Failed Possession Chapter-39

## Ch-39.

—

Yuri fought well.

His movements were clean and efficient, but what stood out most was the **certainty** in his attacks.

The certainty that this strike would never miss.
The certainty that the opponent could neither dodge nor block.

Even if the opponent was nothing more than a weak goblin, it was still impressive that a Tier 2 martial artist—using martial arts in real combat for the first time—possessed such confidence in his forms.

It wasn’t arrogance.

Proper, justified confidence was far better than hesitation born from doubt.

The most common mistake low-tier, inexperienced martial artists made was getting their footwork tangled.

Footwork might look like simple stepping, but it actually controlled the entire body. Executing it simultaneously with other techniques was never easy.

In real combat, it became even harder.
Focus on one thing and you’d mess up another.

Even Haryeong—praised countless times for her talent—had struggled with that when she was young.

But Yuri showed none of those mistakes.

He wasn’t practicing alone, either. He was fighting multiple goblins at once, yet his movements remained precise.

Several times, Haryeong deliberately refrained from attacking.

She wanted to see how Yuri would respond to sneak attacks from outside his field of vision.

He never panicked.

Even when they came from blind spots, he reacted perfectly—like he had eyes on the back of his head.

‘Why is he this good?’

That was her strongest impression.

She thought back to when she herself had been Tier 2.

Twelve years old, maybe?

Before transferring to the Salho Gate. Back when she still belonged to that “family”—a nest of snakes disguised as kin.

Among the young snakes, her skill had ranked near the top.

But even then, she hadn’t fought this **well**.

She hadn’t handled martial arts this **well**.

Even comparing to a few years later, when she came to Lagos for assassin training—the conclusion was the same.

Her upbringing, her techniques, her training time—she’d had every advantage.

Yet back then, she was still worse than Yuri now.

“Haah…”

On the carriage ride back to town, Haryeong suddenly let out a deep sigh.

Goblin blood wasn’t much different from human blood.

Same red color. Same smell.

They’d scrubbed Yuri’s fists and shoes thoroughly, but the scent wouldn’t fade.

He wrinkled his nose.

“What’s with the dramatic sigh? You’ll scare away my luck.”

“It’s just a waste.”

“What is?”

“If you’d been born into a martial family. If you’d grown up somewhere else and learned earlier… just thinking about it gives me heartburn. Such a waste.”

“Heh.”

Yuri snorted and tossed aside the blood-soaked towel.

When he opened his hand, bits of flesh were stuck under his nails.

Grimacing, he picked them out.

“Didn’t you say twenty isn’t that late?”

“It’s not early either. So—don’t you ever feel regret?”

“What regret? About wasting my childhood?”

“Something like that.”

“Of course I regret stuff.”

“Ever wish you’d been born somewhere else?”

“Plenty of times.”

Both orphan Yuri’s diary and Lee Su-hyeok’s fantasies had been filled with those sticky emotions—self-hatred, envy, resentment.

“But what can you do? You can’t just shout ‘poof’ and go back. You can’t choose where you’re born. I’m fine with reality now.”

If he really could go back?

He wouldn’t even think.

First thing he’d do was turn on a computer and delete Seronis—that damn game.

“And my life isn’t exactly garbage now, right? I had a good childhood friend, lived in Lutran, learned great martial arts.”

“True. A year ago you might’ve been miserable. But now? Anyone would call you lucky.”

Elena stared out the window like she didn’t care.

But the corner of her tightly pressed lips twitched.

Seeing that obvious reaction amused him.

“Why’re you smiling?”

“Just… grateful.”

“For what?”

“If you hadn’t come after getting Gordon’s letter, I wouldn’t be here like this.”

He’d said “thank you” many times before.

But Elena never got tired of hearing it.

Each time, her heart still raced.

“If you hadn’t left immediately, we might never have met again.”

“…What do you mean?”

“After almost dying, I thought about a lot of things. I was considering leaving town.”

If Gordon hadn’t sent that letter…
If Elena hadn’t left right away…

He might have left Aldor.

He’d even been ready to abandon his name.

If Elena had later returned to find an empty room—
What would she have felt?

“….”

She just stared at him.

Blink. Blink.

“Th-that’s… kind of fate-like.”

She muttered and quickly turned away.

Maybe because it was summer—her body felt hot.

He’d said it jokingly.

But she didn’t take it as a joke.

It really had been good that she went.

If she’d gone earlier, maybe better—

But it wasn’t late.

That timing let her meet *this* Yuri.

‘If I’d found him while he was in that Black Snake gang or whatever… maybe I’d have despised him.’

She pressed her lips together.

Her face felt hot. Even her lips felt like they might move on their own.

‘Fate-like…’

How could he say something so embarrassingly cheesy so casually?

Haryeong crossed her arms.

Still—

Embarrassing or not, it wasn’t wrong.

Without Elena, Yuri would never have realized his talent.

He couldn’t choose where he was born. He never had a family.

But he’d met someone who supported him and changed his life.

‘Unlike me.’

She’d had no choice but to learn martial arts.
No choice but to become an assassin.
Nothing else was allowed.

No one had ever cheered for her.

No one had protected her.

Pointless thoughts.

She narrowed her eyes and pushed the feelings away.

Meanwhile, Jake silently drove the carriage.

‘This is awkward…’

The two inside were childhood friends.

The woman beside him was probably a servant.

He’d figured that much out.

But he couldn’t bring himself to join the conversation.

The mage clearly had zero interest in talking to him.

She even looked wary when he talked to Yuri.

And the “servant”? Crazy.

She’d dragged over a goblin to force Yuri to fight it, then threw him into a nest.

Totally unhinged.

‘No need to get friendly anyway.’

He was just a hired guide.

Do the job. Get paid.

“That same kind of request tomorrow?” he asked.

“No.”

Elena answered flatly.

“Rank 2 is too easy.”

They’d chosen it for Yuri’s safety and experience.

But after seeing him fight—

Rank 2 was pointless.

Even if tiers supposedly matched ranks, Rank 2 wouldn’t give him real experience.

Wouldn’t show him real danger.

“From tomorrow, pick Rank 3 requests.”

Originally they planned three days of adjustment.

But one day was enough.

‘Honestly Rank 3 will still be easy…’

Still, she didn’t want Rank 4.

Too rare. Too troublesome.

And might require more people.

‘I don’t want to add anyone.’

Even adding this unfamiliar old guide annoyed her.

More party members? No thanks.

“Understood.”

Jake nodded quietly.

‘Her personality… is it good or bad…?’

You could call it firm.

Objectively? Rude.

Especially toward him.

‘She wasn’t this bad before…’

Still upset about the porter comment?

Jake didn’t care.

Yuri smacked his lips and glanced at Elena.

She was brushing her messy hair.

Ten years ago, Elena had short hair. The reason was simple.

Long hair was troublesome and hard to manage.

Because of that, all the girls at the Aldor orphanage wore it short.
But now, Elena’s hair fell all the way down her back.

Her bangs, mussed with sweat, caught Yuri’s eye.

“Not thinking of cutting it?”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“Isn’t it annoying to comb it every time you use magic?”

“That’s just because I’m still inexperienced.”

Elena pouted and set the comb on her lap.

“Look at Lady Orca or Senior Lacy. Their hair doesn’t stand up just from casting spells. Once you reach Tier 5, your body balances with the mana you use. After that, your hair doesn’t go wild anymore.”

“So you’re not cutting it until you hit Tier 5?”

“Yeah.”

Apparently, it was her own little stubbornness.

They returned to town, but before going back to the inn, they stopped by the Adventurers’ Guild to return their bracelets.

“Thirty-one goblins… confirmed.”

Elena had slain all sorts of monsters today, but Yuri had killed only goblins.

“Your reward is 150,000 cel.”

That worked out to 50,000 per ten.

It really drove home how cheap a monster’s life was in a Rift where they reproduced endlessly.

The martial art Yuri learned alone cost hundreds of millions.
To buy a top-tier technique just by killing goblins, he’d need to slaughter hundreds of thousands.

“The average reward for a Rank 2 request is 100,000 cel,” Elena whispered after noticing his expression.

“High-rank adventurers make good money. Low-rank ones struggle just to eat day by day. How does it feel learning this harsh truth?”

“I feel fine.”

“It’s hard for adventurers to get rich. That’s why most rent rooms from inns partnered with the Guild. Don’t you want your own house?”

“Technically your mansion isn’t fully yours either.”

Elena’s lips snapped shut.

“And it’s the same everywhere. The top earn a lot. The bottom don’t. That’s normal.”

“So you’ll become a top adventurer and make lots of money?”

“Still haven’t decided if I’ll be a real adventurer. But if I earn a lot, I’ll pay back my debt to you first.”

“Debt…”
Her lips puffed out.

“That sounds kind of cold.”

“Then I’ll repay the favor.”

“How’s that different?”

“The word’s different.”

“Sounds the same to me.”

They bickered while collecting the reward.

When he tried handing her the 150,000 cel—

“I’m not taking it. You killed them.”

Yuri had never refused something given to him.

After parting with Jake and leaving the Guild building, something caught his eye.

He stopped walking and stared at it.

Turning slowly, he saw Elena’s back a short distance ahead.

Her blonde hair—freshly brushed smooth—swayed with each step.

“Why?”

She turned around.

It was hot. They’d climbed the mountain. She’d spammed magic. Sweat clung to her pale forehead.

A few strands stuck there.

Her pretty blue eyes blinked at him.

“Wait a second.”

Yuri suddenly spun around and entered a nearby shop.

Startled, Elena tried to follow—

But Haryeong quickly grabbed her wrist.

“Oh my, oh my.”

“W-what? Why?”

“He said ‘wait a second,’ didn’t he? So let’s wait… just a second.”

“Why though? What is it?”

“Now now. Don’t look back.”

She physically turned Elena around.

The strength made resistance impossible.

Ten minutes passed like that—just a staring match with Haryeong.

Right as Elena decided she’d had enough—

“I’m back.”

Yuri’s voice.

“What were you doing all alone?!”

“Sorry. Something just caught my eye. Don’t be mad.”

“Yes, miss, don’t be mad. Please don’t be mad. Oh my, oh my…”

“What is it?!”

Just as she turned—

Yuri’s arm suddenly extended in front of her face.

“….”

A blue hairpin with a carved flower.

“I figured you wouldn’t wear a headband or band.”

At home she sometimes tied her hair back, but never outside.

She did use hairpins often, though.

Usually plain ones.

But he’d thought maybe something like this would suit her.

He’d seen it by chance—and got hooked.

Not overly flashy.
The color matched her eyes.

He’d gone into the shop… then hesitated.

Gold flower? Wouldn’t show in blonde hair.
But a gold flower for someone nicknamed Marigold felt silly.

Three minutes debating that.
Two more debating the price.

Way more expensive than expected.

Not even Lutran, just an adventurer town—yet the hairpin cost 1,000,000 cel.

Real gemstone, apparently.

The shop did look fancy.

He’d still been willing to buy it.

After everything she’d done, was 1,000,000 too much?

Still, he tried bargaining.

Got it down to 600,000.

Maybe the original price was fake. Maybe the gem was fake.

Didn’t matter.

He liked it.

The moment he saw it, he thought it suited her.

“Is… is this for me?”

She alternated between the hairpin and Yuri’s smiling face.

This was a *real* gift.

Not something won in negotiation.

Like the doll from the orphanage.

Something truly from him.

“Yeah.”

“…Why?”

“You said you weren’t cutting your hair.”

Their carriage conversation.

She took it with trembling hands.

Her lips parted—

“I…”

No.

She swallowed it.

She’d decided already.

She’d confess after returning to Lutran.

“…Thank you.”

Her smile looked natural.

Her face burned—not from summer heat.

From emotion.

“I’ll wear it after we get back to the mansion.”

“Why not now?”

“No. Absolutely not. I’m wearing a robe. I didn’t wash my hair. And from tomorrow we’ll be camping in the mountains for Rank 3 requests.”

She wanted to dress nicely first.

“I don’t want to dirty the gift you gave me.”

Monster blood. Mountain dust.

Just imagining it touching the hairpin felt awful.

“Then I guess that’s that.”

He wanted to see it on her.

But she had a point.

“Oh my, oh my…”

Haryeong’s smile deepened.

“Quite a good choice for you, Yuri. Honestly, I was worried. If you’d bought something hideous enough to question your taste, I might’ve had to destroy it for the lady’s dignity.”

He ignored her teasing.

Elena stared at the hairpin for a long time, then carefully tucked it into her clothes.

So it wouldn’t get dirty.
So it wouldn’t break.

‘I want to go back sooner.’

She’d planned to stay longer before Yuri left.

But now—

‘Maybe just a week… then back to Lutran.’

She slapped her burning cheeks lightly and looked ahead.

Lagos loomed in the distance.

Under the darkening sky, the crimson rift mist hung over it—like dusk and night mixed together.

Ominous.

But beautiful.

They encountered the Blood Fiend Ghost five days after entering Lagos.