Chapter 210 – Waiting for the Same Moment, Same Time (3)

“What are you talking about…?”
“Why? You’re incredibly strong. Why attend the academy? Someone might mistake you for being a flower or a blade of grass.”

My face naturally tensed in response to Champi’s rapid-fire remarks.

I tried to feign ignorance, but had this person somehow uncloaked my hidden abilities? I knew that S-class hunters, including White Peach, were individuals who acted as they pleased, but I hadn’t anticipated it to this extent.

“Is there truly a connection between you and a flower?”

Champi’s inquiry.

“Don’t make baseless conjectures. No, there isn’t.”
“Are you certain that you are strong?”

Talented individuals recognize one another. However, there is no need to risk damage, so silence is typically maintained. As long as their magical powers remain concealed, it’s impossible to determine who is stronger without confrontation.

Despite this, I couldn’t trust these people enough to expose my true strength.

But it seemed my opponent was determined to expose my vulnerability. Champi struck the table with the chopsticks, sending them spinning into the air.

– Pingrr.

Clutching the end of the twirling chopsticks, Champi thrust them towards me in a reverse grip. Even the blunt chopsticks could be a formidable weapon in the hands of an S-class hunter.

– Squeeack!

Though devoid of magical power, the strike was swift and unrelenting. It continued its trajectory, aiming for my eyes.

With no other choice, I raised my palm to block the chopsticks.

– Thump!

“See?” Champi, still gripping the chopsticks, taunted me with a sneer.

“You reacted.”

The chopsticks bent into a giyeok shape upon contact with my skin. Champi returned to their seat and straightened the chopsticks out. Round, whistling lips and innocent eyes adorned their face, as if they’d never launched an attack.

“Both of you, calm down.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Seong Ji-ho stepped in to mediate, his face filled with bewilderment.

“Why is it that you keep growing impatient, Champi?”
“I just feel like this matter will be resolved quickly. Why? It’s good if we help each other, right? He says he wants to help Sansuyu too.”
“Does that mean it’s okay to stab people?”
“I can’t stand feeling stifled.”
“No… but…”

I listened to the conversation between the two of them, looking down at my flushed palms.
There were round marks on them, as if they had been dotted with red paint.

“So, anyway!”

Champi started speaking again, aiming to wrap up the discussion.

“Jiho, in the end, you’re trying to reduce the number of people connected to the Cornus family, right? And this person here wants to help Sansuyu. Hey, am I right or wrong?”
“That’s correct.”

I nodded in response to Champi’s question, as it wasn’t an incorrect statement.

“But this person is at least an S-rank. It would be good if you had someone else to protect Sansuyu, too. Weren’t you planning to have an escort for the Forest Keeper Selection Tournament? Let me vouch for their skills.”

“…Yes? No, but then you become directly involved.”
“He says it doesn’t matter.”

The Cornus family is facing ruin.
All those involved teeter on the brink of death.

One can grasp the story superficially, but without knowing the circumstances, how can one truly understand?

“I don’t care if I’m being targeted, but can you at least tell me what exactly is happening?”
“See, it doesn’t matter.”

As Champi lent support to my words, Seong Ji-ho sighed and touched his forehead.
It was a conversation forced by Champi. Perhaps some thought was needed.

As time passed, he finally managed to speak.

“It’s a secret.”

I could feel the torment in each of his words.
Can he really share this with an academy cadet? I could also sense his concern for Sansuyu, fearing that this might lead to a dire situation.
I nodded silently.

Glancing at the seat next to me, I saw Champi finally sitting with a bright, carefree expression, as if at last feeling at ease.

‘Well, I suppose there’s some gain in this.’

The extreme staging worked well. Of course, I was also swept up in it.

“So, you know that Lady Sansuyu has trouble remembering people’s names, right?”
“Yes, I’m well aware. Sieon or Siwon.”
“I’m Champi.”

Seong Ji-ho recounted the situation to me with a serious expression.

“The Cornus family has had a long-standing experiment. Lady Sansuyu has been involved in it since she was a child.”
“What kind of experiment is it?”
“Well…”

Champicontinued the conversation as Seong Ji-ho hesitated.

“Tell me everything. If you don’t, I will.”
“Sigh… An eternal immortal. In other words, it’s an experiment to create a being greater than the World Tree.”

Beyond the World Tree. Could it mean ascending above the heads of beings referred to as gods?

“There must have been some checks from the World Tree.”
“The Cornus family and the Church of the World Tree had a symbiotic relationship. There was a possibility of mutual destruction if they fought against each other. However, that just postponed the conflict indefinitely…”

“Do you mean it will burst soon?”
“It was significant that the head of the family joined forces with the Flower.”

Though the World Tree is a god, its power is not infinite.
It could not be a god without the ability to maintain a certain level of societal order.

Would a god arbitrarily oppress noble families?
It wouldn’t be surprising if figures like King Mokryeong multiplied and a revolution ensued.

Thus far, the Cornus family could not be challenged.
Because there was no justification.
In a society where gods exist, it is ultimately part of international politics. Civilians do not consider the World Tree to be a close entity. If life becomes too difficult, an eruption is imminent.
Social chaos is unwelcome to the conservative World Tree.

Seong Ji-ho spoke.

“The World Tree will dismantle the Cornus family and cast a curse upon them… providing a pretext.”

A social evil known as the Flower.
As long as there is evidence of their alliance with it, the Cornus family can be dismantled.

If word gets out that the ambivalent Hunter Association has allied with Flower, they’ll have no choice but to cooperate with the World Tree.

“Do you have any evidence?”
“It’s been discovered quite some time ago.”

Seong Ji-ho tapped his phone screen and showed it to me.

Menedel.
A type of drug that transforms wooden beings into ents.

It was during the series of rampaging incidents that I had resolved with Cheondo.
A connection between Cornus and Flower was revealed at the collapsed corporate headquarters.

“The Cornus family acted swiftly, so no articles were published, but the World Trees likely already know about this situation. They must be preparing.”

The World Tree is on the verge of issuing an order to annihilate the Cornus family as soon as possible.

“Perhaps… the young lady might be assassinated.”

I understand the situation.

“So, what is this experiment?”

“I don’t know the details, but they say it involves injecting a mixture of medicine with the existing Medenel directly into the spinal cord. That is how the young lady ended up like this…”

Unable to remember people’s names, her behavior seemed oddly naive, likely due to the effects of the drug.

From their first encounter, there had been something broken about Sansuyu. Some emotions lingered, but even those might fade away in the future.

“What’s the point of obtaining eternal life like that?”
“Their family finds meaning in the completion itself. All the past heads of the family, from the year 632 when the Cornus family first appeared, up until now.”

It seemed beyond our comprehension.

“Is Sansuyu still free of problems?”

Seong Ji-ho’s face subtly hardened.

“Not yet, but it seems the turning point will be after the forest keeper selection.”
“I see.”

“That’s what I mentioned earlier. It’s difficult for me to say, but… Miss, while spending time with you, Lee Si-heon, found a bit of laughter. Yes, I thought it would never happen.”

Sung Ji-ho licked his parched lips.
He clenched his hands, and an awkward laugh escaped him.

“I am grateful to you for that. That’s why… I’m telling you to step away now.”
“I understand more or less.”
“Intervening recklessly could cost you your life.”

It was almost like a final warning.
Sung Ji-ho spoke gravely with a solemn expression.

A person in a position so high that it couldn’t even be compared to mine held the weight and issued a stern warning.
Those who had just stepped into society would have been unable to speak properly under such pressure.

Champi looked at me with a knowing smile.
As if he knew everything I was about to say.

“How can I help?”

Sung Ji-ho’s eyes contorted.

“…Let me reiterate—”

“My life would have been as good as dead without Cornus. It’s hard to explain why, but… I’ve received that kind of favor.”

I said sullenly. As it was a weighty topic, I tried to maintain a lighthearted demeanor, as if it was no big deal to me. It wasn’t entirely true, but there was no harm in a little pretense.

“So,” I declared decisively, “what can I do?”

Only then did Sung Ji-ho relax his rigid expression and release a deep sigh.

“Haah. Even if you say that, there’s nothing you can do to help.”

“There must be something,” I countered.

“Well… now that I think about it, there is indeed one task that only Lee Si-heon can accomplish.”

Champi yawned as if the tedious conversation had finally come to an end. Someone was attempting to persuade me with life-or-death urgency, yet they possessed a temperament even stranger than White Peach’s.

“It’s nothing,” Sung Ji-ho assured me.

“Lady Sansuyu… I anticipate there will be considerable confusion. Injecting the drug directly will be painful. It’s possible that your brain function may continue to deteriorate. There’s hardly any emotional component.”
“Yes.”
“Though it’s said to be on the verge of completion, it will likely be difficult for Lady Sansuyu to accept the finished medicine. You have been administered failed drugs for decades… Your body is in a state of disrepair.”

Considering Sansuyu’s power, can she still harness such strength even with her damaged body?
Perhaps Sansuyu wasn’t as talented as I thought.
Suddenly, the thought crossed my mind.

“There’s a possibility that you may die. Even if you survive, the outcome will be only half-complete.”

Sung Ji-ho spoke calmly.
His face, having divulged all his secrets, seemed relieved for some reason.

“…I believe all you need to do is stay by her side. Continuously.”

It wasn’t a significant matter.
And that was the best I could do.

Even if the Cornus family were to perish, couldn’t I somehow conceal at least one SanSuyu?

“Is that your answer?”
“In case there’s any danger to the young lady’s well-being.”
“Yes.”

Seong Ji-ho cut in and replied first.
He knew very well what he intended to convey.
A bodyguard, though not explicitly assigned such a title, would suffice in fulfilling the role.

Accompanying her in the Forest Keeper Selection wouldn’t be a difficult task.

“Finished talking?”

Champi intruded upon our conversation, stuffing his mouth with the snacks that lay before him.
Swallowing them down, he turned his gaze toward me.

“Come see me when you’re done. Ji-ho, you should leave.”
“What’s this about…”
“It reminds me of the old days. You still have time, don’t you?”

Champi seemed to have more to say to me still.

* * * * * * * *

– Ugh.

The sound of machinery echoes within the quiet capsule.

– Jjiik.

The sound of air bubbles escaping from the syringe.
A potent medicinal odor.
A long tube is inserted at the woman’s waist, and a purple liquid flows into her body. Soon, she convulses violently.

[…, Eup, ugh!]

The woman writhes inside the capsule, her eyes open but consciousness lost. Her body, seemingly drained of strength, sinks into the liquid. It doesn’t take long for the capsule to open. The doctor approaches and checks her pulse.

“…As expected.”

Quickly determining her state between life and death, the doctor injects a neutralizing agent into her neck. A clear liquid travels through the syringe and into the woman’s motionless body, preventing the entization process.

“Damn it.”

A curse escapes the doctor’s lips. An extended silence fills the room until a researcher finally speaks, his voice strained.

“It seems this drug is only suitable for… the young lady.”

The woman who had lost her life belonged to the Cornus family. Although part of a branch family, she was Sansuyu’s cousin when tracing their genealogy. She was closest in age to Sansuyu and seemed to be a promising talent in her own right, but why?

Her once-yellow hair gradually lost its color, turning a stark white as she lay lifeless.

The researchers frowned as they observed the woman.

“Only the young lady can reap the benefits, even now that we have a finished product?”

“Because the young lady has been exposed to various experiments up until now, it was inevitable that she would develop a resistance. If she follows this path… perhaps it’s not resistance that develops.”

This was undeniably a sound conclusion. If Sansuyu could withstand the current final product, then administering the drugs she had previously received, one after another, might grant the other members of the Cornus family access to immortality as well.

However, such a method was impossible. Firstly, Sansuyu possessed the most potent bloodline and the greatest capacity among her family members.

Sansuyu is regarded as having a higher level of talent than San Hyuk-won, the current owner.

And there were financial reasons as well.

“…Shall we increase the proportion of Menedel?”
“No. I’ll die again then.”
“And we’re running low on ingredients. We have no choice but to find a way with what we have now.”
“It will be so.”
“If it becomes impossible, then even you, my lady, must complete it.”

The researchers, engaged in a heated meeting, turned their gazes toward the spot where a woman was seated.
A woman sitting on a plastic chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Her pure white attire and even paler skin made her resemble a sickly angel.

“But can she endure it?”

The hue of Sansuyu’s hair was gradually fading.

“First, introduce the finished product. We’ll have to monitor the progress of the forest keeper trials.”

The manifestation of the drug’s effects is not simple.

Sansuyu’s existence is confined to a place unseen by anyone, and no matter how much she conceals herself, the power of the medicine does not emerge.

The power unleashed in dramatic situations.
Yet the trigger… remains unknown to the researchers.

Long confirmed, within Sansuyu’s heart lies a power greater than that of a dragon.
If only they could unleash it, the experiment would succeed.

“Considering past successes, no potential trigger has been observed. We must leave the rest to chance.”
“Indeed.”

A situation pushing one to the brink of death. A desperate longing to live.
Some researchers cautiously theorized that such abstract concepts might serve as triggers, but no one knows the truth.

But if the trigger is connected to emotions,
Could Sansuyu possibly unleash it?

“…”

Sansuyu’s golden eyes were tinged with a hint of red.
Her parched lips parted, and a feeble, cracked voice emerged.

“…It hurts.”