Episode 6: Preparations for the Leap (2)

“Are you here? Let’s hurry. There’s a ton of people in front already.”

After nearly a decade, Jaehyun and Kim Yoojung reunited.

Yoojung’s voice was as refreshing and crystal-clear as Jaehyun remembered.

Her soft hair, infused with the hues of the sunset, hadn’t changed.

Neither had her large eyes, framed by thick double eyelids.

Faced with her familiar appearance, Jaehyun responded with a wry smile.

“Fine, just don’t drag me there.”

Kim Yoojung clutched at Jaehyun’s sleeve with an anxious expression on her face.

Her eyes darted frantically around the surroundings.

Jaehyun retorted, a smile lurking in his voice, “Hey, tell me the truth. You asked me to come because you’re afraid of getting lost, aren’t you?”

“What? What are you saying? No, that’s not it. Don’t accuse me of nonsense.”

“Let go of my sleeve.”

Kim Yoojung gripped his sleeve even tighter without a word.

Jaehyun shook his head in disbelief.

“How can someone, who’s so good at studying and sports, always end up getting lost…”

“Hey! Thanks to you, we’re both heading to the lecture. Do you think it’s easy to get a chance to see Yoo Seong-eun?”

‘Well, he’s not wrong,’ Jaehyun thought to himself with a chuckle.

‘If I can just copy Yoo Seong-eun’s 《Sacrifice》, it’d be a huge help in the future.

Plus, if things go well… I might even gain Korea’s top connections.’

The open space revealed a bustling outdoor stage.

The crowd was electrified, their cheers filling the air.

Jaehyun and Kim Yoojung scanned the area before moving towards a spot with a clearer view of the stage.

‘It’s definitely Yoo Seong-eun.’

Banners all around praised Yoo Seong-eun with slogans celebrating her achievements.

[Nation’s Top Guild ‘Yeonhwa’s’ Guild Master Yoo Seong-eun’s Inspirational Lecture!]

[Saving the world and its people with her healing… Yoo Seong-eun’s free lecture 7:30 ~ 9:00]

‘Indeed, Yoo Seong-eun was almost a phenomenon at this time.’

Guild Master Yoo Seong-eun of Yeonhwa.

She was a top-tier healer known not just in Korea but worldwide.

Back when the Raider occupation was not yet commonplace, she had been at the forefront of efforts to protect the populace.

But, suddenly…

An abrasive squeal of microphone feedback shattered Jaehyun’s reverie, snapping him back to reality.

Soon after, the long-haired Yoo Seong-eun appeared on stage, her voice reaching out to the audience.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Yoo Seong-eun.”

The crowd erupted into a thunderous cheer.

Yet, Jaehyun knew the painful reality hidden behind their adoration.

‘In two months, Yoo Seong-eun will fall into a coma during a dungeon raid and become vegetative.’

And Jaehyun intended to heal her.

* * *

Two months from now, Yoo Seong-eun would be critically injured during the Itaewon dungeon raid, all because of her healing spell, 《Sacrifice》.

‘There’s only one way to heal Representative Yoo Seong-eun.’

Jaehyun nodded to himself as he looked up at the stage, teeming with excitement.

Unable to contain her emotions, Kim Yoojung’s voice rang out loudly.

“Sister! Aaah! Please look here!!”

“Always the troublemaker.”

“Shut up.”

Amidst their bickering, Yoo Seong-eun took up the microphone.

“I’m truly delighted to see so many of you gathered here on this meaningful occasion.

As the representative of Guild Yeonhwa, I’ll do my best to ensure we all have a great time.”

After taking a sip of water to clear her throat, Yoo Seong-eun began her lecture.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the world is currently experiencing an unprecedented disaster.

Yggdrasil and the appearance of monsters have led to countless losses of life.”

Her uniquely enchanting manner of speaking ensured every listener was all ears.

“True, the emergence of Awakened beings and Raiders a few years ago has brought some improvement.

However, the number of Awakened who volunteer to be Raiders is merely 20 percent.

The number of people dying far exceeds that.”

A hush fell over the stage.

Yoo Seong-eun paused for a moment before continuing.

“The world still stands on the brink of existance. Countless innocent lives are still being lost.

The message I want to convey to you all today is… that we need courage.”

Yoo Seong-eun clenched the microphone with more strength.

“Awakened beings all over the world. Your courage can change the world!”

Murmurs rose from the audience. Yoo Seong-eun gave a slight bow towards them.

“Please, become Raiders. Brighten the world. Guild Yeonhwa and I will support you.”

Applause reverberated once more throughout the outdoor stage.

Kim Yoojung murmured with a moved expression,

“Truly, Sister Seong-eun speaks so well…”

Jaehyun agreed with her words with a nod.

‘That’s right. Most Awakened refrain from becoming Raiders. It’s not easy to fight monsters on the frontline.

Even in my case, before regressing, I was content with selling items and leading an easy life…’

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Jaehyun scratched his head.

Eventually, the lecture concluded successfully.

Kim Yoojung still seemed to be in a daze, even shedding a tear or two.

“Truly, Sister Seong-eun has all the makings of my role model.”

“Yoo Seong-eun probably wouldn’t appreciate that title much.”

“Don’t pry.”

“Forget it. I have to go somewhere. I’m leaving ahead.”

Startled by Jaehyun’s abrupt farewell, Kim Yoojung called after him.

“Hey! Then what about me!”

“You said you’re not directionally challenged.”

Kim Yoojung’s expression hardened as she eyed Jaehyun with contempt.

“You’re really the worst. Are you some kind of gangster?”

Jaehyun chuckled lightly in response.

“I’m kidding. I called your mom earlier. She’ll be here soon. Just wait a bit.”

“Hey. Then let’s go together in my mom’s car! Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Ah, right. I decided to switch to studying magic theory.”

Jaehyun’s smile was sly as he uttered the words.

“What, what?!”

Jaehyun’s sudden confession left Kim Yoojung’s face awash with shock.

“It just turned out that way. Teach me some magic later, from the basics.”

“No, I mean… that’s fine, but… hey! So why did you switch?! You’ve got to tell me before you go! Hey! Min Jaehyun!”

Leaving behind Kim Yoojung’s echoing voice, Jaehyun stepped out onto the main road.

* * *

‘I saw it heading this way for sure…’

Emerging outside, Jaehyun scanned the vicinity when his eyes caught sight of the black van that Yoo Seong-eun had arrived in.

Jaehyun promptly approached the van, and beside it stood a grim-looking manager leaning against the vehicle.

Manager Park Seongjae acknowledged Jaehyun’s approach with a tired tone, “Sorry, but if you’re here to offer a fan gift, it’s really not a good time…”

“I came to see Yoo Seong-eun.”

Caught off guard by Jaehyun’s response, Park Seongjae stuck his hands in his pockets with disbelief etched across his face.

‘Another crazed fan infatuated with the Raider…’

Annoyance apparent, Park Seongjae confronted Jaehyun with an intimidating stance that would have made any average person flinch. Jaehyun, however, remained unfazed.

Park Seongjae threatened, “Look, even if you’re a fan, it’s not right to just show up like this. It’s uncomfortable for the representative…”

“That’s not why I’m here.”

“What?”

A moment of confusion crossed Park Seongjae’s face, but without missing a beat, Jaehyun continued.

“I know that Yoo Seong-eun is suffering from an incurable illness. And…”

Park Seongjae’s expression slowly twisted into one of horror.

Jaehyun whispered softly into his ear with a smirk,

“I can cure Yoo Seong-eun’s illness.”

* * *

A brief silence ensued, and then Park Seongjae’s face contorted with viciousness.

With a shout that could draw a crowd, Jaehyun furrowed his brows.

“Shouting like that isn’t going to help, is it?”

“You…!”

“Seongjae oppa, wait a moment.”

Then, a familiar face emerged from inside the van, interrupting the scene.

With dark hair, pale skin, slender fingers, and deep green eyes, Yoo Seong-eun stepped out towards Jaehyun.

“You. Is what you say true?”

“Yes. I can cure your illness.”

After pondering briefly, Yoo Seong-eun turned to Park Seongjae.

“Oppa, how long is it until our next schedule?”

“…2 hours.”

Yoo Seong-eun smiled faintly and placed a hand on Jaehyun’s shoulder.

“Get in the van. We need to talk somewhere quiet. Too many eyes here.”

* * *

Shortly after, within the Yeonhwa Guild premises.

In President Yoo Seong-eun’s private office, Jaehyun had been led secretly into the inner facilities of the Yeonhwa Guild.

“Take a seat here.”

“Thank you.”

The three of them settled down on the couch at the center of the office.

Park Seongjae still looked angry, Yoo Seong-eun appeared intrigued, and Jaehyun maintained his composure.

Yoo Seong-eun interlaced her fingers, questioning first, “First things first. How do you know about my illness?”

“Sorry, but I can’t disclose that. If you insist on knowing, I could tell you, but then… I won’t heal you.”

“Quite bold of you. Fine, let’s skip that. Next,” Yoo Seong-eun locked eyes with Jaehyun, continuing,

“How exactly do you plan to cure me?”

Honestly speaking, Yoo Seong-eun didn’t trust Jaehyun very much.

Despite knowing something about her skills, there were too many doubts about his intentions.

Yoo Seong-eun had single-handedly risen to the position of guild master in what was a macho world of Raiders.

She wasn’t one to be easily swayed by honeyed words.

Jaehyun interlaced his hands, saying, “I’ll be upfront. I intend to copy your 《Sacrifice》.”

“What?”

Yoo Seong-eun looked bewildered at Jaehyun.

No longer able to hold back his anger, Park Seongjae slammed the table.

“That’s enough! Do you even understand what 《Sacrifice》 is?

It’s President’s ‘signature skill’! Even we can’t fathom the workings of that magic; how on earth are you going to copy it?”

Park Seongjae wasn’t wrong.

Signature skills couldn’t be copied.

While other skills had known ‘formulas’ and could be learned, signature skills had no formula.

Therefore, signature skills were exclusive to the individual or family.

…That was the common belief in society.

“Sit down. If it were impossible, I wouldn’t be here,” Jaehyun replied coolly.

Yoo Seong-eun’s expression softened with intrigue, while Park Seongjae appeared more confused than before.

‘What’s with this kid? Quite young, yet he isn’t intimidated by us.

Could it be possible? Does he really have a way to cure the President’s illness?’

Yoo Seong-eun calmed Park Seongjae down, “Oppa, take a seat. It’s not too late to make a judgment after we’ve heard him out.”

Seating himself reluctantly, Park Seongjae watched as Yoo Seong-eun addressed Jaehyun again.

“So you mean to say, you’ll use my 《Sacrifice》 to heal me, right?”

“Yes.”

A skill carrying the penalty of a signature skill needed another of equal or higher rank to heal the damages caused by it.

Most people would wonder if it’s possible to heal oneself with their own signature skill. Sadly, that was not possible for Yoo Seong-eun.

Her skill, 《Sacrifice》, meant just that—sacrifice, or offering to the gods.

Therefore, Yoo Seong-eun had the restriction of being unable to heal herself.

It was a paradox to sacrifice one’s own life for their own healing.

Hence, Jaehyun’s suggestion to copy her healing skill, 《Sacrifice》, and then heal her with it was a theoretically feasible proposition.

Yoo Seong-eun smirked slightly, crossing her arms, “Then prove it.”

Without hesitation, Yoo Seong-eun concentrated her magic and began to activate 《Sacrifice》.

A vitalizing aura emanated as a greenish glow flowed into Jaehyun.

‘Perfect.’

Jaehyun retrieved a blank card from his inventory.

At that moment…

―Activating the effects of „Odin’s Lost Eye“.

―A new skill can be acquired.

―Would you like to register 《Sacrifice》 on the blank card?

Jaehyun accepted without hesitation.

The blank card began to shine brilliantly.

Yoo Seong-eun and Park Seongjae couldn’t tear their eyes away from Jaehyun.

After Yoo Seong-eun’s magic display concluded, a system alert chimed in.

―《Sacrifice》 has been registered on the blank card!

Jaehyun smiled smugly and spoke.

“It seems you still can’t trust me. Well, let’s make you believe first, shall we?”

―Using skill 《Sacrifice》.

―Divine healing energy envelops the designated target.

Jaehyun cast 《Sacrifice》 towards Yoo Seong-eun. Gradually, her fatigued body began to revitalize.

As she started to heal, Yoo Seong-eun and Park Seongjae looked at each other in shock.

At the very moment when Yoo Seong-eun’s wounds were mending, Jaehyun stopped the healing and slowly parted his lips.

“Now, shall we start negotiating?”