HIF 15

Because It’s Already Enough

Raen’s question was valid. But healing magic doesn’t work on me. In the first place, I don’t feel pain because of the passive effect, so I don’t need it.

The reason I feel nauseous right now is…. I won’t say more. I just need Raen to ease his suspicion a little, but it wasn’t easy. The words came out gruffly for no reason.

“It can only be used on Heroes.”

Raen widened his eyes and asked again.

“How do you know that?”

“Uh….”

The first healing magic reward I received was ‘Healing magic except for Heroes,’ so normally, healing magic probably only applies to Heroes. But how do I explain this?

“I have a feeling…. I just have that feeling.”

I mumbled, but Raen immediately nodded and moved on.

It was an attitude that he wouldn’t pry further if I didn’t say anything. He seemed to be cautious since last time. Of course, I was grateful, but there was no need to go that far.

Raen looked at Park Yul and opened his mouth.

“Leader, isn’t Yi-han taking the Hero’s Oath?”

“Hmm, I guess not.”

Park Yul smiled bitterly and continued.

“It’s not because I don’t trust him, but because it’s a power that doesn’t work on Yi-han.”

Park Yul gave a rough explanation. The Hero’s Oath goes through a process of being primarily confirmed by Park Yul, the chosen Hero, and then secondarily taking the oath at the temple.

Park Yul said that he gained a special power after becoming the chosen Hero. If he looks into the eyes of the other person and uses it, he can see at a glance whether that person is destined to become a Hero or not.

“I couldn’t see anything in Yi-han. It was like being pushed away.”

Park Yul, who looked at me, added with an apologetic expression.

“And Yi-han suddenly collapsed…. I was very surprised, Yi-han-ah.”

I told Park Yul, who was quietly apologizing, that it was okay. I was fine, but I wasn’t used to receiving worries or apologies.

Besides, it wasn’t Park Yul’s fault. It wasn’t Park Yul’s fault in the first place. It’s all because of the System, but I was frustrated because there was no way to say this.

“It would be nice if Yi-han could also take the Hero’s Oath.”

Raen said quietly. Park Yul neither affirmed nor denied, and quietly turned his gaze to me. Somehow, his expression seemed a little stiff.

From the last time, Park Yul sometimes had this face. An expression as if he was deep in thought, staring at me intently. I was hesitant, but I felt like he was wary of me.

It was inevitable. Everyone else had been together for several years, but I had suddenly joined.

Besides, Park Yul said that he couldn’t see anything in me. That was probably because of the System. It was naturally suspicious.

‘Still, it’s okay as it is.’

Since Park Yul was in charge of leading everyone, prudence was a good virtue. So, there seemed to be no need to try to dispel even that small wariness. There were no quests with Penalties.

So, this was enough. Wanting more was greed. Park Yul was basically a kind person to me.

When I met Park Yul’s gaze, Park Yul smiled brightly. Then, he refilled the teacup in my hand. It was warm. All this time was more than enough for me.

The midday sun, a little lower than before, poured light into the room through the window. It was still a peaceful afternoon.

◇

The days passed quickly. Before I knew it, three days had passed.

It would be a lie to say that the three days of Penalty were not difficult, but looking back, I think I was able to endure it in my own way. It’s always like that. If you just endure that moment, it becomes nothing.

Clatter.

I rolled the lollipop in my mouth. The sweet fruit flavor stuck thickly. Min Joo-hyuk gave it to me, saying he was glad I was finally having a proper meal today, after the Penalty was over.

-Hey, Seon Yi-han. Are you okay now? You couldn’t eat properly for a few days. I’m glad.

I don’t know how he knew I couldn’t eat. But the candy was quite delicious, so it was okay.

I walked quietly through the first-floor hall. The setting sun was low through the large window in the wall.

Everyone had gone out around lunchtime, so I was the only one in Ledeo. Recently, everyone had been going out often. Whether they went alone or in groups, they seemed quite busy going here and there.

-It’s something we have to do. There are only a few of us, and the world is wide.

That was Park Yul’s words. Thinking about it again, it was a very Hero-like thing to say.

Everyone was busy, but Park Yul always made sure to go out with them whenever something happened, so it was hard to even see his face. I felt a deep and heavy sense of duty from Park Yul. Was it because he was the chosen Hero?

I went up the stairs and opened the door. I was relieved that no one was here today.

I squatted down on the chair in front of the window. I took out a small piece of wood from my arms. When I pushed up the side, a sharp blade rose to the top.

Squeak.

Familiar, I raised my hand and deeply cut the inside of my forearm. Blood droplets slowly formed and then flowed down.

Red sunset light seeped into the blood droplets that fell to the floor. A faint smell of blood rose. Because I didn’t feel any pain, the thick blood droplets that dripped down seemed somehow unreal.

When I looked up at the sky, the Status Window was flashing blue.

In an instant, my vision went dark. It felt like my mind was being sucked into a deep place.

Thud.

A black, sticky Monster was lying on the floor. Park Yul was seen stabbing a long sword into it. Red light particles spread out from the Monster.

The particles gathered in the air in a circle. Then, they poured into the sword that Park Yul was holding. At the same time, the Monster withered into ashes. Park Yul immediately pulled out the sword.

In the blink of an eye, a red light flashed in Park Yul’s light green eyes. And soon disappeared without a trace.

Whoosh.

In an instant, my mind returned.

I blinked. I was sitting in the same place. The red sunset light was still stretching long into the room.

I shook my head lightly to clear my dazed mind. Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any major problems in the future I saw this time either.

Then, with a ding, a new Status Window appeared in front of me.

Today was exactly the second day, so the calculation was accurate.

I carefully wiped the blood droplets that were still slowly flowing down my forearm with my hand. The sticky blood dyed my fingertips red. It seemed like the blood wouldn’t stop easily this time either.

I shook off the blood droplets on my hand onto the floor. I don’t die and I don’t feel pain, so what. It’s not like I’m doing this for no reason, it’s all for the skill upgrade, so this is nothing.

The day before yesterday, I finally confirmed the Future Sight Beginner skill. The method of use was the same as the contents of the book I read at the temple when I did the Future Sight acquisition quest.

‘Offer the user’s blood and recite a specific spell.’

However, I didn’t need a specific spell because the System gave it to me as a skill. I just had to think that I was using Future Sight while drawing blood.

I had only done it once when I read the book at the temple, but I couldn’t see the future then, probably because it wasn’t a skill.

‘I only made a wound in vain.’

Still, it was worth reading the book hard at that time. I only had to use it eight more times to upgrade to the Intermediate skill.

Automatically shows you the future when there is something important ahead.

I could feel the convenience just by reading the description. It meant that I didn’t have to do this troublesome thing if I just upgraded the skill to Intermediate.

I took out a bandage from the desk drawer and unwound it. When I roughly wrapped it around the wounded area, the white bandage was quickly stained red. But fortunately, blood didn’t leak out.

Then it’s okay. I was satisfied with this much.

I fixed the end of the bandage with paper tape. Then, I took out a stiff piece of paper from my arms. When I tore it, a light flashed and the blood that had been pooling on the floor disappeared cleanly. The paper also disappeared into powder.

Raen gave it to me last time. Clean magic was contained in that paper just now.

At first, Raen tried to teach me how to use magic directly. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t use it. I knew it wouldn’t work, but I was a little disappointed when I actually confirmed it.

-It’s okay, Yi-han. Then I’ll just give you the basic magic for now.

Adding that I could tell him anytime if I needed more magic, Raen floated dozens of small pieces of paper in the air. And he put magic into each one.

To be honest, I thought Raen would treat me more harshly.

I even thought he might not talk to me at all. Because the Status Window that I had succeeded in Raen’s suspicion quest had not appeared.

But Raen’s attitude towards me was not so cold. Rather, he was meticulously attentive.

Are suspicion of the other person and attitude towards the other person separate? If so, Raen was really someone worth learning from.

The papers that Raen gave me were neatly stacked in my arms right now. I was glad that there was a way to use magic like this. If not, I would be diligently wiping the floor right now.

I moved my steps and opened the window. The blowing wind was cold. The faint smell of blood that had permeated the air scattered and disappeared.

Night was already falling on the sky where the sunset had almost faded.

◇

The weather got colder in a few days.

Min Joo-hyuk wore a thicker coat, and Raen seemed to be using a heavy Robe.

Song Ha-gyun wore a light gray knit over his dress shirt. It went well with his purple hair, which was tied long to one side.

Park Yul…. I don’t know about Park Yul. It doesn’t seem like anything has changed.

“Yi-han-ah.”

Park Yul, who was watering the flowers right in front of the building, found me leaning against the wall and approached me.

Do those flowers bloom all year round? I suddenly wondered. Even though the weather had gotten quite chilly, the colorful flowers still held a vivid energy.

“Why did you come out when it’s cold?”

Park Yul folded his eyes and smiled, summoning a fluffy-looking piece of clothing in the air.

The clothes fluttered down into Park Yul’s hands. It had a color that seemed to be a strange mix of sky blue and white. It looked like it would soon blend into the sky like thinly scattered clouds.

“You have to dress warmly. The wind is cold these days.”

Park Yul said in a soft voice and gently covered me with the clothes. When I properly put my arms in, it was spacious and light. And it was warm and cozy.

“Hmm, it’s bigger than I thought.”

After saying that, Park Yul ruffled my hair and added as if to himself.

“I need to get bigger.”

It’s not like I’m small either. It’s not that I’m small, it’s that everyone else is too big. Park Yul needed to look back on himself a little. Swallowing my unfair feelings, I slowly raised my arm.

I put my hand over Park Yul’s large hand, which was still ruffling my hair. Park Yul seemed to stop for a moment.

“…Yi-han-ah?”