Chapter 352
Chapter 352
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 353
Chapter Title: Baek Eunseong's Probe
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Baek Eunseong's words left me momentarily stunned.
I never imagined he'd reveal his true identity so blatantly.
He must have come all the way to the hotel as a festival participant.
But what does he gain from exposing himself to me?
What's his goal?
As I stayed silent, Baek Eunseong smirked.
"I'm not here to harm you, so no need to be on guard. I just have some business at tomorrow's festival event. Besides, thanks to this damn unfair contract, I can't do anything about you anyway."
There was a hint of bitterness in Baek Eunseong's words as he smiled.
I stared at him steadily before asking,
"What's your intention in revealing yourself to me?"
"Intention? I just told you because I was glad to see you."
"Don't make me laugh. There's nothing good for you in letting me know your identity. What if I report you to the Association?"
Baek Eunseong let out a low chuckle at my words.
"Go ahead and try. This dogshit Blood Oath would finally end."
His words left me briefly dumbfounded.
The Blood Oath persists on the condition that 'Kim Sunwoo' and 'Jaun' do not harm each other.
Baek Eunseong was declaring he'd operate openly in front of me by exploiting that condition. He knew I couldn't touch him anyway.
"For your information, even if you secretly report it and play innocent, it won't work. No one else knows about our plan."
So that's how you want to play it?
It was then.
Ding. The elevator chimed as it stopped.
We had arrived at basement level 3, where the hot springs were.
The doors slid open, and Baek Eunseong stepped out with a smirk.
I watched his retreating figure for a moment before following him out.
As we walked down the corridor, the unique humidity of the hot springs hit me.
Moments later, a spacious, luxurious hall came into view.
Inside, people who had just enjoyed the hot springs wandered around in their robes.
"Hey? Sunwoo!"
Just then, a familiar voice called out from somewhere.
I turned to see Yoon Hayoung, dressed in a robe, approaching me with a delighted expression.
Baek Eunseong, who had been walking ahead of me, paused, suddenly intrigued.
"Wow~ Fancy running into you here again. You here to enjoy the hot springs too?"
"Yeah... something like that. Looks like you've already had your fill."
I replied, catching the faint shampoo scent wafting from Yoon Hayoung's hair.
"Yeah, the hot springs are amazing. My mana circulation sped right up."
Just then, Yoon Hayoung's gaze shifted to Baek Eunseong, who had stopped beside me.
She seemed puzzled by how close we appeared and leaned in to whisper,
"...Is he someone you know?"
I glanced at Baek Eunseong before replying,
"Nah, no idea who he is."
"Then why's he staring?"
"No clue. Seems like a weirdo. Not sure if he's a stalker, but just in case, you be careful too."
"Jeez."
Baek Eunseong wore an incredulous expression for a moment before shaking his head and heading toward the hot springs again.
Yoon Hayoung watched his back and said,
"You know, I've noticed you have a ton more people who recognize you these days. Some of them even treat you like some kind of religious figure."
It had been happening more lately.
Just a few months ago, most people said, "I've heard the name Kim Sunwoo, but I don't know what he looks like." But recently, the number of people recognizing my face had skyrocketed.
Especially after the sparring video with Lee Seojun spread.
"Well, anyway... just be careful, you never know."
"Yeah, I will."
Yoon Hayoung smiled brightly, and I couldn't help but smirk back.
"Alright, the hot springs close soon, so I should head out."
"Yeah. Go on in! See you tomorrow!"
Bye! After parting with Yoon Hayoung, I continued down the corridor.
Then I entered the area marked [Men's].
Sharing a hot spring with a major villain felt a bit awkward, but I couldn't pass up the effects of the 'Mana Hot Spring,' so I decided to ignore personal feelings.
After wrapping a towel around myself decently and stepping inside, I spotted Baek Eunseong already soaking.
"Ugh~ This is the life~ Oh man. Oh man."
Baek Eunseong was making strange noises.
The guy who's afraid of water sure enjoys hot springs.
I gave him an exasperated look for a moment before washing up and joining him in the water.
"Ahh."
The sound escaped my lips involuntarily the moment I sank in.
It felt like the warm water was embracing my entire body.
I'd visited a mana hot spring in the virtual world last year, but being in reality made it feel way more effective.
['Mana Hot Spring' effect: All recovery speeds increased by 300%.]
[Mana cultivation efficiency increased by 30% for one week.]
[Mind clears.]
Pure bliss.
All the recent stress melted away in an instant.
Just then, my eyes met Baek Eunseong's as he happened to glance my way.
He was wearing some round sunglasses.
...What the hell is that?
Suspecting it might be a magic tool, I activated Outsider's Privilege.
[Emotion-Detecting Glasses (Relic)]
Description: Detects the emotions of others.
Emotion-Detecting Glasses?
Is he trying to read my emotions?
To prepare for any possibility, I activated [Overimmersion].
As I stared at him intently, Baek Eunseong adjusted the frames of his sunglasses.
"Just some travel sunglasses I bought. Cool, right?"
I ignored him, feeling no need to respond, and he smirked while lifting his left arm.
"More importantly... see this arm?"
His left arm, covered in synthetic skin. It was a prosthetic.
"The one you sliced off in Atlantis and took for yourself."
His words made me panic inwardly.
It was proof he'd figured out my identity.
Normally, I might have shown shock and given myself away, but since I'd preemptively used [Overimmersion], I kept my emotions hidden.
"...What?"
And as I showed no reaction, Baek Eunseong was the one who looked flustered.
I calmly met his gaze and asked,
"What the hell are you talking about? When did I ever cut off your arm?"
He bit his lip at my feigned ignorance, glaring at me with what seemed like anger before speaking.
"...Don't play dumb. I know you're from the Rune Clan. I even know you stole the Chalice of Life."
Now I understood the situation—and why he'd revealed himself.
Jaun suspects 'Kim Sunwoo.' But with the Blood Oath in place, he can't act on it.
He was testing me to find solid proof.
It had been a close call, but it actually benefited me.
Now I knew Jaun suspected—no, was almost certain of—'Kim Sunwoo's' secret.
I smirked and said,
"Sounds like you've got some weird misunderstanding. Rune Clan? Chalice of Life? No idea what you're on about. Stop grabbing at straws."
"Don't lie. I know everything."
"Come on, I told you I don't know."
"...Damn it! Hey! It was you!"
Baek Eunseong shouted loudly and shot to his feet. Nearby bathers turned to stare.
I looked at him and casually leaned back against the hot spring's stone wall.
"I get that you're frustrated over some injustice, but like I said, it wasn't me."
"Hey!"
"I don't know~ I know nothing~"
His eyes narrowed into a fierce glare, his fist clenched and infused with mana.
He looked ready to attack at any moment.
But I continued gazing at him calmly.
"You keep that up, and you might throw a punch."
"Argh! Damn it! Can't even do anything about it."
In the end, Baek Eunseong released the mana from his fist. He looked ridiculous, unable to vent his anger.
"If you wanna hit me, go ahead."
"...You just wait."
Baek Eunseong stormed out of the hot spring in a huff.
The next day.
The second day of the school trip arrived.
With free time until 5 p.m., we dove into the festival events we hadn't gotten to yesterday.
Starting with the rides Shin Youngjun had been singing about, then the fountain show, street food, and more.
Before we knew it, 5 p.m.—the assembly time for the trip—loomed.
As we prepared to head back to the hotel, a voice drifted over from somewhere.
—This way, please.
—When's the 'Blood Crystal' coming up?
—It's the fourth item in the 8 p.m. auction.
A middle-aged man in luxurious clothes was being led by a man in a suit as they passed by.
I stared hard at the man's face. It was the same one I'd seen during the school trip before my regression.
Name: Yoo Cheol
Age: 52
Race: Demon
Status: Calm
Mana Rank: A+
Interest Level: 0
Demon, Yoo Cheol.
A demon hiding behind the mask of a world-class investor, playing a major role in demon finances.
He was also the culprit behind the 'minor incident' that would occur during today's school trip.
What he was after was the miracle 'Blood Crystal,' capable of producing artificial blood on demand.
It was a medical relic used to supply blood for the injured, but with the Association's surveillance tightening, blood supplies had dwindled, making it a relic demons sought for 'survival.'
...Hold on.
A sudden thought struck me.
What if Jaun's unexpected involvement in the original story was because of the Blood Crystal?
They had every reason to target it.
It was the perfect relic as a substitute for the Chalice of Life to resurrect Jin Cheonwoo and recreate his body.
If my hunch was right and Jaun was after the 'Blood Crystal'...
Something big might go down.
"Sunwoo."
Yoon Hayoung's voice snapped me back to reality.
"Yeah, uh-huh."
"Did you pack your party outfit, though?"
"Party outfit? Yeah, got it."
Tonight's main event was the 'Relic Exhibition Hall' in the evening.
There'd be a simple party, a relic auction, and fireworks to cap it off.
The Magic Academy students had been told to bring party attire for it.
Of course, I had 'Formless,' so I didn't need to pack clothes.
Lee Seojun checked the time and said,
"4:50. Let's head back quick."
7 p.m.
Under the teachers' guidance, after enjoying a few more festival events, we arrived at the exhibition hall for the main event.
The exhibition took place in a massive modern house.
"Alright, everyone, it's crowded, so no causing a scene. Quietly explore the exhibition hall on your own. Don't forget to stick with your group. Have fun!"
Free time was granted once more.
Some students headed to the restaurant, while others went outside to catch the performances.
"What should we do? Performances or the exhibition?"
As Yoon Hayoung asked, an announcement blared.
[An unreleased relic will be unveiled shortly!]
Once the voice from the ceiling finished, Yua said,
"I wanna see the exhibition."
"Me too. Prefer the exhibition over performances."
Lee Seojun added.
"Then let's check out the exhibition!"
Decision made, we headed that way together.
All the while, I kept scanning my surroundings, thinking about what was to come.
That's when someone appeared before us.
"Oh. You're Kim Sunwoo, right?"
It was a white-haired middle-aged man in a suit.
A face I recognized.
The tycoon, Lee Geonneung.
In the original story, the man who won the 'Blood Crystal' with overwhelming wealth—only to be assassinated by demons at dawn.