Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Gentle Awakening
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(˶• ֊ •˶)
"Ugh..."
In my dream, a soft hand gently stroked my hair, and I nuzzled closer into the comforting touch.
It felt just like when I was little, lying on my mom's lap for a nap, her loving hand caressing me so tenderly.
"Hee hee."
A soft chuckle whispered near my ear.
Who could that be? It felt unfamiliar... but kinda familiar too, like I'd heard it recently.
Wait, when did I even fall asleep?
I jolted my eyes open in surprise, only to lock gazes with Cheon I-ryeong, whose eyes had widened just as much.
"You're awake, our Saintess?"
"Huh?"
What the heck was going on?
Caught completely off guard, I just blinked dumbly until Cheon I-ryeong burst into laughter again.
"Ahaha, why so startled? Don't tell me you forgot what happened yesterday?"
Yesterday... Oh, right. I passed out from mana depletion while healing the kid.
But the way she said it so casually had this risky vibe, like we'd done something intimate.
"...Wait, yesterday? How long was I out?"
"A full day? Mana depletion like that knocks you out for about that long. You were this close to real trouble. What if your vital energy got damaged too?"
"A whole day?!"
Oh my god.
I thought I'd just blacked out for a bit, but an entire day?
And looking around, there were fancy lights and furniture—it was the same office where I'd met with Cheon I-ryeong before.
"No way you've been sitting here the whole time, right?!"
Finally snapping to my senses, I yanked my head off her lap and shot upright. Cheon I-ryeong gave me an enigmatic smile.
"Who knows~?"
Not funny.
I had no idea how long she'd been nursing me, but embarrassment and awkwardness flooded my face, turning it beet red.
Maybe to soothe my squirming shame, Cheon I-ryeong stretched with a grin.
"Don't worry about it—I only got here a little while ago. Oh, but speaking of, you caused another huge stir."
Wasn't jumping around like my legs were numb just gonna make me feel worse?
A stir? I helped—that wasn't a disaster...
Thud. She slid over the morning papers, front pages thrust forward.
Blazing headlines burned my eyes, alongside a huge photo of me clinging to the child, radiant light pouring from my hands.
...Yeah, total disaster.
Most shots were from the side or back, but my silver hair and youthful features were clear enough.
I'd basically advertised myself.
Sighing at pages two and three filled with my identity speculation and witness interviews.
"You're photogenic. A bit less so than the real thing, though."
"Not comforting at all... Oh, do you know how the kid's doing?"
"She's safe. They said her life was out of danger, at least."
"Phew, thank goodness."
After all that chaos, she pulled through.
I'd been worried when the healing cut off midway, but what a relief.
Her legs, though... The bones were shattered like glass. Even modern medicine might struggle.
"Th-thank you so much for this. I'll repay you somehow next time."
"No need to worry. You know what I really want anyway, right, Iroha? Think positively about it."
"...Yeah, I'll... try."
I brushed off her timely recruitment pitch and said our goodbyes.
No matter what, guilds were a hard no.
Another awkward smile and nod with Lee Jae-hoon, then into the now-familiar sedan backseat.
"Feeling better now?"
"Yes, thanks to you. And thank you for helping yesterday too."
"No trouble at all."
Thanks to Lee Jae-hoon lifting that car off the kid, treatment started faster.
Without him, it might've been dicey.
Were all enhancement-type hunters this strong?
Lifting a car one-handed—insane power.
He caught my gaze, his expression softening slightly, and gave a small nod through the rearview mirror.
An awkward but not unpleasant vibe.
"The kid's at Seoul Hospital. I figured you'd want to know, so I got updates on her condition."
Seoul Hospital—the biggest in the country.
That eased my mind some... but did they operate on her legs?
Gazing toward the nearby hospital, Lee Jae-hoon met my eyes in the mirror again.
"Want to swing by and check?"
After a moment's thought at his perceptive offer,
"...Please."
We headed to the hospital.
'Just confirm I didn't mess anything up.'
Quest cleared, but the finish felt sloppy.
Passing out midway meant I couldn't shake the worry.
Arriving at Seoul Hospital, the kid was in a private room on a controlled floor, away from pushy reporters.
Private hunters guarded it. Lee Jae-hoon said something, and we got in easy.
I pulled my hood low, avoiding eyes, and hit the elevator button for her floor.
"I'll stand guard in the hall to keep anyone away."
"Sorry for the hassle."
"It's fine. Afternoon rounds are soon, so go on in."
"Okay."
I slipped quietly into the room.
A clean, quiet space bathed in soft sunlight—high-end hospital vibes. In the center,
Ha-yeon lay in a huge bed, IV drips dangling everywhere. She looked tiny against it, her frail frame even smaller.
Beside her, her mom gripped her hand, passed out from exhaustion.
'No need to wake her.'
I approached the opposite side and focused my mind.
Her life force glowed much brighter and steadier than before.
Overall, it was cleanly healed—no loose ends. Except her bandaged leg.
Shattered bone fragments still pierced the muscles, disrupting the smooth flow of vitality.
No surgery yet.
Maybe they couldn't.
Even to my untrained eye, it wasn't simple.
After a brief hesitation, I dipped my brush in vitality again.
I gathered the mosaic shards with the tip, overpainting the gaps to connect them.
The bone pieces, attuned to her life force, snapped into place like magnets drawn to vitality. Not too hard.
How many times did I mend bones and torn muscles? Just as sweat beaded on my nose,
I finished healing before mana depletion hit this time.
"...Phew."
Exhaling, I looked up to see Ha-yeon's mom awake, tear-streaked face staring at me.
She bowed deeply, her expression indescribable amid endless tears, then began praying in a watery voice.
"Thank you... Thank you so much for the miracle for our Ha-yeon..."
"Uh... um, s-sorry for intruding."
Overwhelmed by the hard-to-name emotions, scalp tingling, I mumbled an apology and left.
Her prayers echoed softly down the hall.
Lee Jae-hoon waited with a faint smile, holding the elevator door.
"How's the kid?"
"...She'll be fine now."
Ha-yeon's final life force flowed straight and beautifully—no more pain.
Relief brought a smile to my face, and Lee Jae-hoon spoke in an odd tone.
"...You shouldn't smile so carelessly."
"Huh?"
What was that about?
Glancing at the elevator mirror, I saw my face with cute dimples.
...It was adorable.
Too bad it was mine.
With my mind finally at ease, I got back in the sedan and left the hospital.
Luckily, the ride home was issue-free, dropping me near my place.
I'd usually get off farther to hide my address, but after crashing at Heavenly Flame Guild overnight, what was the point?
"Sorry for making you go back and forth twice."
"I'm the grateful one. Having you here boosted my performance review."
"R-really? Anyway, thank you so much."
"Yes. Until next time."
I bowed deeply to the grinning Lee Jae-hoon—joke or not?—and parted ways.
"Phew, home sweet home..."
Just one day away, and I'd missed my room.
I flopped onto the familiar bed, rolling around before grabbing my phone.
The gallery was, predictably, buzzing with Saintess talk.
That misunderstanding seemed to cool the other guilds' "Saintess hunt" a bit.
No need to correct it, then.
After scrolling the gallery a while, I switched to the image site for my real goal.
Time to get to work. For the spirit creation I'd planned since yesterday, I rolled up my sleeves.
Found the image I wanted—
Drawing. Focused my mind on the brush tip.
'Carefully... Water element, animal familiar with water for form... Emphasize water traits more.'
The brush grew heavy with water-attuned mana.
Tracing the photo, I painted furiously, eyes locked on the spirit materializing in midair.
"...Done?"
...
"(˶• ֊ •˶)"