Chapter 94:
The orb had a strong presence, so she could vividly feel it traveling down her throat, reaching her stomach, and then descending further.
It finally stopped moving in her lower abdomen.
“Ugh.”
The orb, having settled, emitted an even stronger power. The energy spread to her fingertips and toes in an instant.
The refreshing sensation was so intense that it felt cold. Or perhaps it felt that way because the heat burning within her was so scorching.
Her hands and feet trembled involuntarily from the cold. She thought she had become accustomed to pain, but this overwhelming freshness was unbearable.
It felt like all the plants she had killed in this dungeon were taking revenge.
“Ugh, ugh!”
And then, as her heart pounded, startled by the sudden intrusion of foreign energy, Seo Jae-yi vomited blood. A massive amount, as if she was expelling all the blood in her body.
The only consolation was that it was all dark, stale blood, not fresh blood.
“Ugh, ugh…”
Seo Jae-yi’s upper body collapsed, her energy completely drained. The man caught her, preventing her face from slamming into the pool of blood she had just vomited.
“At least it didn’t catch fire.”
He sensed his energy settling within her. It wouldn’t burn easily, as it was regenerative power.
“How do you feel?”
“It felt good earlier, but now it’s the worst…”
Seo Jae-yi muttered, her body slumped against his arm.
“Your body?”
“I have no strength…”
“Really? Then can I kill you now?”
Seo Jae-yi glared at him the moment he finished speaking. Her clenched fist radiated a menacing aura, as if ready to punch his face if he made even the slightest suspicious move.
He hadn’t expected someone who had no strength and was completely leaning on him to be so terrifying.
‘If she wasn’t joking, I would be dead.’
Well, it wasn’t entirely a joke. He was honestly a bit disappointed.
“You’re fine. My power has settled, and your ability isn’t leaking as much, is it?”
“Haa, yes.”
Seo Jae-yi straightened her back, as if she hadn’t just been slumped against him.
She should be dizzy after vomiting so much blood, even if it was stale blood. But she composed herself, as if she was used to it. Her eyes, which had been unfocused, were now clear.
The man was astonished by her rapid recovery.
If he had tried to kill her without warning, his head would probably be rolling around in that pool of blood right now.
He unconsciously touched his neck.
“How can you recover so quickly? Do S-ranks have exceptional mental fortitude?”
“Mental fortitude is an individual trait, not determined by rank. I’ve just been through a lot of shit, so I’m tougher than others.”
Seo Jae-yi muttered indifferently, swinging her arms and cracking her neck, checking her condition.
The coldness that had made her tremble had subsided, leaving behind a pleasant, refreshing sensation.
It had been so long since she had felt this free from the heat. She didn’t smell any blood in her mouth, she wasn’t sweating, and her body felt light.
Beep. Her receiver, as if sensing the change, emitted a sound.
【Overload Progress — 55%】
【Caution: Not yet stabilized.】
“Wow, this is amazing.”
Her level, which had never dropped below 65%, even with Kwon Yi-soo’s Guiding, had decreased by 10%.
How long had it been since she was in the 50% range? No wonder her body felt so light.
“It’s definitely effective. Your level has improved significantly.”
“Improved? I heard Espers start getting headaches when their level exceeds 40.”
“I didn’t have a compatible Guide. My average level is usually around 50%.”
It was normal for Seo Jae-yi, but not for the man.
“I was wondering how you recovered so quickly. You’re just used to having a shitty body.”
“That’s right. So this is already a huge improvement for me.”
Seo Jae-yi stood up. She was still a bit dizzy, had a slight headache, occasional ringing in her ears, and felt nauseous sometimes, but she was definitely better than before.
“You kept your promise. Deal’s done. I won’t kill you. And I’ll leave this dungeon soon.”
“That’s a relief. I was a bit worried you might kill me after getting what you needed.”
“I keep my promises! I won’t kill you. Why would I? I’m actually grateful that you saved me.”
Seo Jae-yi grinned at him.
“Thank you, really. Thanks to you, I can say goodbye to my family instead of dying alone here.”
“…That’s all you want, now that you’re alive?”
“It’s a big deal.”
It was the only thing she could do now.
“You extended my lifespan, but I won’t live long anyway. I don’t have a compatible Guide. Even with your power, I’ll eventually die if I keep using my ability.”
Seo Jae-yi’s eyes were calm as she spoke of death.
She had always been like this. When she was burning down the forest alone, when the man appeared and tried to kill her, and even when she was writhing in pain.
There was no spark in her eyes. The only time she had shown any life was when she said she was happy to be able to say goodbye to her family.
“Ah, I’m curious. Will the power you gave me disappear when I die?”
“No, it will return to me.”
“That’s a relief. Then I don’t have to come back here to die.”
A human casually discussing death. The man didn’t know what to say. He had never met anyone like her.
“What’s your name?”
He asked impulsively. He might need to know someday.
“Me? Seo Jae-yi. I’m an S-rank Esper from Haeil, the best damn Guild in Korea. Do you have a name too?”
“Do only humans have names?”
“Tell me.”
“Hae-wi.”
“Okay, Hae-wi. Thank you for saving me.”
It had been a deal for mutual benefit, but she was grateful that he had saved her life, so she expressed her sincere gratitude.
Hae-wi, the man, flinched, as if it was something to be surprised about.
Seo Jae-yi was the one who wanted to be surprised.
She had entered this dungeon simply to control her ability and, in case of emergency, to use it as her grave, but she had never imagined she would be helped by a monster.
A monster as her benefactor. It was something she had never imagined. She had never spared a monster before, even though they had made a deal.
But she didn’t feel bad. On the contrary, she felt really good.
‘I’m alive.’
It was the first time she truly felt alive.
She even thought about doing something with the time and opportunity she had gained after leaving the dungeon.
She hadn’t thought beyond that, but she had no idea that this day’s events would change her life completely.
“…”
Seo Jae-yi rubbed her eyes as she woke up. She realized she hadn’t been dreaming after seeing the familiar, yet unfamiliar ceiling.
This was the first time her most vivid memory had appeared in her dream.
“Ah, right!”
She remembered what had happened before she fell asleep and sat up abruptly.
Baek Joo-won was Hae-wi? She was still reeling from the shock.
It couldn’t have all been a dream, right? She had to find Baek Joo-won, Hae-wi, whatever his name was, to confirm…
“Huh, where am I?”
She looked around and realized she wasn’t at home. It wasn’t a hospital, and it wasn’t the Center either.
Pale green wallpaper that was easy on the eyes, a soft white rug on the floor, a large, comfortable bed, cute stuffed animals, and cozy furniture.
This room, which exuded a sense of peace and comfort, was her personal relaxation room at Haeil Guild. She always received sedatives here whenever she showed signs of overloading or became emotionally unstable.
“But there’s nothing today.”
Her arms were clean, without any injection marks. Her body was also clean. Moon Soo-hyun must have washed her while she was unconscious.
She rubbed her smooth arms and checked the level on her receiver.
【Overload Progress — 30%】
【Caution: Do not exceed 30%.】
She thought she was seeing things.
Her level was 30? After experiencing pre-overload symptoms?
“Is this thing broken?”
“It’s not broken.”
Baek Joo-won entered the room, opening the thick door.
Seo Jae-yi stared at him blankly.
“I Guided you while you were unconscious. I was going to take you home after you stabilized, but Kim Yoo-sung insisted you stay here, just in case.”
Baek Joo-won sat down on the recliner next to the bed and faced her.