Chapter 117: For You
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 117: For You
“The wind is howling!!”
“Bullshit! That’s just the sound of your mother wailing!!”
“Die!”
I was pummeled by a violent blast of wind magic and sent crashing downward.
Sigh. I guess he really is an executive of a shadow organization.
I’d underestimated him because he’s a guy Akito claps relatively early on, but he’s much stronger than I expected.
Then again, these guys show up in the mid-to-late stages of the main story, appearing after the protagonist fights off demons while investigating the Whitening Phenomenon. There’s no way he’d be weak.
“A moron who uses a bat as a mage’s weapon dares to—!!”
“Stop the bat-hate!!”
I tried to swat away the blade-like wind magic with my Etiquette Infuser, but dozens were flying at me at once. Blocking a few didn't matter when a carpet-bombing followed right behind.
Hey, come on—in the game, it’s turn-based, one hit for you and one for me. This is just cheap.
On top of that, he’s one of the few characters in this world who can use flight magic.
I thought fighting in a building would give me an advantage, but his wind magic just carves through ceilings and floors, creating plenty of vertical space.
We started fighting on the 7th floor, and I’ve already fallen to the 2nd.
He’s already agile, and now that he’s flying, I can’t keep up with him at all.
“A piece of trash who disrespects the wind has no right to live. I shall teach you the meaning of fear.”
“Watching a loner try so hard to pretend he’s talking to the wind is actually pretty scary. Don’t you have any friends? Does the wind offer to be your buddy?”
“You insignificant brat, how dare you mock me…”
“You’re the one mocking yourself, man. You’re claiming to hear things that aren't there. Hey, did the wind tell you how embarrassing you—Gah!”
This cheap bastard attacked me while I was still talking.
Dozens of wind spells rained down again like bombs from a bomber plane.
Wind magic is such a pain in the ass.
The magic itself has no form; it’s just condensed mana with faint mana lines. If you don’t focus, you lose track of it instantly.
Plus, he won’t give me a turn, just constant attacks. There’s no way to close the distance.
Even if I did get close, he’d just fly away with his flight magic, leaving me swinging my bat at empty air before falling back down.
Unless you’re a fast type like Bukgeuk-jwa or Yukina, or a long-range specialist like Angelica, he’s a nightmare to deal with.
“What’s wrong? Your foul mouth has finally shut. Have you finally realized the gap between us?”
“Dammit… why are all you guys so arrogant? Hey, your attacks just sting a bit. They aren't doing anything.”
“Bluffing about your sturdy mana barrier, are we? Let’s see how long you can hold out.”
He clearly doesn't understand the perversion of an M-type HP sponge.
Even Frey called this build ridiculous.
With a powerful mana barrier and the magic resistance Frey painstakingly helped me raise, his attacks really weren't doing much damage.
I’d rather he come down and hit me directly. Because he isn't, I can’t build up enough stacks, so my counter magic won't have any power.
Flight magic consumes a lot of mana, so if I drag this out, I’ll eventually win—but he’ll probably just run away once his mana gets low, right?
Please, if you’re going to leave, just do it quickly.
My goal right now isn't to defeat him.
I don’t know what kind of butterfly effect it might cause, so this Chuunibyou needs to leave here without getting captured, just like in the story.
The massacre of Division 4 didn't happen, but I at least need to prevent him from being caught by the government and having the shadow organization’s identity revealed too early.
The government… seeing them today, I realized they’re no pushovers, but the power of the main story is still something to be reckoned with.
The guy laughed at me, but he’s a high-level mage, an executive for a reason.
He likely knows I haven't taken much damage, and he knows he’s at a disadvantage if he keeps fighting while maintaining flight magic.
Looking down at me from the air, the Chuunibyou smirked.
“You’ve forgotten one thing.”
“What? That your mom is crying?”
“Let’s see how long you keep laughing. Stay there and listen to the screams of your comrades.”
Ignoring me, the Chuunibyou headed back toward the 7th floor through the shattered ceiling.
I just stood there, looking up as he moved further away. His loud laughter echoed down.
“Ahahaha!! You seemed to cherish your comrades! I’ll make sure to wrap their severed limbs into a nice little package for you! Come up and claim them!”
“What is this idiot even talking about?”
Watching him disappear past the 7th-floor ceiling, I flicked a coin to the side.
Shook—
With the sound of rushing air, Miguel, who had been protecting the team, appeared.
His eyes showed a moment of surprise at the sudden space jump, but Miguel soon saw my face and beamed.
“Yeon-woo, it’s your magic. Thank you.”
Kuu— Look at that kind smile.
I’m not into men, but at least it’s rewarding to help someone who responds with a grateful smile.
Now, when is that moron coming down?
While I was chatting with Miguel as he casually treated the team, the Chuunibyou slowly descended.
“Hey, I brought them down for you so you wouldn't have to go through the trouble. Packaging? Don’t worry about it, too much work. No need to thank me.”
“… …”
“And take off that mask. Isn't your face red? Aren't you embarrassed? Why is everything you say so cringey?”
“You son of a bitch…”
The Chuunibyou’s voice trembled, likely from sheer embarrassment.
Hmm… did I provoke him too much?
The mana radiating from his body was becoming ominous.
I was planning to just mess with him until the agents arrived and then say bye-bye, but he might keep fighting out of pure rage.
Looking at the barrier thinning, it seems the agents are already preparing to move in…
“Still want to fight? You sure? The barrier is weakening.”
“It’ll just mean more corpses.”
Hmph… the blood has definitely rushed to his head.
Even if I apologized and acted humble now, he’d probably just think I was mocking him.
What should I do…
As I was pondering, someone suddenly appeared behind him.
“That’s enough, G.”
“Shut up! Don’t even think about stopping me. No matter how much you—”
“Are you going to continue?”
“… …”
I was startled, thinking it was an agent’s surprise attack, but it seemed to be an ally.
Who is it? They all wear black robes and masks, so unless it’s the big guy with horns or the pig, I can’t tell who’s who.
I don’t know if they did it on purpose, but they have twelve executives, just like the 12 Zodiacs.
The Chuunibyou is one thing, but that woman’s voice is dangerous.
Please, I hope it’s not that terrifying woman who clobbered Akito several times. I just watched silently.
“Is the command to stay still that difficult for you? Even a beast can do it if taught.”
“You—!!”
Seeing the Chuunibyou fuming but unable to talk back, it must be her.
The new woman turned her head toward me.
Holy crap— I’m nervous. Don’t be nervous. Smile, just smile. I’m handsome. Maybe she’ll let me slide because I’m good-looking.
Hiding my intense tension, I gave her a smile. The woman stared at me for a moment before turning away.
Did it work? Did she let me go because I’m handsome?
As he followed the woman, the Chuunibyou pointed at me and then pointed two fingers at his own eyes.
I’m watching you? I responded by raising my middle finger.
The Chuunibyou flinched and glared at me, but he followed the woman without another word under her gaze.
From Akito’s perspective, the agents always arrive late. This time was no different; they finally deactivated the barrier and stormed in, but they couldn't do anything as the Chuunibyou used flight magic to carry the woman away.
They shouted various things over the radio, trying to catch them somehow, but any summons were obliterated by a single gesture from the woman, and the spells they fired didn't hit at all.
Phew— Anyway, it ended well.
“Yeon-woo, thank you. If it weren't for you, by now…”
“Helping each other during a mission is only natural. No need to thank me.”
“You’re so cool…”
Are you the same type as Akito?
You might be cute for a guy, but I’m not a gentleman with those kinds of tastes, so don’t go blushing and acting shy.
Because of the interference, Division 4 and I had to be pulled from the Trevor investigation.
After reporting the situation and receiving brief medical treatment, I headed to headquarters alone to meet with Keito.
I was just grateful it wasn't an interrogation atmosphere like with Randall.
The debriefing took a while, so the mission must be over by now. Did Trevor escape? It’s frustrating not knowing the situation.
“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”
Keito apologized as soon as he sat down.
Good start. It doesn't seem like he’s planning to interrogate me.
“It’s fine.”
“First, thank you for brilliantly fending off the unidentified interlopers. Thanks to you, there were no casualties.”
“I apologize for leaving my post without word.”
“I heard from Aruru. You said you had a strange feeling from the start of the operation?”
Umm… if he asks deeply about that, I can only say it was a hunch.
However, Keito didn't seem inclined to press the matter.
The situational report had already been made, and while I was waiting here, Keito had been in a meeting with other agents about this issue.
What he was saying wasn't just his personal opinion, but a decision reached in that meeting.
Contrary to my worries, he spoke quite gently and positively.
Actually… honestly, he was praising me to a burdensome degree.
“The members of Division 4 were unanimous in expressing their gratitude to you, Seo Yeon-woo. It seems they were deeply impressed by the sight of you facing a powerful, mysterious mage all alone.”
“Ahaha… thank you.”
“The courage to act on a mere hunch while risking reprimand from superiors, the spirit of sacrifice to stand alone for your comrades, and the skill to face a powerful mage without backing down an inch—it was a heroic devotion no different from the 12 Zodiacs.”
Wait, you’re not usually this type of person, are you?
He was praising me so much I was worried he’d pull a sudden 180 and start bashing me at the end.
Usually, organizations don’t like individuals acting on their own based on 'hunches.'
But Keito continued to praise me, looking visibly excited.
“Ah, I got too carried away. I shouldn't keep a hero like you when you must be tired.”
“A hero… I just performed my duty.”
“And humble to boot. Truly remarkable. As expected of Yggdrasil.”
Is he mocking me?
I left, escorted by Keito’s overwhelming send-off.
He said there would be a separate reward later, but Lynette said the same thing before Randall interfered and blocked it.
Randall might do something again, or it could just be the government’s way of giving verbal praise without any actual compensation.
On my way home, I got a text and checked it; it was from Park Yu-jeong.
A code…?
The fact that it was from Park Yu-jeong was one thing, but the fact that it wasn't a normal message made me think even more.
Why go through the trouble of sending a code?
Still, it was something I’d learned at Yggdrasil, so I decoded it without much trouble. It was just an address.
A remote area on the outskirts…
She’s not going to suddenly attack me when I get there, right?
Should I text her and ask what this is?
Thinking she wouldn't have sent a code for no reason, I hesitated for a moment before heading to the address.
Just in case, I should let Yukina know.
When I arrived near the address, a desolate atmosphere greeted me.
The streets, once swept through by monsters when the wall was breached, hadn't been restored yet, looking like ruins after a war.
Is this really a surprise attack?
Was Keito’s burdensome praise just a trick to lower my guard, and now every mage involved in this mission is going to show up?
Though it was mostly ruins, finding the address wasn't hard.
There were few buildings still standing, and Park Yu-jeong’s distinct, powerful mana was radiating her presence clearly.
After scanning the area around what looked like a large logistics warehouse, I opened the iron door and stepped inside.
As the long-unused iron door screeched, Park Yu-jeong, standing in the middle of the warehouse, smiled at me.
“You got here faster than I thought.”
She smiled brightly, but I couldn't smile back.
Because Trevor was at her feet.
What the hell is going on?
A dagger was plunged into Trevor’s heart.
It didn't seem to have fully pierced the heart yet, but Trevor was clutching the blade with both hands, gasping for air. Blood streamed from his scarred hands as he struggled to live.
And Park Yu-jeong’s foot was resting on the end of the hilt.
“Save me! Please, save me!”
“I was going to finish this before you got here, but I guess it can’t be helped.”
As soon as Trevor saw me, he begged for his life.
Ignoring his screams, Park Yu-jeong stared at me and applied pressure to her foot.
“Wait!!”
Squelch—!
The dagger under her foot pierced his heart without hesitation, and Trevor died instantly.
“…What are you doing?”
“Hmm? What does it look like? I did it for you.”
With the corpse at her feet, Park Yu-jeong looked at my frowning face with an expression of ecstatic excitement.
The blood flowing from the wound soaked her foot, but Park Yu-jeong didn't care, trembling as she stared only at me.