episode_0463

Those who had lost consciousness due to breaking free from their brainwashed state soon regained their senses.

There were slight individual differences.

For those who had been brainwashed for a long time, it took a bit longer to awaken.

Upon waking up, they could hardly remember what they had done during the period of brainwashing.

Some occasionally recalled memories akin to a distorted dream, but these were just fragments.

As a result, they had to endure a profound sense of alienation.

In a way, it was only natural.

Imagine this.

You think you’ve just woken up after a brief loss of consciousness, only to be told that days or even years have passed.

Moreover, hearing that during that time, you hadn’t just lost your mind but had also committed all sorts of heinous acts under someone else’s command—the psychological shock would be beyond easy endurance.

Hence, the government and association swiftly reclassified them as victims, providing mental health treatment.

Despite publicly announcing plans to facilitate their return to normal life alongside therapy, aiming for an image boost, their attention was elsewhere.

“Who on earth?”

Who was the key figure behind dismantling the Gwangmyeong Church hidden in Daejeon?

Unable to reveal the Guardians’ identities, they introduced the Vatican’s clergy as the main actors in the church’s eradication.

Given that the majority of those involved in the operation were dispatched by the Vatican as holy knights, it wasn’t entirely false.

Had they stopped at this point, both the association and the government might have faced criticism once again.

“What exactly did the association and government do to eradicate the villain hiding in South Korea?”

…was the question.

However, they had a trump card too.

The Koreans who participated in the operation alongside the Vatican clergy.

Kim Dojin and Son Seoyeon.

When their names were revealed, they received tremendous praise.

“Kim Dojin, it’s you again?”

“Son Seoyeon… isn’t she Hunter Son Siwoo’s daughter?”

“From parents to daughter… truly a household of heroes.”

Praise for Kim Dojin was expected.

His actions thus far surpassed a young Son Siwoo.

Yet, it was Son Seoyeon whose name soared the most during this incident.

“Wow… not only talented but incredibly beautiful too.”

“She could outshine most idols, couldn’t she?”

“I can’t take my eyes off her in these pictures…”

Although slightly overshadowed by Kim Dojin, her career was equally impressive.

An A-rank hunter in her early twenties.

From handling significant cases thereafter.

Her past achievements were highlighted through this incident, earning her wings.

And with her remarkable performance, the names of her parents, Son Siwoo and Han Juhee, also rose simultaneously.

In contrast to the second-generation individuals born as heroes but displaying wastrel-like behavior, everyone should emulate their educational approach.

Seoyeon, who suddenly gained popularity comparable to Kim Dojin overnight, was taken aback as she scrolled through numerous articles online.

“Wow… what’s all this about…?”

Her name plastered across various portal sites.

Internet articles, popular search rankings, community posts on various topics.

All about her.

“…Ah.”

Various emotions surged within her.

Feeling good, embarrassed, and fearful all at once.

Suppressing these tumultuous feelings, she flipped through internet articles one by one.

Amidst this, one comment caught her eye.

ㄴYeonJinCoupleShipper: Kim Dojin and Son Seoyeon don’t really match well, do they? They’re a perfect couple;;

A comment with nearly hundreds of likes made her heart flutter.

“A couple…”

A couple, they said.

That Kim Dojin and herself looked so good together.

Those who replied to her comment mostly agreed.

Why was that?

“…Heh.”

She finds more joy in those comments than in dozens or hundreds of articles praising her.

Son Seoyeon’s ‘Yeon’ and Kim Dojin’s ‘Jin.’

The ‘Yeonjin Couple’ formed by taking the last letters of their names.

And the ‘Yeonjin Couple Jombu-dan,’ who only wish for it to become a reality, gives her strength.

“It’s going as I thought…”

Even Mom and Dad.

They’ve started to get along now.

Fighting fiercely with each other, yet their teamwork fits well, having worked together for a long time.

Naturally, their names rise and fall, becoming one.

She also thought she was going through that process herself.

“Next time, should I suggest having dinner together…?”

It was when she was excitedly imagining having dinner together at a nice place.

“Son Seoyeon! How could you do such a dangerous thing without telling your mom…!”

Han Juhee’s scolding was heard after finding out through an article that her daughter had jumped into something dangerous.

“Gasp…!”

She waited for the storm raging inside her to calm down while tossing and turning under the blanket.

* * *

Elixir.

Undoubtedly the best-known potion in existence, yet also one of the least researched potions.

The reason is simple.

There’s not enough of it.

Researches can’t get enough to chew on, dissect, taste, or enjoy.

Even if they die from it.

Obtaining just one bottle is not enough no matter how carefully it’s used.

Because.

“This is the Elixir.”

“….”

The quantity is minimal.

In the center of a large box lies a small vial, which initially made the saintess suspicious.

“…You didn’t give me less because you thought it was too precious to give a full bottle, did you?”

“How could that be.”

It still lingers in memory.

The expression of the holy knight looking at me as if I were crazy.

Anyway.

The quantity is small.

Roughly 10ml in terms of volume.

At first glance, it might seem laughable, but once you have it in front of you, it’s impossible to think that way.

“…This is incredible.”

I see it.

The texture of intensely concentrated magic power within.

To put it metaphorically, it feels like cramming a giant elephant into a refrigerator.

That’s how unreasonable the concentration is.

“I need to use this with caution.”

The intended recipient is Baek Hyeon-jin’s younger sister, Baek Hyeonjin.

Due to congenital magic deficiency, her core is much smaller than that of an ordinary person.

Therefore, extreme care is needed to administer the potion so that excessive magic does not harm her body until her core grows to a sufficient size.

After carefully placing the shimmering Elixir vial back in its box, I rise.

“…Let’s go right away.”

As if pulling out a horn in one go, I head straight to the hospital.

Actually, that’s not the only reason.

“I have to endure, I have to endure, I have to endure.”

Every time I look at the Elixir, a tremendous noise resounds from my stomach.

Grrrrr!

A hunger as intense as the sound itself.

It’s not a hunger coming from my belly, but a craving induced by gluttony.

It clamors wanting to taste celestial flavors.

To prevent this, I warn by hitting my stomach hard with my fist.

“If you growl like that one more time, you may not even have the food you were eating.”

Grrr….

The recurring noise and hunger.

It’s a good thing I sorted it out once, otherwise, it would have caused chaos continuously.

I arrive at the hospital and head straight to the special ward.

There lies a thin woman, seemingly lifeless, on the hospital bed with an oxygen respirator.

“…This sight is beyond words.”

Sustained with minimal nutrition and magic.

Perhaps that’s why her emaciated body reminded me of a mirage.

There are hardly any words to describe her current state, as she barely clings to life.

“…It’s heartbreaking.”

Baek Hyeon-a, who has watched her dying sister, and Baek Hyeonjin, who collapsed at the peak of her radiance and has been kept alive, both are equally pitiful.

Both sides are endlessly miserable.

Having experienced the agony of watching a beloved family member suffer more than life itself, it deeply resonated with her.

However, it wasn’t just sad.

“That’s the end of that today.”

The long torment inflicted by one sister on another would come to an end starting today.

Lightly flicking the gaunt face.

“All thanks to you, you rascal.”

My life is this valuable.

From the precious box, she takes out an elixir, tightly sealing the mouth and then pulling out the stopper.

Hug!

A cheerful sound as thick magic flows through the open mouth.

“Ah…!”

It feels like just smelling it makes me stronger.

Suppressing the constantly rising emotions, she momentarily removes the oxygen respirator, slightly parting her lips.

Simultaneously tilting the elixir bottle, she drops a single drop into her mouth.

The liquid swirls around the dry mouth, disappearing.

Before long, reactions start to manifest in her body.

Sss…

A substantial amount of magic contained in a single drop swells greatly within her body.

“Oh… This shouldn’t be happening.”

She’s flustered.

The amount of magic in a single drop is several times more than what I had anticipated.

This could be dangerous.

“Isn’t there an easier way to go about this?”

Having gained a young body at the cost of having magic intertwined with her life…

“Excuse me for a moment.”

She exhales softly and places her hand over her heart.

The magic in the already small core is so full that it seems like it could burst at any moment.

To stabilize this, she forcefully intervenes in the flow of magic running freely.

Handling magic is one of my specialties.

Starting to control the flow of magic with tremendous dominance, stability quickly returns to her body.

If I continue controlling the flow like this, it will buy time for the core to grow.

“…I’m winning, but…”

Greedy thoughts arise.

Might as well make the most of it, living boldly in this new life I’ve barely obtained.

“A little indulgence wouldn’t hurt, right?”

Though her body has grown somewhat, the frailty from years of illness remains the same.

Just like the body of young Seyeon, who was so weak even hospitals couldn’t guarantee her health in her childhood.

Even if I try to treat the congenital magic deficiency with elixirs in this state, it would take quite a long time to restore the weakened body.

I have a solution to such problems.

The art of bone transformation.

The power that remade this frail body with a sickly core and ugly muscles.

“Worth doing.”

No, the conditions are even better than back then.

The immense amount of magic stemming from the elixir will support the bone transformation.

Gently caressing the slowly revitalizing forehead, she whispers.

“Just endure a bit. I’ll have you frolicking in no time.”

As she finishes speaking, she forcibly manipulates the magic.

Crack!

The sound of the first bone shattering echoes sharply throughout the ward.