Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Purgatory (1)
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"Sorry, let's do it later."
No. Do it with me.
Azalea barely swallowed those words that had risen to the tip of her tongue. If not this time, then next time. Thinking that, the next day arrived.
"Sorry."
The day after that too.
And the day after that as well.
Every training session, that sinking feeling made Azalea's chest tighten for some reason.
Lee Si-heon stuck right by Bead when studying, and during training, he always sought out Cornus.
Glancing at Cornus trotting along beside Si-heon, Azalea felt an indescribable emotion.
"Let's go eat some spicy chewy tteokbokki."
"Again?"
"We're tteokbokki friends."
Me too. I'm your friend too.
But whenever she tried to argue that, the karma she'd built up came flying back like a boomerang. What had she said before? Hadn't she mindlessly trashed him from his looks to his personality?
Wasn't it honestly a nuisance for a girl like that to try approaching him now? The problem was her trying to get close after badmouthing him so much. She should just back off sensibly.
Whenever such desires welled up, those negative thoughts flashed through her mind.
Lately, her relationships were starting to twist bit by bit.
Even in relationships she'd originally planned to exploit, guilt crept in, making it impossible to maintain them.
Spirit summoners she knew, chaebol heirs, promising swordsmen.
It was only natural for awkward relationships to drift apart, and lately, she hadn't even talked much with Jeong Si-woo.
Lee Si-heon seemed to think she was someone friendly with everyone... but that wasn't true at all.
She knew loneliness now. It felt like being stranded alone on a drifting sailboat in a remote place.
It was only natural.
She'd approached everyone from the start with the blackest intentions, so of course nothing remained. To others, she'd just look like some weird girl who got hurt and backed away alone.
-Clunk.
Dormitory.
She opened the fridge and pulled out the last remaining chocolate bar and a water bottle.
She swallowed a pill, drank some water, then bit into the chocolate to soothe the bitterness with sweetness.
'...Sweet.'
Even in this state, a loose smile formed on her face.
The time after taking the pill and biting into chocolate was the happiest part of her 24-hour day.
It hadn't been long since she started taking the meds.
A relative had advised her she seemed too stressed, so she'd begun popping some mental health stuff. There was the side effect of feeling drowsy all day, but it wasn't a big deal.
Ah. She couldn't understand what she'd been so desperate about back when she was vicious.
If only she'd lived a bit more flexibly, maybe she wouldn't have so many regrets.
Even though there was nothing wrong with her health, a lump of pain throbbed deep in her chest.
'Mom.'
Azalea had recently gotten a call from her mother, Jin Yeo-hee.
She'd finally overcome the poisoning. She wanted to meet.
Even after hearing through an intermediary that it had been unavoidable due to brainwashing, Azalea still couldn't feel any affection for her mother.
Actually, part of the reason she'd started the meds was because of that.
"I'm going crazy... for real."
Azalea slumped against the bed like she was collapsing.
No progress in the relationships she wanted,
and anything that seemed to be budding slipped away like sand from her grasp.
-Knock knock knock.
A knock at just the right time. Thinking it was a delivery, Azalea dragged herself up and shuffled to the front door.
"...Coming."
-Clunk.
Opening the door revealed a familiar silhouette.
A mask covering his face. In the largely open eyeholes, a man with an impressive smile stood there.
Not objectively handsome, but his presence was comforting. Azalea's face softened, then stiffened.
"Why are you here at this hour?"
"Oh, I realized I forgot to give you this last time."
Lee Si-heon scratched the back of his head like it was no big deal and handed her a box of chocolates from his right hand.
Something he'd bought quite a while ago and only now remembered.
"...Ah."
The ribbon wrapped around the pitch-black packaging was strikingly vivid.
"Th-thank you. Even giving me this..."
"Ah, but do you like chocolate? I should've asked first... Things were kinda weird back then."
She used to hate it because it was too sweet. But now she liked it.
Azalea grinned at the black packaging. It felt like past regrets were melting away.
"Thank you. Really. Yeah, really..."
"Nah, it's nothing."
Looking up at Si-heon's mask, Azalea suddenly realized one fact.
This was the only connection she had left at the academy.
"Well, I'll get going then?"
"Ah, yeah. Come in."
"But when are you gonna stop with the formal speech?"
"I-I'll try."
-Clunk.
The closing door.
-Sleep well.
Azalea watched his back as he kindly said goodbye and left, then bit her lip and swallowed.
What was this lumpy feeling in her chest?
Possessiveness?
No, something more embarrassing to say... She didn't know yet. Azalea closed her eyes and hugged the chocolate box tight.
She wanted to make this relationship more solid.
'To do that......'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ -Kka-tok!
-Kka-tok!
The vibrating bell rang. Picking up her phone, sure enough, it was a message from Azalea.
This time, a check-in. Once in the morning, once at lunch, twice in the evening around mealtimes and bedtime. Lately, she could tell the time of day just from the vibration.
Not annoying enough to be irritated, though.
What was it? Was she weird, or did the messages lately feel clingy?
'Is she really okay?'
Well, if anyone at the academy was mentally the most strained right now, it was definitely Azalea.
Her brainwashed family was gradually being freed, she'd finished her revenge, but since I'd done it for her, there was probably lingering unease.
Suddenly burdened with leading the family, rumors said she'd been quieter lately. Yeah, it made sense she'd be struggling.
Maybe I should take her out for a drink soon.
"You listening?"
Cheon-do, sitting on the bed and tapping my thigh with her foot, irritably furrowed her brow.
"Was lost in thought for a sec."
"Bold of you. Want to get hurt?"
"So what were you sayi— Ugh!"
She pinched my side with her toes.
Hard enough to hurt, so I clutched my side and toppled over. Cheon-do then smacked the top of my head like tousling hair.
"There are many ways to build strength. You hear that much?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Among them, the quickest effect comes from dungeons."
Dungeon.
A still-unconfirmed location whose origins remain unknown, widely known as a place to obtain various resources or artifacts.
What Cheon-do meant was probably something obtainable from such a dungeon.
"So you're telling me to clear a dungeon?"
"Close. But clearing a normal dungeon doesn't sharply increase mana or anything."
"Right. Sudden power-ups like that are usually impossible anyway."
At my obvious remark, Cheon-do smirked lightly as if denying it.
"You know Purgatory?"
"No."
"Not knowing something everyone should... Sometimes you seem like a guy who dropped out of the mortal world for a bit."
Cheon-do sighed and slowly began listing info on Purgatory.
Purgatory.
A place said to grant opportunities you'll never encounter again in life if you overcome it. But its entry conditions and penalties are so massive that countless people avoid it.
Only a handful have entered Purgatory dungeon and survived.
Recently, an S-rank hunter died there, issuing top-level warnings—no need to mention the difficulty.
"How am I supposed to survive if even an S-rank hunter couldn't?"
"It's possible."
"How..."
"Because I survived."
Cheon-do took a breath and continued.
"The trials Purgatory offers challengers differ for each person. It judges the path to strength and builds that bridge."
"But just as hard?"
"Getting burned out once or twice isn't a bad experience."
She said it casually, but I instantly understood her intent.
It was a warning and advice born from experience: shape up or become a spectacle.
"But clearing a dungeon takes days at minimum, right? Exams are soon, and academy classes..."
"Skip classes. Right?"
I nodded slowly. Already worrying.
"...Yeah, I guess."
"Then write it tomorrow."
"Write what?"
Cheon-do casually pulled her luggage from the closet and set it down.
-Thud.
A large backpack bulging with stuff sat before me.
She took out a paper and handed it over.
"Attendance excuse. In my name. Tell her the reason."
Seeing it all prepared, I laughed hollowly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "You always seem to vanish from the academy."
"It just happened that way."
"Whatever, renew this."
In her office, Lee Se-young flicked her choker up with one finger and pressed it against me.
Licking the fading mark drew a pleased moan.
"...Hngh."
"Feels it just from here now?"
"Shut up, only with you."
I left a deep kiss mark.
Then Se-young grabbed my wrist and pressed it to her chest. The soft sensation enveloping my palm made me flinch and pull my lips from her neck.
"No bra?"
"Took it off quick since you were coming. Puhehe. Why? Wanted to take it off yourself?"
"Total slut."
"...Hey, don't say that suddenly."
Se-young feigned offense and shoved me away.
"Damn, switch flipped. Wasn't planning to drain you today."
"Got time tonight."
"...Don't get ideas."
At my casual invite, Se-young's face lit up and she hugged me tight.
"Hey, nothing dangerous again, right?"
"Going with the Heavenly Demon. What could go wrong?"
"That's true, but... Fuck, why am I so anxious just 'cause you're going? You always stir up trouble. Sometimes feels like raising a kid instead of fuckbuddies. Not even married."
"What the..."
"Am I wrong?"
She's right.
At my meek agreement, puhehe-laughing Lee Se-young removed my mask, pressed my face into her cleavage, and stroked my head.
"Told the kids?"
"Yeah. Cornus said fine if tteokbokki, Si-woo and Bead cheering, Su-young disappointed... Oh, Azalea hasn't replied yet."
"Yeah, she needs to handle it herself now."
"Now you're really treating them like kids?"
"Puhehe. Just 'cause I like it. Or do you like that? Sucking tits while jerking off..."
"Nothing you won't say."
I lifted my face and headbutted her forehead lightly.
-Vrrr!
Vibration from my pocket. Pulled out my phone; message from Azalea.
💬 KakaoTalk — Me Heading to dungeon training with master starting day after tomorrow. Probably gone a while. - Today 6:23am — Azalea Got time tomorrow? Want to grab a drink... - Today 4:21pm How many hours had passed before she replied?
I typed without much thought.
💬 KakaoTalk — Me Yup With departure the day after tomorrow, my schedule was set until then.