097 The Goddess of Fortune is Full of Mistakes #1
In the dark night, instead of heading home, Baek Yeo-ul wandered into an unfamiliar street.
All the while, she kept replaying in her mind the earlier encounter with Hanamjin.
‘He scolded An Yu-ri for calling me useless! And then, he praised me in front of everyone. I am someone special!’
Baek Yeo-ul trusted Hanamjin.
To a degree that surpassed her trust in herself.
After all, Baek Yeo-ul had always failed and endured only sorrow.
Things seemed to go smoothly for her ever since she started tagging along behind Hanamjin.
This fact, however, unsettled Baek Yeo-ul.
She didn’t want to merely follow Hanamjin but walk beside him as an equal.
‘I can’t stay like this. If I continue, I might just end up as a funny and foolish female friend. I must change!’
From her pocket, Baek Yeo-ul retrieved a pinch of Witch’s Herb she had secretly gathered earlier. Would consuming it make her stronger?
Instead of swallowing it, though, she let the wind carry it away.
“I don’t want to become ugly!”
Having witnessed An Yu-ri’s grotesque face during her withdrawal symptoms, Baek Yeo-ul decided against consuming the Witch’s Herb.
After all, there was no bending when it came to a woman’s pride of wanting to look beautiful in front of the one she loved.
Baek Yeo-ul’s destination ended up being the container where Jin Eun-byul was hiding.
Jin Eun-byul, with a candle lit, her dark eyes shining in the darkness, greeted her.
“Are you Baek Yeo-ul? What brings you here?”
Though the voice was kind, Baek Yeo-ul still found Jin Eun-byul intimidating. However, the fear of being left behind and forgotten was greater, so she opened up honestly.
“…I… I want to become stronger. I’m tired of constantly receiving help and feeling powerless and lacking confidence in front of others. I want to be someone who can help others. And… I thought you might know a way!”
Jin Eun-byul listened silently to Baek Yeo-ul’s troubled confession and then calmed her trembling heart with a serene voice.
“I knew you would come here. Everything happens according to the flow of fate. You finding me is not just your will but the will of this concept as well.”
With a flick, Jin Eun-byul retrieved a small jewel from a ring-shaped box. The stone glowed a blue so beautiful it took Baek Yeo-ul’s breath away.
It was also the Concept Stone Jin Eun-byul had shown Baek Yeo-ul when they first met.
“You are the one who will have this. From the beginning to the end, I was merely safeguarding it for you. The strength you desire… with this, you can obtain it.”
Baek Yeo-ul knew how difficult it was to acquire a Concept Stone and how many people desired a powerful one like this.
At the same time, due to the concept of “Misfortune,” she knew better than anyone how terrifying it could be to wield an unwanted power.
“Do you know what concept this is?”
Jin Eun-byul shook her head.
“No, I don’t. I merely received it from someone. Remember the lady working at my villa? She was rather suspicious.”
Baek Yeo-ul thought about the housekeeper she had seen at Jin Eun-byul’s villa. Her face was a blur, despite usually having a knack for remembering faces.
“Who was she again?”
“Right? I’m sure she was with me, but I can’t recall her. In fact, I don’t remember hiring a housekeeper. She just appeared one day… It’s as suspicious as the item she gave me.”
Jin Eun-byul had been preoccupied with uncovering the true owner of this “Concept Stone.”
Compromised by the concept of “Demon,” she was unable to think normally.
However, one thing was certain: this “Concept Stone” was infused with immense power and was harmonious with Baek Yeo-ul.
“Yeo-ul, what color does this look to you?”
“Me? It’s blue. Incredibly deep and vivid…”
“To me, it’s just transparent. It’s because we don’t have the right compatibility. However, it exudes an immense energy. The choice is yours.”
With a gentle movement, Jin Eun-byul placed the ring-shaped box containing the Concept Stone into Baek Yeo-ul’s hands. All the anxiety and obligation that had lingered within her seemed finally to dissolve.
The decision now rested with Baek Yeo-ul.
She stared at the luminous Concept Stone for a long time.
“If I fail, I might turn into a maniac. I’ve always had bad luck, so it will probably happen. But I don’t want to fade away as just another girl in Hanamjin’s memories!”
Hanamjin had mentioned that it didn’t matter if Seugal didn’t reciprocate his feelings. His love was a one-way street that expected nothing in return, and Baek Yeo-ul found that admirable. She wished to emulate this, placing meaning in her own feelings for him.
But doing so was not easy.
Humans are greedy, and the longer one spends time together, the stronger the urge to hold hands becomes.
So, Baek Yeo-ul made a choice.
“Are there other options?”
For now, she carefully slipped the Concept Stone into her pocket.
# # #
“So, you want me to cut this silver coin with my sword to extract the ‘Fortune’ concept it holds? Can that really work?”
Seugal listened to my explanation with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. I had never heard of extracting a concept from a relic, so I couldn’t confirm its possibility.
However, with the compounded effects of ‘Seizure’ and ‘Miracle’…
It was worth considering.
Ultimately, Seugal stared down the silver coin placed on the chopping board in my living room.
“…”
Her focused expression reminded me of an executioner poised before a beheading.
Somewhere in the world, there might be wealthy individuals who hired beautiful executioners to entertain them by slicing through objects or people with lethal artistry. If they existed, they would share the same sentiments as me right now.
Seugal’s profile in concentration was so sharp, like the edge of the blade she wielded, that it made even me tense.
But soon, she relaxed with a deep exhalation.
“Why?”
“For some reason, the face on this silver coin feels familiar, but I can’t place it.”
The carved image of a woman had caught her attention, though briefly.
Zwing! Thud!
With decisive force, Seugal slammed the coin into the chopping board.
The coin split cleanly in half, but the problem was that the chopping board had also been severed.
“KRAAAH! My chopping board!”
The edge of Seugal’s sword was sharper than expected, and she herself seemed astonished by the cutting power, only regaining her composure shortly afterward as she elbowed me playfully.
“Anyway, did it work as you hoped?”
Let’s check.
The divided silver coin no longer bore readable words through ‘Insight,’ implying its destruction.
So, what about…
“Name: Maple – Wakizashi
A master craftsman’s creation, all of its owners met horrific deaths.
Possession: 《Seizure Lv.4》 – Unreasonably and irrationally, it can strip everything from the opponent.”
Maple itself bore no new concepts.
There was only one thing left to confirm: Seugal herself.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
Seugal’s narrowed eyes regarded me warily.
“Don’t forget I have a sword in my hand.”
“Hehehe, I love you!”
“AAGH, WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!”
I suddenly embraced her tightly.
She panicked, flailing and screaming.
“AAARGH! You perverted freak!”
“Name: Seugal
Possession: Expand Details ☜
《Miracle Lv.4》 – As the name suggests, it exists beyond common sense and rules.
《Gentlewoman Lv.3》 – Graceful and elegant like an angel.
《Extension Lv.1》 – Can adjust the length of objects like rubber bands.
《Restoration Lv.1》 – Can repair things broken not too long ago.
《Fortune Lv.4》 – Lucky like the bluebird in fairy tales.
Status: 《Frustration》 – Truly annoyed!”
The visible floating words above Seugal’s head revealed the presence of 《Fortune》!
My hypothesis was correct. Seugal was an exceptional individual who could not only extract concepts with ‘Seizure,’ but also possess them as her own!
Moreover, her ability to bestow her own concepts upon others magnified her capability.
Of course, Seugal herself was quite flustered and acted irritated.
“Move away!”
With that, she shoved me away and quickly composed herself. Her face was beet red, resembling a ticking bomb.
“Did you know it’s wrong to just embrace women like that?”
“I know… but I don’t do such things to just anyone, you know.”
What distinguishes a man from an animal?
It’s the fact that he doesn’t like every woman indiscriminately.
I wondered if my sincerity reached her as Seugal shivered involuntarily.
“Why me?”
“Seugal, it’s not me who chose you, but you who chose me.”
Seugal looked bewildered, as if she could not comprehend what I meant.
The chance that Seugal would ever realize she had chosen me also seemed slim.
I felt frustrated.
Why me?
That’s what I wanted to ask.
Seugal glanced around the empty and quiet living room. She repeated the motion of inhaling then exhaling several times as if wanting to say something but unable to.
She had been like this the whole day.
“Baek Yeo-ul.”
To my surprise, Seugal mentioned Baek Yeo-ul, whom I had been wondering about all day.
As a manly man, I patiently waited for her next words, and when Seugal seemed prepared, she said:
“Please exclude Baek Yeo-ul from the upcoming extermination squad. To be honest, she’s not helpful or useful. Bringing someone with ‘Misfortune’ would only hinder everyone.”
It was a harsh critique.
But was that truly the reason why she wanted Baek Yeo-ul excluded?
I had carefully observed the relationship between Baek Yeo-ul and Seugal over the last few days. Some things require prolonged observation to reveal their true nature.
I suspected that Seugal was lying.
“Seugal, what’s really on your mind?”
“My real thoughts? I just said them. Baek Yeo-ul is detrimental!”
“Just say honestly that you’re worried about her.”
“What? Who cares about her!”
Seugal’s voice rose sharply in apparent anger before calming down swiftly, reclaiming control of the conversation.
“Alright, I never expected you to grant my request without conditions. You always expect something in return, right? That’s how you operate.”
Seugal obviously studied me thoroughly.
Just as I observed Seugal, she observed me in response, leading her to this conclusion.
“If you exclude Baek Yeo-ul from the extermination squad this time, I might consider going out with you exclusively.”
