Chapter 167 - The Stalker's Message
A single message pinged onto stalker Yunseul's phone. [I'm coming. Gangnam-gu, Seolleung-ro 221, 21x Building, 13xx Unit.] It was from an unknown number, which made it all the more suspicious. Not some voice phishing scam, nor a prank from an acquaintance. Suspicion quickly turned to fear.
[Hello.]
Her heart sank. It was a photo of the front door right in front of Yunseul's apartment. She bolted out of the capsule and dashed into the living room.
Bang! A man was pounding on the steel door with all his fury, his fist loaded with rage.
"These bastards... those bastards..." Bang!
"Kyaaahhh!"
Yunseul, inside the door, trembled as memories of a previous nightmare flooded back. Bang! It wasn't a door that could be smashed by mere human strength. But the seams were slowly prying apart, cold outside air brushing against her thighs—the terror was on the verge of becoming real.
"Do you know why I'm doing this?"
A sharp voice like nails on a chalkboard pierced her ears. It carried aura, maybe even raw emotion. She choked out a sobbing reply, nearly screaming.
"Hic... I d-don't... know! Why are you doing this! Hngh...!"
That wasn't the answer he wanted, of course. The door creaked louder, mirroring his surging anger.
"How could you not know! Especially you!" Bang!
"Kyaaah! Qu-quickly call the p-police...!"
Thud! The sound was different this time. The door shattered completely. Yunseul dropped her phone and fled to her room like a bullet, locking it double, triple times. She slumped against it.
"Hngh... hup... haah... Who are you... please stop... please..."
"Open this door. Open it, you fucking bitch!"
"Th-this is a room mana door...! So just go! Please go! Hwaaaah...!"
Back when her paranoia had peaked, she'd never imagined the room mana treatments on the walls and doors would help like this. Relief washed over her briefly, tears spilling anew. This malice she'd glimpsed online was a different beast entirely. Someone who'd tracked down her address with intent to harm her. His ill will burned like fire across her skin.
"Rica."
Her eyes snapped open at the man's mutter.
"Hayan, Rani, Yuju, and Sena."
The names he listed were members of the girl group Envy. The first one didn't even exist in the lineup.
"Rica is you. Kariri."
"No... it's not..."
"How!"
The man bellowed. Yunseul flinched at the roar beyond the door, burying her head in her hands, a faint tremor running through them.
"How... when Sena died... you're not even fazed? Life's just fun for you?"
He rambled nonsense. Yunseul felt the air around her heating up.
"Sena died because of you, Rica. And while that happened, you went to Disney Land and lounged around? Mocking Sena? You think that's funny...? Huh, funny?!"
"Kyaaah! Get out! Just get the hell out! Wh-what does that have to do with me now?!"
"Sena's next schedule was Disney Land. You knew that. How could you do that as a fan...?"
"I d-don't know about that... I don't know... really, hngh...!"
Yunseul couldn't even grasp half of what he was saying. Schedules? How would she know? She admired Sena personally, sure, but the woman had ignored her messages for over four years.
"Ah, hot!"
Burning pain scorched her back. She jumped up. The door was glowing red-hot, heat radiating fiercely. The air was genuinely warming—not her imagination.
"How is this...?"
"Better open up while I'm asking nicely. You think I can't break through?"
"If... if I open it, what then! What are you gonna do to me! Kill me?!"
"Kill? Yeah, let's all just die today!"
Thermal Expansion Coefficient Adjustment
The spell made the door hinges creak and pop off. The gap between door and wall narrowed, cracks spiderwebbing the wall. Whether door or wall gave first, the mystery man would get in—it was inevitable.
If only she'd called the police first, or not dropped her phone, or messaged the team in the capsule before the room mana activated. 'Idiot... I'm such an idiot...' Yunseul hated her own helplessness.
"Hic... hngh... please spare me... I beg you, I'm sorry... really..."
"Open the fucking door, you murderer!"
Mana leaked through untreated seams. Yunseul's rationality snapped.
"Stop... stop right now! If you keep going, I'll... I'll jump from here... yeah? I'll jump!"
"Then jump, you coward bitch!"
"Hic... hngh... f-fuck... who says I won't...!"
Her eyes flicked to the balcony. She squeezed them shut and flung open the window. Cold wind rushed in, as if urging her on.
"Haah... why... why... hngh... I don't wanna die... someone, please save me... please..."
* * *
"Gangnam-gu, Seolleung-ro 221, 21x Building, 13xx Unit. Yes. It's an emergency—please hurry!"
I hung up with the police and called Professor Cheon just in case. More safety nets couldn't hurt. Kariri's place was only a 5-10 minute drive away. I grabbed a taxi straight to the apartment's main gate. Good thing I remembered the address she'd casually dropped as a joke back then. Relief, but too early to relax.
As soon as I stepped out, I infused my ears with aura, catching every sound around. Headed for the entrance right by the gate.
'Where's the entrance?'
That's when I heard it.
"%$^%$ ^&%^&$^&!"
Screams from the kids' playground. I hurried over. Three or four children stared up, heads craned skyward. Following their gaze—a girl dangled precariously from the railing, swaying in the wind.
"Seol Yunseul...!"
No time to wonder how she got there. Gusts battered her frail frame mercilessly.
"Seol Yunseul! Can you hold on?!"
No reply. Worse—there was someone else inside the house. Male grunts mixed with her screams. A real stalker had broken in? That escalated things badly. Better to focus on rescuing her now than hoping she held out.
"Kyaaat!"
She slipped—now hanging by her arms alone. Think. Asphalt below—no point in elasticity magic. From over 30m, terminal velocity hits 90 km/h. Most spells couldn't guarantee safety, and anchoring coordinates for a barrier around her was tricky. A net... if only there was a net.
"Kyaaah!"
Her scream hit, and I unleashed every spell I could. Three seconds to impact at that speed. Hands outstretched, I focused calculations.
Left hand sketched a transmutation circle for the net's form. Chant three runes simultaneously, right hand racing to complete the array.
"Sutra(4), Psyche(7), Bestial(14)"
⟨ Arabesque Knot – Gold ⟩
Arabesque knots for binding sinners or beasts—'gold' for fast-flying targets. Golden threads wove a dense sky-net, tight and thick over wide area. Wrist twist increased intersections. Right arm positioned it under her drop zone.
"Seol Yunseul! Jump—it's safe!"
Flames erupted right above her railing the moment I spoke. Explosion? No—mana flow screamed fire magic. Her grip slipped; she plummeted.
"Kyaaaaah!"
Falls aren't slow-mo like in movies. Before her scream faded, the net ensnared her. She hit ground in a blink; I released the knot and set her down.
"Yunseul! Seol Yunseul, you okay? Wake up!"
Exhausted, limp. Slaps, aura infusion—nothing. Palm burns, singed hair chunks.
Rushed diagnostic—no major visible trauma. Her eyes fluttered open, black irises gleaming.
"You with us? Okay now? Anywhere hurt?"
Treat pain sites first.
"Hngh... wh-who... NoName...?"
"Quick. No time, Seol Yunseul."
The perp was probably still inside. Breaking in broad daylight with fire magic? Attempted murder. Might bolt any second.
"Hic... hngh... hwaaaah..."
"Seol Yunseul, hurry... if you're hurt—"
"Wh-what... why are your hands so small...! You're... hic... Nami, right? Nami?!"
"Good enough for now. Who's in the house? Stalker? Someone you know?"
Tears blurring, she shook her head violently. Yeah, stalker confirmed. Gathered the gawking kids.
"Kids. All of you. Come here."
They shuffled over at my gesture, mostly elementary boys.
"Watch this big sis till the police uncle arrives. Got it?"
Police not here yet. Left Yunseul with them and headed inside. Time to see the face of the psycho who pulled this shit.