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Chapter 52




Chapter 52
It felt as if his throat was on fire. CĂ©dric Choi erupted with rage.
“So you mean to say that while Rona is in such pain, you’re just going to sit there and do nothing?”
“No, no! That can’t be. I’ve been using healing skills continuously.”
“Then what about now?”
“Well, my mana is depleted, so I can’t use it anymore
”
Before he could finish, CĂ©dric Choi grabbed the healer by the neck.
“What? Out of mana? Say that again.”
“Guh
 Gah.”
He threw the healer to the ground, holding his head down with one hand.
Even without using any special skills, the overwhelming stats of an S-rank Hunter were enough to put pressure on the healer.
Thud! The body fell like a leaf.
Ignoring the healer's writhing in pain, CĂ©dric Choi tightened his grip.
“Gah
 Gah, Gah!”
The healer's neck was tightly compressed in his palm. Realizing too late that CĂ©dric Choi had a hold on his life, the healer trembled like a leaf.
“You say you can't use your skills because your mana is depleted. Then there's no reason for you to be here, is there?”
Swish.
CĂ©dric Choi drew his sword. The moment the healer saw the silver blade, he turned pale. He's going to cut me. This man really intends to kill me.
“No
 No, I can
 I can use it
"
“What are you babbling about?”
When he lifted the healer again, his face was a mess of blood and tears. A light tap on the cheek almost made him faint from the extreme tension.
This won't do. With a flick, CĂ©dric Choi threw the healer aside. Instead, he looked at another healer cowering in the corner.
“What about you?”
“
Hic!”
“Can't do it?”
“Huh, huh, I can
 I can do it. I can!”
The tense healer extended his hand toward Rona and cast a skill. Despite the dizziness from his depleted mana, he had no other choice. If he didn't use his skills, he would end up like the healer on the floor.
“Gah
 Black, Gah, Gah!”
A white light emerged from his fingertips and floated in the air.
But the healing light seemed to be blocked by something and failed to be absorbed by Rona, fading away.
“Cough, cough
 Cough!”
“Keep going.”
Again and again
 The healer, at his limit, continued to cast the skill until he spat blood, but there was no change. Rona still looked in pain.
CĂ©dric Choi watched silently.
‘Useless.’
In the dungeon, whenever he was injured in battle and healed by a healing skill, he always thought the same thing. Useless.
No matter how severe the injury, it would heal quickly with a healing skill. Watching deep wounds that exposed bone heal and new flesh grow, CĂ©dric Choi felt disgusted with himself.
He wanted to heal his sister's illness instead of such trivial injuries.
But the one person he most wanted to save, he couldn't.
‘If only I had that flower
’
The blue Serano flower. The only medicine for his sister's illness.
If only he could save that flower, at least
 he could alleviate Rona's pain.
What dreams are you having? Do you resent me for not being able to help in your dreams?
He didn't cry. CĂ©dric Choi looked at his sister's frail face with dry eyes.
After a long while, Rona's convulsions stopped. Her eyelids remained tightly closed, but the screams and convulsions subsided.
Wiping the sweat-soaked forehead, he left the room, and it was already midnight.
Carefully closing the door without making a sound, someone approached.
“Another episode, I hear?”
“
President.”
It was Lee Se-in, the CEO of <C&L Corporation>.
“I don't intend to scold you for just letting off some steam, but it was quite noisy today.”
“I'm sorry
"
CĂ©dric Choi slumped his shoulders in front of Lee Se-in. A bitter smile appeared on Lee Se-in's face as he watched.
“How is Rona?”
“She's a bit better now.”
“I'm sorry. I heard about the episode and wanted to come, but the meeting just ended.”
“It's fine. Instead, if you could visit Rona next time
"
At that moment, a secretary called out to Lee Se-in. A cautious yet clear voice interrupted their conversation, a calculated and gentle intrusion.
“President, it's time to leave.”
“Is it? I have to go now. CĂ©dric, sorry. We'll talk again next time.”
“
Yes.”
Lee Se-in turned away without hesitation.
Before following, the secretary's gaze lingered on CĂ©dric Choi's face for a moment. A faint smile appeared and then disappeared like a bubble.
CĂ©dric Choi watched the retreating back.
His name was Lee On, wasn't it?
A mysterious face, neither clearly male nor female, with eyes that seemed like glass, devoid of emotion.
Many things changed because of the advice this secretary gave to Lee Se-in.
Originally, CĂ©dric Choi was introverted and timid.
But after becoming an S-rank Hunter, he had to act arrogantly in front of others. People wanted to see the image of an S-rank Hunter that matched the strongest.
Showing weakness would only make him vulnerable. It was better to be arrogant and unpredictable.
That's why he decided to keep his ailing sister hidden from the world. Sentimentality didn't suit a ranker. No one was interested in sad stories.
In fact, CĂ©dric Choi became famous and was admired.
But

His sister suffered alone in a secret room where no one visited, and he couldn't show his sadness in front of others.
Is this really right?
He couldn't answer his own question. It was a noisy night.
* * *
What a day.
A day of meeting celebrities.
“Ah!”
After the commotion at the nursery, I left with a sapling and a bundle of miscellaneous gifts. Walking from the subway station closest to the dungeon gate, someone suddenly exclaimed.
In front of me was a girl who looked to be in her mid-teens.
“Why are you standing there
 Ah!”
A boy who looked just like her appeared.
Do they know me? But I don't remember meeting such young kids.
The twins, who had been staring at me with wide eyes, looked flustered and bowed.
“Ah! I'm sorry. I startled you.”
“I'm sorry!”
“No, it's fine
 Have we met before?”
“We mistook you for our guild leader
 No, someone we know.”
“Huh, hey, Joo Shin-woo! Where did our guild
 No, the Hunter go?”
“Did we miss him?!”
“
There!”
They dashed across the street, too fast to catch.
‘You idiot, I told you to keep an eye on him!’ Their voices mixed with the wind. What noisy kids.
Did they really mistake me for someone else? Their voices sounded familiar, but

Hmm, I don't know. I decided to hurry home, but then

A long shadow fell under the orange streetlight. I looked up to the source of the shadow and was surprised.
“
What are you doing here?”
The shadow's owner was Ki Yuhyeon.
Under the bright orange light, Ki Yuhyeon smiled awkwardly.
“Ahaha
 Long time no see.”
On the other side, a blind spot behind a wall, glasses that didn't hide his handsome face, and a black coat.
This situation feels familiar

I tried to recall a similar incident, but the twins from earlier returned.
Ki Yuhyeon hid in the darkness, avoiding the streetlight.
“Yuhyeon?”
But the twins were faster. They ran over and surrounded Ki Yuhyeon.
“Guild
 No, Hunter Ki Yuhyeon, you were here!”
“We won't lose you again! Please return to the guild calmly.”
Could it be that Ki Yuhyeon, this person, was trying to ditch these cute kids?
“
”
“Lee, I feel like your gaze is piercing. Is it just me?”
“It's not just you.”
“
”
Then the twins spoke to me.
“I'm sorry for earlier. We were looking for our guild
 No, Hunter Ki Yuhyeon.”
“I'm sorry!”
Identical faces, identical jackets.
The girl with curly long hair seemed more mature, while the boy with a haircut seemed more lively. They were really cute.
Then they introduced themselves.
“I'm Joo Shin-hee from <Cheongra Guild>.”
“I'm Joo Shin-woo!”
“I'm Lee Gil. Nice to meet
 Huh?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, it's nothing. It's not
"
A male and female twin Hunter from <Cheongra Guild>?
I remembered. I had seen a video of them before the regression.
Promising members selected for <Cheongra>'s main party 'Blue Vine' right after their awakening.
Sister, Joo Shin-hee. Archer. Special skill: Ice Spikes that target the heart.
Brother, Joo Shin-woo. Mage. Special skill: Curses that gnaw at the enemy.
What left a stronger impression than their abilities was their expression.
The innocence and vitality typically expected of children were erased, leaving pale, doll-like faces. The coldness in their eyes. The cruel act of wiping blood from their cheeks.
I blinked slowly and looked at them again. The lively and friendly children were looking up at me.
It was natural that I didn't recognize them immediately. I couldn't connect their current appearance with the terrifying images in my memory.
Can such cute kids change so much? Three years is a longer time than I thought

“That looks heavy.”
Ki Yuhyeon suddenly spoke, noticing my shock at the twins' future.
“No, it's not heavy.”
The purification sapling was about two feet long and light enough to hold with one hand. Plus, a bag of miscellaneous items given by Icheong.
“It seems like a lot to carry alone.”
“What? It's not that much.”
If it were heavy, I would have put it in my inventory. I just didn't want to put the carrot with teeth in my inventory, so I carried it.
But Ki Yuhyeon was persistent.
“You're on your way to the shop, right? I'll carry it for you since it looks heavy.”
Without listening to me, Ki Yuhyeon took the sapling and the bag from my hands. This guy.
I don't know the exact reason, but the twins were chasing Ki Yuhyeon.
So now, he's making an excuse to leave

“I have to help Lee, so I'll go now.”
“Ah, guild
 Hunter Ki Yuhyeon!”
Joo Shin-hee, trying to quickly grab Ki Yuhyeon, was pulled back by Joo Shin-woo. They then huddled in a corner and whispered.
Incidentally, their whispers were quite loud, so I heard half of it.
‘Idiot! Did you forget what the vice guild leader said?’
‘What, idiot!’
‘Why, Hunter Ki Yuhyeon has been
’
‘Ah, ah
!’
“
?”
The twins glanced at me. Their gaze was very intense.
‘So this is the
!’
‘Yes, do you understand now, idiot!’
‘Who are you calling an idiot, you idiot! Then, what, what should we do. Should we call her sister?’
‘No. It's too early to call her that. So we need to
 do well. Understand?’
‘Joo Shin-woo, what a useful thing to say.’
‘It's nothing much.’
Nod, nod. It seemed they reached a dramatic agreement. The twins stood up and greeted me formally.
“If that's the case, we have no choice. We'll go first.”
Bow. Then they turned to leave without any hesitation.