Ambush
Saturday afternoon. Iron Blood Hospital.
"Thanks for all your hard work, Saintess."
"Thank you. I'll head out first."
Having finished her tasks, Baek Ayoung rose from her seat.
"Yes! Great job!"
- Great job!
"Thank you."
Whenever Baek Ayoung clocked out, everyone in the hospital greeted her. Even the patients. After exchanging eye contact and nods with each one, she slipped outside.
Clack, clack.
With all today's work done, she planned to head home and rest.
'Just two days left.'
Once she returned to the academy, she'd have to resume her role as the infirmary teacher. It was a position the academy had hastily created just for her, so it wasn't particularly demanding.
'It's not bad spending time with patients again after so long.'
The intense emotions she felt every day while working at the association—helping people and receiving their gratitude. For Baek Ayoung, that was her healing.
"Ayoung~ You done?"
The moment she stepped out of the building, a high-pitched voice hit her ears.
"...Ye-ji?"
"I missed you, so I came by~."
Min Ye-ji, the cat-like beauty and Baek Ayoung's acquaintance. She was the team leader of Iron Blood Guild, and it was thanks to her that Baek Ayoung had been able to start at Iron Blood Hospital right away when Lee Ho-yeon was admitted.
"Didn't you say you were busy with work? What's up?"
"I had some business around here anyway. Got something to investigate."
"Investigate?"
"Yeah. Apparently, some famous guild heir turned into a Mine."
"Ah."
Hunters turning into Mines. It was rare, but it happened. Min Ye-ji and Baek Ayoung brushed it off without much concern.
"And I figured I'd drop by to check if my Ayoung was working hard. Can't have the person I pulled strings for slacking off~."
"Hehe. Thanks. Still, I'm glad you made it happen."
"No way. Having the Saintess here, even briefly, is a huge help to Iron Blood Hospital. Oh yeah, how was hospital life with Cadet Ho-yeon?"
"...Yeah."
Her hospitalization with Lee Ho-yeon. It had only been a week, but it was a happy time. They'd confirmed their feelings and solidified their relationship.
Especially when they'd confessed to each other... That had been truly wonderful. Baek Ayoung's face flushed slightly at the memory of that night, and Min Ye-ji linked arms with her, noticing.
"Whoa, it must've been really good. Look at our Ayoung's face. So pure."
"...It happens."
Baek Ayoung pushed Min Ye-ji away to compose her expression. Her lips were threatening to curl up traitorously.
"Got it. Let's meet up again once you're done at Iron Blood. Bring Sol too—three of us for drinks?"
"I'm not great at drinking, but... sure. Oh, is Sol still buried in research?"
"Yeah. But she's almost done. Something about a magic expo next week."
"Magic expo?"
"That's what she said. No idea what it's about, though."
Min Ye-ji shrugged, but Baek Ayoung remembered hearing about it from Im Sol.
'She said she'd go with Ho-yeon.'
Im Sol and Lee Ho-yeon. Master and disciple, but she couldn't let her guard down.
"Isn't that with Ho-yeon?"
"Oh... Yeah? Maybe."
"... "
"Hey, don't worry. Sol doesn't care about guys. I'm just teasing."
"...Yeah. I know."
But Baek Ayoung still remembered that feeling from before. When Im Sol talked about Lee Ho-yeon. It wasn't full-blown affection yet... but there was definitely some.
'She could become a rival anytime.'
Even if she was ahead now, she couldn't get complacent. That's the kind of man Lee Ho-yeon was. Baek Ayoung clenched her fist, steeling her resolve.
*
"You sure you'll be okay? It'll be tough to replicate."
Stepping out of the training ground in Rebecca's hideout, she faced me.
She held a staff topped with a purple crystal—who knew where she'd gotten it—but it didn't seem like a particularly useful artifact.
"Is that staff just for show?"
"Oh, yeah. You noticed? Makes me look a bit scarier like this."
It did make her look like a real witch.
"Hmm, maybe you should quit while—"
"Why?"
Rebecca had been repeating that line. Was teaching me Rune Barrier such a big deal? She wanted to revive the Rune Clan, so she shouldn't mind sharing.
"... Rune Barrier isn't simple."
"We'll give it a shot anyway."
It felt weird being in a training ground after so long. I hadn't used the academy's in ages either.
"It's not something talent can cover... It's passed down through Rune Clan training—"
Why was she so worried? Just try it.
"I got it, Rebecca. It'll be fine. I'll just try."
I said it firmly.
"...Hmph. Fine. Listen up. Don't get hurt if it doesn't work."
Ah, she was worried I'd get hurt. Unnecessary.
Shrrk—
Moments later, Rebecca's mana enveloped the training ground. The familiar Rune Barrier. I observed the slowly expanding mana sphere, but it was no different from my magic circles.
"The Rune Clan must completely dominate the Rune Barrier."
Rebecca murmured quietly, her demeanor utterly changed from before.
Thump—
The air around me grew heavy. Immense pressure bore down on my shoulders, activating my combat senses.
"Activate your Rune Barrier."
"... "
I furrowed my brow, enduring the pressure, and formed a Rune Barrier. It wrapped around me to block the oppression.
- Crackle!
But my barrier collapsed the instant it formed. It couldn't withstand the pressure from Rebecca's Rune Barrier.
"That's not how Rune Barrier works."
Rebecca approached, smiling faintly, then dismantled her own Rune Barrier. As it slowly lost form, it suddenly froze.
"Whoa... "
The magic was active yet simultaneously inactive.
"How is that even possible?"
I'd never heard or seen anything like it. Im Sol would probably faint from shock.
"Rune Clan mages learn only one spell in their lifetime. That's why the space inside becomes the runes' domain."
Rebecca extended one hand, and I saw mana flowing from it, linked to the barrier.
"It's not... maintaining it constantly. It's like it's connected from the start... "
"Right. My mana circuits are already structured the same as Rune Barrier. ...But I haven't visualized it yet—how did you see that?"
"You can do that?"
Rebecca looked puzzled, but I widened my eyes in astonishment. How could human and magic share the same mana structure?
"That's what makes it Rune Clan magic. Hmm, this is why I didn't want to show you. It'll just kill your motivation."
My motivation wasn't killed. If anything, it surged. A whole new concept of magic I hadn't known.
"B-but it's fine."
Misreading my eager eyes, Rebecca started explaining something. I let her words flow in one ear and out the other, focusing on her Rune Barrier.
Mana fused with the human body.
'Can I do that too?'
No. Absolutely not. That required years of development from a young age. I was too late. Even if possible, I needed more than just Rune Barrier—other magic too.
So, another way...
"Your talent is plenty... Just have a talented kid, and I'll raise them from childhood like—"
"Ah."
Rebecca was saying something, but I wasn't listening. Something sparked in my mind.
With Mana Resonance, learning a new concept I hadn't known triggered my talent to forcibly evolve my body.
This was an awakening.
Like first sensing mana.
Like first using combat senses.
Like creating a new skill.
Like awakening mid-sex with Liliana.
Maybe even greater. An evolution was happening.
I couldn't remake my mana circuits like Rebecca's—hers were built solely for Rune Barrier. Her mana wasRune Barrier, linking seamlessly every time. Stronger than direct control, as it became one with the barrier.
Not like normal magic. Impossible to imitate, and shouldn't be.
But.
This body could.
'If it won't connect, just grip it.'
If not, force it. Add my own twist.
"... Rune Barrier."
I deployed Rune Barrier again. Mana threads from my body rapidly drew the magic circle, merging at the core formula.
Can't hold the whole thing, so grip just the core.
Now, alter the core formula in this state.
'Match my body's mana properties.'
Like this...
Crunch—
A spherical Rune Barrier formed around me, and the pressure vanished. I'd carved out my domain inside Rebecca's barrier.
"Haa... Seems like it worked? What do you think, Rebecca?"
I beamed proudly at her. That rush of magical growth—always felt amazing.
Rebecca stared, mouth agape, then spoke softly.
"...My baby daddy really has killer genes."
*
Articles about Shin Young Guild's eldest son, Shin Dong-min, contacting a Mine had initially ignited public fury. But the masses gradually moved on to other scandals.
Even news of his disappearance drew interest only at first, then faded.
As public attention on Shin Young Guild waned and the time came for a quiet return, Shin Dong-min still didn't go home.
What awaited him there was obvious anyway.
Locked in the mansion forever, under eternal watch.
Because he was a Mine.
'Keep him under control instead of killing him.'
His father wouldn't abandon his son, even as a Mine. That's the man he was.
He might've even hired hunters to track him.
Better to strike back than live like that.
The cause of his transformation: Lee Ho-yeon and Moon Sulin.
Squelch—
Veins bulging across his body. A grotesque face with fading original features and horns. Fully transformed into a Mine, Shin Dong-min fled home and made contact with Pandemic.
He'd grabbed plenty of slush funds on the way out, enough to hire Pandemic Mines.
"...The plan?"
"Yes. Already en route to Lee Ho-yeon and Moon Sulin's dorms."
Thud thud—
On the monitor before Shin Dong-min, two men in skull masks headed somewhere familiar.
"...You got them properly?"
"Yes. S-rank Mines we sourced ourselves."
"Heard a lot of S-rank Mines are nuts. Paid top dollar—make sure they finish the job."
"True, but... no issues with their execution."
"...Right."
This was it. Hiring two S-rank Mines had burned through all his cash. No place to return.
"... "
Shin Dong-min rose as the Mines vanished from the monitor.