known each other since a long time ago, right? I am also an ‘executive here’.”

Are you really asking me to make a self-suggestion like that? If it were a limitation that could be overcome with such a simple self-suggestion, I wouldn’t have to go through such trouble.

However, if you look at the infiltration, the opponent is quite capable. Thinking that there must be some way, I followed his words and gave myself a hint.

Hmm, I guess it would be okay if it was the older brother I was close with when I was young.

Three, two, one.

Zero.

“How about it? There’s quite a gap, right?”

“… !”

It’s true. The restrictions that were so tight that there was not a single hole to escape from have changed to allow us to talk about things indirectly. I haven’t had any contact with it until now because I don’t even have the resources to do so.

“What kind of person is your brother?”

“Well. Is this person like a ‘doppelganger’?”

Doppelganger! A bigger figure than I expected came out. We must be from the same mercenary group as the Sword Demon, but we—Ugh. Anyway, are you hired there?

A doppelganger is an awakened person who possesses the potential of duplication. According to rumors, he has even penetrated the White House, so he can be said to be one of the top five in the field of intelligence. I think I understand why the restrictions have been relaxed a little.

After that, my brother and I continued to indirectly talk about the current situation.

“You’re pretty good too. I never would have guessed that even with those restrictions in place, we could have delved into it this much. I’ll report to your ‘family’ that things are going well.”

“Hehe. I was lucky.”

“I just saw that you are on good terms with the priestess’s disciple. Can you help me with some work?”

“Ayu, of course~.”

When I found out that my opponent was a big player, my attitude naturally lowered. Being weak to the strong and strong to the weak are the basics of life skills, right?

But wait a minute. I beg your pardon? Who is whose disciple?

“But I don’t know what that much help can do… .”

“I was looking for the items kept by the priestess, but I couldn’t find them. Please ask the priestess’s disciple.”

“Aha. A disciple of a priestess, that is.”

The probability that Raon, who has amnesia, is someone’s student is extremely low. Mari said she came here to see her teacher, so it seems like she was talking about being a disciple. I never thought that the teacher would be a priestess.

“Good. Let me ask you something. It’s possible between friends!”

“Okay. Just ask me. Because we are friends.”

For the first time in a while, I can do some villain-like work. If you succeed in this task, you will receive a lot of points from the main body.

There is no option to refuse. There’s no reason. As a member of Genesis, it is natural for me to help him.

Recently, I have started to like this life, and for the first time, I have made friends other than my own.

Because my roots are villains.

“I will come again when the timing is right. See you next time.”

Crash. My brother opens the door and goes back to work. I said to his back, ‘See you next time, brother!’ and said goodbye. It’s not polite to just let your close brother go.

“Oh, pa… ?”

“Who is that person who just left?”

And when I saw the two people standing there with blank expressions after my brother passed by, I realized that his last words were an apology. That’s clearly a lot of misunderstanding.

Afterwards, it was explained in a messy manner.

***

“Heo-eok, heo-eok… .”

“Is it a limit?”

“More, I can… , there is!!”

Event hall on the top floor of the hotel. There, the painter’s voice rang out as if it were evil.

The painter’s entire body was covered with wounds. One finger was even strangely angled.

Persistent pain affects judgment. The painter swung his sword at the incoming invisible attacks, but missed a few and was caught in the body.

“Big, black… .”

“I’m still trying to see it with my own eyes. How about closing your eyes instead?”

The painter could not properly respond to the priestess’s words. Partly because I wanted to endure the pain, but also because those words felt extremely unreasonable.

It’s only been two months since I learned magic poetry from Ami. Although we are accustomed to feeling magical power with our eyes, we have not learned how to do so without relying on sight.

If I were to be honest, I would say that I am currently learning. However, unlike Ami, who taught slowly by providing easy-to-understand examples in addition to well-organized theories, the priestess only attacked at random.

It was as if he was telling Suje that if he couldn’t wake him up, he would rather die.

“Is it a limit?”

“… … .”

When the painter stops moving, the priestess asks that question. If you answer “the limit” here, the day’s class ends.

After finishing class these past few days, Painter’s mind was filled with only questions. Is it really possible to become strong this way? I wonder if I am trusting him too much just because he is the Four Heroes.

If possible, I wanted to discuss my current class with Ami. It was Ami who taught him properly until now. ARMY would definitely be able to tell you whether this method is right or wrong.

I’m busy right now so I can’t meet you, but… .

“If you just chase after him like that, you’ll never be able to get over it.”

Did he even read my mind? The priestess’s words hit the artist straight to the point.

The fallen painter stood up again, holding his sword. Normally, I would have said it was the limit at the last step.

I was thinking wrong. The priestess’ question was not about limits. Will you cross that line? The priestess was asking that question.

“… You can, you can… , is… .”

And now Hwain has crossed that line. A feeling that one would only feel when fighting for one’s life in combat rose up in the painter’s heart.

I think I can do it now. The painter closed his eyes. I felt as if my body, which had consumed its magic power to its limit, was reacting more sensitively to it.

However, the world has limits that cannot be overcome with will or feelings alone. A body that did not move properly could not respond to the attack at all.

“… … .”

Now not even a scream escaped. For the first time, Hwa-in realized that moaning can only be produced if there is energy.

“There is a limit.”

There was no way I could answer. It wasn’t even a question in the first place. But the priestess nodded as if that was the answer.

“Okay, that’s it.”

I wondered what had happened, but the priestess did not explain. Instead, she dragged the fallen painter and approached the window.

Are you trying to show me something? The painter’s thoughts were filled with questions as the priestess broke the window.

After being thrown out the window, I was filled with shock.

“Now, please come visit.”

The priestess was walking away. By the time I thought it was moving away, I couldn’t even see it properly. The feeling of falling, as if my lower abdomen was being pulled, told me that I was falling.

why? The time to think about the reason was short. The body was already struggling to survive.

However, the body has been overworked to its limit. Even moving my body before magical power didn’t work as intended.

The approaching floor became slower and slower. As old memories suddenly came to mind, the painter had the absurd thought that this was a flash of light.

‘ah.’

That was the final thought.

Kwasik.

The painter is dead.

… … .

… .

“How long are you going to stay blank? Open your eyes quickly.”

A carefree voice raised the painter’s consciousness from the darkness. When he was told to open his eyes, he somehow felt like he could do it, so he did so.

The familiar, familiar scene of the hall was welcoming him.

“Okay, I’m glad… .”

“What is it?”

“I really thought he was dead.”

It happened so suddenly that Hwa-in couldn’t even think straight. To the point where I get the impression that human death is something unexpected.

“Is it true that he’s dead?”

“Yes?”

“Raise your hand.”

However, the answer that came back was completely different from what I expected. It wasn’t some kind of hallucination or dream? In doubt, the painter raised his hand.

The priestess was visible through her white, transparent hands.

“What is this!?”

“You really have a clean soul. It must be very good for Marie’s eyes.”

Once I became aware of it, strange things gradually began to appear. Things like transparent bodies or things around us that look different.

The height of the gaze was also higher than usual. I tried to look down to see if I was floating in the air, but

“Don’t look below. Because it would be a little gross.”

Hearing the priestess’ threat, he immediately fixed his gaze forward.

“Am I really dead, am I? Is this something that can be returned?”

“I don’t have time. Look at this first.”

The priestess did not even bother to listen to the painter’s questions. Over the past few days, the painter had learned that the priestess was a person who never listened to what others said, so the painter was quick to give up.

A blue stem was extending from the tip of the priestess’s finger. The stem connected to his body and was digging into himself.

Soon, a great pain occurred.

“Aaagh!”

“Are you sick? Remember where you feel the pain right now.”

Pain as if the center of the body was being squeezed out. It wasn’t a pain that needed to be endured. To the point where I felt resentment toward the priestess just for making me feel this pain.

However, I also felt a compulsion to follow the priestess’s words. The painter desperately tried to discern sensation amidst the pain.

Do you get used to the pain? The painter was able to discern to some extent where pain was felt. The painter, who was conscious of the path through which the green stream flowed, suddenly realized one thing.

‘Is it a little different from the route I use to draw strength? But it’s similar.’

“I’m still conscious of that. Because that’s optimal.”

Swish. The priestess gestured. At that one time, the painter moved to another place.

There were clouds around. A small hotel could be seen below.

“Wow!?”

“It’s noisy. Instead of just screaming, try broadening your senses. I helped because it seems to depend on sight.”

I recently experienced a fall from exhaustion. Even if I was told to stay calm in such a situation, there was no way I would normally be able to do so.

When he tried to expand his senses, he felt as if his body was fading away. The feeling of oneself dispersing into the air was fear itself.

But is it because there is open space everywhere? Regardless of the painter’s will, his senses spread out in all directions. The expansive scenery made me feel like I could go anywhere.

I felt a wind that I shouldn’t have felt. I saw a color that I couldn’t see. The scenery that seems to be simply looking down from a high place gradually changes into something different.

Was the world this strange?

“Remember that feeling well.”

The surroundings had returned to their original appearance. But the feeling of being spread out still remained.

Unlike the endless sky, I felt myself spreading out more clearly in a hall with limited space. Not only his own body right below him, the priestess in front of him, but even the presence of Sarah, whom he could not normally feel.

And someone else… ?

“Okay, that’s it. If I do any more than this, I think I will attain Buddhahood. That’s all for today.”

At the priestess’s gesture, the painter felt that his body, or rather his soul, was being sucked somewhere. The painter’s consciousness went dark without any chance of resistance.

Tuk. I felt a hand hitting my forehead.

“Are you okay?”

“Augh! Ugh, my head… !”

“Does it hurt?”

“It hurts!──It doesn’t hurt.”

The painter tilted his head. For a moment, I felt like my head was going to explode, but at some point, the feeling suddenly disappeared.

“How was your near-death experience?”

The painter’s body trembled at the priestess’s words. As I remembered what had just happened, a sudden feeling of fear arose. It felt like someone had blown off the lid and the contents inside were spilling out.

“Poetry, priestess. What the hell is this… .”

“I guess I was hallucinating a bit. Go back today, eat something delicious, and get some rest.”

“Hallucination, huh? Everything I just experienced?”

“Yes. Of course, we shouldn’t underestimate it as a hallucination, right? Everything I felt there was real.”

The priestess said not to waste this valuable experience. Fine wasn’t worried about that part. Even if I tried my best to forget it, it was a memory I couldn’t seem to forget.

“Thank you for the guidance.”

Although the painter was trembling, he managed to gather himself and left the hall. The priestess, who was quietly looking at the scene, soon turned her head.

“You can come out now.”

From where the priestess turned her head, a small girl with horns—Ami—walked out. With an expression that seemed utterly disapproving.

“Did you really have to do it so drastically?”

Ami, who watched Hwain’s training process, knew. The fact that what just happened wasn’t a hallucination or anything.

At the point of falling, the person’s body was definitely dead. Originally, his soul would have attained Buddhahood and truly died immediately afterward.

However, the priestess captured the soul with her magic and put it back into the body of the painter who had recovered through the barrier. It was a game of life and death that was possible because she was a priestess who mastered spirits, magic, and barrier arts.

“That child needs to realize more about his soul. You know this too, right?”

“But there’s no need to rush it like this!”

A passage through which the soul of a painter draws out the ‘spark’. The thing that the priestess forced into was originally something that the Chinese had to learn slowly through gaining experience.

It will have an effect. But when you use extreme drugs, side effects occur. The picture of the painter in danger just now was one of them. If something goes wrong, trauma may remain.

“Then you can comfort me. Did you say that body is ARMY? It seems like you are very close with that kid.”

“Don’t change your mind. I was asking about necessity.”

“… You’re too relaxed.”

The girl before my eyes changed the entire future that the priestess had envisioned. What the priestess recognized as the ‘correct flow’ had already become distorted and it was difficult to find even a trace of it.

That’s good enough. Because the priestess also wanted that. The changed future was clearly brighter and more beautiful than the one she had been drawing.

The painter clearly played an important role in the ‘right flow’ that the priestess saw. But hasn’t that trend already disappeared?

The priestess couldn’t understand why she wanted to go back to the flow now.

“And you’re not in a position to say something like that, are you? I did something much worse than this to Junseok.”

“… !”

Ami was speechless at the priestess’s words. It was only then that it occurred to him that he was in no position to say anything about the treatment of his student.

Ami’s guilt-stained expression was not what the priestess had hoped for.

“It turned out well. I’ll continue with what I wanted to say last time. Listen carefully, Ha-min.”

However, I had to endure it. He couldn’t let the girl move forward into the future he saw.

Because the girl in front of me was no longer a special being who was destroying the future.

“You must not fight anymore.”

The priestess gave an unexpected prophecy. I hoped that it would save the young man who had become a girl from an unhappy future.

Just like the young man saved him earlier.

*****