Chapter 70
Terminally Ill, but It's Okay — Episode 70
It was a development I simply could not understand.
Today was the first time I had ever met Han Soo-hyeok, so there was no point of contact between us whatsoever.
"Because of me? What's that supposed to mean?"
Forgetting even my fear, I asked Han Soo-hyeok.
Han Soo-hyeok pointed at Cheon Seo-yoon, collapsed in one corner, and spoke indifferently.
"Ask the old geezer you'll be meeting soon for the details. Seems he has a debt to collect from you and that woman."
Ah.......
To him, it was probably just a passing remark. Nothing more, nothing less. But to me, it sounded different.
There was only one group that bore a grudge against not only me, but Cheon Seo-yoon as well.
......The Exorcism Society.
And if he said "old geezer," then it had to be the Seven Demon called Jeon-gwi. That old Demonkin was mad for money and committed every crime imaginable.
Han Soo-hyeok must have come here after taking a commission from the Seven Demon.
It wasn't a confirmed fact, but I had no time to puzzle it out.
"Anyway, about that Armament of yours and your flying sword art."
Han Soo-hyeok continued, his expression carrying an interest I hadn't seen before.
"If you show me enough power to satisfy me, I'll take only you and that woman and disappear. But if not......."
"......?"
"Everyone here dies."
Han Soo-hyeok glared this way with a sticky smile.
It was a bizarre, even grotesque proposal, but I soon nodded.
When I thought it over, it was an offer with no downside. I needed time to prepare if I was going to break through the barrier anyway.
He was saying he'd wait and give me that time, so I was in no position to refuse.
I bowed my head toward Reina.
Reina closed her eyes and soon murmured in a small voice.
"For His name's sake, all Outsiders are brought to faith and obedience."
She reached a hand toward my head, so I bent my knees slightly to match her height.
Then, immediately afterward, I felt a pure yet profound energy.
Divine Power that felt different from 'Sanctification' surged into my body. I shuddered for an instant.
[Reina's trait 'The Sacrificing One' activates.]
[Using her own lifespan as a medium, your abilities are amplified.]
[Your physical abilities increase for a set duration.]
[Your mana level increases for a set duration.]
[Your mana becomes infused with the light attribute for a set duration.]
I can say with certainty that mere messages could never capture it. It was not a sensation that could be described with visible numbers.
As if I had shed an old skin and been born anew, strength welled up from my entire body.
A powerful sense of exaltation filled me, as though I could do anything.
"......That is all I can do."
I caught the staggering Reina, laid her down carefully, and activated Manifestation.
[Activating trait, Manifestation.]
With several lives riding on a single move, I chose something other than First Sword, my usual favorite: the Armament from my first battle in this world.
I manifested it again for the first time in ages—the weapon I had once managed at only 10% and still struggled to handle.
[Manifesting the Seven-Branched Sword.]
Then I poured everything in without hesitation.
The mana amplified at the cost of Reina's lifespan, and even the power of the Limited Lifespan trait.
"I offer 3 days of my Remaining Time as a sacrifice."
I scraped together every available resource and focused on manifesting a single sword.
Then, a moment later, seven bronze branches shot into the sky and revealed themselves.
[Seven-Branched Sword (Replica)]
[Grade: Hero (Mid)] [Performance Limit: 40%]
[Effect: Strength and agility +60%. Activates crowd control effect within a 2.5m radius]
A hero-grade national treasure of the Republic of Korea had once again manifested upon this land in a more complete form.
"A summoning-type Armament?"
Han Soo-hyeok let out a low exclamation and opened his eyes wide, then finally drew the Sword of Goujian of Yue.
"It looks unstable, but it should be fun to clash against."
Tzzzt.
And so, the Seven-Branched Sword, gleaming like a holy sword as it held Divine Power, and the Sword of Goujian of Yue, rippling with dark-red Demonic Energy.
The demonic sword said to grow by drinking the blood of enemies was aimed at its counterpart.
The confrontation between two Armaments that should never have met in a lifetime brought with it a powerful anomaly all on its own.
As their seething energies collided, sparks flashed so fiercely the surroundings seemed to spin, and a violent gust whirled between them, as if even the surrounding wind had been trapped.
"Already beyond expectations, brat."
Han Soo-hyeok murmured, his eyes burning crimson with anticipation.
But I did not answer.
No, it would be more accurate to say I couldn't.
Even with a body strengthened to the limit by Reina's buff and the Seven-Branched Sword's effect, standing was all I could manage.
The pressure of the two Armaments was that overwhelming.
But I had no time to stand there dazed.
I gritted my teeth, unraveled the Cheonjam Thread, and wrapped it around the Seven-Branched Sword.
"Keep your promise."
Then I hurled it with all my strength.
Not at Han Soo-hyeok, but upward.
Toward the ceiling of the chapel where the hazy barrier was fixed.
Swoosh—
It happened so quickly that even Han Soo-hyeok could do nothing.
"What the—?"
He simply looked up, baffled.
As the Cheonjam Thread shot longer, its acceleration violently drove the Seven-Branched Sword upward, and it soon collided with the barrier.
From the ceiling erupted intense light and noise, as if thunder and lightning were striking down in turn.
Bzzzzzt—
The result was complete penetration.
In an instant, the barrier wavered, and the fierce wind that had been swirling through the hall shot upward.
I had achieved my intended objective, but I couldn't relax.
['Greed' wakes from seclusion and shouts at you to be careful.]
Right after Greed suddenly warned me—
"So you pulled a cheap trick, brat."
The Sword of Goujian of Yue suddenly flashed, and a wave of Demonic Energy surged.
BOOM!
A destructive sword strike flew toward me like a bullet leaving a muzzle.
Before I knew it, it was right in front of me, giving me the illusion that I was about to be split in two.
It was probably almost instinctive.
Reaching out my right hand and activating Greed's authority.
[Auxiliary Authority 1.]
[Greed advises you to prepare for an impact exceeding the allowable limit.]
KABOOM!
Han Soo-hyeok's sword strike met Greed.
I felt an impact so strong my whole body rattled. I spread my legs wide, planted myself, and grabbed my trembling right hand with my left.
"Kgh......."
But the amount of Demonic Energy exceeding the limit was enormous.
As if I had dipped my hand in black dye, my entire arm darkened, and in the end I was sent flying.
I slammed into a corner and gasped for breath.
Ghk—
Blood surged back up, and searing pain followed, as if my whole body had been ravaged.
But in the end, I had blocked it.
It was only because my physical stats had been enhanced that I had managed to endure.
I forced my trembling legs to move and stood up.
The wave of Demonic Energy would have spread throughout the cathedral by now, and reinforcements would arrive soon. I was trying to buy time somehow.
Liquid I couldn't tell was blood or sweat soaked my vision.
I wiped it away and forced my eyelids open.
Thud—
It was at that moment that Han Soo-hyeok, who had been approaching, stopped.
"You......."
Why?
When I faced him again, Han Soo-hyeok's face was visibly twisted.
His pupils trembled as he worked his mouth as if to speak, but then he shook his head.
"You won today, brat."
Without any additional attack, he turned and left.
......He's just going?
It was a situation I couldn't understand at all, but I had no leisure to question any of it.
The moment the tension left me, I collapsed to the ground.
I didn't even have the strength to move, so I just stared blankly at the light seeping through the hole the Seven-Branched Sword had punched in the ceiling.
"It X—ing hurts."
In that instant, the world spun round and round, and as it began to darken, I toppled over.
I had no memory of anything after that.
* * *
I opened my eyes again nearly 12 hours after losing consciousness.
A white ceiling shimmered, and when I heard the drip-drip sound of an IV, I realized this was a hospital.
"Ugh."
I barely managed to sit up, and felt relieved when I realized no one was around.
Having someone by my side when I'm in a helpless state is just uncomfortable.
I could roughly guess what had happened after I fainted through the messages that appeared before my eyes.
[Achievement 71 — Dramatic Escape from Crisis]
[You protected the protagonists from the threat of death and survived.]
[As a reward, 12 days are added to your Remaining Time.]
[You acquire 35SP for the dramatic development.]
Han Soo-hyeok had fled, and the protagonists seemed to be safe.
But maybe because I had nearly died and come back.
The reward level was on par with a typical Main Quest.
Just when I was thinking this wasn't bad.
Bang—
The door swung open and medical staff in white gowns rushed in.
"Oh my, how could you already be up?"
"Are you feeling all right?"
"Th-the patient is awake."
The atmosphere was urgent, so I lay back down as instructed.
The medical staff examined my body here and there with puzzled expressions.
They even lifted my eyelids and fired a light beam into my eyes, and pressed strange mechanical devices against me.
What bothered me most was the doctor's expression. I couldn't tell why, but the doctor's face was the very picture of seriousness.
"Is there a problem?"
When I asked, slightly intimidated, the doctor muttered with a grave expression.
"......Yes. Your recovery is absurdly fast."
"Excuse me?"
No, why is that a problem, man? It's a good thing.
It was probably the effect of the Enhanced Recovery trait, but I didn't bother revealing that.
I chased the medical staff out, saying I was tired.
Bang—
But before long, familiar faces came in this time.
"You woke up earlier than expected."
"I'm glad you're all right."
It was Lee Taek-jin and Kim Mi-young.
Even though I was tired, there were things I needed to sort out, so this time I couldn't bring myself to chase them out.
After asking briefly after my condition, Lee Taek-jin got straight to the point.
"I heard you stayed until the end and broke through the barrier?"
"Yes, well....... The Saintess's power played a big part."
"I heard the fiend was a Demonkin who uses a sword. Do you know who it was?"
"That's......."
I was about to say the name Han Soo-hyeok, but held off for a moment.
I needed to decide which would benefit me more: revealing the truth or hiding it.
Maybe it was because Roberto had failed so pathetically.
It was true that the Exorcism Society had been moving more aggressively than in the original work.
They should have escalated gradually, step by step, but this time they hadn't.
This was crossing the line.
Hadn't they suddenly brought in Han Soo-hyeok and nearly trampled the sprouts that were only just beginning to grow?
As the original author, this was something I absolutely could not overlook. And there was no guarantee they wouldn't pull something similar in the future.
Therefore, it seemed best to use this opportunity to turn every arrow toward the Exorcism Society and crush them.
Once my direction was set, I spoke again.
"I don't know the Demonkin's identity either. But he was targeting me and Cadet Cheon Seo-yoon."
"Not the Saintess?"
"He clearly said so himself."
"Hmm."
Lee Taek-jin fell silent for a moment, as if organizing the situation.
As a sharp man, he had probably figured it out immediately.
He had probably realized that the Exorcism Society connected me, Cheon Seo-yoon, and Roberto.
"Is that all?"
"I think I also caught the word 'Seven Demon.' Something about a money-crazed old geezer."
I added a bit of information to give his deduction more confidence.
"The Seven Demon."
At that moment, Lee Taek-jin stood up, as if he had completely grasped the situation.
"You've been through a lot. Get some rest now."
"Shall I call a meeting first?"
Lee Taek-jin and Kim Mi-young left with expressions far sterner than when they had entered.
Relieved, I leaned back in the chair, then remembered one unresolved question.
"You won today, brat."
"Why did he just leave?"
It seemed the situation was being understood as him fleeing before the Yosal Corps arrived.
But honestly, with Han Soo-hyeok's abilities, he could have kidnapped me and Cheon Seo-yoon before the Yosal Corps stormed in.
[Greed puffs up with pride, saying it happened because of his own dignity and presence.]
"If that's true, then why have all the Demonkin I've met so far charged at me like they were fighting for their lives?"
[He says that, well. He doesn't understand it either.]
Yeah, you're so great.
I snorted a laugh at Greed.
He did have a somewhat cute side, after all.