Chapter 40: Mine (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 40: Mine (4)
Ultimately, all that mattered were Yu Hana and Cheon Yeo-wool.
I just had to get to those two.
It sounds harsh, but I only needed to protect the main characters.
In the original story, Moras’s temptations were aimed only at those two.
His targets would be the same in this world.
I caught glimpses of students as I ran.
First, I was heading to Yu Hana.
‘She’s closer, for one.’
And more importantly, Cheon Yeo-wool had likely already satisfied her desires to some extent.
After all, her influence within the Cult had grown in many ways.
In contrast, Yu Hana’s desires were never sated.
Her ‘craving’ was a thirst that could never be quenched.
Such is the nature of a craving for martial arts.
Moras would surely target that thirst.
I picked up my pace.
Finally, I arrived at Arena B.
An evacuation order had been issued, leaving the arena completely empty.
Not a single soul could be seen in the stands.
And in the center of the arena, a purple barrier had been erected.
I opened my eyes.
All-Encompassing Perception.
Beyond the purple barrier, the scene within became perfectly clear.
Yu Hana.
She stood facing Moras, sword in hand.
Her feet were planted firmly.
A powerful aura radiated from her faintly trembling fingertips.
I drew a short breath.
“…Good.”
If this was the case…
I went ahead and took a seat in the stands.
If she hadn't been able to overcome the temptation, I had planned to intervene.
But there was no need. Yu Hana had already conquered the temptation and drawn her sword.
Moras wasn't a physically powerful Mine, but he was not an opponent to be taken lightly. As such, he would make a good match for Yu Hana.
The energy pouring from her sword. The crimson bloom of the Dongbaek's form.
A blade that annihilates evil.
Butterfly Sword Dance.
It was the swordsmanship she had learned from me.
At some point, she had stopped using her family's sword style, relying solely on the techniques I had taught her.
And with those techniques alone, she was perfectly overwhelming Moras.
I watched her, my hands sweating with anticipation.
‘Faster. A little faster.’
The more I imagined it, the more she moved exactly as I wished. In the very direction I hoped for.
This is…
I suddenly realized.
Is this the joy a master feels watching their student grow?
I could feel that she had been completely dyed in my colors.
A warm, fuzzy feeling spread in a corner of my heart.
-Slice
And then, finally, Yu Hana's sword sliced through Moras's neck.
Even the final blow was the exact swing I had taught her yesterday.
“Impressive.”
I rose from my seat.
Before the barrier disappeared completely.
*
A warehouse-like space, where not a single ray of light entered.
The air was damp.
The smell of mold brushed the nostrils.
Faint breathing could be heard in the darkness.
The hooded Mine, ‘Arktu’.
And the giant Mine, ‘Ganian’.
Before them lay a wooden snake doll. No, to be precise, it was rolling on the floor, its neck severed.
Medusa had failed.
The two silently stared at the being sitting in the darkness.
Moras.
He, of all people, would surely succeed.
They had to believe it.
“—Cough!”
A sudden cough.
Moras flinched, his body lurching forward.
And he vomited a mouthful of blood.
“Lord Moras?!”
Arktu shot to his feet.
But Moras raised a blood-soaked hand, stopping him.
“One of my clones… has perished.”
Slowly, he closed his eyes.
Then opened them again a moment later.
“What’s more, the memories… they haven’t returned.”
The faces of Arktu and Ganian hardened.
When a clone perishes or returns, its memories are transferred to the main body.
It was an ‘absolute principle’ that had never once been broken in all the time Moras had lived.
But now.
The memories had not returned.
His eyes narrowed sharply.
Ganian and Arktu dared not open their mouths.
He wiped his blood-soaked fingertips and asked quietly.
“How is Medusa faring? I need a little more time.”
But Arktu and Ganian couldn't answer.
They could only lower their heads, their eyes trembling with anxiety.
“…Is she faring well?”
He asked again, his voice a little clearer, but the reaction was the same.
Silence. It was a clear answer.
Moras’s eyes widened.
“—————!!”
A tremendous roar filled the warehouse.
It was then.
“Cough—!! Gaaack—!”
Once again, Moras vomited blood violently.
Arktu and Ganian were horrified.
“L-Lord Moras?!”
But Moras didn't answer.
His eyes were trembling in confusion.
A moment ago, another one had died.
*
This was the Arcadia Temple, located on the campus grounds.
After Yu Hana, I had rushed over to check if Moras had approached Cheon Yeo-wool as well.
But the moment I arrived, I realized.
‘It’s over?’
Cheon Yeo-wool had already dealt with Moras.
As soon as I confirmed she wasn't in danger, I started to turn away.
But then.
“Hae-in?”
I stopped in my tracks.
And then, before I could even turn back—
“Wait.”
My wrist was caught.
A warm touch.
Her fingertips wrapped around my wrist.
I slowly turned my head.
Bright, clear eyes.
Her eyes, deep as a clear lake, wavered slightly.
And.
She began to tear up.
“I’m sorry….”
Her voice trembled softly. I looked at her, taken aback.
Cheon Yeo-wool’s long eyelashes quivered.
Her face looked as if tears might spill at any moment.
‘Ah.’
I realized in an instant.
The time the Crusaders attacked me. She must be acting this way because of that.
In the grand scheme of things, it had all happened because of Yohan’s feelings for her.
“This sin, I’ll be sure to atone for it with my body…”
“It’s fine.”
I cut her off firmly.
I didn’t really think much of it.
Besides, it had nothing to do with her.
Cheon Yeo-wool faltered at my response.
Her eyes wavered for a moment before she lowered her head.
“…Still.”
Her fingertips twitched.
“You gave me the cross and showed me so much faith… but I feel like I failed to live up to it.”
“…Aren’t you disappointed in me?”
I let out a short sigh and looked at her slowly.
“Cheon Yeo-wool.”
She raised her head.
“You just have to do what you’re meant to do.”
“…”
“That’s the surest way to repay anything.”
I playfully raised one corner of my mouth.
When I finished, she stared at me intently.
At the very least, I would never be disappointed in the characters of this world.
They were created as imperfect beings, destined to grow over time.
How could I possibly be disappointed?
I turned my gaze away.
That’s when I spotted the remains of the cross on the floor.
For a moment, my entire body went rigid.
This… Don’t tell me.
I quickly bent down and scooped up the dust of the cross with my fingertips.
The fine powder scattered across my palm.
I looked up.
“…This.”
I took a sharp breath and looked at Cheon Yeo-wool.
“Did you absorb it?”
Cheon Yeo-wool nodded silently.
In that moment, I gently embraced her shoulders.
“You did well.”
I meant it.
It couldn’t have been easy. You did a really, really good job.
This was far more important than some petty disturbance from the Crusaders.
I quickly came to my senses and lightly pulled away, as if to put some distance between us.
She is a saintess, after all.
As I let go of her and took a step back, Cheon Yeo-wool watched me quietly.
For a moment, there was silence.
Her cheeks, slightly more flushed than before.
The subtle movement of her long, trembling eyelashes.
The way she drew a slow, almost imperceptible breath.
She pressed her lips together as if suppressing something.
“…I can’t…”
Her voice was quiet. And then—her hand reached for me, carefully, slowly.
Just then.
-Thump!
The temple doors burst open.
"Saintess!"
A group of Paladins rushed in.
“Are you alright?!”
Their gazes went first to Cheon Yeo-wool.
Then they immediately shifted to me.
Cheon Yeo-wool looked at them quietly.
Her eyes wavered slightly.
“I'm leaving.”
From now on, the Paladins would be responsible for the Saintess’s protection.
Paying it no more mind, I walked out of the temple.
Outside, the situation seemed to be mostly under control. A Paladin informed me that they had failed to track the culprit.
They said the Mine was difficult to catch because it had such a low mana signature.
On top of that, reports of Moras being captured were coming in from all over.
“It’s almost over.”
I walked around the grounds, checking to see if there were any other problems.
The main characters had already been confirmed safe.
Kang A-rin was being protected by Maengju right beside her,
and Ha Sion was under the Vanquisher’s protection.
There were no problems.
I kept walking.
To patrol a more secluded area.
And in the campus forest.
There—
I ran into Seong Si-woo.
He was in a standoff with a Mine.
But it was different from Yu Hana’s situation.
Yu Hana had drawn her sword and engaged in battle, but Seong Si-woo hadn’t even drawn his.
He was just standing there.
“Damn… shit.”
His gaze was fixed on the Mine.
The Mine was slowly, quietly whispering something.
Far from fighting, Seong Si-woo was listening intently to its words.
I'd overlooked it.
When he was the protagonist, he actively sought out Mines. But not anymore.
Seong Si-woo, thanks to his protagonist buff, has an enormous mana capacity.
This made him a prime target, the kind Mines coveted most.
I thought he'd be immune to mental domination since he was under the System’s protection…
I was spectacularly wrong.
I kicked off the ground.
“Hey, snap out of it!!”
A spear, thrown with all my mana.
The spear tore through the air.
-Schlick!
In an instant, the spear ripped through a silver curtain that had unfolded and pierced straight through the Mine’s neck.
The spear shattered, its fragments scattering in all directions.
I turned my head to look at Seong Si-woo.
He was clutching his head.
His breathing was ragged.
Seong Si-woo frowned, pressing a hand to his forehead.