Chapter 38

Due to the sudden pee show, I was in a panic and had to call for help from the two people behind me.

Fortunately, with Eun-hyeon’s help, Yekaterina appeared dressed in fresh clothes, but she still cowered when she saw me.

Well, she had been sealed for a while, so she might have needed to pee.

“Why are you making excuses for an incontinent woman?”

Baeksan just looked at Yekaterina with a pitiful expression.

Since it came to this, I had to move rooms for cleaning, and I ended up facing Yekaterina across a desk.

Of course, there was no one else but me.

Ayu glared at Yekaterina, who had tried to kill me, but she didn’t seem interested in what conversation I would have with her and said she would stay somewhere else.

Even though she grumbled, Ayu seemed to trust the World Returner Association a lot.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left Yekaterina and me alone.

‘Besides, Eun-hyeon said that the seal only released her mind, so she can’t move on her own.’

Meanwhile, Yekaterina still had her gaze down and was crouching.

Where had that confident demeanor she showed when I first saw her gone?

She was now just a fragile girl with a large frame.

“Uh, Yekaterina?”

When I called her, Yekaterina flinched and nodded quickly, indicating she was listening.

We had been given a language translator before entering the room.

It was said to be a high-level magic, so there should be no problem in conversation.

“Yes, yes.”

She answered nervously, biting her tongue.

I whispered to Baeksan, who was looking at her subtly.

“…What did you do back then?”

“I was trying to kill her. But since we have the same brain attribute, you got lucky and survived. Your body was a mess, so the output might have been sloppy. Instead, you felt like every nerve cell in your body was fried by the current, and you barely survived. That fear must have been imprinted.”

Damn.

Now I understand why she’s acting like this in front of me.

Given Baeksan’s personality, he probably really made her suffer as he said.

At the same time, it made me realize just how strong Baeksan is, who always acts like he’s the only one in the world.

In my memory, Yekaterina was a monster.

But Baeksan entered my body, which had nothing, and turned her into that state.

‘It’s a cliché that Returners are strong.’

I couldn’t even guess how strong he is.

“But if she’s like that, she’ll listen to whatever you say, right? You should be getting a thank you.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

I sighed and looked at Yekaterina.

The reason I came to see her today was because of Gwak Sa-yeon’s matter.

Through Baeksan, I heard that Giraseong would contact JMC.

And that Gwak Sa-yeon would be involved.

‘I have my revenge, but since Seo-ho and Si-ho are involved, I can’t just let it go.’

It had to be resolved.

And for that, I needed Yekaterina’s help.

“I heard Giraseong is opening an Artificial Dimensional Gate.”

She flinched at my words.

The World Returner Association might know Giraseong’s purpose, but I don’t.

At the same time, Baeksan seemed to want to say something but was blocked by something.

So I had to get information through Yekaterina.

“And I also know that they tried to kidnap Si-ho to use her power.”

I glared at her.

Even though the situation is like this, I have no sympathy for her.

She tried to kill me and is a Returner who tried to kidnap Si-ho.

Of course, I have no sympathy for her.

“Speak.”

My commanding tone continued.

Yekaterina, who was trembling, seemed hesitant.

As a soldier, she had a strong attachment to her affiliation.

Asking her to reveal the purpose was like asking her to betray Giraseong, so it was a natural reaction.

But that’s not my problem.

When I glanced at Baeksan, he advised me.

“Imagine gathering strength at your fingertips. Think of the strength needed to lift a feather.”

Hearing that, I lifted my fingertips.

At the same time, I remembered struggling to learn Aura through Baeksan this morning.

“Listen well. Aura differs from person to person. It’s originally within your body. It’s just that ordinary people can’t awaken that sensation. Returners also learned it with different names and training methods according to their worlds, but essentially, it’s the same.”

A sensation that’s always there.

Even if you don’t know what that sensation is, Baeksan said I already know it.

“To put it simply, it’s like consciously moving the blood in your body.”

“How do you consciously move blood?”

“You don’t know because you’re not conscious of it. But your body always does it naturally. Aura is that sensation.”

It’s confusing, but not completely incomprehensible.

“Moreover, since you used Aura when I entered your body, you must be much more sensitive to that sensation. It’s a kind of awakening that Hunters experience. Do you know what Hunters say after awakening and using their power?”

“‘I could do it from the beginning,’ for some reason.”

“Right, even if there’s a difference in skill, it’s a power you originally had. A Hunter’s awakening is just realizing the existence of that power. It’s not that you didn’t know it. You went through the same thing, so your body remembers it. Once you find it once, you’ll be able to use it freely.”

But I still can’t grasp it.

“Your body is lacking, but it’s practically no different from a Hunter’s. Since I cleared all the blocked paths, if you can use Aura freely, you don’t need the process of realization. That’s why you have muscle pain.”

“Wait, that muscle pain was because of you, Baeksan?”

“If I hadn’t done that, you’d be dead. I saved you, and you’re complaining. It’s lucky that you and I have the same Aura attribute, or it wouldn’t have ended like that.”

I ended up recalling unnecessary things.

Returning from memory to reality, I began to focus Aura on my fingertips again.

Aura is a sensation I originally knew but didn’t realize.

Repeating that to myself, I finally learned that sensation this morning.

As Baeksan said, once I awakened, I could understand what Aura feels like.

But there was one problem.

“Control it. As much as possible. Slowly, very little. If it explodes again, you’re really hopeless.”

While I was concentrating, Baeksan started talking again.

He should experience it himself, but Baeksan would probably say, ‘I just did it, so why can’t you?’ so I can’t say anything.

Control it. Control it.

Zap!

At that moment, a red spark flew from my fingertips.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

Startled by the strong spark, even I flinched, and Yekaterina screamed and fell from her chair, crouching.

She was trembling like crazy, looking quite pitiful, and I waved my hand to extinguish the Aura.

“Really a mess.”

“It’s because of you.”

It’s obvious what the situation is.

Yes, I can use Aura now, but I can’t control its intensity.

The reason is simple.

Because Baeksan broke through all the walls in my body.

Walls originally mean breaking through step by step as you grow with Aura, realizing and moving to the next stage.

As a Returner, Baeksan had already gone through all those realizations, so he could easily break through the walls when he entered my body.

But here’s the problem.

Baeksan has been handling Aura all his life, so he can use it freely, but this is my first time with Aura.

I’m inexperienced in using Aura, so I can’t control the power, and even a little use causes a massive amount of Aura to burst out.

That’s why this morning, as soon as I grasped the sensation of Aura, the lightning I emitted destroyed several trees, causing a commotion.

‘It’s like wearing roller skates for the first time and going down a slope.’

I don’t know how to stop in the middle, and I keep slipping, so I can’t control the power.

That’s exactly my situation now.

“I’ll talk! I’ll talk! I’ll do anything! Just don’t turn me into grilled meat!”

Thanks to that, Yekaterina was now on the floor, head down, ready to lick my feet.

The red spark must have triggered her trauma.

“If you waste Aura like that, your untrained body will quickly tire out. You might even get internal injuries.”

“What can I do if I can’t control it?”

“Then you’ll just have to keep using it and get used to it.”

At Baeksan’s words, I could only sigh.

Yeah, I can’t keep going like this, so I’ll have to train.

But first, this.

“Alright. Yekaterina, let’s talk.”

It’s time for some fun Giraseon gossip with Yekaterina.

—

Giraseong.

The reason they’ve been artificially causing dimensional movements lately is quite simple.

Hunter companies make profits by selling their affiliated Hunters as flagship models, but the profits from hunting Dimensional Beings are even greater.

The resources obtained from dismantling Dimensional Beings have been useful since ancient times, and that greatly contributed to the growth of the Hunter business.

But recently, as Hunter companies grew, competition over Dimensional Gates intensified.

In that situation, Giraseong came up with an answer.

The Artificial Dimensional Gate, which has low risk and allows you to obtain Dimensional Beings as resources anytime.

At first, they might have been unsure, but Giraseong is a criminal organization of Returners.

They don’t care about the law and boldly used Artificial Dimensional Gates all over the world, showing off to the companies.

And the promotional effect was groundbreaking.

If you’re unsure, just experience it yourself—that’s what Giraseong showed.

If Giraseong alone did this, it would be illegal, but what if all Hunter companies worldwide started using Artificial Dimensional Gates?

You can be sure.

It won’t be long before Artificial Dimensional Gates are legalized.

That’s the reason Yekaterina told me Giraseong is causing Artificial Dimensional Gates.

“And Si-ho will be used for that.”

“Yes, yes, the number of dimensions we can open now is limited, so the target is—”

“Target?”

“Pr-profit! We needed the help of Si-ho, Ha Si-ho!”

Hearing that, I started tapping my crossed arms with my fingers.

I understand.

I understand, but.

I looked back at Baeksan.

Baeksan also nodded in response to my gaze.

“Not all Giraseong members know everything. This woman is at the bottom.”

Right, that’s what’s bothering me.

What Yekaterina said isn’t false, but that alone doesn’t explain why Baeksan was blocked from telling me the reason.

‘Just to legalize Artificial Dimensional Gates and make money?’

The fundamental reason is lacking.

‘In the end, Yekaterina doesn’t know everything.’

I pressed my temples for a moment.

Even with a Returner by my side, I’m just an ordinary citizen.

I do have the dream of helping Returners, but I don’t have the ability to deal with Giraseong, which operates globally.

It’s right to exclude things I can’t handle.

What’s important to me now is Gwak Sa-yeon and the Seo-ho siblings.

“Yekaterina, is there any plan for Giraseong to contact JMC?”

She seemed surprised that I knew about it but soon asked.

“…Can you tell me what today’s date is?”

There it is.

I checked the date on my phone and told her.

“July 24th.”

July is almost over.

Soon, the real heat of August will begin.

“August 1st, there’s a plan to contact JMC.”

August 1st, not much time left.

‘The problem is whether I can stop Giraseong.’

Of course, it’s impossible.

Even though I have a Hunter’s body thanks to Baeksan, it’s just a means to protect myself, and facing Giraseong is crazy.

Moreover, if I do this, I’ll be legally implicated.

Because I’m an ordinary person.

‘This part is.’

I looked at Yekaterina.

She’s a criminal, so she’s not bound by the law, and she knows information about Giraseong and has excellent abilities.

She’s the best person to use, isn’t she?

Moreover, with her, I think she can handle any unexpected situations during the contact between JMC and Giraseong.

‘The only problem is how far she can help me.’

When I looked at Yekaterina, she flinched and lowered her head.

Seeing her unsure what to do, it seemed like she would agree to any request I made.

Yekaterina is someone who will do anything.