Erosion?!
"Erosion?!"
"Normally, even if someone gets eroded by magic, it clears up right away... but you have so little mana that the erosion keeps progressing."
A term I'd only seen rarely in textbooks or internet stories. What happens when someone lacking mana gets hit by magic and ends up suffering from various aftereffects for life. And of all people, it had to be me? This was impossible. It was absurdly unfair. What the hell did I do wrong—
"If things stay like this, you'll probably die before you can get out of here."
"Ah......"
Good grief. She even said I'd die. I was so stunned that my mouth just clamped shut, like I'd hit rock bottom. The despair was so deep that I couldn't even feel it anymore. In effect, my life had been completely ruined because of Lim Hana.
"Why......"
"......"
"If I'd known it would come to this, I would've......"
"......"
Someone might ask if I was trusting Cheon Mari's words too much. But how could I not believe it after seeing this scene? Ice stained with blood and flesh, and me lying there paralyzed. Given the circumstances, the credibility of her story was extremely high. In the end, with no tears left to shed, I could only press my head against the ground in frustration.
Silence lingered. After some time had passed, just as my heart was starting to calm, Cheon Mari tapped my shoulder.
"Kang Si, I've got one question."
"......What."
"Do you still believe in that childhood friend of yours?"
"Believe? What are you talking about."
Things had gone this far—there was nothing left to believe or not believe. From the moment she hit me all those years ago, Lim Hana had become someone I could never trust.
"If she quits the drugs later and goes back to how she used to be, would you forgive her then?"
"Forgive......?"
"Even though she did this to you, if she returns as her kind, decent, healthy self, would you forgive her?"
"That's......"
I didn't know. If she quit the drugs and went back to normal. If she returned to the kind and innocent person she used to be. Maybe I really could forgive her. Of course, since I'd been hurt, I'd get pretty angry and probably have her locked up in a mental hospital for about thirty years...... but I probably wouldn't go any further than that.
"If you would forgive her, why?"
"Because drugs are something that makes people lose their minds."
"Well, she probably wasn't in her right mind because of the drugs. Enough to twist past events and repay kindness with betrayal."
She had a point. But I had other reasons too.
"......I can't just ignore it completely because I feel sorry for her parents. Honestly, she probably didn't even know what she was getting into when she started the drugs."
"She probably started without knowing anything. But...... personally, I think reaching that point and taking Gwangjeungcho was still her own 'choice.'"
"It was her choice?"
"A choice she made, and one she should take responsibility for. How much leniency do you think she'd get by claiming diminished capacity?"
Very little. If it had been anyone else instead of me, she probably wouldn't even have a chance at forgiveness.
"Besides...... Ah, this might be a bit harsh to say to someone who's injured."
"No, it's fine. Just say it."
Sensitive or harsh words, or things that might dig into my heart. Either way, I was going to die soon, so whether I heard it or not, it didn't matter.
"Then...... how many times has she betrayed you so far? How has she treated you normally? Has she ever properly repaid you? How often did she even visit you in the hospital?"
"Pretty much never, to be honest."
"Then that's not something you can excuse just because her parents are involved. That's her true nature, the feelings she had inside."
"So what are you trying to say? That Lim Hana has to pay the price?"
"Returning kindness with enmity. Of course she has to pay. You should get interest on what you suffered too."
It was quite straightforward. But at the same time, it gave me a lot to think about. How had she acted toward me normally? How much had I actually received in return? If what I received was lacking, could I still forgive her just because she reformed? How much should the victim turn a blind eye? I was going to die soon—should she get to live comfortably after coming back? And most importantly—
Was Lim Hana's true nature truly pure?
"Is her nature good enough for the victim to turn a blind eye?"
"That's what I want to ask. Even if she reflects and comes back, will she really show good behavior?"
"Honestly, not to that extent."
Not even that much—just an ordinary nature. Thinking back, even before the drugs, she'd been pretty much like that.
Cheon Mari lowered her head and leaned in a little closer.
"Then let me ask you just one thing."
"What?"
"If you somehow endure and manage to get out of here alive. What kind of reaction do you think she'd have?"
"Reaction? Either she'd try to kill me whenever she gets the chance, or she'd avoid me out of fear until the end. Probably one of the two."
"If you had to pick one?"
"I don't know. A drug addict's mind isn't sane. It might even be split like a dual personality."
Maybe she'd choose to harass me in subtle ways since we went to the same school. That way, if she drove me to suicide, she wouldn't have to get her hands as dirty.
"Then what would you do if your childhood friend acted that way?"
"I'd have to fight back. Even if it drags on. But if you were in my position, what would you do?"
"I'd throw away gratitude, loyalty, and even morality. I'd use my family's power to try and kill her immediately."
"That's pretty ruthless."
"Of course, realistically speaking, it wouldn't be easy."
Killing someone in mainland Korea wasn't that simple. Especially if the target was good at magic and self-defense.
"Still, if it were me, I'd probably spend quite a long time bringing her down. If I leave her alone, something bad might happen, and hoping for a drug addict's rehabilitation is far too difficult."
Cheon Mari's answer was realistic. Quitting Gwangjeungcho was equivalent to clearing a nightmare-difficulty challenge with only one life. And on top of that, restoring her mind to how it used to be? While also making sure the addiction never relapsed? Inferno difficulty. It was simply impossible, regardless of realism.
"A long time...... You're right about that."
Besides, Lim Hana's future was basically nonexistent now. If I made it back alive, whether her mind recovered or not wouldn't even be the issue anymore. It would change from a problem involving someone else to a matter of my own survival. Even if I lived quietly and hoped for the best later, for my sake, Lim Hana would have to die anyway. It was bitter, but I accepted her words. And with an even more bitter feeling, I let out a hollow laugh. Since death by erosion was already decided, all of this discussion was nothing but delusion anyway.
Eventually, she clapped once and changed the gloomy atmosphere.
"Well, that's just my personal opinion. Don't take it too seriously. Ah, was that too harsh, talking about someone else's childhood friend like that?"
"No, it's fine. If I do make it out, it feels like it'll turn into an endless grudge match anyway."
Cheon Mari moved even closer and gently stroked my back. I felt something slightly catching on my back.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"You might not die here after all."
It was a bombshell. Something that denied everything I'd been thinking until now.
"There's one way for you to get out of here alive."
Cheon Mari pulled out a rainbow-colored bottle from her pocket. The legendary magic growth agent glowed brilliantly and beautifully. But what did that have to do with getting out alive?
"Do you know why erosion happens?"
"Because my body lacks mana, so it seeps in through the gaps and takes over, right?"
"Correct. So to receive erosion treatment, you'd need to go to a hospital equipped with 'mana-increasing devices.'"
Cheon Mari lightly shook the magic growth agent in front of my eyes. In that moment, I started to get an idea.
"This potion is an extremely rare item worth 10 billion won. And magic growth agents increase your mana."
No way, no way, no way. That couldn't be. Was she going to use that on me? The legendary magic growth agent that cost a fortune?
"You're going to forcibly grow my mana with the magic growth agent and delay the erosion that way?"
"Exactly! It won't be as effective as a hospital machine, but it should be enough to delay the erosion."
"But getting out of here will take quite a bit of time—"
"We don't need a whole week. Just enough to last one day."
One day? Didn't she say it would take a week until rescue? Various questions popped up. But Cheon Mari just kept smiling brightly.
"That said, if someone with low mana drinks this, there's a high chance they'll die."
Drink it and maybe live, or maybe die. Or don't drink it and just die like this. Anyone could see that the first option was the one to bet on. It was the lesser evil, and the path toward the future.
"But you said it costs 10 billion won—can you really give something like that to me?"
"Sian-ah, even someone like me has at least some sense of loyalty. Is a friend's life more important than money, or is money more important?"
I was moved. I felt ashamed of myself for having been prejudiced against her just because she was a regressor. Cheon Mari stroked my head and asked again. Even if there was a chance of dying, even if getting out would be somewhat difficult, would I drink it?
"......"
Refusing would actually be rude. I nodded. Cheon Mari opened the cap and started pouring it into her mouth. Not into mine, but into her own.
Just as I thought it would be my turn next, she pulled out another empty bottle from her pocket and set it down. That made two empty bottles now. I stared at Cheon Mari as if something was wrong.
"Uh...... What about me?"
"One of them was my share. Besides, drinking two of these doesn't make the effect any stronger anyway."
"That's not what I meant—there are two empty bottles......? So what are you giving me?"
"I already secretly fed it to you while you were passed out."
"?"
Cheon Mari grinned like a cat.
"Now you can become a top-tier hunter without worrying about mana~"
Are you insane, human? What if I'd died from that? No, if you were going to do this anyway, why even ask in the first place?
"Still, I should at least ask for formality's sake, right?"
"No, this crazy woman. She says she'll save someone but goes ahead and does it without even looking back."
"No take-backs? Thanks for the compliment."
"......Ah."
The touch of emotion I'd felt vanished in an instant. Of course it was this kind of person.