Chapter 230
Chapter 230
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 230
Chapter Title: Episode 76. Seasonal Transition (6)
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Soon, Kitty Blanc stopped screaming.
It hurt like hell, but top-tier superhumans underwent training for pain tolerance.
The pain didn't lessen. It was just that the sufferer's endurance grew stronger.
However, Kitty Blanc felt a greater fear. Yoo Ji-tae, right in front of her face, grabbed her forehead.
She freaked out.
How could a human grip be this strong?
Her 'Inner Shield' magic was still active even now. It was a protective spell that could block a tank's impact from directly harming her muscles and bones.
Yet Yoo Ji-tae's hand, grasping her head, crushed and tore through her skin. When the skin fused with the human-face mask ripped, blood flowed.
He kept applying pressure until part of her skull cracked with a pop.
No matter how she twisted her body, it was futile. Like being crushed in a hydraulic press, her body dangled from her head.
Kitty Blanc gasped.
Her vision blurred. Gray pupils.
The man was looking at her.
Not her eyes.
It felt like he was peering into her very soul.
Did he figure it out?
No ranker could see through a mask crafted by the lord of the mage tower, right?
Gasp. Her heart felt squeezed to a stop.
Yoo Ji-tae opened his mouth.
"I don't know who you are."
A faint amusement flickered across his hazy face.
By then, the security agents charging in shouted. "Let go!" "Stop!" They tearfully tried to pry Yoo Ji-tae and Kitty Blanc apart, like swallowing bitter medicine.
The man obediently released his hand. Then he raised both hands and complied with their control.
He doesn't know who I am?
Kitty Blanc, hearing that, was instead convinced her identity was exposed.
Yoo Ji-tae seemed to be warning her.
Try acting up in another disguise, if you dare.
Kitty Blanc's legs went weak, forcing her to use telekinesis to hold herself up.
Yoo Ji-tae was apprehended by the security team's superhumans. Mikhailov and Kitty Blanc were too. They were dragged to the guidance office to write statements.
They could resist, but Yoo Ji-tae decided to comply obediently.
Before that, he spoke briefly to Bom.
"Take the kids and head back safely."
Bom, who had Winter on her lap with hands covering his eyes until then, nodded.
Her eyes suddenly blocked, and good memories flooding in through skin contact.
So right now, Winter was waving his hands in the air like touching something in a flower field.
"……?"
Only after Yoo Ji-tae left did Bom remove her hands from Winter's eyes.
Winter looked up at Bom, squinting.
"...Why cover 'em?"
Bom then covered her own eyes.
Then she spread her hands wide open.
"Peekaboo."
"……."
Winter, frowning, shook his head.
"...I'm not a kid."
"Oh, really?"
Fortunately, she succeeded in distracting Winter. If he'd seen Yoo Ji-tae swinging that axe himself, Winter would've been startled.
Bom smiled faintly. Even dragons were kids at heart.
Turning her head, Bom looked at Yeoreum.
Despite all the commotion until then, Yeoreum's gaze was blankly fixed on the screen. As if she couldn't care less about what happened around her.
The close-up screen was filled with golden light.
The exit path was packed with reporters swarming the exam hall.
<Yoo Gaeul: Um, uh.... Combat magic....>
<Yoo Gaeul: Er, um, just...... (avoids)>
<Yoo Gaeul: Yes? Um... I don't have anything hidden....>
<Yoo Gaeul: That? Um, probably not. Unni is super super strong....>
<Yoo Gaeul: No? We haven't fought....>
<Yoo Gaeul: ?? >
Various mouths relayed intriguing, slightly rude, and persistent questions.
Some cameras captured Gaeul's still-trembling right hand. Gaeul was cradling it with her left. The exposed right hand was entirely red like it'd been hit, with burst veins showing dark bruises everywhere.
Around then, guidance office staff pushed back the reporters on Yoo Ji-tae's behalf and loaded Bom, Winter, and Gaeul into the elevator. A few reporters tried squeezing in, but when Bom seriously scowled, they froze mid-step.
The reporters' gazes, smacking their lips, landed late on Yeoreum walking alone.
Yoo Yeoreum!
The scariest to interview, but guaranteeing the highest traffic, right?
A game of chicken began. Step forward first and risk getting grabbed by the collar, so let another reporter be the meat shield, then ask from behind.
Those with such thoughts shoved each other. One reporter, in an "Ack?!" was pushed right in front of Yeoreum.
<Yoo Yeoreum: …….>
<Yoo Yeoreum: …….>
A few questions met a few silences as replies.
The camera captured Yeoreum's expression.
Blank, as if utterly indifferent.
A sharp-eyed reporter found it odd instead. Yeoreum always showed irritation toward reporters.
Man, she's usually a bitch, but with her mouth shut, she's pretty hot...... As someone dazedly thought that.
Yeoreum's expression shifted slightly at the next question.
Yeoreum whipped around to that reporter.
<Yoo Yeoreum: …….>
That night.
The edited video was uploaded to the Lair official homepage.
Gaeul's exam footage spread like wildfire. Hitting 6 million views in a single day.
Mages aside? Check Yong Dan-bi’s SNS post.
The initial comments were roughly like that.
Shares spread rapidly. Three days later, Gaeul's video surpassed 30 million views.
Various broadcasters and superhuman channels kept rehighlighting Gaeul's exam.
One-shotting a Minotaur at cadet level. Short-range spatial jump of 60m. Even just these two feats drew comparisons to 4-5000th rankers, with praise and awe for her mage talent pouring in.
The highlight was the final 'Teleport'. Long-range spatial magic has different formulas and mana traces.
Gaeul, being a dragon who used Teleport like breathing and following what Bom taught for instant movement, but by human standards, it was a power only 1000th-rank ranker mages could pull off.
In truth, Gaeul's Teleport could go 120 times farther than a typical 1000th-ranker's, but that wasn't public.
Thus, suspicions arose: Isn't Gaeul equivalent to a 900th-rank ranker mage at cadet level?
A mere cadet.
With power similar to a 900th-rank ranker?
People began expecting her as the second Witch Valentina. Treating Yoo Gaeul like a goddess.
In truth, being born tall and being good at basketball are different, just like innate talent vs. learning ability. Catching the Witch would take Gaeul 500 years, but netizens wouldn't know.
Around then, 'weird comments' started appearing.
—Autumn said, "It's too cramped here." And the Big Bang began.
—Joseon nobles looked to the past. Yoo Gaeul looked to the future.
—"Head's out, so push on your lower belly and deep breaths," Autumn told her mom.
—One day, Autumn dropped an apple while eating.
Someone hit on the head said, "Huh? This...?"
At first, they deified only Gaeul and tossed jokes among themselves.
But a week later, when Gaeul's views surpassed Yeoreum's 89.87 million, Yeoreum naturally became the comparison target.
—Summer wakes her alarm clock every morning.
But Autumn doesn't need one. She decides what time it is.
—The common point of WWI, WWII, and East Asia Great War: Started in 'Summer', ended in 'Autumn'.
O_o chills Crazy lol;;; Wait wrong?? WWII started Sep 1 ended Sep 2 smh
Such jokes elevated Autumn while downplaying Summer. Very naturally. Thanks to Gaeul's massive impact.
Around then.
Yoo Ji-tae and Bom confiscated Gaeul's watch.
Gaeul handed it over obediently. And decided not to go to classes for a while.
Despite the huge attention, Gaeul didn't react much, like a spaced-out person. When asked, she'd lightly say, "Wow, nice."
"Sorry, Gaeul."
"Huh? I'm fine, Unni."
"How's your mood?"
"Good, but... something's off right now."
"What?"
"Dunno. Feels good but..."
After that, Gaeul smiled like she was a bit off her rocker, only doing what Yoo Ji-tae told her.
Her appetite didn't wane, though. The usually dazed kid showed the most enthusiasm eating.
Yeoreum stared blankly at such Gaeul, then went to her room.
It was night.
Her body felt heavier than usual. Her heart even more so.
Yet sleep wouldn't come. So Yeoreum turned on her watch.
She saw something.
Yeoreum fiddled with the watch for a long time. It woke her more, and before she knew it, she noticed light seeping through the curtains.
Fuckin' morning already...
An earlier-than-usual morning.
Yoo Ji-tae woke earlier than anyone, drew the curtains. To prepare the kids' meals.
And Bom woke around then to get ready to go out. Because Yoo Ji-tae did.
When the two returned with breakfast, he saw Yeoreum about to head out without eating.
Much earlier than usual. She was in training leggings and a tank top, slipping into sneakers.
Training clothes. At this hour?
"Already? Eat first."
Yeoreum glanced back at him.
Would she say her usual "Mind your own business"? As Yoo Ji-tae waited.
"……."
Yeoreum seemed to hesitate, lips twitching. Then quietly opened her mouth.
"Hey."
"Yeah."
Then Bom, who had gone to her room, came out tying her hair up. Seeing Bom, Yeoreum turned away slightly and muttered softly.
"Nah, I'll text later."