Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Self-Harm Misunderstanding
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“Ah, this?”
The wound on my forearm. She was talking about the cut from the paralyzing dagger back at the dorms.
“It’s nothing.”
“Wait, isn’t that a sword wound?”
Yoo Ara narrowed her eyes and grabbed my wrist.
“Ow! Hey! That hurts!”
I flinched and yanked my hand away, and Yoo Ara narrowed her eyes again before speaking.
“What’s the deal? Were there monsters in the dungeon that use swords?”
Monsters that use swords? Of course not.
Monsters wielding bladed weapons were extremely rare and powerful, only appearing in A-Rank dungeons or higher.
If a high-rank monster like that had been in the dungeon, it probably would’ve doubled the clear time.
“No, this is a separate injury.”
“...What? It looks pretty fresh. Did you get in a fight with someone?”
Yoo Ara eyed me suspiciously.
“No, I just stabbed myself.”
At that moment, Yoo Ara’s expression hardened. I realized my slip-up and my mouth fell open.
I shouldn’t have said that in front of anyone else, but especially not Yoo Ara.
“Hey, hey. I’m kidding.”
My flustered reaction only made Yoo Ara look at me with even more suspicion.
[Character ‘Yoo Ara’ feels suspicion toward you.]
[Reward: 500 points acquired.]
“...Kim Sunwoo. You’re not self-harming, are you?”
“Are you crazy? Why would I do that?”
“Then why are you so flustered? What if you have more somewhere else?”
Yoo Ara suddenly approached me and started inspecting my arm closely.
“Huh? Hey! Hey, what are you doing!”
“What’s this? It’s not just one stab.”
Yoo Ara’s expression turned serious. She looked at me with eyes full of complicated emotions and said,
“...Hey, I don’t know the reason, but don’t self-harm. That kind of thing stabs the people around you in the heart.”
“It’s not like that.”
“...It is. You can tell from the wound that you did it yourself.”
“That’s...”
I couldn’t respond easily, and Yoo Ara just stared at me silently.
[Character ‘Yoo Ara’ feels pity toward you.]
[Reward: 1,000 points acquired.]
She’s seriously misunderstanding something big here.
I need to come up with some excuse quick.
I was just about to spit out a plausible lie I’d thought up when—
Beep! Beep! Beep!
A safety alert blared loudly from both mine and Yoo Ara’s smart student handbooks.
［Anti-Terror Safety Headquarters］
［Terror activities are surging worldwide. Please refrain from visiting crowded places for the time being.］
Terror activities worldwide.
She was referring to the terrorist group Jaun’s doing. Sure, the warning was to be cautious, but Jaun wouldn’t start full-scale terror operations in Korea for a while yet.
Then the safety alert rang out again.
［A terror incident has occurred in Rome. Footage has captured ‘Bert,’ a key member of the terrorist group Jaun, which disbanded 13 years ago.］
［Photo］
［If you see this face, please report to the Wizards’ Association Special Task Force.］
The photo showed a young blonde white woman.
Bert.
A core member of Jaun, known for her extremely cruel tendencies. The death toll by her hand alone was close to ten thousand.
That said, her photo being taken was a coincidence even in the original story—and that coincidence had happened again.
Honestly, I thought the butterfly effect would erase it, so this was unexpected.
I glanced at Yoo Ara in front of me.
As expected, her expression was far from normal. Her hand gripping the smart student handbook trembled faintly.
The terrorist group Jaun.
To her, Jaun was the object of hatred and vengeance.
Thirteen years ago, her family—the Yoo Clan, one of the five great wizard noble houses—had been wiped out by Jaun.
Jaun had brutally murdered her family and looted the clan’s treasures before fleeing.
She had lost everything except for her one remaining family member, her older sister Yoo A-yeon.
The reason she trained so harshly and obsessed over getting stronger was to deal with Jaun, the enemies of her clan.
“Yoo Ara.”
At my call, Yoo Ara’s body jolted. She quickly put on a calm facade and looked at me.
“Y-Yeah? What?”
“You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
“Really? You suddenly looked unwell.”
Yoo Ara shook her head at my response.
“Probably because I trained too hard today.”
Yoo Ara said that and glanced at the clock on the wall.
“It’s getting late. I should head out.”
“Yeah, okay. Get home safe.”
Yoo Ara nodded and left the training hall.
Once outside, Yoo Ara walked down the night street before sitting on a nearby bench and letting out a deep sigh. Her hands were still trembling from the excitement.
Jaun.
Those bastards were still alive.
Though this Jaun terror attack had caused many casualties, Yoo Ara felt a profound sense of relief knowing her targets for revenge and hatred were still out there.
‘I can get my revenge.’
My efforts to grow stronger won’t be in vain. I’ll wipe them from this world with my own hands...
Her sister suddenly came to mind. What must she have felt seeing Jaun’s members reveal themselves this time?
The day her family was slaughtered.
Yoo Ara had only been five years old.
Her memories of that day had faded over time, but not her sister’s. Her sister still carried those memories in her heart, tormented by them every day.
It had gotten better now, but there was a time when her sister even self-harmed to escape those painful memories.
“Self-harm...”
Come to think of it, why was Kim Sunwoo doing it?
The more she thought about it, the more unique he seemed. The former bottom of the class, yet he had impressive skills. Overflowing mana, yet he pretended to have none.
He must have some purpose for acting that way.
‘Is he really another victim of Jaun like me?’
Yoo Ara began pondering it seriously.
From what she’d heard, Jaun’s victims numbered in the tens of thousands worldwide.
‘Am I overthinking it...?’
Yoo Ara looked up at the stars in the night sky.
A cool breeze blew from somewhere.
Like the wind brushing her hair, countless thoughts brushed through her mind.
“...What?”
Saturday evening.
I woke up to find it was already 1 p.m.
The paralyzing poison from yesterday had made me sleep extra long, and after training magic all night until dawn, I’d crashed around 5 a.m.
For the record, I still hadn’t acquired any mana-related traits yesterday. It seems like it’ll take quite some time.
“Yawn.”
I stretched as I got up.
[532 people remember you.]
[Reward: 2,000 points acquired.]
I quickly dismissed the message that had popped up while I slept. Then I munched on some bread while turning on my smartphone.
There was a message from Han Seyeon from two hours ago.
[I got everything you requested. Want to meet at 6 p.m. today?]
6 p.m....
Plenty of time today, so no problem.
Her efficiency is always astonishingly fast.
[Sure. Where?]
I replied. About ten seconds later, a response came.
[I’ll send the address.]
A moment later, a message with the address arrived. It was a famous restaurant in central Seoul called ‘Kanthea’.
Like Han So-ok last time, it was a top-tier place with months-long reservations.
“Oh, I’m looking forward to this.”
Kanthea’s reputation wasn’t far behind Han So-ok’s.
After tasting heaven at Han So-ok, I wondered what Kanthea’s dishes would be like.
“Heh.”
I sat on the sofa chewing the fluffy bread, then used Outsider’s Privilege to access the internet. I checked the news section on the portal site to gauge the global situation.
「Worst Terror Group, Jaun. Revived After 13 Years?」
「Jaun Core Member Bert Captured on Camera in Rome Terror Incident」
「World Wizards’ Association: “High Possibility of Jaun’s Revival,” Launches Investigation」
Jaun’s appearance in Rome last night had caused a massive uproar.
According to the original story, during their active period, Jaun was known as more dangerous and terrifying than demons.
News that the worst group in history might revive had citizens trembling in fear.
On the other hand, some weren’t too worried about Jaun’s revival.
［Comments］
Yang Ga Nomu: Don’t worry, guys. Jaun’s infamy back then was all because of their leader, and he’s dead.
1-Neumb12: Yeah, even if Jaun revives, they’ll get wiped out quick. They couldn’t stop Jaun before because Jin Cheonwoo was too strong.
i-wfswql2: Jin Cheonwoo buffs are real lol
The reason was the absence of Jaun’s former leader, Jin Cheonwoo.
Jin Cheonwoo.
Called the worst wizard in history, he had instilled fear in every wizard worldwide with his overwhelming power.
Even when the world’s strongest wizards united, they couldn’t topple Jaun easily because they couldn’t handle that one man.
Jin Cheonwoo was as much a symbol of overwhelming force in the wizard world as Chairman Kim Jin-cheol.
“Hmm.”
But saying Jaun is weak without Jin Cheonwoo is wrong.
Sure, he was a huge part of Jaun, but its members were all S-Rank and A-Rank monsters.
Plus, they moved with extreme intelligence. In crises, they judged and scattered faster than anyone.
“...I need to reach A-Rank within two years at least.”
I’m way too weak right now. To stop them when Jaun starts full operations in two years, I need to power up fast—but can I?
“Sigh.”
It’ll work out somehow.
6 p.m., as the sun began to set.
Disguised as Kim Jinwoo, I arrived at the ‘Kanthea’ restaurant for my meeting with Han Seyeon. As I entered, a staff member approached with the usual formal question and guided me to my reserved seat.
Surprisingly, Han Seyeon hadn’t arrived yet.
Maybe because I’d come ten minutes early.
“Hmm.”
I sat and scanned the surroundings. The moderately dim lighting created a nice atmosphere.
If Han So-ok boasted traditional Korean beauty in a hanok, this place felt like a luxurious Western palace.
As I looked around, I spotted a familiar face.
A neatly handsome man in his early thirties.
Han Sejin.
‘What? Why is Han Sejin here...?’
Han Sejin was enjoying a meal and chatting happily with a woman.
Of course, someone of his status being at a top restaurant like this was natural. But running into him right when I had a dinner with Han Seyeon was a strange coincidence.
“Mr. Kim Jinwoo.”
As I stared at Han Sejin, a woman’s voice called from the side.
I turned to see Han Seyeon standing there. She sat across from me and said,
“You’re early? When did you get here?”
“Just now.”
“Oh?”
Han Seyeon nodded. Then, from afar, Han Sejin spotted her. He stared blankly for a moment before standing and approaching us.
“Seyeon.”
“Huh? Oppa?”
Han Seyeon looked a bit surprised too, clearly not expecting this.
“What are you doing here?”
At Han Sejin’s question, Han Seyeon glanced at me.
“I have an appointment with the person in front of me.”
Han Sejin’s gaze turned to me. Then he smiled and extended his hand.
“Nice to meet you. Han Sejin.”
“Yes, nice to meet you. I’m Kim Jinwoo.”
I shook Han Sejin’s hand. With this, I’d made acquaintance with a mid-story villain of some importance.
“Kim Jinwoo? Sounds familiar.”
“He’s the wizard who caught the culprit in the Han River demon incident and the Incheon terror case.”
“Oh! I saw it on the news.”
Han Sejin smiled as if he recognized me and said,
“But why are you having dinner with a wizard? Doesn’t seem like business...”
Han Sejin scanned me over. Then he grinned and turned to Han Seyeon.
“So this is your type, Seyeon. A mysterious guy. A bit unexpected.”
“Oh, it’s not like that.”
Han Seyeon furrowed her brows and whispered quietly, mindful of the people around.
Han Sejin looked at her, chuckled, and pulled a business card from his pocket to hand to me.
“Anyway, nice meeting you. Let’s have a meal sometime, just us.”
With that, Han Sejin left, leaving Han Seyeon and me alone.
A thick steak was placed in front of us. The juices were already making my mouth water.
I cut a big piece and took a bite, and a fantastic flavor exploded in my mouth.
As I smiled happily, Han Seyeon smiled quietly.
“I noticed last time too, but you have great food reactions.”
“You’re the weird one for eating delicious food like this so casually.”
Han Seyeon smiled at my response.
“But about that business card from my oppa earlier. You’re not going to contact him, right?”
“Hmm. Who knows.”
“Don’t. If you need anything, contact me.”
I chuckled. The great Han Seyeon saying this.
She must’ve decided I’m someone useful for her career.
“I’ll think about it.”
“...Don’t think. Just contact me.”
“Mmm, this is delicious.”