The Taker and the Taken (2)
The Taker and the Taken (2)
"......Is that really all?"
A voice that sounded slightly disappointed reached me.
'What is this.'
I was momentarily flustered. Did I ask for something wrong? What I asked for wasn't a big deal.
My physical abilities have been skyrocketing lately, so I couldn't get any effect from existing exercise equipment. I had simply asked Lee Ji-ah to cast magic on a few pieces of equipment I owned.
It wasn't a difficult request, either. It wasn't even semi-permanent; I only needed them for a month or two, so that was plenty. At her current level, gravity magic or overload magic was nothing.
I looked at Lee Ji-ah's face.
She had been wearing an expectant expression, which then turned disappointed. Then, noticing my gaze, she made an 'oops' expression and put on a cheerful face again. The expression was a bit awkward.
Did I say something wrong?
I thought about it carefully for a moment.
'Doesn't seem like it.'
It wasn't an unreasonable request. It was the kind of favor you could ask even just as friends.
However, Lee Ji-ah seemed somewhat dissatisfied. If so, what should I do? I'm not used to soothing women.
I was deep in thought while cutting a piece of cake into a bite-sized portion with my fork.
"Ji-ah? What are you doing here?"
At that moment, a familiar voice was heard. I turned my head and saw purple hair. The Witch of Exorcism who received the title of Purple from the Ivory Tower. Song Rahui.
Song Rahui must have spotted me too, as she was looking at me with eyes tinged with faint wariness.
It was nothing. She just didn't like handsome men.
"Professor? Didn't you say you were going somewhere with Professor Kang Han-ja today?"
"......Professor Kang Han-ja's injury still hasn't healed."
He was injured after clashing with Mad Dog, but that's a lie. The injury had long since been fully healed by the Fairy Queen's power, but he was just holed up in his room, depressed because he liked Ash and it was revealed that Ash had used him.
"Ah, come to think of it, he was seriously injured during the Demon-human incident last time... Is Professor Kang Han-ja okay?"
"Yes, he said he's fine. Since the Fairy Queen said so, he must be."
Even as she said that, there was worry in her eyes.
"Still, it'll be hard for him to come back right away. At the very least... it probably won't be possible until this semester is over."
"I see...."
"Ahem. Ah, right, should I buy you something?"
I glanced at Lee Ji-ah. I could feel from her expression that she didn't want to eat anymore.
"No, it's okay. I'm full from the cake."
She hadn't eaten a meal long ago, and she'd eaten cake too, so she was full.
At my words, Song Rahui frowned slightly and said.
"A man should have a bit of a sturdy air about him. That's why you're like that, eating so little with such a scrawny body. Siwoo, you need to eat a lot and bulk up."
"My interpersonal combat grades are in the top tier, though......."
"Ahem, anyway. My point was that you should fill out your physique like a man."
After saying that, perhaps running out of things to say, Song Rahui walked away with a haughty gait.
Time passed, and before I knew it, midterms season had arrived.
The kids who usually chatted were huddled together here and there, opening books and studying. I watched them with a satisfied smile. The act of studying for a written exam was something far removed from me.
Not that it means I'm comfortable, though.
"Siwoo, could I borrow your notes?"
"Si, Siwoo, I'm Yoon-jeong from the next class, could I borrow your notes?"
I saw faces I didn't recognize and kids I only knew by face. In my heart, I wanted to refuse, saying, "Notes, difficult." But I had to be mindful of the people around me. I glanced around and saw that the other kids were also watching. Probably, the moment I lent them out, my notes would be copied everywhere.
'Honestly, I don't care.'
It doesn't really matter whether the notes are copied or not. The reason I get perfect scores on written exams is because of my trait, Knowledge Access.
There's nothing special in the notes I write. I just scribble a few things the professors write on the blackboard while watching them, and doodle a bit because I'm bored, that's all. Since I use Celestial Demon to doodle, it's fun to be able to draw the scenes I want, so I've gotten quite a taste for it. I've been refraining lately because the professors' glares have been getting worse, though.......
Therefore, my notes might be in a worse state of disarray than Im Na-yeon's, whose written exam grades are scraping the bottom. No, since she at least studies hard for written exams, referring to Im Na-yeon's notes would be more helpful.
"Sorry, I don't really have much written in my notes."
"Ah, is that so?"
With a dejected expression, the unfamiliar face and the kid I only knew by face returned to their seats. I headed to my seat. A few persistent gazes followed me.
"Does that mean he's so smart that everything the professors taught is already in his head? I'm honestly so envious."
"Tell me about it. Except for him, no one in Academy history has ever gotten a perfect score on a written exam. People are already going crazy saying he's going to sweep the Nobel Prizes in the future. The nationalists are already calling him the smartest person in the world."
It was an incredibly high evaluation. I'm shameless in my own way, but even for me, this made my face burn a little.
I sighed inwardly and sat down.
"Um...... Siwoo."
Im Na-yeon gave an awkward "Hehe-". The reason she called my name was too obvious.
"Um, could you show me your notes?"
"Sorry, I have almost nothing written in my notes, so my notes won't be helpful."
"Ah, you don't take notes much?... Come to think of it, Siwoo, you really don't do much note-taking."
Im Na-yeon said, nodding her head. Her expression was tinged with disappointment. Seeing that, my heart softened, and I added.
"......It's not much of a substitute, but if you ask, I'll teach you everything I know."
"Really? Thanks."
Im Na-yeon said with a bright smile. Actually, even without the reason above, I had always taught her whenever she asked anything.
"In return, I'll help you later too. If you have any trouble, tell me."
If I were to ask, I feel like I'd just push the whole troublesome matter onto her.
Zzing-
Just then, my phone rang. I checked my phone for a moment. Since I've blocked everyone except for key figures, it meant a text had come from someone important to me.
Checking it, I saw a text from Kim Harin.
[Can I help you too?]
"......."
I glanced at where Kim Harin was located, and she was looking at me.
[Ask me anytime. If I see it, I'll tell you right away.]
After receiving Kim Harin's message, I checked my messages and saw quite a few had come in.
Messages asking to borrow notes, which was different from usual.
As I scrolled down the messages, there was a unique one. It was asking to buy my notes for a certain price.
I checked the name just in case, but as expected, it was a name I hadn't seen before. Yup, blocked. I lightly blocked them and looked ahead. Song Rahui had entered at some point.
"Everyone, during the midterms......."
It was a landscape reflecting an ashen gray.
Desolate gray concrete.
There were traces of corrosion from time everywhere, and moonlight flowed through broken windows.
A building where human presence had been cut off. It was because it was a place where a monster called a disaster had passed through. And now, that place was...... the temporary hideout of what is called 'The Cult'.
An entity opened its eyes there. There was an entity sitting on a chair as dignified as a throne, languidly resting its chin on its hand.
Eyes that were brilliant like jewels, but somehow reminiscent of bright red blood, shone in the darkness.
-My Lord. I have found the Adversary.
A voice rang out in the empty space.
"Have you found the human born with the Celestial Demon?"
She thought for a moment.
Celestial Demon.
That is a trait a human cannot possess. An ability to gain absolute affinity regarding magic (Ma).......But how did they obtain it? Originally, that ability is one that the 'Demon King' is born with.
'Even though they aren't the Demon King.'
She was interested. She wanted to cross hands with them once. If they were weak, she'd kill them. If there was potential, she'd let them live.
She laughed lowly and stood up slowly.
The round full moon emerged from the clouds and illuminated the world.
Blood-colored long hair that reached her thighs shone bewitchingly. The curves emerging from her snow-white skin and the black-colored clothes wrapping her entire body. A figure that had molded the word 'beauty' into the present world. She quietly rose from the throne and walked into the moonlight.
-My Lord. It is not one person.
She paused.
At the voice that reached her, she stopped her actions for a moment. Not one person? What does that mean? She turned her face toward the voice with eyes wanting an answer.
"What do you mean?"
A beautiful voice rang out. Accordingly, the voice replied.
-There are two. A man with silver hair. And a woman with gold hair.
Two. She quietly muttered the number. Her blood-colored eyes glistened.
The Adversary.
It was said to be the entity that would oppose the soon-to-be-resurrected Demon King and strike the Demon King down again.
As someone who knows the Demon King's original power, her interest was piqued. A power that destroys most things existing in the world just by breathing. That there are as many as two entities capable of opposing such power.
"Interesting."
Her interest was piqued. She wanted to see them in person.
"What are their abilities?"
-...We are checking. However, we have grasped the outline to some extent. Perhaps soon....
"Your chatter is long."
-Judging by the revealed abilities, it seems to be an ability related to spirits. They were commanding and wielding over a dozen spirits.
"Ho."
She exclaimed lowly. Over a dozen spirits. That means they are superior to most Heroes of the Middle Assault.
"Where are they?"
-They are at the Hero Academy. We have confirmed that they are twins with the entity possessing the Celestial Demon that I reported to you.
Twins. She quietly smiled with her eyes. Her blood-colored eyes stared directly at one side. The owner of the voice was flustered. That location was...... the location where the Hero Academy exists.
"Come to think of it, exams are soon. Did they say that when taking practical exams at the Hero Academy, they specially open the school to show their achievements to outsiders?"
The voice spread. Joy was felt within it. The voice could not be joyful at the master's joy. She is truly strong and a person fitting to be the successor of the Demon King, but...... it was because she is too willful.
-My Lord, that is.......
The voice hesitated. The Fairy race, a superior race with innate attribute dominance and mana affinity. And the Fairy Queen's henchmen who wield the power of space. All of those cannot stop his master, but... the Fairy Queen is of a different caliber.
If one were to count the people who can harm the Demon King, excluding the Adversary, the number wouldn't even fill one hand, but those few who do are too dangerous.
Because the owner of that school was an entity that is never left out when discussing the strongest among the figures revealed in this world.
The head of the Void race in China who rules the Dark Heaven (Amcheon), and the Dragon King existing in America, the suzerain of magic. A figure who is always mentioned along with those two. Her ability to resonate with the World Tree and draw upon its power is...... absurdly dangerous.
However, even if he speaks of all those reasons, his master does not care. A person who accepts death, self-deprecatingly saying that if she dies, she was only a person of this caliber. He had sworn to serve her, captivated by that appearance, but when times like this came, he also felt frustrated.
Toward such a voice, her blood-colored eyes curved as if she were amused.
"Prepare. We are going."