CH 19

Even if it’s a little…In order to save you all

The scene before me was so alien–so inherently wrong. The branch, which gruesomely pierced through Raen’s waist, quickly returned to its original position. In the blink of an eye.

“Cough. Hagh….” Raen knelt down, as if he were about to collapse to his feet. Thick blood seeped through and dripped constantly underneath the trembling hands he brought to his waist. His mouth soon filled with red, viscous blood as well.

His eyes were bloodshot; cold sweat beads formed on his forehead. He struggled to raise his hands when…

Swish–

He chanted his magic. Vines rose from the floor and wrapped around the trees, including the one that had the exceptionally thick, dark-tipped branch stained with blood.

Raen, whose expression slightly loosened as if he were relieved, placed his hand into his inner robe. His movements were urgent, desperately looking for something.

A blood-soaked, angular blue jewel fell out of his inner robe with a thud. It must have slipped from Raen’s hand. Biting his lips, the Warrior stretched his trembling hand towards the jewel.

And, the moment he touched it…

…He crumpled helplessly to the ground. Eyes now closed, Raen gave one last exhale; his body didn’t budge. The sticky blood pooling around the fallen body gradually expanded in area and volume.

The sun’s setting rays still poured mercilessly down; Raen’s red hair glistened in that light. The pool of blood also reflected that redness, glimmering ominously. The world was washed red, yet the scene felt somehow cold.

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It felt as if I were looking at a screen that was gradually floating away. Until the very end, Raen did not stand up.

Whoosh–

I suddenly returned to my senses–I had woken from a dream. My body was still in this dark room. Rolling off the mattress, I sat against the bed, leaning. My back was damp with cold sweat.

“Ngh, Hagh…” Blood poured out of my mouth–a very different situation from the last time I had spat out blood. There was a reason back then: the healing gauge had filled completely. Blood rushed up my throat before being vomited out.

A blue status window blinked before my eyes.

「<Foreseen Future> Skill used!」

‘Foreseen Future?’ It wasn’t just a dream? What I saw will actually happen in the future?’

My fingertips felt ice-cold. So then, what’ll happen to Raen? The image of the Warrior lying prone at the end of the dream was still vivid in my mind. And the puddle of blood that just stretched out and spread around his body…

Things just couldn’t end like that.

“…Hnngh, Ngh… Don’t want that…”

I would hate for that to happen. I don’t want to lose him in that way. I didn’t want to lose anyone.

These people were the only ones that let me stay by their side–to give me a position in their lives. Therefore, I had to continue to stay by their side; I never wanted to see their cooling, lonely corpse.

Tears poured down my cheeks. The image of Raen prioritizing immobilizing the demonic beasts rather than tending to his own fatal injury wouldn’t leave my brain.

Why did he go that far? To what end?

“Sun Yihan!”

A sudden voice made me open my eyes; Song Ha-gyeon was kneeling before me. I believed I had never heard such urgency in his voice before. I had no idea since when Song Ha-gyeon knelt by my side–his clothes were slowly being stained with my vomited blood.

“…Hyung.” I extended an arm out to him. I needed certainty–I needed to make sure that that I’m really here–awake and living in the present. I desperately needed the confirmation that the future I had seen was just that: a vision yet to come.

Song Ha-gyeon turned me to face him before leaning me into his embrace. His body felt so stiff. Nevertheless, I was relieved by the warmth that seeped from his body into mine. As always, he smelled faintly of herbs.

“Nngh, Hnnngh… Hyung…” My tears poured down onto his shoulders. My throat felt choked.

The night sinking into the sky felt too heavy. The unknown future was scary, but the known future was terrifying.

Song Ha-gyeon gently stroked his hand down my back. I vacantly took in his body temperature.

‘I…’

I honestly knew nothing about saving the world. The system told me to do so, but I’m not even a Warrior in the first place. Besides, I had little interest in such lofty goals.

However, these people give their lives for no reason–simply because they’re Warriors.

If they’re fated to slowly waste away, out of sight…

…Then, at the very least, I want to save them all.

By any means possible.

◇~◇~◇~◇~◇~◇

The out-pour of blood stopped after a long while passed. The ‘Foreseen Future’ skill requires a blood sacrifice, but the system seemed to automatically activate the skill and take its price later.

Earlier, I had been afraid since everything was so sudden, but, now that I’ve calmed down and thought it over, I felt a bit relieved. If I know the future, I have the chance to change the foreseen events.

How much of this ability can I reveal to others, though? Am I allowed to even speak about clairvoyance in the first place?

I don’t know what would happen if I were to reveal future events and go against providence. And, perhaps, our lives would be worse if I were to hastily speak–the future may become twisted.

Perhaps it would be better to proceed as I see fit–hoarding knowledge until in my brain. That way, I can stop these events from happening.

‘Raen was alone, right?’

In my vision, I could only see Raen. At that moment, my mind recalled Raen’s bloody back permeating into the sunset–I tightly squeezed my eyes shut.

‘No–Let’s calm down.’ With much difficulty, I managed to shake away those thoughts. ‘That hasn’t happened yet. And, It’s not going to happen. I’ll make sure of it.”

The vision seemed to take place late in the afternoon–during sunset. The Warrior travelled along a wooded path full of trees. Since I wasn’t in the vision, I had to somehow follow Raen when he ventured out alone.

‘There’s still some time before the healing skill is off cooldown.’

I resolved to not catastrophize in advance; I could stop Raen’s injury from ever occurring by warning him of oncoming danger or pushing him to safety as the branches stretched towards him.

It would be best to prevent the wound before it ever occurs. Just as I thought I should watch Raen closely to see when he leaves the house…

“…Sun Yihan. Just now, you…”

I heard Song Ha-gyeon’s voice. Ah–! He must have been incredibly alarmed.

Song Ha-gyeon stared at me with shaking eyes; his hands were red with my vomited blood. Agh–! The floor was covered as well. Only then did the metallic scent of blood pierce through my nose, and I had to cover my mouth with my sleeve. The corners of my eyes prickled–I could feel crusted tear tracks amongst the blood streaks around my mouth.

Song Ha-gyeon maintained his rigid expression before raising his hand to use ‘Clean’ magic. With a sparkle, the blood caked on the floor slowly disappeared.

Song Ha-gyeon reached out to me and carefully pulled down the sleeve I used to cover my mouth. When his fingertips touched me, the blood that died on my sleeves gradually faded.

No matter how many times I saw his magic, I still was fascinated–I wish I could use magic as well.

Song Ha-gyeon gently cupped my cheeks with freshly cleaned hands; his palms felt hot. Or, perhaps, my skin was cold.

“…Is it always this much?” Song Ha-gyeon gently moved his fingers, wiping away my tear tracks. Though his voice was calm as usual, I thought I could hear a slight tremulous quiver.

‘What is he talking about? ‘This much?” I often found it difficult to fully parse his words. ‘Ah, but I think I might have a hunch. I told him, last time, that I occasionally vomit blood–perhaps he’s talking about that.’

“Occasionally.” In the end, I had no choice but to parrot my past self.

Song Ha-gyeon’s face sunk into a bewildered yet dark expression. His emotions were understandable–after all, I would be horrified to find a sleeping person vomiting blood, as if they were suffering from seizures. Furthermore, his bewilderment must have been exacerbated when I bawled the minute I opened my eyes.

Trying to find an excuse, I adopted an awkward smile and added, “I had a nightmare, so I guess I was just a little startled. Ha-gyeon Hyung, were you startled as well?” I tried to joke with a quiet laugh.

It was just a nightmare: a future that will never happen.

Plus, I was so embarrassed that there were witnesses to my crying tantrum; I desperately wished he’d forget about it. Truly.

Song Ha-gyeon still stared at me with his subdued eyes, “…You don’t know…the reason why you vomit blood?”

“Uh… Yes. But, It’s not like I’m injured or sick. They said that nothing’s wrong with me.”

The system had promised no pain nor death, so I wasn’t lying.

However, Song Ha-gyeon continued to talk faster–as if he couldn’t believe me. “No–there’s no way that’s true.”

“But, that’s just the way I am.” As I spoke, I remembered Song Ha-gyeon’s and Raen’s previous conversation. ‘That’s just the way I am.’ Song Ha-gyeon had said something similarly blunt and nonchalant when Raen couldn’t believe I had cured his friend.

My body gave a slight tremble as I thought of Raen. Though it was but a moment, Song Ha-gyeon had already noticed the change; he took his hands off my cheek and tightly gripped my wrist. “Are you cold?”

I shook my head–it wasn’t that. My heart simply sank for no reason. Just thinking about Raen made my emotions surge this much; I didn’t know how I would keep calm after seeing his face tomorrow.

“…Your body is cold though.”

“It’s Autumn. Furthermore, it’s dawn.”

“……”

Before I knew it, a blanket materialized midair and settled over my back. So warm.

Song Ha-gyeon fiddled with my wrist, as if he were tracing the lines underneath. He placed his index and middle finger on the base of the hand.  White light escaped at the point of contact; Song Ha-gyeon’s calm face shone bright in that light.

His powerful grip, which had held fast for a long while now, loosened. My hands, which no longer held nor touched anything, felt a little empty.

After brief contemplation, Song Ha-gyeon summoned a small glass bottle about one finger-length tall. He then opened the lid and placed it against my lips. Before I could properly think, I sipped and swallowed the sweet liquid. Warmth seemed to spread throughout my body.

Song Ha-gyeon, finding nothing else wrong, massaged my hands, from my wrist to my fingertips. Staring at him, I opened my mouth, “Ha-gyeon Hyung. Can you keep what happened a secret?”

“…Why?”

“I think everyone will be worried.”

“Would you like it if I kept this all a secret?”

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I nodded eagerly.

Song Ha-gyeon closed his mouth and looked straight at me. When I stared back with a desperate expression, Song Ha-gyeon finally acquiesced with a resigned yet anxious gleam in his eye. “Whenever this happens, you must at least tell me.”

‘Why?’ Just as I thought that, Song Ha-gyeon continued to speak, “…Medicine. I can make you more of them.”

I see. Though I didn’t think I’d need the medicine, I nodded anyway.

I was merely relieved that Song Ha-gyeon promised to be silent on this matter. Telling everyone else would just make things needlessly troublesome–I would just end up needing to make more excuses.

‘I’m sure the event will happen soon.’

It wouldn’t be in the distant future. Though I wasn’t certain, I had a hunch.

The night sunk even deeper.

And, as I expected, that fated day wasn’t far away.