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Translator: penny
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: The Crimson Flame Witch, Today as Well
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Exceptional beauty has a way of drawing people's eyes even in the direst situations.
At an altitude of 100 meters. That was why a bunch of men were harassing Shin Seo-yeon as she clung to the cliffside.
"Hey, just give up and ditch the backpack already."
"We're saying this for your sake, miss."
Even with their lives hanging by a thread, Han So-hee and Shin Seo-yeon's stunning looks won over the men.
Or maybe, pushed to the brink and steeped in despair, some primal urge kicked in to hook up with a pretty girl before kicking the bucket.
Not that there was much you could do dangling off a cliff anyway.
"Fuck off. Get the hell out of here."
That was why the men swarmed the two women, but Han So-hee—with her ample strength and stamina—looked far more composed than the guys pestering her.
Shin Seo-yeon, however, was reaching her limit.
"Come on, miss, don't be like that. Just grab my hand. I won't ask for much—just once is enough."
"Yeah, fuck off. We don't need your help to survive just fine."
"Stop being so stubborn. You saw it yourself. Your teammate ditched you ages ago. And you think that mixed-race girl over there can come help?"
Even if she wanted to help, Han So-hee had her own crowd, and moving through it wasn't easy.
Or rather, new arrivals were pouring in like crazy. Enough to make you wonder where they were all coming from.
Every decent spot to grab a rock and shift position was already packed.
In short, no help from allies was coming.
"Quit being a stubborn ass and let us help you."
Shin Seo-yeon squeezed her eyes shut and gripped tighter, summoning every ounce of willpower to hold on.
'Dickhead, I'm dying! How much longer do I have to hang on?!'
She was at her limit. Her strength was fading. She gritted her teeth and endured, but it was too much.
Sensation had left her fingers long ago. In a bid to get some blood flowing, letting go with one hand had been a mistake.
She slipped.
"Huh?"
She realized too late that holding on with one hand was impossible.
"Seo-yeon!"
Her body began sliding downward.
She heard her sister's voice, saw men staring down with wide eyes, and a few licking their lips in regret.
'Ah...'
They said your life flashes before your eyes when death comes.
A torrent of memories flooded in.
-Shin Seo-yeon, you again? Everyone in class brought money except you.
-…
Poor student days. Her once-prosperous family had crumbled under debt from bad guarantees.
-Mom, I need money for a new uniform...
The family split in two, and poverty followed her no matter which side she chose.
So she borrowed money. From a kind-hearted friend she'd known so long she trusted more than her parents, hoping the rumors wouldn't spread.
-Hey, I'll pay you back next time, for real. Once I have the money, I'll return it with interest, I swear.
With that weight off her chest, she set a goal.
-...I'll make money somehow and escape this shitty life.
Sick of the grinding poverty. She was confident she'd do anything to break free.
But reality was harsh.
How was a young girl supposed to rake in big cash?
Studying took too long, and she'd realized society didn't let you climb through books alone anymore.
Scamming men seemed quickest, but fleecing their wallets wasn't easy.
-...The Earth's doomed?
So when they said the world was ending, she thought, Good riddance. Let this crap world vanish.
Then the selection process began, and in this empty place with no one she knew, wandering the streets in a haze...
'That's when I met you again.'
How happy she'd been. She hadn't recognized the thrill back then, but now she knew.
'Not yet... I can't die like this.'
Shin Seo-yeon clawed at the empty air.
'I haven't said it yet! That I... I...!'
She thrashed wildly, trying to jam her shoe soles against the cliff to slow her fall.
Was it her desperate struggle that moved the heavens?
Ssssh—
A familiar chill prickled her skin, the air split open, and out popped the telltale letter envelope.
"You goddamn unlucky bastard!"
She knew exactly how shitty it felt getting gulped down. Last time, it had left her chilled and unsettled for a solid hour.
And who wouldn't? Some random envelope bursting from nowhere and swallowing you whole.
No urban legend topped that.
If she didn't have nerves of steel, nine out of ten regular folks would've ended up with PTSD.
Creeeeeak!
But right now, Shin Seo-yeon grinned ear to ear.
'Swallow me quick! Take me to him!'
"Whoa, oppa, let me try too!"
I'd just used the [Summoner's Letter Envelope] to pull in Shin Seo-yeon when Isera's eyes lit up like stars.
Makes sense—she'd gotten stuck with me because of this thing, so of course she'd be curious.
"Next time. It's urgent now, so you can wait, right?"
"Yeah!"
As we chatted, the air ripped open again, and the familiar envelope popped out with a yawn.
I'd figured replicas would all have the same personality, but they had subtle differences.
"Eek!"
Still, it spat out Shin Seo-yeon and hawked a few loogies on her head, same as always. Did she taste that bad?
"Seo-yeon, you made it?"
"Min-jun!"
Huh? For some reason, our Crimson Flame Witch came barreling over and threw her arms around me. And she didn't stop there—went straight for a kiss, so I planted a hand on her face to block.
"What's this about?"
"Just hold still! Gah!"
She tried a few times but couldn't overpower me, so she huffed and growled low.
"...Dickhead, at least play along?"
"Out of nowhere? You sick or something? If you skip the setup like that, how am I supposed to react?"
"You stay put. I'll handle all the reacting."
Then she charged again like she was in heat.
What the hell? Her eyes were half-glazed over.
"Enough. Back off. Gotta summon the others."
"Tch, fine. But talk to me after everything's done."
Sure, if that's it.
I flung the envelope quick. Han So-hee and the Saintess popped out of thin air next.
I'd worried I was too late, but everyone was safe. Good.
'Can't baby them forever, so I gotta toughen them up early... but it's not going as planned. Makes me worry needlessly.'
They'd made it to the final trial without me in the first round, so it was probably unnecessary concern. Guess I wasn't as heartless as I thought.
"All done?"
Anyway, Shin Seo-yeon had something to say, so I headed over.
"So, what's up?"
Her sudden stunt still baffled me. No succubus around to blame, either.
"Y'know... Dickhead, I... I really gotta tell you something..."
The Crimson Flame Witch fidgeted with her fingers, head bowed.
No clue what she wanted to say.
From what I'd seen of her, this pattern meant one thing.
"What, need big money?"
"N-no, not that!"
Huh? Not that? Weird. That was the only reason she'd ever hesitate around me.
Normally she'd flash a grin at 'How much?' and take it. Something was off today.
'She really sick? No debuffs even with [Full Appraisal].'
"Then what? Why the buildup?"
"It's... y'see... I..."
But she just stayed red-faced and silent. Made my fingers throb for some reason.
So I beckoned the Saintess. She hurried over, checked my fingers, and gasped, hand to mouth, before healing them quick.
Sensation flooded back instantly.
'Our Saintess is the best. Takes me back.'
No money for heals back then, hobbling around until she'd come over with that worried look and fix me up.
Thinking of those days had me grinning like an idiot when I heard something from the side.
"...love you!"
"Huh? What'd you say?"
Her face burned brighter, but deadly serious as she stared at me.
Then it stiffened. Her forehead twitched violently, brows furrowed, eyes narrowed to slits.
"Fuck, Dickhead, what the hell?"
"Huh? Getting healed."
"Didn't I say I had something serious to tell you?"
"Oh, yeah, sorry. Seemed like it'd take a while, so I got a quick heal from her."
I flexed my healed fingers.
"Wow! Thanks, Ha-na. You're the best."
"…"
"So, Seo-yeon, what was it? Not money, so not a loan. Wait, want your own room in the dorm? That it?"
"You...!"
Uh-oh, her face darkened. Wrong guess?
Must be big. I leaned in seriously.
"Sorry, missed it. Say it again? I'll listen for real this time."
"You fucking asshole!"
Whoa, startled me.
"When someone's building up the mood all serious, you gotta focus! You T-fuck!"
...T-fuck? Harsh.
"I mustered my courage! And you weren't even listening!"
"Hey, who told you to hem and haw? Just spit it out. And aren't you a T too? No need to self-destruct."
"Fuck that! I'm burning you alive, you Dickhead prick!"
She lit up head to toe in flames and charged, so I spent a good while sprinting to escape.
Our new rest spot was plenty big and safe. Room for thirty to sprawl out easy.
'Whew, that was close. Anyway, we've secured camp. Now the real fun begins.'
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