Chapter 173 – Chapter 173 – Promise (16)
“I think I’ll have to pay my blood.”
Kim Ji-hye, who had been listening to my story in a daze, stopped her tall body.
“You you.”
As if he was really thinking that way, with that stare staring at him.
I nodded quietly.
Kim Ji-hye jumped up from the chair she was buried in and clenched her fists.
“Tell me again, what… You’re offering true blood?”
“Yes.”
In response to my answer, it was Kim Ji-hye who leaned forward and tried to shout something.
Soon after, he looked at my calmly sunken eyes and swallowed the words he was about to spit out.
“Kang Han-jun.”
And as if trying to convince me, he called my name in a flat tone.
Kim Ji-hye’s black eyes were slightly dark, but she was surrounded by anxiety.
“As I said before, true blood is not just blood. The inherent vitality within your body. Once lost, it can no longer be replenished. That is true blood.”
As if threatening her, Jihye Kim continued her explanation of her true blood.
“But you’re going to offer that true blood? Do you think I’ll allow it?”
“Yes. Doesn’t Ji-hye noona also offer true blood?”
“……”
Jihye Kim didn’t say anything.
“You… How?”
“It’s already been quite a while since we’ve been together. Every two weeks, after disappearing at a certain time, he comes back with a lot of energy in his body. At this point, I’m sure I know.”
Kim Ji-hye pressed her fingers against her temples as if she was having trouble with her, and then she spoke out as if to make an excuse.
“Inevitably, I’m offering it. And compared to them, I’m offering a very small amount of true blood, so it doesn’t matter.”
“I’ll be fine too.”
“No.”
Jihye Kim glared at me with her dark circled eyes.
“Every two weeks, they offer true blood.”
Kim Ji-hye growled and warned me.
“Do you know what this means? Those bastards are saying that every two weeks, they’re literally missing out on a week of my lifespan. If it’s a long-lived youkai, they’re paying for that ship’s lifespan.”
Kim Ji-hye continued her words, showing her strong will.
“Unlike the guys, I can finish it in just a few days. You’re going to take over this true blood that’s been going on for over ten years? Fuck you?”
Bang!
Her desk was dented by Kim Ji-hye’s fist.
“There is your father who ended the war, but you, and no one else, will offer blood?”
Kim Ji-hye stared at me with burning eyes.
I calmly met his gaze and answered again.
“Yeah, I guess I should.”
Kim Ji-hye sighed as if she was full of energy.
“I’m sorry, but you can’t do it right now even if you wanted to.”
“… Why.”
“The minimum condition for a shaman is to be able to use the essence of a sorcerer, and to bloom the unique selected abilities of a youkai. This is the minimum condition, but you don’t fit anywhere else.”
“I can do it.”
“You… How have you heard me…”
For the first time in my life, I interrupted Kim Ji-hye and said,
“It’s impossible to fully use Sulchija’s gin right now. It’s possible that the dragon’s blood will bloom.”
“… What?”
Kim Ji-hye seemed to ask me to speak again, and she asked me again.
“Anyway, I think I can at least bloom dragon’s blood. This won’t meet the second condition, blooming a unique chosen ability.”
At my words, Kim Ji-hye seemed quite shocked and blankly kept her silence.
I looked at Kim Ji-hye, who was still, and slowly began to explain why I was thinking.
“It’s strange, that the prophecy of prayer that changes the future in a positive way ends like this. Merlin doesn’t die and grows stronger. And Areumie becomes unhappy. Everything is strange, right?”
Never before have three ordeals appeared to bridge the gap in the future.
The future that changes through this origin foreknowledge.
It was the sound of a future where a single choice could bring about a huge aftermath.
So I could think
What choices will bring the greatest results.
“Killing Merlin, protecting Areum, and witnessing the instability of the world by giving my blood.”
The instability of the world inherent in the academy’s basement.
I couldn’t enter the secret space where true blood was dedicated for any reason.
By killing Merlin, you get an opportunity.
“True blood. Areumie’s power ‘blood flow manipulation’, which seems to be strangely related. And my reverse technique.”
Everything was oddly connected.
“A keyword reversal that can understand and reverse the other person’s sorcery and sorcery.”
Until now, there were only two keywords that could not be compared in the shadow family.
Father’s keyword creation.
The father’s keyword, who used his shadow food soul to create food and later even to create the world.
Nothing could compare.
And my keyword inversion.
In order to reverse, to see through and reverse its nature at a glance.
A unique keyword.
Even Kim Ji-hye’s keyword ‘imitation’, which is currently the largest power in the shadow family, has appeared in a similar or deteriorated version.
The above two keywords had never appeared before.
A strange situation where coincidence and coincidence overlap.
“After blooming as a dragon, offering true blood. Witnessing the instability of this world and confirming with my own eyes that I can fix it with my magic or authority.”
And although it’s still just a guess, a situation that might be inevitable that I could create.
“Isn’t that the positive future that this prayer foreknowledge is talking about? There’s no way three trials will appear for nothing.”
Kim Ji-hye, who had been silently listening to my story, opened her mouth.
She moved her mouth as if she wanted to say something.
In the end, Jihye Kim frowned at her and shut her mouth.
Kim Ji-hye also noticed.
For this situation to be simply a coincidence, there are too many coincidences.
“Fuck.”
Bang.
Jihye Kim hit her desk again.
Her desk cracked open, and her blood leaked from Kim Ji-hye’s fingertips.
“…She said she would kill Merlin.”
In the end, Kim Ji-hye frowned, even though she was holding her fist as if she were bleeding.
It seemed that he had made up his mind to listen to my plan.
“It’s not okay to simply attack and kill. Of course.”
“Yes, it would be a big deal.”
There was no way that Merlin, who had already been attacked, would not be accompanied by an escort from the evil forces.
Not only was it difficult to penetrate, but if he took his life recklessly, the aftermath could not be ignored.
So, I had to create a justification.
“This time, Merlin knew that we silently protected Areum. Then she attacked Areum and attacked Merlin.”
“Okay.”
“Perhaps, Merlin will use that as an excuse to try to get hold of her pod somehow.”
“… Not probably, but definitely.”
Listening to Kim Ji-hye’s answer, correcting my words, I nodded.
“Then I will give my blood to Merlin in return.”
Kim Ji-hye seemed lost in her thoughts, and she put a cigarette in her mouth.
“You’re deliberately giving away information.”
“Yes.”
Ah-reum didn’t come to me for nothing.
Unstable half-dragon blood.
In order to stabilize that blood, I needed my own blood from the dragon lineage.
There was no way that Merlin, who had come close to her information about anti-dragons through this battle, would not notice this.
“And after passing the blood, I awaken as a dragon.
Merlin, who stabilized the anti-dragon’s blood.
At that time when I am gradually getting closer to the dragon, if I awaken as a dragon.
It was obvious what Merlin would think.
“I’ll be madly covetous.”
Even when all of her own researchers in her family died, she was a Merlin who smiled brightly as if she was having fun.
Even when her own life was at stake, she was a Merlin who hummed that she had achieved one.
Although she is unpredictable, Merlin has only one clear intention.
Seeing myself like this, can I not approach it in any way?
“After handing a bait enough to repel the evil forces surrounding me, and making Merlin secretly approach me.”
After catching my breath, I declared.
“I have to kill him.”
Even if he only visited for a deal, if he attacked Merlin at that moment.
We couldn’t help but bite each other.
Merlin’s actions so far, and my scars from the fierce battle.
If the two are combined… The justification is well prepared.
“And at that time, you must never intervene. If the shadow family intervenes, the opponent may have a justification.”
As if they had waited, the shadow family would attack.
Even if Merlin had attacked me, I couldn’t get rid of her suspicion that she was setting a trap.
However, without the intervention of the shadow family, the opponent did not have much room to penetrate.
My murder and Merlin’s death.
My existence, to replace the head of the evil forces who devote their true blood.
If the plate was laid, it was a condition that had no choice but to succeed.
After hearing all of my plans, Kim Ji-hye threw me a question.
“Then when you die.”
“…”
“For one thing, fight Merlin. If Merlin, awakened as a half-dragon by your blood, kills you.”
“It’s not like that.”
At my words, Kim Ji-hye clenched her fists tighter as her blood dripped.
“There’s only one option left. If things don’t go well, there are times when we all attack together. But that’s too risky.”
“No, it’s more risky for me to be put in the possibility that you could die.”
Jihye Kim looked at me.
I didn’t avert his gaze and looked at him.
“Please trust me. Just this once.”
“……”
Then Jihye Kim’s eyes shook greatly.
I looked at Kim Ji-hye, who didn’t say anything and stayed still.
I slowly left the room.
Until I left the room, Kim Ji-hye didn’t say anything.
Left alone in her room, Jihye Kim hit her desk once more with her fist, dripping blood from her.
“Damn… Damn!”
Heavy black eyes that calmly sunk.
Kang Han-joon’s eyes he just saw were so similar to those of someone he admired, so he couldn’t say anything.
“Fuck…!”
Because of that, I felt even more guilty.
Knowing that he was pushing Kang Joon to death, he allowed it.
That he can’t interfere in this situation.
It’s so disgusting.
Jihye Kim strained her strength and leaned against her chair.
* *
After convincing Kim Ji-hye from the shadow family.
Returning home, I was able to face a guy.
“Hanjun…!”
As if he had been waiting, a muscular figure appeared in the living room.
Kim Cha-ryeok.
As soon as he saw me, he frowned as if he was okay.
“I heard roughly what happened. Areum…”
“Charyeok.”
I cut off Kim Cha-ryeok.
Charyeok Kim stopped talking at the fact that I called him by name.
“Why is that, Hanjun?”
Looking at the guy who looked at me with an extremely serious look, I started talking.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
The only one who doesn’t belong to any family, and doesn’t belong to any clan.
“Let’s soak one garbage together.”
Kim Cha-ryeok.
The guy I usually hang out with was like a cheat key that I could use in this fierce battle.
