Chapter 878

EP.878 [Light Novel Side Story] The Chronicles of Changcheon’s Death Dinass 1-25

BAM! Huan violently swung the car door open and leaped into the driver’s seat.

“Guild Master!”

Yuinah, sitting in the passenger seat, greeted Huan as he climbed in. Huan briefly nodded in response and immediately started the car engine.

VROOOM. The moment the core engine roared to life, Huan slammed on the accelerator. Just as Yuinah was about to collide with the window from the sudden acceleration, Huan sharply turned the wheel and sped out of the parking lot.

BAM!

Something collided. Huan didn’t lift his foot off the accelerator but instead wildly steered the wheel left and right.

“What a stubborn one, seriously!”

Huan irritably muttered as he saw the monstrous Choi Moon-hye clinging onto the windshield. Despite being scorched and rammed by a 3.5-ton truck, that monster remained stuck to the car.

[Master Huan! What is happening?!]

Raon, who had been holding down Nuri’s parents against the wall, asked while leaning against it. Without time to respond, Huan drove straight toward the road.

GURK, GURKK.

Through the window, Choi Moon-hye exhaled ominous energy and showed no signs of letting go even as she was sandwiched between the front of the truck and the median barrier. As Huan shivered with a fierce expression, he shouted into the microphone.

“Hold on tight, everyone!”

“What?!”

Huan sharply turned the car toward the median barrier without waiting for a reply. Yuinah couldn’t continue speaking as the car tilted sharply to the left.

The speedometer was nearing 80, and Huan hadn’t put on his seatbelt. Moreover, Huan extended his right arm to press down on Yuinah’s upper body to protect her from injury.

BAM! KU-GUGUGU—!

The truck collided with the median barrier. Unprepared for such an impact, the monster got caught between the truck’s front and the barrier.

KEEEEEEEK!!

The monster emitted protective magic power. A scene too horrifying for ordinary people to witness unfolded, but the monster toughened its outer skin and held its ground between the truck and the barrier.

KIIAAAK!

Instead, the monster dug its claws into the median barrier attempting to stop the truck. Grinding his teeth, Huan pressed the accelerator even harder.

“How durable! Is this a B-Rank monster?!”

“Master!”

Yuinah stiffened upon seeing blood trickling down Huan’s forehead. Without wearing a seatbelt, he must’ve hit his head during the initial collision; crimson drops fell from Huan’s bangs.

“Ahhh, this rental better not be totaled!”

“This isn’t the time for that!”

“Fine! Almost there…”

KIKIJK.

Just as Huan tried to calm Yuinah, his heart sank at the laughter of the monster. Having completely lost all human traits, the monster opened its mouth wide, preparing to pierce the windshield with its tongue—toward Yuinah.

“Damn!”

In a flash, Huan lunged across to shield Yuinah from the incoming arrow.

The arrow, meant for Yuinah, suddenly U-turned mid-air like a living bird and changed direction downward.

KI-JIK?! The monster tried to escape but the arrow was faster.

PLOP. The green arrow accurately pierced the monster’s core, its heart.

KIIIIIIEEEE!!! The monster screamed in agony, cracks forming all over its outer layer. Purple and gray magic power surged through the fissures from the broken core, and the monster collapsed onto the asphalt.

WHOOSH—

“Ahh… haa… haa.”

Choi Moon-hye, Kim Sang-a, spat out a mouthful of blood from the shock of her core breaking and disintegrated into ash. Huan, who had leapt to protect Yuinah, sighed in relief.

“Luckily we reported it in time, huh?”

Huan grinned at Yuinah, who hadn’t been hurt at all. In the distance, police cars and heroes were rushing toward them with sirens blaring, and atop the hood of a sports car stood a female ability user with a massive bow.

“Really lucky.”

Huan fiddled with the gun hidden in his coat and gave Yuinah a playful smile.

“There aren’t many shots left.”

“…At least let’s treat your wounds first!”

Yuinah grabbed Huan’s face and summoned healing magic. Huan hesitated for a moment before closing his eyes and submitting to her touch. Warm and soothing magic flowed into Huan’s head, sealing the wound. As the sirens drew closer, Huan’s tension eased, and his body went limp.

“…Haa.”

With that sigh, Huan collapsed onto Yuinah as if unconscious. Despite being weighed down by Huan’s heavy body, Yuinah continued pouring healing magic to stop his bleeding.

“Are you alright?!”

Raon, who had rushed outside, tapped on the driver’s side window to check his condition. Nuri pointed toward the opposite side they had escaped from, signaling her sister’s ongoing battle.

“My sister is still fighting! With the monster!”

“Oh, don’t worry about that.”

The first female hero arrived, wearing a brown eye patch over her left eye, and gestured with magical gear.

“That monster has already been subdued. Your sister is safe.”

Nuri slumped to the ground, and Raon hurried to support her. The woman with the eye patch analyzed their magical patterns with her magical gear and confirmed their identities.

“This is <Gongsung>. Confirmed Kim Nori and Park Ra-on. We will ensure your protection.”

“Our parents are inside too!”

The heroes and police quickly checked the couple in the backseat, who had fallen unconscious, and rushed them to the ambulance for hospital transfer.

“Is anyone else inside?”

CREAK. The passenger door barely opened, revealing Yuinah with a flushed face trying to hold up the unconscious Huan, trembling hands barely managing to keep him upright.

“Hurry, someone help me with this person!”

Raon and Nuri rushed to pull Huan out. Huan lay sprawled on the asphalt, breathing softly. Nuri poked Huan’s cheeks incredulously.

“Uncle, how can you fall asleep in a situation like this?”

Huan remained silent. He was transported to the hospital, and the three provided detailed reports to the Hero Association officers.

February 9th, 12:09 AM.

The incident involving two monsters infiltrating the Ooeyul Guild and kidnapping Kim Nori’s parents was thus resolved.

* * *

A world burning with blue flames.

Whenever I fall asleep, the world is always consumed by those azure flames (Blue Flames). Humans, buildings, monsters, even nature itself burns away.

KYAAAAAAA—

Screams pierce my ears. Nightmares always torment me, and the burning figures in my dreams are always people close to me.

Manager Huan burned down to just bones, Raon and Nuri reduced to charred corpses, filling the air with the acrid smell of burning protein.

Save me, Guild Master.

And recently, it’s always Yuinah at the end. Yuinah always pleads for salvation, but I can only watch her agonizing form.

WHOOSH.

In the sky, a monster bird spews fire rain as it soars, engulfed in blue flames.

Once again, I woke up from a dream where the world crumbles.

* * *

<February 10th, Monday, 4:00 AM, New Seoul General Hospital Special Ward>

“AAAAAAHH!”

Huan screamed and sat up abruptly. Cold sweat drenched his body, and his face turned pale. Huan frantically touched himself all over as if to confirm he was still alive.

I’m alive. My heart is still beating. Huan sighed in relief and looked around.

“Hospital…huh?”

It was a fairly luxurious private room. Beside him, a woman with short brown hair rested her face on the bed, sleeping soundly. Just as Huan was about to wake the woman—Yuinah—a voice came from the opposite wall.

“Let her sleep. I couldn’t rest either since I was busy wiping your sweat.”

“…Oracle? What are you doing here?”

Huan was bewildered. Checking his surroundings, everything was labeled in Korean, confirming he wasn’t back in America.

“Shut up. I heard your reckless actions reached all the way to America. Figured you’d be digging holes again, so I flew over. Plus, I have something to deliver. By the way,”

Oracle tapped on her magical gear, projecting a screen in front of Huan.

“You’ve been unconscious for almost two days.”

“Today’s the 10th? Monday?”

Huan repeated the date. Since he clearly remembered rescuing Nori’s parents late Saturday night, he must’ve been unconscious for at least 24 hours.

“Why are you here?”

“Not like I came just for you. Your racket reached America, so I flew over. Besides, I have some things to deliver. Speaking of which,”

Oracle pointed at the sleeping Yuinah.

“Is she…the goddess?”

“….More or less.”

Huan awkwardly stroked Yuinah’s head. Oracle shook her head in exasperation.

“Our compassionate magician seems to have fallen deeply in love.”

“…If you’re going to tease me, get out. Did you bring the stuff?”

“Not just the stuff. I brought the whole foundation.”

“What are you talking about?”

Oracle chuckled and projected a screen in front of Huan. She had saved articles to show him when the time came. Headlines blared provocatively.

– Former Round Table Oracle Establishes Branch Office in Korea

– [Exclusive] Oracle’s Studio, Actually a Training Ground for Ability Users?

– [Summary] Oracle “Planning to Invest 2 Trillion Won in Korea”

“…Sir?”

“Why? You were always ranting about starting a guild, right? But that’s too difficult, so let’s do a studio instead. While you were asleep, I set everything up. Now all you need is to say okay-”

“Nope. It has to be a guild.”

Huan’s firm response made Oracle feel unnecessarily embarrassed.

“I checked how to start a guild here, and it seems pretty tough. The requirements are insane. That’s why I did the studio thing.”

Oracle scratched her cheek.

“These days, ability users are directly acting in movies too, like they used to do with CG in live-action films. That thought occurred to me. On the surface, we’ll train actors, but in reality, it’ll be a hero training facility… Does that sound weird?”

“The consideration is appreciated, and it’s a good idea. If you had contacted me two weeks ago, I would’ve accepted it 100%. But no. It has to be a guild. If it’s not a guild, she’ll be expelled.”

Huan pointed at the sleeping Yuinah and explained her situation.

Her magical growth limit was rated entirely at 10, preventing her from advancing to D-Rank, and if no guild accepts her, she’ll be expelled from the academy.

After hearing everything, Oracle dropped the candy she was chewing.

“….Isn’t this completely ridiculous? Just because of some E-Rank nonsense, calling her a goddess or whatever? Hey, even Gawein’s light attribute tops out at 99. There’s no way there could be anything beyond that-”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Huan cut Oracle off and declared firmly.

“So what if there is? I’ll train her myself. I’ll make her S-Rank.”

“….You’re completely delusional. Since you never listen to me anyway, do as you please.”

“Of course. So why did you really come? Was it really for me? I’m kind of flattered?”

“Crazy bastard. Hearing you talk nonsense means you had another nightmare. Snap out of it.”

Oracle blew a raspberry and scrolled through the screen.

“I came to clean up after your mess.”

“…What?”

– Potential S-Rank Kim Nori, Declared Protected by the Round Table

– National Wealth Drain? Domestic Interference? Outrage Over the Round Table’s Excessive Actions

– Baek Se-joon “Talent Theft Becoming Reality, Cannot Express Enough Concern”

SNAP. Huan gritted his teeth. Oracle scrolled through the article and said,

“Is this the mess you caused?”

“Kim Nori, right? The potential dark attribute S-Rank you discovered. Due to the recent kidnapping incident, the country wanted to place her under protection. Luckily, there was a monster involved, allowing the Round Table to intervene. Otherwise, it would’ve become a serious dispute.”

Articles uniformly criticized foreign capital groups and organizations trying to poach national talents. Checking other articles with growing concern, the content was largely the same.

“At first, some reports mentioned us saving her, but corrections gradually erased those details. Seems like your existence is causing various concerns.”

“If I make Nori a guild member?”

“More or less. If she were just an average A-Rank, it might be fine, but raising her growth limit by just one more point makes her SS-Rank. The Round Table is keeping an eye on her too.”

Huan skimmed through the article content with growing frustration.

Neither the harm suffered by Nori’s parents nor Huan’s rescue efforts were mentioned. Instead, the monsters’ self-destruction was heavily promoted.

“Huh, huhuhu, hahaha.”

Huan laughed bitterly with a look of resignation. Oracle slightly furrowed her brows and picked up her tumbler.

“See? This is the reality of our country. So you should just give up and-”

“Hey. Can you lend me some money?”

Huan stretched his neck side to side and yawned. Surprised for a moment, Oracle adjusted her posture and approached the bedside.

“Looks like our compassionate magician decided to reveal his true colors.”

“Everyone tries to suppress others with money, and it’s annoying. Seems like I need to activate a financial cheat to start.”

Oracle giggled while operating her magical gear.

“That’s what I told you at the airport. Why didn’t you just take that money and move here then?”

“Didn’t expect the rejection to be this severe. Maybe I should dye my hair after all?”

Huan twirled a strand of golden hair that had fallen near his ear. It felt somewhat regrettable to dye it black.

“Why bother?”

Oracle shook her head. A hologram shaped like a money bag floated from her magical gear to Huan’s. Squinting at the numbers due to the dim lighting, Huan blinked repeatedly.

“…Hey, how much is this?”

“Don’t know. I dumped in the maximum amount possible. Anyway, what are you planning to do? Try buying people like Ooeyul? Even with money, you won’t pass the review. You won’t be able to start a guild even with funds.”

“Ugh.”

Huan scratched his head and leaned back against the headrest.

“Isn’t there any way?”

“There’s a good method, but you need to convince her.”

Oracle concluded straightforwardly.

“Just let her get expelled and promise to take responsibility for her life.”

“….Wow, that’s a crazy idea.”

Huan opened his mouth wide.

“I’ll ask her as soon as Yuinah wakes up.”

Huan gave Oracle a thumbs-up.