We Promised to Dance (2)

"Mom! Dad! Grandpa!"

Moon Sulin's childhood memories were always like a flower field. Her devoted and gentle mother, along with her meticulous and deeply affectionate father, shaped her growing values.

"Dad! I made this."

"Sulin... this is impressive. Honey, is our daughter a genius or what?"

"Honey... don't overdo it. Sulin, it's so pretty. Shall we prepare for the contest?"

"...You said not to overdo it."

She always felt love from her family, convinced these happy days would last forever. No, it felt like misfortune didn't even exist in the world.

But happiness shattered in an instant.

"Mom...?"

From the moment she witnessed her mother collapsed and bleeding from a Mine raid, Moon Sulin's misfortune was sealed. Moon Sungmin, arriving late to the scene, clutched his wife's body and sobbed. And Moon Sulin, seeing it all, was forced to mature overnight.

Her father, Moon Sungmin, began to change too. Vowing revenge for his wife, he dove into research he'd never touched before, tracking the Mines.

After over a year of pursuit, he uncovered just one truth: his wife was killed simply because he was Victoria Academy's representative. For such a trivial reason, and the Mine responsible was already eliminated by then. To them, murdering his spouse was mere intimidation.

Once he learned the truth, Moon Sungmin started acting strange that very day. He resolved to exterminate every Mine in the world.

And on the day his research reached its end, he found the means to achieve his goal.

That night, young Moon Sulin couldn't fall asleep ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠easily. It had been a year since her mother was hospitalized. She'd begged her father and grandfather to let her see her mom, but they always said visitation was impossible due to her condition. The same excuse, over and over: you have to grow up first.

Still, she felt good today. Her father had paid her extra attention, treating her warmly.

But on her way to the bathroom half-asleep, Moon Sulin saw it. The door to her father's research lab—the one he strictly forbade her from entering—was slightly ajar, light leaking through the crack.

Unable to resist her curiosity, she peeked inside. There was her father, gathering all the research materials.

Moon Sulin opened the door and stepped in, entranced. Even as a child, she knew she couldn't let her father go like this. Her hands trembled as she grabbed his clothes.

"Dad, take me with you. Don't go...."

He looked like he was leaving. Like her dad, just like her mom.

Moon Sungmin, gazing at his daughter with sad eyes, pulled her into a tight embrace.

Moon Sungmin hugged his daughter one last ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time and slipped quietly out of the mansion. The remaining Moon Sulin held back her tears and returned to her room. If she just slept 100 nights, Mom and Dad would both come back. She couldn't let them see her crying.

But even after more than 100 nights, her father never appeared. By the time she realized neither her mother nor father would return, over 1,000 nights had passed.

*

"Sulin... get stronger. You have to get stronger."

Shaking off the sudden childhood memory as she raced toward the raid site, Moon Sulin shook her head. Her father's parting words: get stronger. After that, she'd begun learning about Victoria Academy's operations. To fill her parents' shoes, she pushed herself endlessly.

No one called her an orphan anymore, but her heart remained empty.

Then she met Lee Ho-yeon. The strange man who filled that void. The one who kept nagging at her thoughts. His every word became her strength, her hope.

She'd started doing things she'd never imagined: collecting photos, recordings.

'Nuna, dance with me.'

That one line she'd heard moments ago. For it alone, Moon Sulin surged her mana and charged forward.

"Graaaah!"

"K-Kill... kill...."

"Already breached?"

There was a traitor inside, so relying on security alone might be risky.

Then, in the corner of her vision, she spotted a cadet in danger.

"U-Uwaaaah!"

Worst-case—Moon Sulin hurled the Mine looming over the fallen cadet with her telekinesis.

"Th-Thank you..."

"Get out. The professors will handle the rest."

"Y-Yes... Understood."

Stunned by the student council president's uncharacteristic ferocity, the cadet fled.

Moon Sulin assessed the front. It wasn't fully breached yet. Just a few Mines slipping through the intense battle lines.

Boom!Crack!Splatter!

Wincing at the eye-watering sounds, she pressed forward.

The distance was still considerable, but their conversation rang clear in Moon Sulin's ears. Simultaneously, a document flashed in her mind.

'That's done... next, the security firm?'

Right before checking the security firm's papers, she'd handed them to the student council to play with Lee Ho-yeon instead.

"...My fault."

She had to protect Victoria Academy. For her father's position, uncertain when he'd return. That was her best filial duty.

'That level... I can still hold it.'

The emergency network had already broadcast the situation. Plenty of Mines, but once professors arrived, it'd be contained in time.

Moon Sulin pushed thoughts of Lee Ho-yeon aside and began eliminating the escaped Mines.

*

Gurgle—Gurgle-gurgle—

Shin Dong-min. No, just call him a Mine now.

With tentacles sprouting from his back in real time, "tentacle Mine" fit perfectly.

The tentacle Mine tore his lips into a chilling grin as he extracted tentacles from his back.

"I-I'll kill you. Y-You... I'll definitely kill you...."

"What a fucking lunatic."

Honestly, he'd done all the idiotic shit himself, yet now he was pinning it on me for getting caught. Maybe from the moment he was set as a villain, this was fate.

'Could be.'

Meeting various villains so far had taught me that. This world had an original story. Early-game disposable villains unrelated to heroines had no real weight. Like Do Jin-hyuk, who picked a fight early on, or Kim Hyun-do, the mana research ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠club chief. They wouldn't even meet my eyes now.

But Park Min-gyu, tied to Nam Da-eun and Buyer Guild. He went full Mine before giving up.

Lesson from Shin Dong-min: good thing I kept Scarlett around, or he'd have been a bigger pain later. In the original, this stalker of Moon Sulin was pursuing me relentlessly, right in front of my eyes.

"Grrrh—kill...."

Turning Mine just to revenge me for "stealing" Moon Sulin.

One clear lesson here:

'Gotta kill every new bastard I meet for sure.'

Villains need confirming death with my own eyes. Efficient that way.

I eyed the Mine before me.

"All done?"

"Y-You ignoring me? I'll k-kill you. Stab your gut and rip you to sh-shreds...."

Stuttering showed he could barely hold human form. Meaning he was strong—not good.

'Eyes open.'

Thump—

My racing heart signaled his high realm. But nothing like recent foes. Im Sol in serious mode, Isaac the Night Emperor, Rebecca the Rune heir. Same S-rank, but embarrassing to compare.

Key difference: those three had no intent to kill me... but Shin Dong-min wanted to tear me apart.

'I can do this.'

Who said I only fought easy wins?

Thud—thud—thud—

Shin Dong-min, sprouting eight tentacles bigger than my body, closed in. Spikes studding each promised agony beyond pain.

His mana felt heavy, thick with Mine essence.

I cast instantly. A magic circle formed swiftly on the ground.

Electricity surged along the ground, electrocuting Shin Dong-min.

"Guh...."

Despite no prep for the instant spell, he shook it off and slammed a tentacle down at me. The scorch mark ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠vanished instantly—regeneration too. Octopus legs all had similar tricks.

I accelerated, dodging. The clear tentacle mark on the floor screamed destructive power.

"R-Rip you apart. K-Kill you...."

"Shut up, you crazy octopus fuck."

A Rune Barrier enveloped me as flames forced his tentacles back. Heat dominated the area while I observed Shin Dong-min coolly.

His moves so far: average. Tough mana, but mostly bolstering body strength and regen. Tentacles unscathed post-Fire Field confirmed it.

Conclusion: just avoid tentacles.

He wouldn't hold back trying to kill me.

"...So extra."

Didn't know the weakness, but I had the perfect skill for big foes.

I spun mana in my hand. Confirmed no bystanders, infused wind attribute, accelerated air flow.

"Hoo...."

The skill that demolished a building during the academy terror.

"Think an octopus can tank this?"

No clue on weakness? Hit everything. Regen needs the core.

*

"Grk... guh...."

"Haa... so damn tough."

Never again. Never underestimate extras.

Any villain blocking my path gets killed. For real.

I silently thanked Shin Dong-min. For making me go through this hassle just once.

After fierce combat, I'd severed his last tentacle. My mana and stamina nearly depleted, but enough left.

"Kuh... kuhehe... hngh."

"...What."

Tentacle-less Shin Dong-min wasn't crying—he was laughing, choking.

Chills hit; I raised mana. Planned to torture intel out, but change of plans. Trash like this dies quick.

Flick—

But my released mana vanished.

"...Huh?"

Cast perfectly? First magic failure—confusing.

Then the choking Shin Dong-min spoke.

"S-Surprised, right? O-Our tech... v-vengeance's resolve...."

'What the.'

Gone. No mana sense. Not just that—pre-set magic circles everywhere sealed instantly.

"M-Mana Blocking Barrier. Gift from the Apostle. No mana use inside...."

I bit my lip watching his creaking grin.

Mana Blocking Barrier? What the hell.

Unknown in original—why's an extra pulling this? Apostle mention meant Hell's Apostle butterfly effect.

My Mana Resonance didn't react, so not mana-based. Some unknown material.

Grind—

Shin Dong-min rose slowly, having poured remnant mana into regen pre-barrier. Mine-human physical gap like cat vs. tiger. Mines were just intelligent monsters.

"I'll devour your l-limbs... one by one."

"...Fuck."

I eyed the approaching Shin Dong-min, mind racing for escape.