Chapter 139: Vatican (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 139: Vatican (5)
This wasn't the first time Jung Hae-in had died.
And it certainly wouldn't be the last.
Cheon Yeo-wool had already experienced the cycle of dying with him, coming back to life, and dying again several times over.
With each repetition, she came to a bone-deep realization.
Jung Hae-in could not bear to see his comrades fall before his eyes.
He would rather throw his own life away, rather be the one to die, than ever allow a comrade's death.
In that moment, in the middle of a blood-soaked battlefield, when Jung Hae-in had forced a broken sword against his own neck.
At times, her vision had flashed white.
Looking back, not once had Jung Hae-in ever forced others to make a sacrifice.
He was always the first to charge in, and if that wasn't enough, he would hold out until the very end.
Even if it meant jeopardizing a greater cause, he always chose the path where his comrades would not die.
“What about Hana and Sion?”
“Over there, far away.”
“Good enough.”
And that was the very moment Cheon Yeo-wool opened her eyes.
Jung Hae-in raised his spear and aimed it at his own neck.
At this rate, someone was bound to die again.
As always, he was trying to shoulder all the responsibility himself.
Cheon Yeo-wool resolutely blocked his arm.
“Not anymore.”
As if time had stopped, all the sounds of the world vanished.
This was the trial the Fragment was bestowing upon her.
The battlefield before her blurred into a hazy white, and only an inner voice remained.
The Fragment of Desire.
‘What is desire?’
To the Cheon Yeo-wool of the past, desire was probably something like ‘attaining honor’ or ‘taking over the Cult’—something closer to an intangible illusion.
A worldly, and perhaps empty and simple, goal.
But the Fragment had responded even to such a hollow objective.
However, the woman she was now was different.
To the Cheon Yeo-wool of today, desire was…
Utterly resolute, and incredibly strong.
‘I want to save Jung Hae-in.’
‘And I want to help him kill the Evil God.’
And…
‘I want him, completely.’
The desire for him, both mentally and physically.
Desire.
The reality of her longing, so raw it was almost shameful, drenched her entire being.
I want him.
That was what had made her who she was now.
She acknowledged it.
And the more that desire grew, the more fiercely the Fragment would react.
Because the Fragment of Desire was, after all, something she could only obtain when she finally realized ‘what she herself wanted.’
And at that moment.
The entire world was engulfed in a pure white wave, and the illusions of the past unfolding before her began to peel away, layer by layer.
All the phantoms vanished.
Finally, a small, white, glowing stone floated in the center of the space.
It shone dazzlingly, like a single star fallen from the sky.
Cheon Yeo-wool stood before it.
There was no hesitation.
Smiling, she reached her hand toward the stone.
She clenched her left hand, gripping it tightly.
The moment she closed her eyes, pure white mana seeped into her body like a tidal wave.
Her entire being blazed with a brilliant light.
A white aura enveloped her body, and soon, she was clad in a sacred ceremonial robe.
====
[Authority: Fragment of Desire (片鱗)]
① Holy Fire (聖火)
— A sacred flame that burns away Demonic Force.
② ???
③ ???
====
Chirp.
Before she knew it, a pure white bird was quietly flapping its wings on her palm.
Soft feathers, translucent, shining eyes.
The bird rubbed its head against her fingertips, as if reuniting with a long-lost friend.
“Gani.”
That was the bird’s name.
She lightly kissed the bird’s cheek.
“I missed you.”
For a moment, the bird’s eyes sparkled.
Gani let out a soft cry.
Chirp.
The one and only sacred bird of pure white in the world.
It had now returned to her side once more.
At that moment, all the illusions and residual echoes began to slowly fade away.
It was time to open her eyes.
Cheon Yeo-wool gently stroked Gani.
The bird chirped softly, its feathers trembling.
Let’s go.
To him, who was probably outside, waiting for her with bated breath.
*
I didn’t feel great, not really.
It was true this should have been a joyous moment, as she was about to obtain a Fragment.
But it felt like dark clouds had gathered somewhere in my mind.
You could say a variable had appeared.
Still, the one comforting fact was… it wouldn't be easy for the Evil God to make his move yet.
The same went for the Apostles.
Killing Barcus had likely delayed their timeline even further.
I just needed to move my plans up a little, just a tiny bit.
In fact, it might have been a blessing to find out at this stage.
Strooke, strooke.
I was lost in thought, blankly stroking the forehead of a sleeping Cheon Yeo-wool.
But then.
Chirp, chirp.
A clear birdsong cut through the museum.
I lifted my head for a moment and saw a pure white bird gently landing on the windowsill.
“Huh?”
At that instant, Cheon Yeo-wool quietly opened her eyes.
Her gaze fell to my fingertips, and she gently cupped my hand with both of hers.
And then.
Mwah.
As Cheon Yeo-wool slowly opened her eyes, she gently pressed her lips to the back of my hand.
A warm, soft kiss landed on my skin.
With eyes that looked like she had just woken up, Cheon Yeo-wool whispered quietly.
“Good morning.”
As I lowered my hand, she gave a small laugh.
Chirp, chirp.
The pure white bird had somehow settled on my shoulder and begun to chatter.
I knew at once.
She did it.
Cheon Yeo-wool had succeeded in acquiring the Fragment.
I smiled faintly and cupped the white bird on my shoulder with both hands, petting it all over.
Its downy feathers tickled my fingertips. The bird, startled by the sudden touch, flailed its body.
Chirp? Chirp-chirp?!
It flapped its small wings in a flurry, spinning around in my hands.
Its resistance was futile; its feathers merely tickled my palms.
“Hold still.”
I gently stroked the bird’s back.
The soft, warm sensation filled my hands.
In the original story, you could tell how completely Cheon Yeo-wool had acquired the Fragment by the size of the bird.
I gave the bird’s body a gentle squeeze.
The plump feeling filled my hand.
This was proof that she had perfectly accepted the Fragment’s power.
A good sign.
A sigh of relief escaped me.
“You did well, Yeo-wool.”
I gave her a small smile.
Now, Cheon Yeo-wool had also earned the right to stand against the Demonic Force.
Her first Expanded Authority would probably be… Holy Fire.
The white flame was her identity, and at the same time, it was Ariel’s identity as well.
“Gani, say hello,” Cheon Yeo-wool whispered softly.
The bird’s small eyes widened as it looked at me and let out another quiet chirp.
I smiled lightly and nodded.
“You’ve already given it a name?”
At my words, Cheon Yeo-wool blushed as if embarrassed and nodded once.
It seemed they had already bonded.
“Yeah. Isn’t he cute?”
“He is.”
Cheon Yeo-wool nodded lightly.
“Congratulations. You’ve definitely gained something.”
I said, my voice full of sincerity.
Cheon Yeo-wool responded with a very brief, yet deeply emotional, smile.
“You always… only do good things for me. I… always believed in you.”
This would make our trust even stronger.
I was just grateful that she trusted me.
Feeling that no more words were necessary, I nodded.
“Let’s go back.”
When we stepped out of the museum, the park was still quiet.
The feathers of the bird perched on Cheon Yeo-wool’s shoulder seemed to shine even brighter, reflecting the moonlight.
We walked in silence and soon entered the hallway of our lodgings.
A quiet corridor.
The thick stone walls of the cathedral held the cold night air.
As we entered the residence hall, a nun who had been standing quietly at the end of the corridor looked at us.
And then.
“Sister.”
The nun quietly raised her head.
“Please prepare a bath,” Cheon Yeo-wool whispered to her.
The nun’s expression changed to a smile full of conviction.
“Of course.”
The nun’s footsteps disappeared down the hall.
Cheon Yeo-wool turned to me, her eyes meeting mine.
“I will guide you to the bath.”
It was beginning.
*
Cheon Yeo-wool stepped out of the bath and went straight to the mirror.
She roughly dried her hair with a towel.
There was a reason the nun had been so confident. The perfectly tempered, mana-infused water had washed away all her fatigue.
Then, she got dressed. She considered just wearing a bathrobe, but… she changed into comfortable clothes instead.
A crop top that exposed her stomach and a pair of dolphin shorts that clung to her body.
This should be fine.
Her heart pounded for no reason.
When she entered the room, Jung Hae-in was already there.
A smile automatically formed on her lips.
He, too, looked slightly tense, his expression stiff.
The moment they saw each other, they both froze.
Jung Hae-in was trying to look nonchalant, but his gaze wavered uncertainly.
Cheon Yeo-wool found the corners of her mouth turning up on their own.
But today… as disappointing and maddeningly tempting as it was, was not the time.
The trial the Fragment had shown her had made her realize something again.
This was an opportunity he had built.
She realized once more that she couldn't act on desire alone when she had no idea how the Suppression Force might intervene.
That’s right, just as Sion had said.
‘Because I’m a coward.’
She was a coward.
Cheon Yeo-wool gave a bitter smile without realizing it.
Jung Hae-in, seemingly flustered by her outfit, darted his eyes here and there.
It was cute how he would quickly turn away every time their eyes met.
Cheon Yeo-wool carefully sat on the edge of the bed.
Fiddling with the sheets, she snuck a glance at him.
The night view of Rome filtered through the curtains, softly illuminating the room.
A moment of silence passed.
Then, Jung Hae-in spoke first.
“I know.”
His tense expression stirred her desire.
“What you think of me…”
Before he could finish, Cheon Yeo-wool shot up and sealed his lips with her own.
Mmph.
A short, but deep kiss.
The tips of their tongues brushed before she lightly bit his lower lip with her front teeth.
The moment their lips parted, Cheon Yeo-wool’s gaze ensnared him.
Beneath the moonlight, their breaths were subtly moist.
A glint of mischief mixed with affection flashed in her eyes.
“Heh…”
She smiled slowly, tracing his jawline with her fingertips.
“Don’t worry.”
With a soft whisper, her hand slid down to the nape of his neck.
“I won’t… eat you up today.”
Then, the corner of her lip curled up as she whispered once more.
“But… there won’t be a next time.”
A dangerous light flickered in her eyes.