Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Holy Power!
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Deep into the night.
Yet Meracle's lights were still on.
It would normally be time to head home long ago, but today they were holding the fort until evening.
Slurp, slurrrp.
"Hmm? This cup ramen's pretty good."
"Is that so? This queen can't handle anything too spicy."
"What's spicy about this?"
Me and Reneah, digging into cup ramen.
Kim Yang had stormed off home early, still fuming from her earlier outburst.
Slurrrp, slurrrp.
"But why aren't you heading home?"
"Why isn't the boss going? I'm waiting to go with him."
Right next door—that was the snag.
"Well, me."
"Hm?"
"Waiting for a client."
"Client?"
"Yeah, I mentioned this morning. Prism's Seo Ha-jin."
"Ah! That idol? Truly fascinating. To gain such popularity just from dancing and singing."
Rajesta Continent had no such thing as idols. Bards at best, and they were one-trick ponies wandering and spreading rumors.
Their songs were more like fairy tales you listened to than anything melodic.
"Seo Ha-jin, Seo Ha-jin..."
Reneah paused mid-slurp to search on her phone.
She'd picked up this habit of googling everything since getting her smartphone.
"Don't let the ramen burn. Eat first."
"Just wait. These days, young folks eat while scrolling phones."
"What era are you from..."
Moments later, she propped it up on the case's stand. Same as Kim Yang's—must've gotten one from her.
"Seo Ha-jin fancam. What's a fancam?"
"Fan-recorded video. Just watch the official stage clip. Fancams are shaky."
"You know your stuff."
"...Nyoutube thumbnails have those no guy can resist."
"Acting all manly."
"Not words for a 1,903-year-old grandma. You're acting all womanly to get married—"
"Aaack! Don't say it! And it's 1,902! Don't age me up!"
"Tomato, to-mah-to."
Anyway, Seo Ha-jin's stage video began.
"Oh."
She wasn't topping charts for nothing. Even to a total layman like me, her standout skills in Prism shone through.
"......"
Reneah stared blankly, her face twisting oddly.
After it ended, she turned to me.
"People go crazy for this? Just dancing and singing?"
"Pretty much? That's idols for you."
"Insanely popular?"
"Hold up, what're you—"
"This queen shall become an idol!"
Fuck.
I rubbed my face dry.
This grandma had finally lost the plot.
"Moves like that? Child's play even at my age!"
"You're talking nonsense. Sit tight and eat your ramen unless you want wrecked knees and an ambulance ride."
"Why! I copy Kim Yang's dances sometimes! She said I nailed it!"
"This ain't a nursing home—quit harassing my staff."
"Argh, seriously!"
With that, Reneah shot up and started dancing.
"Behold!"
Bouncing around like that, I could vaguely tell she was mimicking Seo Ha-jin's video.
Unfortunately, she wasn't nailing the sexy concept at all.
'Kinda cute.'
Straining and grunting through it was actually sort of ador—
"Ow, shit?! What the hell am I thinking! Snap out of it, Kim Juseon!"
I slapped my own cheek hard.
No matter what, this was crossing a line.
Feeling cute about a 1,902-year-old grandma?
By then, Reneah finished her routine and plopped down with a satisfied grin.
"Hoo, huu—! Well? Perfect, right? No more part-time gigs—idol life for me."
"......Do whatever."
"Whew, outta breath."
Just roll with it at this point.
"Haa, haa. Anyway, boss. My manager—!"
Knock knock.
I figured I'd be enduring more of grandma's dotage, but thankfully, the door opened right on cue.
Still, something felt off.
A bit frantic.
"Hm? That's not one person. Sounds like crying."
"Pardon?"
Knock knock knock.
Definitely more urgent now. Sounded like talking outside too.
'Spectrum folks?'
Meeting in the evening to dodge them, and they waited around the office till now?
I flung the door open in a panic—
"Pleeeease! Don't abandon meeeee!"
A nun on her knees, clutching Seo Ha-jin's pant leg and bawling.
"A nun?"
The sudden outfit threw everyone for a loop—not just me.
"J-Juseon-ssi! Get her off me! She's been tailing me outta nowhere—"
Seo Ha-jin pleaded urgently for backup.
"Tell her to seal the demon!"
"Pardon?"
Demon?
Prism's leader, idol Seo Ha-jin, had dropped by Meracle.
Looks, wealth, fame.
S-grade was as good as hers.
Yet here she was, eyeing the nun with a troubled frown.
The nun was a tear-and-snot mess, repeating the same plea on loop.
Save Sailos Cathedral.
Her interview got sidelined; we had to hear the nun out first.
"Wipe that mess off your face."
Reneah handed over a handkerchief.
Said she saw some Nyoutube seduction tip about carrying one—been lugging it everywhere since.
What nonsense got into her...
"Th-thank you. *Snrrk!*"
"Blow your nose pro—"
I yanked Reneah back from grabbing her bow and shot the nun a glare.
"Hey, you're disrupting business. Could even file a stalking report."
"N-no! No way! It's just... I need help."
"Juseon-ssi, hear her out first."
With Seo Ha-jin's plea, I sighed and nodded.
All eyes on her, the nun fidgeted before starting her tale.
"I-I'm Maria, a nun from Sailos Cathedral on Rajesta Continent. Th-the thing is, a demon called Arhelak is sealed there, and it's about to break free!"
Info overload, no preamble.
I planned to let her ramble, but Reneah nodded along.
"Aha, that bastard? The one that multiplies like crazy. Right?"
"Y-yes! Exactly! Arhelak splits itself. Records say it built an army of ten thousand solo."
"Mm, seen it before."
Everyone gawked at Reneah. At 1,902 years old, she'd lived through Rajesta's liberation war all the way to the Interlayer Wars.
A walking survivor.
'She's suddenly kinda badass.'
Maria blinked in daze before pressing on.
"Three holy knights sealed that Arhelak and built the cathedral atop it to keep watch."
"But the seal's cracking now?"
"Y-yes! We need Seo Ha-jin's power!"
"M-me?"
"Yes! You have holy power! And... it's just like the holy knight Dukaryon—my hero's!"
Her name dropping out of nowhere flustered Seo Ha-jin. But Maria's eyes sparkled as she closed in.
"It's incredible! The knights' weapons guard the seal! Channel your holy power into Dukaryon's sword, and it'll reinforce the seal—!"
"Whoa, slow down! You're saying I have holy power?"
"Yes!"
"I'm an atheist, though?"
Seo Ha-jin's question proved her Rajesta ignorance.
But plenty misunderstood anyway.
"Holy power isn't from gods! It's the might of saints touching divinity! Pure human will and conviction made manifest!"
Maria was hyped.
I stared, lost in thought.
'Is that even possible?'
With the Tower boosting exchanges nowadays.
Murim had hotels and carriage expressways. Rajesta got cell signals for phones.
But barriers remained.
Take Murim.
Their so-called 'inner energy'? Exclusive to 5th Floor natives.
Mana and holy power too.
Rajesta-only proprietary stuff.
Our 3rd Floor had 'Awakenings.' Like Yoo Ye-na's telekinesis.
No one from other floors could ever awaken.
Each Floor had its own power set.
'A 3rd Floor girl with holy power?'
If legit, discovery of the century. But I was skeptical.
Maria kept hollering amid it all.
"I watched your stage videos! That was definitely holy power!"
"M-my stage videos..."
"Seo Ha-jin! Come to Rajesta with me! We'll re-seal the demon! Save the world—huge heroic deed!"
"Save the world... grand cause."
Seo Ha-jin's face shifted subtly. Like a drifter handed a compass, resolve hardened.
"I'll do it."
"Really?! Yay! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Their excitement was fine. But I wasn't the only skeptic.
"Is it really holy power?"
Reneah, arms crossed, was dead serious—unlike her usual self.
"Show us the video you saw."
The mood thickened, but I backed her.
Maria didn't flinch.
"A-any'll do. Checked with a friend. Most videos—all had holy power."
Reneah recalled our earlier clip and fired it up.
"......!"
Her eyes bulged.
"R-really? Faint, but... yeah, holy power."
What?
She froze it mid-dance and showed me the glowy bits.
"That's holy power?"
I'd never seen it, so I asked. Reneah nodded firmly.
"I've witnessed countless holy powers over the ages. No doubt."
We reeled; Maria puffed up.
"See? Others miss it, but not me. Dukaryon saved my life—I relive it daily."
What was with today?
Spectrum's Deokgu earlier, now Maria.
She was sasaeng-fan levels obsessed with this Dukaryon knight.
"Hah... mysterious. How's that possible."
Seo Ha-jin looked thrilled instead.
"I have holy power! Truth is, I've always craved meaningful work! Became an idol for that, but it's all so commercial—"
Sorry to interrupt her pent-up rant.
"Seo Ha-jin-ssi."
I wanted more proof.
"Mind showing your holy power?"
"......I don't know how."
"It flares on stage, so try dancing. Can you?"
Rude ask, I knew. But she'd bolt to 4th Floor otherwise.
Seo Ha-jin nodded, queued a track, and busted moves brimming with confidence.
Worlds apart from Reneah's attempt.
Years as pro idol showed—but no holy power.
"Wh-what?"
Maria panicked.
"......"
Reneah, now laser-focused, waved her to stop.
"As I said, I've lived ages and seen countless wielders of holy power."
"Haa, haa. Yes?"
"So I declare."
Reneah's verdict cut sharp and final.
"You have zero holy power."