Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Chapter 16
The Witch's Chapter (2)
Three months later.
"Ugh! Really!"
Na Yuri, who had been sleeping, kicked off her bed and sat up.
She furrowed her brow deeply as she looked at the ring. The ring had turned red.
"So brutally!"
The ring was alerting her that Na Uram was on the verge of death.
'What on earth...!'
Every single day, Na Uram went to the threshold of death.
At first, she was annoyed, but now she even felt sorry for him.
Training that involved dying and barely surviving every day.
'So that's why it's called Hell.'
Na Yuri tidied up the bed she had lain in for the first time in a while and went to the research lab.
'I can't lose.'
She immediately activated the magic circle in the training room.
The largest magic circle connecting all six sides of the training room emitted light, and the environment changed rapidly.
The air quickly thinned and the temperature rose. At the same time, the composition of the air, which forms the basis of magic, changed.
An extremely small amount of mana.
In a state where mana, the foundation of magic, was minimized, a suffocating environment was constructed where breathing was difficult.
Na Yuri deployed magic from the center of it.
'Replication.'
Mana replication was the start.
As the insufficient amount of mana increased, she created wind based on it. The wind soon turned into snowflakes, which evaporated and filled even the insufficient air.
'Balance.'
She returned the imbalanced composition of the air back to normal.
"Phew."
Only then did Na Yuri let out a long breath.
It was a change that occurred in just 2 minutes.
It was magic that was useless unless in a special region, but there were hardly any mages capable of executing it.
'Still insufficient.'
Na Yuri made this magic the foundation of her training. She considered it practice for redistributing mana even faster and more accurately.
The know-how for her casting magic faster than any other mage lay in this training.
'I need real combat.'
Na Yuri desperately felt the need for real combat.
Even in her previous life, there were many situations where she suffered losses due to insufficient real combat experience compared to the power she possessed.
'If it's real combat...'
There was a person who came to mind.
The next morning.
Grim Reaper was wearing an expression full of dissatisfaction.
"Guard the house well."
-I'm not a dog.
"I never said you were a dog. Just guard the house well."
Leaving the Grim Reaper, who was suppressing his anger, behind, Na Yuri went to Seoul.
The place she arrived at was a performance venue in Seoul. The crowd was so enormous that it was difficult for Na Yuri's small body to even pass through.
Na Yuri didn't go where the fans were but went to the back of the performance venue.
"What's the matter? Only staff can enter here."
The security guard spoke kindly upon seeing Na Yuri.
"I got lost. Please look at this."
She extended her hand.
When the guard bent his waist and tilted his face toward her hand, Na Yuri opened her hand. The light hidden in her fist caused a small explosion, and the guard stopped right there.
Na Yuri opened the door and went inside during that gap.
When the guard came to his senses, there was no one around.
So Iryeon was in the middle of preparing for the performance.
It was a stage where she would sing three songs, and since they were songs she had sung hundreds of times, there was no nervousness.
She was chatting with the members and waiting for the time to come when someone opened the door and entered.
The girl, as pretty as a doll, attracted everyone's attention.
"How did you get here?"
The manager approached first and asked. So Iryeon answered instead.
"She's my guest."
So Iryeon stood up and approached the girl.
Na Yuri and So Iryeon.
They observed each other for a moment.
"Shall we go somewhere quiet?"
Na Yuri nodded, and they went to a storage room instead of the waiting room.
In the storage room, the two faced each other with three steps between them.
"I have to go on stage in 20 minutes. Please get to the point first."
"You want to fight with me, don't you?"
Na Yuri provoked.
"Of course. I could even give up the stage for that."
"To that extent?"
"Would you like to check? I'm even thinking of quitting being a celebrity. Pretending to be kind and well-behaved is really hard."
So Iryeon genuinely wanted to fight.
Although she was on a successful path as a celebrity, she was under extreme stress from insufficient training time.
Because of this, she had already declared that she would unconditionally rest for two years starting two months from now.
'The Cult Leader entered the Hell Gate.'
Unable to fully satisfy her desire to become stronger, she had even thought about actually quitting being a celebrity. When she told the agency about this, they desperately tried to stop her, so they reached an agreement on a vacation.
"Come to my house. Contact me in advance."
Na Yuri gave her phone number and left the storage room.
They met again the next night.
In a valley area where mountains met, they began their battle.
"I won't kill you."
"I'll spare you as well."
So Iryeon's muscles tightened tensely, making a bizarre sound, and a cold storm swirled around Na Yuri.
Pat!
So Iryeon kicked off the ground and rushed toward Na Yuri.
Kwang!
The cold storm and So Iryeon collided, and the battle began.
10 minutes later.
Although an intense offensive and defensive battle unfolded, the match ended in Na Yuri's victory in just 10 minutes.
So Iryeon collapsed with ice pillars embedded all over her body and immediately received treatment.
"Again!"
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because it's fun."
Na Yuri was wary of So Iryeon for the first time.
So Iryeon enjoyed the battle itself.
And despite her body not being fully recovered, in the second fight, she lasted 15 minutes.
'It was like this in my previous life too.'
Martial artists are skilled at improvisation. Because they engage in combat at such fast speeds.
Therefore, when real combat experience accumulates, they show unexpected applications.
"I won't go easy on you anymore."
"That's when it's fun."
The two engaged in five battles in just that one day.
"Haa, going again?"
Na Yuri was breathing heavily. She couldn't rest because she had to treat So Iryeon after each battle.
Even so, being exhausted to this extent was an unexpected result.
"Of course, we have to do it again."
"The sun's up. You said you have a morning schedule."
"Let's fight first and think about it."
"Forget it. Come back tomorrow."
"Are you running away?"
Na Yuri was dumbfounded.
Right now, even though So Iryeon had been treated, wounds remained all over her body, and above all, her hair and clothes were covered in blood.
"This is the last one. I won't go easy this time."
Eventually, the sixth battle began.
A week later,
"Mother! More rice please!"
"Yes, eat a lot."
The rice bowl So Iryeon held out was filled with rice again.
"When are you going to leave?"
Na Yuri asked as if scolding.
Since it was a scene they often saw, her parents just left it alone.
"Me? I'm not leaving. Mother, I can keep living here, right?"
"I'm fine with it. Live here until you get married."
"Then I won't get married and will live here forever."
"That's fine too."
Everyone except Na Yuri burst into laughter.
Early February.
Snow had not yet melted on the mountain slopes.
The morning at the Yangpyeong country house began in such a cheerful atmosphere.
2 years and 4 months since Na Uram entered the Hell Gate.
So Iryeon was filling his empty seat.
The first battle between Na Yuri and So Iryeon had been the catalyst.
So Iryeon came to find Yuri and fought without missing a single day. Then, when the promised vacation began, she settled in at Na Yuri's house.
"Don't you have to return now?"
"I said I'd rest for one more year."
"The agency won't stay quiet."
"Well, I'm releasing solo songs occasionally. This time too, we agreed to just release digital songs."
This year, So Iryeon turned twenty years old. It was the age the media was most enthusiastic about.
Nevertheless, there was a reason the agency accepted this condition.
So Iryeon's image as an idol was changing to a skilled singer as she only released digital songs.
The agency's media play played a big role in this.
The problem was that when the atmosphere ripened, she needed to appear on broadcasts again, but So Iryeon postponed it for another year.
Even if they tried to make it a legal issue, So Iryeon told them to do as they pleased, so the agency couldn't do anything about it.
Actually, in So Iryeon's case, since she was a Chinese citizen, even if problems arose with the agency, she could just go back. And no matter how much they tried to pressure her economically, it wasn't a problem for So Iryeon, who was receiving tremendous love calls from Chinese agencies.
From the Korean agency's standpoint, even if they had to wait a year, it was profitable to keep her somehow.
"Unnie."
The three-year-old child, who had been munching on food, flailed her hands and spoke.
"Yuna, this?"
"Yuna, unnie will give it to you."
At three-year-old Yuna's single word, Na Yuri and So Iryeon moved simultaneously.
Na Yuri, who was sitting next to her, first hugged Yuna and sat her on her lap.
"What do you want to eat?"
"That."
Yuna pointed to a side dish far away, and So Iryeon quickly picked it up with chopsticks and put it in her mouth.
After receiving and eating the side dish, Yuna placed her hands on her stomach, bent her waist, and said,
"Thank you."
That appearance was so cute that laughter spread across the dining table.
"I'll eat by myself now."
When Yuna reached out, the dish containing the side dish floated up.
Then Mother spoke in a deliberately stern voice.
"Yuna, you can't."
Yuna quickly put the dish down and made a sad expression.
Mother hugged Yuna like that and persuaded her well.
"Mom told you, didn't she, that you must always get permission before using magic. When Yuna becomes an adult, you can do as you please. Understand?"
Yuna nodded at Mother's touch, feeling better.
In that gap, So Iryeon caught Yuna's attention.
"Shall we dance after eating?"
"Yes!"
When Yuna answered excitedly, Na Yuri intervened.
"You're going to play with me."
"What are you talking about? It's Yuna's choice."
Na Yuri and So Iryeon engaged in a war of nerves.
At that sight, Yuna's lips trembled as she whimpered.
"Don't fight."
At Yuna's words, Na Yuri and So Iryeon softened their sharp gazes.
"I like Yuri unnie. I like Iryeon unnie too. I like Mom and Dad too. I'll sing you a song after eating."
With Yuna's aegyo, mealtime was always enjoyable.
After the meal ended, So Iryeon and Na Yuri, who had played with Yuna for a bit, went to the research lab.
"Shall we warm up a bit?"
Over a period of more than two years, the number of their battles was countless.
Recently, they fought three times each day—morning, noon, and evening—without fail.
The reason the number decreased from before was because the battles became more intense.
Each battle easily exceeded 30 minutes, and they fought until they were exhausted.
At one time, Na Yuri was far ahead, but recently, So Iryeon was quickly catching up.
They fought again today without fail.
Now, instead of an open space, they went to subspace through the wormhole in the research lab. This was because when they fought in the mountains, the surroundings were devastated.
"I won't go easy today."
"Aren't you tired of saying that? Win at least once and say such things."
So Iryeon steeled her resolve, and Na Yuri was overflowing with composure.
"I'm going all out."
The battle began with So Iryeon kicking off the ground and bursting forward.
Ku-kung!
Three layers of ice walls rose up in front of So Iryeon.
Kwang!
So Iryeon rushed toward the wall without slowing down.
The three layers of ice walls shattered in an instant, and powder like glass fragments shot up into the sky.
So Iryeon burst through the sparkling fragments and threw a punch toward Na Yuri's face.
Na Yuri calmly extended her hand toward So Iryeon's fist.
Chaeng!
The shield and internal energy collided.
So Iryeon's fist stopped, but the shield also shattered into pieces.
While the witch was surprised by the unexpected power, So Iryeon moved again and grabbed the witch's neck.
'Got you.'
At that moment, Na Yuri's body disappeared and appeared behind her.
So Iryeon reflexively turned her body, but the real attack started from the floor. A giant ice pillar rose up, then broke itself, scattering blade-like fragments.
Pat!
When So Iryeon, sensing danger, kicked off the ground and went up to avoid the attack, frost began to form all over Na Yuri's body. Then the cold energy gathered into one and sprayed out a spray-like breath.
Her Ice Breath had the power to freeze even the air, and So Iryeon, floating in mid-air, had nowhere to escape.
The moment Na Yuri sensed victory and tried to control the power, So Iryeon protected her body with Strong Energy and flipped her body.
'This is!'
Seeing So Iryeon falling upside down through the breath, Na Yuri hastily increased the power.
Jjeo-eong!
The collision of magic and external energy created a bizarre sound.
The result of the fierce fight was So Iryeon's advantage. She broke through the cold breath and reached right next to Na Yuri.
Na Yuri created a condensed shield to block her face, preparing for a punch. In an instant, So Iryeon flipped her body once more and kicked Na Yuri's side with her foot, not her hand.
Kwang!
So Iryeon's attack hit, and Na Yuri flew 30 meters.
So Iryeon seized the momentum and chased after the flying Na Yuri at an even faster speed.
So Iryeon, who kicked off the ground and leaped up, tried to strike the belly of Na Yuri, who was still floating in the air, and slam her into the ground.
At that moment, the surrounding air froze, and ice thorns rose from Na Yuri's body.
Puk!
The ice thorn pierced through the top of her foot, but So Iryeon didn't stop her momentum.
Kwang!
The witch's body was embedded into the ground, and ice powder splashed up.
So Iryeon thrust her fist toward the fallen witch's face to finish it.
Chaeng!
What broke at the fist was ice.
So Iryeon, sensing danger, instinctively crouched and extended her leg to sweep kick behind her.
Just before something was caught precisely by her foot, at the same time, something glittered in front of her neck.
The ice that had broken on the ground gathered and, like a long spear, touched So Iryeon's neck, and her foot also stopped in front of Na Yuri's cheek.
"Ow! I lost again!"
It was close, but the ice spear was faster. So Iryeon acknowledged defeat and vented her frustration alone.
Thud.
"Huh?"
So Iryeon turned toward where the sound came from. There, Na Yuri was sitting down with a thud.
"Don't tell me you're hurt?"
So Iryeon tried to say something but stopped.
Red blood was flowing down from Na Yuri's mouth.
"I need to get out."
At the faltering words, So Iryeon picked up Na Yuri and exited the wormhole.
Then Na Yuri lay on the floor of the training room and closed her eyes.
The magic circle activated, forming an ice coffin that wrapped around Na Yuri's body. Inside the ice coffin, Na Yuri didn't move, as if sleeping.
"You almost died, didn't you?"
So Iryeon asked casually. At this, Na Yuri's eyebrows twitched.
"Good. I'll win next time."
Na Yuri didn't answer.
She was in quite a seriously injured state. Her side ribs were completely broken, and her shoulder blade was also cracked.
Lowering the power of the Ice Breath had led to this result. Even though she won, it felt like she had lost.
"Hey, heal quickly and let's fight one more round."
So Iryeon settled down and sat next to the ice coffin.
'I can't do close combat anymore.'
Until now, Na Yuri had deliberately not avoided close combat. Because it was training.
To train in the most urgent situations possible, she fought while restraining long-range magic.
Even so, So Iryeon's growth was amazing.
'I can't lose.'
Na Yuri resolved to train even more.
Thus, So Iryeon and Na Yuri were growing rapidly, taking each other as rivals.