No Longer Need to Protect Me
No longer did she need to protect me like she used to.
Hundreds of years ago, a monstrous beast tore through a rift in the empty sky. Its white scales were so tough no weapon could scratch them, and its crimson eyes held the power to pierce through all things—the most vicious demon of them all. Riding jet-black clouds, it raced across the heavens, spewing crimson lightning that set the entire world ablaze: the White Dragon, Baekryong.
The Baekryong rampaged freely, as if intent on turning the whole world to ash piles. But its advance halted before one hero. The impenetrable scales that no weapon could dent were scarred for the first time by the hero's fists and kicks. The eyes that pierced all things could barely track the hero's movements. The hero was the first true crisis the Baekryong, who had descended to burn the world, had ever faced.
Yet it was still the Baekryong. The beast unleashed its full power against the hero, its crimson lightning threatening his life. Their legendary clash, where each was a clear threat to the other, raged for ten days and nights. And on the final night of the tenth day, the hero's fist broke through the lightning and struck true. The Baekryong spewed blood and met its end.
The dragon's blood that poured out then flowed into the wounds etched across the great hero's body. His hair turned white, his eyes crimson, and he gained the power to wield red lightning. Just like the white calamity that had sought to incinerate the world—the Baekryong itself.
But the Baekryong's crimson lightning no longer scorched the earth. It had been utterly defeated by the hero's fist.
The great hero who saved the world from the Baekryong and claimed its power. His name was Baekcheon, the founder of Baekga, one of Korea's three great guilds.
Thus founded, Baekga grew its influence through the Baekryong's inherited power, swiftly establishing itself as the pinnacle of noble houses. A true prestigious family whose might and authority remained unshaken even as the nation's name changed. A house of true power, capable of swaying the country with a single word. The supreme noble house, Baekga.
Baek Ji-an was a child denied the right to be born into that Baekga.
Because the woman who bore her was an ordinary human.
※ What Baekga valued most was 'blood'.
The dragon's blood that founder Baekcheon had claimed by slaying the Baekryong. That blood was the source of the power that elevated Baekga to its supreme status.
But blood dilutes with each generation. To compensate for the fading purity of the dragon's blood, Baekga reinforced it by mixing in the blood of powerful Awakeners. They strictly forbade any impurities tainting the sacred Baekryong blood. Children lacking the qualifications weren't even permitted to be born.
Baek Ji-an was conceived outside that family tradition and its rules.
※ Baek Ji-an survived only because her father was a direct descendant of the family head. In exchange, her father, Baek Su-hyeok, had to cede all his rights as a successor candidate to his brother, Baek Gung-hyuk.
'I'll yield the successor's seat or whatever—just let my child be born, brother.'
Baek Gung-hyuk had no reason to refuse that plea. He became Baekga's successor, and Baek Ji-an's father, Baek Su-hyeok, was completely excluded from the succession struggle.
Everyone was happy back then. Baek Gung-hyuk had secured the successor position, and Baek Su-hyeok could have his child.
But when Baek Ji-an was born with white hair and crimson eyes, that brief happiness shattered to pieces.
※ Those who strongly inherit the Baekryong's blood are born with white hair and red eyes. This was the hallmark of Baekga's bloodline, known to all.
But the whitening of hair and reddening of eyes happened after Awakening. Before Awakening, they had ordinary hair and eye colors, which changed as the Baekryong blood awakened.
Yet Baek Ji-an was born with white hair and crimson eyes from the start. As if chosen by the Baekryong's blood itself.
For a child with lowly ordinary blood mixed in to be born with white hair and crimson eyes? The entire family erupted in uproar at this impossibility, and even Baek Gung-hyuk lost his smile.
Baek Gung-hyuk felt Baek Ji-an's existence was deeply ominous.
※ When Baek Ji-an turned five, family head Baek San entered secluded training. He entrusted the acting head position to his eldest son, Baek Gung-hyuk.
Five years later, Baek Gung-hyuk became Baekga's de facto master.
And on her tenth birthday, Baek Ji-an lost her parents.
※ After Baek Ji-an's parents died in an inexplicable accident, Baek Gung-hyuk took her in himself. Out of a desire to turn the child chosen by the Baekryong's blood into his own pawn.
Of course, he didn't raise her well. Every time he faced her, Baek Gung-hyuk scorned her as tainted with lowly blood, a base thing, constantly belittling her.
With the acting head openly despising and mistreating her, the family began ignoring her outright too. The entire clan's bullying was too much for a ten-year-old girl who had lost her parents overnight.
Baek Ji-an's fragile spirit was wounded, chipped away, and shattered day by day. By the time it had deteriorated to where she could barely meet anyone's eyes,
"Did you come with your dad?"
At an orphanage, Baek Ji-an met Kang Jinseong.
※ A child who, like her, had lost his parents. Yet unlike her, he wasn't withdrawn—he stepped forward and spoke to others first. A kid who could pull funny faces without hesitation to cheer up someone on the verge of tears.
That was Baek Ji-an's first impression of Kang Jinseong.
The two bonded over their shared loss of parents and quickly became friends. Kang Jinseong was Baek Ji-an's first friend ever. For the lonely girl who had lost her parents, he became her first emotional anchor.
When the orphanage volunteer work ended and she returned home, a faint smile graced Baek Ji-an's face for the first time in ages.
But that smile...
"Looks like you've made a friend. Yes, making friends is a good thing. But keeping precious relationships requires tremendous effort, you know? Understand?"
Vanished the instant she heard Baek Gung-hyuk, sitting beside her, say those words.
Young as she was, Baek Ji-an vaguely knew. Who had taken her parents' lives.
She didn't want to lose Kang Jinseong—her first and only friend—like her parents.
"...Yes, Uncle."
So she resolved herself. She would protect Kang Jinseong no matter what. She would never let him be taken.
※ Fifteen years passed since becoming friends with Kang Jinseong, and Baek Ji-an turned twenty-five.
Fifteen years was a long time; she had gone through so much with him. Good times, infuriating times, sad times, joyful times—countless.
The two days he confessed to her were still vividly etched in her memory, filled with such joy.
She was always angry at her life for forcing her to reject that confession.
The three years apart at Hunter Academy were pure sorrow every day.
Every day with him was pure delight.
Her feelings for Kang Jinseong grew deeper with time, becoming indispensable to her life. To the girl who had nowhere to rest her heart, he was her sole sanctuary.
Jinseong is weak. Without Jinseong, I have no reason to live. So I have to protect him.
Baek Ji-an would gladly give her life to protect Kang Jinseong. That's why she swallowed the Monster Dragon Pill Baek Gung-hyuk offered without hesitation.
A life protecting Jinseong, staying by his side forever. That was Baek Ji-an's lifelong dream and goal.
But...
"Hey, Baek Ji-an. Who asked you to protect them? You think I'd be happy seeing you throw your life away like that?"
"Uh, wha, what?!"
"I wasn't gonna hit you since you're freshly healed, but seeing that clueless face... You need a knuckle rap!"
Crack!
"Kyaaang!"
She got knuckle-rapped by Kang Jinseong for the very reason she'd staked her life to protect him.
"Wha-what?! Why all of a sudden?! Aaaah, why does a knuckle rap hurt so much?!"
"I wrapped it in spatial energy. My attack ignores defense right now."
"Wh-what are you even talking about?"
Baek Ji-an couldn't comprehend the situation surrounding her at all. She opened her eyes in Kang Jinseong's arms, got glared at by a stranger named Yoo Seo-ah, and then got scolded with a knuckle rap out of nowhere.
Her mind filled with question marks amid the utter confusion when—
"...Hah?! Hey, Kang Jinseong! This isn't the time for this!"
Something she'd momentarily forgotten flashed in Baek Ji-an's mind.
"Baek Gung-hyuk's coming! To kill me! We have to run! If you're with me, you'll get dragged in and die too!"
Baek Gung-hyuk—the one trying to kill her.
The moment she recalled him, Baek Ji-an's face drained white. Her body trembled, cold sweat soaked her, her breathing grew ragged into hyperventilation. A panic attack born of fear and anxiety.
But not because she feared Baek Gung-hyuk himself.
"J-Jinseong... I don't want to lose you too. I can do anything to protect you. So just run for now. I'll handle the rest..."
It was because she feared losing Kang Jinseong to Baek Gung-hyuk's hands.
"Haa..."
Kang Jinseong, looking down silently at the trembling Baek Ji-an begging him to flee, let out a light sigh.
Smooth.
Then he gently cupped her soft cheeks with both hands and—
Streeeetch—!
"Did you forget what I just said?!"
"Eeeee?!"
Pulled her cheeks hard.
"Eup! Eupu! Geuman! Geumanhae! Jebal! (It hurts! Hurts! Stop! Stop! Please!)"
Kang Jinseong's cheek-pull hurt so much tears squirted out; Baek Ji-an surrendered immediately.
When he released her cheeks, she cradled her stinging face with both hands, cooling it.
"Aaaah..."
"Hey, Baek Ji-an. Ears open, listen well."
At Kang Jinseong's serious tone, Baek Ji-an turned to him, tears pooling in her eyes.
Meeting her gaze, he continued.
"No longer do you need to protect me like you used to."
His words turned Baek Ji-an's mind blank.
She'd lived all this time solely on the resolve to protect Kang Jinseong.
She'd even rejected his confession to protect him.
And now—no more need to protect him?
It felt like the last fifteen years—and her entire future—were being denied.
"Wh-what do you..."
Baek Ji-an tried to ask in a trembling voice, but her words cut off.
"Because I'm not weak anymore."
At Kang Jinseong's words. He reached for the laptop on the table in front of the sofa and pressed the spacebar.
"I'll show you now. How strong I am, how much stronger I can get, and what goals I'm aiming for."
A fresh video of Baek Gung-hyuk getting pummeled began playing on the laptop screen.