Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Unyielding Resolve
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No matter how large and solid a rock might be, once water begins seeping into even the tiniest crack, it crumbles.
Cheon Seo-yun clutched her head, her face twisting in a grimace.
……Why is this happening?
It was strange.
She kept telling herself it was nothing, but once the pain and doubt had taken root,
the anxiety they spawned refused to subside easily.
In the end, as fear welled up, Cheon Seo-yun burrowed into Cheon Woo-young's embrace like she was fleeing.
“What's this? What's wrong all of a sudden, my girl?”
“……”
“What? Not to your taste now that you've eaten some? Want me to make something else?”
Cheon Seo-yun shook her head vigorously, then buried her face even deeper.
It seemed she still lacked the courage to face the truth, struggling to ignore the voice growing ever clearer.
“……I don't wanna eat anymore. Let's play, Dad.”
Cheon Seo-yun forced her lips upward, suppressing the sharp, stinging pain in her chest.
After that, they watched movies and played games together.
They spent time together without end, the kind of whole day she'd dreamed of every single day.
But before long, darkness settled at the window, and as father and daughter lay in bed chatting softly,
“Did something happen to you, sweetie?”
“……No, why?”
“Just... It's been a while since Dad tucked you in, right?”
She tilted her head up, meeting the unusually bright starlight painting the night sky in that moment.
Don't look away.
The voice she'd deliberately avoided rang out crystal clear.
Finally, Cheon Seo-yun swallowed the tears rising to her chin and forced her mouth open.
“……Dad.”
“Yeah?”
“How old am I?”
“How old? What do you mean? You're ten.”
But Cheon Woo-young's response only ignited an unbearable rage she couldn't contain.
You weren't there when I was ten.
You promised we'd spend time together and then left forever.
Cheon Seo-yun crumbled, her body trembling as she sobbed.
Once the tears burst forth, they poured out like a torrent of rain, refusing to stop.
The words she couldn't voice aloud made her heart ache, bringing forth the tears.
Her whole body tingled from the warmth of his scent and embrace—even if it was all a lie, the vivid sensation in this moment felt so real.
The voice whispering that it was okay sounded so genuine that she wept even harder.
How long did she cry like that?
When she finally pried open her swollen eyes, she saw Cheon Woo-young's face, exhausted from patting her, now asleep.
……Could I be happy if I stayed like this?
Her memories were fully intact, but that didn't mean she was ready to decide.
Roberto's dream was that extraordinary.
Even Cheon Seo-yun, who had overcome countless wounds, found herself agonizing over it.
……But.
Cheon Seo-yun hardened her expression and slipped out of bed.
There was only one reason she rose again. There was something she absolutely had to do.
Gazing at Cheon Woo-young's face, Cheon Seo-yun murmured like she was making a vow.
“If I bury it like this, it'd be too unfair.”
So just wait a little longer. Until I finish this revenge.
Cheon Seo-yun wiped her tear-streaked face.
Her chest had already poured out all its fury and gone cold; what filled the void was anger and sorrow.
A resolve that ended her confusion and pushed her one step further.
Cheon Seo-yun gathered her mana, forming a single sword.
Unlike before, faint sparks mingled with the vividly blazing blue mana.
Her lightning power, excluded by her thirst for vengeance and unused due to bad timing, had revived.
Yet Cheon Seo-yun swung the sword down without a second thought.
Rumble rumble rumble.
Her unwavering determination shattered the space.
* * *
The pink powder crumbled into gray ash, like a faded photograph.
Cheon Seo-yun, who had closed her eyes for a moment, opened them again at the faint jazz melody echoing in her ears.
She'd spent a full day in the dream, but fortunately, reality hadn't advanced that far.
Kim Hye-jin was bustling about, setting something up, while Roberto had just sat in his chair and was straightening his disheveled clothes.
Cheon Seo-yun silently picked up the sword from the floor.
A subtle fullness transmitted through her hand.
Recalling the sensation that she could cut through anything, she advanced step by step, without haste.
“……What the hell. How did you break out?”
At that moment, the flustered Roberto shot to his feet.
He hadn't imagined the magnetic enchantment being nullified, and her drastically changed aura was no small matter either.
Roberto first poured all his demonic energy to block her advance.
It was a blast of demonic energy so potent that even grazing it would plunge one into hallucinations.
But in that instant, the swollen mana sword sliced through the red demonic energy.
Roberto's eyes widened in disbelief, then he spotted the flickering sparks on the cut surface and muttered quietly.
“Lightning.”
It was imperfect, as if unconsciously released, but it was definitely lightning.
One of the supreme high-rank attributes capable of incinerating demonic energy into oblivion.
“Then that girl is…….”
Roberto realized Cheon Seo-yun's identity.
He was well aware that among the fledgling students hailed as divine at Taehak, there was one from the lightning clan's bloodline.
Roberto chuckled 'keh keh' as if genuinely pleased.
The advantage was still his.
In truth, Cheon Seo-yun's steps had halted, blocked by the onslaught of demonic energy, and his reserves were still plentiful.
If he pressed her relentlessly like this, then threatened Joo Ah-rin as a hostage and demanded surrender?
He was confident he could trap her in the dream again and force submission this time.
In the end, he'd have both the Joo family and the Cheon family in his grasp……
It was then, as greed flashed in Roberto's eyes once more.
“If you keep this up, I can't guarantee your friend's safety…….”
Just as he reached out toward Joo Ah-rin.
────!
A single streak of light flashed down.
There was no time to dodge or anything—he simply recognized it.
A stinging sensation made him glance down unwittingly.
“……?”
Then he tilted his head.
A round hole had pierced his chest, blood and smoke billowing out.
The sudden realization that the acrid, vibrating stench was his own flesh burning was beyond imagination.
This cognitive dissonance resolved the moment a fireball seemed to crash into his heart, followed by excruciating agony.
“Kraaaaaagh!”
Roberto collapsed, howling like a beast.
Who, how, why—such thoughts were a luxury.
With his skin, muscles, and flesh burning away, rational thought was impossible.
Discarding all pretense of a first-rate author, he writhed in pain, crawling on all fours across the floor.
His once-confident face twisted grotesquely, drool spilling from the mouth that had spewed honeyed words.
And finally, Cheon Seo-yun arrived.
From the hall's entrance to right before Roberto's nose.
Having pushed through numerous trials, Cheon Seo-yun calmly glanced out the window before swinging her sword.
Slash—
For an author called the arm of the Demon Subjugation Society and the reincarnation of Klimt, it was an utterly pathetic end.
* * *
[Main Quest #6: Rescue Joo Ah-rin - Objective Achieved]
[Reward: +20 days to remaining time.]
[Remaining Time: ]
[Reward: Acquired 35 SP.]
[Total SP: 30]
The incident wrapped up in a surprisingly subdued manner, considering a celebrity's involvement.
It was the first time a Taehak student had been directly targeted by a demon, so the quiet handling aimed to prevent ensuing chaos and secondary terrorism.
Thus, Roberto's cause of death was disguised as mundane, making headlines the next morning.
[Famous Author Roberto Dies from Heroin Overdose]
The demon revelation would come only once the culprits were confirmed—a process that would take time.
There was only suspicion toward the Demon Subjugation Society, no hard evidence.
It would likely surface only when the other 'demons' made their move in earnest.
[Achievement 61: Timely Savior]
[You rescued two classmates from life-threatening danger.]
[Reward: +2 days to remaining time.]
[Reward: 10 SP for righteous progression.]
Moreover, the two victims who brought such handsome rewards were confined to hospital beds.
Kim Hye-jin for treatment of enchantment aftereffects, Joo Ah-rin for mental and physical stabilization—officially, at least.
In reality, it was protection against potential secondary attacks.
Another peculiarity: Jeong Ae-ri was separately summoned for questioning.
As the incident occurred at Dodam, she couldn't escape responsibility, but since Student Affairs had given final approval, it ended with a one-month activity suspension.
All these measures were taken in just two days.
Thanks to proactive efforts from the government and Taehak, and I benefited too.
It delayed my exposure to the Demon Subjugation Society and scrutiny from the brew clan.
Not that I was hiding it on purpose—I simply had no time to worry about it.
Anyway, on Wednesday morning, after the incident's cleanup was mostly done,
I rose earlier than usual and headed straight to the department office.
Separate from the secrecy, there was a private commendation ceremony for an undeniable public service.
Passing through now-familiar corridors into the office, I saw two familiar faces.
“You're here?”
“Yeah.”
Kim Mi-young and Cheon Seo-yun, who would receive the commendation with me.
Kim Mi-young left word to wait and stepped out.
Left alone with Cheon Seo-yun early in the morning, but the awkward vibe from before was gone.
“Heading to the hospital today?”
“Yeah. Gotta check in.”
“Yeah? Wanna go together then. Baek Sa-young and Lee Dae-ho are coming too.”
It stemmed from shedding past grudges through Eternal Dream and Star Flower.
“Hey, but you…….”
“……?”
“Never mind.”
I'd considered saying a few words about her new trait but clamped my mouth shut.
It felt like overstepping.
Cheon Seo-yun's new trait was [Unyielding One].
An evolving trait growing in three stages, perfectly capturing her temperament of never yielding to harsh fate.
Its effect: awakening latent potential.
Short duration and brutal backlash were flaws, but it was one of the ultimate offensive traits enabling her lightning use again.
Of course, freshly sprouted, it was still immature and needed nurturing……
“What? Don't be a buzzkill.”
Cheon Seo-yun pouted gruffly, then suddenly remembered something and asked urgently.
“But they still haven't figured out who sent that text?”
She meant the mysterious message tipping off Joo Ah-rin's kidnapping.
“Probably not? Haven't heard anything.”
I played dumb. Revealing it would be a mess.
“Must be one of the students... someone circling Ah-rin…….”
Cheon Seo-yun narrowed her eyes like a private eye.
My heart skipped just then—perfect timing as the department office door opened.
In walked familiar faces.
Kim Mi-young and Lee Tae-jin... and……
“……And?”
That's weird. Weren't there only two attendees?
As the unexpected person entered, I quickly stood and checked my outfit.