Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Find the Right Path (1)
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1.
“Sis.”
Do Ye-jin asked Do Su-jin.
“When’s Mom coming? I miss her.”
Do Su-jin, dressed in mourning clothes.
Silently pulled her little sister into a hug and sobbed. Do Ye-jin was eight years old at the time, and they were in the midst of mourning their mother.
The girl was far too young to understand death. That pain of loss changed Do Ye-jin’s life in many ways.
2.
Her name was Do Ye-jin.
Her nickname was the scrappy brawler of Seonhwa High.
If you asked the students or teachers about Do Ye-jin, you’d get a variety of responses.
“That…… that girl’s a total psycho brawler.”
“She beats up boys with her fists.”
“The so-called tomboy? Get to know her, and she’s sweet and cute.”
Oddly enough.
She was treated like a troublemaker, but she wasn’t a delinquent.
To sum it up simply:
Do Ye-jin. Sixteen years old. Top of the class in PE. Bottom of the class in academics.
“Looks tasty!”
Do Ye-jin hummed a tune as she unwrapped her sandwich from the school store.
That’s when the soccer ball came flying.
It smashed the sandwich flat, then bounced up and splattered sauce and veggies all over Do Ye-jin’s face.
“…….”
Do Ye-jin’s face twisted.
The faces of the boys playing ball in the classroom turned to horror as well.
“Y-you idiots! What if you hit Do Ye-jin!”
But it was already too late.
Do Ye-jin kicked her chair back and charged…… and started knocking the boys down with her fists.
“Hey, you bastards! Cut it out!”
When the homeroom teacher dragged her away, Do Ye-jin was the one covered in blame.
“Why is that girl so violent?”
“They kicked the ball first! I think playing ball in the classroom is wrong!”
“You punk! Who do you think you’re talking back to like that! Sorry, ma’am.”
Do Ye-jin had no mother.
Her parents had never shown up to parent-teacher conferences, naturally zero times. She became the butt of jokes among her classmates.
But Do Ye-jin had no intention of just taking it.
So she fought.
And in fighting, she got strong.
However…… she couldn’t fight adults.
“No, she can talk back a little.”
But then Do Ye-jin had reinforcements.
“A teacher’s word isn’t always right, is it?”
Long, alluring hair and a cool impression. A beauty who drew every eye wherever she went.
It was Do Su-jin.
“Sis!”
“I heard they kicked the ball first and hit Ye-jin’s face. Why is that Ye-jin’s fault?”
“But she hit the kid?”
“Then would you just stand there if I threw this bag at your face right now, ma’am?”
“Our kid did it by accident─”
“─And why are you the one judging that?”
The mothers looked utterly flabbergasted. Do Su-jin drove the point home.
“If you’re going to report it without settling, go ahead. If you’re confident enough to take it to court. Let’s go, Ye-jin.”
Do Su-jin was stronger than Do Ye-jin.
She lacked for nothing. Unlike Do Ye-jin, she was great at studies too……
“Why’d you do that?”
Do Su-jin asked as they walked down the hallway.
“They started it.”
“Not that. If you were gonna make me come to school, you should’ve beaten them properly. Why’d you go easy?”
“Hmm. Got tired midway through beating them.”
“Ugh. Work on your stamina.”
Do Su-jin ruffled her sister’s hair wildly. The sisters always shared laughs over such trivial things. It had been this way ever since their mom died.
“Oh, almost forgot the greeting.”
Do Su-jin held out her left palm.
A deep scar was etched there. The same scar marked Do Ye-jin’s right palm.
- A deal called Soulchain.
That’s what her sister had called it as a kid.
Binding souls or whatever……
- Cut your palms like this, press them together until the blood dries, and you can feel each other’s presence. Anytime, anywhere. Live together, die together.
Even now, it made no sense.
Why would someone as rational as her sister do something like that?
But it was strangely real.
The effect was genuine.
For instance, when they were close, the scars would itch.
“You gonna keep Sis waiting?”
And when they pressed palms together, a warm sense of security welled up inside.
“Nope.”
Her sister smiled brightly as their hands met.
Do Su-jin was famous for rarely smiling, but she smiled endlessly for her sister.
“But where are we going?”
“To the office. Dad’s there.”
What?
“Our little princess!”
Someone threw an arm around Do Ye-jin’s shoulders and rubbed his chin beard all over her face.
“You cute thing. Our adorable daughter.”
A hearty-looking middle-aged man.
It was her dad, Do Ji-woong. Do Ye-jin recoiled in half-horror.
“What? How’d you get here, Dad?”
Dad was always busy with work.
He held a pretty high position at a mid-sized trading company.
“Well, see……”
Dad put on a serious face.
Something must’ve happened…… As worry bubbled up, Dad pulled a gift box from his pocket.
“What’s this?”
“Open it first.”
She opened it without much thought…… and her heart stopped for a beat. Because of Dad’s elegant handwriting on the gift card.
[With gratitude for the 16th birthday of our most lovable daughter and sister, Ye-jin]
The “sister” part was in her sister’s handwriting.
She barely lifted her trembling face, and Do Ji-woong grinned wide.
“Happy birthday, sweetie.”
“Dad, you know you’ve got no sense? Sis picked that one. Even got the wrist size right. Pretty, huh?”
“Yeah. It’s pretty.”
“Put it on already.”
The gift was a luxurious watch.
An analog watch with hands ticking away.
“Dad’s so useless. This was the only time I could give you your present.”
Do Ye-jin shook her head.
She stared blankly at the watch on her wrist and murmured.
“You…… remembered my birthday?”
“Of course! How could I forget? I might forget Su-jin’s, but never Ye-jin’s.”
“Dad, what’d you just say?”
“Just a figure of speech. And you got presents right up to twenty-two.”
They all laughed happily at the pun.
Do Ji-woong checked the time and said regretfully.
“Gotta go now. See you this weekend. There’s fireworks at the Han River Saturday night. Let’s watch together.”
“Fireworks?”
Do Ye-jin asked excitedly, then blushed seeing Dad and Sis exchange smiles.
“W-what? Can’t I like fireworks?”
“No. It’s just…… seeing you like this makes you seem like a regular girl. Right, Dad?”
“Yep. Super cute─”
─ZZZZZZZZZZT.
Noise burst from the Brainphone right then. So loud it made their heads ring for a moment.
“Wh-what……?”
Do Ji-woong tried to reassure the sisters calmly.
“It’s fine. Probably some glitch from the police control center. Those cops do nothing but──”
“──Kyaeeeeek!”
A gut-wrenching scream echoed down the hallway.
That’s when it started. An unreal presence weighed down their bodies like lead.
“Sis.”
Cold sweat dripped for some reason.
Her always-invincible Dad and Sis seemed to feel it too.
“Let’s go check it out.”
They exchanged glances, then headed from the stairs to the hallway window.
The sight that greeted them…… turned their minds blank.
“Dad, why’s everyone acting like that?”
So many students passed out, and the others just staring blankly out the window?
She turned to look outside too…… and witnessed something enormous.
“An angel……?”
Her sister murmured blankly.
It was straight out of mythology.
Pure white form, a crown, and holy wings.
The problem was its size.
The angel towering into the sky made the city below look like a toy.
“Ah…… Aah…….”
Her mind slowly went white.
Reason, her body, froze like stone, unable to do anything, right then.
「Humanity is no longer alone.」
The angel began to speak.
“Grab Dad’s hand tight. Got it?”
Do Ji-woong took the sisters’ hands.
“Trust only me. Don’t lose it.”
His big, rough, sweat-soaked hand trembled.
「We are the servants of the supremely great Star Exalted Ones, chosen as humanity’s Guiders.」
As the angel spoke.
「Ye-jin! We’ve awaited this moment, now rise and look at Sis.」
Do Ye-jin remembered her dad struggling to lead them out of the school.
「Fear not. In this grave mission, Ye-jin. Open your eyes already.」
But…… it was impossible.
「It’s okay now. Sis, Sis is here.」
Students frozen like statues blocked the way.
「Fight, prove it, so please just wake up.」
With those words, the world went mad.
“Ye-jin!”
A sinking, floating sensation in the abyss.
In that instant. A sensation like someone yanking her by the nape from a lake flooded in.
The floating faded..
Blinding light flashed, breath rushed in.
“Ye…… Ye-jin…… My sister Ye-jin…….”
“S…… Sis……?”
“Yeah, it’s Sis.”
When Do Ye-jin opened her eyes, she doubted her senses.
Her sister, who she thought was dead…… Sis Do Su-jin was hugging her tight and sobbing endlessly.
An inexplicable scene filled her vision. The distant past, a modern city…… A clock tower chimed dong-dong-dong.
……Heaven?
Even thinking felt exhausting.
Drowsiness flooded her sweat-soaked body.
It felt like a nightmare.
One that seemed endless…… But upon waking, she couldn’t remember it…….
3.
“What a load of bullshit.”
The one slamming the desk was Army Commander Choi Jeong-gyun. His sagging jowls shook.
“Soulchain? You’re submitting this crap as a statement? Do I, Choi Jeong-gyun, look like a joke to you?”
Do Su-jin shot back fiercely. She was Do Ye-jin’s family and lawyer.
“It’s all true.”
“True my ass! This goddamn statement isn’t a statement—it’s a script! A script!”
Ah…… I let out a sigh.
God, I could really use a smoke right now.
The so-called ‘cadre meeting’ was held on the third floor of Romance HQ, in the commander’s office.
Eight attendees.
Me, Choi Uk, Shin Tae-yeop, Choi Jeong-gyun, Do Su-jin. And three mid-to-small Raid Leaders.
The mood was as grim as it looked.
The three Raid Leaders looked dumbfounded, and Choi Jeong-gyun had lost his temper the moment he read the statement.
“But there’s solid proof it was Do Ye-jin herself.”
That’s when Shin Tae-yeop cautiously came to her defense.
“The scars on her palms, and the family ties check out.”
Choi Jeong-gyun narrowed his eyes.
“What does that matter?”
“Pardon?”
“Who she was before doesn’t matter! Hell no. What matters is she was a Subordinate.”
I skimmed the statement again.
Written by Choi Uk during interrogation, with Do Su-jin present.
……Headache again.
The creepiest part was the suit-wearing man who appeared at the end.
- Seek the truth, and come find me.
A three-way war.
Was Choi Uk’s guess right? Not just Holy Apostles, but Nightmares making Hunters too.
What truth did he mean?
What’s his goal? Is he after Dawn Sword fragments too?
“Choi Uk. Mind if I ask something?”
“Fire away.”
“I understand you were present when you got the statement. How was it?”
“Hm?”
I asked as tactfully as possible.
“Did it seem like she was telling the truth?”
Choi Uk’s 《透視》 could discern truth from lies, but that was secret.
“Yeah.”
I shut my mouth for a moment.
Felt like the worst part hadn’t come up yet.
“What’s this riot incident at the end?”
I read the suspicious part of the statement.
[Hunter Kim Min-ji, who tried to stop her, had her arm torn off at the shoulder…….]
“Just like it says. Do Ye-jin suddenly tried to escape the hospital room.”
Before Choi Uk finished, Do Su-jin defended her sister.
“She was in shock. Woke up to find a month had passed. The world’s a mess.”
I get it.
In the early days of the apocalypse, accepting a tuned world sane was damn hard.
“Anyway, if this is true, doesn’t she have insane power? Against another Hunter, no less—how?”
“Seems like something with Arishel’rab’s power is parasitizing her body, per her statement.”
Choi Uk emphasized.
“Confirmed directly with 《透視》.”
A sharp breath escaped me.
Arishel’rab still alive inside her?
“Do Ye-jin has a level display like a Hunter.”
What…… now?
Choi Uk’s eyes gleamed coldly.
“She’s currently [Lv: 11]. Don’t freak out. She has a unique skill called Subordinatization.”