Chapter 77
Terminally Ill, but It's Okay — Episode 77
Baek Sa-young waved me over with a pleased look.
Muttering, "There's no way," I walked toward him, then nodded.
"It's real."
Baek Sa-young was right.
What lay beneath the Heavenly Sword, giving off a faint light, wasn't decoration but an Armament.
At a glance it looked like a thin short-sleeved T-shirt, but on closer inspection it was armor woven from tiny metal rings.
But since there were two examinees, were there also two rewards?
While I tried to work out why there were two rewards, Baek Sa-young spoke as if he recognized the type of Armament.
Baek Sa-young spoke as if he recognized the type of Armament.
"It's chainmail."
"Chainmail?"
"It is support-type armor similar to Western chainmail. Its defense is lower, but it is light and comfortable, so it is worn under clothing."
Baek Sa-young stepped aside slightly, as if telling me to check it.
I didn't refuse and approached, activating Appraisal.
Then more mana than I expected drained out with a whoosh, and a bluish window appeared.
[0000's Chainmail] [Sealed Armament]
[Grade: Rare (Mid)]
[Description: A type of chain armor that can be worn in daily life. It is light, yet boasts considerable defensive power, enough to block a mana-infused sword. The details are veiled. Can be unlocked when special conditions are met]
[Effects]
-Defense Enhancement: Defense can be temporarily enhanced by injecting mana.
Honestly, the description itself was quite unhelpful.
But even so, the reason my mouth fell open was because of the words "Sealed Armament."
Like the Heavenly Sword, it was a growth-type item whose true worth would reveal itself over time.
That meant this chainmail was another heirloom of the vanished clan, deliberately left behind for its descendants.
It was valuable enough to count as a fortuitous encounter, and for one brief moment I wondered whether an outsider like me should really take it.
The hesitation lasted only an instant.
"I can take this, right?"
But the hesitation quickly died down.
Vanished clan or whatever.
In a life where you can't see an inch ahead, never knowing when or how things will go wrong.
When someone gives, you take. If I nitpicked over this and that, I felt like I'd regret it later.
"Of course. I'll talk to the senior properly."
Baek Sa-young placed a hand on my shoulder as if telling me not to worry. But I asked again.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Really."
"You're absolutely sure?"
"......."
"Do not change your mind later. I asked you several times, remember?"
"Hey, what do you take me for? Just take it already."
Baek Sa-young thumped his chest as if dumbfounded.
Only then did I pretend I couldn't win and snatch up the armor, shoving it into my subspace pouch.
His ancestors would lament if they knew, but what could I do?
He was offering it like that, so I couldn't coldly refuse.
[Greed praises your greed.]
Shut up.
"Let's get out now. Hurry up and pull the sword."
Since I'd gathered everything there was to gather, I stretched out my hand and pointed at the Heavenly Sword.
From the moment he took that sword in hand, Baek Sa-young's growth would become even steeper.
Attribute Conversion and Martial God Physique.
The ascending sword art that would connect the two. The intangible legacy that had allowed the vanished clan to stand tall as the strongest family would be passed down step by step, using the Heavenly Sword as its medium.
Well, though it would still be a long while before he mastered it.
"I owe you a lot."
Baek Sa-young stood before the Heavenly Sword with a serious expression, then gripped it firmly and pulled it out in one motion.
Was this what King Arthur was like when he was a shabby country boy?
As the scene I had put considerable effort into drawing replayed right before my eyes, I stared blankly for a moment.
Tzzzt.
At that instant, my view transformed.
A refreshing wind that felt foreign blew, and soon red dye seeped into the surroundings.
It felt like we had stayed for over half a day, but time in reality had flowed more slowly, and before I knew it the sunset was spreading, while the crowds of tourists had drained away like the tide.
"Let's hurry out. If we get caught, it'll get troublesome."
It seemed like the admission hours had passed, so I walked quickly and looked at Baek Sa-young.
"Hah, hah."
But what was this?
Baek Sa-young, who had been following well, was collapsed on the ground.
Ah, right. This guy had seriously overdone it.
Only then did Baek Sa-young's condition, which I had forgotten, come back to me.
He had no visible injuries, so I had briefly forgotten, but it was no wonder he collapsed.
He had stayed in heat exceeding 40 degrees for over 12 hours, fighting repeatedly.
Naturally his mana would be depleted, and the accumulated damage from the golem battle he had fought not long after getting beaten by Han Soo-hyeok would also be considerable.
I quickly approached and supported him, asking,
"Are you okay?"
"No. I feel like I'm dying."
Baek Sa-young told me with a face that really did look like he was dying.
In the end, since moving right away seemed impossible, we decided to rest for a bit before going.
We plopped down on whatever ground was there.
Then, without thinking, we watched the vast sea swallow the fireball.
"They say the sunset is on the west coast. It's true."
"......."
It was an unintentional sunset-viewing time for two grown men, but fortunately a vibration broke the silence.
Bzzzz.
It wasn't mine; it was Baek Sa-young's.
Baek Sa-young, who had taken out his phone, suddenly let out a gasp and sat upright.
"Ah, right."
Now what.
He was staring at his phone with a fairly serious face, so my mouth instantly went dry.
In case something I didn't know about had happened again.
"Ha-yul. Let me ask one favor."
Baek Sa-young rolled his eyes around as if deliberating, then spoke to me with a rather solemn expression.
I cautiously asked back,
"What?"
"It's nothing much. Meet Cheon Seo-yoon for me tomorrow."
"What?"
Why Cheon Seo-yoon?
The name came out of nowhere, so I tilted my head for a second.
Then Baek Sa-young scratched the back of his head and continued.
"She asked me to go buy a sword together, so I pushed it to Sunday. But as you can see, I'm not in a state to go."
Then am I in a state to go?
"Just cancel."
"Are you telling me to die? You know Seo-yoon's personality too."
"Then die, man."
"......."
Baek Sa-young hung his head with a somewhat dejected air, but he didn't give up.
"Aren't you two still awkward with each other? Use this chance to work it out. You know swords better than I do, don't you?"
"What are you talking about? Why would I know swords better than you?"
I had intended to refuse, of course.
But the moment I realized I had business with Cheon Seo-yoon, words slipped out contrary to my intention.
"What time did you agree to meet?"
* * *
Sunday morning, before the blazing sunlight poured down, with a bright blue sky that left an impression.
Cheon Seo-yoon, who had woken up earlier than usual, was pacing in front of the full-length mirror.
Well, even if it wasn't a date, somehow it had ended up being just the two of them.
And they were going outside Taehak at that, so she thought she might dress up a little just for today.
Therefore, she took out a dress she didn't usually wear.
Then she imagined herself picking out a sword in that outfit and shook her head vigorously.
"Yeah, anything too over the top is a pass."
Cheon Seo-yoon rummaged through her closet again. This time she pulled out a crop top that showed just a hint of her navel.
"Hm."
But after holding it against her body, she quickly gave up.
Because the skin that would subtly show made her feel like she couldn't even walk properly.
In the end, after going back and forth, what she chose was plain jeans and a white T-shirt.
However, Cheon Seo-yoon straightened her clothes with a more confident pose than ever.
Because the finishing touch of fashion was your figure and face.
Like that, roughly thirty minutes.
After a preparation process that was quite long by Cheon Seo-yoon's standards, she left the dormitory.
Bright sunlight greeted her, and a breeze thick with greenery swept through her hair, making a hum escape her lips without her realizing.
With a rare flutter of excitement, she arrived in front of the dormitory park, the meeting spot.
She had arrived almost exactly on time.
"Hm."
Baek Sa-young was nowhere to be seen.
Considering his usual behavior, he was the kind of upstanding guy who would arrive 10 minutes early. No, 20 minutes early. What was going on?
"Did he forget?"
Cheon Seo-yoon thought that for a moment, then shook her head.
He was someone who always kept his promises, so that possibility was slim.
"Did something happen?"
So it wasn't by choice but by circumstance. Maybe an unavoidable situation had come up.
While she was making all sorts of assumptions,
Cheon Seo-yoon, who had been tapping the innocent ground with her foot, finally picked up her phone.
She had been about to try calling.
Bzzzz.
Just then, her phone rang.
[Seo-yoon, sorry. I'm feeling really unwell.]
Sorry?
The very first sentence put her in a bad mood.
"Then you should've contacted me sooner. I even dressed up and came out."
Grumbling, Cheon Seo-yoon read the next sentence.
But then.
[Instead, I'll send a knowledgeable and outstanding swordsman as a substitute. It's someone you know, so look forward to it.]
What was this nonsense about an outstanding swordsman?
And someone she knew, at that?
"Ah, shit."
Cheon Seo-yoon, who instantly thought of Lee Dae-ho, frowned without realizing it.
"Ah, right. He is not a swordsman."
Thinking she had avoided the worst possible companion, she let out a sigh of relief.
Then who the hell was it?
Cheon Seo-yoon searched through the people around her who fit the conditions again.
Then before long, she thought of someone who was almost 99% certain.
"No way, Seol Yoon-gi?"
In an instant, goosebumps rose all over Cheon Seo-yoon's body.
She didn't know how he had been recruited, but the thought of having to pick out a sword with that lone-wolf jerk made her heart sink.
And on top of that, she had never even properly exchanged a single word with him.
"Baek Sa-young, you crazy bastard, seriously."
Cheon Seo-yoon bit her lip hard and glared at her phone, then realized this wasn't the time.
If she stayed here, she would inevitably run into Seol Yoon-gi, and refusing him then would be harder than plucking a star from the sky.
"I'd rather go alone."
Cheon Seo-yoon made a quick decision and hurriedly turned around.
Ready to draw on mana if necessary, she sharpened every sense in her body.
"Where are you going?"
A familiar voice reached her at that moment.
Cheon Seo-yoon turned her head and looked at the person who had suddenly appeared: Park Ha-yul.
"Ah, well. That."
But there was no time to waste.
At this very moment, the distance between her and Seol Yoon-gi was probably shrinking, so she had to get out of here as fast as possible.
"I'm busy right now. Have a good weekend."
Cheon Seo-yoon waved vaguely and turned around again.
She was about to hurry off toward the dormitory.
"Aren't you going to buy a sword?"
"Huh?"
She had no choice but to stop in her tracks again.
How did Park Ha-yul know about that?
When she stared at him with a question, Park Ha-yul continued.
"What did Baek Sa-young text you to make you run away?"
"Wh-what? Then you're the one?"
"Why? Disappointed?"
Park Ha-yul shrugged, as if the question were obvious.
"Is that even a question? What kind of outstanding swordsman are you?"
"Oh, Baek Sa-young said that? An outstanding swordsman? That is not right. But I am not clueless."
"What?"
"At least my eye for this is better than yours."
Park Ha-yul continued with his characteristic indifferent face.
This... was a provocation, right?
Cheon Seo-yoon, reminded of a forgotten memory, flared up and shouted.
"Hey, even if you hold a sword your whole life, choosing an Armament that suits you isn't easy. You have to check the center of balance, the angle of the blade, and also—"
Cheon Seo-yoon snapped harshly, adding on her disappointment that Baek Sa-young hadn't shown up.
But the other person unexpectedly didn't seem interested in fighting.
"You know your stuff. So just trust me, think of it as being fooled. I owe you a debt, so I'll pick carefully for you."
Instead, he smirked and strode ahead.
"What are you—"
"If you're going to curse at me, do it after we get there."
Cheon Seo-yoon stared at his back with a dumbfounded expression, then ultimately followed him.
With every intention of really cursing at him once they got there.