I Became the Younger Sister of the Game's Villain - Chapter 15.2
Joo Seo Yoon was looking at me with an increasingly strange expression.
Although the situation had not yet been properly sorted out, there was no need to be awkward or suspicious here.
Stay calm, Yoon Chae Hee.
I pressed my thumb nail painfully into my palm.
“I’m here to train….”
“Training? What tr… oh.”
However, contrary to what I had expected, my voice faltered.
But Joo Seo Yoon didn’t seem to mind that attitude too much and finally showed a look of approval.
She shook her head and she lightly patted my bottom.
What-what are you doing?
I shivered at the sudden touch, and this time she pinched my cheek.
What?
“I heard you’re going on portal missions these days. Impressive.”
I was dumbfounded by her proud expression.
How far have the rumors spread?
Oh no, more importantly, were Joo Seo Yoon and Lee Moa really this close?
This unexpected encounter was not part of the plan, and my confusion was not easily shaken off.
However, Joo Seo Yoon didn’t seem to care and grabbed my wrist, pulling me down to the floor.
And the highlight question of this scene was this:
“What’s the biggest problem here?”
‘I’m really interested in you right now.’
My words were stuck in my throat as I looked into her twinkling eyes.
***
“Breathe in, slowly exhale… inhale again, exhale…”
“Woah, woah.”
I glanced at Joo Seo Yoon as I opened my eyes a little. She sat upright, focusing on this meditation exercise.
This was the start of “Joo Seo Yoon’s Mana Class” when I told her that my mana was insufficient.
“While concentrating on the flow of the surrounding air… mana exists everywhere. Feeling it is the most important.”
When she slightly opened her eyes, I quickly closed mine. Pretending to concentrate on my breathing.
I stiffened my back further.
Yes. Joo Seo Yoon was, after all, an SS-class sage ranked 11th in the rankings.
Listening to her, who had almost mastered mana, was certainly not a bad thing.
In Akka, I used to simply employ mana as the gauge filled, but the reality was quite different. Now that it had come to this,
“Let’s not waste time.”
I followed Joo Seo Yoon’s guidance, focusing on my breath.while being aware of the surrounding air flow.
The air flowed around me.
As I concentrated more, it felt like very thin and fine threads were flowing over my body.
Is this right? But still, it felt insufficient.
I felt an instinctive thirst.
Frowning, I slowly moved my hand as if rummaging for something.
Joo Seo Yoon whispered again softly.
“If you can imagine something concrete, it would be better. For example… an apple, a hat, anything. As mana moves according to your thoughts, you’ll gradually be able to manipulate the natural state of mana more freely.”
“A… apple.”
As soon as I visualized it, I felt a tiny vortex on my palm.
It was such a small whirlwind that I wouldn’t have noticed it if not for my heightened senses.
The whirlwind rolled around on my palm, gathering into something round like a bead.
Then, suddenly it expanded and then agitatedly spiked.
I took short, deep breaths and focused more on the flow.
What I wanted was…
“Apple.”
Whoosh.
The wind playfully scattered my hair.
I hadn’t even realized that there was no way for the wind to blow in this closed training room.
I clenched my hand as if pressing down the wriggling air.
This time, for sure.
“I caught something.”
A cool and refreshing sensation poured over me as if a faucet had been turned on above my head.
“This is…”
Something other than blood was coursing and circulating through my body, rushing through my veins, opening up new pathways.
It felt like being submerged in the vastness of nature.
Floating in the air, somewhere light and hazy.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
I looked past Joo Seo Yoon’s surprised gaze…
In my hand, previously empty, I now grasped a bluish-green, round form.
This was mana.
I kept squeezing my hand to familiarize myself with this strange sensation.
It felt as if my whole body had been coated with mint candy.
“You’re doing well.”
Joo Seo Yoon did not hide her satisfaction.
She encouraged me constantly, mysteriously aiding my training without a clear reason for her presence.
Watching her serene face across from me, my eyebrows twitched.
‘It doesn’t make sense.’
That this Joo Seo Yoon was the same Joo Seo Yoon, that she was right in front of me, that the disaster hadn’t occurred yet, all of it.
Upon further reflection, that was indeed the case.
I was at a loss.
But not yet. Not yet.
I still had the opportunity to avert this worst-case scenario.
‘But, how?’
Time was ridiculously short.
More precisely, even if I knew exactly what to do, it was impossible with Lee Moa’s current state.
There was too much needed, artifacts to obtain, skills to acquire.
Dozens came to mind instantly.
Even if I managed to tackle all those portals, pulling together every bit of my soul, then what?
‘What good is knowing all this if my body can’t keep up?’
Lee Moa, who needed to masterfully wield all those things.
Without boosting Lee Moa’s specs, the possibility was zero.
…So, all I could do was,
‘Quickly discard the impossible assumptions and find a compromise.’
I nibbled at the ends of my lips.
I had to lay out all the strategies I could think of for a thorough assessment.
If a direct breakthrough was realistically impossible, then I needed to find a way to prevent Joo Seo Yoon and Lee Tae Hwan from coming into contact.
And if they did make contact, a way to ensure she wouldn’t be swayed.
Or, perhaps…
‘A way to prevent Joo Seo Yoon and Lee Gyeom from clashing in the first place.’
My eyes shone with determination.
