Chapter 93
Chapter 93
There is love in the unseen.
Jin Ye-Seul could earnestly feel the sense of faithfulness being filled from the depths of her heart, which was so satisfying that it was impossible to feel again in her life.
There was a stimulating and intense taste in her mouth.
It tasted like a very dull rusty piece of iron, like when you put an old coin in your mouth.
In her mind, she wanted to bite off his neck and drive her fangs down to the airways and esophagus.
But she just wanted to feel him more, not to take his breath away.
She released him, and he quickly stepped back, holding his neck with the palm of his hand.
Then, as if to protect him, a shadow and what looked like a tree branch appeared.
If she had been a little late, her whole body would have been pierced.
She knew well that the tree branch was a step slower than the shadow, as she had seen and felt it many times before.
And for some reason, she could instinctively sense that the shadow would not react if she bit him now.
Perhaps it’s because I now have half of the legacy, she only vaguely thought.
“You… !”
“Sorry…… But, I just couldn’t stand it.”
Jin Ye-Seul sincerely felt sorry for him.
But on the other hand, she felt something unbearable burning fast and violently inside.
She could taste blood around her mouth.
His blood, a part of him.
Jin Ye-Seul unknowingly reached out her finger and rubbed his blood from the corner of her mouth to her lips.
She was so meticulous and careful, as if she was applying rouge to her lips.
Seeing that, Yoo Ji-Hyuk’s pupils dilated, and thanks to that, she could see that she was smiling in his eyes.
But why is Ji-Hyuk surprised now?
She couldn’t help but burst out laughing when she saw him.
“I know.”
Her family was a renowned and prestigious family that produced outstanding wizards.
However, Jin Ye-Seul, ironically, was born without any magical aptitude.
And as if mockingly her, she had been born with a natural body and senses instead of that.
She was a disgrace to her family.
Everything was put before her older sister and younger brother first, and she was always a nuisance.
Toys, pretty clothes, spacious rooms, fluffy beds, and tutors who were so famous you could recognize them by name, everything.
Everything was put before them first.
After smashing the wrist of the servants who secretly looked down on her, no one spoke to her or came near her.
The parents who had given birth to her were her blood relatives, so she gave them the least amount of love and attention.
But when she found out that they had even done a genetic test to see if she was their real child, she had already irrevocably given up on her relationship with the people around her.
It was in this environment that she came to her own realization.
“I know.”
The world doesn’t give her what she wants.
She became more and more convinced of that fact day by day.
So if she wants something, she has to steal and take it away from a world that gives nothing.
In such a situation, it shouldn’t have been so strange that she was fascinated by the story of a man who was famous for his great name and was not bound by anything.
She became more and more fascinated with the story of the man known as the Shadow Walker.
She didn’t care what her parents, her family, or the people around her thought.
Had her efforts paid off, or was it just a coincidence?
His grave.
She killed the gatekeeper who guarded his grave and was able to find his legacy from the memories she retrieved from his brain.
His story and the story of his legacy were real!
One of the men who had been freer than anyone else.
With it in her hands, Jin Ye-Seul gained a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment for the first time in her life, and she felt as if she was also set free.
It’s all mine.
All of it.
It was at the moment she promised to do so.
He, Yoo Ji-Hyuk appeared in front of her eyes.
What was Jin Ye-Seul thinking when she saw him saying that she was his true descendant and rightful successor with another legacy of Shadow Walker?
What about when she lost to him and realized that she was nothing more than an imitation?
What about the time when she lost her purpose in life and calmly prepared to die in a state of frustration?
And when he recognized her, understood her, and told her that she had talent?
What emotions did she feel and what thoughts did she have?
“I know it well.”
Jin Ye-Seul giggled and burst into laughter.
“I know very well that you can’t push me away from you even after all this.”
She looked at Yoo Ji-Hyuk with the same smile on her face.
He was holding the back of his neck, which was still bleeding, with his palms, looking at her with troubled eyes.
Those eyes.
“I’ve already gotten half of the legacy thanks to you. And that means I’ve become that important to you. That’s not all.”
Jin Ye-Seul approached cautiously one step at a time.
Yoo Ji-Hyuk did not back down.
She was ecstatic as she watched his momentum grow increasingly ferocious.
Those eyes.
“You’re too compassionate.”
That’s why you can’t leave me.
She asserted.
“Because I was the one who fought with you, the one who is willing to risk my life for you, to do anything. That’s why you can’t leave me. Even if you try to be cold-hearted, you can’t because I’ve already become so much needed to you.”
Look at it as evidence.
Even at this moment, you’re hesitating, right?
At her words, Jin Ye-Seul could feel Yoo Ji-Hyuk’s momentum shake a little.
It was one of her innate abilities.
To instantly read a person’s reaction.
She felt the need to shake him a little more.
Of course, if he wanted to at any time, she was confident that she would welcome the sword digging into her heart with open arms.
But if she died, he’d inevitably be someone else’s.
She didn’t want that to happen.
Really.
“And I know. Ji-Hyuk, the abilities you use…… Unless you’re an idiot, you’ll notice it if you see it over and over again. And all the things I’ve seen so far…… I don’t know what’s going on with your body, but it’s hard to learn the skills of legacy right now. Am I right?”
“… I don’t know what you mean.”
“Ahaha.”
In fact, there was no change in his appearance.
But at the moment, he became so sensitive that his heart was beating loudly that she could hear it clearly.
He looked so different from the first time she had met him that her heart naturally fluttered.
“It doesn’t matter. You are still descended from Shadow Walker. You’re his rightful successor and his legacy.”
And now, three.
I collected half of the six.
She spread out three fingers.
“See?”
With a grin, she bit the root of her ring finger.
The skin tore and blood flowed.
Thanks to that, it look as if she had put a red ring on her finger.
Necklace and ring.
You only have one earring.
“Can you see?”
Then she approached him little by little, paying attention to make sure he didn’t run away.
“Do you know what your problem is, Ji-Hyuk?”
“…… .”
“It’s that you’re not as cruel and cold as you think you are.”
She exhaled deeply as if sighing.
His heart was beating so violently that she wanted to cover her ears.
“Look, I bit your neck and hurt you, and now I’m shaking you however I want, but you’re just listening to me.”
If it had been me, I would have killed myself long ago.
“But that’s why I like you.”
Although his eyes are full of easy ways, he doesn’t choose them.
He drives himself, and adjusts to others as much as he can, even while he lowers himself…… He never chooses the easy way.
It was the same with Lee Yu-Na a few days ago.
If it had been her, she would have just killed her.
Although she was the first friend to open her heart, it would be regrettable and sad, but that was all.
If she had tried to snatch her ‘legacy’ or had done something to get in the way, she certainly would have.
The death of her friend is sad, but that’s all.
Who will understand me like this?
There is only one person.
Who would have known?
She never thought it would be so enchanting to have someone who understands her.
If she hadn’t known it all along, she wouldn’t have known it, but now that she did, there was no way she could give it up.
“I love it.”
That’s why she liked him.
He doesn’t know if he’s going through a hard time on his own.
Sometimes, when she gives a shortcut or something, he looks at her in surprise as if he had never thought of it.
From her memories, Jin Ye-Seul was well aware that others looked at her with disgust, contempt, or fear.
But he looked at her with eyes trying to understand her.
She can’t stand that careful, yet adorable gaze that she encountered for the first time.
“I love it so much, I don’t know what to do.”
She breathed out quietly.
She felt shy for revealing her inner thought for the first time, that it felt anew.
“So I will help you.”
She had a rough idea of what he’s preparing.
He probably wouldn’t be able to get it in a normal way.
So it made me laugh out loud involuntarily.
I’m the only one who can help him with this.
That means I’m the only person he can rely on.
The fact made her feel such intense emotions that she couldn’t control her lips.
“I will help you.”
“…… .”
At the sight of Jin Ye-Seul like that, Yoo Ji-Hyuk took a moment to catch his breath.
When he took his palm off, the blood flowing from the back of his neck had already stopped.
And he had no choice but to admit that she was right.
He needed her.
In any sense.
“… I can’t do what you want.”
The two did not speak for a while.
Some time later, when she heard Yoo Ji-Hyuk’s answer, she closed her eyes, feeling sluggish.
Sure enough, it was his typical reply.
“You don’t have to.”
Because I’ll take it on my own.
As always.
Jin Ye-Seul, who said so, smiled brightly at Yoo Ji-hyuk.
Her lips, covered with his blood, were shining strangely under the moonlight.
* * *
“Ji-Hyuk, what’s wrong with your neck?”
At Choi Hyun-Woo’s question, I reflexively reached out as if covering the gauze-covered back of my neck.
Then, I replied in a calm voice, scratching the area around the wound.
“Oh, I cut myself yesterday when I was tending to my equipment.”
“But how on earth did you cut your neck instead of your hand or arms?”
“…I was lying down on the bed with things all over the place, but I forgot when I got up. The wound wasn’t too deep, but it did bleed a bit. So I’ve put it. It’s going to stay like this for a while.”
“I see. Be careful from now on. You’ll get hurt really badly if you do that.”
“I know.”
While answering like that, I breathed a small sigh of relief, thinking that I had put it around for now.
On the other side of the gauze, there were clear teeth marks that anyone could see.
When I applied potion on the wound, it unusually didn’t disappear, but rather the reddish tooth marks came out more clearly.
I should go to the infirmary later.
I shuddered at the thought of what would happen if this was discovered.
“But it’s been a while since we’ve had a free fight like this, so it’s refreshing.”
Choi Hyun-woo muttered as he swung his sword once, which had been fastened with the protector.
As he said, today there were three classes: A, B, and C.
It was the day of the class when the three classes gathered together like this and had a free fight.
As the front row and the back row were divided into separate classes, I was naturally separated from Han Soo-Young, but at least now I could say that it was a blessing.
… Strangely enough, when it came to me, she was the kind of person who would go off limits, so she might suddenly tear off the gauze and check the wound.
“But Ji-Hyuk, you’ve definitely improved your skills a lot, too.”
“Hyun-Woo, it feels good to hear all those compliments from you.”
Perhaps because I had been practicing with Choi Hyun-Woo so often, I had a general idea of how to distance myself from an opponent who used a sword, and how to resolve the situation.
Of course, Choi Hyun-Woo’s winning percentage was always overwhelming, but it was a long way from before, when I could do nothing but fall.
“So, I think it’s better to slowly fight with other people besides me.”
“Why?”
“Of course, because you shouldn’t get used to me too much.”
Choi Hyun-Woo said that and scratched his ear.
“The same goes for other things, but swords are so diverse in school, form, and type. In other words, even if you are of the same school as me and holding the same sword, you can attack in a completely different way. If you fight only with me, naturally, you’ll only get used to my posture, method, and habits. If that happens, you might face a big setback later on.”
“Definitely…… .”
“This is a rare opportunity, so it’s better to fight as many people as possible and in as many different ways as possible. The more experience you have with a blunt weapon, one-handed sword, and shield, two-handed sword…… the better. Especially if you are fighting with a weapon called a dagger, that kind of experience is even more needed.”
It was definitely as he advised.
Perhaps because of the professor’s words that it would not be reflected in the grades, the students were actually fighting with several students more actively than usual.
“Then, let’s do what you said…… .”
“Hey…… .”
Instantly, I got chills and goosebumps.
When I turned my head, I saw Jin-Ye Seul, still holding her shield in one hand and her sword in the other, smiling shyly.
“Then, why don’t you try it with me, Ji-Hyuk?”
She approached us with an unconcerned look, as if she didn’t know anything about yesterday, as if it was just a dream of mine.
It wasn’t that I was afraid of her or anything, but it was true that I was reluctant right now.
Putting aside the fact that she promised that she would prepare all the things I asked for thoroughly.
Isn’t that obvious?
I could still feel an intermittent burning pain in the back of my neck.
But Choi Hyun-Woo, whether he knew how I felt or not, had a look on his face like it had just worked.
And even before I expressed my rejection, he tapped my shoulder and said.
“Good luck, give it a try. Ji-Hyuk.”
“What?”
“Wouldn’t it be easier for you to do it with someone you know even a little bit?”
While saying that, Choi Hyun-Woo added in a small whisper.
“… Of course, she might do something weird, so I’ll be watching. Don’t worry too much.”
It wasn’t that she might do something weird, she had already done something weird.
For a moment, I felt like crying, but I couldn’t say so.
I didn’t have much of a reason to say no, and the way Jin Ye-Seul’s eyes were looking at me, it was as if she was saying, ‘If you run away now, I’ll keep following you.’
Yes, one way or another, Jin Ye-Seul was one of the essential people for me, as she said.
I’ll have to put up with a little reluctance.
It was when I convinced myself and was about to fix the dagger.
“I’m sorry, but may I interrupt you for a moment?”
At first, I wondered whose voice it was.
However, I soon realized who it was when I heard the sound of a crackling metal.
“… Ahn Do-Hoon?”
Choi Hyun-Woo muttered in a low voice.
Wearing lighter armor than the one he had worn at the guild invitational, he approached me with a lance in one hand.
“Yoo Ji-Hyuk.”
He called my name softly and soon fixed the Lance.
Then he politely bowed his head to me and said.
“I ask you for a fight.”
He raised his head slowly, a low burning emotion flowing in his eyes.
“I hope you’ll accept my request.”