“This is the proper way to operate. It’s a bit different from mana.”
I sharpened my senses to the maximum and observed Choi Ji-yeon. The focal point was the manipulation of vitality.
I piled up that data. I recorded every observation without missing a thing.
The vitality that Choi Ji-yeon manipulated moved exceptionally smoothly.
She drew vitality from the ground and circulated it within her body. In that process, her physical abilities and recovery were naturally activated.
Thanks to Taesan’s influence, Choi Ji-yeon’s physical abilities and recovery were already outrageous.
With that vitality, increasing her physical activation, and donning the armor and energy of Taesan, Choi Ji-yeon was truly a frontline that deserved the title of impregnable.
It wasn’t a coincidence that she survived, taking blows from the Twin-Headed Dragon, buying time.
In the original work, finding a tank like Choi Ji-yeon was impossible.
“I’m glad I asked for help. If I had tried to charge in alone, I wouldn’t have timed it right before the Tower.”
I marveled inwardly.
They said that among Taesan’s abilities, the manipulation of vitality was the hardest part, yet Choi Ji-yeon handled it with remarkable familiarity.
Even for me, it was a level that mere talent and skill couldn’t achieve.
And the basic operations of Taesan I just observed were similar.
She manipulated the ground as if it were her own limbs.
Numerous summons drawn from the earth moved swiftly and accurately according to Choi Ji-yeon’s commands, without a trace of chaos.
Even amidst such complexity, Choi Ji-yeon managed the battle without a hitch.
Brilliant talent and relentless effort. The skilled appearance couldn’t be achieved without either.
It contrasted sharply with her self-deprecation, lamenting her own shortcomings.
“But considering the situation, maybe it makes sense…”
Though this was all about the original story, I could understand the context behind Choi Ji-yeon’s lowered self-esteem.
Her two younger siblings, with their extraordinary talent, were admired as the reincarnation of the origin.
Choi Ji-yeon was not on their level. There was indeed talent, but by sheer merit, she couldn’t be compared to the two.
To be precise, it wasn’t Choi Ji-yeon who received the praise of reincarnation from the Taesan Clan.
“Is the strongest among the clan heads at this point Taesan’s clan head?”
The 11th clan head of Taesan, Lee Ji-a, also Choi Ji-yeon’s biological mother.
The one who received the ultimate praise of reincarnation was not Choi Ji-yeon, but her biological mother.
With her affectionate younger siblings and her indifferent mother, Choi Ji-yeon was bound to evaluate her qualities low.
Such evaluations are relative, after all. No matter how much praise she received from those around her, she likely couldn’t feel that way.
“Either way, I can make it before the Tower.”
Every time I accumulated the way to manipulate vitality in real-time, it felt like a bulb was flickering in the back of my mind.
The pile of information connected with each other, creating new insights.
Soon, a hazy guess was hardening into conviction.
“I can change my body normally.”
I felt certain. It might be a bit hard, but this method is correct.
“Finally…”
I could escape this pathetic body.
With stubby limbs and a small frame… the inconveniences were numerous!
Above all, how strange the treatment from others was!
According to Elia, my mind had also gotten younger with my body, but I wasn’t particularly bothered by such treatment… not that it was unpleasant… just a bit strange.
Regardless, I could restore my body.
As I was happily reveling in that thought…
[?]
My hand was pulled. A robust force yanked my body forward.
The culprit was Choi Ji-yeon, who was holding my hand.
My body was helplessly dragged along.
In a hurry, she grasped my hand and pulled me into her embrace.
The fluffy fabric of her clothing rubbed against my cheek, along with the soft and warm sensation of skin inside.
My body…
Wait, no, I shouldn’t lose my strength.
In a moment, feeling like I was about to flop, I snapped to attention and started thrashing.
[question]
[surprise]
[absurd]
[Wait, what?]
[Why are you doing this?]
I asked perplexedly. At first, I tried to resist immediately, but Choi Ji-yeon’s expression was alarming.
It turned pale and then turned dark. It looked like a sick person, flushed yellow and then bluish.
Her complexion fluctuated so erratically, I wondered if she was about to die.
“W-wait, hold on… just for a moment…”
Choi Ji-yeon’s lips trembled as she spoke, struggling to continue her words, but her actions didn’t wait for an answer.
She bound me with both arms. One wrapped around my waist, while the other pressed my head into her chest.
The warmth between our bodies increased. Already outside, with no air conditioning, sticking together felt like my body temperature was shooting up.
‘What is going on?’
A sudden, awkward situation.
As I pondered whether I should forcefully escape, the vitality from the ground surged violently.
It was also caused by Choi Ji-yeon.
The vitality from the ground squeezed out and surged up her legs while she stood on it.
The ground, drained of vitality, cracked like a drought-affected land. The grass that had been rooted and growing turned yellow and bent.
Choi Ji-yeon paid no attention to it.
In a rush, she gathered vitality as if the surroundings were irrelevant, circulated it through her body, and gradually sent it to me as well.
Despite looking extremely urgent, her manipulation of the vitality was incredibly careful.
That procedure repeated for a while. Choi Ji-yeon drew vitality and infused it into me.
Realizing that it wasn’t a dangerous action, I quietly waited.
“Huh, huh…”
Soon, the infusion of vitality stopped. Choi Ji-yeon took a deep breath, as if releasing pent-up air.
She seemed to have slackened and sat down, panting heavily.
Cold sweat clung to the ends of her hair, dripping off, while her chest repeatedly swelled and deflated with deep breaths.
[…What is happening?]
“Wha?!”
Caught in between, I was at a loss. The breath brushing against my head tickled.
After holding back for a while, I quietly asked. Choi Ji-yeon was startled and froze.
“Ahhh!?” She gripped me tighter.
I was the one who wanted to scream! Naturally, I would be judged by the curse of silence if I did that.
The effectiveness of my waist poke was remarkable. Choi Ji-yeon, who had been lost in thought, finally looked at me.
[explanation]
Choi Ji-yeon’s eyes trembled at my brief question.
“Ah, uh? That’s… Oh! Yes! It’s because of the vitality infusion!”
[Excuse me?]
Choi Ji-yeon, rolling her eyes and stammering, exclaimed.
[Vitality infusion?]
“Yes, yes! Like I explained, to draw and send vitality, contact is necessary between the body and the subject. Especially when exchanging vitality between humans, the area of contact needs to be large!”
[But you just said holding hands was enough?]
“Um… I thought, maybe that wouldn’t be enough after checking…”
[So why did you suddenly grab me?]
“That, that’s…”
Choi Ji-yeon was spinning her eyes as she clumsily replied to my rapid-fire questions, making me tilt my head inwardly.
‘What’s going on?’
She seemed to be hiding something, but I couldn’t figure out what it was.
I didn’t feel any malice; she appeared to want to help…
I nodded for now.
[Got it.]
[But please give a heads up next time.]
[This suddenness surprised me!]
“Yeah, yeah… I’m sorry for startling you…”
Choi Ji-yeon apologized with droopy eyes, like a scolded puppy.
Then she let out a breath of relief, but it was clear the observation couldn’t be avoided.
[…Can you let me go down a bit…?]
“Ah…! I’m sorry…!”
She quickly freed herself from the embarrassing position.
Choi Ji-yeon gently set me down on the ground.
My legs touched the ground.
With that, I let loose dozens of attack spells from my technique, Homogenization: White Night, just before being set off.
…
‘Ah, this feels nice.’
After parting from Choi Ji-yeon, I rented another secured external training facility.
I tapped the ground with my toes.
Maybe it was because Choi Ji-yeon infused more vitality, but I felt relaxed.
‘So infusing vitality means squishing a lot of it to signal something? That method’s a bit crude.’
I stroked my arm with a strange expression.
It felt like I had overeaten. Maybe I absorbed too much vitality.
‘And… what was that earlier?’
Questions lingered.
Choi Ji-yeon’s excuse of being focused seemed too frantic and desperate.
I tilted my head.
Could it be that she was concerned about the curse of short life, hence she kept some vitality stored?
Choi Ji-yeon was not someone who blabbed easily, but there was no need to burden her mind with the curse of short life.
In the first place, I was building up vitality in anticipation of where I might suddenly kick the bucket.
Though it was like pouring water into a bottomless bucket, I could die the moment it all ran out, so I had to keep supplying vitality in a desperate manner.
‘For now…’
Shaking my head, I sat down on the floor.
This time, I seriously needed to give it a try.
I took a deep breath, concentrated, and activated Taesan.
I had thoroughly examined the teaching materials and had an idea that popped into my head.
It was time to put that idea to the test.
‘Homogenization, Taesan.’
First, I manifested Taesan, drawing vitality from the ground.
Using my body in contact with the ground, I supplied the vitality.
From here on was important.
Instead of merely filling the bottomless bucket, I coated the walls… reinforcing and expanding the vessel that holds the contents.
A chilling noise echoed within my body. My bones twisted, and muscle bundles elongated. My limbs stretched and pulled.
– Sizz…
Steam wafted from my body.
*
Choi Ji-yeon, sitting vacantly on the ground, slowly pieced together Lee Ha-yul’s words and actions in her mind.
– Your body looks fine.
– And, thinking back, haven’t all your wounds healed?
Despite his claim of being fine, Lee Ha-yul had turned into a child.
– If there had been someone nearby, self-destruction would have been impossible—
An artifact had hinted at the ‘self-destruction’ remark.
– A trace of Taesan was found at Ground Zero where the Twin-Headed Dragon had been obliterated.
A powerful strike that could eradicate the Twin-Headed Dragon without a trace.
Lee Ha-yul, who possessed the unique ability to manipulate vitality known as Taesan…
‘Ah.’
The abnormality of his body, self-destruction, dried vitality, and the unique ability to manipulate vitality known as Taesan…
The logic pieced itself together. It was a rough assembly, but at this moment, it was the most suitable hypothesis.
Whether he utilized something, or if he truly activated Taesan alongside the self-destruction was unknown.
Lee Ha-yul self-destructed against the Twin-Headed Dragon.
It was fortunate he survived, but at the cost of becoming a terminal patient with dried vitality.
‘……’
Choi Ji-yeon questioned herself.
Why did Lee Ha-yul self-destruct?
Though weakened, the Twin-Headed Dragon was still strong. He couldn’t have finished it with normal means.
Why did he choose to self-destruct?
Did he judge that he couldn’t hold on until reinforcements arrived?
He may have thought he could fend off the Twin-Headed Dragon out of a sense of responsibility, but ultimately determined he couldn’t buy enough time.
Then why did he choose to face it alone without enduring alongside Choi Ji-yeon…
‘…Could it be that even if the two fought together, it would still be too hard to hold on…?’
Choi Ji-yeon, feeling she was of no help.
Unreliable and a hindrance.
Yet she had tried to save him by sending him far away, and Lee Ha-yul stood against the Twin-Headed Dragon alone, eventually self-destructing due to being overwhelmed. He narrowly survived, but now his body was in disarray, and his life was thinning.
While Choi Ji-yeon ran away in fear, he stood alone…
“Ugh…”
Suddenly, nausea surged up.
Choi Ji-yeon bent over and covered her mouth with her hand.
*
[Player Correction System: Affection Level]
Lee Ha-yul → Choi Ji-yeon
●●●●○○○○○○(40▷46/100)
“Taesan’s Heir” “Good Person” “Crouching?” “Questioning”
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