The Main Characters That Only I Know

Chapter 194:

Chapter 194

“By the way, Ms. Sumin. Have you recovered some of your strength?”

Knowing that he couldn’t keep using her lap as a pillow in front of Kwon Jia and Kang Hye-rim, Yu-hyun sat up straight and asked her that.

Seo Sumin, who seemed to regret losing the opportunity to tease Yu-hyun, answered him with a sour expression.

“Of course not. I was a transcendent in my previous life, not now, right?”

“You were pretty strong for someone who wasn’t.”

“It was a momentary awakening. I mean, I exploded my willpower to the maximum and transcended my current pathetic body, reproducing the power of my prime for a very brief moment. If it was really the power of my prime, that spirit wouldn’t have been a match for me.”

That was the unadorned truth.

It wasn’t a lie to boost her pride. 

Seo Sumin was cold and objective about her own level.

“Of course, I can’t do that now. Even that was possible because I was lucky. I can’t use that power properly right now.”

Seo Sumin clenched and unclenched her small hand. But even though she said that, her power was still not to be underestimated.

She was much stronger than before, although not as much as Kwon Jia and Kang Hye-rim, who had improved significantly. 

If he had to rank her, she was only one grade below them. 

And even then, she could easily beat a mid-level collector.

But what was more frightening was that Seo Sumin had infinite potential for growth.

She had already walked the path to the transcendent’s seat once. She could walk it again. And this time, the path would be faster and more accurate.

“Especially, this power of stories is really amazing.”

“Didn’t you have it in the martial world?”

“No. There was nothing like that back then. After all, a martial artist is someone who becomes stronger with their own power. It would be more accurate to say that they didn’t need it.”

“Ms. Sumin’s previous world was less mixed with the hybrid system than Earth.”

Yu-hyun said that, but he felt ‘huh?’ inside.

Seo Sumin became stronger without the influence of the hybrid system, that is, the power of stories. 

It was something that no one on Earth before the era of thought integration could ever dream of.

“Ms. Sumin. You awakened as a collector after this incident, right?”

“Of course.”

She regained her power as a heavenly demon and became a collector. 

Not by the choice of an unknown being, but by her own power.

Most people need to be affected by the Genesis system to become collectors. But Seo Sumin was the opposite. 

She forced open the door that wouldn’t open and entered, earning her qualification.

“I can handle this too.”

Seo Sumin said that and showed him a white text floating on her hand. 

He saw countless tiny letters spinning in a circle.

Kwon Jia and Kang Hye-rim were also slightly surprised.

It was an unbelievable skill for someone who had just awakened.

“It’s amazing. These small letters are much more pure than what they call inner strength. Natural energy. No, maybe it’s something more fundamental than that.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Of course, even if you raise it a hundred times, you can’t overcome the wall without your own ‘story’. But Seo Sumin was different.

Other people were like mass-produced cars, no matter how good the fuel they used or how excellent the driver they hired, there was a limit.

On the other hand, Seo Sumin was a supercar. 

All the components were different from other collectors. 

And yet she showed overwhelming performance while using cheap fuel, what if she used proper fuel?

‘That’s crazy. I realize it now, but I literally recruited an amazing talent.’

It was a painful thing to have to send such a Seo Sumin to the academy instead of deploying her to the field right away.

“By the way, how are your parents? Are they okay?”

Yu-hyun suddenly wondered about that. Seo Sumin had parents and even a sibling in this life, not just in her previous one.

It would be difficult for a minor to awaken and become a collector by their own will without their parents’ consent. And that part was entirely up to Baek Seoryeon, the representative of Baekhwa Management.

“You don’t have to worry about that. My parents gladly agreed.”

“That’s surprising.”

Usually, parents would discourage their children from becoming collectors, because of the danger. But Seo Sumin’s parents were different. 

They didn’t really want her to do it either, but they couldn’t break their daughter’s will, who had always been depressed and lonely, when she finally insisted on doing something she wanted.

They felt sorry for not being able to do anything for her before, so they didn’t want to stop her.

Yu Hyun, who didn’t know that, thought they were quite bold people.

As a result, everything related to Seo Sumin’s work went smoothly. 

She had really awakened as a collector, so getting certified by the association would be a matter of time. 

And along with that, she would quickly get affiliated with the academy.

She was going with Yura, so Yu Hyun was even less worried.

Even if she couldn’t adapt, she had a close friend at least, and besides, at Seo Sumin’s level, she could crush all the other students in the academy right now.

“To be honest, I’m looking forward to the academy.”

More than anything, Seo Sumin herself wanted it the most.

“I didn’t have a good school life before. Now that I’ve changed my mind, I’m full of motivation to do something.”

“You’ll do well on your own.”

“Of course, I know that. They’re all awakeners or prospective collectors, but they’re still young kids, aren’t they? But that doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore them or look down on them. I’ll just lower my eyes a bit and adjust myself accordingly.”

Yu Hyun didn’t ask why she had to hide her power.

She knew better than anyone what fate befell those who had too much power.

He couldn’t casually tell her to do her best. 

There was no need for that either.

“Well, you shouldn’t be too modest either. You should get some privileges.”

“I know that too.”

“Privileges? Come to think of it, I heard about it before…”

Kang Hye-rim, who had been listening quietly, clapped her hands as if she remembered something.

“You mean the special permit that allows you to enter the world of ideas even though you’re a minor?”

“Yes, that’s right. Normally, minors affiliated with the academy can’t enter the world of ideas freely. They have to meet various annoying conditions to do so.”

It was a law that was created because of the precedent of high school students who died after running wild in the world of ideas after awakening as collectors. 

Minor collectors were strictly prohibited from entering the world of ideas, and they could only do so after receiving an evaluation that they were good enough.

Even then, there was a restriction that they had to have a companion with them.

Seo Sumin was a bit dissatisfied with that part.

“Tsk. I guess there are still a lot of people who rely on their petty power and look down on me. When I see them, they remind me of those noble kids who flaunt their mediocre martial arts skills.”

“That kind of people are not just common in all countries, but in all worlds.”

“Well, I guess so. Not everyone in the world can be smart. Especially when power and knowledge are rarely proportional.”

“Still, you’ll easily get that privilege.”

“What’s the condition?”

“You have to rank within the top three in the whole school. Of course, this includes both written and practical tests. You have to do that to get the ‘qualification’ to challenge for the privilege. After that, you have to pass a line through an instructor certified by the state, and then sign a contract with all kinds of clauses and take a personality test in case something happens again.”

As Yu Hyun listed the conditions one by one, Kang Hye-rim and Kwon Jia also looked annoyed.

They weren’t hard per se, but they were very time-consuming and bothersome.

The problem was that there were more than one or two people who were aiming for that privilege.

“Well, it’s easy for you anyway. It’s more fun to challenge something when the bar is high.”

“You have about a week left until you transfer in, so you can rest until then. You can eat what you want or go where you want to have fun. You should have enough money because of the contract money.”

She had gotten her parents’ permission too. Seo Sumin could now stay here as well. 

Of course, she was free to go out and hang out with her friends.

However, Seo Sumin seemed to have a different idea from Yu Hyun.

“We’re family now, but I can’t just sit around and play. And I just got interested in something new.”

Seo Sumin’s eyes turned to Kang Hye-rim and Kwon Jia.

“I can make you two stronger.”

“Huh? Um…”

“Mm.”

The two of them were surprised, but they didn’t feel uncomfortable. 

They would have been ignorant of her power, but they had seen her fight against Chulapantaka. 

They were in no position to ask for her help.

Seo Sumin also pointed to Yu Hyun.

“Of course, you too.”

Yu Hyun asked as if he was surprised.

“Me too?”

“Yes. I didn’t know before, but your body changed a lot after you died and came back to life, right?”

“…You can’t fool your eyes, can you?”

“Your power is not just the mask, but your body is also unbelievably strong. It’s not just for bringing out the optimal power. It’s literally close to the ultimate body that all martial artists crave for.”

Seo Sumin said that and reached out to touch Yu Hyun’s arm. She didn’t mind the feeling of the clothes, and she scanned Yu Hyun’s body with a serious look.

Kang Hye-rim and Kwon Jia gave her a strange look of envy.

Of course, it was not directed at Yu-hyun, who had the ultimate body, but at Seo Su Min, who was subtly touching his arm.

Feeling the gaze, Yu-hyun quickly pulled his arm away.

“Hey, stop. Stop touching me.”

“What’s wrong with you? It’s not like it’s going to wear off if I touch it. You should be more proud of your body right now. And shouldn’t you be grateful that I’m touching you? What was it, in this industry, they call it a reward?”

“…That’s what only a few perverts would say. What does my body condition have to do with you helping me?”

“It has everything to do with it. Everything.”

Seo Su Min said that and pushed her upper body closer to him.

As her face rapidly approached, Yu-hyun quickly moved his body back. 

Her breath was close enough to touch his skin.

“That’s because your flesh is the most suitable for receiving my secret technique, the Seven Demon Black Sky Divine Skill.”

“What?”