Chick 153

Episode 153

The owner of the hand stepped out of the helicopter, face expressionless, and pulled the trigger again and again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Large holes tore through Irina’s chest, blood pooling beneath her.

This was not a warning shot as before. Each bullet was aimed for her vitals, passing straight through her body.

Cough—

Irina vomited up a torrent of blood, her lips moving silently.

‘Kill…? Zenya is killing me?’

The last family she had left?

As her body collapsed, Jin Siwon fired round after round without hesitation.

Nayeon’s eyes went wide.

“Why is she—over there…?”

At her questioning voice, Jurim replied indifferently.

“I saw Chief Jin in the helicopter and wondered what was going on…”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Every time Irina’s body regenerated, the magic bullets tore it apart again.

Blood splattered across his face, but Jin Siwon only narrowed his eyes and didn’t let up on the trigger.

Irina was breathing in shallow, ragged gasps—her regenerative power was monstrous.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Unfazed by the brutal spectacle, Jurim approached Jin Siwon, who was still shooting.

“Sorry, but I’m short on time too. Chief Jin, where’s my daughter?”

Jin Siwon took a trembling, deep breath.

“Cough!”

Irina burst open with blood at the spot where he leveled his gun.

A faint crack showed on Siwon’s expression, but he quickly composed himself and spoke gently.

“Grue is in a room with one of our people right now.”

“So nothing’s happened?”

“Yes, nothing’s happened to Grue… Would you like to go?”

“Where?”

Siwon indicated Alan Krevis’s room, and Jurim hurried away.

“Chief Jin…”

Nayeon looked at Siwon with concern in her eyes.

“I’m fine. Go on, I need to finish up here.”

“…Yes.”

Nayeon nodded once and followed Jurim.

Now the two of them were alone on the rooftop.

Irina, lying on the rooftop as dusk settled, stared vacantly as her eyes grew heavy.

“Zenya. Now you’re alone.”

Siwon stroked Irina’s face with the back of his hand.

“…Ira, Mykola is alive.”

Irina’s eyes shook for an instant.

He’d shot straight through her heart. No potion in the world could have saved her. How?

As if to answer, Siwon spoke calmly.

“There was an elixir in my pocket.”

The moment Serhi collapsed into his arms, the elixir in Siwon’s pocket had activated.

And what came out of his pocket was none other than an acorn.

A miracle delivered by a tiny flying squirrel angel.

“This country really… it’s just impossible…”

Irina’s eyes curved in resignation, her laughter hollow.

An elixir. That such a thing could truly exist.

“Why did you do it, Ira?”

Siwon sat down beside her and spoke quietly.

“I would have done anything for you two.”

Even if it meant running away from the orphanage. Hiding you under a bridge, no matter how hard it was.

Irina looked at Siwon and spoke with sudden clarity.

“I would have done anything for you too. If there were one less mouth to feed, you’d have less to go through. I was helping you. That’s why I went as far as Kirrus… I did it all for you.”

Siwon’s face twisted with grief at her words, touched by madness.

He’d always sensed his sister was not ordinary. Perhaps, from the moment they were born, it was destined to end this way.

Whether it was just a final flicker of clarity before death, Irina’s breathing soon weakened.

“…So that’s why I took that person’s hand.”

“That person? Who?”

Irina’s lips parted.

Siwon leaned in, pressing his ear to her mouth.

“…Han.”

Irina’s barely audible answer faded as her eyes closed.

Siwon held his dead sister tightly in his arms.

And only then—at last—the floodgates broke and tears streamed down.

---

Inside Alan Krevis’s suite.

Yoon Arin let out a sigh of relief as she checked that Serhi, lying in bed, was breathing evenly.

Above Serhi’s chest, floating about three centimeters above his body, the acorn glowed warmly.

‘I heard they said there was a hole in his heart.’

Just then, Grue, who was pressed up beside the bed, lifted her head.

“Sister… is Serhi oppa still hurting?”

Her lips and nose, red from crying, quivered slightly.

Yoon Arin reached out and stroked the head of the child, who looked ready to burst into tears.

“No, look, you see this acorn? It’s healing Oppa, so he’s not in pain at all.”

She had just carried Grue, fresh from the bathroom, straight into Alan Krevis’s room.

“The acorn?”

“Mm. So don’t worry too much, okay? Oppa’s just lying down because he’s still tired—let’s give him a little more time.”

“Okaaay…”

Thank goodness. Grue gazed at the acorn in relief.

She was glad she’d thought to leave the acorn in the red ginseng uncle’s pocket.

Even though it healed someone else in the end… would the acorn have helped heal uncle Hong Sam’s wounds too?

At that moment, the Special Investigation Bureau agents, who had been watching Serhi’s condition from below the bed, began to join in at the mention of the acorn.

“But an elixir—does that even make sense? I’m seeing it with my own eyes and can’t believe it.”

“Seriously. Who would’ve thought an elixir would look like an acorn…”

“Life is strange, seeing an elixir like this. But where’d it come from? Mr. Alan’s donation?”

Being an American tycoon, it wouldn’t have been odd for him to somehow scrounge up an elixir.

“No way. He really seemed clueless.”

“Then how did something so outrageous end up here?”

Then someone muttered,

“Surely not from the RP…?”

The room fell instantly silent.

If it had come from the RP dungeon, the only possible owners here were Hyunak or Team Leader Jin.

“If word of this gets out, there’ll be chaos…”

Even if it belonged to Team Leader Jin, it would be a big deal, but if Hyunak was involved? Even a careless rumor could spell disaster.

Not just domestically—international attention would focus right on Hyunak.

Even now, Guildmaster On made no secret of his irritation in interviews; if the truth about the elixir got out, the entire team could face ruin just for offending him.

“Let’s all keep our mouths shut.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Roger, I understand.”

Listening closely with perked-up ears, Grue stomped her feet in excitement, nose puffing out little clouds.

‘So the elixir is amazing!’

Supreme!

My child has the supreme item!

Grue rolled her eyes upward, trying to look at the Supreme Snow Rabbit sprouting on her head, then let them drop back down.

The snow rabbit, having exhausted itself opening the cradle, was once again passed out due to its fragility.

This time, it looked truly close to danger, its breath shallow with exhaustion. As Grue bounced nervously, Beilak clicked his tongue and offered advice.

“Myumyung.”

He meant Grue should let the snow rabbit recharge its magic by staying close to her.

As Grue took the snow rabbit in her arms, it seamlessly merged and sprouted anew as a tender sprout atop Grue’s head.

‘Still looks a bit wilted.’

The sprout perched on her head had a thin stalk and wrinkled little leaves.

If she ate well, got plenty of sunlight, and gave it the nutrients it needed, it would surely recover.

‘I hope everyone gets healthy again.’

As Grue turned her gaze back to Serhi, who still lay with eyes closed—

Bang! The door burst open.

Several team members caught their breath as Jurim entered.

“Um?”

Grue’s face lit up like a puppy seeing its owner, and she scrambled to her feet.

He brushed aside the people who greeted him and headed straight for Grue.

Grue nestled into Jurim’s embrace, pressing her cheek close to him and mumbling,

“Daddy, Serhi oppa is…”

“Mm, I heard.”

He’d gotten a briefing from an overlapping team member on his way here.

Serhi had been seriously wounded by Gnosis, but was now being healed with the elixir.

“Are you alright?”

Her voice full of concern, Grue nodded blankly.

“Nothing happened?”

Nothing?

Not exactly.

Pretending to go to the bathroom, she’d managed to recruit an SSS-rank subordinate.

‘Turned him into a hamster and put him in my bag—how did he know?’

Worried she’d get scolded if she told the truth, Grue only rolled her eyes and tilted her head.

“Y-yeah… nothing happened at all…”

Jurim scrutinized Grue’s answer.

She didn’t look hurt, but…?

Why is there a sprout growing out of my daughter’s head?

“What’s with this…?”

He reached out to pluck the sprout—

“Kyah!”

Grue squealed.

Startled, Jurim yanked his hand back.

“Whew… my heart’s pounding.”

“No—actually, I’m the one who should be more…”

How in the world did she plant that? Or, rather, why?