𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟕𝟎
As her companions ventured into the mysterious realm of Sancheon’s sorcery, Yoo Ha-on found her spirit drawn to someone.
“What’s happening? Who are you . . . ?”
“. . . .”
Instantly separated from her companions, Yoo Ha-on found herself cast into an unknown void.
Standing before her was a white-haired woman whose icy gaze swept over Yoo Ha-on.
“Excuse me . . . .”
“You shouldn’t have come here.”
An unexpected statement.
Yet Yoo Ha-on could sense the immense hostility behind those words, as if emotions had taken physical form and were crushing her from all sides.
This type of attack was unprecedented, and Yoo Ha-on was momentarily paralyzed with confusion.
“Why did you dare to intrude . . . . . . ! Because of you, I’ve been forced to acknowledge a truth I never wanted to know.”
The woman hissed her anger, then suddenly broke into a radiant smile as if nothing had happened.
“But in a way, I’m grateful. After all, it’s given me the opportunity to turn a fake into something real.”
“What are you talking about . . . . . . I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to. Besides, soon you won’t be able to think at all.”
She might not know much, but Yoo Ha-on could tell that the woman before her was dangerous.
With all her might, she summoned her spiritual power and began to resist the woman’s machinations.
And then.
KABOOM!
“What! This can’t be . . . . . .”
“Send me back to where my companions are. Otherwise, I’ll exorcise you.”
As if taken aback by this unexpected turn of events, Baekryeo remained silent, her face a mask of incomprehension.
Then, she smiled faintly.
“Your power doesn’t seem that impressive . . . . . . Could it be that being an outsider gives you such an advantage in this ordinary space?”
Baekryeo’s demeanor had changed drastically.
Whereas before she had regarded Yoo Ha-on as easy prey, now she seemed to recognize her as an adversary worthy of her full attention.
“You can look forward to it. You’re the first person I’ve ever shown this to.”
Originally, this new sorcery was meant to be used against the venerable exorcist, Seo Cheon-ye, who had presided over the fateful pact.
The moment it was unleashed, Yoo Ha-on realized that a world had materialized before her eyes, enveloping her entirely.
And she could instinctively sense that, no matter how hard she struggled, she would never be able to escape.
“How is it possible that you possess such power . . . . . .”
“Why, does it seem unreasonable? Actually, I’m feeling something similar right now.”
Why had she been born a fake? And was she destined to be toyed with by the real outsiders?
That could never happen.
Watching Yoo Ha-on with a hardened expression, Baekryeo smiled faintly, her mind abuzz with possibilities.
“I’m going to take everything from you, very slowly.”
“Ugh . . . . . .”
There were many ways to do it.
If one didn’t work, she would simply try another.
And so, Yoo Ha-on’s arduous struggle began.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Four months had passed since the activation of Sancheon’s sorcery.
Yoo Ha-on was still locked in a stalemate with Baekryeo in the ordinary space.
Yoo Ha-on was an accomplished exorcist in her own right, but Baekryeo’s abilities were on a completely different level.
To be honest, it seemed strange that such a being hadn’t finished her off by now.
“Whew, this is ridiculous. What kind of twisted phenomenon is this?”
Baekryeo remarked. She had tried hundreds of methods, but in the end, she had been unable to seize Yoo Ha-on’s soul and body using ordinary means.
After that, Baekryeo’s attitude had changed significantly.
“. . . Why aren’t you doing anything?”
“Because it’s pointless. Don’t struggle pointlessly. I’m in the middle of eavesdropping on something quite interesting right now.”
Baekryeo turned her attention away from Yoo Ha-on and instead began to wander through the ordinary space, concentrating intently on something.
This was fortunate, to say the least, but Yoo Ha-on couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding from Baekryeo’s behavior.
And her premonition proved to be correct.
“Fascinating.”
“. . . What are you talking about?”
“Can’t you tell? I’m reading the thoughts of your companions who escaped.”
“If you lay a hand on them, I’ll stop at nothing to destroy you.”
Despite Yoo Ha-on’s venomous warning, Baekryeo merely chuckled and asked,
“Oh really? But it seems to me that you don’t know anything about these companions you value so highly.”
“What do you . . . . . .”
“They’re all peculiar, but this human Han Kang-yoon in particular. I’ve never encountered anyone whose innermost thoughts I’ve been unable to penetrate.”
That was why it had taken so long.
However, in the end, she had managed to glean a few facts by following the traces of Han Kang-yoon’s thoughts.
“You harbor rather complex emotions toward this Han Kang-yoon. Affection, longing, and many other things . . . . . .”
However.
“But how much do you really understand about him? Can you truly say that you trust each other?”
“. . . . . .”
Yoo Ha-on’s face instantly hardened. She couldn’t understand what Baekryeo was trying to say.
“Of course I do. He’s a wonderful and trustworthy companion.”
“Is that so? But it seems like the other person doesn’t feel the same way.”
Nonsense.
It was such a cheap attempt at sowing discord.
Baekryeo, seeing Yoo Ha-on’s conviction, continued,
“Grew up without ever knowing your birth parents, who were actually killed by someone named Ju-un . . . . . .”
Baekryeo had touched a nerve, but Yoo Ha-on didn’t panic.
She had already come to terms with this fact in her own mind.
However, what came next was something that even Yoo Ha-on had never expected.
“And the son of that Ju-un is none other than your companion, Han Kang-yoon.”
“. . . What?”
“Why, do I sound like I’m lying? Unfortunately, I don’t engage in such unnecessary activities.”
It was a lie.
The story was far too contrived.
“You had your doubts from the beginning, didn’t you? Han Kang-yoon knew too much about you.”
That was true.
Han Kang-yoon had definitely known Yoo Ha-on since their first meeting.
If he was the son of Ju-un, that would certainly explain the connection.
Nevertheless, Yoo Ha-on calmly composed herself.
“So what if he is?”
“What?”
“The sins of the parents should not be visited upon the children. He’s a respectable person, and he’s helped me a lot. To me, he’s not the son of Ju-un. He’s simply Han Kang-yoon, my senior at the academy.”
Baekryeo laughed incredulously at Yoo Ha-on’s response, which seemed to have caught her off guard.
“It must have been human nature to be obsessed with good causes and effects. . . . . . . Well, I’ll admit it. You have a remarkable mental power, even for a human.”
However, Baekryeo didn’t seem the least bit discouraged.
Just when Yoo Ha-on was starting to feel uneasy for some unknown reason, Baekryeo spoke again.
“But that’s . . . . . . just your perspective.”
“. . . . . .”
“How does Han Kang-yoon really feel about you? You have no idea, do you?”
In truth, Baekryeo wasn’t much different in that regard.
However, she at least had several weapons prepared that could shake Yoo Ha-on.
“I’ve already seen everything. That’s why I actually feel a bit sorry for you.”
“What are you . . . . . .”
“After all, you’ve been hiding the truth from yourself all this time. There’s no way to know what his true intentions are.”
With those words, Baekryeo summoned a beam of light from a corner of the ordinary space and directed it toward Yoo Ha-on.
WHOOSH.
“See for yourself. This is definitely an emotion extracted from the residual thoughts of the human Han Kang-yoon.”
As she had said, it was undoubtedly Han Kang-yoon’s emotion. And it was directed at Yoo Ha-on herself.
“Why, it’s . . . . . .”
In the beam of light, Han Kang-yoon was enjoying the sight of Yoo Ha-on struggling forward against all odds.
Although it was only an emotional projection, it was clear enough.
There was a hint of affection in it, but its meaning was completely different from what Yoo Ha-on had imagined.
It was more like the sentiment one might have for a cherished toy.
It was the emotion of Han Kang-yoon, the gamer who had played the exorcism series in the past, but of course, Yoo Ha-on had no way of knowing that.
“. . . I won’t be fooled. That can’t be true.”
“You can deny it if you want. There’s plenty more where that came from.”
Soon, several more beams of light streamed into Yoo Ha-on’s mind, clouding her thoughts.
This time, they were Han Kang-yoon’s sentiments toward her other companions, not Yoo Ha-on herself.
However, there was no significant difference.
Han Kang-yoon regarded his companions as playthings, observing them not as equals but as an outsider.
Momentarily thrown into confusion, Yoo Ha-on received another emotional fragment from Baekryeo, who smiled meaningfully.
“Don’t deny it. And accept it.”
Another fragment showed Han Kang-yoon rejecting Yoo Ha-on.
Not simply dismissing her, but rejecting her very existence.
In truth, this had been Han Kang-yoon’s emotion when he had first met Yoo Ha-on, a mixture of confusion over her gender change and the loss of her Anti-Demon trait.
However, Baekryeo had cleverly twisted it to constantly unsettle Yoo Ha-on.
“Are you still not convinced? You don’t know anything about the human Han Kang-yoon.”
“. . . . . .”
Yoo Ha-on fell silent.
And she kept her head bowed, unable to look up.
However, despite all this, Yoo Ha-on’s eyes remained resolute.
“I can’t accept everything you’ve said. Even if all of these emotions are real, it’s something I need to ask him about directly and decide for myself.”
A truly unyielding spirit.
Having overcome countless crises, Yoo Ha-on had established an unshakable will of her own.
Seeing this, Baekryeo sighed and reluctantly confessed the truth.
“. . . That’s right. Most of it was just a fabrication. You really are an infuriatingly upright person.”
“As I thought . . . . . !”
“But it’s too late now.”
All Baekryeo needed was a slight disturbance, a tiny crack she could exploit.
And in the course of their conversation, Baekryeo had already achieved her goal.
“Unfortunately, I managed to establish a connection, however tenuous.”
As Baekryeo tugged on the white thread in her hand, Yoo Ha-on felt an overwhelming drowsiness wash over her.
She tried to resist, but it was no use.
Her consciousness sank into a dark abyss, and her once-solid will began to dissolve.
“. . . Have a nice dream. Forever in that darkness.”
And that was Yoo Ha-on’s last memory.
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