Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Turning Crisis into Opportunity
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I swallowed the thick stuffiness filling my mouth and hurriedly opened it.
“How long was I out?”
“Not long. About two hours?”
“The que—no, the Endgame Conquest. It went well, right?”
“Yeah. The Queen’s been dealt with, and Seo-yun’s conscious again.”
“Ha, good.”
A sigh of relief escaped me naturally. The situation made it clear we’d succeeded.
“Anyway, thanks. I’m fine now, so you can go.”
I tried to send Baek Sa-young, who was standing there awkwardly, on his way.
Part of it was wanting to check my messages in peace, but I also had nothing more to say.
We weren’t close enough for this kind of nursing back and forth.
It felt bad to keep a busy guy hanging around.
“Already? That’s a bit…”
But why did all these protagonists have zero tact?
“No, you should go check on Cheon Seo-yun too. If you don’t show your face, she’ll get pissed.”
“Still, leaving right after you wake up would be rude.”
He wasn’t just talking—he even shifted to sit back down.
No, you frustrating bastard. What do you mean rude?
“Just go! I’m really fine. I’m more comfortable alone.”
“Really?”
“…Of course.”
“Well, I guess you might feel awkward.”
Baek Sa-young scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
Then, with a suddenly calm gaze and tone, he asked me.
“But answer just one thing. I have a question about the Queen.”
“The Queen?”
The abrupt shift in atmosphere puzzled me for a moment, but I caught on quick.
“Oh, it’s about the state she was in, right? By the time you faced her, she was as good as dead.”
Baek Sa-young just nodded silently.
Who else but the nice guy.
He must’ve felt uneasy about claiming the achievement without breaking a sweat.
“Honestly, Cheon Seo-yun gets most of the credit. You saw the sword in her chest.”
But I had no intention of telling the truth.
Bragging about my feat would just be a hassle with zero benefit to me.
“Yeah, but… a Grade 6 Irregular isn’t some pushover Demonic Beast. More than the chest wound, there were burn marks from fire and…”
“Ah, sure, I landed one good hit too. But without Cheon Seo-yun, it would’ve been impossible.”
“What about the abdominal piercing wound?”
“…Piercing wound? Was there one? Weird. I don’t really…”
“Hmm…”
“Hey, don’t act like an amateur. You know the limits of sorcery that keep protagonists from stealing the show, right?”
Baek Sa-young paused for a beat before giving a wry smile.
“Got it. Rest up—you’re not well. Let’s talk later.”
“Yeah.”
He left the hospital room without pressing further.
Thud—
It wasn’t the most satisfying response… But right after, my forward vision rippled and melted away like snow.
[Main Quest #3: Slay the Endgame Boss—Achieved]
[Reward: 15 days granted.]
[Time remaining for you: 24 days 9 hours 54 minutes]
[Reward: 20 SP acquired.]
[SP held: 80]
Joy and a surge of emotion mixed as the long-awaited completion message appeared.
“Ha, over something like this.”
Just three weeks ago, time was the one thing I had in excess…
Now here I was, thrilled over a measly twenty extra days.
My chest ached with pointless melancholy.
[Achievement-111: Turning Crisis into Opportunity.]
[You successfully concluded the distorted plotline.]
…Distorted plotline?
The nagging anomalies I’d sensed all along. The truth behind those events was revealed.
[#Turning Point 1. Team 4’s Super Long Entrance Change]
-Reason for change: Heighten tension via increased difficulty
[#Turning Point 2. Baek Sa-young’s Proxy Role Fulfilled]
-Reason for change: Avoid predictable protagonist-centric development
[Reward: 20 SP granted.]
[4 days added to remaining time.]
[Remaining time: 28 days 9 hours 53 minutes]
“…”
So the Super Long’s entrance changing to number 9, forcing us to face the Gobblejow instead of Lee Dae-ho’s team…
Me encountering the Queen with Cheon Seo-yun instead of Baek Sa-young…
“All of it was the system. No, that bastard 4885’s doing?”
Not because of the butterfly effect from my involvement?
“You’re one vicious son of a bitch.”
No, there were other things to mess with. How dare it touch the original plot.
Anything else I could stomach, but not this.
What kind of novel was [Epic of Salvation]?
Yoo So-young had poured her lifeblood into it, with tears and…
You think you’re hot shit?
The guy’s voice echoed like an auditory hallucination, but I shut it down easily.
…Ah, shut up.
I’m the author, after all. That thief contributed less than a speck of ant shit to the work.
So.
“Hey, you fucking bastard. If you were gonna do this, why bother summoning me…”
[Reached 100 SP.]
[The boundary of causality softens momentarily.]
[The reward you desperately need is granted.]
…100 SP?
Already?
“Bro? No, teacher? If you’re gonna swoop in like this all of a sudden…”
My voice shrank, head bowing with sudden anticipation.
[Next target: 200 SP.]
The space ahead tore open in a circle, and a small note fluttered down.
Flutter~
I snatched it mid-air with a quick grab.
It was plain white paper, nothing special on the outside.
“What is it?”
Everything was baffling, but I unfolded the note first.
I spread it open hurriedly, and the writing inside caught my eye.
“This is…”
The unimaginable content made me blink rapidly.
[Tonight, 9 PM. 11-905, 3rd Floor, 435 Cheonsu 1-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul]
…An address?
The text was printed neatly, impossible to identify the handwriting.
But why was this the reward I needed?
As I pondered, a sudden hypothesis flashed through my mind.
No way…
Information related to Yoo So-young?
* * *
Baek Sa-young, leaving the hospital room, called Lee Dae-ho first.
“What hospital was it again?”
—Guardian Hospital in Gangnam. How’s Park Ha-yul? He’s not up already, right?
“Why wouldn’t he be? He was fine enough to chase me out.”
—Whoa, Park Ha-yul. Thought he was a frail skinny guy, but he’s tougher than he looks. Mana exhaustion isn’t a joke.
“Good thing. At least I got to show my face. If not, Cheon Seo-yun would’ve ragged on me forever.”
The call wrapped up after a few more questions about get-well gifts and such.
Waiting for the elevator, Baek Sa-young glanced back at Park Ha-yul’s room and chuckled despite himself.
“Man. What a unique guy.”
At first, I thought he was just an outsider with no interest in school life.
But he started looking different.
Timid yet fiercely unyielding against Lee Tae-jin, weak-seeming yet rock-solid at times.
That’s how it was in the Endgame.
Amid everyone’s shocked chaos, he alone stayed calm and rational.
“…Probably Park Ha-yul who dealt the fatal blow to the Queen.”
The mysterious piercing wound aside, traces of powerful sorcery remained intact.
I had so many questions.
How did a low-ranker like him unleash such mighty sorcery?
Why hide that huge achievement behind excuses about Cheon Seo-yun after going through hell to claim it?
Most people were the opposite.
Greedier than their talent allowed, too busy tearing others down instead of lifting them up.
“Hmm…”
Maybe that’s why he intrigued me more.
Better guy than expected…
“Hey, you fucking bastard. If you were gonna do this, why bother summoning me…”
…Or not?
“No, bro? No, teacher? If you’re gonna swoop in like this…”
A wry smile formed at the voice drifting from the hospital room.
Maybe just a weirdo?
Baek Sa-young boarded the elevator, pretending not to hear, glad he’d left early.
* * *
At the same time, in a VIP hospital room at Joo Ga’s private hospital.
“You let that slide in this state? Didn’t you hear the doctor? Just broth for now. If you’re gonna do whatever, go to your own hospital.”
“Aw, whyyy. I already used the Recovery Jade, so it’s fiiiine. Nom nom. Gotta eat something sweet to recharge my energy.”
Cheon Seo-yun bit into a banana despite the protests, beaming with worldly bliss, until Joo Ah-rin finally shot up from her seat in exasperation.
“Looks like my visiting purpose is done. Time to go. Got somewhere to stop by anyway.”
“Alweady? Nom nom.”
“Yeah. You’re all recovered. I won’t disturb you anymore, so rest well alone.”
Not empty words—she checked her already pristine clothes and grabbed her bag.
Bang.
Lee Dae-ho, who’d stepped out, returned right then.
“Gasp. Miss Ah-rin, leaving already?”
Unlike his usual bearish vibe, he quickly read the room.
“What do you mean ‘Miss Ah-rin’ like she’s gonna puke…”
Cheon Seo-yun sneered mockingly while peeling a fresh banana, but he ignored it lightly and spoke.
“Sa-young’s coming too. How about waiting a bit longer?”
“Baek Sa-young? Then…”
“Yes. Park Ha-yul’s awake too. So, uh…”
“…?”
“If you haven’t eaten yet, wanna grab a meal together? There’s this amazing hangover soup place nearby. Haha.”
It was his bold move toward Joo Ah-rin, whom he’d always liked.
Pffft.
But the timing, seriously.
Cheon Seo-yun, stuffing her face with banana, spat it all out right at that moment.
“Urk. Cough cough.”
“Sigh, I knew this would happen.”
Joo Ah-rin shot a glare at the hacking Cheon Seo-yun and patted her back instead of replying.
The promising mood crumbled in an instant.
…That jerk did it on purpose.
Lee Dae-ho glared at Cheon Seo-yun with bulging eyes.
He figured it stemmed from lingering resentment from team assignments.
But the real reason differed.
What caught in Cheon Seo-yun’s throat was the name Lee Dae-ho mentioned.
Hearing it revived memories from the Endgame…
“You okay now?”
“Y-yeah, fine, fine.”
Face slightly flushed, Cheon Seo-yun clamped her mouth shut and stared down at her right hand.
* * *
Once, I wanted to be the pride of the Cheon family.
“Seo-yun, do you know why we use the Cheon name?”
“Mm. No.”
“Cheoncheon (Azure Heavens). Our home lies above those very skies.”
“Wowww. Really?”
“Yes, so live with pride. Never shame the heavens.”
The uncle who doted on me especially was the epitome of perfection in the Cheon family.
Stern yet refined features.
Skill rivaling even my father, the family head.
And a kind, upright personality that always looked after me in place of my busy dad.
Young Cheon Seo-yun vowed every time. To become like him…
But that man killed my father.
On my thirteenth birthday, of all days…
After that, the heavens weren’t something to revere—they became a target to topple.
I lived ferociously.
Dreaming of pure revenge through my own strength alone, I rejected the Cheon family’s prized thunder arts and all other support.
I scraped together money tooth and nail, learned curses over etiquette, strove to be a gritty trainee over a noble lady.
Not just vows—I gave my all every single day without fail.
What nonsense. Just catch that spider bitch and it’s first place for sure. If you’re scared, you back off.
But that bastard’s reckless temperament was the issue.
Steel yourself for the Endgame Conquest, then the sudden Queen encounter.
Stab.
Charging headlong, only to get pierced through the shoulder.
No matter how tough, poison rendered it useless—I plummeted helplessly.
I tried desperately to muster mana, but my body wouldn’t obey.
Haven’t even properly flapped these wings once…
Cheon Seo-yun despised her foolish self beyond endurance.
Swoosh.
Instead of cold hard ground, she landed in someone’s arms.
She grasped the situation instantly.
That total jerk from their disastrous first meeting.
Park Ha-yul, whom she’d pegged as all family prestige and nothing else, had shaken off the Queen to save her.
Utterly incomprehensible, but intensifying pain made her forget it soon enough.
Instead…
Hey, get a… grip…
Someone’ll come soon, so just hold on… a bit…
Serves you right for… not staying put and making this… mess.
Damn… that face you… resemble so much…
Wing… help…
Amid her fading consciousness, the voice reached her.
No idea who he meant by resemblance, but the sincerity came through crystal clear.
Sorry… cooperate a bit… No other way to… fight the Queen.
He’d always acted like a prick before…
Even if Park Ha-yul gave up and waited, she had no ground to complain.
But why…?
That’s where Cheon Seo-yun’s memory cut off.
Suddenly, her right hand burned hot, a languid sensation like midday sun seeping in, and she let go of the mental thread she’d barely clung to.