The Seer's Offer

"Agh."

A scream tore out of me before I could stop it.

My whole body creaked and groaned. Every joint felt like it was screaming on its own.

I ran the Heukshin Art and observed my own flesh.

The state of my body was wretched. If I'd been an ordinary hero's body, dying on the spot would have been a perfectly reasonable outcome.

……The backlash of the Bottomless Abyss, I take it.

-Of course. And you failed to fully refine your body with the Heukshin Art. The Bottomless Abyss was a power even my previous master only dared to wield once he had entered the Upper Realm.

…….

My current level sat on the threshold, trying to cross from the Lower Realm into the Middle Realm.

And yet the only reason I could wield the Bottomless Abyss at all came down to a single thing.

The conceptual stat, Defying Heaven.

It was because this stat—the one that handled concepts themselves—had grown stronger.

I drove the Heukcheon sword straight into the ground and breathed. It felt as if my body might give out at any moment.

My head was swimming. I ran the Heukshin Art, slowly coaxing my flesh back into shape. I inhaled, slow and steady, steadying my mind—if I didn't, I would collapse on the spot.

I looked out over the space where Na Bakcheon had died. Not even ash remained; only a single sword lay abandoned there.

Probably one he had set aside in reserve.

Getting the demon sword would be ideal, granted.

But the Na Bakcheon I'd fought had been in perfect condition.

The reward was meager, sure—but when I'd barely managed to kill him even after he'd lost more than half his limbs, asking for more would just be greed.

Just before my eyes closed and I slipped into unconsciousness, a sound rang in my ears.

Ding.

A translucent blue window unfolded before my eyes.

I read the blue window—and passed out where I stood.

"So this is what an unfamiliar ceiling feels like."

I muttered the cliché I'd always wanted to say, staring up at the hospital ceiling.

My body was a wreck. It felt like I'd been swaddled head to toe in bandages.

……No, actually, I was swaddled head to toe in bandages.

-Master, you're awake?

Yeah.

I forced my aching body upright and looked around.

The hospital room was luxurious.

It looked to be well over a hundred square meters, and I was the only one using it.

Isn't this a bit excessive?

Still, spacious beat cramped any day of the week, so I let it slide.

I closed my eyes calmly and turned my Defying Heaven inward, running the Heukshin Art.

Not bad, actually.

Right after facing Na Bakcheon I'd been on death's door; now I felt genuinely recovered—well enough to live a normal life, at least.

I slowly honed the Heukshin Art through Defying Heaven, tuning my body strand by strand.

Torn muscle regenerated rapidly. Blood flowed freely again. My bones began to knit.

Mastering the body begins with knowing the body. That was the essence of the Heukshin Art—a power that refined, tuned, and let you wield your own flesh according to the user's will.

I spent about five hours in that tuning state, eyes closed. By the end, I'd recovered to the point where removing the bandages wouldn't have been reckless.

Not that I plan to.

The reason I was wrapped up like a mummy was partly because wounds inflicted by a demon didn't respond well to magic or holy power—but mostly it was because my body was the Body of Defying Heaven.

Bandages barely did anything, but even a negligible effect was better than none.

Having laid down the bare minimum of safeguards on the most urgent parts of my body, I called out to Heukcheon.

What happened while I was out?

-Hm. Quite a lot.

She gave me the broad strokes.

The moment I'd lost consciousness, Kim Seohyun had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠called for outside help, and the heroes had confirmed the demon's ashes—along with the fact that the Sword Ghost's name had vanished from the Spire.

As a result, the academy was apparently gearing up to honor my achievements in grand fashion.

From the fragments drifting in from outside, I gathered that the Association and Korea's most famous guilds were all angling to get in my good graces, too.

My reaction to Heukcheon's report was simple.

……This just got annoying.

The award ceremony was bound to be a spectacle.

That was simply who Seo Yebin was.

Show her an exceptional student, and she would move to guide that student herself. The only problem was that her twisted conviction made plenty of people keep their distance.

I alone. I, and I alone, am the one who can save this world!

Her scream, heard through the screen all those years ago, floated up in my memory.

Then, suddenly, I felt a gaze settle on me, and I looked toward the window.

"……"

"……Hello."

A man clothed entirely in black stood there.

I stared blankly for a moment before meeting his eyes.

"You seem to know who I am."

"There's no one in Korea who doesn't."

"Is that so."

The man chuckled—a light, cheerful sound.

"Hm. Nearly fully healed already, are we? I noticed the moment ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠your body reached a certain polish……you carry something inherited from an existence even I struggle to measure."

"……Yes."

My answer came out flat and unenthusiastic. As expected, hiding anything in front of this man ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was a losing battle.

"So, what brings you here?"

"I've been watching you."

The man studied me as he spoke.

"Since just before you entered the dungeon, in fact."

His eyes curved into a crescent.

Only then did I understand why the main quest had been to flee.

……It was a test.

A hollow feeling washed over me. No—of course. If a man called Cheongyeon decided he wanted to watch someone, there was no escaping his sight.

This was the man who could, at this very moment, look across the ocean and see the place they called the Throne of God in America.

"Still, it's fortunate I had my eye on you. The Seven Evils and their apostles have been running wild lately, you see. I was keeping watch over them, and you happened to catch my attention."

The corner of the man's mouth curled.

"A magnificent sight, truly. A power that negates all other powers—no mere outer art, but one that denies even the authority of the outer arts themselves. It was endlessly fascinating."

"I hope it wasn't a waste of your eyes."

"Hardly. If that had been mere trickery unworthy of attention, every hero save perhaps ten in the entire world ought to bite off their own tongues and die."

He said it cheerfully.

"So, to what do I owe the visit?"

"Hm."

At my question, Cheongyeon wore a look of mild embarrassment.

"This may come somewhat out of nowhere—but you. Would you not take me as your master?"

"Your disciple, you say."

I looked at him, nonplussed.

Disciple of Cheongyeon.

The title itself was tempting.

……But there was precious little for me to gain from becoming Cheongyeon's disciple.

Take him as my master, and wealth, connections, and power would follow. He was a being who had grasped the workings of the world and attained the Transcendent rank—scour the entire globe, and you'd find only a handful who stood at his level.

A ridiculous thing to say, perhaps, but that was precisely why I had nothing to learn from him.

He had seen magic and the laws of the world, law and god alike—but there was no way he could teach better than Heukcheon.

Heukcheon already instructs me perfectly in the energy of Defying Heaven.

-Naturally. When it comes to Defying Heaven, barring my previous master, there is none in all existence who understands it better than I.

Besides, his temperament leaned close to a scholar's. He would want to study the energy of Defying Heaven from every angle, devouring months of my time in the process.

……I should refuse.

A shame, but this was the right call.

"I'm sorry, but——"

"My apologies, but I'm the one teaching Student Lee Seoha."

A crisp voice cut in. Brilliant golden hair shimmering like treasure, violet eyes that seemed to pierce straight through everything they touched.

She appeared in her usual black uniform beneath a white coat.

"We never formally established a master-disciple relationship, did we?"

"Nonsense. I, the headmistress of this academy, have decided it, and so it is decided."

Seo Yebin said it with a serene smile.

"He can't become one of the Stars, though, can he?"

"In ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this world, the things that cannot be are often the ones most precious."

"Will he even follow you?"

"He will. I will make it so—and so will the world."

"Arrogant as ever."

"I have always been this way."

Seo Yebin and Cheongyeon traded words.

But the conversation had edges. Every line was honed like a blade.

"Hm."

"Then I shall take the child of starlight as my student."

"……"

Seo Yebin turned to face Cheongyeon squarely.

"Have you forgotten the pact?"

"As if I could. But that child is special. She will be indispensable against the threat that approaches. Just as you saw something special in this one, I have seen something special in her."

"I see. And what say you to this?"

Seo Yebin looked back over her shoulder.

The door swung open with a creak, entirely of its own accord. Seo Gayeon stood in it, trembling like a frightened hamster.

"……What about Seoha?"

"Lee Seoha remains at the academy. You will come with me and study magic."

"L-leave the academy?"

"Yes. The education here is fine……but there is a place better suited to you."

"Then I want to stay at this academy."

"Haah. What a headache."

Cheongyeon glanced at me.

Heukcheon gave a small nod. The corner of Seo Yebin's mouth lifted.

Everyone here was watching me, waiting.

This is a lot of pressure.

Ding.

The translucent window had appeared at the perfect moment.

"Well, first of all——"

I organized my thoughts. Considered calmly, I could see exactly how this needed to play out.

But before any of that, there was one thing that had to be settled first.

"Our Gayeon hasn't done her weapon selection yet, hasn't she? How about we take care of that first?"

"As bold as ever, I see."

Seo Yebin beamed at me.

"Very well. Let us settle that first, then."

*

Seo Yebin and Cheongyeon walked ahead of us, and I fell into step beside Seo Gayeon.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"What do you want me to do?"

Seo Gayeon asked it right back—as if my wishes mattered more than her own.

"I want to stay with you, Seoha."

"……"

The words hit me square in the chest, and I faltered. That landed harder than I'd expected.

"Do—do you not like me, Seoha?"

"How could I not?"

It was impossible. She was the one who never surrendered even to despair, who stood upright and led humanity forward. Others I couldn't vouch for—but there was no version of me that disliked her.

"There's no way I could ever dislike you."

I said it with a smile.

Seo Gayeon could only stare at me, dazed.