Chapter 140: Demons Are Everywhere (2)
Swoosh.
‘I sure go to Ulleungdo often.’
I definitely frequently boarded the ferry between Ulleungdo and Sejong Island.
‘I’d like to live in Ulleungdo, but then I couldn’t immediately respond to situations in Sejong Island.’
While part of it was just for ‘relaxing in Ulleung,’ it was also to recover magic power at the Ulleungdo pension.
‘I do go to Ulleungdo every weekend, though.’
So, I was used to taking the ferry. As an ability user, I was immune to simple diseases like seasickness or colds thanks to my powers.
That was why I felt a bit sorry for Celestia, who was currently seasick.
“Ugh.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I took medicine. It’ll get better in a bit.”
Brewer, now Celestia, was struggling with seasickness in the room.
“If it gets worse, I can do something about it.”
“No, I can’t do that in front of a man.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman.”
“It’s about the last shred of pride as a woman.”
I patted her back, and she clung to a clean trash bin lined with a plastic bag, burying her head inside.
“Ha, ha. Ugh, really… I absolutely hate taking the boat.”
“You should’ve said something.”
“How could I not go when it’s a work trip to Ulleungdo. I can endure it for 30 minutes. Sorry. If only there were a bathroom, ugh.”
It would be better if the cabins had private bathrooms, but unfortunately, they were communal.
“Sticking to a toilet in a communal bathroom is worse. It’s better to do this here. Should I go outside for some air?”
“No, no. I’ll get scolded if I spill into the sea. Better to deal with it in the room. Ugh…”
Since the round trip from Sejong Island to Ulleungdo took less than 30 minutes, there was no need for bathrooms in each cabin.
“Really, ha… How many minutes have passed?”
“Only 10 minutes left.”
“Really?”
“I’m not like a PT trainer to lie about that.”
“Ha, right….”
It was not because she drank alcohol or anything. She had just been staying on Sejong Island and was now on a rocking passenger ship. She was suffering from seasickness.
“Ugh, really, at times like this, I envy ability users.”
“Because we don’t get seasick?”
“Not just that. Almost immune to all diseases that modern people get. Whew, really.”
Another advantage of ability users.
“Ability users, ha, I’ve never heard of them getting sick… It’s not like magic power acts like a vaccine.”
Ability users didn’t get sick.
Not from colds, viruses, or even atopy.
“Did you know? Whew, they say mana is like white blood cells from outer space. Protecting humans from all viruses on Earth, whew, something like that.”
“Aren’t you feeling worse talking about it?”
“Talking about it makes me feel a bit better. For now….”
Even simple diseases that children got, ability users didn’t catch them. No wonder there was cynical criticism that paying health insurance for heroes was just a tax burden without any benefits.
“I really envy bodies that don’t catch any disease.”
“But ability users suffer from ‘chuunibyou.’”
It was a joke to call it ‘chuunibyou,’ but it was a severe illness for ability users.
“If I could suppress all diseases with ‘chuunibyou,’ I’d be willing to have it.”
“But if you fall into corruption, you become a demon.”
“Just need to train the mind well not to become a demon. How many ability users become demons in a year?”
“About 10%.”
That was a considerable number.
Since ability users lived alongside ordinary people in a world where they were not the mainstream, the social safety net to embrace them was still weak.
-Ah! I’m turning evil!
Thankfully, that rate was decreasing, and with the environment created by Sejong Island, the rate of becoming demons in Korea had reduced to about 3%.
-Kekeke, I, the human, will stop you, oooooo!!
-Damn, don’t use such lines when turning into a demon! It ruins the image of the work!!
Overseas, the situation was a bit different, but still, if becoming a demon was just a mental issue, there wasn’t a big problem.
Would you risk a little to become a superhuman who lived without disease for life? Or would you prefer to be an ordinary person who lived with minor diseases, needed regular vaccinations, and risked your health rapidly declining if cancer struck?
This was why everyone wanted to be an ability user.
Either to cure their own illness or to wish their children to live without chronic diseases.
-If raised properly, they can live happily all their lives!!
Since both chuunibyou and demon corruption were mental issues, it was all about creating a happy environment.
-Ability users don’t get dementia, cancer, or even hair loss?
That was the thought of everyone who wished to become an ability user.
-Hey. Could ability users potentially live much longer than the average human lifespan?
-If that’s true, it’s crazy. Living forever without diseases, just managing mental issues.
-It’s like being an elf born from a human body. Haha, that’s nonsense… Wait, isn’t it like staying young without aging for 70 years?
-…The government should develop and distribute a vaccine that can turn humans into ability users! Distribute it!
And there was still one unproven point, making everyone wish to become an ability user.
Everyone.
“Seriously, do you want to become an ability user?”
“Me? Sometimes, I think about it. Like everyone thinks about winning the lottery.”
Celestia sighed deeply.
“I’d have a lot more to do at the company. Unlike ordinary people like me, ability users have many more opportunities.”
“What would you do with all that work?”
“Uh… conquer the capitalist world? Our company is taking over all the companies worldwide.”
In this context, the company was the secret society, and other companies represented countries.
“How about that?”
“You’re amazing. I’ve never asked why you joined the company.”
“That’s the same for you, ugh.”
I patted Celestia’s back.
She hadn’t vomited, but looking pale, she sipped some barley tea and patted her chest.
“Ugh, really. Times like this, I wish I were an ability user. Anyway, the reason for joining… well, everyone’s probably similar.”
Celestia turned her posture while holding the bin.
Leaning against the wall, she looked up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression.
“…Revenge and faith.”
“Those are words not to be spoken lightly.”
“Yeah.”
On a ship like this, where there might be listening devices anywhere, it was not something to talk about carelessly.
“I just believe that working in our company would definitely change my life. And the revenge story is simple. A rival company ruined my family. That’s it.”
“…….”
“I can’t talk about the details now, so for now… ugh.”
Celestia clutched the bin again.
“Sorry, but can you leave me alone for a bit?”
“Excuse me.”
I stepped outside.
I heard rough sounds from inside, but they were quickly drowned out by the sound of the waves.
Beep.
A message arrived.
It was from Yumir.
-Teacher, I’m so screwed.
“……?”
Yumir’s reaction was already like this.
What situation could be happening?
-Our team has all the ‘Radical’ members.
“Ah.”
I understood.
Meanwhile, on a road in the southern part of Ulleungdo.
“Yumir junior? No problems since coming to Korea, right?”
“Yes.”
“Tha-that’s good. Foreigners seem to struggle with adapting when they come to Korea.”
“I’m fine.”
Yumir had no idea how to respond to the two men awkwardly questioning her.
“Hoof, hoof.”
Maybe it was because they were in the same space inside the car.
Even the ventilation wasn’t working properly, and a strong smell emanated from the man who delayed them from Ulleung Port.
“Is it not difficult to talk like this? Can I close the window? It feels like the smell of drying squid is coming in.”
“It’s good because it’s the smell of the sea.”
Yumir breathed while wearing an invisible mask using her magic.
Someone might say that using magic to block the smell of cigarettes and coffee was a bit excessive for an S+ level ability user, but if there was a way to avoid discomfort, why not do it?
“Yumir, do you have a boyfriend?”
The skinny man sitting next to her started talking with eyes that went together like real eyes from the beginning.
“No.”
“You don’t? Hm, I see.”
Yumir shivered at the man’s smile as if he knew something.
“Well, you probably don’t have a boyfriend. Ah, that sounded strange. Just like that. I’m not misunderstanding, right?”
“I didn’t misunderstand.”
“That’s a relief. Among foreigners, there are some who interpret things strangely. You have to listen to Korean until the end. Haha.”
“……”
It had been a few days since she had to practice with these men.
She was screwed.
One of them might be an absolute devil.
“……”
Compared to the other two men, the woman with black hair looked relatively, no, objectively unfriendly.
Rather than the sticky gaze from the two men in front of her, the woman beside her didn’t even speak and just sat quietly in her seat.
Yumir thought.
If she made even the slightest mistake, one of the three would definitely become a demon.
“Yumir, can you give me your contact information? We need to exchange contact information with our practice mates.”
“The leader… Well, let Yumir do it. Normally, when foreigners come to Korea, they take on the role of the leader.”
Muscle Tattoo Man D.
Sweaty Silent Eyes Man C.
Silent Chubby Woman B.
Indeed, who among them would become a demon?
Yumir wanted to leave this place right away using spatial teleportation, hoping that at least one of them would be as normal as the remaining A-grade practice mate.
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