The Mentor Beatrice Promised (1)
***
When I noticed Cheon Seong surrounded by delinquents and stepping into the alley, I was genuinely startled and rushed over without thinking.
The moment I entered the alley, the delinquents scanned my body and, as always, extended their filthy hands toward me, revealing their vile intentions just like the other men.
It was disgusting.
My body and mind belonged entirely to Cheon Seong, and it was unbearably distasteful for these delinquents to be groping at it.
So, just like before, I reached out to grab one of their wrists and twist it, but the person who actually twisted the wrist was none other than Cheon Seong.
The delinquent’s wrist twisted at an unnatural angle, and the other delinquents rushed at Cheon Seong upon seeing it.
I wanted to cast a spell out of pure rage when Cheon Seong was being beaten, but I couldn’t stop when I saw his expression.
His usually dull face had changed into something completely different, and in an instant, he swept through all the delinquents with terrifying power.
I let out a short gasp at the sight of Cheon Seong taking down every last one of them in that moment, but when I spotted his cheeks swollen and red, I walked over and gently stroked them while using my innate ability.
Fortunately, the swelling subsided quickly, but the actions that followed left me utterly stunned.
He suddenly burst into tears, then pulled me into his arms.
Cheon Seong, who never once shed a tear in front of me no matter how spoiled he got, who never showed even the tiniest hint of affection, was hugging me and sobbing.
It was more than enough to shock me, but before I could fully process it, I felt his body trembling violently. I slowly rubbed his back to comfort him.
After calming him down, Cheon Seong pulled away, flashed a smile I would never forget, and said, “It’s okay.”
Time seemed to freeze.
I had known Cheon Seong for over ten years, yet I had never seen him smile like that.
Of course, he occasionally gave tiny smiles, but this one was incomparable to any of them.
It was as radiant as the sun, as warm as light itself—the smile of the person I loved most.
Even after we parted ways, I couldn’t stop thinking about Cheon Seong’s smile.
*Duk! Duk—Duk!—Duk!*
My heart raced uncontrollably, pounding so hard it felt like arrhythmia.
The instant I arrived home, Yuna dropped to the floor, clutching her chest as she tried to steady the rapid beats.
Haa…
Her breathing grew heavier and heavier until she finally pulled out her phone. She tapped the hidden camera on her earring and replayed the recording of Cheon Seong’s smiling face, then let out a shaky sigh.
Haa… Haa… Cheon Seong, I love you… ♡
She pressed a kiss to the screen, where Cheon Seong’s face was frozen, and the sound lingered in the room for a long time.
***
After leaving Yuna behind, I headed back to the one-room apartment where my memories were hazy.
Fortunately, I hadn’t forgotten the password. The moment I opened the door, the familiar, empty space greeted me.
*I’m tired…*
Even though my body was the one from this time period thanks to regression, my mind remained stuck in the past. The mental exhaustion was no joke.
“Ugh…”
I collapsed onto the bed to rest my weary mind, but the tension refused to leave. My sleep wouldn’t come. During wars with the Celestials, I never allowed myself to relax—because the moment I did, I would die.
Even if I fell asleep, my mind would stay awake, leaving me exhausted just the same.
No matter how far back I went, this was simply survival instinct ingrained in me. There was nothing I could do about it.
After staying awake for ten minutes, then twenty, and finally failing to sleep for an hour, I resorted to the last measure: casting a sleep spell on myself.
*If I fall asleep from the sleep spell, the fatigue will hit me like a truck when I wake up, but I have no choice…*
I began channeling mana to activate it when a voice interrupted and shattered the spell.
*This lady will help you. Stop trying to use the sleep spell.*
The voice was unmistakably the one that had once proposed a contract to me before regression. I instinctively looked toward the source.
*Whoosh*
*Whoosh*
No matter how hard I searched, the owner remained invisible, yet the voice continued. I had no choice but to ask.
*Why are you staring like that?*
“Where exactly are you?”
*Not above, but below.*
“Below?”
Following the voice’s instruction, I looked down. There, barely visible, was a tiny woman no larger than the palm of my hand.
“She’s so small… Even more so than I imagined.”
I crouched down to get a better look, and the woman with crossed arms replied to my remark.
*[You speak with complete disregard for manners.]*
“But it’s true that you’re tiny.”
Honestly, I had no idea what I was even saying right now.
My mind, exhausted to the limit, was so drained that it barely registered what I was saying and simply spilled out whatever thoughts came to mind.
*[First, take care of your mind.]*
*Snap*
The moment my fingers snapped, my mind gradually cleared. I stared at the woman in surprise and asked, “What did you do?”
*[It’s a simple magic. Besides, isn’t that more important than asking how?]*
“…Will you answer?”
Honestly, I wanted to ask immediately. How had she regressed me? Who was she?
Since asking would likely get me nowhere, I simply voiced the question that had been on my mind.
*[I’ll introduce myself first. My name is Beatrice Le Arus. A Celestial who fell to the ground after being betrayed by her own kind. She is the pinnacle of magic and martial arts. Others once called her the Heavenly Demon.]*
“…The Heavenly Demon? You’re the Heavenly Demon?”
The Heavenly Demon was the legendary figure from the past who had been revered as the best martial artist in the Central Plains and the idol of every warrior.
But when Beatrice introduced herself as the Heavenly Demon who had disappeared centuries ago and was presumed dead, I asked in shock, “Then how old are you—”
*Close your mouth.*
I flinched at the killing intent in her voice and tried to redirect, “So what exactly do you want from me?”
Clearly, Beatrice had said she would grant my request in exchange for me granting hers by helping her kill herself.
“Even if you’re the Heavenly Demon of the world, do you really have something you want from me?”
I didn’t need to confirm whether she was truly the Heavenly Demon. It was obvious she was the one who had regressed me. Most importantly, I couldn’t even gauge her skill level.
Even if I had regressed, my abilities hadn’t weakened that much.
Therefore, I believed her words.
Besides, it didn’t matter. I had regressed into the past and gained the chance for revenge.
That was enough. I didn’t care about the price.
*[You don’t seem surprised that I’m a Celestial.]*
“I don’t care. Whether you’re a Celestial or not, I only hate Celestials who touched my precious people. As for someone like you, I have no interest.”
I wasn’t crazy enough to harm anyone who didn’t directly affect my precious ones just because of my revenge obsession. I only wanted to protect my loved ones. There was no need to care about anyone else.
*Except that one guy…*
He hadn’t directly harmed my precious people, but he had killed them.
*Don’t act all high and mighty like some half-witted extra from the novel!!*
*Half-witted extra?* Who cares. I would do anything to kill you all.
*Half-witted extra?*
Those had already been overcome by regression.
*Fame?*
As long as I can achieve revenge, I’ll become a global criminal if I want.
*[You seem to have a lot of thoughts.]*
“…Yeah. It’s only been a short time since I regressed, after all.”
*That’s true. So what exactly is it that this lady desires?*
Honestly, I didn’t care. Whatever the price, I would pay it. But I nodded, since directly asking would be rude.
*…You need to fix the way your thoughts show clearly on your face.]*
“…It shows that much?*
*[Very much so. Anyway, the topic has drifted. The request this lady has is simple.]*
Beatrice spread her unique white wings and flew toward me, then spoke.
*This lady wants you to kill her. That is the price of the contract.*
“…” What?
Even a country that didn’t care about the price would be stunned by this.
“You want me to kill you for the price? What kind of nonsense is that?”
*[It’s as I said. What this lady asks of you is her own death. Nothing more.]*
I didn’t understand.
Why would the price for regression be her own death?
“If dying is what you want, why didn’t you take your own life? And if that’s the case, why not ask someone else?”
*[This lady cannot commit suicide. The Creator who gave birth to all Celestials has forbidden all of us from taking our own lives in any way. It is an unbreakable rule engraved alongside our birth, so it cannot be changed.]*
*That’s just messed up.*
Forbidding one’s own death.
To some, it might seem like she cherished her kind, but to me, it didn’t.
For someone who had suffered in this painful life, suicide was the last means and the last remaining freedom—the freedom to end one’s own suffering.
Beatrice had been deprived of that freedom by the Creator.
Because I had lived a painful life, I understood what suicide meant to me. Therefore, I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Beatrice, who had been robbed of that freedom.
*[And the reason I chose you is also simple. You are the only one who possesses the power to kill Celestials.]*
“…What? You’re saying I have the power to kill Celestials?”
Of course I had killed Celestials.
But it had only been possible because I had poured every last drop of the Celestial power, remaining mana, and life force they had injected into me into one final spell.
To say that I could kill Celestials when I had only barely captured one using a magic spell that combined their power and my own?
My emotions churned wildly, and the uncontained mana overflowed, flooding the room.
“What kind of nonsense are you talking?! You’re saying I have the power to kill Celestials?! Then why couldn’t I protect everyone?! Did that final spell have the power to kill Celestials?! Tell me! Tell me right now!”
If I truly had the power to kill Celestials, then why hadn’t I protected everyone?
If I had the power, then why had I been so weak?
I couldn’t control my rage. It wasn’t anger toward Beatrice.
It was rage at my own weakness, and at my own lack of knowledge, even though Beatrice had said I possessed the power to kill Celestials.
But unfortunately, that rage turned toward Beatrice. No, it turned toward both Beatrice and myself.
*Slap!*
*Calm down. I will explain everything,* Beatrice said, silencing my anger with a single clap. I was powerless to move my body and could only listen to her words.
*[Cheon Seong’s innate ability. That is the power to kill Celestials.]*
Innate ability.
Every person was born with an ability tied to the color of their mana.
Although all innate abilities were similar yet distinct, mine stood out even among them.
My innate ability was named *Five Colors*.
It allowed me to control all five natures of mana—red, yellow, blue, green, and white.
With that ability, I could manipulate every type of mana.
Yet it had been treated as nothing more than a half-witted ability by everyone.
My ability, which could control every nature of mana, had an extremely low mana growth rate and far weaker power than others’.
Despite that, I had been looked down upon by all.
For me to say my innate ability could kill Celestials was absurd.
*[I know it is hard to believe.]*
*Slap!*
Beatrice clapped her hands again. My body, still frozen, finally relaxed. I opened my mouth and asked, “How exactly can my innate ability kill Celestials? What is the method?”
*[You don’t know much about your own ability.]* Beatrice landed on my shoulder and explained the ability she had analyzed.
*[How did you think you could kill that last one?]*
“I poured everything I could into the final spell and killed him. What’s the issue?”
*[You still don’t understand… Then how did you turn the last one’s Celestial power, life force, and mana into a single spell?]*
“That’s obvious… wait…”
Thinking back, something felt wrong.
I had combined the last one’s Celestial power, the remaining mana and life force I possessed, and channeled them into a spell.
That was the problem.
“Then how did I fuse Celestial power, life force, and mana into one spell?”
*[Fusion. That is the true power that comes with your innate ability.]*
*“Fusion?”*
*[Exactly. Your true ability is the fusion of energy. Its power increases in proportion to the number of energies you combine. When facing the last one, you fused four of the energies—Celestial power, life force, and two types of mana, red and green.]*
I listened in silence as Beatrice explained, and she continued without pause.
“So in other words, my innate ability’s true power is the fusion of energy. If I mix five energies, I can unleash the power of annihilation and kill both you and the Celestials. You’re saying you’ll teach me how to do that, right?”
*[That is correct. What this lady wants is her own death. What you want is to achieve revenge. You can grow stronger to fulfill your revenge, and this lady can die.]*
There was nothing but mutual benefit.
I had killed Celestials, but it was mutual destruction. However, if I died in the process, I would be unable to fulfill the contract with Beatrice.
Therefore, I needed to grow stronger, and Beatrice needed my strengthened power.
There was no reason to refuse conditions that benefited both sides, so I extended my finger toward Beatrice, who sat on my shoulder, and said, “I’ll be counting on you, Beatrice.”
*[...Yes. This lady will be counting on you too.]*
Beatrice reached out with her tiny hand, grasped my finger, flew up to meet my eyes, and smiled.
*This lady will be your mentor.*