Chapter 14. Silver Demon Mountain (2)

There was one peculiar thing among them.

The woman with silver hair didn't seem like an ordinary Awakener, nor like one of those wicked monsters...

Her face... it's kinda hard to make out?

Even though it was clearly painted in the mural, it was difficult to properly discern her facial features. All the other parts of the mural resembled the familiar illustrations from history books, but this woman alone emanated a mysterious silver glow from her entire body, making it impossible to grasp her appearance clearly. All that could be made out was that her build wasn't particularly large and that a red light gleamed from the upper part of her face.

Right then.

Vwoooong—

The entire chamber resonated deeply, and the space, which hadn't been all that dark to begin with, lit up even brighter.

The source of the light was the towering ceiling high above.

Lee Sea and Jin Yu-ri looked up...

"Hey, isn't that... a magic stone?"

"......"

What they had assumed was the ceiling material was sparkling and emitting light. Just like a magic stone with highly concentrated mana.

It wasn't a simple ceiling at all.

The entire ceiling was a magic stone.

The beams of light spilling from that magic stone descended below, rippling thickly throughout the entire space before... seeping into the mural.

Then, changes began to occur in the mural as well.

Waaaaah—!

The Awakeners, already painted so vividly they seemed alive, now truly started to move. They leaped off the ground. They punched out, shattering rocks. They soared between mountains, letting out thunderous roars.

They looked free, sometimes quarreling or cooperating among themselves, other times helping those who lived without mana.

It wasn't entirely peaceful, but the positive aspects seemed to outweigh the negative.

But once the black-glowing invaders began to move, everything changed completely.

Guahaha—!

Ugh, urgh...

Cruel laughter. Despairing death cries.

Regardless of the mechanism making it happen, such voices emanated from spots all over the mural.

The wicked ones emitting black light mercilessly slaughtered the innocently living people, devoured them, drank their blood, and cackled.

Of course, the Awakeners depicted in the mural didn't stand by idly.

United in rage, they pursued the traces left by the black invaders. They soon found them and bravely fought back.

But...

"Ah..."

Jin Yu-ri let out a groan as she watched scenes that were no longer mere static paintings but practically animations.

All the Awakeners who had tracked the invaders to stop them ended up dead.

While it was hard to judge their skill level solely from the mural's depiction, the total amount of power they wielded seemed comparable to modern A-rank Awakeners.

Yet they had their limbs torn off by the invaders' attacks, their throats slit, their own blood drained until only shriveled corpses remained.

The black light flowing from the invaders' bodies grew even stronger.

They slaughtered people indiscriminately without hesitation, growing ever more powerful. Before long, the mural's atmosphere was steeped in hellish despair.

And around that time.

From the depths of despair, hope emerged.

From the moment the light from the ceiling descended and the mural began to move—the silver-haired woman who had vanished reappeared.

She started to move.

She fought the black invaders, taking them down one by one.

Lee Sea took in her radiantly beautiful form and couldn't help thinking,

She's incredibly strong...

A level of power that defied even S-rank standards. At a rough estimate, on par with the 36 Heroes. Maybe even beyond.

Waves of mana surged up to the heavens at the silver woman's touch. The ground shattered to pieces, and even flowing rivers were drawn upward.

The remaining Awakeners rallied under her lead, driving the black invaders toward a mountain depicted in one corner of the mural.

Now the mural's background was a dark night. Beneath a brilliantly full moon illuminating the earth, the final battle unfolded between the silver woman, the Awakeners, and the invaders.

Many Awakeners died. Everything around turned to ruins.

But they finally defeated all the black invaders. The survivors in the mural bowed reverently toward the mountain.

Atop that mountain's peak sat only the silver woman, quietly alone.

She gazed up at the full moon with a lonely expression.

The upper part of her face, shrouded in mysterious mist. The faint red light gleaming from there touched the moonlight.

And the next moment.

She vanished abruptly.

Only a massive magic stone remained on the mountain peak, and the mural reverted to its original static image.

Jin Yu-ri spoke in a dazed tone, posing a question laced with certainty.

"This... this is it, right? This is Silver Demon Mountain, and that was the legend or whatever."

"...Seems like it."

Silver Demon Mountain.

A place from over a thousand years ago, where a superhuman glowing with silver light slew demons and vanished, according to legend.

If the scenes in the mural were real events, then the silver superhuman was that woman. The demons were those black-glowing people-eaters.

"Then this ceiling... it's the magic stone she left at the mountaintop when she departed."

Lee Sea glanced around without responding to Jin Yu-ri's mutter.

A chamber over ten meters high and dozens of meters in diameter. No other exits leading elsewhere. The only passage in or out was the one they'd entered through.

But Lee Dojin and Yoo Hae-bin had clearly entered this ruin too.

So where had they gone? No clue.

Suppressing her growing anxiety, Lee Sea suggested to Jin Yu-ri,

"For now... let's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠head back the way we came."

They'd waited in case some clue appeared, but no signs of life stirred here.

With only one path anyway, it made more sense to search for breakthroughs from the starting point.

And just as they turned to leave the chamber.

Ku-gung—

From the opposite direction of their entry—at the far wall of the chamber's end...

An ominous rumble echoed through.

"Seriously... you fucking pervert freak..."

"...Sorry."

Right after the well-deserved scolding laced with genuine resentment and an apology far too insufficient to atone.

Yoo Hae-bin regretted it inwardly.

Uh... did I go too far with my words?

To be fair, he'd made her do it without knowing.

If he'd known, surely he wouldn't have.

So maybe calling him a "fucking pervert freak" was a bit excessive—or so she thought for a fleeting, very fleeting moment...

No. Why am I even apologizing?

She quickly erased that reflection entirely.

Whether he knew or not didn't matter.

What mattered was her humiliation at having to utter those embarrassing words aloud.

Of course, Yoo Hae-bin didn't dislike Lee Dojin.

If forced to choose between liking or disliking, dislike had no weight, while like tilted heavily toward it.

And as she fiddled with the bandage scraps she'd gathered, trying to bind them together, Yoo Hae-bin pondered.

Come to think of it... do I actually like this guy?

Here, "like" didn't mean broad fondness.

Something far deeper and thicker.

She soon reached a conclusion.

Hmm... not sure.

She harbored strong fondness. Quite a lot, in fact.

But whether it qualified as clear romantic affection? Even she wasn't certain yet.

He's cool, though.

Not just his looks.

His abilities as a professor and magic researcher were outstanding.

Plus, Yoo Hae-bin knew his hidden side.

Second-in-command of the Class A terrorist group Phantom.

When operating in that identity, he was bold, decisive, knew exactly how to seize objectives, and adhered rigorously to his own standards.

He treats me kinda roughly sometimes, but he looks out for me subtly. Handles his own stuff perfectly. And with Lee Sea? Total little-sister idiot. Little-sister moron? Little-sister dimwit? Almost that level. But that gap... it's kinda great.

Examining each point, he definitely felt very attractive to her.

But at this moment, "love" might be too strong a word.

So... for now.

The future hadn't arrived yet, but she could sense what feelings she'd hold for Lee Dojin then.

I'll fall for him.

Hard.

Her heart was already leaning that way.

Inevitable, and she had no intention of stopping it.

Just a matter of time.

That's why she'd tried to reveal her true identity at the most effective, decisive moment.

Not like this—weird timing, completely unintended.

Uh... thinking about it pisses me off again...?

Falling for him was one thing; the humiliation of that "submission declaration" was entirely separate.

How could he force such words on a poor kid who'd endured a heartbreaking past and lived diligently?

Gender aside, it was downright insane.

Why'd he make me say that, anyway?

With her T-shirt half-off over her shoulders, wrapping the bandage around her chest, Yoo Hae-bin wondered inwardly.

To confirm victory over an opponent? He didn't seem the type to revel in that.

But... this isn't wrapping right...?

She wanted to know, but the immediate issue was pressing too.

The sloppily tied bandage wouldn't wrap properly around her chest.

Damn... did I really grow this much?

The sentiment slipped out naturally.

Having consumed considerable mana with Breath and the dispel effect in this place reverting her neutral appearance to normal.

Normal, but a form she hadn't seen in a decade herself.

She'd been young then, so she hadn't known what her true form would look like upon reverting...

Not to overhype herself, but her physical development was enormous.

That's great and all, but right now it's inconvenient...

In her neutral guise, a simple bandage sufficed to conceal.

But her true form—and with this makeshift bandage—proved difficult.

So Yoo Hae-bin opted for selection and focus.

Won't hide it completely... just gotta cover enough.

Her current T-shirt wasn't loose-fitting and was white to boot. Only that as a top.

With this volume, any silhouette would show blatantly.

Heck, he'd already seen plenty earlier, but from now on, she should at least cover that much.

Do that roughly, walk without too much jiggle, and it'll be fine?

Even she wasn't sure. First time seeing herself like this.

At the point where she figured it'd do, she turned—and yelled at Lee Dojin's unmoving back.

"Ah, Professor. All done. You can look now."

Lee Dojin turned awkwardly, eyeing her. Remorse still lingered in his gaze.

Yoo Hae-bin felt a bit—no, quite—a pang of pity and spoke to him cheerfully.

"How's it look? Way better, right?"

She took a step toward him, feeling her chest still jiggle somewhat—realizing she'd underestimated her own size.

Argh, this is driving me nuts...

Lee Dojin, sensing no real improvement, didn't brighten up.

He deliberately fixed his gaze afar, replying,

"Uh... yeah. Good job. So, um... let's go."

"...Okay."

Both kept eyes forward, walking silently.

What blocked them was a thick iron door.

Kwang!

Lee Dojin's mana blast shattered it to pieces, revealing a narrow corridor ahead.

"This place feels like barging in recklessly could get us wrecked."

"You've used a ton of mana, so conserve as much as possible and stick close. Only use ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠yours if you judge it's absolutely necessary."

"Not when you tell me to?"

"If I couldn't trust you that much, would I have recruited you?"

"Ah, well, true... kinda touching."

Their hunch proved right.

Mana-infused arrows rained with every step. Flames erupted, massive boulders rolled to fill the passage.

Yoo Hae-bin did nothing; Lee Dojin handled everything up front in silence.

And then.

"Huh!?"

Pew—

An arrow flew. Unlike before.

Packed with red mana, ready to explode on slightest impact.

Tang!

Stepping forward in Lee Dojin's stead amid other attacks, Yoo Hae-bin blocked it.

Her mana shield halted the arrow briefly—

Boom!

Shield and arrow exploded simultaneously.

Followed by an ill sound.

Thud—

"Ack, ahh..."

The sloppily tied bandage around her chest finally snapped irreparably, slipping down inside her clothes.

Having just cleared the assaults, Lee Dojin glanced her way.

Yoo Hae-bin felt her face heat up as he strode toward her.

Come on, pretend you didn't see like before—why look!

She panicked inwardly, unable to voice it...

Swish—

Lee Dojin shrugged off his thin outer jacket and handed it to her.

"Uh... this... for me to wear?"

Feeling her face redden more, Yoo Hae-bin asked.

Lee Dojin replied in a deliberately flat tone.

"Yeah. You gonna fight properly feeling all uncomfortable like that? Wear this for now. Can't focus if it's bugging you."

"Ah... Okay... Th-thanks..."

"No need to thank me. Let's hurry."

Yoo Hae-bin slipped on the offered jacket, zipping it up, and trotted after him.

Too big for her, it felt oddly bulky at the chest, but far less noticeable than before.

His jacket carried a faint mix of cologne and pleasant body scent lingering at her nose.

Feeling it vividly, she thought,

Might be faster than I thought.

The inevitable moment approaching.

When she could clearly say "I love him."

Maybe sooner than she'd guessed—perhaps already here.

With a bright smile, Yoo Hae-bin spoke.

"Ahem. Professor, I'll generously forgive you."

"Uh... you mean 'that'?"

"Yeah, that and all. Last night, handing me that super thin see-through outfit, telling me to wear only that, stick gauze on my chest and back, no underwear or just wear those weird black panties, no blanket, you'd stick the gauze so strip, I said I'd do it in the bathroom and you said you'd inspect—I'll forgive all that generously."

"No, uh... I'm really sorry... I am reflecting. So no need to list every single one... please..."

"Oh, no, this isn't to make you feel guilty... Anyway, forgiven. And 'that statement'? Thinking about it, you just made me say it. Didn't make me strip naked and bow while saying it. That's gentlemanly, gentleman."

Words meant to brush it off.

But even she sensed midway, Uh, does this sound weird? Though not pinpointing why, she finished.

Lee Dojin, looking unusually troubled, asked,

"Please... you've been cross-dressing for what, ten years?"

"Yeah, about."

"Sigh... Hae-bin, I'm not in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a position to say this, and I'm not claiming I did well, but..."

"But?"

"You too, uh, kinda... anyway, you're a bit... Ten years is long, huh..."

"Ah..."

Her attempt to lighten the mood backfired.

The corridor end loomed ahead; Yoo Hae-bin switched to a normal topic.

"Speaking of, I really suffered. Didn't even use bathrooms outside home. Held it with mana, plus tons of other stuff to watch."

"No, that's why... I mean, not your fault, just I'm sorry. Sorry."

"......"

By now, Yoo Hae-bin realized any words would just make it more awkward.

They exited in silence into a wide space lined with statue soldiers similar to the first batch.

Fifty infantry, fifteen cavalry. Double the prior force—and not just them.

"What's that...?"

"Dunno, doesn't seem like plain soldiers..."

They cautiously scanned ahead.

Beyond dozens of soldiers stood five more statues without armor.

Lee Dojin ventured a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠guess.

"My take? Representations of ancient Awakeners."

"Uh... that's gonna be tough then."

About then, the statues awakened.

Infantry and cavalry matched prior power individually.

But the Awakeners...

"Mana-wise, all A-rank. I'll lead, take out the Awakeners first. You follow, check the cavalry. Then together."

"Got it."

Roooar—!

Enemies surged fast.

Kwang!

Lee Dojin kicked off the ground, swinging his hand upfront.

And the next instant.

"Huh...?"

Yoo Hae-bin gasped in surprise.

Dozens of soldiers and five Awakeners.

All scattered like sand the moment Lee Dojin swung.

Yoo Hae-bin muttered her sole judgment.

"Too old and busted...?"

I shook my head inwardly.

The statues that just crumbled.

They weren't broken from age.

The hologram message that popped up simultaneously as I clashed with them.

Added more basis to my guess.

This ruin inside Silver Demon Mountain.

It was surely deeply connected to the trait I'd acquired, Black Heart.