Chapter 325: The Future, Twisted |
Chapter: 325
Chapter Title: The Future, Twisted
Her skin was as white and milky as if it had been slathered in cream, gleaming even more dazzlingly under the cold light of the moon.
The woman in the pavilion gazed at me with eyes that held the blue moonlight. I stared straight back at her. Soon, her beautiful eyelids fluttered up and down three or four times in quick succession.
After swallowing the silence that had settled between us as we eyed each other, I calmly sat down across from her.
As expected, the woman's identity was Lee Hyo-eul. Despite her cool appearance, she looked utterly flustered in a way that didn't suit her. As I quietly studied her face, a chill ran down my spine for a moment. Her expression didn't seem feigned, but her eyes were frozen cold like ice.
'Interesting. So she's got some experience under her belt.'
Well, as the Guardian of the Northern Continent, she was bound to be a User who'd weathered her fair share of battles.
⚔ PLAYER STATUS ⚔
2. Class: ① Guardian of the Northern Continent (Activated)
② Normal Mage (Deactivated)
3. Nation: Barbara
4. Clan: Haemil Clan (Rank: B+)
5. True Name · Nationality: One Who Guides the Light · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Female (27)
7. Height · Weight: 168.7cm · 49.3kg
8. Disposition: True · Neutral
⚡ Strength: 35(-12) | 💨 Agility: 58(-11) | ✨ Mana: 92(-7)(+3)
🛡️ Endurance: 50(-13) | 💪 Stamina: 28(-11) | 🍀 Luck: 99
(Remaining Stat Points: 0)
'She's recovered a bit.'
I recalled Lee Hyo-eul's Player Status and steadied my mind to avoid letting my guard down.
"Th-this... can't be. Who the hell are you...?"
Lee Hyo-eul stammered, still unable to shake off her fluster. I slowly pulled a cigarette from my pocket and put it in my mouth. Lighting it with a fire starter, I took a deep drag. Then, exhaling the smoke long and slow, I opened my mouth in a calm tone.
"Yeah. I heard you wanted to talk... What business does an angel's lackey have with me?"
The smoke billowing from my mouth twisted into bizarre shapes, dancing through the air. By the time it fully dissolved into the emptiness, Lee Hyo-eul's face—previously obscured by the hazy fumes—reappeared. The flustered expression that had colored her features moments ago had melted away like snow.
Soon, Lee Hyo-eul gave a faint smile. Her eyes curved into soft arcs, and her pretty pink lips drew a slender line.
"What ever do you mean...?"
Lee Hyo-eul murmured in a high-pitched tone. Her voice was far more composed now, without a hint of stuttering. I had a rough idea why she'd sought me out. As such, I had no interest in this tiresome game of push and pull. That's why I'd thrown a straight fastball from the start.
"No need to act surprised or play dumb. Lackey."
"Hoho. What is it with you brothers? Always so cold with your words? And stop calling me a lackey from the get-go. It hurts the lackey's feelings."
I let out a dry chuckle at Lee Hyo-eul's witty retort. She brushed her hair back with both hands, then rubbed the back of her head hard enough to make a sound, continuing.
"Why does my head feel so muddled... Sigh. Anyway, first things first—I should thank you for saving my life. Thanks. I don't love the casual talk or being called a lackey, but since you're my benefactor, I'll let it slide."
"You started the casual talk, and lackey is just the truth."
Strictly speaking, all Users including Lee Hyo-eul could be called lackeys. It was just a matter of degree. But I kept that to myself. I wanted to hold back on that topic. I knew a fair bit about the Guardian of the Northern Continent, but I didn't know the extent of her access privileges.
"...You really know how to rub salt in the wound."
"Anyway, cut the chit-chat and get to the point."
Lee Hyo-eul rolled her eyes at me for a moment but nodded in agreement at the suggestion to get down to business.
"Fine, I'll ask again. Why did you want to see me?"
"Simple. Curiosity. You've been coming up a lot lately, so I was dying to know who you are. Actually, I thought something was off when I saw your promotion record in Mul. So I called you here to check you out a bit..."
"......"
"Don't look at me like that. You seem to know a fair bit about me, so from my side, how could I not be curious? You're excavating ruins every month. Your clan is plastered with secrets and rares. You know I'm the Guardian of the Northern Continent. You're showing skills unbecoming of a 0-year User. Even when I ask the angels, they dodge with some 'Tanay' excuse, saying no access privileges, so they can't tell me—and instead tell me to get friendly and help you out as much as possible. In this situation, wouldn't you be curious too?"
As expected, she hadn't come here without preparation. She'd clearly investigated me beforehand on her own. Though it looked like she hadn't dug up much. I flicked the burned-out cigarette and shrugged.
"If even the angels won't tell you, what makes you think I'll spill?"
"I've got several ways in mind. First, I planned to gauge you with my innate ability, reveal I'm the Guardian to seem impressive, then cozy up to you slowly... But my innate ability got sniffed out by your unknown power, and you already knew about the Guardian thing? Come to think of it, what exactly is your ability? How'd you block a Guardian-exclusive power?"
She was as frank as she was curious. Sure, Lee Hyo-eul's curiosity about me was natural for a User, but that was her problem. When I responded with a scoff, her face soured visibly.
"Sigh. Fine, just tell me this one thing. How exactly did you know I'm the Guardian of the Northern Continent? This is a really important matter, so it'd mean a lot if you answered."
"Hmm."
"Please. If you answer, I'll answer one thing you want to know too."
It was a tempting offer. I pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"I just knew. And haven't you already checked with your handler angel? If there was a problem, the angels would've acted by now. Looks like it went smoothly, so what's the issue?"
"...Gabriel said to pass on a message. Keep the secret, no matter what. And that he's waiting. What the hell does that even mean?"
"My turn to ask now."
"Argh, this is driving me nuts."
Lee Hyo-eul twisted her face for the first time and bit her lips hard. Ignoring it, I calmly posed my question.
"What's your relationship with my brother?"
Lee Hyo-eul, who had been wearing a look of having taken a loss, stared at me blankly for a second before bursting into a "Pfft." giggle. I knew why she was laughing. But this was the most important issue for me right now. I'd kept her alive for the moment, but depending on how she viewed my brother, I'd decide her fate—spare her, kill her when the chance arose, or cooperate.
"Pfft. Brothers, huh? Anyway, to answer... I'm in my 7th year as Guardian this year. And the most recent User I chose to guide is your brother. Of course, 'recent' is relative—two years ago."
"...?"
"Guardians rarely stay with one User for two years. The longest is usually one? Of course, your brother must have that much value, since the angels aren't complaining... But now that's over. Anyway, my personal feelings played the biggest part in staying on. I'm a woman from heaven too, you know."
"I see."
Her words 'But now that's over' caught a bit, but I replied calmly.
"Well, honestly, if I could quit now, I'd drop it in a heartbeat. Can't, though. No successor... No successor... Sigh, damn old hag."
Lee Hyo-eul crossed her arms, let out a heavy sigh, and shook her head. Then, she suddenly gave me a strange look.
"Hey. We might end up as in-laws someday—what if I ask one more question? You can too, of course."
"Can't acknowledge the first part, but sure on the second."
"Great. You don't wanna get into details, so yes or no only. Are you the new Guardian by any chance?"
"No."
At my immediate reply, Lee Hyo-eul pouted in deep disappointment. She seemed to have had some hopes.
"My turn again. I heard you're holding a pretty big summoning soon."
"Huh? Oh. Yeah. But it's not that big. Just calling the ones who know me."
"Fair enough. Then let me ask: How far along are your talks? And what's the goal?"
"?"
Lee Hyo-eul tilted her head at my question. I'd cast the net too wide; maybe I needed to narrow it down.
"Starlight Clan entered Monica recently. They were active in Halo before, but got scouted by Istantel Law."
"Aha. That's unusual. So-young must've slipped up... No, wait. Well, since it'll blow up soon anyway, maybe it doesn't matter?"
Lee Hyo-eul's eyes widened as she caught on, but she soon smiled slyly and spouted something cryptic. Actually, not cryptic. Keywords like 'slipped up' and 'it'll blow up soon anyway' came out. She'd noticed I asked two questions at once and indirectly answered both—promising responses to both. What an unpredictable User.
"And the goal... This'll take some explaining... Eh, whatever. The angels said stuff, and you're a young master too, so consider it a big service. You know your Godmother was murdered, right?"
"I know."
"Tch. So stiff. Anyway, personally, her death felt fishy to me. So I looked into it, but as you know, I ended up on death's door. Thanks to you I survived, but when I woke up, shit had already hit the fan. Right as I was agonizing over it, you popped up with the Vagrants. The summoning's goal is exactly those Vagrants you brought. Oh, don't misunderstand—not trying to steal your authority or anything. It's a straight-up request."
'Looked into the fishy parts and took action?'
My brother had said she died exploring ruins. But Lee Hyo-eul's story differed. So, two possibilities: she was lying, or there was something she couldn't say.
I tried not to show my thoughts and spoke lowly.
"So you're saying the Godmother was killed by Vagrants?"
"Smart cookie. Yeah. Something smelled off, and tying it to the current situation? It reeks. Honestly, I desperately needed a Vagrant right now, and you even brought Baek Seo-yeon. From my position, that's a godsend. She's practically high command, so she must know a ton. If I'm right, she might've even been involved in the Godmother's murder."
Her mouth tired from talking so long, Lee Hyo-eul touched her lips briefly, then clasped her hands lightly and continued.
"Oh right. I'm not the only one drinking the kimchi soup here. You'll join the second summoning, right? Your brother Kim Yu-hyeon will be there too, of course. Yeah?"
I had no idea what that had to do with anything, but I stared calmly at Lee Hyo-eul. Her thoughts aligned with mine. Or rather, with my memories. Anyway, I couldn't fully trust her yet, but today's talk let me confirm one thing: I'd done well healing her.
After sorting my thoughts for a moment, I smirked inwardly and made up my mind.
For now, I'll keep her alive.
Afterword
I'm five minutes late today. Sorry. My routine's all messed up since classes started, and I can't get my groove back. Haha. Oh, and I'll replace Go Yeon-ju's pic in the announcement soon. I asked the artist to modify it to cover her chest a bit more. :) And... those with eagle eyes might've caught something in this chapter. If you did, please keep quiet for others' sake. I'd be super grateful. _(__)_
💬 Ri Ripl
— Angma Processing
Grats on 1st! Is that the person? Haha. :) If so, it was a pleasure meeting you!
— TrueEyes
Yes! Here's my Ri Ripl. Bow! _(__)_
— Wol Ya Su Wol
Think of Hwa-jeong and Banshee's curse. Not all abilities are equal. :)
— Dream Archer
Hmm. Different uses make comparison tricky, but assuming full versions, Hwa-jeong > Third Eye.
— Sun Moon and Stars
Right? Lee Hyo-eul has influence spanning south and east. Will reveal gradually in future summonings.
— Podytop
Lee Hyo-eul wasn't in Kim Su-hyun's memories. In the 1st round, she died from Banshee's curse unsolved, and Kim Su-hyun joined his brother's clan much later. If curious about Continental Guardians, reread Simon and Vagrant Leader convo. :)
— Yuri Kenno
Hyo-eul's name is pretty, right? Haha. Su-hyun's 'hyeon' meaning shine fits well. :)
— Repil
The Third Eye is unequivocally OP. Haha.
— J.F
Su-hyun's currently Master of the Sword. That's why all swords love him. Haha.
— Sunset S
Looked wholesome till mid, then that guy bleeding out like the MC—shocked me. -_-a And at the end, glanced and freaked again; looked like he was clutching his throat. ㅜ.ㅠ
Thanks always for reading. Your recs and comments mean the world.
Please read with a relaxed mind.
Favorites, recs, comments, critiques, questions always welcome.
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