Chapter 257
Chapter 257
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Chapter 257 - EP.56 – 그가 보고 싶은 뻔한 얘기(4)
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----------------------------------------------------------------- Translator: crow Chapter Title: EP. 56 – The Obvious Story He Wants to See (4) ----------------------------------------------------------------- It was precarious, like the wobbly steps of a chick barely out of the egg.
"Huu! Huuu...."
It was as if a child who could only crawl was now tottering along, and seeing a full-grown adult walk like that was endlessly comical. However.
"You can do it, Iliyad! Just a little more!"
"Hang in there, Father!"
"Just a bit further, just a little...!"
"Ooh! Excellent!"
Far from laughing, the people cheered him on with utmost seriousness, ecstatic at his every step. Drip....
"Haa, haaa!"
Iliyad, drenched in sweat to the point of madness, was utterly soaked before he knew it. Just the merciless spasms in his legs made it clear how grueling and painful this was for him. Part of Lee Han wondered if he should help right now, but if they intervened after all his effort, it would render everything meaningless. So.
"Just a bit more, just a little...!"
All they could do was cheer.
"!!"
With a fierce shout like grinding his teeth, his feet finally took ten more steps. Thirty steps in total. -Waaaaah!! Having successfully left thirty great footprints, Iliyad raised both hands in a triumphant roar, and the crowd rushed to him, shouting in joy and congratulating him. And at this sight.
"...Anyone would think he just won the World Series."
Lee Han could only sigh. Of course, he was happy too.
"I told him to take it easy for a while.... He really doesn't listen."
Three full hours of this already—hard not to sigh. ...Lee Han felt he could somewhat understand the plight of doctors dealing with stubborn patients.
To say it plainly, Iliyad's body was now ruined beyond repair from this incident.
Before becoming a demon, it had only been his legs that were useless, but after the demonization, far worse permanent disabilities afflicted his body everywhere—making even paralysis seem preferable.
In a way, it was inevitable.
Having forcibly regenerated his body by expending life force mercilessly, strain on the physique was natural, and to make matters worse, his lifespan had plummeted exponentially.
Additionally, with his heart destroyed and restored, its durability had inevitably weakened.
Thankfully, an Aura User's treatment miraculously replenished the lost life force and allowed the heart to regenerate without major issues, but that didn't mean his wrecked body was back to normal.
Aura wasn't omnipotent, and the world wasn't a fairy tale where everything resolved positively.
In truth, Iliyad was now at a point where not only walking but surviving the next day was in question.
"Th-the family head is walking!?"
"???"
...It should have been that way, yet the moment word spread that Iliyad was toddling across the training ground out of nowhere, the place filled with people.
This training ground, vast as three baseball stadiums combined, was packed in under five minutes—would you believe it?
In a sense, for the Ophen family, Iliyad walking again was nothing short of a miracle.
[Waaaaah!!]
The same cheers rang out as before.
Lee Han had joked about the World Series, but this passion was far more intense.
"Super Bowl?"
"What's that?"
"...Something like that. But why are you here? You're so busy cheering for your son."
"He won't even hear my cheers right now anyway. He's too focused."
"Oh, you noticed that?"
"...That's rude, but karma keeps me from snapping."
Felicia grumbled, but Lee Han wasn't surprised to see her suddenly beside him.
Unlike him, though.
"...How did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Iliyad. How is my son walking again?"
"Ah, that. Nothing special...."
"Nothing special? My heart's still pounding...!"
Felicia, meanwhile, couldn't hide her astonishment, thrilled yet dreamlike about this reality.
To reiterate, her son was...!
"Completely broken. Yet you got him back up...."
Felicia was overjoyed by this.
So much so that it rivaled the joy of giving birth to him.
Yet at the same time.
"I can't help but be curious."
Having lived over ninety years and adventured across a third of the continent, she was an explorer with deep, vast experience—unfazed by most things. Even she had never seen anything like this.
Reviving someone completely shattered....
What kind of miracle was this?
"Are you perhaps a saint?"
"Do I look like a pious guy?"
"No. You'd sooner swing an axe at the heavens."
"...Not quite that reckless."
"Then spill it already! How long will you keep this old woman in suspense?!"
"It's not like I made you wait...."
Lee Han was dumbfounded, but he knew suppressing curiosity—especially about one's own child—wasn't easy.
Thus.
"Nothing special. That guy's basically in puppet mode right now."
He could answer quite easily.
What Lee Han did was truly nothing much.
"I just made him sense the 'Realm,' that's all."
"Ah, that martial art you created?"
"Not grand enough to call it a martial art...."
The principle was simple.
Humanity's primal power.
Drawing out the force from muscles, bones, tendons, organs, and viscera.
And Lee Han had.
"Taught that guy the basics of sensing the Realm. Like showing him a new path."
"...And that's enough to move like that?"
Felicia's doubts only grew as she listened.
She got the principle, but couldn't believe it alone let Iliyad walk.
Honestly, Aura could achieve something similar without much difficulty.
In other words, she'd tried it herself, so Lee Han's words didn't click.
And as her question implied.
"Of course you couldn't. Unless you truly understand the complex organ that is the body."
"Huh?"
"I'm what you'd call a 'specialist.' I know muscle movement, bone structure, organ functions, nerves—all the intricate bodily mechanisms."
His confidence—that only he could do it—shone through.
But it was well-founded.
Does bone marrow refinement look easy?
Do you think teaching it to others is simple?
It took experience and hundreds of experiments.
'Tested it a lot back when I was dabbling as a spellcaster.'
In that sense, few specialists matched Lee Han's knowledge of the body, making this feat possible only for him.
"What I put in that guy totals two things. One core to sense the Realm, and one mechanism to transmit power."
"Mecha... what?"
"It exists. Simply put, his legs and arms aren't moving naturally—they're being puppeteered."
Invisible threads controlling legs, arms, waist, shoulders precisely.
Sounds simple, but....
"Easy to say, but I couldn't do it. Takes a naturally exceptional brain."
Only possible for him.
Manipulating myriad ki threads to stimulate muscles requires understanding their roles and structures to take even one step.
Even Lee Han finds it tough—head burns after ten seconds, nosebleeds incoming.
But that man is different.
His talent alone puts his brain in the top ranks of the south.
"A normal person would've taken over three months for one step."
"......"
"Only because it's him can he walk so much now. Oh, but note this: he can't use Sword Resonance or sword energy anymore. All bodily energy goes to movement. Also, stimulate his body with Aura daily and replenish life force. Until his skeletal muscle mass exceeds male average, it'll be like a leaky bucket."
Laying out advice, he firmly nailed that this was all he could do.
...However.
"Why?"
"?"
"Why go this far?"
Felicia was grateful yet uncomprehending.
No matter his master's parent or slight connection, he was still an outsider.
Yet....
"Why such devotion? Aren't we and Ophen just nuisances to you?"
He'd taken nothing.
Rejected money, fame with horror.
Even distanced Aura Users as hindrances....
Still, he freely shared his secrets for them.
Made her son walk again.
"W-we've done nothing in return...."
Guilt and remorse.
As she fidgeted with her fingers in self-reproach....
"Because you're 'good people'."
"...Huh?"
"Helped because you're kind."
"......"
He recited the reason oh-so-matter-of-factly.
As if utterly trivial.
"I like happy endings in fairy tales and plays. My favorite? Hardworking folks living happily."
"......"
"But reality isn't like tales. Good people die unreasonably early or despair more than villains. No one helps. Villains thrive, cushioned by their ill-gotten gains."
"......"
"Makes me sick. So I thought, if possible...."
Help the good ones around me at least.
"Just a little push turns a dreary story into a comedy. Feels rewarding."
Yes, that's the story he wants to see.
Good people finding happiness.... The most clichéd, obvious tale.
But.
"I want to see that clichéd story. That's it."
"......"
"Silly reason, right? But too late now."
"......"
"Ah, speaking of, there's one reward you can give."
"...From me?"
"The ending."
"??"
"Remember my advice? Do it now."
"???"
...Iliyad was suffering.
Walking hurt, each step making his head throb like it was burning.
It would torment him until he adapted—or even after.
Still....
'I'm just starting now.'
Iliyad was grateful he could 'effort'.
Effort yielding reward was pure joy.
Better than a life without even trying.
Iliyad smiled happily....
"-Iliyad, my son."
"Mother?"
Drenched in sweat, Iliyad looked puzzled at his mother blocking his path.
About to tell him to rest? Too reckless?
He waved it off, saying it was nothing, he wanted to savor this joy more.
He meant to say that.
...Meant to.
"I-I'm so proud...."
"──."
"I'm so proud of you."
...For a moment, Iliyad thought his ears deceived him.
Why say that here, mid-training ground amid crowds? Why praise him suddenly?
No, to begin with.
'...Feels foreign.'
He realized why he panicked—he'd never heard such words from her.
Talent, excellence—he'd heard those, but this....
"Every moment, I've been proud of you. When you were born, your first steps, showing sword talent, your first drawing for me, becoming family head young, giving me grandchildren, even when you became a demon—I've always been proud. Not a single day without pride in you."
"......"
"I'm proud of you. You're my treasure, my pride."
"........."
...What expression was he making now?
Iliyad couldn't fathom it.
Distorted? Flustered?
Or.
Drip....
"...Sweating too much. Way too much sweat—."
"Need to wipe it."
"Yes, sweat's pouring. Stings the eyes...."
"...Yes, seems so...."
The mother and son stood frozen, exchanging nonsensical words, while onlookers quietly withdrew.
...Peeking at a dishonest, conversation-starved pair finally opening up would be rude.
"So, satisfied now?"
"About a 6 out of 10?"
"...You're mean."
"Mean?"
Pfft.
"-High score for such a clichéd story."
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