Breathing Life into Real Dolls

1.

Ryu Sein abruptly closed her eyes, sat cross-legged on the bed, and had been that way for around an hour.

Although I was not sure what exactly was happening, the swirling magical energy within her indicated something quite serious. So, I instructed Serena to keep watch around her.

“Why? Isn’t that a thing?”

In martial arts novels, you often saw fellow martial artists playing the role of ‘Ho-beop’—a protective force—when someone was meditating or circulating internal energy.

Considering Ryu Sein’s current risky state, I had Serena act as her Ho-beop.

And Ciel and I cleaned the room.

We changed the sheets and ventilated the space, not wanting Ryu Sein to wake up and find her bed soaked with some unknown liquid.

While doing so, I occasionally checked on her. A sort of black, waste-like substance began to flow from Ryu Sein’s skin, and a decaying odor also started to emanate from her.

This symptom… I had seen it before in martial arts novels.

Body Reformation…!

When I explained it to Ciel, she nodded and said,

“If what you say is true, thanks to the rich magical energy contained in the essence, it seems Ryu Sein’s abilities have advanced a level.”

“So, is this really Body Reformation?”

“Body Reformation is a concept that only appears in fictional martial arts novels, so it probably doesn’t exist in reality. I think it’s highly likely that her special abilities manifested because she, like you, was aware of the martial arts novel.”

“…I see.”

For a moment, I thought Ryu Sein had attained a state only possible in martial arts novels. But considering it like Ciel did, it made more sense.

She looked like she was in her early twenties; I never expected her to be interested in martial arts novels, too.

Her father, Ryu Jinyong, ran a kendo dojo. Could he have been influenced by martial arts novels as well?

Well, since Ryu Sein’s treatment was over, there was no need to keep her father waiting.

He must be pacing around by now; it was time to bring him here.

Leaving Serena and Ciel in the room, I stepped outside.

2.

I had prevented people from waiting outside the door of the building used as temporary lodgings for our guests, claiming it would interfere with the treatment.

If an accidental sound leaked out, it could create problems.

Therefore, everyone was desperately waiting for my news in the first-floor lobby.

When I showed myself on the stairs leading down to the first floor, Ryu Jinyong rushed toward me, his complexion pale.

“Se-Sein? How is she?”

Seeing my smiling face, hope also spread across his features.

I nodded.

“She has been successfully treated.”

“…!”

Ryu Jinyong’s face brightened like a blooming flower.

“Kim Doha, thank you so much! Thank you…”

He grabbed my hands, shaking them vigorously as he expressed his gratitude multiple times.

“Now you can enter. Let’s go see how Ryu Sein is doing.”

“Let’s hurry.”

As Ryu Jinyong hurriedly began to ascend the stairs, he suddenly looked back.

In the first-floor lobby, the Rankers who had helped us in the “rift” mission were sitting, along with a few other people.

It seemed they had been waiting with Ryu Jinyong, anxious because Ryu Sein, who had briefly been a colleague, was in a critical condition.

Among them, Chief Seon Jongyun spoke with a smile.

“It’s truly a relief if Ryu Sein is safe. Don’t mind us, and go on ahead. I was waiting here just in case you needed any help; I will head back to my office now.”

“I will also take my leave.”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“Same to you…”

“…”

Once Chief Seon Jongyun initiated the farewell, everyone shook hands with Ryu Jinyong. Baek Seongjun, the werewolf, left the building first without saying a word.

Ryu Jinyong bowed his head to the people.

“Thank you all for caring for my daughter!”

With that, everyone dispersed to their respective lodgings.

We hadn’t been away from the bloody fight in the rift for long, either.

Even if I had healed the wounds using the [Light of Grace], I couldn’t entirely eliminate fatigue. They all must have wanted some rest.

Taking Ryu Jinyong and Seo Inho from the swordsmanship trio with me, I headed back to the room where Ryu Sein was.

And waiting inside was…

“Dad?”

“Sein…?”

It was Ryu Sein, but her eye color had changed to blue.

3.

Ryu Sein had always been a typical East Asian with black hair and brown irises, as far as I had observed.

So what was the deal with these vivid blue eyes now?

Had she been deceiving us about her eye color with colored contact lenses all this time?

I glanced at Ryu Jinyong’s expression for clues, and seeing his bewildered face, it seemed he was also seeing this for the first time.

Could it be… her abilities had evolved to another level, changing her eye color?

It wasn’t the first time I had seen this happen. Due to the influence of a unique ability, one of my own comrade’s hair and eye color had changed to purple.

“You… what’s with those eyes?”

Ryu Jinyong asked nervously, and Ryu Sein cocked her head.

“Why? What’s wrong with my eyes?”

“They’re blue, like a Westerner’s.”

“What are you talking about? Me?”

“Yes, you.”

As he spoke, he stepped closer to Ryu Sein but immediately covered his nose when he was about three steps away.

“Ugh, what is that smell?”

“…”

It must be the smell of the black waste that she had expelled during her Body Reformation.

Sein glanced between me and her father, already seeming to know what the odor was, and replied in a quiet voice.

“… I’ll go wash up.”

4.

While Ryu Sein went to bathe, I explained the circumstances to Ryu Jin-yong.

During the process of treating her condition, I had infused more magical energy than necessary. She suddenly went into convulsions, and then magical energy began swirling around, leading her to excrete black waste through her skin.

“I can’t believe… not just treating her condition but triggering such a drastic body reformation so easily.”

Ryu Jinyong looked at me with wide eyes for a moment before bowing his head.

“Between dealing with that terrible mermaid monster and this, you are truly a benefactor. I really thank you for what you did for my daughter. I will never forget this kindness.”

“Haha… Thank you.”

I didn’t refuse when he talked about repaying the favor.

The swordsmanship group, being the force that held the 3rd ranking, was quite powerful.

Our D-Mart refuge didn’t have as many skilled individuals compared to the size of our overall force.

It would be more beneficial to keep this favor as a debt; who knows when we might need help.

Not long after, Ryu Sein came out after showering.

She had taken off her dirty martial arts uniform and was now in casual training clothes.

She already knew from Ryu Jinyong that I had treated her Qi Deviation.

Sure enough, she also bowed her head slightly to express her gratitude to me.

“Mr. Kim Doha, we are essentially strangers, but you have saved my life by providing me with a precious elixir. I will definitely repay this life-saving favor manifold.”

“Elixir?”

“… Haha, then I’ll also count on your favor sometime.”

“Count on me? That’s not right. Feel free to call on me anytime.”

Ryu Sein clenched her fists with a bright expression.

Apparently, she seemed to mistake the serum I gave her for an elixir.

Well, considering it absorbed magical energy and awakened abilities upon intake, perhaps it really was an elixir.

“And, this. Though it’s not much…”

Ryu Sein suddenly pulled out an old book from her bag and handed it to me.

“It might look old, but it was designed that way from the beginning. It’s not dirty either.”

“…?”

I briefly examined the book she handed me.

The material felt ancient and rough, the color having aged to a yellowish hue.

The book itself exuded an aura that made it feel like an ancient manuscript created centuries ago.

The title was…

“Sein Swordsmanship…?”

When I looked up, Ryu Sein answered with a smile.

“Yes. My ability is to evolve Sein Swordsmanship as its founder. In addition, I can create a manual that enables even those without abilities to become capable. My father and the instructor at our dojo, Seo Inho, became capable that way.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I can’t produce the manuals infinitely, though.”

“So… reading this manual will allow even an incapable person to use Sein Swordsmanship?”

“Yes.”

“Ah! So the contribution points that came from the B-level rift reward are also a part of the dependent relationship…!”

“You’ve caught on. It seems a kind of dependency develops between me and those who become capable through this manual. I can’t interfere or anything, but a portion of the contribution points they earn comes to me. It’s thanks to this function that I could achieve the 3rd rank.”

“Ah…”

Listening to Ryu Sein’s explanation, I looked intently at the old manual.

A manual that turned an incapable person into a martial artist capable of using Sein Swordsmanship.

The first person who came to mind was… Baek Jihun.