Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: You Have Talent
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You have talent.
Yoo Euisul pulled up in a sports car so outrageously expensive it practically screamed money.
Yep, definitely.
It was a different model from the one she'd driven at Namsan last time.
She had me hop in the passenger seat, then floored it toward her place.
For some reason, seeing her at the wheel felt strangely off.
Somehow...
She'd always treated me so casually, like the chill big sis from the neighborhood.
But after witnessing her collection of luxury sports cars, it hit me—Awakeners were Awakeners, through and through.
And Yoo Euisul wasn't just any Awakener; she was the top dog.
Toys like these were pocket change for her.
By the time we arrived at her place, the words slipped out of me:
"Holy shit."
A curse flew out naturally.
People swear for all sorts of reasons, but in my case right then?
Pure, mind-blown shock snapping me back to reality.
"Impressive" didn't even begin to cover Yoo Euisul's house.
Hell, it wasn't even a house—it was a straight-up mansion.
Garden.
Pool.
Gym.
Home theater.
Training grounds.
Way too much for one person, right? That kind of over-the-top grandeur.
"Whoa."
I let out a gasp that captured my wide-eyed stupor perfectly.
Of course, it was just awe at the sheer scale—no envy or self-pity here.
She was a veteran Awakener who'd been throwing her life on the line against Anomalous Phenomena for a solid decade.
It'd be weirder if she didn't live somewhere like this.
At the mansion's entrance, I paused for a second.
Yoo Euisul shot me a weird look.
"What?"
"Kinda scared to go in."
"Why?"
"Worried the Price of Blasphemy'll punch a hole through the floor. Ruining pricey flooring like that? Total disaster."
"Whether it's the Price of Blasphemy or whatever, just don't blaspheme in the first place."
"It's not exactly up to me... You hold back cursing people in your head sometimes too, right?"
"I curse 'em right to their face?"
"..."
That's something to brag about?
So...
"You'd kill me if I actually put a hole in the floor, huh?"
"Yeah."
"...For real?"
"Yup. Don't piss me off. We're short on time—get in already."
Normally, you'd play it off like, "No way I'd do that," right? Standard banter.
Didn't expect her to straight-up agree.
...Reflecting Myriad Stars.
If you don't want to see your devoted follower's head rolling...
After that half-cam stream, just give me one more day.
Amen.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Yoo Euisul's Anomalous Phenomenon lessons were way more professional than I'd imagined.
Her laid-back vibe had me expecting something casual.
But there was a reason she'd dragged me all the way to her house.
The training covered everything from rock-bottom basics on Anomalous Phenomena and items to advanced stuff.
The basics? Nothing I'd master just sitting here with her.
Had to grind those at home.
Hmm.
Hate memorizing crap.
Isn't that what my ability's for?
Pre-load the info now, then wiki-dive as needed later. Perfect.
Made me think...
If I'd awakened my power back in school after meeting that black smoke?
Top of a top uni might've been in the bag.
Basics done, on to advanced.
"One question: answer instantly, no thinking. Not even a second."
Ah.
So, brain-dead first response, got it.
"Sure."
Instinct answers? Right up my alley.
Yoo Euisul fired away.
"Say your ability pulls intel on an Anomalous Phenomenon, and it's one that completely nullifies the opponent's powers."
"There's shit like that?"
"Snoozing last session? Told ya—Awakeners prep for every variable."
"..."
"I ask, you answer. Kay? This thing hits you with a physical attack. Too late to dodge. Taking it means certain death or crippling. What do you do?"
She said no hesitation.
What choice did I have?
"Tank it with my body. Close my eyes and pray."
"...Sure?"
"Yep."
"It nullifies powers, remember? Your tough skin won't work. Your god's help... I've seen stuff, so can't call it total BS. But let's exclude divine intervention here. Still sure? Gonna tank?"
"Yep."
"Good. That's it. Next question..."
"Wait, no explanation?"
Questions come with answers, right?
She shrugged.
"No right answer, so no explanation needed. Key is: whatever call you make, do you act on it with conviction—right or wrong?"
"Uh... Won't wrong calls kill me?"
"Hesitating on right ones kills you too. From experience, acting fast on bad calls helps resolve Phenomena more than waffling on good ones."
"So, pass?"
"By my standards, yes. Association's? Fail. Since we're on it, wanna hear why?"
Why? Simple.
"Figure I won't die tanking it, so yeah, body block."
"...Nullifies powers."
"Yep."
"Your freakishly tough skin won't work on it."
"Nah, it will. See, what I have... isn't technically a power. It's a racial trait."
Right.
We call it a power for convenience.
But really, it's the racial perk of being a Fervent Devotee of Reflecting Myriad Stars.
Expected pushback from Yoo Euisul.
Made sense—no Kim Junghwan here to verify if I was bullshitting.
Not exactly easy to swallow.
But...
She seemed to buy it, at least for now.
Yoo Euisul muttered.
"Quick instincts, guts, smarts, solid backing..."
Then...
She dropped her verdict on me.
"You have talent."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Anomalous Phenomenon training got postponed.
Impossible to cram a whole disaster curriculum in one day anyway.
Yoo Euisul drove me home herself again.
She got that I needed to rush back for a stream.
"By the way, you planning to keep living in that rundown dump?"
"Nah. Starting house hunts with a realtor today."
At this rate, the Price of Blasphemy'd wreck the whole floor. Had to move ASAP.
If she hadn't shown up, I'd be chatting with a real estate auntie right now.
"Realtor? Why a realtor?"
"To find a place."
"Why go to a realtor for a house?"
"...Huh?"
Question made zero sense.
To move, you hit up a realtor. Where else?
I blinked in confusion, and she hit back like I was the weird one.
"Just ask the Association."
"Association? Why would they care about my housing?"
Oh.
Wait.
Come to think of it, Kim Junghwan mentioned "Awakener housing support" once.
But back then, juggling streams and body changes, no bandwidth. Plus, didn't want handouts. So I tuned it out.
Yeah, he did say something.
Instead of answering, Yoo Euisul flashed an ice-cold smile that chilled me to the bone and asked again.
"Your handler's Kim Junghwan, right?"
"Yeah."
"Thought that prick was competent. Guess not."
"...Huh?"
"Head to the Association."
Her tone was colder than anything I'd heard from her.
Her 180 made me uneasy, so I asked.
"Wh-why the Association all of a sudden?"
"Gonna shake down Kim Junghwan and Chairman Scheduled Hwan. These idiots only work right after a good cursing-out."
"W-wait! It's not—"
"Don't worry. I'll make sure it never happens again. Proper beatdown. When did Awakener management turn into such a shitshow? Not briefing newbie Awakeners on support? Unacceptable."
Her sudden rage-pedaling threw me.
I mean, her getting mad on my behalf was nice and all.
But...
The Association didn't screw up.
"I told them first I didn't need housing support."
I tried explaining, and she gave me a baffled look.
"Liked your answer earlier. Thought you weren't that dumb."
"How's this dumb?"
I had my reasons.
Houses ain't cheap. Support'd come with strings, crappy options.
Best case, some 300-square-foot studio.
Better than my current hole by a mile, sure.
Even a decent studio or 1,000-square-foot apartment wouldn't fix my issue.
I needed a place safe from the Price of Blasphemy.
A standalone house, no upstairs neighbors.
Yoo Euisul stared at me like I was pathetic.
"That's your excuse? Ditch a brand-new 2,300-square-foot house for a crumbling shack, living on eggshells? That's dumb as hell."
"...Hold up. What? 2,300 square feet?"
"Yeah, 70 pyeong. Brand-new last year. Standalone."
"Standalone? Holy shit, why didn't you tell me sooner?!"
70 pyeong? Ten times my current place!
Thought it'd be a basic studio. World, 70 pyeong?
Didn't know they hooked up standalone houses that big.
My bad for cutting off Kim Junghwan mid-sentence, assuming no interest.
Damn.
How much life did I just fumble?
Yoo Euisul's parting shot:
"Why do you keep getting dumber every day?"
It stabbed right through my heart.