The Day Dreams Were Broken
The Day Dreams Were Broken
Having received their organization's mission and crossed over to a neighboring country to plan a terror attack, the two men realized there was no longer anyone left to interfere with them and leisurely conversed.
"So there was someone with some potential."
"I don't think it was a guy, but a bitch, wasn't it?"
"What does that matter? She's about to die anyway."
"Haha, is that so? I like her looks, though—I kind of wanted to taste her once before killing her."
"...Do not forget the target."
"Of course not. I was just saying."
"Good. Then let us hurry up, incinerate her, and get out of here."
At the words of Yeom Hoe, the man whom Han Sia had dubbed the Flame Villain, the Shadow Villain, Yeong Rak, nodded.
While Yeong Rak checked the escape route prepared in advance, Yeom Hoe raised his head and looked at the little girl visible beyond the window, Han Sia.
Her sharp features, silk-like hair, and an appearance cute enough even now made him wonder if she wouldn't bewitch the hearts of countless men if she grew up just a few years older.
'Yeong Rak didn't say that for nothing... but'
What Yeom Hoe paid more attention to, however, was her wisdom in penetrating Yeong Rak's existence from mere fragmentary information.
If a girl with such insight grew older from here, what kind of existence would she become in the future?
Therefore, he would sever her breath right here and now.
Though it was the act of killing a child barely ten years old, Yeom Hoe felt not a single grain of guilt.
He would simply fulfill his mission and remain loyal to the organization.
With those thoughts, Yeom Hoe spread his palm toward the front, and to make even more certain, aimed his palm upward directly toward Han Sia.
Heat gathered over his open palm, and soon flames spread out.
Fire Net
Just as the net of fire, spread wide enough to envelop the building without leaving any gap to escape, surged forward to swallow Han Sia whole—
Huu....
A sound like a deep sigh brushed past Yeom Hoe's ears.
Before he had time to think deeply about what that sound was, in literally the blink of an eye, Yeom Hoe realized something had gone wrong.
'The Fire Net was blocked?'
When Yeom Hoe, puzzled by how the net of fire advancing toward the school stopped in its tracks unable to move forward any further, blinked once more—
This time, beyond the flames merely stopping, he witnessed the absurd sight of the fire freezing over.
And the freezing did not stop at the flames; as if climbing up his arm, Yeom Hoe was also gradually freezing over.
"This makes no sense?!"
"Huu...."
Once again, the sound of a deep sigh resounded.
This time, startled by the voice coming from right beside him, Yeom Hoe turned his head, and standing there was Han Sia, her hair dyed pure white, emanating a chilly cold air as she stood quietly looking up at him.
"When... did you!"
"Shut up. If you came to kill someone, you at least came prepared to die yourself, right?"
A chilling smile hung on the corners of Han Sia's mouth as she reached out her hand toward Yeom Hoe.
**
Right before I died, out of nowhere, I suddenly awakened.
[Name: Han Sia]
[Age: 11]
[Class: Cryomancer]
[Unique Trait: Mahabaltukma (EX)]
Cryomancer... From what I've heard, it's a class that manipulates ice, right?
I wondered if I awakened this ability because I was about to burn to death, but that's not what's important right now.
Instinctively, I raised my hand and extended it toward the approaching flames.
"Huu...."
Then, a massive wave of cold air surged up through my hand and shot forward, colliding with the net of fire.
Jjeojeok-!
A battle between fire and ice.
The victor was my ice.
Starting from where the cold air touched, the fire gradually began to freeze.
It feels a bit hot; can't I freeze it faster?
[Skill: Using Great Ice.]
Jjeojeojeok-!
Feeling even more cold air draining out, the ice devoured the flames in an instant.
The flames that filled my view with orange light transformed into a bluish-silver ice sculpture.
Because of the giant mass of ice, I couldn't see the Flame Villain beyond it who had shot the flames, and just as I was pondering what to do—
[Skill: Using Ice Clone.]
As if responding to my will, a new skill was used, and my consciousness split into two.
While my right eye was looking at the place I was standing, my left eye was looking at the villain beyond who had shot the fire.
When I shifted my gaze around to look at my body for a moment, it was no different from my original body.
It seems to literally be a clone made of ice.
"Huu...."
With a small sigh, pure white breath infused with cold air scattered around my mouth.
Whether he heard that sound or not, the Flame Villain's gaze, which had been flusteredly staring at his freezing hand, turned toward me.
Looking up from below directly in front of him, the inside of his black hood was visible.
'Ugh...'
Seeing the middle-aged man's tough-looking face covered in burn marks here and there made me frown.
"When... did you!"
"Shut up. If you came to kill someone, you at least came prepared to die yourself, right?"
Was I originally this kind of personality?
I glared at the man with a cold voice and gaze that surprised even myself.
Well... I almost died right up until a moment ago, so my nerves must be on edge.
In that sense, just as I was briefly pondering what kind of punishment I should give the Flame Villain who tried to kill me—
"Khehe! Stupid bitch! To come this close! Did you get overly confident just because you newly awakened? Even if I die on this spot, I'll take you with me as a traveling companion!"
Hwareureuk!
Fire surged from the maddened Flame Villain's entire body as if boiling over.
An appearance that looked ready to pounce on me at any second.
Responding to that, I raised my palm.
Then, an ice crystal formed from condensed cold air appeared above it.
[Skill: Using Ice Flower.]
"Huu...."
The hexagonal ice crystal fluttered gently along my breath.
The leisurely flying ice crystal collided with the furiously burning flames and soon shattered.
"Ha! Consuming all your power from what happened earlier..."
"I told you to shut up."
Jjeojeok-!
As soon as I finished speaking, ice flowers bloomed while devouring the flames.
Lotus-shaped flowers bloomed—one, two, gradually increasing—and soon, using the man as a stem, a giant flower bud bloomed above his head.
"Th-This can't beeeeee...!"
"Blooming"
Peong!
The flower bloomed fully, and sparkling ice crystals scattered like snow, just like flying pollen.
Looking at the man who had turned into an artistic statue, a strange sense of satisfaction filled my chest.
Satisfaction while looking at an ice statue made of a human.
Something is definitely a bit weird after all....
I opened my status window, which was no different from a privilege of awakened people, and inspected it closely.
Earlier, the situation was urgent so I couldn't look properly.
Of course, it was a bit nerve-wracking since I couldn't see where that Shadow Villain had gone, but if he was at best on a similar level to the Flame Villain, even if I got ambushed like Teacher, it didn't seem like it would be all that dangerous....
[Name: Han Sia]
[Age: 11]
[Class: Cryomancer]
[Unique Trait: Mahabaltukma (EX)]
There's nothing particularly strange about the name, age, or class.
Since Cryomancer is merely one of the common classes.
In that case, the culprit narrows down to the unique trait.
I heard that in the case of unique traits, even among newly awakened hunters, fewer than barely 30% possess one innately.
However, according to word I picked up somewhere, they are so diverse and there are so many unique ones that I had only heard that one simply acquires a trait related to their class.
I extended my finger and pressed the unique trait slot.
[Mahabaltukma (EX)]
-You become the master of endless severe cold in the lowest level of the Eight Cold Hells.
※As a side effect, physical growth permanently ceases.
※Grows 1 year's worth for every 25 he 6,000 gyeong years.
"What?!"
My eyes shook violently after reading the explanation to the end.
You're saying 25 he 6,000 gyeong years have to pass just to grow one year's worth?
Isn't that basically the same as saying I won't grow at all?
At that moment, my life as a good child—diligently drinking milk and going to bed early and waking up early—flashed through my mind.
In my memory, my height in my previous life was 170 cm.
For a man who couldn't even reach 175, let alone 180, it was a short height.
Because of that, I had always longed for a height of 180 cm, and in this life, I really wanted to reach 180 cm and breathe the air up high.
Of course, since I'm a female now instead of a male, it might be difficult, but it's not like 180 cm is impossible for a female, right?
And yet physical growth permanently ceases?
It takes 25 he 6,000 gyeong years just to grow one year's worth?
What was my height right now again?
When I measured it a few days ago, it was definitely 144 cm, which was average for my age group.
In other words, it means I have to live at 144 cm for the next 25 he 6,000 gyeong years.
"Ah...."
Suddenly becoming cold-headed in personality? Feeling nothing even after killing a person?
What does any of that matter?!
My height is about to be stuck at 144 cm..!
Huljjeok..khing!
Tears, which didn't even come out when killing a person, trickled out slightly.
And right on cue, the sound of sirens began to be heard from a place not far off.
Weeeeeeeeeeeng!
Along with the siren sound getting louder and louder, a sturdy-looking black vehicle that entered inside the school stopped as if surrounding me.
And from inside, a hunter squad clad in black suits disembarked in an instant.
Each of them unleashed their abilities and shouted.
"Freeze! You are surrounded!"
Looking at them, who appeared only after everything was over, I said as if roaring, without hiding my surging irritation.
"It's already over!!"
For a terror attack to happen at an elementary school, only for you guys to show up sluggishly after it's all over!
Because you guys came late, my dream was shattered!