Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Translator: Penny
Episode 41: Yoo Eunha [2]
As I reached out the window, the silver chains that had been transparent instantly materialized.
Clink, clink
I searched for any gaps, but the mana chains were perfectly seamless, leaving no room for escape.
"Hmm... unnecessarily dense, aren't they?"
"This artifact was meticulously crafted by the Guild Master himself. The chains disappear to enhance the wearer's convenience, but they materialize whenever the wearer attempts to leave a designated area."
"Thank you for explaining."
As I stared blankly at the news while examining this item optimized for abduction, confinement, and training, the incident from two days ago was being reported in sensational headlines.
Shocking! Sudden Explosion and Massive Gate in Yongsan's Affluent District? Where Were the Heroes?!
Raon Academy Student Council President Caught in Gate, Currently in Critical Condition.
Raon Academy Student Council President: Yuseong Group's True Power Broker?
Yuseong Group's Stock Price Plummets 14%
Wow, typical K-media.
They've made sure every headline is impossible to ignore.
Feeling a bit embarrassed by the broadcast detailing my personal information, I switched to a news channel reporting on the overall situation. A young female anchor was briefing on the incident.
"Breaking news: A massive Gate suddenly appeared in an affluent neighborhood near Yongsan-gu. While the exact details remain unclear due to the subsequent barrier, the Heroes who breached the barrier confirmed... Miss Yun Se-a, the current Student Council President of Raon Academy and daughter of former Yuseong Group CEO Yun Seong-ho, sustained critical injuries..."
Beep
Ah, not even letting me watch the news? That's a bit much...
"Such sensational news is harmful to the mind."
"...It's about something I experienced anyway..."
"You don't even remember that time. It might unnecessarily bring back unpleasant memories."
This person is truly as rigid as bamboo.
How annoying. Eve assigned me a real pain in the neck.
Even if I tried to sneak away, this man is a martial arts hero who holds the Striker Position. There's no way I could shake him off while I can't even move my legs.
"If you need anything, please request it through me."
"...No, thank you. I'd feel bad bothering you."
"No, it's just... after all this time, all of Ms. Eve's paperwork and overtime, and managing the Academy's miscellaneous tasks on behalf of the Guild Master, I was exhausted. Finally, I was about to return to being Yu Han-ra, the A-Rank Hunter of the Golden Guild...!"
Is she... the same person as before?
I turned to look at the woman, who was now crying tears of relief.
With her moderately bright golden-brown hair and crimson eyes, she truly looked like a calm and composed secretary. But why, in my eyes, did she now appear like a graduate student whose soul was on the verge of being drained?
It's understandable that they might worry I'd break free and escape on my own. But sending an A-Rank Hunter—the 57th-ranked Hunter in South Korea—just to prevent such a scenario? What were they thinking?
Right now... well, there's nothing else to do. My body won't move the way I want it to, so all I can do is relax in this warm room and focus on recovering, just like Eve told me to.
I wonder if I'll be able to return before the Student Council President Election.
My phone's been confiscated, so I can't even contact Kang A-yul or Lee Seo-yun to let them know I'm okay.
Yu Eun-ha's stats were surprisingly high.
Suddenly, I remembered Yu Eun-ha's stat window from when she was hurling insults at me.
Information
Name: Yu Eun-ha
Age: 18
Alignment: Good
Skills:
Sweatdrop of the Hard Worker (UR)
Growth stats increase dramatically. This increase doubles when experiencing near-death situations.
Wanted (A)
[ When facing a specific target, all stats increase by one rank. ] (Target change cooldown: 7 days) (Current target: Yun Se-a)
Regression (UR)
Upon facing death, regress to a randomly determined point in time.
Aerokinesis (A)
Freely manipulate the wind.
Stats
Strength: A
Defense: B+
Mana: B+
Stamina: B
Agility: A+
Luck: A
I can accept having high stats, but how did I get the protagonist's skills?
Ah, did I inherit this when the Protagonist died?
Yun Se-a from the third timeline said she burned Seo Jian alive in front of Yu Eun-ha.
Still, it's infuriating that they put my name on the Wanted list.
Well, without the Wanted status, they'd have had a hard time catching me.
I understand, but... it still pisses me off.
I wanted to blast Yu Eun-ha's face with a 100% output Void right then and there, but... I'm still a fan of the original story. She seemed to be reflecting on her actions too... What can I do? I have to let it slide. She's my sister.
Putting Yu Eun-ha's case aside for now, the real priority was Mephisto's remnants.
I don't remember the details clearly, but the reason I was able to escape back then... was probably because I unconsciously used Mephisto's power while I was unconscious.
If I keep finding myself in situations where I have to use the Final Boss's power, it's going to be a problem. I could suddenly become Mephisto's puppet, or even die from the side effects.
This summer vacation, I'm going to England.
Originally, I planned to go during the second semester to teach the Protagonist Constellation Magic as well, but Yu Eun-ha's intrusion has changed too much.
Should I write down lists of Hidden Pieces tailored to each student's main stats? Whatever's left over, I'll take for myself.
The Protagonist is ridiculously strong anyway... and if I just teach him Constellation Magic, he'll probably learn it on his own. Maybe I should just go to Europe alone... or become Student Council President and create a club I can control...
Hmm, yeah, going alone seems like the best option.
"By the way... do you think there might be a notebook?"
Just as I was about to wheel my wheelchair toward my temporary room on the first floor to look for a usable notebook, I noticed Yu Han-ra's expression had darkened.
"Yes, we've sealed the main gate, so no one should be able to get in. The defensive magic is also functioning smoothly."
As I approached her, trying to keep my presence hidden, her words seemed to imply someone had arrived outside the safe house... an intruder?
"Um, is someone outside the safe house?" I asked from behind.
Yu Han-ra whirled around, startled by my voice.
"No, it's nothing. Are you heading upstairs to sleep now?"
Her abrupt change of subject suggested the information was something she didn't want me to hear.
"Yes, I was going to check if there were any notes or anything in the Guild Master's old room."
I should back down now.
She doesn't seem willing to reveal anything more, so I'll just ask for the notes.
"Ah, for notes, there should be some blank parchment scrolls in the study on the first basement floor—ones the Guild Master hasn't used yet. You can use those. I'll have them bound into a book for you."
"...Thank you."
What's with her? Usually, people working in places like this wear expressions of sorrow, not smiles...
Even as I went downstairs to get the parchment, Yu Han-ra's expression remained remarkably bright.
It seemed she genuinely enjoyed working here.
Isn't it normal to dislike caring for patients?
I was even planning to leave this place once I returned to the Academy. Being treated so well only made my position more awkward.
This is driving me crazy.
If I develop unnecessary attachments... I'll regret leaving when the time comes.
Three or four minutes passed. Yu Han-ra had already retrieved a book that looked like it belonged in some medieval fantasy webtoon—a magical tome of sorts. I immediately pulled out a pen and began transferring my knowledge onto the paper.
Scratch, scratch
"Writing feels quite satisfying, doesn't it?"
I gathered every bit of knowledge I could muster, recording the locations of Hidden Pieces I could later claim, data on where to send the Protagonist to level up quickly, and the locations of Gates.
Having comfortably finished recording my notes, I was pondering when to return to the Academy when suddenly...
"...Huh?"
"Since there are plenty of safe houses anyway, and staying only at the Academy would be a bit dull, why don't you just take that house? As Student Council President, you can come and go as you please."
Eve had suddenly appeared and handed me what looked like a keycard for a house.
"Well, thank you for now."
Suddenly getting a house in the golden prime location, just a 4-minute commute from the Academy...
Still, if I get ousted from the Student Council President position, I'll lose this privilege too. For someone like me, who's just planning to drop the Protagonist and then withdraw, does this house even have any meaning?
"I want to tell you to prioritize absolute stability, but... since you're not likely to listen, just rest here until the Student Council President Election. I'll release you from the chains afterward."
Still dazed, I clutched the keycard as Ms. Eve prepared to take Yu Han-ra back to Guild Headquarters, signaling it was time to return.
"Come on, let's go back now, Yu Han-ra."
"I'm good at doing dishes and cleaning! So if you ever need someone to manage your home, please consider me—Yu Han-ra! Ugh, aaaaaah?!"
"Just come along, okay~?"
Yu Han-ra's last sight as she was dragged away by Ms. Eve... was that of a merciless graduate student.
...Sorry, I just prefer living alone.
Goodbye.
"Are you really okay? I was so worried...!!"
"Don't worry, Miss Ayul. I'm recovering at the Chairwoman's safe house right now. I should be able to return before the Student Council President Election."
"Miss Se-a, please don't push yourself too hard. Remember to come back only when you're completely healed, okay?"
Finally getting my hands on a phone, I immediately contacted Kang A-yul and Lee Seo-yun, who must have been terribly shocked by my disappearance.
They had gone ahead, and it seemed they only learned about my serious injuries the next day. I figured they'd be feeling guilty and blaming themselves, so I reached out quickly—and it worked perfectly.
"Now that I've made the calls, should I work on some crafting?"
After Azathoth's Spear pierced my body, a strange ability manifested. It seemed to be a new skill, likely granted by the spear itself, so I had a rough idea of what it might be.
Tumble, tumble...!
"Lately, gemstones have been appearing more frequently. At first, it was just common stones like marble and quartz."
This new hobby began after gemstones occasionally fell from my left hand, which had been skewered alongside my body when I was bisected.
Perhaps I had a natural talent for it, because the gemstones I crafted had become so beautiful they could be displayed in an exhibition. The act of crafting also seemed to calm my mind, so I'd been carving them whenever I had spare time.
Today, an amethyst fell, its color resembling my own hair.
"Amethyst... It's notoriously difficult to work with. This should be interesting."
As I pondered how to craft the gemstone and prepared to fly to the second-floor workshop, something strange caught my eye on one of the monitors in the surveillance room.
The camera, which usually showed the front gate, was now displaying a dark, obscured view, as if something were blocking the lens.
"There's a camera filming the camera's location..."
After panning through the feeds, I found it.
Someone had collapsed in front of the safe house's main gate, causing the feed to go dark...
Wait a minute.
The short bob haircut and the all-too-familiar appearance...
Yu Eun-ha?!
It was still a bit chilly, yet Yu Eun-ha was lying there, wearing only a thin windbreaker instead of a proper coat. The moment I saw her...
Bang!
My feet were already carrying me through the front door and toward the main gate.