Chapter 220: Residents of a Ruined World (16)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 220: Residents of a Ruined World (16)
It’s bewildering.
To be more precise, the scene unfolding before my eyes was incredibly bewildering.
I knew he had support from Noona and Chairperson Leilan.
It was also true that the entity known as Death had weakened after facing so many enemies.
Even so, the prowess this one swordsman was displaying was far too vivid and overwhelming.
I mean, if I were to concede a hundred steps, an individual could theoretically show such martial might. After all, if I or the monsters called Calamity-class threw ourselves into a fight without a second thought, we could probably pull off something similar.
The problem, however, was the person displaying that might.
Kang Ho-in.
In the original work, he barely even appeared. He was simply Ha-ni’s father, who died after being attacked by a mysterious assailant—and the same had been true in the 1st Timeline.
To be honest, in my head, he was a character who held no weight other than “I should help them reconcile since there’s a setting that they’re on bad terms” and “I should save him before things go south.”
But why the hell is he so strong?
I’ve never seen a setting where he was this powerful. No, wait—if he’s this strong, how did he die so easily in the first place?
“Hmm, he’s as incredible as ever, isn’t he?”
Baek Seol, who had retrieved Professor Cathy and Ha-ni to keep them out of the crossfire, muttered with a nod.
Professor Cathy and the Chairperson seemed to know something about this, but Ha-ni looked utterly shocked. Just what was going on?
“However, it’s a bit dangerous. He’s overwhelming, but it feels like he’s running out of time.”
Dangerous? I didn’t understand what she meant at first, but as I focused, I realized the situation wasn’t going as well as it appeared.
When I looked at him with my Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils, I could see the distortion in his body—or rather, that his body was far from normal.
The circuits through which his mana flowed were twisted into a mess, and his heart, the starting point of his mana, was slowing down as if it had taken a massive impact every time it pumped out energy.
Well, I didn’t even need to look that deep. He had already started coughing up blood; he was clearly suffering from severe internal injuries.
At best, he probably had about five minutes left before he reached his limit.
Of course, even if the fight ended within five minutes, there was no guarantee his body would be fine afterward… Uh, wait, what should I call him? Now that I think about it, calling him “Kang Ho-in” feels a bit rude.
Ha-ni’s father? Anyway, his condition was precarious.
My Innate True Qi wasn’t exactly overflowing right now, but I considered using Reinforcement to at least boost his durability. However, I quickly shook my head.
Even if I could endure the rebound of the Reinforcement itself, I couldn’t take the damage he would receive if his blood vessels or heart—which had briefly returned to normal—were to break down again.
But just then.
“What on earth is…?”
The person who could be the solution to this situation appeared, hesitating.
It was Professor Park A-ram, along with the professor’s main body, which was still rolling on the floor in the exact position Professor Cathy had thrown it earlier.
It was a bit of a reckless method, but if it worked, we might be able to get through this without anyone else getting hurt.
…Though I’d have to come up with some excuses later.
* * *
Park A-ram was in a state of total confusion.
She had steeled her resolve and returned to the deepest part of the dungeon with the courage to face her past.
But upon her return, she found Siegfried trapped in the center of the massive energy he had been wielding. Meanwhile, Cathy and Kang So-hyun were sprawled out, looking exhausted as if they had already fought a major battle.
Even more shocking was Kang Ho-in, who rarely fought due to past injuries, currently inside the dungeon fighting at full strength.
And why were that little girl and Cadet Kang Han-hee here?
No matter how much she looked around, she couldn’t intuitively grasp the situation.
What in the world was happening?
For now, it seemed right to help Leilan and Kang Ho-in and join the battle.
Just as she was about to move to assist, Kang So-hyun noticed her, stood up, and began striding toward her.
“Ah, So-hyun, you can move? That’s a relief. I’m sorry, but I don’t quite understand what’s going on, so could you explain…”
…could you explain the situation?
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
It was because Kang So-hyun approached her with an unusually stiff expression. For some reason, looking at his face made her own face feel hot.
…What? Why am I like this?
For a brief moment, she wondered if she had malfunctioned because of a mistake during her fall earlier, but fortunately, she discovered the cause immediately.
As So-hyun approached, his eyes were tinged with a light pink… rather than purple, infused with Demonic Energy.
He was likely using a Magic Eye of the Charm type. She couldn’t understand why he was suddenly doing this in the middle of a dungeon, but first, she had to point out his use of Demonic Energy.
“So-hyun, I don’t know what you’re suddenly doing, but I don’t rely on that kind of power—”
“Professor. You want to get your body back, don’t you?”
“Of course, there are moments in life where one must compromise. Can you explain in detail?”
I mean, what? If it’s too dangerous, I can just stop, right? It might not be that dangerous, and if I can get my body back, things will become much simpler. Let’s just hear him out.
However, the one who came to make the proposal was now the one hesitating, acting all fidgety.
“So-hyun, if it’s dangerous, you don’t have to do it. The situation is urgent, so if it’s not something you can decide right now, could you move aside?”
“No, it’s not that it’s dangerous. It’s just that, honestly, I’m worried about the aftermath.”
She had never seen him hesitate like this. What kind of bizarre method was it that the aftermath would be so difficult to handle?
“Professor, do you trust me…?”
“What’s with that? That sounds like some cheesy line used to seduce a woman. No, wait—between the Magic Eye of Charm and this, are you trying to hit on me right now, So-hyun?”
“…”
Huh? Normally, he’d immediately snap back that I’m full of it, but he’s not counterattacking?
Suddenly, the final condition for regaining her body after breaking the seal flashed through her mind.
…Does he know? Then what happens if I say I trust him?
“Ah, um, So-hyun, honestly, we’ve become quite close, but we’re not exactly in that kind of relationship—!? You’re too close! Where did your sense of personal space go?!”
Because So-hyun had closed the distance to right in front of her while she was lost in thought, she ended up shouting in surprise.
She had set up a Soundproofing Barrier to avoid drawing attention, but a Soundproofing Barrier only blocks sound; it doesn’t make you invisible.
Besides, if she and So-hyun suddenly vanished inside the dungeon using illusion magic, that would be even more suspicious, wouldn’t it…?
“No, really, as long as the seal is broken, I don’t care, but are you sure a trick like the Magic Eye of Charm will work? If it doesn’t, I’m the only one losing out here.”
“I’m doing this because I’m certain, but I think we need to carefully weigh who exactly is the one losing out.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
Ah, this isn’t the time for this. I’m screwed.
Sensing something strange, Cathy began to approach. And even if it wasn’t Cathy, she couldn’t let Kang Ho-in drag out the fight any longer.
Ah, ugh. Seriously.
“…If you do this and then say, ‘Ah, I thought it would work, but it didn’t,’ you are seriously going to die…! So-hyun!”
“Don’t worry, that won’t happen.”
The moment she used magic for a diversion, his eyes glowed with an even stronger light. When she accepted that power without resisting, a strange sensation enveloped her body.
Her head felt dizzy, and her body felt strangely hot.
It was unpleasant, as if she were about to melt, yet it was a sensation she had never felt before—a desire to be even hotter.
Wait, this feels more like lust than affection? Uh? Is this right?
His face drew closer.
Ah, I thought I didn’t like men who were too pretty.
Perhaps because she was under the influence of the Magic Eye, his face, which usually just looked mischievous, felt strangely handsome.
His long eyelashes and beautiful features made her want to accept him, regardless of her usual tastes.
…Ah, but now that I think about it, this is my first kiss?
Not only is my first kiss partner the person my friend likes, but he’s also a cadet much younger than me.
No, that’s one thing, but doing this while being hit by a cadet’s Magic Eye of Charm…
Is this right? This really doesn’t feel right. I feel like something precious inside me is about to vanish!
However, regardless of the desperate resistance from the small amount of reason left in her mind, her body was faithfully completing its preparations to accept him.
Ah, whatever. Come what may.
She slowly closed her eyes and, though she had never done it before, tilted her head up and puckered her lips to make it easier for him to kiss her.
“Pfft.”
“…Huh? You brat. Did you just laugh? When someone is holding back so much…!”
The moment she opened her eyes, unable to endure the sound of laughter, she finally saw what she shouldn’t have.
Eh? What?
“No, it’s just… you looked so much like a beginner. I’m sorry.”
Why is his eye-smile so pretty? Is he a fox? Is this how he seduced Cathy and the other cadets?
Wow, I didn’t see him that way, but Kang So-hyun…
“You’re a total player.”
As Park A-ram thought that blankly, the idea of rejecting his approach was no longer even in a corner of her mind.
…Wait, am I just easy?
* * *
I slowly approached, brushed her hair aside, and pressed my lips against the professor.
Against her exposed white forehead, that is.
Well, she’s probably having a kiss in her hallucinations right now, but I can just explain that to her later once the effect of the Magic Eye wears off.
…You ask what kind of nonsense I’m pulling?
Think about it.
I don’t know if a kiss has some magical significance, but if a “kiss from a loved one” was truly the condition for breaking the curse, how would those Twelve Zodiacs bastards have controlled the professor’s main body?
Simply put, I just recalled the method they used and tried a slightly altered version of it.
Just as they used artifacts and curses to mess with the professor’s mind and trick her into thinking the conditions were met, I was using minimal hypnosis combined with setting the mood and showing her a hallucination to make her believe it was really happening.
Since there was actual physical contact involved, she wouldn’t be able to tell if it really happened or not while in that hallucinatory state.
To be honest, I seriously worried if this counted as deception, but I figured being tricked for a moment was better than actually having to kiss me out of nowhere.
I was worried it might not work due to some sheer bad luck, but fortunately, it seemed my concerns were unnecessary.
The professor’s body transformed into golden mana and immediately flew toward her main body.
The platinum-haired woman who had been lying there absorbed the golden mana, and the light of intelligence returned to her vacant eyes.
“Phew.”
The moment she reached out and touched the dungeon wall, a platinum light shimmered, and the dungeon’s energy began to be absorbed into her.
Energy Drain.
It was a 3rd-tier spell that siphoned mana from surrounding objects, but normally, it wasn’t a spell that could drain mana from inanimate objects all at once like this.
Of course, it helped that this dungeon itself was something her main body had created, making it easier to reabsorb.
“Good, very good. Having my main body back really puts the output on a different level.”
The platinum beauty glared at me with a briefly annoyed expression, but she turned forward as if deciding to endure it for more important matters.
“You know, I’m trying to gather some courage to have a little chat with you. Zeke.”
She ascended.
Hundreds of magic circles, completed by forcibly draining the dungeon’s mana, embroidered the area. Platinum mana, difficult to describe as anything less than magnificent, blanketed the surroundings.
“So, get out here. You bastard.”
The pouring platinum light cleaved through Death.
* * *
Having barely caught his breath thanks to the wizard who suddenly intervened just as he reached his limit, Kang Ho-in took a moment to survey the situation.
There was Professor Cathy and his own daughter, both looking at the black-haired boy with strangely lifeless, dead eyes.
There was a small girl looking at the Platinum Witch with surprise.
And then there was the black-haired boy, trembling under the weight of all those gazes.
He couldn’t grasp the situation, so he didn’t know what to say.
“Dad!”
…He looks like a cadet, but is he older than he looks? Or maybe he’s not the biological father.
Even when the small child suddenly turned her gaze to the black-haired boy and called him “Dad,” Kang Ho-in maintained his composure.
Well, there are many kinds of relationships in the world, and everyone has their circumstances.
They must have their own story, right?
However.
“Mom!”
When it seemed his own daughter was involved in those circumstances, the story changed quite a bit.