Disaster Event.
In the original story, it was called that, but in the reality of this place, “disaster” is a more appropriate term.
“Disaster” usually refers to unfortunate accidents or natural calamities that occur unexpectedly.
While terms like “catastrophe” or “human-made disasters” exist to describe lesser-scale events, they don’t quite fit.
Anyway, the most representative disasters in this world are dungeons and monsters.
When a dungeon goes berserk, the surrounding environment and people are utterly swept away.
Now, the observation tower can detect the signs of dungeon eruptions.
But from some point onward, like the Shipnahah incident, there will be many eruptions that can’t be predicted.
If a high-ranking monster decides to rampage, human lives will fly away like flies.
The moment monsters gather forces, it becomes a given that a hunting party must be assembled.
Some monsters are so tough that even after rallying the forces, they remain hard to take down.
Even apart from tower invasions, various disasters will pop up like mushrooms after rain.
It’s nothing surprising.
Just about a hundred years ago, the world was in chaos worrying about the survival of races, so it’s not strange for such an era to come again.
Thinking about the tower invasion makes the future seem quite grim.
Of course, it’s not a disaster that will happen immediately.
For the next few years, it will likely be safe to hide in Shio-ram.
Incidents equivalent to disaster events in the original work start occurring from the second year of school.
They continue into the third and fourth years.
There’s no immediate need for players to jump out and solve those problems.
There are many powerful forces outside too.
The association is a prime example.
When a disaster occurs, they dispatch investigation teams to assess the incident and gather hunting teams or troops to solve it.
For discreet and isolated incidents that are challenging to mobilize a large number of people for, they send internal security or enforcement departments to eradicate the causes.
There are also forces established in various regions.
Most don’t like outside forces interfering in their domain.
They usually prefer to resolve issues on their own before seeking help from the association.
Even if a disaster appears, and even if there are significant damages, they’ll manage to prevent the world from falling apart.
Even if a large-scale dungeon eruption traps the realm within the dungeon.
Even if a tier-2 monster goes on a rampage.
Even if new mana veins emerge.
Players in the cradle remain safe.
While in Shio-ram, they can grow safely in an optimal environment without any threats.
The problem comes after graduation.
Facing a weakened world due to disasters that occurred during the Shio-ram period is what looms ahead.
A chaotic world where there’s no clue on where to start fixing things.
Initially, I thought I’d train safely during my time in Shio-ram and then escape to a distant place… but now that seems impossible.
Thus, the roots must be uprooted in advance.
This process will, of course, come with risks.
“Insurance.”
Who wants to incur losses in insurance?
In health insurance, who hopes to fall sick and spend time groaning in a hospital?
[What if I were to die… could you help Seo-yul?]
In life insurance, how many people really wish for death?
Living beings desiring death is extremely rare.
I’m no different.
I don’t want to die.
If it were up to me, I’d like to throw everything away and just spend time playing around.
But people take out insurance.
They don’t know what the future holds, and there are events that they can’t avoid no matter how much they dislike it.
So they take out insurance to prepare a little.
That’s why I made a request to Lee Ji-yeon.
We don’t have much of a bond, and that’s part of why I asked her.
If I had brought this up with Hong Yeon-hwa or my mentor… I’d be punished and locked in the mansion right away…
But I figured Lee Ji-yeon, with our limited relationship, would understand, especially since I’ve publicly acknowledged her as a benefactor.
“Who’s going to die?”
[Awkward]
So, it was quite surprising how she reacted so intensely.
“Dying? If you die, you want help? Don’t be ridiculous.”
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted drastically.
She was glancing my way, but there was an undeniable awkwardness.
At times, she would blush and look away.
Using the term benefactor while nervously watching my reaction and fidgeting.
Everything changed.
Awkwardness dissolved, and bubbling emotions began to spread.
The previously unfocused gaze sharpened, glaring at me.
“Why’s dying the premise, huh?”
She dropped the honorifics.
It was… no, blatantly a terrifying tone that made my body shake.
[Please, don’t curse…]
“Do I look like I won’t curse?”
The sound of her grinding teeth echoed through the air.
The anger boiling within her made it hard to ignore.
My shoulders hunched further.
[Why, why are you getting angry…?]
[I didn’t say it as a premise… ]
[I just made a request to prepare for the worst… just in case… ]
Cautiously, I responded while watching Lee Ji-yeon’s reaction.
I couldn’t deny that I understood her reaction somewhat.
Right and wrong are complex and intricate concepts.
From my perspective, Lee Ji-yeon was certainly a good person.
She empathized with others’ pain, felt sorrow, and offered help sincerely when her people were in trouble.
She boldly spoke up when she saw injustice, declaring, “This is wrong!”
I thought she would be a tad uneasy about my request given our limited relationship…
“What if… just in case… preparing… what if?”
Lee Ji-yeon muttered softly.
Though her voice had not risen, her icy tone felt terrifying…
“Haah…”
Finally, she swept her bangs aside and let out a deep sigh.
From just observing, I could feel her frustration and anger, making me instinctively take a small step back.
– Crack…
[Ugh]
At that moment, an unexpected hand grabbed my wrist.
Startled, I flinched.
The mighty force pulled my body helplessly forward.
As the Manifestor of Taesan, her basic strength was tremendous, that was to be expected.
Of course, it wasn’t enough to drag me off without resistance.
Thanks to my growth boost, I was truly surprised by my own growth.
This level of restraint could be broken easily.
“Come here.”
Yet, I couldn’t shake free.
There was an overwhelming force in Lee Ji-yeon that made it hard to resist.
It felt impossible to rebel against the cold command.
My body was pulled into her embrace.
My face buried in her soft flesh.
One hand pressed my head strongly against her chest.
And she wrapped the other arm around my waist tightly.
[Hmm…?]
The manner of burying me deeply felt like she was trying to keep me contained, and my hands flailed in the air aimlessly.
“Who’s dying?”
I could hear her murmuring above me.
“Dying? If you die, wanting help? Don’t say things like that.”
While it resembled her first words, the emotion carried was slightly different.
Her first words carried anger, but these seemed to hold determination.
[Ugh…?]
The grip around my head loosened.
Instead, her hands held my cheeks firmly.
The rather rough movements lifted my head up.
“Absolutely not. I won’t let you die. It’s okay, you’ll never die.”
Feeling her intense gaze piercing through my closed eyelids sent shivers down my spine.
Her powerful and fervent will seemed like it would penetrate through me.
“Why would someone as good as you die? I won’t let that happen. Got it? Don’t say you’re going to die.”
‘Ah…’
Taesan.
A towering and gigantic mountain.
Manifestors of Taesan usually have a lofty sense of self-esteem.
They handle the earth to birth life and manage even the dead spirits.
Moreover, the intrinsic nature of their ability fosters a high sense of self-worth akin to a tall mountain.
Yet, with the direct encounter, I didn’t feel such a vibe from Lee Ji-yeon.
From the moment I met her at the Lake of Mana, Lee Ji-yeon was busy blushing and avoiding my gaze.
She was a reassuring presence during the fight with the twin-headed dragon.
But when we reunited in Shio-ram, she leaned even more toward seeking my validation.
The same went for afterward.
She was attuned to my mood and didn’t assert herself too much.
To put it simply, her timid impression was overly strong.
“Answer me. I absolutely won’t let you die, so don’t give up either.”
Now, things were different.
In her striking gaze, fierce determination stood out.
The grip on my cheeks showed unwavering stubbornness.
She seemed to consider my opinion while crushing it beneath her, forcefully asserting her own stance.
The height of her self-worth compelled me to accept her words.
[Yes, yes.]
[I understand.]
[I won’t die… ]
Simultaneously, her strong resolve instilled confidence and gave off a dependable impression to those around.
I felt that I could trust her, that she would take responsibility and wouldn’t take her words lightly…
Overwhelmed by her presence, I nodded in a daze.
*
A short while later.
With Lee Ha-yul gently nestled in her arms, Lee Ji-yeon sat on a nearby bench and infused him with vitality like any other day.
However, she didn’t supply all the vitality herself.
Typically, Lee Ji-yeon draws vitality from the ground, filters it appropriately, and injects it into Lee Ha-yul.
Hence, vitality infusion normally takes place in locations rich in vitality.
But now, that was unnecessary.
The grounds of this mansion were infused with an enormous amount of vitality.
The earth beneath my feet.
The blooming plants and flowers.
All were teeming with vitality beyond any limit.
‘There’s an incredible amount of vitality. This isn’t naturally formed. Did the mansion master intentionally make it this way…?’
Even drawing just a little vitality from the blossoms wouldn’t diminish their energy for long.
Originally, the vitality lying beneath was so abundant that no matter how much was drawn, it never seemed to run low.
Comparing it to the energy veins in the family’s main house, this was on par.
So much vitality made it the perfect space for the incredibly energy-deficient Lee Ha-yul to thrive.
‘… I won’t let him die.’
I pushed away those thoughts.
Instead, Lee Ji-yeon looked down at the peacefully sleeping Lee Ha-yul in her arms with soft, caring eyes.
The vitality pulsating within him.
Stuffing it into an empty vessel.
…It soon leaked out.
As if holes were poked in it, vitality seeped out continuously.
‘I won’t let him die.’
Lee Ha-yul had uttered the word “death.”
Afterward, he claimed he only said it in case of emergencies, as if to make excuses, but Lee Ji-yeon didn’t trust him.
In this world, death is common.
Especially for those who practice combat and slaughter for a living, death is ever-present.
It’s not heavy for espers to speak of death.
But when a child, with vitality practically leaking from him, talks about death, it carries weight.
‘I won’t let him die. Even if he’s in a position to die… I will save him.’
Lee Ji-yeon felt a sense of responsibility.
She had no idea why he was in such a state, but there’s plenty of possibility it was weakened by the damage from her escape during the fight with the twin-headed dragon.
If only she had given Lee Ha-yul enough faith back then…
“… All done.”
The infusion of vitality concluded.
Though his vessel seemed like a bottomless pit, I filled it as much as I could.
At her words, Lee Ha-yul, who had been hiding his face in her embrace, gently lifted his head.
His face tinged pink.
…Simultaneously, perhaps due to Lee Ji-yeon’s recognition, it strangely seemed like his vitality had diminished.
Watching him for a moment, Lee Ji-yeon naturally patted Lee Ha-yul’s back.
Her hand brushed against his neck, gently stroking downward.
How many times did she repeat this?
– Ugh.
Lee Ha-yul’s body trembled once.
– Cough, cough…
Moments later.
He let out a small belch.
…A faint warmth flushed over Lee Ha-yul’s face.
‘This feels oddly strange.’
What was it?
The whole situation felt reminiscent of feeding a baby and encouraging them to burp…
‘What a crazy girl.’
Lee Ji-yeon shook her head vigorously to dismiss the thought.
It felt like the mind was spinning from the shocking scenes she had seen the previous night.
That scene of Professor Rana’s chest getting toyed with, ultimately crushed, with her nose sniffing it…
Or when Baek Ahrin laughed slyly while her fingers were in her mouth, squeezing her own chest…
And then, when she found herself locking eyes with Baek Ahrin…
‘Oh boy…’
Suddenly, heat flared on her face. Lee Ji-yeon cleared her throat and patted Lee Ha-yul’s back.
*
[Player Adjustment System: Affection Level]
Lee Ha-yul → Lee Ji-yeon
●●●●○○○○○○(49/100)
“Successor of Taesan” “Good Person” “Timid?” “Questioning”
▽Change▽
Lee Ha-yul → Lee Ji-yeon
●●●●●●○○○○(49▷60/100)
“Successor of Taesan” “Good Person” “Forcefulness” “Coercive”
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