Ramu (2)
“Here, cocoa.”
“…Thank you.”
Hoon sat in the chair opposite Ramu, who was fidgeting on the sofa, handing her the warm cocoa. He sipped his own coffee, patiently waiting for her to calm down.
‘The most shocked must be her, after all.’
Before coming to Earth, she had been a child barely surviving each day in a world on the brink of destruction with her brother. Thanks to Heinrich’s holy power used for healing, she had improved a lot, but she was still frail compared to her peers.
‘She probably hasn’t even adapted to Earth yet, and suddenly she’s been thrown into another world…’
On top of that, the first person she encountered was a black dragon, who displayed hostility while radiating an intimidating presence; it was no surprise that she might have developed some trauma.
Fortunately, Hwiryeong had stuck close to her for protection; if that hadn’t happened, it would surely have dealt a blow to her mental state that would be hard to recover from.
‘…Or maybe not really?’
Hoon glanced sideways. Ramu had been glancing nervously at him, and finally, carefully gripping the warm cup, she started sipping on the cocoa.
She looked just like a pitiful child, but beneath that innocent façade, she was definitely not an ordinary being.
‘The final savior chosen by the Holy God of a crumbling world.’
Although that potential had been dashed when the world fell apart before it could bloom, the burden of the world bestowed upon her did not simply vanish.
If only she had had a little more time, she surely would have become a stepping stone to save the world in some way.
‘Like, she was meant to be a hero, right?’
They had a connection, though Hoon couldn’t fathom how freely crossing dimensions related to saving the world.
As a being with near-omniscient powers, the Holy God surely had some intention behind it.
Perhaps the development direction of her abilities had twisted slightly as the original purpose was lost.
“Ah! Ouch!”
Despite looking like a mere child now, Hoon sighed gently at Ramu’s pouting appearance as she stuck out her tongue.
He looked at her seriously and slowly broached the main topic.
“Ramu, I have something important to tell you first.”
“Yes?”
“I had planned to tell you later… but…”
The situation had changed. With the foreboding future he had witnessed, and Ramu suddenly awakening her powers, there was no luxury in babying a potential powerhouse when the future was so uncertain.
“It’s about the destruction of your world… the Koshiyas dimension.”
Additionally, it was also about her parents’ and brother’s deaths. All those tragedies were connected by a single cause.
“Why that world had to perish. And who I’ve been fighting all this time.”
At his words, Ramu’s expression hardened. Unconsciously gripping the mug too tightly, her hand turned pale.
Seeing her like that, Hoon felt a pang of sympathy but didn’t stop speaking.
She absolutely had to know the whole story.
It was her right and duty to know.
“I’ll tell you everything.”
…Except for his own secrets.
*
A long tale unfolded.
During the conversation, Ramu occasionally asked questions, attentively listening to him. Despite it being a sensitive topic for her, she managed to maintain her composure throughout.
Perhaps Hwiryeong curling up on her lap contributed to her calmness.
While petting its smooth body, she never lost her focus for even a moment.
“…So I need your help. Until now, they’ve been using openings to strike back decently, but I’m not sure how long that can last.”
After finishing his explanation, Hoon exhaled softly and gulped down his now cold coffee in one go.
The Buncheon Society had been lurking in the shadows of the world for decades, swallowing several nations whole.
Despite having crushed many of their branches and making progress, their power was still unfathomably strong.
‘If I hadn’t kept my identity so thoroughly concealed, we’d never have had a chance to fight in the first place.’
The reason they had only suffered until now was that they hadn’t been able to fully grasp the identity of his avatars… his true self.
Given the constraints that prevented him from revealing himself in public, taking out enemies without a sound was the most reliable method; however, it was incredibly frustrating not being able to identify the targets.
There was a limit to setting traps, and having broken several already, the other side was likely fuming.
‘If that leads to the Buncheon Society leader taking the stage personally…’
He had to nail it down before that could happen.
The first priority would be to dismantle the Buncheon Society, the foundation of their power.
To confront them, he needed as many talented individuals by his side as possible.
While Hoon was lost in thought after his explanation, Ramu, hugging Hwiryeong and bowing her head, spoke in a barely audible voice.
“Actually…”
“When I realized I had gained the ability to go to the place you wanted… to see someone…”
She looked up at Hoon with a faint smile, petting the baby dragon’s head, which seemed entirely uninterested in the heavy conversation.
“I tried to go to where my brother is.”
“…That is.”
Hoon was about to respond but fell silent. Just by looking at her expression, he could tell how her attempt had turned out.
“But I can’t go…”
She continued, forcing a strained smile that confirmed his suspicions.
It was only natural.
Her power was about traversing dimensions and ignoring space constraints, but it was far from being able to meet someone who had already passed away.
‘And looking at the state of Koshiyas dimension…’
It was doubtful whether anything resembling the afterlife that had performed that role in that world remained intact.
It probably silently perished the moment the world fell apart.
Ramu hugged Hwiryeong tightly again.
-“No matter what anyone says, you are my little sister.”
She still couldn’t grasp what that statement meant.
But she could feel deeply that it was filled with thoughts of herself.
[Qing!]
At that moment, as if feeling uncomfortable in the hugged position, Hwiryeong squirmed a few times, but Ramu held on tight, refusing to let go of that warmth.
That momentary struggle only ended when Hwiryeong, defeated, completely relaxed.
Meanwhile, Ramu softly smiled at the sight, and then turned to Hoon with resolve.
Thud.
In that instant, a drop of water fell downward.
But she didn’t show any indication of it, nor did Hoon point it out.
They merely exchanged the words they had to say to each other.
“So, what can I do?”
“Well, it’s clear you possess a remarkable ability, but the full extent of its potential hasn’t been revealed yet, so let’s first determine what you can do.”
Every ability can be developed.
Since her powers had just awakened, the direction of their development hadn’t been fully determined.
Instead of fixating on what was already established, they needed to explore what else was possible in various ways.
“Then first…”
Hoon trailed off, a grin spreading across his face.
“To save time, shall we jump to another world?”
The time difference between Earth and this world was about tenfold.
Considering training or anything else, this world was more suitable than Earth.
‘Now I just need to figure out how to bring her along, so this works out nicely.’
And what to do next was already decided.
*
“…I see. So those people were connected to Horus’ world?”
“Hehe.”
Horus smiled sheepishly, sticking his tongue out, while the blue dragon looked at him with a troubled expression and turned her gaze backward.
“Ugh! Ugh—! Uuuuh!”
“Shh— quiet down now, Black Dragon. We’re having a conversation here?”
“Uaaaah!”
“Okay, okay. I know how you feel, so be quiet. Otherwise, you’ll get another smack?”
“……….”
The Black Dragon, completely subdued, couldn’t move or even speak, while the Red Dragon threatened her with a fierce expression. Meanwhile, the White Dragon, completely ignoring the situation, kept a watchful eye on Hwiryeong and the outsiders.
The chaos arose from a simple reason.
The human girl who had vanished after turning the Dragon God Shrine upside down had reappeared once again.
And this time, she wasn’t alone, with a man in tow.
“…Honestly, letting them stay on Gonmudo isn’t a big problem. Recently, a friendly atmosphere between humans has formed, and quite a few have been coming and going there. But asking to let them roam freely in the Dragon God Shrine is a bit…”
The Blue Dragon placed a hand on her cheek, sighed, and shook her head.
The Dragon God Shrine was a sanctuary solely for dragons.
They couldn’t allow humans, especially beings from another world, to enter this place.
“Well, it seems troublesome, huh? I just wanted to let Hwiryeong mingle since she gets along well…”
Horus smiled awkwardly.
Given that there were already precedents, he thought allowing them to come and go wouldn’t be a problem.
But clearly, from their perspective, that was unacceptable.
‘This makes meeting Ramu and Hwiryeong difficult, right? That’s a bit of a bother.’
It wasn’t just about mental care.
Hwiryeong’s presence had significantly aided the growth of her powers.
‘Actually, the reason she awakened her abilities in the first place was her desire to meet Hwiryeong.’
Because Hwiryeong was so well-known for its prowess, being with it positively affected her power, almost like a blessing.
Considering all these factors, the choice to make their first visit the Ganghwan Realm had been made, but…
‘But I can’t just take the precious Hwiryeong outside. What should I do?’
However, Horus’ dilemmas didn’t last long.
As if knowing his worries, the subject of them promptly offered a solution to dispel his concerns.
[Kyuu?]
Horus, with a bewildered expression, locked eyes with Hwiryeong, who stared back at him with round eyes.
The Blue Dragon reacted similarly to her behavior.
‘We didn’t sense anything until she appeared. When did she come here?’
They turned their gaze towards the spot where Hwiryeong had been just moments before.
‘This is…?’
Indeed, there was another one.
A baby dragon that looked exactly like Hwiryeong was quietly curled up and sleeping.
They had seen this sight several times before.
‘Did she project her clone here?’
It was certain that this ability was only possible when sending clones to Earth.
Evidently, Hwiryeong hadn’t been idling around.
‘…She has grown.’
Perhaps it was easier within the same dimension.
In any case, this meant there was no longer a need for concern.
Just like when she was on Earth, the main body was here, and only Hwiryeong’s clone would go out.
“My goodness, Hwiryeong is truly a genius! She hasn’t even trained yet and can already perform such advanced techniques!”
“Oh? Very impressive. It might be time to start teaching her some practical combat skills.”
“Ugh—! Pah! Let me go, Red Dragon! I’ll stay still!”
“I’m looking forward to her future. She seems smart; perhaps we should start regular training soon? Even starting a bit earlier might not be a problem…”
While the other dragons roared about witnessing that ability for the first time, it was not an unusual event to them.
Thanks to this, Ramu could quickly adapt to the Ganghwan Realm, or more specifically, Gonmudo.
Since Hwiryeong was almost always with her, Ramu, who had always been cooped up in her room gazing at the sky, actively roamed around, taking in the new world.
Not only honing the abilities she had awakened, but also growing mentally through interactions with others.
The time given, more than ten times that of Earth, was more than enough for her rapid transformation.
‘I think she has gotten somewhat accustomed to using her abilities now.’
Hoon, the dedicated manager who had come to the Ganghwan Realm for Ramu’s care, stroked his chin thoughtfully.
‘Then it should be about time to use that.’
Although it had been slightly delayed due to the special authority she awakened, this was precisely the option he had originally considered.
There was one surefire secret to guarantee the growth rate without trying to juggle two things at once.
‘Indeed, to use that, I first need to go back to Earth. I wonder what will happen if I use that on Ramu.’
Hoon’s eyes sparkled.
He had confirmed that the “Karma Shop Ver.3” had opened and the ‘VIP Market’ had an addition, but he hadn’t had the opportunity to use it since.
[“Invitation (1,000,000)”]
A particularly special item that forcibly awakens a non-awakened person.
Now was the perfect time to give it a try.
