Die With a Smile (2)
Stat Point Selection Ticket used.
Mana stat increases by 1.
Starting today, we had three days of rest. The twenty-six participants eliminated from the World Labyrinth packed their bags and left, while the remaining seventy were given a vacation to recover from the aftereffects of the labyrinth.
I, however, recovered in an instant.
When used, projects a dream bubble. The dream bubble emits a soft, gentle light and wave-like vibrations into the surroundings. This energy stabilizes the user's physical and mental state, vastly improving natural recovery during sleep.
The energy of the dream bubble only takes effect within a certain range and applies to all living organisms.
It was all thanks to this skill, which I had acquired in the Ritual Labyrinth.
A godsend of an acquisition that could supplement my rotten stamina and endurance. It was better than dragon scales.
...At least, it was for me.
"Yaaawn...?"
I was grabbing a can of cola from the vending machine in the first-floor lobby when I spotted Kim Du-gyeom. He was trotting down the hallway, carrying a box overflowing with supplies. He was probably volunteering to help the staff.
"Heave-ho, heave-ho."
Making those little grunts was genuinely sickening. Where did he even learn to act like that? If it were possible, I would love to land a satisfying punch right in the middle of his face.
But with my current strength, I wouldn't even be able to break his nose. The loss of my physical capabilities was truly painful at times like this.
"...Oh."
Kim Du-gyeom spotted me. *Crack-fizz.* I popped open my can of cola and glared at him.
"What are you looking at?"
"...Hello!"
"I'm not doing well."
"Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to escape the labyrinth..."
"I had no intention of saving you."
Kim Du-gyeom bowed. I stared at him with deep suspicion.
He was currently in the perfect position to be tripped. Since he was clutching a massive box in his arms, if I just extended my cane slightly, it would catch his shin and send him sprawling in a pathetic heap.
Under normal circumstances, I would have tripped him instantly.
But today, something felt off.
It seemed like he wanted me to do it. Wearing a breezy, cheerful smile, he wobbled his legs as he approached the side where my cane was...
I swiftly pulled my cane back. Kim Du-gyeom stumbled unnaturally. This bastard, he was prepared to fall.
I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
"Ack!"
"...Be careful. You might trip."
Right on cue, Ryu Yeon-hwa appeared from behind. A crowd of writers and PDs emerged as well.
Of course. I knew it. This insidious, arrogant bastard.
I let out a smirk.
"Be careful next time, okay?"
"...Yes."
Kim Du-gyeom struggled to maintain his composure.
"What's going on?"
Ryu Yeon-hwa asked, helping support Kim Du-gyeom.
"Oh, well—"
"He almost fell, so I caught him. Why?"
The look Ryu Yeon-hwa gave me was incredibly sour. It was probably because he was close with Kim Du-gyeom. The bastard must have been subtly ruining my image while pretending to be completely innocent and fine.
I spoke to Kim Du-gyeom.
"Watch where you're going. You might be fine, but this cane is my leg. Got it?"
The writers glared at me. Their eyes were filled with dissatisfaction for some reason. Kim Du-gyeom nodded.
"Yes. I'll be careful."
"Let's go, Du-gyeom."
"Okay..."
Kim Du-gyeom trailed off sadly as he walked away with the writers and PDs.
*Thump.* I intentionally tapped my cane against the floor. When he turned back at the sound, I mouthed the words silently.
'Did you think I wouldn't know?'
As his face stiffened, I raised my middle finger.
'Fuck you.'
Early dawn.
*Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter.*
The sound of falling rain woke me. Outside the dark window, the downpour was quite heavy. I immediately prepared to head out.
There is a saying considered an absolute truth by countless spellcasting theory books, active spellcasters, and even mages.
A spellcaster must never avoid snow or rain. Rather, they should welcome it. For snow and rain are the very products of condensed environmental mana.
So, I got dressed. I slipped leather gloves onto both hands. To turn an item into a Cherished Item, one had to spend the majority of their daily routine with it.
"My pretty Snowflake, I'll be back."
The Snowflake had already sprouted a stem. I gently stroked it before heading outside and climbing the Back Mountain.
I had planned to immediately begin my Mana Breathing at my usual spot, but...
"...What the?"
There was an uninvited guest. Someone was sitting cross-legged right where I sat every single day.
I stared in annoyance at the white head of hair getting soaked in the pouring rain.
"Hwooooo..."
He looked as if he were practicing some sort of mental cultivation technique. A highly talented spellcaster from a prestigious family, and a future member of the debut group.
It was Ryu Yeon-hwa.
I limped over to him. Extending my cane, I tapped him on the shoulder.
"!"
Ryu Yeon-hwa opened his eyes with a start. Spotting me, he frowned and stood up.
"What is it?"
Ryu Yeon-hwa was tall. Whenever he suddenly stood up, his height caught me off guard. His profile and personal claim stated he was 191 cm, but that was a blatant lie. He was at least three to four centimeters taller. I was exactly 191 cm before my accident shrunk me, so I knew for sure.
I pointed my cane at the spot Ryu Yeon-hwa had been sitting on.
"My spot."
"...Ha."
Ryu Yeon-hwa let out a dumbfounded chuckle.
"It doesn't seem like a particularly good spot."
"Can you feel it?"
"Of course. For a spellcaster, a good spot is where yin and yang harmonize, the concentration of mana is appropriate, and the spiritual energy of nature lingers—"
"Move."
He talked too much. Was he trying to show off that he was of noble descent or something? It had been ages since Ryu Seong-ryong passed away.
"Shoo."
I waved my cane.
Using a cane lately made me realize why the elderly treated it like an extension of their arm.
"..."
Ryu Yeon-hwa's nose twitched as he stepped aside. I sat down in my spot. It had been warmed to a comfortable temperature. What a disgusting feeling.
"Spellcaster Seol Ha-woon."
"...What now?"
I looked up at Ryu Yeon-hwa.
"Du-gyeom has been suffering lately."
Suddenly, he was bringing up Kim Du-gyeom.
"Kim Du-gyeom?"
"Yes."
Well, it made sense. Both before my regression and in the recently aired episodes, Kim Du-gyeom and Ryu Yeon-hwa were often seen together. Kim Du-gyeom parasitized Ryu Yeon-hwa to suck up screen time and public recognition, while Ryu Yeon-hwa remained completely oblivious to it.
"Did you come all the way here just to tell me that?"
"He's not someone who deserves to be bullied. I've never met a kid as kind as Du-gyeom."
I almost spat. A fully grown twenty-one-year-old calling someone else a 'kid' was ridiculous.
"You really need to develop a better judge of character."
"...Karma always comes back. Like a boomerang."
"You should worry about yourself. I heard some rumors about you and a club?"
Surprisingly, I was quite familiar with the internet. Information gathering was essential for tracking people down, after all.
I was also well aware of the ghost stories about me and Kim Du-gyeom circulating on online communities and social media.
Information that only an insider could possibly know was being posted. Whose doing could it be?
Kim Du-gyeom, obviously.
The broadcast station's writers and PDs weren't foolish enough to leak internal matters. They weren't temporary contract workers; they were all full-time employees.
"...Is this another threat?"
"It's not a threat, I'm telling you it's literally being posted on the internet right now. Do you not know how to use the web?"
I remembered the original scenario.
A certain drug-addicted club promoter would spread rumors about Ryu Yeon-hwa, sparking a massive scandal. Kim Du-gyeom would then comfort Ryu Yeon-hwa, highlighting their friendship and causing Kim Du-gyeom's popularity to skyrocket while Ryu Yeon-hwa took all the damage.
"...Sigh."
Ryu Yeon-hwa shook his head and walked back down the mountain path.
I immediately closed my eyes. I had to do what I came here for before the rain stopped.
Haaaa...
As I began my Mana Breathing, I visualized my Cognitive Image.
My goal this time was a 'Mana Implant to reinforce the nervous system.'
The biggest issue with my Sequence was the headache and intense heat. The heat generated when mana amplified the nervous system literally burned the nerves and heated the brain to near-melting temperatures.
Therefore, if I could place a magical implant between the brain and the spine, and then spray mana to protect and cool the nervous system...
*Bzzt!*
A spark erupted at the back of my neck.
When I regained consciousness, my body was sprawled face down on the ground.
My entire body was burning hot, like molten lava.
"..."
I blinked blankly.
*Drip. Splatter. Drip.* Rainwater poured down onto my face.
Did I just pass out?
It seemed so. The sun was already beginning to peek faintly through the clouds.
This was difficult.
It was difficult, but I had to succeed.
I never expected to succeed on the first try anyway. I just had to keep trying until it worked.
"Sigh..."
I focused on my breathing, letting the falling rain wash over me.
The flow of nature cooled my overheated body.
It seemed I would have to restrict my implant training to days when it rained or snowed.