#17 Home, Sweet Home (2)

The mana stone floating in the air shone brilliantly.

Mana swirled within the fist-sized stone like flickering flames.

The Hongyeom Mana Stone was practically an artifact in its own right.

Its name might make one think of fire attributes at first glance, but it had been discovered in a vampire village.

Why would a mana stone from a vampire—who had drained the fresh blood of thousands, tens of thousands of humans—have anything to do with flames?

The "yeom" in its name wasn't the character for flame, but the one for thoughts or obsessions, the kind that clung to people's lingering regrets.

Mana stones typically took on attributes matching the monsters that bore them.

Fear. Terror.

This one had grown fat on those emotions from humanity.

—If this had been made into an artifact, it would've become one hell of a terrifying weapon. Even at a glance, it's thirsting for human blood.

'Yeah, that's exactly why it can't be made into a weapon. It's the type to cause trouble eventually.'

I hadn't recalled the name at first, but touching it brought everything back.

Later, a staff made from this stone had been stolen by a Tower villain, sparking all sorts of incidents.

Which was all the more reason to use it right here.

—You really think you can sleep with this thing hanging overhead? It screams nightmares.

'They say if you sleep with your fist clenched, you won't get cramps.'

—What kinda nonsense is that?

Sure, building a house with something like this might invite hauntings from actual ghosts. But what if those ghosts could serve as shields for us?

Wouldn't that be a pretty decent use?

I steadily released mana, injecting it into the mana stone, then slowly knelt and placed my hand on the ground.

This ground—and the outer surfaces of all those damn bricks—bore the mana circuits I'd inscribed over a week of barely sleeping more than eight hours total.

The mana stone hovering in the air was like a bell to set them resonating.

The vibrations from ringing that bell would stimulate my body and every circuit connected to it.

The mana circuits began linking together, one by one. It was slow because of the massive scale, but progressing steadily.

Mana spread through the circuits like water filling canals.

Filling this enormous formation would take far more than the mana in my body. I also drew up the power from the mana stone powder packed into my bracelet.

"Kuh."

My body overloaded. Even with Ray sharing the burden of the circuit strain, it wasn't easy.

Dong.

Dong.

Dong.

Like a human heartbeat, the Hongyeom Mana Stone pulsed, and those pulses spread through every mana circuit I'd inscribed.

And now.

I activated the mana circuits etched into the house. My body's mana acted as the fuse—the spark to ignite the entire network.

An agony beyond anything before swept through me.

"Urgh."

I bit my lip hard, but the searing pain in my skin, circuits, and veins wasn't something I could endure alone.

Blood vessels burst across my body, blood pouring from every orifice.

—Hold on! It's almost done!

If not for Ray's voice, I'd have blacked out. Barely hanging on, I squeezed out my last strength to connect the mana.

Mana flowed from my hand, through the airborne mana stone, along the circuits in the bricks.

A perfect, seamless flow of mana.

The moment it completed, a window appeared before my eyes.

Done.

I collapsed backward.

"Boss! You okay?!"

Han Seohyun rushed over.

"Hahaha!"

It had been downgraded to B-grade since the interior was still bare, but the potential was insanely high.

Stealth, Concealment, and Confusion. All three functions I'd envisioned were in place.

To outsiders, this cave would look like a sheer cliff. Even if they broke through, horrific illusions would greet them.

Average mental fortitude wouldn't even get close.

I'd done it. Transplanted the house from my head exactly as imagined.

Even if it was just a creepy skeleton of a frame for now.

I'd made it.

A sanctuary safe for all of us, one no one could easily invade.

And with blood still pouring from me, I passed out.

* * *

I woke after a full two days.

When I opened my eyes, Han Seohyun was kneeling before me, his eyes puffy and swollen.

"Uwaaah, I thought you were a goner. You must've lost a full bowl of blood."

It must've been traumatic for the kid who'd just lost his brother. I scratched the back of my head apologetically. I hadn't meant to, but... well, maybe I had.

"Sorry."

"Whatever. Just eat something."

After choking down some of his bland porridge, I stood and inspected the house I'd built.

"There's still nothing inside. I grabbed some stuff from the tent to fill it out a bit."

As Han Seohyun said, the place was empty.

Just bare bricks—no walls finished, totally hollow. It barely qualified as a house yet.

No lighting either, so the dim space lacked any real function.

"Gotta get lights."

Electricity could come from the mana stone enveloping the area.

"And finish the walls properly."

I wandered around, listing needs.

"Tiles for the floor too."

"Seriously? That's the first thing you say?"

"Yeah. I collapsed after just throwing up the frame. It's nowhere near house-ready yet."

I looked around and declared,

"Sure, it's still massively unfinished and empty. But this is our home now."

At the orphanage, in the academy dorms eating scraps, crashing in a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stuffy goshiwon, or even basking in excess wealth under that bastard Seol Rokjin—

I'd never once felt like I had a home.

But now, I had a place to truly let my guard down.

—The artifact name being "Haunted House" doesn't bug you?

'That's what makes it better.'

I stepped outside.

I was in resonance with this mana stone. The house recognized me as owner—as it did Han Seohyun and Kim Jaeho, with me.

But to outsiders? Pure nightmare fuel.

Anyone trying to enter would learn the true worth ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of its infamous name.

That's why I loved this house.

My life had always been trampled by others.

Before Seol Rokjin, it was academy scum; before them, orphanage bastards.

The world never handed me anything easily.

But this house was different. Every brick bore my touch.

How could I not feel affection for it?

This is where it starts.

I'll crush Seol Rokjin, the corrupt elite crumbling this world.

* * *

Clap, clap, clap.

Applause poured in. Do Chae-hee forced a smile under the blinding camera flashes.

These events were still uncomfortable. She wanted to bolt, but the weight now on her shoulders wouldn't allow it.

Soon after posing demurely as the face of the occasion,

Her benefactor—the one who'd elevated her—took the podium, bouquet in hand.

"Congratulations."

Do Chae-hee nodded at Congressman Seol Rokjin's words.

"Now you've got full autonomy."

The Awakener Crime Task Force, formerly under the Prosecutors' Office, had been spun off into the full Gakbeombu.

With the reorganization, Do Chae-hee—previously just a team member—finally had her own proper team.

And authority like never before. Political backing openly pushing the department made it so.

Seol Rokjin's influence was undoubtedly behind this overhaul. He'd been championing her under the slogan of curbing rising awakener crimes.

Ironically, the chaos from Beltsmets' auction antics had paved the way. Without it, wrangling stubborn congressmen would've taken ages.

Not that she was grateful to him, but his butterfly effect had stirred this storm.

Do Chae-hee set aside her thoughts and accepted the bouquet from Seol Rokjin.

"Thank you."

"Looking forward to more from you."

She nodded as flashes captured their two-shot nonstop. She smiled through it. If it helped Seol Rokjin, she'd be used.

He whispered apologetically.

"Sorry. Dragging you into politics on a day that should just be celebration."

"No. You've helped me. Helping you back is only right."

Seol Rokjin was a good man. The stronger his influence, the better the world would become.

She believed that.

"Well, keep up the good work."

"Yes! You too, Congressman!"

Do Chae-hee bowed to his retreating back. Then more photos with unfamiliar congressmen, interviews with press, reciting empty aspirations.

Finally, release.

"God, I thought I'd die of boredom."

Only after the reporters ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠left did she vent freely.

Necessary evil, so she'd endured. Still, self-loathing filled her: What is all this?

But this clown show had gained much.

She and Park Cheol-wan no longer answered to the Prosecutors' Office.

Full independence: their own investigative and arrest powers.

Yet her face stayed grim amid the good news.

The target she had to catch with this power had vanished completely.

"Probably holed up in some mountain, not coming out."

Damn bastard. She muttered curses inwardly, then aloud without realizing.

"I'd kill for some news on him."

Praying a criminal would commit a crime.

With no leads, even a precog like her couldn't catch him.

Evil doesn't stop.

She could only wait.

But how long?

Muttering curses, she vowed through gritted teeth.

She'd catch him with her own hands.