Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Rosé's Past
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Even I, the original author, was in the dark about Rosé's past.
"Well..."
In the original story, the Miracle Generation were figures from the past.
They each played important roles but weren't focused on centrally.
To maximize their impact in the plot, there was a strong tendency to describe them mysteriously.
Background details were kept to a minimum unless they tied into the protagonist.
The same went for Rosé.
She had no family to speak of.
Instead, it was only said that she'd been raised by some martial artist since early childhood, too young to remember.
Ji-hye, who had her own questions bubbling up, turned to Rosé.
"What did you do for fun with the other kids?"
"Kids? You're my first real friend since coming here."
"Ah..."
Hearing that, soft-hearted Ji-hye immediately looked apologetic.
Her eyes even started to well up a little.
'Come to think of it, Lemon does have friends... They're just all trash.'
Unlike Rosé, who had none at all, Lemon's social circle was full of completely useless garbage.
"Are you worried about me? No need. Grandpa and I had a blast just the two of us."
Rosé spoke with a perfectly bright smile, not a hint of pretense.
There was no lie in those words.
'Inferring the rest is easy.'
No matter how much of a once-in-history genius Rosé was, her skill level was over the top for her age.
Martial arts, unlike abilities, weren't fueled by energy.
Taking that into account led to one conclusion: she'd been drilling martial arts nonstop since she was little.
In fact, reflecting on our conversations so far, her entire life had revolved around it.
She'd shared memories of learning techniques, playing around, sweating buckets, and reveling in her growth.
There was zero room for pitying her over a life different from normal folks.
"Bingo was fun. Lemon, got any more games like that?"
"Games like bingo? Gimme a sec to think."
What else could there be?
Go or chess popped into mind, then got dismissed just as quick.
Rosé wouldn't get a kick out of brainy games.
Something simpler, no muscle required.
BOOM!!!
"What was that?"
My vision suddenly flooded with a familiar glow.
An enormous ability unleashing.
Overflowing white currents arced through the air, surging toward the sky.
"Merdia!"
Rosé, who'd come up beside me before I knew it, said it.
She was right.
No one but Merdia could put on a display like that.
The problem was the way it was manifesting—not normal at all.
I'd watched her spar with Rosé a few times, and this didn't look right.
'Something's wrong.'
Currents burst out in periodic fits, sweeping the area at random.
It was ability use on par with pure waste—no target in sight.
A rampage, pretty much.
"Let's go!"
"Yeah."
"Me too..."
"Ji-hye, watch the nest!"
"...Okay!"
It wasn't far.
Roughly 15 km.
At a good clip, we could make it in under ten minutes.
"I'll head out first."
"Sure."
Worried even about those few minutes, Rosé took off ahead.
Faster than that trance-like charge from a few days back.
Every footfall pulverized the terrain around her, her body shooting forward like it was being yanked by a magnet.
I didn't push myself.
I just followed her tracks at my top speed.
Nine-plus minutes later, we arrived at a scene even messier than I'd imagined.
'What a disaster.'
The air reeked of scorch.
Trees and soil swept by excessive currents had burned black.
A bit farther in.
Medical drones buzzed frantically overhead, evacuating injured cadets.
'Hope no one's hurt bad.'
They'd hit dangerous beasts and cadets alike—no discrimination.
No fatalities in sight so far.
Muscles locked in paralysis, bodies twitching, foam at the mouth—but hanging on.
Deeper in, though?
And the rampage had raged on until about four or five minutes ago, when Rosé would've arrived.
My hunch checked out.
"Grooo..."
A little deeper.
Near where I'd pegged Merdia, I spotted a cadet in critical shape.
'This is bad.'
I hurried over to check.
He'd curled up to tough it out, charred earth half-burying him.
Even so, his back skin was burned clean off, breaths shallow as death.
Critical enough that even medical drones might not save him.
No choice—I pulled out my canteen.
Pried open his melted-shut mouth and trickled in the liquid slow.
The "healing water" I'd whipped up recently, after learning from Ji-hye's treatment how fiddly the stuff was.
Just water mixed with treatment fluid.
It lost potency over time as it neutralized, sure, but it was dead simple to administer.
'Hold up. Isn't this that guy?'
Messy as he was, he looked familiar.
The mechanical spear dropped nearby sealed it.
Ryu Runshin—the punk who'd picked a fight with me before.
'Can't just leave him, though.'
Not when someone's dying right in front of you.
I fed him just enough to pull through.
'Yeah, that'll do it.'
Quick consciousness check, then I stood.
"Uh... y-you...!"
"Sleep it off."
Runshin tried mumbling something as awareness flickered back.
Who knows if he could even see straight.
Right on cue, a medical drone descended.
I hoisted him up and followed its lead, dunking him whole into the recovery tank and hooking up the breather.
The drone sealed the back panel, lifted off, and zipped away.
Those eyes staring at me to the last stuck with me.
Lost in thought for a sec when footsteps approached from ahead, with a voice.
"Lemon!"
Rosé.
She came over cradling the unconscious Merdia in both arms.
Her voice brimmed with worry.
I rushed up to check Merdia.
Skin flaky and dry.
Some body wounds, but just scratches.
Nothing else seemed off.
To steady Rosé, I spoke fast.
"Severe dehydration. Otherwise, she's good."
"Really? Then water—gotta get water in her!"
"Hang on."
I checked her over more closely.
Thirst alone wouldn't do this.
There had to be a trigger.
"Mongoberries?"
"Why? They bad?"
A few ripe mongoberries in her pocket.
One had fresh bite marks, like she'd scarfed it recently.
"Told you not to pick up random junk and eat it."
Looked like a mongoberry mishap.
Once you start, you can't stop—and scarf too many at once, and you trip into mild hallucinations.
Water alone wouldn't cut it.
With components lingering in her system, hydration wouldn't absorb right.
I uncapped the canteen again.
Banking on the treatment fluid's detox properties.
The nutrition in the healing water would perk her up quick.
"Out cold, but downing it like a champ."
Like Lemon said, instinct was kicking in—her throat bobbed on autopilot.
Drained the canteen, and she still smacked her lips like she wanted seconds.
'Now that I think about it...'
Sure, it was for treatment, but I'd basically fed her a ton mixed with my spit.
What do you even call this.
And I'd done the same to that guy earlier.
I felt this inexplicable mood hit me.
'No helping it. Sigh...'
Long as the patients didn't know.
Long as they didn't know.
"I'll carry her."
"Huh? Why?"
"Bigger frame means I can support her better. Just keep anyone from getting close."
"Got it!"
Nothing beat treatment fluid for efficacy right now.
'This gonna DQ her from the test?'
Merdia was in no shape to keep going, for sure.
Unconscious like that, evacuating her was par for the course.
But things stayed quiet.
Had Rosé knocked her out? Or did she clock us as allies?
I tabled it for now.
On the way back to the nest, I rechecked Merdia in my arms.
The last six days had roughed her up bad.
Her signature flashy gear was shredded or torn clean off, face grimed with unwashed sweat.
Hair half-undone into a bird's nest that'd shame any tangle.
Staring at her, I muttered without thinking.
"Never seen her look this rough."
"Huh... really?"
Rosé overheard, leaned in to inspect Merdia, then stifled a laugh.
Some worry lifting off her, looks like.
But that was the end of the jokes.
This was Merdia.
If she'd heard that, I might end up envied by Runshin from earlier.
The trek back took a while.
Moving careful as we could with the carry, it was six hours till we hit the nest.
Once there, I laid Merdia out on a bedroll first.
Ji-hye startled at the sight but jumped into nursing duties.
"No major issues. Some scratches, but nothing to sweat."
"When's she waking up?"
"No clue. Today, maybe tomorrow?"
We restocked what we'd burned through hauling her back and took turns at bedside.
Healing water had her body near-normal.
But whatever hell she'd been through left her out cold for days.
'Still down?'
Next morning, I checked again.
Face worlds better than yesterday.
Somehow Ji-hye'd cleaned up those wrecked clothes into something decent.
Mid-inspection, I clocked her eyes open.
Our gazes met, and Merdia spoke.
"...What?"
Voice cracked from days asleep.
"Ah, you're up?"
She glanced around.
Then eased herself up slow, checking out her own state.
Eyes narrowed a touch, clocking the outfit swap.
"...You."
"Rosé and I found you passed out yesterday. Ji-hye handled the clothes."
Her look was darkening, so I front-loaded the rundown.
Then stood.
I prided myself on knowing Merdia's type inside out.
Her pride towered over everyone else's.
She figured herself top dog—and backed it with legit power.
Her getting help from anyone?
A massive bruise to the ego.
To Merdia, others existed to serve her—not the other way around.
'No need to spell out every detail for her.'
Best play: leave her to it.
Give her space to process and plot her next move.
Me hovering would've gone south fast.
Before she could say more, I headed for the nest exit.
"Hey."
"Yeah? What?"
"You... Nah. Forget it."
She started to say something, then clammed up.
Frowning like something irked her, but she hadn't pieced it together yet.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
'Gotta bail.'
Shook off the daze and stepped outside.
Rosé, mid-training up and down the slopes, lit up at the wake-up news and nearly bolted over till I headed her off.
"Heh, thank goodness."
"Wasn't a big deal anyway. She'd have snapped out of it soon regardless."
"Right. Just fatigue buildup making it drag a bit."
Rosé, who'd fretted hardest, eased up.
Right then, Merdia stepped out.
She shoved off clingy Rosé with a cold tone.
"Back off."
"Lemme check you're okay. Hungry?"
"I'm fine."
"Lemon said you barely ate for days? We've got plenty. Eat with us."
"..."
Rosé latched on and tugged; Merdia pretended not to notice as she got dragged along.
And so early lunch kicked off.