Chapter 77
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Aftermath (1)
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After confirming that Geomryeong and Gwuiryeong were well and truly dead, the first thing I did was check on the wounds of Jia and the other Team 1 cadets.
...Thank goodness.
They were all alive.
With this much blood loss, it wouldnt have been surprising if they had died, but they had only lost consciousness. Somehow, they were all still breathing.
It must have been thanks to the vitality of superhumans.
I took an emergency healing potion from my utility pouch.
I only had one, so I decided to use it on Jia, who had the most severe injuries.
Ngh.
She groaned, her eyes still closed, as if the potion stung. Her beautiful face was a mess of dirt and blood.
Sigh.
This was all my fault.
My mistake for knowing Geomryeong and Gwuiryeongs abilities but failing to connect them to the drake.
...No, was it arrogant of me to think I could have predicted that much?
I smiled bitterly.
Ah.
This was no time for that.
I walked toward the Promosium Dagger, which was stuck in the ground next to Geomryeongs corpse.
...What do I do with this?
I needed to hide it, but I had no way to do so.
In my rush to get here, I had left my equipment transport carrier behind.
I reached for the Promosium Dagger.
*Fzzt-!*
Ah, that stings!
As expected, I couldnt hold it.
...This is a real problem.
I looked around.
The aftereffects of the illusion Gwuiryeong had cast still lingered.
Once the illusion completely faded, reinforcements would arrive.
The superhumans who arrived would naturally take an interest in the Promosium Dagger.
Then they would realize the dagger was an ancient artifact.
And it wouldnt take long for them to find out that I had wielded it.
After all, many people, including Instructor Jin Seolha, had seen it.
If that happened, my secret would be exposed to the entire world.
I had to avoid that at all costs.
About thirty seconds left, I guess.
Roughly thirty seconds until the illusions effects completely disappeared.
I had to come up with a solution before then.
But my thoughts were cut short.
What in the world...
!
A womans voice came from behind me.
I spun around quickly.
Yuhwa?
It was Yuhwa.
She was frantically checking on the unconscious cadets, one by one.
Whew.
She let out a sigh of relief, likely after confirming that they were all still breathing.
How did you get through the barrier...?
How did she get through the illusion?
I came after receiving the dispatch request. As for the barrier, I just walked right through it. My stealth is immune to external status effects.
Ah.
Unaffected by external influences.
I seemed to recall it having an effect like that.
So thats how she was able to ignore the illusion.
More importantly.
Yuhwas eyes scanned the corpses of Geomryeong and Gwuiryeong. Finally, her gaze fixed on the Promosium Dagger at my feet.
Just as I thought.
Her eyes were filled with a kind of certainty.
Dont tell me she knows what this is.
...Thats the ancient artifact from the reports, isnt it? The beastkin artifact.
I slapped my forehead.
Unless they checked its information, other people would have no way of knowing whether the dagger was an ancient artifact or a regular item.
But Yuhwa was different.
Yuhwa was the conduit between the Collector and me.
She would have naturally seen the data on this dagger.
She must have remembered it.
Well, you see, what happened was...
There was no other choice.
Since it had come to this, it was time for the trusty Plan C.
Time to go with the Actually, Im a beastkin! Woof woof! strategy!
The truth is, Im...
I was about to utter the lie when she spoke.
Thats enough. I already know everything.
Pardon?
Yuhwa cut me off, her expression dead serious.
I was dumbfounded.
...She knows? Knows what?
What are you talking...
We can talk details later. We dont have time, do we?
She strode over to me and pulled a palm-sized box from a pouch on her waist.
What are you doing...
We need to hide this, right?
Well, yes, we need to hide it, but.
*Whirrrr-*
The box made a loud mechanical noise as it began to expand.
...A portable transport carrier?
It was an expensive piece of equipment that pro superhumans carried for unforeseen situations.
Yes. Its not very big, but its more than enough for a dagger.
Yuhwa opened the device, placed it in front of the Promosium Dagger, and expertly manipulated a panel on its side.
Mana flowed from the carrier, enveloping the dagger.
...It even has an anti-gravity device?
I knew those things were incredibly expensive.
Theyre quite convenient once you get used to them.
Following Yuhwas controls, the dagger, which had been embedded in the ground, floated up and slipped neatly inside the carrier.
*Click-*
Just as Yuhwa finished her work and closed the carrier...
This way!
The perception-disrupting barrier is down!
We could hear the voices of superhumans in the distance.
It seemed the illusion had completely dissipated.
Seoyul.
Yuhwa said, holding the carrier.
Just trust me.
...?
My mind was filled with questions.
***
The Tyrant Drake Rampage Incident was officially concluded as just thatan incident where a drake went mad and ran wild.
There were twelve fatalities in total.
Two teams had been sacrificed to the drake.
This morning.
The academy held a funeral for those twelve.
And now, it was 7 PM.
I was at Yuhwas mansion, talking with her.
Its a tragedy. To die at such a tender age.
Yuhwa handed me a cup of tea with a bitter smile. I took a sip. Perhaps because the tea was bitter, my own lips curved into a somber line.
How is Jia?
The wound on her leg is severe, but thankfully, they said there wont be any permanent damage.
She hasnt woken up yet?
No.
Twenty-four hours had passed since Jia was taken to the hospital. But she still hadnt regained consciousness.
Its probably because she overused her mana. Try not to worry too much.
Perhaps my expression gave me away.
Yuhwa offered words of comfort.
By the way, how was the matter with Gwuiryeong and Geomryeong handled?
Just a moment.
Yuhwa set her teacup down on the table and rummaged for something.
It was the incident report file.
First, we spoke with Shinhwa Group and agreed not to make an official announcement. The academy administration also expressed their wish to keep it quiet.
I figured as much.
The precious daughter of the Shinhwa Group was almost kidnapped by a villain from the Seekers of Truth.
It was a shameful incident that both the Shinhwa Group and the academy would want to hide.
Of course theyd want to keep it under wraps.
Oh, and about the Promosium Dagger.
I flinched.
My shoulders tensed at her words.
Ive taken care of hiding its existence, so you dont need to worry.
...I see.
Yuhwa smiled faintly.
A short silence followed.
Yuhwa...
I hesitated before speaking.
Arent you curious? About how I can use an ancient artifact?
No.
Yuhwa sipped her tea with a relaxed expression.
As I said before, I already know everything.
My brow furrowed.
What was she thinking?
What is it you think you know?
Yuhwa looked at me, her eyes filled with conviction.
Your past.
My past?
...Dont tell me.
Yuhwa took out another file and handed it to me.
[Sunshine Orphanage Biological Experiment Records]
...You again?
The biological experiment report.
Are you the culprit again?
But how did she even find this?
This was a record that should only be obtainable by someone who was complicit in covering up the incident.
No, more importantly, what does the Sunshine Orphanage human experiment have to do with me being able to use ancient artifacts?
Youre a survivor of the Race Fusion Project, arent you?
...
Nope.
Im a survivor of the System Transcendence Project.
And the reason you can use a beastkins ancient artifact is because you were fused with beastkin genes during that experiment.
Thats because I got drunk, talked smack to the Creator, and caused a system error.
This also explains why you requested the Tigers Gauntlet during our first negotiation.
That was just because I was trying to deal with the doppelgnger and figured I might as well get something out of it, and that was all I could think of...
The ones who conducted the experiment were the Seekers of Truth. Its only natural youd harbor a desire for revenge. Thats why youre hunting them down, isnt it? Piale Allo, the doppelgnger, Pyo Ilchan, Vagabond. The reason you dont ask for anything in return is because its for your revenge.
Those were all just a result of various overlapping circumstances.
The Seekers of Truth are just guys who get in my way, so Im trying to get rid of them.
And Piale Allo isn't even a member of the Seekers of Truth, so why is he lumped in with them?
The reason youre so knowledgeable about the Seekers of Truth is because you remember things the researchers said during the experiments, right?
Thats because I know the original novel.
And judging by the fact that youre collecting various ancient artifacts, its highly likely you carry the genes of various other races besides beastkin.
I have never been implanted with the genes of any other race.
Am I wrong about any of this?
...
I was at a loss for words.
Uh, well.
If youre asking what part was wrong...
I could answer like this:
...Everything. All of it was wrong.
Of course, I couldnt say that out loud.
All I could do was move my lips, flustered.
My eyes darted around, lost in panic.
...Ah.
At that moment, Yuhwa began to look at me with the saddest eyes in the world.
...Thats right.
She wore a bitter smile, one laced with guilt.
I-Im sorry. That must be a traumatic memory for you. I was being insensitive.
Then she stood up and moved to the seat next to me.
!
And then, she gently hugged me from the side. My body went rigid with surprise.
It must have been so hard for you all this time, wasnt it?
...
Like a rusty machine, I creaked my neck to look at Yuhwas face, which was right in front of mine.
Her eyes, looking straight into mine, were glistening with moisture.
All alone... enduring those experiments for years. Unable to tell anyone, all by yourself...
Her voice trembled with unshed tears.
But its okay now.
Yuhwa gripped both my shoulders and smiled brightly.
It was the most radiant smile I had ever seen from her.
From now on, Ill be by your side.
...
Looking at that smile, I thought.
...
No.
I stopped thinking.
***
...Really?
That night.
Yuhwa was on the phone with Meiden.
You really said something that cringey?
...Ughhhhh.
Yuhwa, lying on her bed, buried her face in her pillow and groaned.
Pwahahahaha!
Meidens hearty laughter echoed from the receiver.
I knew you were a sensitive soul, Hwa, but I never imagined you were *that* dramatic. Hehe!
Yuhwas ears turned beet red as she shivered.
No! Y-You had to have seen his expression, sis! With every word I said, the light in his eyes just faded. It was so heartbreaking.
Yuhwa lifted her face from the pillow, her cheeks as red as a tomato.
His lips were trembling! His eyes were darting all over the place! His face got paler and paler! Im not kidding, it was intense!
...It was that bad?
Meiden stopped laughing.
Yes. Normally, hes the type to deny it or play dumb. But he couldnt say a single word. He just kept flinching. He looked like a wounded baby bird. If you were there, sis, you would have done the exact same thing!
Yuhwa said this with a straight face.
Meidens expression also turned serious.
Even so, From now on, Ill be by your side. *Smile* is a bit much.
...Ngh!
Yuhwa bit her lip.
The memory made a fresh wave of embarrassment wash over her.
*What was I thinking, saying something like that!*
Just reading the files is enough to make you go crazy. Theres no way someone who went through that experiment wouldnt have trauma.
Meiden said, grinding her teeth. She was thinking of her daughter, Leah, who had died because of that experiment.
If anything, its a miracle he can still smile now.
...Yes. I think so, too.
What if she had been in Kang Seoyuls position?
Would she be able to laugh and joke and live her life like he did?
Yuhwa shook her head.
No matter how she thought about it, she knew she couldnt.
That kid is strong-willed, so hell manage on his own. Unnecessary pity can be like poison to kids like that, so just treat him like you always have.
I know that already.
Good, as long as you know.
Yuhwa pouted.
She was a guild master, for crying out loud. How long was Meiden going to treat her like a child?
Oh, and preparations finished sooner than expected. Im flying to Korea on a red-eye tomorrow.
What about the ancient artifacts?
The reason Meiden had returned to her country was to prepare for the import of the ancient artifacts she was giving to Kang Seoyul.
Theyll be coming by sea. Its a high-speed vessel, so they should arrive around Friday night.
Thats a relief.
Still, I wonder if the kid will even like them.
Yuhwa replied nonchalantly.
Hell probably love them. By the way, how many did you find?
Find what?
The number of ancient artifacts sitting in your warehouse.
Ah. Did I not tell you? There werent as many as I thought.
Meiden said, as if it were no big deal.
There were three.