Chapter 26

At the point when everyone at the Association was leaving, I was the one who couldn’t go and had to stay behind. The silver-haired woman, after allowing everyone else to leave, kept me in her office.

The system still hadn’t returned, so I had no way of knowing who the woman was, not her name, nor her abilities. However, without the system, things became clearer in a different way.

Her attire resembled that of someone draped in black ceremonial robes, her cat-like yellow slit pupils, and her radiant silver hair all contributed to making her appear as though she belonged to another dimension.

The blackened forms given to the extras had always served to dehumanize them, but this woman, whose only difference was her eyes, exuded an aura entirely distinct from the rest, revealing to me a haunting beauty.

Even the way she gazed at me with those eyes made me feel as if I’d become prey. Yet, despite this unsettling sensation, her tone carried warmth.

“So, how’s your body?”

“My right arm still hurts a bit.”

When my vision was obstructed, she had momentarily removed her glasses and unleashed an unexpected attack.

Had it not been for the white lightning that surged from my hands in that instant, I might have lost my arm. Later, when she casually spoke to me, I realized it might have just been a casual greeting.

I clutched my arm, which was still trembling. She wet her finger with her saliva and gently wiped it across my elbow.

“What are you doing?”

“Healing. Haven’t I done this for you from time to time ever since you were little? Why act like you don’t know me now.”

I was repulsed by the thought of her saliva, but she seemed genuinely puzzled.

Given her professional demeanor, it struck me as odd that she would treat me so intimately, deepening my discomfort.

The arm she had touched throbbed briefly, then the pain vanished like a mirage. It wasn’t just the pain; even the intermittent shaking stopped, making her saliva seem almost medicinal.

“Are you fine now? So, what is it this time? I let your friends go, declaring them all not guilty, but I still need to understand the situation if I’m going to help.”

So, she did have a connection to me after all.

“But, what kind of relationship do we have?”

She looked older than me, but she didn’t reprimand me for speaking informally, suggesting a close relationship. Given her prominent position in the Association that manages supernaturals, I wondered if she was my sponsor.

“Don’t joke around. We are family, aren’t we? …Though we do have a bit of a distance. Sometimes, it might even be deeper than what ‘a bit’ implies.”

The revelation that this woman and I were family stunned me.

After Inna left me alone despite our shared bed arrangements, I had suspected this possibility but never imagined this high-ranking woman in the Association could be the adoptive family Inna had mentioned.

She didn’t press the matter any further, seemingly content to let it rest as a jest, but I was left deeply contemplative. Inna’s strength, experienced briefly this afternoon, was beyond comprehension.

Her physical abilities were merely slightly superior to mine, but her capacity to manipulate the earth and atmosphere was nothing like the kind of power I associated with other supernaturals.

If our powers were pitted against each other, I was certain now that I wouldn’t stand a chance against her enduring strength. And if she had the “Critical” attribute and targeted me seriously, I’d be powerless to resist.

In any case, as the heroine, Inna’s aversion might not be directed at other men, but her fixation on me was evident.

Still, my current situation wasn’t so dire. If we were to consider only the potency of our abilities, mine would be far superior.

With only Inna and the student council president aware of my powers, and the latter being too busy to assist in class, I thought no one could help me. But recalling the words the queen spoke to Seo Yu-ri, if she was indeed family, she should know about my supernatural abilities too.

Being part of the Association managing supernaturals, she likely knew ways to enhance my powers beyond what I had imagined.

My protagonist’s “Radiance” couldn’t keep up with me all the time, so it was clear I couldn’t elevate my abilities to Inna’s level depending solely on that.

I needed another way to develop my powers, and this woman who called herself my older sister would be a great mentor.

But to seek her help, I’d need to reveal one of the secrets I’d planned to keep hidden.

“I lost my memory. Even though you say we’re family, I don’t recall anything.”

If this revelation could secure her assistance, it was a trivial matter. As she prepared to get up, she froze, turning her head slowly at my words.

Her face showed shock, with a hint of joy that quickly hardened into another layer of surprise.

Did she have some bad memories involving me? The fact that she seemed pleased at my memory loss, only to later recoil from that pleasure, hinted at a slightly moral individual. Since I had no idea what had transpired, it didn’t matter if she rejoiced.

Noticing my scrutiny, she quickly composed herself and spoke.

“Although I can ask why it happened—I’ve heard a rough outline of what you’ve been through, though I didn’t know the result was memory loss. That brat Inna never told me what I needed to know…”

I spotted two sharp, prominent teeth in her mouth as she cursed Inna. Teeth that could probably inflict pain if you were pricked.

Before I could fully process what it suggested, she resumed her seat and looked at me earnestly.

“Had you remembered and told me that you were at Inna’s place when the memory loss occurred, then perhaps it’s a story meant for family alone. I’ll listen, and I’ll try to help if I can.”

This was a far more reassuring declaration than Inna’s overt displays. To have a family by my side without asking for anything in return was something unexpected.

Even as a foster family, according to Inna, they had never shown this level of concern. In reality, I’ve never had any family that cared this much.

“Please teach me how to use my abilities properly. While I seem to automatically block psychic attacks without effort, it would be good if you could explain the basics, like how to use mine manually or clarify the nature of my power.”

Family members should share such knowledge, right? Listening to her would surely be better than relying on outsiders.

But contrary to my expectations, she tapped the table with her fingers, looking perplexed.

“To be honest, I know very little about your abilities. Neither of us talked about it much. I can, however, teach you general methods and a few things I know about your abilities.”

Did I have bad relations with this older sister in the past? Perhaps this body believed I was self-sufficient and kept a distance if, even with a family member around, I hadn’t asked for help.

“As you know, supernatural abilities are commonly divided into three types: Erosive, Constant Activation, and Manual Activation. Erosive kinds transform your body into other species. Constant Activation means the power works without deliberate intent, and Manual Activation is activated at will, usually being the most powerful form.”

“So, does that mean my abilities are a mix of Constant and Manual Activation?”

The psychic protection seems to constantly shield me, activating manually in a crisis.

While I thought I was accurately deducing from her explanation, she shook her head and continued.

“No, your abilities could be categorized as Erosive, like mine. But since you’ve rejected the Erosive form, it looks as though you have both Constant and Manual types, but you’re only partially affected.”

My body resisting the erosion of my supernatural power made sense. I’d had plenty of reasons to reject such changes. Yet, my past experiences challenged her statement, especially since she’d admitted earlier that she didn’t know much about me.

“My body feels weaker than other supernaturals. How could it be Erosive?”

“As I said, it changes species. For others, it enhances physical power, but in your case, the power resides to transform your kind, leaving little energy for physical enhancements. After the transformation, I can’t say for sure…”

So, as long as I keep resisting, my body will remain weaker than other supernaturals.

She clearly knows her stuff about supernaturals, given her position in the Association. Yet why was our relationship ever strained if she was this kind-hearted?

“So, why didn’t we get along?”

I asked bluntly.

If her reaction was any indicator, I likely hadn’t done anything wrong. No need to tiptoe around and let old grudges explode later.

Upon hearing my question, the woman wore a rare, flustered expression.

“Well, I guess I shouldn’t hide it. I ate your parents. It’s natural not to see someone who ate your parents as true family, no matter how kind they are.”

“…What?”

Caught off guard by her sudden confession, I was momentarily lost. Now it all made sense: why this body was distant from its older sister and obsessed with the student council president.

But noticing my stiffened face, the woman covered it with one hand, raising the corners of her mouth despite her attempt to conceal it.

“Haha, just kidding! Why would I be a cannibal in such a well-provided world? It was just awkward things we fought about that slowly drove us apart.”

“So… it was something trivial?”

I noticed earlier that she struggled with maintaining her composure. Her confession was likely sincere. She just wasn’t good at jokes.

Summarizing today’s information: my abilities could be erosive. But for the sake of preserving my body, I’d resist such transformations and not let my “species” change carelessly.