Chapter 24: Seo Gayeon
TL/Editor: looloo
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Here
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The body of the Mine turns to dust and scatters in the wind.
That's how it usually ends for the Mines.
They're the ones who gain power by dedicating themselves to the extraordinary aspects of this world.
Their death doesn't even offer them peace.
Ding!
[You have received 5,000P as a reward.][You set an astonishing record! You minimized civilian casualties. An additional 10,000p is rewarded!]
[You dealt with a Mine alone! Your reward will be increased.]
[Your conceptual stat, Spirit Against Heaven, increases by 3.]
I received a lot of points.
With these, I could purchase a decent martial art.
"……."
I paused while collecting the reward.
The Spirit Against Heaven stat had increased.
The moment I saw that, the Body Against Heaven started to grow.
[What?]
Black Essence.
A bead as small as a thumbnail swelled up to the size of a thumb segment.
[What's happening? Did Body Against Heaven increase?]
Ignoring the perplexing Black Essence, I reconsidered. In this case, it might be better to increase the attribute.
"The Mine is dead! We trusted you!"
"Thank you, Hero! You are Gangnam's hero!"
Citizens murmured all around.
Some of them held cameras.
I didn't want to show my face.
I stepped into the multidimensional premium shop.
There, I purchased a one-time use secrecy device I had been eyeing.
──────────────
【One-time Escape Device (B-)】
An escape device crafted by the Electronic Witch.
: Erases the user's appearance from all modern artifacts.
: Causes regular people who haven't awakened their magic to see the user's appearance as blurred.
──────────────
Even though it's for one-time use, it costs 1,000p.
It's ridiculously expensive.
But, the effect must be worth the price.
I activated the item.
I'm not sure what the effect will be, but I trust its performance since it's from the multidimensional premium shop.
I pulled the hood of my hoodie down.
'Did I spend too much time?'
The other heroes will be here soon.
I need to slip away.
Being seen as a hero is good, but it's too early.
If my identity is revealed to the Mines, and I'm suspected as a rival of the Mines, all sorts of Mines will target me.
That's why I didn't insist on Seo Gayeon, but... things have shifted a bit now.
The situation is much tougher than I anticipated.
Given that this quest is a tutorial, the real danger is probably not far off.
'How should I persuade her?'
I mused over how to influence Seo Gayeon as I strolled down the alley.
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Raei Translations
---
"Tsk."
In the heart of the smoke-filled city, a woman in a suit sighed deeply as she lit a cigarette.
"Why are those black magic jerks stirring up trouble lately?"
"It's because of the prophecy."
"The prophecy about someone with the talent to wipe out all the Mines?"
Baek Jiyeon laughed.
As if a simple talent could solve it all.
Even the renowned heroes of the past couldn't entirely wipe out the Mines.
Baek Jiyeon strolled off, snickering.
"She's the Sword Queen."
"Wow. The Sword Queen shows up just because two Mines are causing havoc?"
People exiting the guild were murmuring.
"Speaking of which, I heard the reports say the victims were two mid-tier... captured by mere students?"
"Yes, that's right."
Baek Jiyeon whistled.
She'd heard rumors that this year's students at the Korea Hero Academy were quite something.
Given that the association president, who usually ignored newcomers, showed interest, it signaled their caliber.
"Yes, according to the citizens' reports, one Mine who had taken civilians hostage was caught by a single student, and the other Mine was caught by a group of four students."
"…What?"
Baek Jiyeon dropped the cigarette from her mouth.
Even if students were talented, they typically led lives of heroes who barely scraped through, or hunters who couldn't even make hero status.
But to apprehend a Mine single-handedly?
"There's also one peculiar thing."
"A peculiar thing?"
"Yes. The student who confronted the Mine alone doesn't show up on any electronic devices."
"What?"
"It seems to be Lee Seoha based on the circumstances... That's why it's somewhat unclear."
"Is that so? Attach that to my front. I'll investigate it later."
Did the Electronic Witch get involved?
I thought she was already asleep.
"No matter what, this has become bothersome."
Baek Jiyeon ruffled her intricate hair and started to sort things out.
"Hey, there's a bounty, right?"
"Yes. If you can prove that you've eliminated a Mine, you receive it right away."
Korea is a small place.
Although she didn't like it, if she lost the opportunity to the guilds, she'd have to endure the boss's nagging for a while. It looks like she would have to make a move.
"Fine, set up the schedule."
"Yes, I understand."
Lee Seoha.
Baek Jiyeon ingrained the three syllables of his name into her mind as she sorted things out.
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Raei Translations
---
"Really now, must I do this today?"
[Stop complaining. Yes, you're tired, but you've already recuperated with that potion. It's trainings like these that will prevent you from bleeding out in the future.]
At the words of the Heavenly Demon, I sighed and stepped into the training ground.
Penthouse.
I had just made it back to the dormitory.
The smallest miracle I could muster. I was complaining.
I agreed with the Heavenly Demon's point.
Originally, with such character stats, even in tough levels, I could tackle everything wearing just one pair of underwear and a dagger.
Tsk.
I sighed and rose from the bed.
I changed my clothes. Socks felt like too much hassle, so I just pulled a hoodie over my head.
As for pants, since the weather was slightly warmer, I switched to shorts.
[Can't you give up on that damned hoodie?]
"What's wrong with it? It's comfortable and nice. Plus, there's no one I need to impress."
[At your age, it's normal to care about your appearance.]
I chuckled at the Black Heavenly Demon Sword's commentary.
[If I hadn't found myself in this world, I would have been the same.]
[Are you heading out?]
"Yep."
The penthouse is equipped with an air purifier and always maintains a cool temperature, but... how should I phrase it?
It lacks the feel of a real workout.
At least when I'm outside, there's the pleasure of enjoying the scenery.
I put my phone in my pocket and grabbed the Bluetooth earphones I'd purchased.
As I stepped outside the dorm, a familiar figure came into view.
Seo Gayeon.
She was out for a run in her sportswear.
"Hello."
"Ah, hello."
Seo Gayeon greeted me, appearing somewhat flustered.
I looked around. We were alone.
'Perfect timing.'
"Are you out for a jog? Mind if I tag along?"
"Huh? Oh, sure, of course."
So, Seo Gayeon and I began to jog together.
But only for a short while.
Before I realized it, Seo Gayeon had pulled far ahead.
"...."
I acknowledged a significant fact.
Despite currently being known as the worst performing student in this school, Seo Gayeon's stamina far exceeded mine.
And there was another distressing fact.
After noticing she had pulled far ahead, Seo Gayeon slowed down to match my pace.
"……."
As a guy, this was a massive blow to my ego.
I seriously considered using the points I'd recently accumulated to boost my stamina-related stats.
Seo Gayeon broke the silence.
"Seo-ha, you're quite knowledgeable about alchemy, aren't you?"
"Uh, I'm fairly skilled at it. Why do you ask? If I can, I'll answer your questions."
"Well, during practice the other day, I added slime mucus into a recovery potion, but it turned into poison…"
"……Did you filter it?"
"Huh?"
"If you don't, it becomes toxic and turns into poison. You have the kit they gave us, right? There's something called a filter device in there. If you add water, the magic in the kit reacts and transforms it into a substance that filters out the poison. Try it next time."
"Oh, I see."
It's a fundamental aspect of using slime mucus, but it's understandable if you weren't aware.
"Seo-ha, you're really good at everything, aren't you."
Her voice, tinged with feelings of defeat and inferiority, struck me.
"Ah, no, sorry! Fo, forget what I just said."
Seo Gayeon seemed startled and quickly lowered her gaze.
"No, there are plenty of things I can't do too. Like running, for instance."
I turned my gaze towards Seo Gayeon.
Seo Gayeon is an earnest person. But life hasn't always been kind to her.
"Do you want to learn magic?"
"Magic……?"
"Yeah. Like I said before, I think you have a knack for it. Just judging by talent, you're more remarkable than Hong Yuhwa."
"Me?"
"Yeah. Trust me on this."
"……."
Seo Gayeon gazed at me, her expression blank.
"I'll help however I can."
Of course, I planned to forcibly assist even if she didn't ask.
I wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Th, thank you."
Seo Gayeon slowly nodded her head.
Looks like I'll be visiting the dungeon with Seo Gayeon next weekend.
Awakening one's magical power is no easy task.
The most effective method usually involves facing a life-threatening situation.
The 'Star's Magic Power' that Seo Gayeon possesses needs to come into contact with things associated with 'Magic'.
'In other words, the most effective way would be to keep fighting until she's nearly killed by the Mines.'
Seo Gayeon offered a slight smile.
That's right, she should keep smiling for now.
I smiled back as I watched Seo Gayeon.
enjoy! :)
wagababa hogoodahdah (i'm speaking facts fr)
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