Side Story 3:
The combat uniforms were a deep, almost black, color, as if they absorbed all light.
Seo Jae-yi’s uniform, prioritizing mobility, was form-fitting.
Baek Joo-won’s was also fitted on top, but the pants were looser than Seo Jae-yi’s, likely due to his… anatomy.
“That’s… stylish.”
The designs were closer to high-fashion techwear than typical combat uniforms. Seo Jae-yi was impressed.
“And they’re also highly functional. Baek Joo-won, your combat uniform was pierced by an anti-monster bullet, correct?”
Seo Won-yeong asked Baek Joo-won.
His shoulder had been pierced by the anti-monster round Park Jung-soo had fired in the US.
Despite wearing the combat uniform she had made.
“Anti-monster bullets are designed to pierce even the toughest monster hides, so it’s not surprising that it pierced my combat uniform. Though it was quite annoying.”
She hadn’t told Seo Won-yeong that it had happened while fighting Park Jung-soo.
Seo Won-yeong was already upset that her creation had been breached; she didn’t want to further damage her pride, or her confidence, by telling her that Park Jung-soo had been the one to do it.
So she would reveal the truth later.
“I took that into consideration when designing these. I used dragon hide to significantly enhance their durability, so they shouldn’t be easily pierced anymore.”
Seo Won-yeong, to demonstrate, grabbed the fabric and pulled, as if trying to tear it. But the material, despite the Enhancement Esper’s strength, didn’t rip or even stretch significantly.
Even Seo Won-yeong, far stronger than any anti-monster weapon, couldn’t tear it. It was impressive.
“Perfect.”
Seo Jae-yi clapped her hands in approval. Baek Joo-won also nodded, pleased.
“And I also incorporated the lava stones you brought, Unnie. I used more in Baek Joo-won’s, so keep that in mind.”
Just as Seo Jae-yi had requested. Even though her flames couldn’t kill Baek Joo-won now that she possessed his Yeouiju, they could still injure him.
This would put her mind at ease.
“Thank you for your hard work, Won-yeong. And thank you for everything.”
Seo Jae-yi, spreading her arms wide, hugged her sister tightly.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I’m really benefiting from having such a talented younger sister. You’re the best.”
“Ahem! Well, of course! I’m the only one who can keep up with Unnie!”
Seo Won-yeong’s face flushed. She was used to her sister’s affectionate displays, but they still made her happy.
“And you even made our rings.”
Seo Jae-yi raised her left hand, showing off her ring, and Seo Hye-ryeong gasped.
“You got them! They’re beautiful, Jae-yi.”
She had already known about the rings, but she still examined them closely, a nostalgic smile on her face, seeing the ring fit her niece’s finger so perfectly.
“I never thought I’d see the day…”
Her niece, whom she had raised like her own daughter after losing her brother, her niece who had awakened as an S-rank Esper with the potential to become the strongest, her niece who had lived with a death sentence for eleven years…
She had often had nightmares, horrific dreams of losing her precious niece far too soon.
There had been a time when those nightmares had consumed her…
But not anymore. Not since the day someone had appeared, someone who loved her niece enough to ask Won-yeong to craft their rings. Seo Hye-ryeong had finally been freed from her nightmares.
She could even sleep peacefully without the sedative Seo Jae-yi had given her.
She wouldn’t need those pills anymore.
“Congratulations, Jae-yi.”
Seo Hye-ryeong hugged her niece tightly.
Seo Jae-yi, seeing her aunt’s peaceful expression, smiled and returned the embrace.
“So should I call you… Baek Seo-bang now?”
“Baek Seo-bang?”
Baek Joo-won tilted his head at Seo Hye-ryeong’s teasing words. Seo Jae-yi chuckled and explained,
“It’s a term of endearment for one’s son-in-law. You proposed, and we exchanged rings, so we’re practically married.”
They hadn’t had a wedding ceremony, but that didn’t matter to them, not to Baek Joo-won, who wasn’t human, and not to Seo Jae-yi, who hated anything troublesome.
They had promised to be together forever; what was a wedding ceremony compared to that? It was enough.
“I heard Koreans have many different kinship terms. What should I call you two, then?”
“You should call Aunt ‘Jangmo-nim,’ which means ‘mother-in-law,’ and Won-yeong ‘Cheoje,’ which means ‘sister-in-law.’ Aunt’s like a mother to me.”
“Ah, I see. Jangmo-nim, Cheoje. Pleased to meet you.”
Baek Joo-won, being a monster, wasn’t particularly interested in Seo Hye-ryeong and Seo Won-yeong. He didn’t care what they thought of him.
But Seo Jae-yi was happy, overjoyed, so he readily played along.
It was a Mireu’s instinct, to do anything for its mate.
The four of them, now a family, smiled warmly at each other.
Seo Hye-ryeong, perhaps charmed by her handsome new son-in-law, who clearly adored her niece, left the busy workshop to chat with him.
Seo Jae-yi and Seo Won-yeong stayed behind, discussing the Guild members’ equipment.
Seo Jae-yi, as they discussed the designs and materials, kept glancing at her sister.
She had been agonizing over whether to tell her sister about Baek Joo-won’s true identity.
She had never kept secrets from her sister before, but this was a huge secret, and she was worried.
It was even more problematic that Kim Yoo-sung already knew.
‘I could… predict the Guild Leader’s reaction, but I have no idea how Won-yeong will react.’
Seo Won-yeong loved her sister, second only to their mother.
And those two were the only people within her… boundary.
So she had no idea how she would react to the truth.
Would she deem Baek Joo-won too dangerous, a monster to be eliminated? Or would she accept him, regardless of his true nature, as he had saved her sister’s life?
The possibilities were so drastically different that it made it even more difficult.
“Won-yeong,” Seo Jae-yi finally spoke, after a long period of contemplation.
“Yes, Unnie?”
“…What would you think if I told you I was… no longer in danger?”
“You’re already safe, with Baek Joo-won and your 100% Matching Rate.”
“No, I mean… safe even without Guiding.”
Seo Won-yeong dropped the materials she had been holding.
Her usually sharp expression softened, her eyes widening in concern.
“What do you mean? You don’t need Guiding anymore, Unnie?”
“Well, it’s not like I don’t need it at all. My wounds heal faster with Guiding. But… Baek Joo-won and I… our bodies changed after our Matching Rate reached 100%.”
“Tell me everything!”
Seo Won-yeong’s eyes were wide with a mixture of curiosity and concern.
Seo Jae-yi, making sure no one else was within earshot, explained slowly,
“My overload level doesn’t increase like before, even when I use my ability. It’s like… he transplanted his Awakening Factor into me, not just… Guided me.”
It wasn’t the entire truth, but it wasn’t a lie either.
A Mireu’s Yeouiju and a Guide’s Awakening Factor… they were similar, though their significance was different.
“Is that even possible? There are many Pairs with a 100% Matching Rate, but I’ve never heard of anything like that.”
“I know. We’re… special. But it’s not a lie. I definitely felt it during the Rank 1 dungeon subjugation.”
Seo Won-yeong, knowing her sister would never lie about such a thing, looked at her with a mixture of awe and relief.
Seo Jae-yi, whose powerful ability had always been a double-edged sword, her overload level rising dangerously fast…
Her condition had stabilized! It was a miracle!
“The reason doesn’t matter. You’re safe now! I have to tell Mom…!”
“No, wait. Don’t tell Aunt.”
Seo Jae-yi stopped her sister, who was about to rush to Seo Hye-ryeong. Seo Won-yeong looked at her, puzzled.
“Why? She’ll be relieved, even though you’re already stable.”
“She would be. But there’s a… problem. The reason we’re… special… that’s the problem.”
“Huh? You know the reason? But why is it a problem?”
“…”
Seo Jae-yi stared at her sister, her expression serious, and then took her hands, holding them tightly, as if to prevent her from running away or attacking Baek Joo-won.
“Don’t be surprised, Won-yeong. And don’t tell anyone. This has to stay a secret. I’m only telling you because… I don’t like keeping secrets from you.”
Seo Won-yeong’s face hardened at her ominous words.
“What is it…?”
Seo Jae-yi, looking at her anxious sister, finally revealed the secret she had been keeping for months.
“Baek Joo-won… he’s…”
“…”
“Not human.”
“…What?”
“He’s… a monster.”
“…Huh?”
Seo Won-yeong blinked, stunned by her sister’s bombshell.
One second, two seconds, three seconds… After a full minute, then five…
“Wh-what?! A m-monster?! What are you…!”
Her shout, amplified by her Enhancement abilities, echoed through the spacious workshop.