‘So this is how it’s supposed to work. It’s a bit different from mana,’ I thought, sharpening my perception and focusing intently on Lee Jiyeon’s manipulation of vitality.
I ticulously observed every detail, recording each nuance without missing a single mont.
The way Lee Jiyeon handled vitality was incredibly smooth.
She drew vitality from the earth, circulated it within her body, and, in the process, naturally enhanced her physical abilities and recovery.
Lee Jiyeon, whose body was already absurdly durable and regenerative due to Taesan, beca even more formidable when infused with vitality.
When she activated Taesan’s armor and martial aura, charging into the fray, she embodied the title of an impenetrable vanguard.
It was no wonder she had survived and stalled against the Two-Headed Venom Dragon in the original story.
In the original, there was no tank as exceptional as Lee Jiyeon.
‘Good thing I asked for her help. If I had gone in alone, I wouldn’t have made it in ti to climb the tower.’
I marveled inwardly.
Vitality manipulation was said to be the most challenging aspect of Taesan, but Lee Jiyeon wielded it with remarkable proficiency.
Even to my eyes, her level of skill was far beyond what ordinary talent or training could achieve.
Her earlier demonstration of Taesan’s basic functions had also been extraordinary.
She manipulated the ground as if it were an extension of her body, summoning multiple earth constructs that moved swiftly and precisely under her command.
Despite the complexity of these processes, Lee Jiyeon herself could still fight effectively.
Her combination of raw talent and relentless effort had honed her abilities to a level unattainable without both elents.
It was a stark contrast to her usual self-deprecating deanor.
‘Then again, considering her circumstances, it makes sense...’
In the original story, the reasons behind Lee Jiyeon’s low self-esteem were clear.
The two younger siblings she was close to were hailed as prodigies, revered as the reincarnation of the founder.
While Lee Jiyeon possessed significant talent, it wasn’t enough to match her siblings.
To be precise, the title of “reincarnation of the founder” wasn’t bestowed on Lee Jiyeon but rather on her mother, Lee Jia, the 11th head of the Taesan Clan.
Surrounded by emotionally distant parents and prodigious siblings, it was no surprise Lee Jiyeon undervalued herself.
Such judgnts are always relative. No matter how much others praised her, she likely couldn’t feel it herself.
‘Regardless, this will work out before the tower climb.’
As I accumulated knowledge of vitality manipulation, it felt like lightbulbs were flickering in my mind.
The pieces of information began connecting, forming a clearer picture.
My earlier vague guesses solidified into certainty.
‘I can restore my body to normal.’
The thought filled with conviction. It wouldn’t be easy, but this was the right path.
‘Finally...’
I could free myself from this awkward, childlike body.
My short limbs and small fra had been a constant inconvenience.
And the way people treated because of my appearance—it was bizarre, to say the least!
While Elia claid my mind had regressed along with my body, I found such assumptions unsettling... not that I disliked it entirely. If anything, it was oddly comforting. Still, it felt strange.
Either way, I could now reclaim my body.
I was basking in this realization when—
[?]
My hand was yanked forward. A forceful pull jerked my entire body.
The culprit was none other than Lee Jiyeon, who had been holding my hand.
I was helplessly dragged forward.
Without warning, she pulled into her embrace, wrapping her arms around tightly.
The soft texture of her clothes brushed against my cheek, and beneath that, I felt the warmth and tenderness of her skin.
My body instinctively relaxed...
No, it couldn’t relax!
I snapped out of it and struggled against her hold.
[Confusion]
[Surprise]
[Shock]
[What is this?]
[What’s going on?]
I voiced my bewildernt, initially planning to resist imdiately, but Lee Jiyeon’s expression gave pause.
Her complexion was pale one mont and ashen the next. Her face seed to cycle through shades of yellow and blue, like soone on the brink of collapse.
“W-Wait... Please, just hold on...”
Her voice was unsteady, her words fragnted as she pleaded, but her actions didn’t wait for my response.
She tightened her grip, one arm around my waist and the other pressing my head into her chest.
The warmth between us intensified. Without air conditioning and pressed so close together, our body temperatures rose significantly.
‘What is this?’
The situation was abrupt and bewildering.
While I debated whether to force my way out, I sensed the vitality of the ground around us surging violently.
Lee Jiyeon was the cause.
The vitality of the earth was drawn upward, funneled into her legs, and surged through her body.
The ground beneath her feet cracked like drought-stricken soil, and the grass withered, turning yellow.
Yet, Lee Jiyeon seed oblivious to her surroundings, focused solely on gathering vitality and channeling it into .
Despite her urgency, her movents were ticulous, ensuring the process was as safe as possible.
For a while, this process repeated—Lee Jiyeon drawing vitality and transferring it to .
Realizing there was no imdiate danger, I decided to wait patiently.
“Hah... Hahh...”
Eventually, the flow of vitality stopped. Lee Jiyeon exhaled deeply, as if releasing a long-held breath.
She collapsed to the ground, visibly drained, her chest rising and falling as she panted heavily.
Sweat dripped from the ends of her hair, and her labored breathing filled the air.
[What... just happened?]
“Huh?!”
Still pressed against her chest, I asked tentatively. The breath tickling the top of my head was beginning to irritate .
When I finally spoke, Lee Jiyeon jolted in surprise, her body stiffening.
Her arms tightened around instinctively.
I tapped her side lightly, prompting her to glance down at .
Her green eyes blinked, their focus shifting back to normal.
“Oh...”
Lee Jiyeon stared at blankly for a mont before scanning my body thoroughly, checking for any issues.
After what felt like a long ti, she let out a sigh of relief.
[What was that all about?]
“Hyaaa!”
When she didn’t answer, I poked her waist with my finger. She yelped, startled.
Honestly, I felt like screaming myself, but that would likely earn a silent curse.
The poke seed effective. Lee Jiyeon, who had been distracted, finally looked at properly.
[Explain.]
At my brief demand, her eyes trembled slightly.
“Ah, uh... That was... vitality infusion!”
[What?]
“Y-Yes! Like I explained, transferring vitality requires physical contact between the giver and receiver. And the more contact, the better!”
[But you said just holding hands would suffice earlier.]
“Well, um... I realized it might not be enough...”
[And why the sudden grab?]
“T-That’s because...”
Lee Jiyeon fumbled, her eyes darting as she struggled to respond.
‘What is going on?’
She seed to be hiding sothing, but it didn’t feel malicious. Her actions seed intended to help .
For now, I decided to let it go.
[Fine.]
[Just warn next ti.]
[That was startling.]
“Y-Yes... I’m sorry for surprising you...”
Like a scolded puppy, she lowered her eyes apologetically and sighed with relief, though she couldn’t escape my scrutiny.
[Now, can you let go?]
“Oh! Sorry!”
Finally, she released , carefully setting back on the ground.
As my feet touched the earth, I discreetly dispelled the half-drawn synchronization with Baekya and the dozens of offensive spells I had been preparing.
‘My body feels lighter.’
After parting ways with Lee Jiyeon, I rented another secure outdoor training facility.
I tapped the ground lightly with the tip of my foot.
Perhaps it was due to the extra vitality Lee Jiyeon had infused into , but I felt at ease.
‘So “stimulating with vitality” ant forcing a large amount into soone to make them recognize it? That’s a bit crude.’
I rubbed my arm with a bemused expression.
It felt as though I had overeaten; my stomach was uncomfortably full. Maybe I had absorbed too much vitality.
‘And... what was that about earlier?’
Questions lingered in my mind.
Was it, as Lee Jiyeon claid, that she had been so focused she lost track of herself? Her actions had seed too urgent, too desperate for that explanation to hold water.
I tilted my head, deep in thought.
To avoid arousing suspicion, I had made sure to leave with a good store of vitality, just in case the curse of my shortened lifespan was discovered.
While Lee Jiyeon wasn’t the type to spread secrets, there was no reason to burden her with knowledge of my curse.
I was always mindful of the possibility of a sudden death and constantly replenished my vitality. It was like pouring water into a bottomless jar—ultimately futile, but necessary to stave off my demise.
‘For now...’
Shaking my head to dispel the thoughts, I sat down on the ground.
This ti, I would truly attempt it.
Taking a deep breath, I focused and activated Taesan.
I had studied the instructional material thoroughly and had an idea that had just popped into my mind.
I decided to put it to the test.
Synchronization: Taesan.
First, I manifested Taesan, drawing vitality from the ground into my body.
Through the contact between my body and the earth, I supplied myself with vitality.
This was where it got crucial.
Instead of rely filling the bottomless jar, I worked on reinforcing the walls—strengthening and expanding the vessel itself.
Within , an eerie noise echoed. Bones shifted, muscles stretched, and my limbs lengthened. I could feel my body pulling outward, as if it were being reshaped.
Hissss...
Steam rose from my body as heat radiated outward.
anwhile, Lee Jiyeon sat blankly on the ground, her mind slowly piecing together fragnts of Hayul’s words and actions.
My body is fine.
Co to think of it, your wounds have healed too, haven’t they?
Despite his claims of being fine, Lee Hayul had the appearance of a child.
If soone had been nearby, self-destruction wouldn’t have been possible—
The artifact that revealed ntal states had echoed his unsettling ntion of self-destruction.
Traces of Taesan were found at the site of the Two-Headed Venom Dragon’s destruction.
A devastating blow powerful enough to utterly annihilate the Two-Headed Venom Dragon.
And Taesan, the unique ability capable of manipulating vitality...
‘Ah.’
The pieces fell into place, forming a crude yet plausible hypothesis.
Regardless of the exact thod, whether he had used Taesan in tandem with Guhwa Flas or sothing else entirely, the conclusion was clear:
Lee Hayul had self-destructed to defeat the Two-Headed Venom Dragon.
He had miraculously survived but at the cost of becoming a husk—a life bound by a rapidly dwindling vitality.
‘......’
Lee Jiyeon questioned herself.
Why had Hayul chosen self-destruction?
The Two-Headed Venom Dragon was strong, even weakened. Conventional thods wouldn’t have sufficed to defeat it.
Did Hayul think he wouldn’t be able to hold out until reinforcents arrived?
Perhaps he had judged that delaying tactics wouldn’t work and had taken on the burden himself.
But why had he fought alone instead of relying on her help?
‘...Was it because, even together, we wouldn’t have lasted?’
Because she hadn’t been reliable.
Because she would have been more of a hindrance.
Perhaps, wanting to protect her, Hayul had sent her away and faced the dragon alone, ultimately forced to self-destruct. Though he survived, he had been left with a damaged body and a shortened lifespan.
He had fought alone while she, paralyzed with fear, had fled.
“Ugh...”
A wave of nausea hit her.
Lee Jiyeon bent over, covering her mouth with her hand.
[Player Adjustnt System: Affection Levels]
Hayul → Lee Jiyeon
●●●●○○○○○○ (40▷46/100)
｢Heir of Taesan｣ ｢Good person｣ ｢Timid?｣ ｢Curiosity｣
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