Episode 142

I smiled with satisfaction at the rising [System Notification].

By now, the activation of [Eyes of Reversed Heaven] had become second nature, as effortless as breathing.

Lately, I’d noticed that the [Eyes of Reversed Heaven] had grown stronger, especially after the battle with the [Sea Dragon].

‘It’s a bit difficult to say, but…’

Should I call it influence?
Or should I call it presence?

Steadily increased proficiency.

On top of that, the decisive chance encounter with the [Dragon Heart] seemed to have produced this result.

‘Shall I take a look?’

Even though the [Choice] function hadn’t activated, I didn’t feel disappointed. I had obtained something great nonetheless: a Hero-grade skill.

The skill I acquired, [Charge Crush], inflicted [Stun] for up to five seconds upon a successful hit, dealing physical damage as well.

Thanks to this, I had gained another strategic option in combat.

Moreover, it was amplified to start at level 3 instead of the usual level 2.

I wasn’t sure if this boost was permanent or just a one-time occurrence, but an increase in base level was always welcome.

‘The newly acquired skill is also excellent.’

As expected of an Epic-grade skill, just below Legendary, [Tsunami of the Rising Dragon] exceeded my expectations.

I began to understand why even the [Sea Dragon], who barely used magic, exuded such an overwhelming sense of omnipotence.

‘However…’

I realized it for sure after trying it myself.

As much as it boasted powerful force and range, its drawbacks were equally significant.

‘It’s very difficult to handle.’

It might seem odd.
Since I wiped them out magnificently with this.

But that was only half the truth—by the midpoint of the fight, [Tsunami] was already out of my control.

This indicated that my operation in handling mana was lacking by a lot.

‘Well, that’s obvious though…’

The skill called <Attribute> was notoriously difficult to handle.

Unlike someone like Moon Bora, who had spent years studying magic, I had only dabbled in minor spells like [Burning Flames] or [Stone Hardening].

The fact that I had managed to wield such a massive-scale elemental skill at all was impressive in itself.

Fortunately, the <Mana> consumption wasn’t as large as expected, so there was no difficulty in using it alongside other abilities.

With this in mind, I could address its drawbacks through multiple strategies.

“Meow~ Good job, Seha.”

Meowi, who was hanging from the ceiling to avoid being swept away by water, made a splendid hero landing with a whoosh.

With a bright smile, she exclaimed ‘Meow!’ and rummaged through her arms.
She pulled out a cute handkerchief.
Meow, Meow! She stood on tiptoe.
Then she wiped my face stained with sweat and soot.

“Meow~ it’s clean.”
“Thank you.”
“Now you just catch B-grade bosses easily?”

I returned her bashful smile with one of my own.
I didn’t say much, but it was a stroke of luck for us.

‘It was too advantageous in terms of compatibility.’

If the opponent had a completely different attribute, it wouldn’t have been so easy to deal with.

‘Of course…’

It would just take a bit more time.
The fact that I would win wouldn’t have changed.

‘My current stats average at 35.’

With the recent stat increase, [Strength] had reached the intermediate grade of 40.

C-grade opponents were practically trivial, and with a bit more effort, aiming for the B-grade exam seemed feasible.

‘The average stats for the B-grade promotion exam is 50.’

Considering my notable accomplishments so far, I felt confident I was on track.

“…Hm?”

Just as I was thinking of heading back.
I noticed something had fallen from the corpse of the <Alligator Man>.
As I approached, it was a head ornament with a subtle red glow.

‘This is…’

An item I remembered.
A Rare-grade piece of equipment, [Salamander’s Tail Needle].

It looked like a pretty hairpin, with the effect of slightly increasing the fire attribute attack power of the wearer.

Such a drop outside of a <Treasure Room>…
As expected, Meowi.
True to the symbol of luck, it was nice to have her around to gather small treasures.

“Hmm… Meowi.”
“Meow?”
“Sorry, but could I possibly give this to Na-young?”

The memory of Ju Na-young lingered in my mind.

Specifically, the guilt of forcibly kissing her to unlock her Breath.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and her body trembled with bewilderment, saying, ‘Young-ah? Young-ah?!’

My heart was already pricking with concern.

There was an additional fact I realized here.

‘…I haven’t given Ju Na-young any gifts, have I?’

I had given Meowi the now-broken [Turtle’s Shield].

I had gifted Moon Bora the [Mermaid’s Voice].

But Ju Na-young received nothing.

Of course, well… there wasn’t a proper opportunity, and you don’t have to give gifts to be friends.

‘…Still.’

I wanted to give her something if possible.

Meowi, who tilted her head at my words, smiled brightly with a ‘Meowi!’

I also smiled at the unhesitant grin.

One hour after tackling the [Underground Waterway] dungeon.
We came outside and had a cozy lunch on a park bench.

As if it were the most natural thing, Meowi sat on my lap, eyes shining like starlight.

“M-Meow… did Seha really make this?”
“Yes.”
“Meow!”

Meowi exclaimed in admiration at my answer.
I felt a bit embarrassed.
After all, it was just an egg mayo sandwich, nothing extraordinary.

‘I made a promise back then.’

On the day I first visited Meowi’s house.
I promised to learn how to cook and feed her something delicious.

In truth, I couldn’t keep that promise.
Life had been too hectic lately to even practice cooking…

‘…It’s harder than I thought.’

Training, learning new skills—I excelled at those.

But following a recipe from a cookbook? That was somehow far more challenging.

Even making this simple sandwich had taken a lot of effort.

And my seemingly innate talent for picking up skills didn’t extend to [Cooking], not even a little.

Thanks to that, I made all sorts of mistakes.

‘I managed to make it after many trial and error…’

But I couldn’t shake the worry—would it even taste good?

Soon, Meowi took a bite of the sandwich.

I swallowed nervously, unable to hide my anticipation.

“…Well, how is it?”

‘…Hmm.’

Chewing.

Ma Hana moved her puffed cheeks, feeling slightly awkward.

It wasn’t that it was bad.

There wasn’t anything strange in it, nor was it an odd attempt at some over-the-top flavor. It was just a simple sandwich.

‘However…’

Meow…

It was too salty.

From the salt lingering in her mouth, Ma Hana realized the seasoning was overdone.

‘Meow~’

But what does that matter now?
She didn’t show it at all on her face.

Instead, she was happy.
Because she felt Yu Seha’s heartfelt effort just for her.

‘Here…’

His bandaged hands made her feel this warmth even more.

Just with that, Ma Hana felt as if her stomach was full.

Gulp! Ma Hana swallowed.

Using the advice from Senior Divine Light Garam, she flashed him an angelic smile.

“Meow~ it’s gourmet!”
“…Phew, that’s a relief.”

Of course, Yu Seha’s relief was shattered the moment he took a bite of the sandwich he made.

Nonetheless, the two continued their meal.

The trivial stories they shared naturally led to a conversation about Ju Na-young.

“Hey, Seha. Since we were talking about Na-young earlier…”
“Munch munch… Hmm?”

Meowi twiddled her fingers.
She cautiously asked, glancing around.

“Have you, with Na-young… lately…”

Talked much?

Her words left me with a perplexed expression.

Gulp.

“…So even you’ve noticed, huh?”
“…Yeah.”

I swallowed a small sigh.

Just to be clear, there hadn’t been a fight or any conflict between Ju Na-young and me.

We got along fine and were on good terms.

She even responded to my messages immediately whenever I reached out.

‘It’s just…’

There was one problem.

“Na-young, she is… Lately, she has been clearly avoiding Seha, hasn’t she?”
“……”

That’s right.

This was quite a troublesome issue.

Ju Na-young kept running away, shouting “Yong-ah!” whenever she saw my face.

-Hey, Ju Na-young~
-Yong-ah! Yong-iik! Yong-eet! Yong-huu! (Roughly, Ju Na-young screaming “Yong-aaah!” and running away.)
-…Ju Na-young?

With a scream like that, she would just bolt away.

Even after class, she’d swiftly flee with a “Shooong!”

‘Once, I tried to approach her quietly and grabbed her shoulder…’

-Hey~ Ju Na-young. Can we talk for a moment—
-Yong-aaaah!

Just like that, after a few “Yong-aahh!” sounds and punches, she ran away again.

Ju Na-young, with a face as red as a carrot, kept mumbling, ‘Yong-aah…’

As I recalled the situation, Meowi spoke hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Meow. Maybe Seha’s… k-k-kiss was… too intense? Meow…”

Meowi covered her face with both hands, as if embarrassed.
Her two tails spun like propellers, creating a cool breeze.

“Hmm…”

The kiss…

Indeed…

‘It was too much.’

From her perspective, even as a friend, it must have been shocking for a guy to suddenly steal a kiss.

Even I had some sense of awareness(?)

I had realized by now that Ju Na-young came from a good family, likely a proper, well-bred young lady.

‘In short, she’s a cherished treasure…’

I had wounded the heart of a maiden like a flower on a cliff.
Instead, I should be grateful that she didn’t beat me up and declare her departure from the party.

In any case, the issue was clear: she couldn’t meet my eyes and ran away whenever she saw me.

While her flustered reactions were undeniably cute, it wasn’t a sustainable situation.

‘It’s going to be difficult if this continues though.’

It would affect our party dynamic and our ability to clear dungeons.

I clenched my fist.

“Alright, I’ll apologize properly!”
“Meow~ That’s a good idea!”

But, what should I do…?
I didn’t have any experience with this sort of thing, so I wasn’t sure what to do.

‘…Should I tempt her with something tasty?’

Ju Na-young was generally easygoing when it came to food, but she wasn’t particularly gluttonous either.

And the [Mint Perilla Mint] series she liked was more of a niche preference than a meal.

It didn’t feel quite right to invite her to dinner over something so casual.

‘What should I do…?’

A continuous cycle of worries and anguish.

It lingered even after finishing lunch and parting ways with Meowi.

They continued as I arrived at the evening meeting spot.

Noticing my troubled expression, my perceptive companion caught on quickly.

With a gesture to speak, I explained haltingly.

“Oh my… a kiss… Junior, you’ve done something bold.”
“…I had no choice. Otherwise—”
“Shh. Excuses are cheap. Regardless of what happened, you forcibly took a girl’s pure heart. Isn’t that the truth?”

I couldn’t refute her words, delivered with a pretty wink and certainty.

Seeing me ponder, the woman smiled sweetly, as if finding me adorable.

A beautiful young lady with a graceful presence.

It was Divine Light Garam.