“As expected, you were the kid at that time.”
I smiled awkwardly as Elohim patted my head.
“I thought El and Elahah knew, did you not?”
“We don’t all know everything.”
Elohim continued to explain, touching Cheon Sa-yeon’s book that was returned to me.
“The only thing after we learned from watching everything and meeting you was that someday, with your power and your intervening ability, you will be able to help Cheon Sa-yeon. More than that, it was hard to be sure.”
“Is that so.”
“Because we first got to know the appearance of ‘Kwon Se-hyun,’ not Han Yi-gyeol, after you entered the space.”
In a dream I had while staying at the temple, I saw Elohim and Elahah as well.
However, my dream was to show my past through my eyes, so Yeon Seon-woo and Yoo Si-hyuk showed their faces, but my faces didn’t come out. Until Kwon Se-hyun appeared in the space, Elohim and Elahah didn’t even know my true form.
The appearance of ‘Kwon Se-hyun’ appeared in the space and Cheon Sa-yeon’s book, which I requested separately. Based on those two pieces of information, Cheon Sa-yeon must have realized that the person he met at the SS-grade gate was me from the future.
As I brushed my lips and recalled the time when I used my intervention ability, I brought up the next question.
“Why wasn’t Han Yi-gyeol’s ability not used in the book after using the intervention ability?”
“It seems that your abilities cannot be used repeatedly.”
“Is it different from the right-hand ability of Cheon Sa-yeon and Ha Tae-heon?”
I had seen the two of them use the ability on their right hand over and over again. The difference between them and me…
“Is it because I have both the intervention and wind ability in the heart?”
“Your case is so special that I don’t know for sure, but for now, it’s the most likely.”
Elohim, who sent the book he was holding along with a group of lights, looked back at me.
“Your intervention ability was used from the moment you appeared in front of Cheon Sa-yeon until you returned to the other side of the book.”
“It seems that Han Yi-gyeol’s energy didn’t come out because of my ability. When I tried to use the wind ability, I got the feeling that something was blocking it.”
“Right. When fighting the Doctor, you only used it to break mental control, so after that, your wind ability was used normally.”
Elohim blinked his eyes as if to clear his mind for a moment, then continued.
“Do you remember when you went to the D45 Area to help Cheon Sa-yeon and Ha Tae-heon? The new gate where the bombing took place.”
“I remember.”
“It may be a bit similar to that situation. However, when you intervened in D45 Area, your energy wasn’t as strong as it is now.”
In D45 Area, I was able to fully utilize my wind ability even after entering the intervention. Was the difference between then and now the size of my original energy?
“With our help, you barely intervened in the battle, so no one except Cheon Sa-yeon and Ha Tae-heon could even hear your voice, so it’s different from this incident.”
“…after the fight with Doctor, I haven’t felt any discomfort in using my intervention ability. Could that have anything to do with it?”
“Probably so.”
Elohim came to take my hand with a grim expression.
Contrary to the warm and soft touch, his eyes looking down at me were full of concern.
“Se-hyun-ah. As I said before, it’s best not to use your intervention ability if possible. It seems that the more you use it, the more your energy grows.”
“El…”
“It’s also a problem for Kali to recognize and covet your abilities, but I’m also worried about your energy growing beyond this.”
I really understood how Elohim felt. Because I was the same.
Elohim said the same thing I was thinking.
“Because an unbearable enormous power doesn’t necessarily bring only good results.”
It was a part that everyone, including me and Cheon Sa-yeon, felt deeply.
“…I will be careful.”
When I answered with a bitter smile, he smiled at me too.
“Now let’s talk about the price.”
“Yes.”
In return for seeing Cheon Sa-yeon’s past. Before deciding what the price was, I had seen it in the past, so I had to accept it unconditionally no matter what Elohim bet on as a condition.
Perhaps it was quite funny to see me nervously waiting for the next word, so Elohim, with the corners of his eyes folded, pointed his finger at the forehead that was filled with strength.
“The price is you, Se-hyun-ah.”
“Pardon?”
“I would like you to give it to me.”
You want me? What do you want me to do? Maybe you need my help? Or do you mean a worker who’s going to use here and there?
Elohim, who looked at me in confusion for a moment, patted my head once more.
“It’s a joke. Of course, it would be great if that was the case. But it’s out of balance.”
“…I don’t believe it, was it really a joke?”
“I’m sorry. The look on your face waiting for an answer is so cute that I just… The price is lighter than that. Don’t be so stiff.”
As Elohim raised his hand, a swarm of lights filled up. Soon after, what appeared there was an all-white book.
“This is a book that hasn’t yet been written. The colour changes when the record of a specific person is filled in here.”
I took the book he had given me and opened it carefully. The exposed inside was empty.
“Se-hyun-ah, the price you give us is the memories of your past that will fill the book.”
“Memories of… my past?”
“Yeah. Give me the record from your first memory to the time you entered Han Yi-gyeol’s body. That’s the price.”
It was the same price as Cheon Sa-yeon’s book. As Elohim said, I thought that the price was neither insufficient nor excessive.
“How can I give it to you?”
At my question, Elohim created a golden sphere in the air.
“I’m going to take your memories with me here. You don’t have to be afraid as we’re not going to erase your memories just because we take them.”
“Can you do it right now?”
“If only you are fine. It will be over soon.”
“I understand.”
A golden sphere slowly approached me. I closed my eyes spontaneously in the warmth of the spring sun.
* * *
As Elohim said, the handing over of the price was quickly over.
This was the end of seeing Cheon Sa-yeon’s past, which made my heart heavy. But without a moment to catch a breath, the next problem came to us.
“An auction invitation.”
Piiik, pik!
Fox climbed over my shoulder and rubbed his body against my cheek. Leaving it alone, I looked back and forth at the invitation that Woo Seo-hyuk handed over and frowned.
Inside the black envelope, the invitation was written to invite the Requiem Master to the auction to be held a week later. The other invitation was the same for Roheon Deputy Master.
“Requiem and Roheon, did it come with just two tickets?”
“You’re right.”
“It’s a blatant trap.”
The trap was clear, but it couldn’t be ignored. Because it was an unofficial auction held by an art museum, no one knew who was invited.
In a word, it meant that ordinary people were highly likely to fall into the trap of the Praus Cult. If we ignored the invitation, the lives of ordinary people who came to the auction were at risk.
Min Ah-rin sighed with an anxious expression.
“It’s next weekend, we’re running out of time.”
“Um…”
This invitation flew to the guild four days ago from today. The sender wasn’t found.
Ha Tae-heon, who was staring at the invitation with his arms crossed next to me, opened his mouth.
“Originally, such suspicious invitations are discarded as soon as they arrive at the guild. But if it’s not, it came up to my hand…”
“It sounds like someone used mental ability during the delivery process.”
Requiem was no different. Woo Seo-hyuk put something on the screen of the tablet PC and handed it to me.
“This is the Deus Art Museum (데우스 미술관), the place mentioned in the invitation. It’s well-received for its variety of artworks and stylish interiors. It has been three years since it opened.”
“The building is huge.”
A garden with intricately shaped decorations and a tall building that looked over the fifth floor caught my eye.
“I mean, it’s an art museum, but when I went to see it in person, the inside was just as gorgeous as a hotel. I know there is an underground passage, but I think the auction will be held there.”
Park Geon-ho intervened with a reluctant tone. Contrary to his attitude, he knew quite a bit about the Deus Art Museum.
“Have you been there?”
“About two years ago.”
“There’s no way you would have gone to a place like this for guild work… I think you went on a date.”
“……”
When asked about the woman problem, which had been mentioned several times in the past, Park Geon-ho shuddered. Then he filled his face with an awkward smile and quickly denied it.
“No? Not really?”
Judging by that reaction, I think I got it right. Woo Seo-hyuk and Kim Woo-jin looked at Park Geon-ho with their eyes saying he was the worst.
Anyway, right now, it didn’t matter whether Park Geon-ho went on a date or not.
“Still, I’m glad that Team Leader Park Geon-ho knows a little bit about the inside.”
There were only two invitations to enter the auction house, but the building itself was accessible to museum visitors.
“It seems like it would be better to split it up into two teams: the team that will attend the auction and the team that will wait upstairs.”
“Isn’t the auction house only open to Master and Deputy Master Ha Tae-heon?”
“No, if you look closely here, it says that anyone who receives an invitation can bring one partner. However, it’s said that there shouldn’t be more than three people in one party.”
‘One party’. What does this mean?
If you divided it into two parties, four people could enter the auction house, but in the end, it could be rather dangerous because two people acted.
“An auction house where only invited people can attend would be very closed. A number of conditions may be required, such as dividing the rooms or hiding identities.”
I agreed with Woo Seo-hyuk. Unless you knew how the auction was going on, it was much safer for three people to move together than four people to go and split into two.
‘Did they set the condition that we can’t exceed three people for that?’
There was too little information needed to understand the intentions of the Praus Cult. For the rest of the week, I was thinking about how to get the information and a white hand suddenly appeared from behind.
“Even there’s no photo that shows the inside of the auction house on the website.”
Cheon Sa-yeon said while flicking through the picture on the screen of the tablet PC I was holding. A low voice came from right next to my ear.
The body temperature I felt on the back of my neck suddenly reminded me of what I had forgotten about last night. Then, without a moment to calm down, a scorching heat spread across my face. At the same time, my hands shook violently and the tablet PC slipped and fell to the floor.
Clatter!
With the noise of the tablet PC crashing, everyone’s eyes were on me. Even Cheon Sa-yeon looked at me with surprised eyes.
“……”
Even without looking in the mirror, I could tell that my face was all red now. A cold sweat broke out in the silence of the living room.
“Hmm.”
When I saw that Elohim, who was watching us from a distance, touched his chin and gave me a strange smile, I bowed my head. I’m doomed.
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