Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: Friendship (2)
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Sharon immediately treated Siwoo.
Just as many myths depict humans shaped from clay, in elemental systems, the earth element handles the healing and recovery of the human body.
Sharon unsparingly used six jade beads, each the size of a grain of rice—offerings for the earth element that she had saved for a crucial moment.
"Balance."
The moment Sharon swung her staff, the jades placed all over Siwoo's body melted into his wounds like ointment.
Mottled patches like faded autumn leaves and blisters bubbling up like foam subsided, fresh new skin sprouting in their place almost immediately.
Siwoo watched the spectacle in awe.
"Wow, it's healing incredibly fast."
"Of course. It's magic."
Judging by the injuries, Della must have held back somewhat—they were mostly first-degree burns, thankfully.
Siwoo's body was an astral form.
For minor wounds like these, he'd recover within a week on his own, but Sharon couldn't bear to just leave him like that.
He'd gotten hurt facing off against Della for her sake, of all people. She couldn't skimp on a few gem fragments and let it be.
"By the way, you're amazing. How did you take down that Della? She's got a rotten personality and an ugly mug, but her skills are the real deal."
"There's always a way. Especially when I learned from the best."
Siwoo flashed a confident grin.
Seeing that made something swell up in Sharon's chest.
Forcing it back down, she glanced at her watch and spoke.
"Ah, it's already time for my shift. You skipping class today?"
"Yeah. I could use a day off anyway. Let's grab some tasty dinner later."
"Alright, then I'll shower and get ready to head out. You rest up."
"Sure."
Sharon hurried to the bathroom, leaving Siwoo's faint smile behind.
She stripped off her clothes and turned on the shower.
Then she crouched in the tub, clamping a hand over her mouth.
-Splashhhhh!
"Sniff... guh... huh..."
Even while treating his wounds, tears had nearly spilled over multiple times, but now the sobs she had barely held back burst forth like a dam breaking.
In front of Siwoo, she'd nodded along enthusiastically to his claim of defeating Della, but truthfully, Sharon hadn't believed him at all.
She couldn't.
Who was Della Redcliff?
A grand witch of the 20th hierarchy, unrivaled in the domain of the fire element.
Siwoo's hierarchy fell far short of even Sharon's, let alone Della's.
In witches' duels, a hierarchy gap of two or more levels meant the fight wasn't even viable.
Talk of matchups or combat experience only applied to a one-level difference at best.
Even she, a 17th hierarchy specialist in elemental magic, had been effortlessly subdued.
And that was after offering mana essence and volcanic ash-treated cigarettes as sacrifices.
"Sniff... huh... huhuh..."
Yet Siwoo had beaten Della?
There was only one reason he'd tell such an absurd lie.
It was for Sharon's sake.
The burns and depleted mana circuits scarring his body proved a battle had taken place.
Given Della's temperament, he'd likely been toyed with like a plaything before suffering a crushing defeat.
Some gaps in this world couldn't be bridged, no matter how hard one fought.
How powerless must he have felt?
How grueling was that fight?
How agonizing?
Sharon dared say she could empathize with his feelings.
She knew from experience just how brutally cruel it was to chase a goal and slam into an unbreakable wall.
Even in the midst of that torment, Siwoo had lied right to her face—an obvious falsehood.
Because he knew she'd blame herself once she realized his injuries were her fault.
At the very least, claiming victory over Della was his way of easing her guilt.
It fit Siwoo's inherently kind and gentle nature to comfort her with such a blatant white lie.
A gentle deception.
Knowing its meaning, Sharon had pretended to believe him unwaveringly.
Without showing a hint of doubt, she'd accepted his consideration and chimed in supportively.
Come to think of it, Siwoo had always been like that.
Knowing his homunculus hunts would draw dangerous attention from other exiles, he'd stepped up anyway.
Though stubborn about it, the moment he heard Sharon was in debt trouble, he'd offered to pay it off himself.
He'd taken in a homeless Sharon, comforted her.
Whenever she wanted something tasty, he never pushed his own preferences but waited patiently for her choice.
And today, he'd confronted a dangerous witch for her.
Even after a humiliating loss, rather than wallow in his own sorrow, he'd lied out of worry for her.
"Ah..."
Perhaps from sobbing so uncontrollably?
Her heart suddenly pounded like arrhythmia.
Then came a clear, vivid impulse—no longer vague.
She wanted to rush to him right now and wrap him in a hug.
"Sniffle..."
It was strange.
Sharon shook her head and hastily finished showering with magic.
She'd treat him extra well after her shift.
She wouldn't let on any doubt or disbelief— she'd match his kindness perfectly.
And she'd avoid bringing up the topic to spare him more needless lies.
With that resolve, Sharon left the bathroom.
2.
Sharon's magic was remarkable.
Whether because his astral body recovered so efficiently, his wounds, muscle pain, and tattered mana circuits healed in a flash.
"Hm..."
The moment Sharon left for work, Siwoo sat at his desk.
To review his battle with Della under the overpass.
Today's events had convinced him.
In this treacherous world where anything could happen, having means to protect himself was essential.
What if he'd lost to Della back there?
Sharon would've been captured first.
Who knows what Della might've done to her.
His ability to use magic could've spread far and wide, or even if not, Della's interest in him might've led to an abduction attempt.
Today, various factors had aligned perfectly for victory, but no one knew about the next time.
Siwoo's fights often relied on luck and quick thinking.
He realized now how negligent he'd been, not honing his powers in advance.
"Alright, let's organize this."
First, cataloging his spells.
Not mere listing, but extracting data on tactical applications.
'Coordinate Shift Formula'.
From today's experience, it couldn't be used mid-battle.
Witch magic duels unfolded in a frantic, dense pace, measured in seconds.
If Siwoo had tried leisurely calculating a Coordinate Shift to escape midway, one of his limbs would've been charred black.
"So, shelve this..."
It was a last-resort escape for desperate times, not something for direct combat use.
'The Virgin's Loom'.
One of today's MVPs.
Ribbons woven on the loom could attack, defend, or support freely, unbound by arm movements—a powerful wildcard.
If he could increase their number and still wield them like today, they'd speed up Dispel Pins and serve as potent attacks too.
Siwoo knew their terror best from clashing with Ea.
Ea's method of twisting ribbons for rebound force was worth emulating.
"Train to control more freely even with increased numbers... Practice shape-shifting too..."
'Law of Shadows'.
It formed the foundation allowing Siwoo to fight witches.
Without it, he'd never have dared a magic battle.
It provided minimal protection where he had none otherwise.
Like powered armor boosting strength or crafting direct attacks.
In essence, it built the base for Siwoo, lacking fundamentals, to even step into the ring.
Plus, its ability to interfere with magic circles and partially dismantle enemy spells, along with limitless shape-shifting—already synergizing well with the Loom.
"Its circle-disrupting property is fantastic..."
But there were drawbacks.
A clear limit: against hyper-dense mana, the micro-circle fusion proved useless.
To grow stronger, he needed fundamental improvements.
"This is it."
Siwoo set his goal.
Just as the Law of Shadows had applied to the Virgin's Loom upon revival, he'd tweak spell traits.
Today, he'd sketch the blueprint for self-study.
But how?
Weave micro-circles into a net to reduce mana pressure impact?
No.
That would ruin current flexibility, and armor/shield rigidity too.
"Hmm..."
Siwoo's deliberations deepened.
3.
After her shift, Sharon burst through the front door.
"I'm home."
"You're late today. What kept you?"
Siwoo, hearing the door from his room, ambled out—and spotted Sharon laden with plastic bags in both hands.
Seeing his surprised look, she gave an awkward smile.
"I've only been on the receiving end from you. Thought I'd treat you to a meal."
"What's that?"
"King crab. Freshly steamed."
Right after work, Sharon had beelined to the crab place nearby.
She'd shelled out a whopping 400,000 won for a haul.
She remembered Siwoo especially loved shellfish and seafood.
It was the first time since arriving in the present world ten years ago that she'd splurged so much on food.
Her hands had trembled at checkout, but she felt no regret.
"Ah, come on. You teach me magic, I buy meals—that was the deal. How much? I'll pay."
As expected, Siwoo looked troubled, pulling out his wallet, but Sharon firmly refused.
She needed to express her gratitude somehow, or she'd feel forever indebted.
"Don't. If you don't take it, I'll really get mad."
"Still, isn't this too much? You used gems for healing magic today too..."
"It's fine."
"No..."
"I said it's fine!"
After a brief tussle, seeing Sharon's unyielding stance, Siwoo gave a wry smile.
Truth be told, whenever Sharon got stubborn, he'd never pushed back with his own.
"It's just... too burdensome."
"Enough. That's what's burdensome for me. Let's eat before it cools."
Sharon and Siwoo spread the crab bounty across the table.
Siwoo thanked her profusely with every bite.
Seeing him enjoy it and beam with pride eased her heart.
He seemed convinced she bought his Della lie without suspicion—good, no awkwardness leaked through.
Honestly, she wasn't confident in her acting.
After devouring the last crab with three packs of ramen, the duo waddled to the living room, stuffed full.
"Movie now?"
"Sounds good."
Technically, with no homunculus crystals from today's hunt and massive spending, they should've done something productive—but Sharon acted normal.
She didn't want to infect Siwoo with anxiety born of her circumstances.
Let him rest fully today.
"I'll change and be right back."
"Want me to pick the movie?"
"Yeah. Your turn tonight."
With their usual banter, Sharon headed to her room.