Episode 68: The Heroines Stole My Regression

Episode 68: Reward (3)

They say you can’t trust anyone completely.

“Ah.”

I was confined to the hospital room.

Of course, I could move around freely, but it was just a formality.

‘Hello?’

As soon as I requested to be discharged, Kang Arin picked up her watch without hesitation and made a call somewhere.

As expected of Kang Arin. If there’s a cheat code, she’ll use it to solve everything…

“Professor, please conduct every existing test available. Yes, that’s right. And don’t let him leave until all the results come out. Yes, yes.”

‘….’

I was at a loss for words.

Kang Arin hung up the call, then looked at me leisurely with a slight smile.

“Let’s just finish all of this before you leave, okay?”

There’s truly no one in this world you can trust.

In the end, I had no choice but to stay here for the rest of the day.

Several more tests were completed, but I had no idea how much time had passed.

—Creak.

The hospital room door opened again.

‘Is this really a VIP room?’

It was practically turning into a public meeting space.

The person who walked in had a neat outfit and an elegant aura.

Dark blue short hair, a white headband, and a sophisticated silhouette caught my eye at once.

It was Cheon Yeoul.

She quietly stepped inside, closed the door, and scanned the hospital room before fixing her gaze on me.

“This hospital is still terrible, as expected.”

Cheon Yeoul smiled faintly and perched lightly on the edge of the bed.

“I wanted to take you to Arcadia’s inpatient ward instead… What a shame.”

She looked at me once more, and her gaze softened with a hint of emotion.

“…I’m glad you woke up.”

Her tone was the same as always, but the emotions behind it felt slightly different.

“It’s thanks to you.”

I responded with gratitude.

Without the support of the Order, it would have been difficult for me to recover.

Then, the faint smile on Cheon Yeoul’s lips remained as she slowly moved toward me.

At first, she approached quietly, carefully—like a cat.

By the time I came to my senses, the distance between us had shortened considerably.

Finally, when she reached my side, she spread her arms slightly.

As if inviting me into her embrace.

“…”

She said nothing and simply looked at me.

I also looked at her in silence.

“What are you doing?”

I spoke first.

At that, Cheon Yeoul’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“That’s what I should be asking. I heard some things, you know.”

Her tone carried a hint of sulkiness.

“Isn’t there something you should be doing?”

She flapped her open arms slightly, as if urging me.

Seeing her express her dissatisfaction with her whole body, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hah.”

Finally, she sighed and folded her arms, looking slightly pouty.

Her lips jutted out a little, and her half-lidded eyes glared at me.

I watched her for a moment before smiling slightly and speaking.

“Yeoul… Thank you.”

At my low voice, Cheon Yeoul flinched slightly.

“I know how precious it is.”

At my words, Cheon Yeoul blinked slowly.

It was just a casual remark, but her expression subtly shifted.

“Not really?”

A short reply. But not the one I expected.

“At some point, you were supposed to drink it anyway, so I just let you have it first.”

I spoke with a tinge of guilt.

At that, Cheon Yeoul smirked.

“Took it and drank it? Who?”

She looked up at me and tilted her head slightly.

“Don’t you have to be alive to drink the elixir?”

She spoke playfully, but her eyes were filled with certainty.

“I heard I was able to escape after being kidnapped thanks to you.”

Cheon Yeoul shrugged one shoulder slightly and leaned toward me.

She acted as if it were nothing, yet her attitude carried sincerity in her own way.

Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she added:

“So, of course, I have to give it to me.”

She said it so effortlessly, as if she had planned to do so from the beginning.

She sat there confidently, as if expecting some sort of praise.

“….”

I silently stared at her for a moment.

Squeeze.

Then, I gently pinched her cheeks with both hands.

“Huh?”

Her eyes widened in surprise at the sudden touch.

Without saying a word, I applied a little more pressure and slowly kneaded her cheeks up and down.

“Mmm…”

Her lips parted slightly.

Her eyelashes trembled faintly.

Her shoulders gradually relaxed.

She didn’t resist.

If anything, she unconsciously let her body go, as if leaning into me.

‘Why is she so endearing?’

Even before this, from the moment she took the initiative to gather the troops at my mention of an Apostle’s arrival…

To the support of the Moon Spirit Water…

It felt like she kept doing things that made her more and more praiseworthy.

‘Just how far will you go?’

I chuckled softly and tugged at her cheek one last time before letting go.

The spot where my fingers had been slowly returned to its original state.

Cheon Yeoul rubbed her cheek and looked up at me.

Against her pale skin, the faint marks from my fingers lingered for a moment before fading away.

A soft reddish hue glowed over them.

Her slightly damp-looking eyes, the barely parted lips, the way she took a quiet breath—

The confidence she had just moments ago was nowhere to be found, leaving behind a slightly disheveled appearance.

That look strangely stirred both a sense of sadism and a protective instinct in me.

“Okay.”

I made up my mind.

For the lost Moon Spirit Water, I would shower her with even more opportunities.

I had already planned to do so, but now, even more.

Not just for her, but for every group that had provided support with precious elixirs.

I had no intention of simply taking without giving back.

If someone gives, they should at least receive the same in return.

That is the essence of a true, mutually beneficial relationship.

***

That evening.

I was changing clothes, preparing for my discharge.

The test results had come out faster than expected—before evening even arrived.

Despite what Kang Arin had said, it seemed she had pulled some strings to speed up the process as much as possible.

“Are you really okay?”

Sion asked with a worried expression.

As promised, the old man brought her back in the evening.

Honestly, I wanted to ask her the same question.

Among the four who had been rescued, Sion was the one who had suffered the worst injuries.

“Well, she does look fine.”

At least on the surface, her face appeared unharmed.

She looked a bit tired, but the bandages had already been removed.

“Yeah, I’m totally fine.”

I shrugged casually as if it was no big deal.

Sion scanned me with skeptical eyes.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

I rotated my arm a few times to show her I was fine, acting as nonchalantly as possible.

Only then did she finally let out a sigh.

At that moment, the old man quietly spoke.

“Before you eat, you need to stop by the Association first after your discharge.”

Sion blinked and asked:

“The Association?”

“Yes.”

I smirked and asked the old man:

“Anything from the Association?”

By now, the Association must be sweating bullets.

They had sent us on what they called a simple mission—even deploying Vanquisher operatives, an elite force—yet the outcome was the complete opposite of what they had anticipated.

An enormous unforeseen variable had emerged, and we had barely avoided annihilation.

In essence, the Association had unwittingly sent Vanquisher straight into a death trap.

Of course, it wasn’t intentional. It was more like an act of God. But even so, they had to take responsibility.

“They’re groveling.”

“The Association President?”

“Yeah.”

I smirked and nodded.

The President of the Hero Association was not someone who would lower his head easily.

If the Association was being this submissive, it meant they were taking the situation far more seriously than I expected.

As they should.

Naturally, I asked the next question.

“So, what are they offering?”

This was the Hero Association of South Korea.

There was no better place to squeeze something out of.

I was momentarily intrigued.

But the old man hesitated strangely before answering.

“… That’s why we’re heading there now. The reward they’re offering is a bit… unusual.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Unusual?”

What kind of reward could be so unusual?

What kind of standards are they using?

Given the circumstances, I doubted they’d try to play games.

Then, the old man added briefly.

“And the Association is also keeping that ominous thing in storage.”

“Of course. They’d have to.”

The remnants of the Evil God.

The Association was the only place capable of handling and containing such an aura.

With that, we left the hospital and got into the car driven by the old man.

I was about to head for the passenger seat—

-Thunk.

“Backseat.”

A casual but firm command.

Before I could even turn my head, my arm was lightly grabbed.

The grip was oddly strong, and in the end, I found myself pulled toward the back without any resistance.

By the time the door opened, I was already seated in the back.

Next to Sion.

The car glided forward smoothly.

The engine hummed in a steady rhythm, and outside, the city lights blurred past.

It didn’t take long to reach the Association.

Thanks to the clear roads, we arrived earlier than expected.

-Screech.

The car came to a gentle stop.

As the door opened, a familiar voice greeted us.

“Ah, you’ve arrived.”

Hah.

Of all people.

It was Kim Gil-gyu, the ever-diligent worker of the Association.

Though he was smiling, beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

“The Vice President is waiting inside. Please, take your time.”

Kim Gil-gyu quickly turned and gestured for us to follow.

Hmm…

I took a moment to organize my thoughts before speaking.

“Would it be possible to see that byproduct first?”

Before negotiating, I needed to assess the item firsthand.

“Ah…”

Kim Gil-gyu hesitated for a brief moment.

He subtly glanced at the old man, seeking his approval.

The old man closed and opened his eyes in a slow, deliberate motion.

A short gesture, but its meaning was clear.

Do as he says.

“Understood. I’ll guide you to the lowest underground level.”

We stepped into the Association building.

Despite the late hour, the interior was still bustling with activity. Since an embargo was still in place for the general public, there must have been an overwhelming amount of work to do, from press releases to internal reports.

Instead of using the regular staff elevator, we headed toward a more heavily secured area.

- Beep.

As the key card was scanned, the elevator finally activated. A deep mechanical hum accompanied the doors as they slid open.

The moment we stepped inside, Kim Gil-gyu spoke in a low voice.

“Honestly, we don’t really know exactly what this thing is.”

He added, almost as an afterthought,

“But the energy it’s emitting… it’s anything but ordinary.”

Then, he let out a short sigh.

“That’s why we had no choice but to lock it away in the lowest basement level.”

A wise decision.

Being exposed to that energy for too long would only bring trouble.

When the elevator doors opened, a massive glass containment barrier came into view.

Beyond it, at the very center, lay a black gemstone.

“If you need anything, just call me.”

Kim Gil-gyu, perhaps giving us space for discussion, returned to the elevator.

I slowly stepped forward with the old man and Sion.

- Wuuuuuung…

The space itself seemed to tremble, as if it were breathing.

The gemstone’s energy was so dense that the very air felt viscous.

At that moment, the old man murmured,

“What a filthy energy.”

His assessment was blunt.

I couldn’t exactly argue.

I had hoped to grasp something by looking at it with my Perceptive Awareness, but…

‘Its nature is a bit different from what I expected.’

It seemed a specialized mage’s insight would be necessary.

Then, the old man asked,

“But how did you know something like this would come from an Apostle?”

I took a moment to think before replying casually,

“I read it in a book.”

“A book?”

His expression shifted slightly.

I shrugged and continued,

“When the previous hero defeated an Apostle, something similar to this was recorded to have appeared.”

The old man gave a slight nod.

“Back then, they managed to prevent another Apostle from retrieving it… But this time, we got lucky.”

I smiled leisurely.

Yes, we really were lucky.

This was the remnant of an Evil God—something of immeasurable value.

“Are you planning to take it?”

The old man’s voice was quiet.

I chuckled and answered,

“Me? No way. It’s staying locked up here for a long time.”

Until we could properly analyze and utilize the gemstone, it was nothing more than a dangerous liability.

Kim Gil-gyu would probably make a face if he heard this, but there was no choice.

The burden of managing it would fall entirely on the Association, but that was a necessary investment for the future.

“… So, what do you plan to do?”

The old man’s gaze remained fixed on the gemstone beyond the barrier.

I had already been briefed on the way here.

Aside from the rewards offered by the Association, the remnants of the Apostle were officially recognized as my property—since I had delivered the final blow.

There was no opposition from within the Association or any other factions.

In other words, legally speaking, it belonged to me.

And if that was the case—

I had already reached my conclusion before even arriving.

This material had never before been researched on Earth.

Even my Perceptive Awareness couldn’t analyze it properly, meaning its nature was deeply intertwined with arcane sciences.

But I knew someone who would not only be thrilled to receive this but would probably faint from excitement.

At that moment—

Sion swiftly turned her head to look at me.

Her eyes widened slightly, her gaze sharp as if trying to read my thoughts.

I remained silent, my eyes locked on the gemstone behind the barrier.

‘Yoon Chae-ha.’

I slowly repeated the name in my mind.

Finally.

Finally, it was time to put her to use.

||Previous||TOC||Next||