ReLife Player

Unlocked chapter (1/1) 

Thanks to Tom!!!

[Windless Day (19)]

The day before the battle to reclaim Uijeongbu began, Eunha gave Bruno a skillstone left by the Lizard King.

However, the Skillstone did not recognize Bruno as its owner.

«Hmm, this is….»

«That’s awkward, it doesn’t even fit you….»

It was a lost cause.

Eunha stared at the Skillstone, which responded to no one.

The skill stones left behind by the Hell Hound could be used to protect Shin Seoyoung, who had manifested the <Miracle>.

And the Lizard King’s Skill Stone would help Bruno infiltrate the Uijeongbu reclamation team.

And the power to prevent her death.

Without a navigator, there was no way to tell what kind of magic the skillstone might contain, but a large one would most likely be related to camouflage.

The immature Lizard King relied primarily on camouflage.

Not that he didn’t have other options, but it was inefficient.

Eunha thought to himself.

There had to be a way to use a skillstone that didn’t accept him or Bruno’s mana.

He could add the mana of the person the skillstone recognized as its owner and turn it into an artifact.

But artifacts could only work with a fixed set of spells, and they weren’t very versatile. Except for those who infused them with mana, their efficiency and effectiveness were greatly reduced.

«…I guess it can’t be helped. It may take a while, but I’ll have to find a Blacksmith and someone who can take care of the Skillstones.»

«Do you know anyone?»

«I can’t guarantee they’re any good, but… there’s a Blacksmith who checks my devices.»

Blacksmiths were players who specialized in mass-producing devices and artifacts.

They were different from the Maestros, who specialized in making devices and artifacts with the precision of a work of art.

Unsurprisingly, the maestros’ work performed better.

Where Blacksmith’s work was universal, the Maestro’s was specific: a weapon made for a specific person would perform specifically for that person.

But it was inevitable.

Eunha knew he’d be better off with a Blacksmith, even if the artifact was inferior.

A Blacksmith could make it faster, and Maestros are generally a bunch of jerks.

It’s a good thing he has the gemstones to make a decent artifact.

«Well, I’ll leave that to the Blacksmith, who I’m sure Uncle Bruno knows. I’ve got a few good ones, and I need to find someone to be the master of the Skill Stones… maybe one of the kids.»

«Julie is an option. How about testing her first?»

«Ah, that would be nice.»

Bruno called to Julieta, who was putting Avernier to sleep in the next room.

She came into the room, holding Avernier, whose eyelids were slowly closing.

«Yeah, I get it, I just need to infuse it with mana, right?»

After listening to the situation, Julieta infused the Skillstone with mana.

The skill stone didn’t respond.

Isn’t it too selective?

Eunha glared at the skill stone, which showed no response.

A stone of this size should be able to utilize a wide variety of magic, but it was rather picky about its owner.

Oh well.

I’ll try with my noona, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll ask Minji or Hayang or one of the other kids.

I needed to find the owner before nightfall, if possible.

I’d have to start working on the artifact tomorrow morning to make it on time.

Eunha decided to focus his search on people who lived nearby.

Just then.

«Aww! Abuabu!»

«What? My baby, are you awake?»

Avernier cried out from Julieta’s arms.

«Wait a moment, Julie.»

«Yes?»

Bruno saw Avernier reaching for the Skillstone and moved quickly.

He sat him down on the table.

Held by the torso, Avernier stopped sobbing and reached for the Skillstone.

«Ow. Ow!»

He hugged the skillstone that was the size of his head.

The bib-wearing Avernier slapped the skillstone with his tiny hand.

…This is ridiculous.

What am I seeing?

Eunha doubted his eyes.

It wasn’t because the skill stone responded.

It was because the Avernier was leaking mana.

«Kyaa, Avernier, since when do you know how to handle mana?»

«It’s indeed my son.»

«…A two-year-old infant manifested mana, and that’s your only reaction?»

Eunha was dumbfounded at the two people who were so pleased with Avernier’s mana manifestation.

The two people who heard the words spoke at the same time.

«»It’s not something you can say.»

«Ugh!»

Uh…, that’s true.

Embarrassed, Eunha scratched the back of his head.

The next morning, Julietta and Bruno headed to a Blacksmith’s workshop with their skillstones and Avernier.

That’s how Avernier’s Cloak was created.

☆

After being knocked unconscious by the <Miracle>, Shin Seoyoung didn’t wake up until the next day.

She tried to grab someone to confirm if the Retrieval Team was safe, but the caretaker happened to be away.

«―Pretend to be asleep.»

She was the only one in the room.

She gasped at the sound of a voice right next to her.

If the voice hadn’t said her name, she might have mistaken it for an enemy and attacked.

«He said that if you move quietly, it won’t take long.»

«Eunha?»

«Yes.»

She chatted with Bruno, the owner of the voice, until her caretaker returned.

She was familiar with Bruno.

Two years ago, he’d been the one to subdue the Italian ambassador’s assailant.

«How long do I have to pretend to be unconscious?»

«…He say it won’t be long.»

«…….»

She couldn’t believe the story he was telling.

That Kang Cheol was going to rob her and kill her.

But she decided to follow Bruno’s advice, bringing Eunha’s testimony with him.

All she had to do was pretend to be unconscious for a while.

And it didn’t take long for that day to come.

The man who came to kill her wasn’t Kang Cheol.

It was Sublord Jo Yeong-ho.

He had somehow cleverly sent Kang cheol away and mounted her.

Then he rattled off excuses as if he were trying to shake off guilt and sin.

…So, that’s how it was.

A story she couldn’t believe, she didn’t want to believe.

Swallowing her bitter emotions, she looked at the players who had rushed in after hearing the commotion, wearing the cloak Bruno had thrown.

Among the players was Gil Sung jun.

She could read everything he was feeling from his expression.

«…Oppa, I didn’t expect you to do this. Because I became unnecessary, you asked Jo Yeong-ho to do… that, right?»

The man she once loved so passionately was no longer here.

The man who didn’t give in to reality and didn’t give up his ideals.

«Seo, Seoyoung, what are you saying right now? Why are making other people look at me strangely… It hasn’t been long since you regained consciousness, so don’t misunderstand…»

«Misunderstand? Am I the one misunderstanding, Mr. Bruno?»

«Hmm.»

Seoyoung was incredulous and retorted.

Bruno held up his phone to show them what he had pulled out of his pocket.

He pressed the play button.

[Don’t resent me too much. I was just going to watch, but Clan Lord said I could do it-].

«What do you think you’re doing!»

Realizing what was coming out of the smartphone, Gil Sung-jun shouted at the top of his lungs so people wouldn’t understand.

But there was no way the players gathered in the hospital room couldn’t hear the recording buried in his screams.

In unison, they turned their cold gazes on him.

«What are you talking about! When did I say such a thing!»

Flustered, Gil Sungjoon tried to assert himself to diffuse the situation.

Standing in the doorway, he tried to confront Bruno, who was taller than him.

«Where are you spouting nonsense from? What? You’re saying I ordered this? Are you completely insane? This is defamation, defamation! And who are you? You’re not even a member of the Retrieval Team, why are you here, are you so desperate to die? What are you all doing! Are you going to let an intruder you don’t even know continue like this, fooled by a prankster who did something like this!»

Gil Sung-jun looked back at the players standing by the door and shouted with passion.

The players’ reactions were mixed, with some drawing their weapons to grab Bruno.

Bruno, emitting hostility, took a stance.

When the players felt Bruno’s extraordinary hostility, they drew out new weapons.

«─What do you mean, he’s a member of our clan.»

Regulars Clan Lord Guyeounsu intervened as the atmosphere turned vicious.

Sighing as if he couldn’t help it, he continued, unperturbed by the stares.

«This is Regulus Clan member Guardian No Bruno. His name should be on the list, right?»

«…What? That’s ridiculous. I’ve never seen him before….»

«Does the Canghae Clan Lord even remember the faces of other troops?»

«Not really, but….»

«He’s a regulus clan member. I have documents to prove he’s a clan member, if you’d like, we can check them out later.»

Once Guyeounsu recognized Bruno as a clan member, the players calmed down their mana.

Bruno also stored his mana back inside.

Regulus Clan was sponsored by Alice Group.

To prepare for any possible problems, Bruno had created a record that he had joined the Regulus Clan beforehand.

This fact was only known to Guyeounsu.

«…If he’s a member of the clan, this is a crime of contempt! Everyone, hurry up and catch him!»

«Clan Lord Changhae, who are you to tell us what to do? Are we supposed to listen to you?»

Kim Yoo-jin shouted.

Following her lead, Guyeounsu and Do wanjun also let out a laugh of absurdity.

«What happened and how it happened can be investigated. Isn’t that right, Player Do wanjun?»

«Player Kim Yoo-jin is right. In this place, there’s Player Seoyoung, who’s the victim, and there’s Changhae Clanlord, who was suspected of attempting a crime along with Jo Yeong-ho.

It’s better to investigate whether these allegations are true.»

«Aigoo, we have everyone we need?»

Guyeounsu opened his slender eyes and smirked at Gil Sung-jun, whose face had turned pale.

At the same time, he placed his hand on the pommel of his sword, indicating he wouldn’t let Gil Sung jun near.

«…Heh, that’s not even funny. You all must have misunderstood something. Why would I do such a thing? Why would I want to turn the person I love the most in the world into such a state?

Why don’t you ask Seoyoung, if I really did such a thing? Huh?»

«Don’t come near my noonim.»

It was Kang Cheol that stopped Gil Sung-jun from approaching Shin Seo-young.

He extended his sinister mechanical arm, warning that he wouldn’t tolerate even the slightest movement.

«…Ha, Seo-young, you tell me. These people are trying to make me a criminal and frame me, you don’t believe I would have done that to you, do you?»

«…….»

Shin Seoyoung had been chasing after Gil Sung-jun all this time.

She had replayed every moment of her time with him and had closed her heart to him.

The man she knew was no longer here.

She didn’t know when.

When he started to change.

Maybe from the beginning.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

The world where her life was fading away objectively showed her the path she had walked.

That’s when she realized.

The person she had wanted to be acknowledged and loved by was simply anyone who had reached out to her back then.

She had projected her lover in the way she wanted, all to maintain her crumbling self.

In truth, he might have been no different than he was when they met again after graduating from the academy.

«Seo-young, you don’t believe me because you’re not feeling well right now, but you do believe me, right?

Why don’t you explain to them what kind of relationship we have, huh?»

«What relationship? It’s already over.»

Seoyoung shook off the fond memories without regret. She brushed aside the past ten years.

Not just ten years.

When she’d left home, when she’d wished to become a player to protect someone.

She decided to let go of the life she’d spent desperately seeking love.

She didn’t need to be insecure anymore.

She didn’t need to be recognized.

She was already accepted.

She didn’t need to be loved.

She was loved enough.

«It’s over? How much I love you! Don’t joke. I understand everything you’ve been through, fighting like this. Can’t you see I understand your hardship?»

«No, you don’t understand.»

She thought he was the only one who understood her.

She thought so.

She can see it now.

He had merely sympathized.

For the self who desired acknowledgment.

«What are you talking about? I love you so much…. Don’t you see this ring? The promise we made, remember? All I have to do is go back to Seoul and we’ll be together, just like you wanted─.»

«–Oppa, you’re shameless.»

She felt loved by him.

She thought she was.

She can see it now.

He had merely needed her.

She would have done anything to be loved.

«…I, I still remember the vows we made that day, the times you were tired, the times you shed tears…I remember it all, and you don’t remember a single thing about our time together?»

Those words brought back a flood of memories that she would have let go of.

She remembered, but that was it.

No emotion.

She realized then.

That she had unknowingly opened her heart to him.

All her life.

«─How long are you going to be snooping through my memories?»

«…What!?»

Waving her hand in the air, she summoned the wind.

Her mana resistance increased.

Her vision began to sharpen.

«…You’ve been tapping into my memories all this time.»

It wasn’t that he sympathized.

He was merely playing the part she hoped he would.

«I’ve been such a…, such a fool.»

A fool.

A fool who only saw what she wanted to see.

A fool who didn’t look around to realize what was really going on.

«Seo-young…ah…?»

«Don’t even call me by my first name anymore.»

«Hey, what’s wrong with you….»

«And let me hit you once, will you?»

«…What… Uh, uh, ahhhh!!»

Flames erupted in front of Gil Sung-jun’s eyes. He was covered in flames from the front.

«Aaahhhh! It’s hot, it’s hot, it’s hot…! Damn it, what is this…!»

He rolled on the floor, his face engulfed in flames.

Players rushed in to extinguish the fire.

Seoyoung, looking at him with a satisfied expression despite his burns, commented dryly.

«…Considering what he did, it seems like a big problem for him.»

Do wanjun sighed and said, «He got what he deserved.»

Covering his mouth with his hand, Guyeounsu raised his eyebrows, and his shoulders twitched.

«…It doesn’t matter, I don’t plan to end it like this either.»

«Hearing that makes me wonder what you’re thinking, so why don’t you tell me? Maybe we can be of some help….»

«Then help me.»

Kim Yoo-jin put her arm around Shin Seo-young’s shoulders.

Shin Seo-young replied with a bitter smile.

«…By the way, unnie, you just…, used a flame, right? Did you….»

Park Hye-rim looked at her and asked.

After making eye contact, Shin Seoyoung cautiously opened her mouth.

«I just… became able to do it.»

Serves him right! ❤