Yoo Hae-bin (1)
This is going to be pretty useful from now on, I thought suddenly.
The skill I chose as the clear reward from Birth of the Demon God—out of five candidates, I'd gone with the A+ rank Perception Domination.
There had been several options from A to S rank, including some that would boost my combat power, so I'd agonized over it... but in the end, I was glad I'd picked this one.
I could hone my existing skills and traits, invest points to raise my battle prowess—but a technique that interfered with the mind? No telling when I'd get another chance at that.
I couldn't always stick to Seo Yeon-hee like glue. To widen my room to maneuver, I needed a solid mental skill of my own.
"Hoo..."
I caught my breath and scanned the surroundings.
Lee Sea, whom I'd just put to sleep, Jin Yu-ri, whom I'd knocked out, and no one else seemed conscious.
I wandered the ruins of the building, trying to apply Perception Domination to Jin Yu-ri the same way I'd done before, but the skill wouldn't activate.
No one had noticed what I'd done. That had to be it.
The security cameras were smashed too, and mana devices breaking down in a rift's influence wasn't exactly rare.
Besides, the guild would arrive from outside faster than the next monster wave... so it wasn't an overstatement to say today's work was done.
Except for one thing.
Presence Detection (Rank B+)
Exactly one.
I could tell she was actually awake.
Yoo Hae-bin, sprawled out over there.
I decided to use the OX question I'd been saving.
OX Question (1/1)
Question: Will second-year National Academy 1 high school student Yoo Hae-bin reveal what she knows about Lee Dojin to anyone by midnight on March 28th?
Answer: X
"......"
The moment I confirmed it, something flashed through my mind.
The second sub-quest from volume 1 of Kill the Evil.
Completely physically subdue Yoo Hae-bin by midnight on March 28th. Additional rewards scaled by our relationship.
Sub-quest. The info from the OX question.
Putting them together, a vague conclusion emerged.
Yoo Hae-bin's role in Kill the Evil.
Kuuaaaang—!
Chaos erupted near the sports field.
The guild had entered the rift, it seemed. I dispersed the black mist, leaned against the wall, and slumped down.
Zero deaths. Around twenty injured, including students, staff, and guild awakeners.
A little before eight p.m., the rift phenomenon over Jeil High School finally lifted.
And about forty minutes later.
After treatment and heading home, I lay on the living room sofa and asked Lee Sea, who was checking her phone.
"Mind if I take a look?"
"......"
These days, she'd at least respond when spoken to.
But now she just shot me a glance and reached for the snack bag by her head.
I sidled closer, tilting my head toward her screen, and asked again.
"What do they say about your oppa?"
"......How do you know what I'm looking at?"
"Zeta, right? You've been glued to it lately."
Zeta was the shorthand for the anonymous community app exclusive to National Academy 1 students.
I'd been a member too, but after graduation, I lost access. No idea what was posted anymore.
Since I'd started working and she'd ramped up her time on it, I figured it was full of stuff about me...
She'd been explaining bits these past few days, but today she was ice-cold.
"Still mad?"
"I'm not mad."
Right. She'd clamped her mouth shut the whole way home.
Lee Sea woke up shortly after the guild awakeners arrived and guarded me like a fortress for two hours straight.
Only after we exited the rift did she ask why I'd stayed inside instead of evacuating.
I'd been worried too and wanted to fire back asking why she'd returned to school... but her face was so grave, I couldn't.
Swish, whoosh—she hid her phone as I tried to peek.
Then she huffed.
"......They say you're hiding your true power."
"Pfft."
It wasn't her usual word choice, and I burst out laughing.
She fixed me with an even colder stare, and I backpedaled.
"Nah, that's not it."
Lately, I'd gotten better at gathering mana in my body than before. With the basics I'd learned, I could handle one or two monsters—but my stamina was still rock-bottom.
That's all I'd let them see... and apparently, it was enough to spark buzz.
"Zeta's blowing up, huh? Who's got the most chatter?"
"Just... whatever."
The rift itself was probably the hot topic.
But given her reluctance, if I had to pick one person, it was either her or me.
The siblings who stuck around in the rift searching for each other.
An unexpected accident, but it boosted visibility—no harm there.
Lee Sea was unhurt too, so overall, things had worked out.
Wrapping up the chat, I grabbed clothes from my room, slipped on shoes at the door, and Lee Sea asked,
"Where you going?"
"Just a quick walk."
"......This late?"
"Yeah. Got some thinking to do, wanna stroll alone. Won't be long. Two, three hours?"
"A walk... for three hours?"
Her anxious expression shifted to something else.
"Taking the car, right?"
"I said it's a walk, not a drive..."
Her interpretation of our exchange: He's off to meet another girl for a night of fun. I've caught on.
Absolutely not—please don't jump to conclusions.
Then she muttered, loud enough for me to hear, like a soliloquy.
"The one you're meeting this time must love walking."
"......I'll be back. Want ice cream on the way?"
"No thanks. It's cold—come home early."
Gruff tone, but normal for a little sister to her big bro.
I grinned a bit, glad, and stepped out. Down the elevator, I called Seo Yeon-hee.
A few rings, then her chirpy voice came through.
Ready? She looks like she's heading in soon.
"Yeah? Then I'll hurry over."
The second sub-quest in volume 1 of Kill the Evil.
Time to catch a Pokémon.
Nearing nine p.m.
Yoo Hae-bin swung a bag with a convenience store dinner as she walked, humming a tune.
"Leaving home~ riding the rift~ on the way to Jeil High~"
Actually headed to her academy-subsidized officetel, but she figured her rewritten lyrics were spot-on, even proud of it.
Who knew I had a talent for changing lyrics too.
The end part... her heart hurt too much to finish.
As the officetel came into view, she pulled her right hand from her pocket.
Phone in hand, screen lit the National Academy 1 anonymous community app.
"Spot on."
Yoo Hae-bin snickered, tempted to comment.
Something jokey like I saw it too, definitely faking injury—but actually the truth.
But she couldn't.
Tak—
Footsteps and a sudden presence.
Yoo Hae-bin looked straight ahead, already intuiting.
Tired as hell, why poke the bear...
Approaching without her noticing? Not normal.
Dim alley, hard to make out, but two figures. Both cloaked in black mist.
The taller one stepped forward, speaking in a mana-distorted rasp.
"Yoo Hae-bin, second-year Jeil High. That you?"
"And?"
"Today's rift... your doing?"
"Ah, fuck off with that bullshit."
Yoo Hae-bin snapped, already bummed about it.
Probably the worst day in her ten years here, she thought, telling the blocker,
"I can guess who you are... can't we just pretend we don't know and keep living? I ain't spilling to anyone. Just wanna graduate first."
What after... hadn't thought that far.
She had dreams, but no clue where to start. For now, just enjoy the peace.
Even digging into who Lee Dojin really was hadn't gone beyond curiosity. Too lazy, plus he was Lee Sea's bro and didn't seem like a bad guy.
Time to reassess, though.
Rift? What rift?
Especially grating. Suspecting her of causing it?
To her, it was absurd provocation. She stepped forward, warning,
"Seriously, leave me alone. I'll stay out of your hair too—let's just keep it quiet."
But then.
The smaller shadow behind retorted.
"Can't do that."
"......!"
A clear, beautiful woman's voice.
Hearing it, Yoo Hae-bin leaped back.
This is bad...
She knew instantly.
That woman might be the real danger.
But... too late.
Whoosh—the woman swung her hand.
Kwaaaaa—!
A storm of mana, impossible to shake off, swept Yoo Hae-bin sky-high.