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Chapter 6 — Preparation to leap forward (2)
“You’re here? Let’s get a move on. There’s a ton of people ahead of us right now.”
JaeHyun and Kim YooJung were reunited after a few decades.
Kim YooJung’s voice was as clear as JaeHyun remembered.
As were her double-lidded eyes and her soft hair tinged with an orange color.
While looking at the familiar sight, JaeHyun answered while smiling unconsciously.
“I know, so stop dragging me.”
Kim YooJung grabbed JaeHyun’s sleeve with a very nervous expression on her face.
She had a dizzy look in her eyes as she looked around.
JaeHyun smiled as he retorted in a quiet voice.
“Hey, be honest. You asked me to come with you because you were worried you’d get lost, didn’t you?”
“…wh-what is this guy saying? That wasn’t it, okay? You’ve got the wrong guy.”
“Let go then.”
“……”
Kim YooJung held onto JaeHyun’s sleeve with more force in silence.
JaeHyun shook his head as he spoke.
“How can a girl who’s good at studying and sports keep having trouble finding her way……”
“Hey! You get to come to the speech thanks to it! Do you know how rare the oppurtunity to see Yoo Sung-Eun unni is?!”
‘Well, she’s not wrong.’
JaeHyun thought to himself as he smiled.
‘It would be of great help in the future if I copy Yoo Sung-Eun’s 《 Sacrifice 》. Plus, if I do this well…… I might gain a personal connection with the best in Korea.’
Wooooaaaaahhhhh!
As they came to an open area, they could see a complete view of the outdoor stage.
The people gathered around the stage were yelling in extreme excitement.
JaeHyun and Kim YooJung looked around and moved to a place where they could see the stage better.
‘As expected of Yoo Sung-Eun, I guess.’
There were banners in several places which had Yoo Sung-Eun’s name and praises written on them.
[ The Inspirational Speech by Guildmaster Yoo Sung-Eun of Korea’s top guild, Yeonhwa! ]
[ Saving the world and its people with healing!
Yoo Sung-Eun’s free lecture | 7:30–9:30 ]
‘Yoo Sung-Eun really was treated like a goddess at this time.’
Yeonhwa Guild’s Master, Yoo Sung-Eun.
She was a top-ranked healer that almost everyone in the entire world knew.
In a time when working as a raider was not yet commonplace, she was the person who tried to protect the citizens before any other.
However—
Screeeeeeeech!
As JaeHyun was recalling everything he could about Yoo Sung-Eun, he heard the sharp mic noise and returned to the present in an instant.
Soon after, Yoo Sung-Eun appeared on the stage with her long hair braided up.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Yoo Sung-Eun.”
Waaaaaaaahhhhhh!
Thunder-like cheers roared.
But JaeHyun knew her painful secret hidden in the shadow of those cheers.
‘In two months, Yoo Sung-Eun will go into critical condition during a dungeon raid and fall into a vegetative state.’
And JaeHyun planned to heal her.
***
Two months from now, in the middle of clearing the Itaewon dungeon, Yoo Sung-Eun would fall into a critical state.
The cause was none other than her healing spell, 《 Sacrifice 》.
‘There is only one way to cure Guildmaster Yoo Sung-Eun.’
JaeHyun nodded his head. The stage he was looking up at was filled with enthusiasm.
Kim YooJung yelled with excitement.
“Unniiiii! Ahhhhhhh! Please look over here!!”
“What an eyesore.”
“Shut up.”
While squabbling with Kim YooJung, Yoo Sung-Eun lifted the mic up.
“I’m so happy to see that so many people have come to such a meaningful place. As the representative of the Yeonhwa Guild, I will try my best to ensure that everyone has a good time.”
Yoo Sung-Eun cleared her throat and, after a sip of water, started the speech.
“Everyone. We are currently in an unprecedented period of disaster, marked by Yggdrasil.  The appearance of monsters has taken the lives of numerous people.”
With her curiously-charismatic rhetoric, Yoo Sung-Eun’s words were being heard intently.
“Of course, with the appearance of the Awakened and raiders a few years ago, things have become a little better.
But only 20% of the Awakened are currently volunteering as raiders—
when the number of dying people is always several times larger.”
The stage became as silent as the grave.
Yoo Sung-Eun gave them a moment to think and then continued with her words.
“As always, the world is at a point of survival. Numerous innocent people are losing their lives.
What I wish to tell everyone as I stand before you is…… we need courage.”
Yoo Sung-Eun put more force into the hand holding the mic.
“To all the Awakened on the planet — your courage can change the world!”
Whispers sounded as Yoo Sung-Eun bowed to the audience.
“Please become a raider. Please make the world a brighter place. The Yeonhwa Guild and I will help you make that a reality.”
The sound of applause once again rang throughout the whole outdoor stage.
Kim YooJung murmured with a moved expression.
“As expected, Sung-Eun unni is also a good speaker……”
JaeHyun also nodded in agreement to Yoo Sung-Eun’s words.
‘She’s correct. Most Awakened don’t want to become a raider since it isn’t easy to fight against monsters on the frontline.
……Just before the regression, I myself wanted to live a free and leisurely life after selling the item……’
Becoming embarrassed for no special reason, JaeHyun scratched his head.
<A moment later>
The lecture ended successfully.
Even after the speech, Kim YooJung’s eye glistened with tears as she was unable to calm down.
“……As I thought, Sung-Eun unni has the qualifications to be my role model.”
“I don’t think Yoo Sung-Eun would like to have such qualifications.”
“Don’t spoil the moment, ok?”
“Anyway. I have somewhere to go, so I’m leaving first.”
At JaeHyun’s heartless words, Kim YooJung cried out in shock.
“Hey! What about me?!”
“I thought you said you aren’t directionally-challenged.”
Kim YooJung’s expression turned stiff and cold. She glared at JaeHyun with a face filled with contempt.
“……You’re seriously the worst. Are you a gangster by any chance?”
JaeHyun chuckled as he retorted.
“It was a joke. I called your mom a while ago. She’ll be here soon. Just wait a sec.”
‘Hey, then let’s take my mom’s car back home together! Is it really something that urgent?”
“Ah. Right. I changed my career path to magic.”
JaeHyun changed the topic with a grin.
“Wh-what?!”
At JaeHyun’s sudden confession, Kim YooJung’s face was colored with confusion.
JaeHyun replied as if it was something trivial.
“Things happened. Teach me some magic later. Starting from theory.”
“No, that’s fine, but…… Hey! Why did you change your career path? Shouldn’t you tell me before you leave?! Min JaeHyun!”
Leaving Kim YooJung’s echoing voice behind him, JaeHyun went out onto the main road.
***
‘I’m sure I saw them go somewhere over here…’
As JaeHyun looked around, the black van that Yoo Sung-Eun had ridden came into his gaze.
JaeHyun quickly approached the car. A menacing man who looked like the manager was leaning on the side of the van.
Seeing JaeHyun approach, Manager Park SungJae spoke in a tired voice.
“I’m sorry, but if it’s a fan gift, now’s not a good ti—”
“I came to meet Yoo Sung-Eun.”
At JaeHyun’s unexpected words, Park SungJae speechlessly put his hands in his pockets.
‘Is it another extreme fan crazy about raiders……’
Park SungJae approached JaeHyun with an expression mixed with annoyance. A physique that would already frighten a normal person loomed over him, but JaeHyun didn’t get flustered at all.
Park SungJae spoke to JaeHyun while straining his neck.
“Hey, no matter how big of a fan you are, how can you come over so suddenly like this? If you act this way, Master Yoo Sung-Eun will be uncomfo—”
“It’s not for those reasons.”
“What?”
Park SungJae replied with a blank expression.
JaeHyun didn’t let go of his chance and quickly continued his words.
“I know that Yoo Sung-Eun has an incurable illness. And…”
Park SungJae slowly started to become astonished.
JaeHyun smiled as he whispered into Park SungJae’s ear.
“I can cure Yoo Sung-Eun’s illness.”
***
***
A moment of silence followed.
Park SungJae returned to his senses and frowned fiercely.
He yelled furiously.
“You. Where did you hear those words, huh?! That the guildmaster is sick, where did you hear it?!”
At the voice that was loud enough to have people come over, JaeHyun frowned.
“I don’t think anything good will come from yelling it out so loudly.”
“You……!”
“SungJae-oppa. Just a moment.”
<At that instant>
A familiar woman who’d been resting in the van showed herself and interrupted them.
A woman with black hair, pale skin, slim fingers, and dark-green eyes.
Yoo Sung-Eun.
She asked as she approached JaeHyun.
“You. Is what you’ve said true?”
“Yes. I can heal the Guildmaster’s illness.”
Yoo Sung-Eun fell into deep thought for a moment, then she turned back to Park SungJae and spoke.
“Oppa. How much time is left before the next scheduled event?”
“……there’s 2 hours.”
Yoo Sung-Eun smiled slightly and put her hand on JaeHyun’s shoulder.
“Get on first. Let’s take this somewhere quiet. There’s too many eyes on us here.”
***
<A few moments later>
[Inside Yeonhwa Guild
Master Yoo Sung-Eun’s personal office.]
With Yoo Sung-Eun leading the way, JaeHyun moved into the top-secret facility of the Yeonhwa Guild.
“Sit here.”
“Thank you.”
The three people sat on the sofa in the middle of the office—
Park SungJae with anger on his face and Yoo Sung-Eun with interest.
JaeHyun didn’t look like he’d lost his nerve.
Yoo Sung-Eun crossed her arms and asked first.
“Let’s go through this in order first. How did you know about my illness?”
“I apologize, but I can’t tell you that. If you really want to hear it, I will tell you… But if so, I refuse to heal you.”
“You’re a pretty brave kid. Ok, fine. Then next,”
Yoo Sung-Eun looked into JaeHyun’s eyes and continued.
“Why have you decided to heal me?”
Truthfully, Yoo Sung-Eun didn’t really trust JaeHyun.
She didn’t know how he knew about her skill, but there were too many uncertainties regarding JaeHyun’s actions to erase her distrust.
Yoo Sung-Eun.
She was the only woman who rose up to be a guildmaster in a macho group like the raiders.
Being deceived by sweet words was far from who she was.
JaeHyun crossed his arms and spoke.
“I’ll be honest with you. I plan to copy your 《 Sacrifice 》.”
“……what?”
Yoo Sung-Eun looked at JaeHyun in shock.
Park SungJae, who’d been holding himself back, couldn’t suppress his anger any longer and ended up hitting the table.
“There’s no more reason to keep listening! Do you know what kind of skill 《 Sacrifice》 is for you to be saying those words?
It is the guild master’s Unique skill! We ourselves don’t have a way, so how could you!”
Frankly, there was nothing wrong with Park SungJae’s words.
Unique skills couldn’t be copied.
The formula of other normal skills existed and could be memorized, but the formula of unique skills didn’t exist at all.
So unique skills ended up being monopolized by one person or family.
…these were the conventions of normal society.
“Please sit down. If I couldn’t do it, I wouldn’t have even tried to come here in the first place.”
At JaeHyun’s insolent words, Park SungJae frowned.
‘What the hell is up with this guy? This punk… seems to be young. He doesn’t shrink back when talking to either me or the guildmaster.
……would this guy really have it? A way to cure the guildmaster’s illness?’
Seeing JaeHyun’s attitude, Yoo Sung-Eun first calmed Park SungJae down.
“Oppa. Sit down. It won’t be too late to decide after hearing him out.”
“……”
When Park SungJae sat down, Yoo Sung-Eun asked JaeHyun.
“What you mean to say is, you will heal me using my 《 Sacrifice 》, is that right?”
“Yes.”
To heal the penalty from a unique skill, a unique skill or a skill with a higher rank was necessary.
Most people would have a question at this point. Then can’t someone cure themselves with their own skill?
However, that was sadly not possible.
The meaning within Yoo Sung-Eun’s skill 《 Sacrifice 》 was, as its name suggested, sacrifice. It could be considered an offering to the gods.
Yoo Sung-Eun was thus restricted from healing herself with her own skill.
Since there would be a defect in the idea of sacrificing one’s life force to heal themself.
So what JaeHyun was suggesting was that after he copied her healing skill 《 Sacrifice 》, he would use it to cure her.
Theoretically, it was more than possible.
Yoo Sung-Eun laughed softly with her arms crossed.
“Then prove it.”
As soon as Yoo sung-Eun finished talking, she concentrated on mana and started to cast 《 Sacrifice 》.
Zzziiinnng…!
The quickening power of life radiated. Shining with a peaceful light, the green effect started to flow into JaeHyun’s body.
‘Good.’
JaeHyun started to smile.
He took out the blank card he kept in his inventory.
And at that moment—
一 The effect of 《 Odin’s Lost Eye 》 has been activated.
一 A new skill can be acquired.
一 Would you like to enter 《 Sacrifice 》 into the blank card?
JaeHyun agreed without even thinking about it.
Shhhwaaaaa
The blank card started to shine with a white light.
Yoo Sung-Eun’s and Park SungJae’s gazes gathered on JaeHyun.
Soon after Yoo Sung-Eun’s spell demonstration was finished, a system alert rang again.
一 《 Sacrifice 》 has been registered on a blank card!
JaeHyun smiled slyly and spoke.
“You probably don’t trust me yet. Making you trust me should come first, right?”
一 Using the skill 《 Sacrifice 》.
一 Blessed revitalizing power is saturating the designated body.
JaeHyun cast 《 Sacrifice 》 on Yoo Sung-Eun. Her body, which was exhausted from the magic cast a moment ago, slowly started to recover.
Yoo Sung-Eun and Park SungJae looked at each other simultaneously with shock on their faces.
In that instant, Yoo Sung-Eun’s body recovered as it healed her internal injuries.
JaeHyun then suddenly stopped the cure midway and slowly spoke as he looked at the two.
“Now, shall we start our negotiations?”
____