Chapter 23
Chapter 23
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Mirror (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Bihyeong!”
The time he'd arranged to meet Mina separately.
When he arrived at the rendezvous point, Mina was already there waiting for him.
She smelled like she'd just showered, the faint scent of shampoo tickling his nose.
'Did she train or something? Tsk. That might wear her out a bit.'
They were about to enter a Yokai's domain.
Just to be safe, he asked about her condition.
“I'm fine. I did a quick cultivation session before coming.”
She flexed her arm with a confident hup!, insisting she was full of energy.
Her bicep popped out adorably.
“Alright. If you say you're good.”
Sin Bihyeong said as he pulled a Universal Panacea pill from his pocket and handed it to her.
“Here. This is what I texted you about earlier.”
Her hand trembled noticeably as she took it.
Her eyes welled up, as if she might burst into tears any second.
And sure enough.
“Bihyeong!”
Just like when she'd received the cultivation method before, she threw her arms around him, tears streaming down her face.
'Ugh.'
He'd been through it once, but he still wasn't used to this.
Did he have no resistance to it?
While Sin Bihyeong stood stiff as a statue, Mina sniffled and spoke.
“I... My mom's been bedridden.”
He already knew her situation.
But hearing it directly from her for the first time, he listened quietly.
“The academy covered her hospital stay, but... there's no improvement. I was so worried... hic!...”
Thank you, thank you so much...!
She tried to speak through gritted teeth, but her voice shook uncontrollably.
'...Exorcists. They seem strong at a glance.'
But in the end, they're just people.
They have families, friends, and loved ones to protect.
When those crumble, even a high-Hierarchy Rank exorcist can't help but waver.
That's why they risk their lives to exorcise Yokai.
To eliminate future threats, before they lose those around them.
'......'
Sin Bihyeong silently patted her head.
After a brief moment, Mina pulled away, still sniffling.
“...Thank you. If we handle this just right... I'll devote everything to you, Bihyeong.”
Her eyes held nothing but pure, unfeigned sincerity.
Sin Bihyeong felt her resolve,
Snap!
and flicked her forehead.
“Ow!”
“Hey. Don't say stuff like that so casually. Devote what?”
“B-but...!”
“If you're really grateful, join my party in the future.”
“...Can someone as lacking as me really join your party...?”
Snap!
Another flick, and she clutched her forehead, crouching down.
Ah, he went and hit the same spot again.
Anyway.
“Mina. Your talent is the real deal. So don't talk like that.”
“...Okay.”
“And no matter what happens, trust me. That's all you need.”
Sin Bihyeong smiled and offered his hand.
“Got it? Let's get going.”
“......”
Mina gazed up blankly at Sin Bihyeong, who extended his hand with a bright smile.
Her heart pounded.
'Not shattering like when we first met, but...'
Faintly, yet rapidly.
She felt she could now name the emotion in her thumping heart.
'I... like him. Bihyeong.'
The cause was probably their first meeting.
That reliable back stepping up to help her.
The inciting incident was him taking her side on that stage.
Angered as if it were his own issue, ultimately dismantling Golden Taeyang's scheme from the root.
And the climax...
That smile before her now, utterly devoid of ulterior motives.
Mina's cheeks flushed as she took his hand.
“Y-yeah... I'll support you diligently by your side...”
Was he imagining how those words sounded a bit off?
Sin Bihyeong tilted his head but brushed it off nonchalantly.
Eoduk sighed deeply watching him.
-Elder, Elder.
'What?'
-I'm asking out of genuine worry, but... are you really into guys...?
'Want to get kicked out of the Night Parade?'
-Eek!!
On the way to the Yokai's domain, he ignored Eoduk's nonsense.
Why did he keep trying to make him gay? He clearly preferred women.
'I'm just too preoccupied to notice.'
He had to see the Half-Demon ending, deal with occasional bullshit twists,
and worry about the future, how his actions might create variables.
Sin Bihyeong didn't show it, but he was always on edge.
'In that sense, I hope this trip has zero bullshit twists.'
The Yokai domain Sin Bihyeong and Mina headed to was a 'Mental Interference' type.
It burrowed into the opponent's mind, showed them their deepest desire, then shattered it.
If their mentality broke along with it—crash!—they'd get devoured by the Yokai. That kind of domain.
'But inside the domain, skill proficiency gains get a buff.'
The desired vision was the 'ideal' one.
Techniques applied that too, allowing massive proficiency gains like with the library Yokai before.
'Not a threat to Hierarchy Rank 2 or higher. That's why the academy left it unchecked.'
As one's Hierarchy Rank rose, the soul's protective barrier thickened.
Even if mentality shook or shattered, the body wouldn't get eaten by the Yokai.
He explained this to Mina as they walked, and she nodded.
“I just reached Hierarchy Rank 2 too. Should be fine then.”
He knew.
Her rank transmitted clearly through his Half-Demon senses.
'Her talent is insane...'
Drawing an EX-grade Half-Demon like him, yet barely keeping up with her—it almost made his position pitiful.
'But she's a future party member.'
Her growth was his growth.
Thinking positively like that as he walked,
“By the way, Bihyeong.”
Mina suddenly tilted her head and asked.
“If we can enter this easily, isn't it too dangerous for other cadets?”
Mina looked around.
Passing through dense woods, they'd entered a maintained mountain path.
And far ahead, a building that didn't fit the mountain came into view.
“There were no 'no entry' signs on the way here. If it's not dangerous for Rank 2... isn't it risky for freshmen?”
“Yeah. Normally, there's a barrier, and you need a permit to enter.”
But not here.
'Villain's scheme spot. Originally a derived quest location.'
No barrier over the area.
“Oh? So you got the permit?”
“......”
Sin Bihyeong fell silent at Mina's question.
As she stared at him, growing uneasy, he met her gaze, turned his head, and muttered.
“Mina. Listen up.”
“Okay.”
“From now on, we're on a date.”
“A d-date!?”
Mina's lips twitched upward slyly, but Sin Bihyeong continued without noticing.
“We got caught up here by chance during our date. We'll say we had no choice but to exorcise it.”
Yeah.
Cadets accidentally stumbled into a Yokai domain, and conveniently, no barrier was up.
Whose fault would that be?
The academy's, obviously.
'...No helping it. We're exorcising an unchecked Yokai.'
Freshmen don't get outer missions to exorcise Yokai yet.
But Sin Bihyeong had to kill Yokai to resolve his Blocked Meridians.
What could he do? Even academy Yokai had to die.
'Good for the academy too. Early response to the villain's plot.'
Casualties happened in that event.
Worst case, key NPCs died.
Seen that way, he was helping.
'...Super self-consoling, but whatever. Survive first.'
Thinking he'd make it up to the academy later somehow, they soon reached the abandoned building.
A barricade at the entrance read:
Entry... allowed.
> C-come... inside......
Yokai handwriting visible.
How blatant.
Sin Bihyeong grinned and explained the domain's rules to Mina.
“We'll enter holding hands. That's how we start in the same place.”
The place was a dream.
“Your dreams will alternate and blend, in the most ideal way.”
“Dr-dreams?”
“Why?”
Mina blushed at his question, then shook her head.
“Ah, nothing. Keep explaining.”
He sensed something odd but let it slide.
Girls had their secrets too.
“First, periodically check 'mirrors' in the dream.”
“Why?”
“To confirm if you've changed.”
If you get lost in dream pleasure and don't notice the change, you'll be replaced by someone else at some point.
“If you see a change, smash the mirror immediately. That'll protect you.”
“Second?”
“After smashing, it'll start. The dream fails, so it'll show despair.”
From the sweetest moment to the most horrific.
That emotional drop was enough to rattle the mind.
“If your emotions waver, it'll try to slip in.”
But Sin Bihyeong's expression was relaxed.
“Countermeasure's simple though. Enter with two or more people.”
Dreams blended, so emotional drops differed.
One might be fine in a situation, another despairing.
“The stable one channels spiritual power to snap them out of it.”
“No physical form, huh?”
“Yeah. No entity until you're trapped in the mirror and replaced.”
So no worries.
With that, Sin Bihyeong took Mina's hand and stepped forward.
'...Hehe.'
Mina felt a thrill again at his large hand enveloping hers.
She hoped he wouldn't see her smile.
Nervously walking beside him for a bit.
That moment.
“......!”
Like in the mental world before,
an inexplicable gaze prickled her skin.
“...The domain's effect?”
A chilling wind blew.
Eerie atmosphere; her already mismatched senses went haywire.
'...Calm down. Hwang Mina. Bihyeong said Rank 2 is fine.'
Trusting her rank, she steadied herself.
Soon, the two entered the Yokai domain.
Fog so thick they couldn't tell front from back.
Through it, Mina saw a bright light spreading.
Using it as a guide, she pushed through the fog—and panicked.
“...Bihyeong?”
Sin Bihyeong, who'd been holding her hand, was gone.
“What the.”
Her expression hardened.
She deployed the Divine Breeze Fan and sharpened her senses.
Then, an unfamiliar presence hit her senses.
Whoosh!
She spun and leaped back.
An object entered her view.
'Mirror?'
The mirror Sin Bihyeong had just mentioned.
The domain's rule.
'...Rules still hold, even that one?'
Smash if your reflection changes.
No entity until replacement.
'Seems enforced.'
Made sense.
Core mechanic: domain owner replaced by 'other'.
Still, Mina focused on the mirror.
Checking if she'd changed.
Then,
Her reflection looked up.
Its lips curved in a sinister smile.
Soon,
—Step.
The reflection took a step forward.
“...What. How?”
The mirror cracked.
The prison holding her image shattered.
And through the fissures, 'herself' stepped out.
“Ah... You've finally become aware of me?”
Face, body, voice—all identical.
Yet the voice felt strangely seductive.
“What are you? Did you alter this space?”
“Yes. I did.”
Hearing that, Mina furrowed her brow.
“What did you do to Bihyeong!?”
Killing intent boiled from her like a snarling beast.
But Mirror Mina regarded it as a puppy's play.
“Don't get mad. I set this up to talk with you.”
“What. Did. You. Do.”
Syllables clipped short.
Her wide eyes threatened to burst veins red.
Seeing this, Mirror Mina giggled amusedly.
Then, her form began to change slightly.
“...Ears?”
Fox ears sprouted atop her head, twin tails swishing from her lower back.
Like Mina, but not.
“How about awakening to your true 'bloodline' now?”
At those words,
—Thump!
Mina's heart pounded fiercely.