Witch's Diagnosis and Two Paths Forward
I made the most diverse use of Thousand Changes that I could.
Thanks to its feature of responding to my will, I was able to experiment with all sorts of challenges.
There was one mishap where I focused too hard and shattered a defensive spell, but overall, there were no issues.
I also tried tricks like barrier bullets, penetration rounds, and controlling projectiles mid-flight.
It was a pretty meaningful time, all things considered.
"So, how long are you gonna keep watching?"
"Y-Yes?!"
Kim Ye-eun jumped in surprise at my call.
She'd settled in properly at some point and was watching me play around with her hands formed into a flower bud shape, completely entranced.
I mean, it's not even that fun to watch—why keep staring?
"Do-jun, that ability of yours..."
"What about my ability?"
"You know it's ridiculous, right? It completely transcends the norms."
"Well, Awakener abilities are all over the place anyway. If one like this exists, then something like that could too."
"No. Yours goes beyond even that level of diversity."
Yeah, no kidding.
Kim Ye-eun's reaction made it impossible not to notice.
I'd been certain ever since the measuring equipment exploded into pieces.
For starters, this level of destructive power with zero consumption doesn't make any sense.
"Your ability is special, Do-jun. I really want to study it..."
"No thanks."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Sorry, but I've got a lot on my plate. I have no plans to become a lab rat at some research institute after graduation."
"Lab rat? We wouldn't treat you like that!"
"Anyway, no. Let's drop it."
I drew a firm line, and Kim Ye-eun smacked her lips in disappointment.
That disappointing?
"The Gate crisis is basically over anyway. What's the point of researching Awakeners more?"
"We're not researching Awakeners because of the Gates."
"Then what?"
"To advance humanity to the next stage. Awakening is a new paradigm. Through it, humanity can evolve further."
"Ah, sure..."
Big dreams, huh.
Definitely a group that's not all there.
After hearing that, what little interest I had evaporated completely.
I've got tons of my own stuff to handle.
Someone else can worry about humanity's advancement.
Not sure if it's really advancement, though.
"Anyway, you guys handle the future of humanity research. I'm not interested."
"I see... If our views differ, there's nothing to be done."
"So give up already."
"Okay. Got it."
But her face didn't look like she'd given up at all.
I had a feeling she'd keep being a nuisance going forward.
I headed to the Understanding Other Races classroom in time for the afternoon lecture, but as expected, Olivia wasn't there.
No way someone's gonna change that easily.
Even if she's not human, but a witch.
I figured I'd just kill time with Ji-ah again today, but then I remembered what Dean Han Myeong-sin had said.
She'd definitely said Olivia's skills were the real deal.
She might be able to help with Vivian's issue.
I went back to the dorm to pick up Vivian.
When I opened the dorm door, there she was, still sitting in that same spot.
That chair was definitely pushed back inside when I left this morning, but she'd dragged it out again...
"Vivian, why are you out here again?"
"Best view from here."
"I see... Come inside for now. I have something to say."
I sat Vivian on the bed and faced her.
She looked up at me with her usual blank expression.
"You know there's something wrong with your body, right?"
"..."
Vivian nodded slightly.
Good, she was aware of her condition.
That made things easier.
"I've been looking into it a bit. There's a reliable mage I trust—want to meet her?"
"...No."
"Huh?"
"No... Don't wanna meet..."
Vivian huddled up and spoke in a tiny voice.
I totally got how she felt.
I wanted to do whatever Vivian wanted.
But I couldn't.
"Vivian."
"Yeah."
I approached her and knelt down on one knee.
Her eyes, filled with fear, met mine.
Vivian had her gaze downcast, shrunk into herself.
I reached out with both hands and cupped her cheeks, lifting her face to meet my eyes.
"It's for your sake. I understand the fear, but... won't you trust me?"
"..."
"I was scared too. Terrified. But... running away, avoiding it—that doesn't solve anything."
"..."
"Vivian, do you trust me?"
"I do. If it's Do-jun..."
"Then come with me, Vivian. You can do it, right?"
"..."
Vivian nodded faintly.
That was enough.
I hugged her tight.
The trembling in her body gradually stopped.
Now I had to take her to Olivia's lab...
But how?
I touched and stroked the mark Olivia had left, but no reaction.
For that matter, when I'd checked in the mirror, it wasn't even on my forehead.
How do I get there?
There was an easy way, of course. But I couldn't keep giving and taking back Thousand Changes every time...
On a whim, I pressed the pattern on the back of my hand to my forehead, and a magic circle appeared under my feet.
I picked up Vivian and stepped into it.
"You're here? Cadet Shin Do-jun. What brings you...?"
"Hi. I need a favor."
"Th-that... girl in your arms..."
"Recognize her? That's why I came."
Witches really were something else.
She could tell at a glance there was something wrong with Vivian's body.
Olivia approached slowly and placed a hand on Vivian's head... head?
Smack.
"What was that for?"
"How dare you say those things to me and then bring another girl here..."
Olivia's expression was off.
Her eyes were spinning—definitely not normal.
I set Vivian down in a safe spot first.
The moment Vivian saw Olivia, she shrank back, trembling violently.
I pried her desperately clutching hand from my collar, stroked her once to reassure her, then approached Olivia.
"Olivia? What's wrong?"
"Who the hell is that girl?!"
"Watch your tone."
"Tone matters right now? You said you fell for me at first sight, and now you bring another girl?!"
Olivia spouted nonsense.
What the hell? When did I say that?
"Hey... Olivia? When did I..."
"You said it when you gave me this!"
Olivia pulled out the small piece of Thousand Changes I'd given her from her bosom.
It was stored in some fancy box, wrapped in a barrier.
"I... I trusted you... trusted you!"
Olivia started freaking out again.
I had no idea what was going on, but I needed to calm her down first.
I grabbed her flailing arms.
Her strength was too much; I could barely hold on.
"Olivia! Calm down!"
"Trusted... you..."
Holding her arms steady, her struggles slowly subsided.
She was still huffing, but at least we could talk now.
"Olivia. That kid's a patient. I brought her here for help."
"Hah... hah... What?"
Olivia turned her gaze to Vivian at my words.
After staring intently for a while, she looked back at me.
Her face was like she'd seen a living corpse.
"How is that kid even alive?"
"What kind of thing is that to say about someone still breathing? Well... it ended up like this somehow."
Mana was still creeping out from her heart, trying to envelop her whole body.
That's why I'd been giving her regular massages before bed lately.
At first, touching the grown Vivian's body felt awkward, but it got familiar.
If anything, Vivian's lack of reservations surprised me more.
"Looks like they transplanted a heart from another race. Mana from the rejection is corroding her body from the heart outward. How have you kept her alive this long?"
"It's reaching its limit. I can see her condition worsening. Any way to save Vivian?"
"Hmm..."
Olivia swallowed hard.
After pondering deeply, she suddenly looked up.
Did something click?
"I thought of a way. Two, actually!"
Two ways?!
"Two? Mind telling me what they are?"
"First one is..."
"First one?"
"Replace the heart again. But not just a simple transplant."
"Then what?"
"Her origin is linked to the heart right now. You know what an origin is, right?"
"Yeah."
"No clue which race, but they transplanted a heart from a mana-accumulating species. They connected the heart's mana-generation organ to her origin. The rejection's happening because of the imbalance between origin and heart. So to replace the heart, you need to sever that connection first."
"How?"
Olivia, who'd been explaining smoothly, paused at my question.
She scratched her head, thinking.
"That's the problem. First off, questioning how they even came up with transplanting another race's heart is insane enough, but how they linked the heart's mana organ to the origin is a mystery too."
"Hold on. Isn't the origin a conceptual thing? How do you connect that to a physical organ like the heart?"
"True, it's not a physical organ. But origins definitely exist. They just can't be observed in the physical world."
I vaguely remembered something like that from basic magic class.
Should've paid more attention...
"Anyway, the first method has two issues. One: where to get a new heart. Two: how to sever the heart-origin link. The first isn't insurmountable—artificial organs or magic creation could work, though tough. The second's the real killer. No idea how to cut a conceptual-physical connection."
Olivia sighed.
Still, getting a lead on solutions was hopeful.
Come to think of it, hadn't she said there were two methods?
"Olivia. Didn't you say there were two ways?"
She sank back into thought at my question.
Was the second even harder?
"This one's purely theoretical, even to me. But if it works, it might be better than retransplanting. Retransplanting would basically make her unable to use magic anymore. This way, her magical talent could even improve."
"What kind of method?"
"That method is..."