NOVEL WEB Chapter 3 - This is Really Bad for My Heart (3)
Chapter 3 – This is Really Bad for My Heart (3)
Fortunately, there was a passage that explained the building’s structure when Seo Ji-hyun, the protagonist of the female lead’s revenge, went to take revenge on the Crystal Guild. Thanks to that, I arrived without getting lost at the Vice Guild Master’s room—now my room—located one floor below the Guild Master’s office, leaned back in the chair, and fell into thought again.
Actually, while walking here, I wondered if I should have canceled the expulsion right there earlier, but naturally, I wasn’t thinking clearly either.
I mean, suddenly waking up in an unfamiliar environment with people I’d only seen in illustrations moving around in front of me.
Fortunately, being quick-witted by nature, I was able to handle the situation without panicking. It also helped greatly that Yu Su-jeong addressed me as Vice Guild Master when asking questions.
While concerned, I was actually somewhat excited.
Magic.
Even as I wondered if this would work, I looked at my right hand with the intention of focusing power, and there was a flame sphere exactly the size I had imagined. Despite the clearly perceptible heat, strangely, it didn’t feel hot. Well, how could a mage cast spells if they burned themselves?
When I thought about cutting off this feeling flowing from my heart through my arm to my hand, the burning flame naturally subsided. In the original work, it was written that Lee Seo-u could at least manage output visible to the eye, albeit with difficulty.
I couldn’t exactly gauge how powerful it was, but it probably meant I was incredibly strong. Of course, the protagonist Seo Ji-hyun would later be able to handle even 3-to-1 odds against S-rank hunters, of which there were only 30 in the world.
I thought I should experiment alone in a dungeon later. I needed to know the extent of my abilities to prepare for emergencies.
‘Anyway…’
I also needed to figure out what to do about Seo Ji-hyun. First, it’s true that she needs to awaken to become stronger. Her characteristic is that her magical power strengthens when she receives people’s expectations and love.
Seo Ji-hyun, who awakened as a healer at the early age of 17, naturally attracted a lot of attention and was able to grow quickly, but there was one thing she didn’t know.
Conversely, she needed to reduce the variance between positive emotions and negative emotions like betrayal to gain additional magical power.
But of course, this fact couldn’t be known until experienced firsthand, and for the efficiency of her ability, as well as to hide that the contract between the guild and Seo Ji-hyun was unfair, Guild Master Yu Su-jeong deliberately controlled the amount of information reaching Seo Ji-hyun.
She only showed her internet articles with positive comments and didn’t give her electronic devices like computers or phones.
Not knowing that this would backfire.
If she had experienced even a little of society’s malice, no one could have predicted that her growth would stop, or that it would later come as an even greater sense of betrayal.
I don’t know why villains always babble before trying to kill someone, but when she learned all this, the sense of betrayal actually became her strength.
It exceeded the level of positive emotions that had fueled her growth until then, allowing her to awaken tremendous additional magical power in a short period.
Moreover, the nature of her magic, which had been used for healing and buffs, took on the opposite quality of curses. A crazy character who could heal, deal damage, and buff all by herself was born.
Fortunately, when she confronted Lee Seo-u, who is now me, she wasn’t yet that level of overpowered character, but the longer I dragged things out, the more disadvantageous it would be for me. So what should I do?
Kill her decisively today? I didn’t think I could do something like kill someone on my first day of possession when I was just a normal person who went to college and worked part-time jobs.
Moreover, although I flinched a bit at the adult scenes, I was the type to empathize well with the protagonist, so it was obvious I could help her rather than the opposite.
But if I went against the Guild Master’s orders, she would naturally find me suspicious, and it was all too obvious that she wouldn’t leave me alone knowing that I was aware of all the trash things the guild had done.
Above all, the reason this Crystal Guild could grow into a solid mid-sized guild, and the reason the guild master could be a woman in her early thirties who looked incredibly young, was all thanks to her father, Yu Ji-hyeok. It was because of his backing as an executive in the Association.
Then the answer was obvious. Just hide her and raise her myself.
First, I needed to think about how to make excuses. Whether to Seo Ji-hyun or Yu Su-jeong. I picked up the car keys on the desk and left the room.
◈ ◈ ◈ ◈
‘Have you packed everything?’
‘Ah, Vice Guild Master.’
When I found Seo Ji-hyun’s quarters, fortunately, I was able to catch her before she left the guild. If I recall the original work correctly, from her perspective, we were like close siblings until she was betrayed, so speaking informally should be fine.
I had to say something to stop her from leaving.
‘I’m sorry to say this when you’re about to leave, but would you like to run one last dungeon with me? I’ll split it fifty-fifty.’
‘What? Um… suddenly?’
‘The rank itself isn’t high, but it’s a dungeon I haven’t explored much. I also have things to talk about.’
Of course, this was complete nonsense. While I did have a lot to say, I wasn’t planning to go to a dungeon but to take her to my home first.
‘Ah, yes. Then until we return, where should I leave my luggage…’
‘We’ll be going in my car, so put it in the trunk. I’ll help you move your things.’
‘Ah…’
Perhaps she had hoped she could stay in the guild, as she showed a slightly disappointed expression.
Indeed, whether I should call her a character from a novel or not, seeing her beautifully elongated cat-like eyes drooping, I almost went over to hug her, but somehow managed to restrain myself.
Maybe I had less resistance to women than I thought.
‘Do you still have more things to pack?’
‘No… I’ve packed everything.’
‘Bring it. I’ll help you load it into the car.’
Although she had diverted more than half of her belongings from the guild, she was still a healer after all. It seemed she had accumulated quite a bit over time as she came out of the room pulling two 28-inch suitcases. When I lifted them slightly, they were lighter than expected, probably mostly filled with clothes.
Seo Ji-hyun didn’t say a single word until we left the dormitory and reached the parking lot. Only her drooping shoulders and trudging footsteps seemed to convey her feelings.
-Beep beep.
Since I had never seen Lee Seo-u’s car before, I had to find it using the unlock button, and fortunately, I discovered an SUV parked not far from the parking lot entrance.
She had clearly said she wasn’t the type to spend money recklessly and that she often went solo hunting, so it made sense that an SUV would be practical for carrying the equipment she needed.
‘Just get in. I’ll put your luggage in the trunk.’
‘I should do that…’
‘Just get in.’
Only after I spoke firmly did she get into the car without further protest. I put her suitcases in one corner of the trunk and sat in the driver’s seat to turn on the navigation, but soon came a question from the back seat.
‘Isn’t the driver with us today? You always said you were tired when coming back, so the driver was always with us when we went by car.’
Naturally, I was caught off guard by this since I didn’t even know there was a driver, and as I was trying to choose my words carefully, she was already looking at me with confused eyes.
‘Vice Guild Master…?’
Should I just tell her the truth now? She’ll soon figure out we’re not heading to a dungeon anyway. Unable to find the right words, I just started the car, and Seo Ji-hyun, sitting in the back, began speaking more rapidly.
‘Excuse me? Vice Guild Master? Seo-u oppa?’
Eventually, she grabbed my shoulder from behind, but since I was driving, she couldn’t do much except shake it slightly.
‘Hello? Hey, Lee Seo-u! Where are you trying to go? We’re not going to the dungeon now, are we?! The navigation is set to your home right now!’
‘You just noticed that now?’
‘Hey! No, oppa. What are you trying to do? Explain right now.’
‘I’ll explain everything when we get home. Just wait a little.’
‘What is this…’
Since it was more important to remain inconspicuous regardless of who was watching, I ignored her words and stepped on the accelerator. Normally, cleanup would involve taking someone to a dungeon where no one would know, but it was clearly awkward that I had said I would take care of it and was instead taking her to my home.
After a few minutes of this standoff, the pressure on my shoulder disappeared. Glancing in the rearview mirror, I saw that Seo Ji-hyun had apparently resigned herself, sitting in the back seat with her arms crossed, glaring at me.
My eyes briefly went to her rather large chest, naturally accentuated by her crossed arms, but her sharp gaze made me feel a chill.
In the end, I couldn’t say anything until we reached our destination, and my worries only grew about how to resolve this situation and how to explain about her abilities.