Chapter 342 - Extra Chapter 2 – Still the Earth Goes On (1)
Lee Na-hee, who had heard the story of the resurrection in the world of Undon, looked on in disbelief.
“It’s amazing.”
“If you admire me, just honestly say you admire me.”
“Admire what? He said it’d take 500 years to become an adult.”
At this, Lee Na-hee threw the decoration she was holding at Kang Shin-hyuk.
“Then, it means I may not be able to see such a dragon that would make my heart magnificent just by looking at it until after I die!”
“If you have your ability right now, senior, it is possible you can transcend someday.”
“You’re banned from calling me that. Call me your noona.”
“Oh, but my noona’s heart is still magnificent...”
“Baek In-ha, die, really.”
Baek, beaten by the raging magic after he interrupted, became quiet. At the scene of that assault, the dragon seemed interested in the magical power her rune emanated.
[Mom?]
Critical hit!
“What, huh? Uh... that, ah, baby. So, I am.”
“Every woman this one sees is called mother, so don’t get it wrong.”
“Ah.”
Lee Na-hee, blatantly disappointed as her shoulders drooped, was pitiful to see, but it couldn’t be helped. It was only a little while ago it learned how to distinguish human gender. Since then, it had been asking every girl it met if they were its mother, so Kang Shin-hyuk couldn’t take it out for a walk outside. In the first place, he couldn’t help but talk about the misunderstanding of the baby dragons that happened before he left Loki...
“There was a complicated situation. Understand me.”
“Yes, okay.”
Lee Na-hee tapped her cheeks as if she had been energized.
“Then help me refurbish the store. We’ll decorate the front door.”
“Even if I do well, you’ll throw things at me.”
“Count on it. My heart.”
“...I won’t take it.”
[Mom!]
“No.”
They were in a shabby shop located in the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Lee Na-hee, the young craftsman who was preparing to speak, was performing the critical task of cleaning and decorating the store. Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek usually were too powerful to help with such chores, but as they had nothing to do, they were helping out and chatting with Lee Na-hee.
“Senior, how about Eli? She said she’s coming today.”
“...”
“Huh? Didn’t you hear me?”
“...Oh, yeah. Eli, Eli.”
Lee Na-hee took a moment to respond to Kang Shin-hyuk.
“Eli... well? She said she might be a little late because there’s someone she has to meet. You know? Douglas Payne.”
“Oh, I don’t know that person.”
When he was a first-year, he was the strongest (ha) of the third year knights and also the captain of the Wyvern Knights. After fighting Eleanor in a one-on-one duel and losing, people had begun to acknowledge her status. Suddenly curious, he searched for Douglas Payne’s ranking to find he was among the 1,000th internationally. That was truly great, as the growth rate of Shinyoung’s superhumans had gone crazy so that hundreds of their superhumans were in the top thousand, leaving fewer places for superhumans outside of Shinyoung.
Some said that Shinyoung’s superhumans should be treated separately, and the idea that high rankers should be recognized up to 1000 instead of 500 was rapidly gaining strength. This meant that this man had the capability equivalent to a high ranker.
“It sounds like you’re teasing.”
“No, I have to admit what’s great. Let’s judge objectively.”
“How unfortunate, our Shinyuk...”
“Wait a minute.”
Lee Na-hee intervened with a frown.
“Kang Shin-hyuk, are you okay?”
“What?”
“Eli.”
It was hard to tell if he wanted to talk about it or not. Lee Na-hee had an expression full of anger.
“Going to meet with Eli today? Hearing that, I’m asking if you’re fine.”
“Hmm.”
“Noona?”
It only then did Baek realize Lee Na-hee’s atmosphere was growing strange. In fact, he knew that Lee Na-hee and Eleanor were upset these days, but today they were regretting coming here with Kang Shin-hyuk. He wanted to run away, but it was too late.
“What are you thinking... I think Eli also suffers a lot.”
“...Huh?”
Kang Shin-hyuk responded the same, whether he couldn’t detect the strange mood or not.
“I knew at first that Eli would need the power of the Payne family, and I wasn’t sensitive enough to deliberately encourage them... It’s a mistake to think about it now.”
“...Sigh.”
“If I knew that if she would go ahead and it would be solved, then I would’ve just made it clear for Eli... So, is that the answer you wanted?”
“No.”
Lee Na-hee pulled out a chair and sat down with a sigh.
“Should I bet that Eli won’t go over to him? His ability may look ridiculous compared to yours, but you’re not giving Eli a chance. By the way, that man chases Eli with a single mind, so...”
“So, what do you want?”
Kang Shin-hyuk cut to the point as she continued to talk pointlessly. Then, Lee Na-hee replied with her lips pouting.
“I, too, nickname...”
“Is that it?”
“???”
Baek couldn’t understand why that was the conclusion, and question marks appeared clear on his face. Weren’t they talking about Eleanor right now? But where did that go, and suddenly what did they mean about a nickname? However, it was a simple problem when he figured out why Lee Na-hee was outraged. It was Eleanor and Lee Na-hee, not Kang Shin-hyuk, who were clinging to this bizarre relationship, so it didn’t mean anything to Kang Shin-hyuk. In other words, she was complaining brilliantly.
“By the way, senior, you know what? There is only one person around me that I call senior now.”
“So I’m special?”
“Do you really know what to say? It’s awesome to see you today and help out.”
“But that, I don’t feel like a woman at all...”
[Mom!]
Sensing Lee Na-hee was depressed, the baby dragon flew into her arms. The beauty groaned timidly before petting the dragon.
“...Ah?”
Kang Shin-hyuk watched as the scene in front of him changed. He saw Lee Na-hee petting a child who was older than the dragon now.
-After that, it really worked, as you said. I thought you were teasing me back then.
A very realistic illusion accompanied that hallucination. Kang Shin-hyuk’s lips twisted into a smile. Was it perhaps a future possibility presented by the power that was acquired in Undon? It was a short moment when the flow of causality was shown to him.
“Do your feelings change with the title? Don’t be nervous about pointless things because we’re in a tough relationship anyway. Even if I want to quit, I can’t.”
“...You’re not saying you want to quit?”
Lee Na-hee’s mood seemed to be much better than before. Kang Shin-hyuk wanted her to quit, but he decided not to say that. Thanks to her and many others, he had been able to improve himself. He was also a man who knew how to give thanks.
“Vice-captain!”
“Eleanor noona!”
At the moment the mood was growing odder and odder, the door of the store opened, and Eleanor entered. She was dressed in a combat uniform like she was to be dispatched immediately and called Kang Shin-hyuk vice-captain like it was natural. She looked over at Lee Na-hee and shrugged as if she had heard her.
“I’m the same as that.”
“Really...?”
“Huh? What? Oh, more than that!”
[Mom!]
“Huh?!”
Lee Na-hee’s eyes went wide at the betrayal as the baby dragon flew out of her arms to be hugged by Eleanor.
“Dragon? Is it a monster?”
“I’ll explain it later.”
“Oh, yes! Then!”
Eleanor shouted as she petted the baby dragon, her face blushing.
“Douglas Payne! He’s giving up!”
“...Huh?”
“I heard that he came to apply for a marriage proposal, so I hurried in and beat him up...!”
Eleanor took a striking posture that would be very painful to be hit by. She was rather excited.
“He gave up cleanly after being hit! So I told him to meet a good girl and come back!”
“...Eli, he had no choice but to give up, right?”
It wasn’t that he meant to give up Eli, but in succession, right? However, since Eleanor smiled and didn’t answer, Kang Shin-hyuk, becoming a little scared, decided not to ask more. Next to him, Lee Na-hee’s eyes narrowed.
“Why again?”
“Because I couldn’t think of it from the start as a real option. I knew he was such a guy, but I can’t give him a chance.”
“It doesn’t make sense.”
“Eli, save me.”
“Okay? ...I think it’s somehow cooler.”
Eleanor blushed. Kang Shin-hyuk, Lee Na-hee, and even Baek knew that she deliberately flubbed her speech now; it was no accident. But, they didn’t hate it.
“Eli, I’ve already done something about it, so take your time. This guy...”
“Oh, um. But I.”
Unlike Lee Na-hee, Eleanor was much more adept at dealing with Kang Shin-hyuk. She picked up the baby dragon to cover her red face.
“I’m just happy being able to like the vice-captain.”
“You, then what am I? let’s end everything today!”
“Na-hee?!”
Lee Na-hee kicked her chair and stood up. Kang Shin-hyuk, who had suffered for many years, knew that intervening here would make it more complicated, so he quietly left the store with Baek. It was an artifact shop that Lee Na-hee had inherited from was neatly written on the new sign, proclaiming its presence.
“Shinyuk, but what’s the little R next to it? Rachel?”
“Ignore it.”
“Master! You’ve come!”
[Mom!]
“...Ignore it.”