Chapter 163

A few minutes ago.

Back when Ahn Seohye and Kim Hyukjin were standing in front of the Fire Giant together, Seohye heard a notice.

[The 'Shepherd Boy' wishes to gift you 'Red Marble' as a favor.]

[Accept the 'Red Marble'?]

[Red Marble]

A red marble in an ingestable form. It is suffused with the authority of a Guardian who has not revealed their name. Upon ingestion, life force will be absorbed to produce great strength.

Barrier Magician exclusive

Can see more information if held

[If the 'Red Marble' is accepted, the conditions of the 'Shepherd Boy' must be upheld.]

Those conditions were:

[You cannot repossess the 'Red Eyes'.]

[You cannot absorb the 'Red Eyes.']

[This proposal is made with the authority of the 'Shepherd Boy'.]

She wouldn't be able to repossess the Red Eyes Hyukjin had in his hand.

'That kind of thing doesn't matter.'

In truth, Seohye didn't want the Red Eyes. Even now, she didn't know what the Red Eyes were. All she knew was that they were eyes that exuded an ominous energy, an energy that, once activated, she herself could not handle.

Seohye heard a different notice.

[The 'Lady of the Scales' reproaches the 'Shepherd Boy'.]

[The 'Barrier of Blue Light' advises against using the 'Red Marble'.]

Normally, she didn't really hear notices like this.

'It's probably because I'm Playing with Hyukjin oppa.'

She didn't know why, but there were no Intermediate Administrators who exclusively focused on her, which also meant there weren't many Guardians who primarily watched her.

'Red Marble…'

She hesitated a little. When she held the Red Marble in her hand, the detailed item description popped up in her mind.

'If I use this…'

There was a high chance… that she would die.

Upon ingestion, life force will be absorbed to produce great strength.

Her hand shook. The 'life force will be absorbed' that were just words in an item description became real in her mind, looming over her.

'I'll die.'

She felt that with almost 100% certainty. But in exchange, she also thought there was a high chance she would be able to hunt that Fire Giant. At the very least, using this would be a big help in hunting it.

'And if I don't use it?'

The Barrier Magician could gauge the strength of her opponents precisely. That was why she didn't hesitate when hunting Predator Trees for the first time. She knew without a doubt that her current self could never hunt that Fire Giant. Because even the killing instinct a Barrier Magician possessed was cowering before it.

She said to Hyukjin, "I've been given a favor. A marble that can allow me to use as much power as if I used the Red Eyes. It's a Barrier Magician exclusive item."

She wasn't completely honest.

'What would happen if I told the truth?'

If she said that her life force would be sucked dry, that her life would be used as collateral to deploy a barrier, how would Hyukjin oppa act?

'I'm not sure, but…'

From what she had seen of him so far, she felt that he would prevent her from using it. If she was being more honest, she wanted him to make it so she couldn't use it. So she didn't tell the truth. She didn't want to become disappointed in the first 'adult' she met. She was scared that he just might tell her to use it anyway.

'If I don't use this here, everyone will die.'

Everyone dies. Or she alone dies. Which one should she choose?

'I want to live.'

She had just gotten a new lease on life. There were more warm people in this world than she thought, and there weren't just bad people in this world. She gained good people like Yeonseo and Sunhwa. The sweet coffee they drank together yesterday was really, really delicious.

'I want to protect.'

Her life, and their lives.

'But I can't protect everyone.'

Someone had to be sacrificed. Just like Kim Hyukjin, who was closing his eyes in front of that huge Fire Giant, no one here wasn't prepared to die.

'Then I will.'

She decided. To use the Red Marble. To accept the Shepherd Boy's proposal.

"Which Guardian sent it?"

"The Shepherd Boy."

That was all she said. She didn't give any additional info. That was Seohye's choice. And before she knew it, the three Fire Giants that had exhausted themselves as Hyukjin had planned were very close to the Guardian Tower Tintin.

Under Hyukjin's orders, Tintin aimed at the Fire Giants. At the same time, Jo Sunghyun and Choi Sung-gu let loose the spell they had been reciting and preparing a long time in advance. It was a spell the two top-class magicians had spent a lot of time preparing.

[Wend Kiratia Metiase–]

[Speller Kartina Neu-Armi]

A three-meter long spear of wind formed and was enveloped in a layer of flames. Wind and fire synergized, becoming massive in the air. The two of them had worked together for a long time and were now adept at it.

[Magic fusion was successful.]

Spell and spell fused, the wills of two magicians intertwining. The fusion spell was endowed with mana far stronger than two separate spells.

The spear of wind and fire created by the two magicians slammed into the Fire Giants. Tintin's gun ports opened at the same time.

Ba-ba-bam!

Explosions rang out.

Hyukjin's Conductor's Hymn took effect on it all; the skill also applied to Tintin.

[Critical hit!]

Thanks to the increased crit chance, a few attacks were crits. As that happened, Seohye recited the Will Incantation. It wasn't one that she had come up with. It was Hyukjin. A Will Incantation that was subtly twisted somehow, changed by something different.

In other words, a distorted Will Incantation.

Seohye felt the potent energy flowing out of her body. It was red in color. She felt as if she were becoming one with it.

[You who have killing intent.]

[I command thee. Return to thy eternal slumber.]

Her heart shuddered.

She would protect them.

She would kill, to protect.

"Nemesis Doom Barrier."

The absolute annihilation hunting barrier of a Barrier Magician.

She would kill.

She would die, to kill.

Her heart flooded with complex emotions. They were too complex. She wanted to live, but she couldn't, and she wanted to protect, but she also wanted to flee. She herself didn't know what this feeling was.

She fell into a trance, unsure as to whether she was deploying the barrier, or the barrier was deploying her.

I could instantly feel them—the power Seohye's barrier possessed, and the 'abnormal killing intent' imbued in those red threads. The ironic thing was, inside that bloody killing intent was the intense wish and will to protect something.

Because she wanted to protect something, she exuded killing intent. That was the will instilled in Seohye's 'Nemesis Doom Barrier' right now.

'This… is abnormal.'

The barrier was far stronger than expected. The writhing red threads swallowed the three Fire Giants, making three spheres. The spheres made of red thread began to grow smaller and smaller, constricting the bodies of the three Fire Giants.

'Even for Seohye, this is…'

This might be a barrier she set up in advance, but this was too much. This strength was completely balance breaking.

We were supposed to slowly hunt down the exhausted Fire Giants, fortified by Tintin's support and Seohye's barrier.

'It would have been impossible without Tintin's support.'

I only made this plan because we had the Guardian Tower. But the situation right now was making me think that we would have been able to hunt the giants even without Tintin. That was just how impossibly powerful this barrier was.

'The amplification of this abnormal energy…'

Power this abnormal definitely came with side effects. Definitely.

Summary: Barrier Magician Resolved to Martyr

That meant Seohye was resolved to die. Why? How come?

'No way.'

Was the 'marble' given by the Shepherd Boy earlier a drug that used Seohye's life force as fuel? That was highly likely.

Blood dripped from Seohye's eyes.

"Seohye!"

I grabbed her shoulders. She couldn't go on like this. Right now, we could hunt the Fire Giants even without Seohye overdoing it. I was sure of it. I hadn't even invested all my stat points yet and hadn't brought out my transcendent weapon, Isabel. With sufficient time, we could hunt the Fire Giants in their current state.

I shook her shoulders, but Seohye's eyes lacked focus. They were filled solely with the intent to kill. Only her hostility towards the Fire Giants was blazing in her eyes.

"Snap out of it! You can stop now."

But I could tell. The train could no longer be stopped. Seohye's energy began to flood out, blood streaming from her eyes, her ears, her nose, her mouth. The bright crimson ran down her cheeks, her neck, and began to dye her clothes.

This was far too different a scenario than the one I predicted.

[Fire Giant has been killed.]

[Fire Giant has been killed.]

[Fire Giant has been killed.]

The Barrier Magician Ahn Seohye successfully hunted the Fire Giants. This place was a Guardian Field and within my 'Observer's Domain'.

[Level increased.]

[Level increased.]

[Current level: 37]

My level instantly shot up, meaning I had just gotten a mountain of EXP unimaginable for the Hell Phase.

Two sparkling items were dropped.

[Fire Giant's Breath]

[Fire Giant's Necklace]

And then, Seohye slumped to the ground. I wasn't that happy. In the scenario I sketched out, everyone was supposed to live. It might have been very difficult, but still, everyone was going to live.

As I held her, Seohye regained consciousness. She smiled faintly, the blood red on her lips.

"They're all dead, right?

I felt her state.

State: Happiness / Relief / Unburdened

But her state changed a little.

State: Relief / Unburdened / Fear / Sadness

Relief that she pulled it off. And then, upon realizing that she was going to die, the fear of a woman who had thought of herself as a martyr. All of her emotions hit me unimpeded, most likely because I once shared and empathized with Seohye in the past, because I had once felt the darkness within her in my very cells. I was feeling her emotions more keenly because of that connection.

'I…'

Seohye's state changed by the second. From fear, to joy, to happiness, to sadness, and back.

"This is the end, so I can be honest, right?" Even before I could respond, Seohye quickly continued. "I wanted to protect."

Seohye was unable to move her body. She seemed to lack the strength to even lift a single finger. My Eye of Perception could tell that there wasn't much life left in her body. This was something modern medicine couldn't fix.

"And, thank you." Seohye looked completely at ease. "You showed me that the world isn't just a scary place."

"..."

Sunhwa ran over and threw herself on Seohye.

"What's going on?! What's going on?! What happened?!" She began to wail even before finding out the full details. "Blood! You're bleeding! Mr. Gong Jinhoon, what are you doing?! Please come and treat her, quick!"

But Gong Jinhoon knew, too. Ahn Seohye could not be healed. She had used a drug of no return. I didn't know what kind of shitty trick the Shepherd Boy pulled, but I had my suspicions.

I bit my lips.

'Was it my fault?'

Should I have explained things a little more precisely? While I was planning my safety and showing the Guardians an exciting scene, this child made the decision to die. She protected us with her life.

Seohye raised her hand with extreme difficulty. It looked like she was reaching towards me. I took her hand. Her voice had become much quieter.

"That's weird. I'm not scared. Normally, my heart races like crazy when I'm holding a man's hand."

She wasn't talking about the kind of excitement that coursed through one's body when in the company of the opposite sex. This was a child who had trembled uncontrollably in fear at the mere sight of a single hair from a man.

"Thank you. For making it so it's not scary."

Seohye's voice was still as calm as ever. She clearly knew that she was about to die, and yet, she seemed unfazed. Her features had actually become more peaceful.

"Thank you so much. It was only a short time, but I was really happy. I really mean it."

Seohye's hand fell out of mine, limp. Her body ceased to draw breath.

'I…'

Couldn't do anything.

'This isn't right.'

It wasn't. It just wasn't, no matter how hard I thought. She was a girl in her teens who had just barely started to open her heart a little. It wasn't right that a child who finally got the treatment and protection she deserved was dying to protect someone.

At that moment, I felt something strange, like something was vibrating in my Inventory.

Buzz–!

Buzzzz–!

My entire Inventory seemed to rock with the force of the vibrations.

'Huh…?'

The Red Eyes that had been quiet all this time were violently vibrating… as if to express their desire to return to their original owner.

At the same time, in a different place, something happened to the precognitive note penned by the unconscious Ham Sohyun.

There, shall one who pursues a wish predate as eyes of greed reign supreme.

That note burned into nothingness, leaving the other intact.

There, shall a powerful wish, the will to protect, and life be instilled.

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