HIF 18

If the World Needs Sacrifice

Being caught by Raen was a mistake. I didn’t want everyone to know that I cut my own arm. It was something I was going to stop doing anyway.

“Hyung, I really won’t do it again.”

I looked at Raen with pleading eyes. Raen looked at me with a slightly troubled expression before reluctantly nodding.

“Promise me, Yi-han. If you’re having a hard time, just tell me instead.”

After getting my promise, Raen carefully checked the bandage wrapped around my arm again. Then, he moved his steps towards the first floor.

Come to think of it, Min Joo-hyuk had also taught me how to bandage and disinfect wounds last time. Of course, I didn’t really follow it properly because I didn’t think it was necessary to go through all that trouble.

Min Joo-hyuk and Raen seemed used to this kind of thing. Is proficient first aid one of the virtues of a Hero, or something? I followed behind Raen, briefly thinking about that.

I slowly went down the stairs. Park Yul was supporting Min Joo-hyuk as they walked in. Song Ha-gyun closed the door and came in behind them. The faint cold air that had been spreading in the air suddenly stopped.

“Oh, Seon Yi-han. And Raen hyungnim! Were you together?”

Min Joo-hyuk saw Raen and me and waved his arm as if he was happy to see us. His voice was bright.

His legs look like they’re falling apart right now? I slid down the stairs and stood in front of Min Joo-hyuk.

I grabbed Min Joo-hyuk’s hand and used healing, and as expected, a blue light swirled around his legs and then came back into me. I could see the bar gauge in front of me was almost filled to the end.

“Thanks, Seon Yi-han. Actually, it really hurt.”

It didn’t sound like it hurt at all, but Min Joo-hyuk raised his eyebrows and made a pitiful expression. …I quickly turned my head away.

Still, I was slightly worried. Does he always get hurt this badly? Maybe the System’s talk about the Heroes’ sacrifice meant something like this.

Min Joo-hyuk, who had been quietly looking at me, smiled lightly and ruffled my hair. Then, he continued in a slightly subdued voice.

“I thought I had caught them all, but the Monsters popped out from a weird place.”

Park Yul, who was next to Min Joo-hyuk, immediately chimed in.

“Yeah, Joo-hyuk-ah. The Attack magic I used didn’t seem to work very well either. I think we need to revise the strategy itself.”

“Song Ha-gyun hyungnim almost got seriously hurt again. I should have….”

“Min Joo-hyuk. Wasn’t that last incident over?”

Song Ha-gyun said in a firm voice. Park Yul patted Min Joo-hyuk’s back forcefully and continued.

“Ha-gyun is right. And we’re fighting together. You don’t have to take responsibility alone.”

“That’s right. Everyone worked hard. Joo-hyuk, be careful not to get hurt. Go up and get some rest.”

Min Joo-hyuk’s expression seemed to have improved a little. I don’t know why Min Joo-hyuk blames himself so much when he’s the one who got hurt the most. Song Ha-gyun and Park Yul seem to be in okay condition though.

I reached out to Song Ha-gyun to heal him and then turned my head towards Park Yul.

“I’m okay, Yi-han-ah.”

I grabbed Park Yul’s hand as he took a half step back.

I chose healing in my mind. Soon, the wound disappeared and a Status Window popped up saying that the healing was successful. And I could see that the bar gauge in front of me was finally full.

“…Cough.”

A small cough came out. I brought my hand to my mouth, and drops of blood were falling on my sleeve.

With trembling eyes, I raised my head. Every time I spat out blood, the red light of the bar gauge was decreasing little by little.

“Gasp.”

I had trouble breathing as blood surged up in an instant. My sleeve was stained red with blood.

No, let’s stay calm. It was nothing. I was just momentarily flustered by the sudden situation. I took a calm deep breath.

“Hee… haa, cough.”

I slowly composed myself. After doing it for a while, I could breathe. I learned that you can get the hang of spitting out blood.

All learning has meaning, so will this be useful someday? It would be better if this kind of learning was useless, but I had a feeling I would be using it again soon.

The red light of the bar gauge floating in the air had decreased by about a quarter. It seemed like it would return to normal by spitting out blood when that gauge was full.

‘Still, it’s a relief that I can keep using healing.’

If I can heal any wound, spitting out blood a few times is actually a benefit. I don’t even feel pain and I don’t die, so there couldn’t be a more perfect situation than this.

I was satisfied with the not-so-bad situation when I felt a careful touch coming from behind me.

“Yi-han?”

Raen called my name in a trembling voice. He was patting my back as if to comfort me. Only then did the situation properly register in my eyes.

“Yi-han-ah, snap out of it.”

Park Yul was holding my shoulders firmly in front of me and making eye contact with me. He looked calm as usual, but his pupils were shaking slightly.

Min Joo-hyuk pulled a soft chair back and slowly sat me down. His voice asking if I was okay was cut off.

I was really fine. I knew it was a situation where I wouldn’t look fine, but I was frustrated because I didn’t know how to explain it. Then, a handkerchief dyed in a light purple color was held out in front of me.

“…Have you, ever had this before?”

Song Ha-gyun grabbed my hand that was covering my mouth and carefully brought the handkerchief to my mouth as he asked.

My sleeve was already wet and damp with blood, so this was much better. A strong scent of grass rose from the handkerchief. Did he do something with medicinal herbs? I felt like my cough had subsided a little.

The filled part of the bar gauge was now less than half. It seemed like I would be done spitting out blood soon. I answered with a much lighter heart.

“Sometimes.”

I figured I would be spitting out blood if I used healing a lot in the future, so it was better to tell them in advance.

“I’m not sick anywhere, I’m okay.”

I could feel the stinging gazes looking at the handkerchief that was getting darker as it was soaked with blood. Everyone didn’t seem to be able to easily accept it, but I had nothing more to say.

Then, a Status Window popped up in front of me with a ding.

I couldn’t accept it either. Who decided to set the cooldown like this? But the System didn’t say anything else to me either.

Is everyone feeling a bit dumbfounded and wronged right now?

‘If that’s the case, I feel a little sorry.’

But it couldn’t be helped. There are quite a few things in the world that are hard to accept.

Before I knew it, the sun had completely set. Darkness poured into the room through the window.

◇

After that, I felt like everyone was being overly concerned about me for the next few days. It was when I stumbled a bit while going up the stairs.

“Hey, Seon Yi-han. Are you okay?”

“Are you sick anywhere, Yi-han?”

“…Want me to give you a piggyback ride?”

“Yi-han-ah, tell me if you’re having a hard time.”

Everyone reached out and added a word each, so that says it all. And why does Song Ha-gyun keep asking if he can give me a piggyback ride since last time?

It’s like they’re looking at me like I’m a candle in the wind, which is a bit unfair.

‘I’m probably the healthiest one here right now.’

I couldn’t use healing yet because the cooldown hadn’t finished, and I didn’t use bring because it would be too obvious. Since they know I use healing magic, it would be difficult to bring the wounds as they are.

Still, I was thinking of using bring if there was a major injury, but fortunately, no one came back seriously injured during that time.

Since I couldn’t use healing, everyone had minor injuries left on their bodies, which bothered me. I have to heal them as soon as the cooldown is over.

But how have they been doing before I came? They said there’s no such thing as healing magic, and it seems like there aren’t any medicines that Song Ha-gyun makes that are used for major injuries either.

‘They haven’t just been waiting quietly until they get better, have they?’

If that’s what they’ve been doing so far, it’s a bit bitter. They seemed to get hurt quite often. If it’s a world that only works if someone has to sacrifice… I’d rather,

“Yi-han-ah, good night.”

I snapped back to my senses at Park Yul’s voice. Park Yul lightly stroked my hair. I was already in front of my door as I was lost in thought.

“Good night, hyungs too. You too, Min Joo-hyuk.”

Everyone seemed busy and went to bed much later than now, but I was going to sleep now, so I said goodbye in advance. I felt more tired than usual today for some reason.

Click.

I closed the door and went up to the bed.

The white box that Song Ha-gyun left behind was still on the table right next to it. When I tapped it once, a subtle light spread out. It was much better.

I put my head on the pillow and closed my eyes. Soon, I fell asleep as if I had lost consciousness.

It was instantaneous.

◇

Thump, thump.

The sound of footsteps was faintly heard. It sounded like walking on a dirt road.

‘Huh? I definitely just fell asleep?’

I could see the back of Raen wearing a Robe. The sunset was in front of him. The gaunt branches of the thick trees lined up around him were soaring as if to pierce the sky.

Raen moved his steps along the path in the middle. It looked like he was walking into the sunset.

‘Is this a dream?’

It was too vivid. I don’t usually dream. Raen’s appearance was naturally without any sense of incongruity to be called a dream.

In an instant, Raen stopped walking with a jolt. Raen turned his head and stared intently at the left, then moved his steps towards that side.

At the place where his steps stopped, there was a trace that looked like it had been torn black in the air. The darkness without a single point of light was alien as if it was detached. The area around it was dyed red.

‘It’s a Rift.’

I remembered what Raen had explained to me last time.

Raen was standing in front of the Rift with his lips bitten. He seemed to be hesitating. Then, he raised his hand and carefully chanted a magic spell.

Woong.

A cluster of light faintly concealed the Rift. It wasn’t closing the Rift, but it looked like he was adding magic on top of it. Raen moved his steps again with an expression that he wasn’t satisfied, as if it was just a temporary measure.

‘Why am I having this dream?’

Raen wandered around for a long time, found more Rifts, and added magic on top of them. I was starting to get a little bored of seeing the same actions over and over again. Then, Raen stopped walking again.

A Rift was open there too. The moment Raen raised his hand and chanted a magic spell, there was movement from behind.

A thick and sturdy-looking tree branch was extending behind Raen. The end was dyed black. Raen seemed to be deeply focused and didn’t notice.

Crack.

A chilling sound like crushing a tree branch resounded. At the same time as Raen hurriedly turned around,

Thwack.

The thick tree branch crushed and pierced through Raen’s waist.