Liar Paradox - Chapter 39
"Still, he seems better than before? There's no visible difference, but I feel like something's changed."
"Well, that's only natural since the long-awaited compatible guide finally showed up."
But for that, the effect doesn't seem all that impressive, Seong Semin thought.
With a 98% compatibility rate, shouldn't the energy stabilize just by holding hands?
Wait a minute... did Gu Jei get scammed?
Right at that moment, the door opened and a familiar face entered.
"Team Leader!"
Woo Taegyu greeted the person who entered with a bright smile, while Seong Semin's expression crumpled instantly. The saying "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear" wasn't just an empty phrase.
Why is he here already, when it's not even night? Did he suddenly feel like hunting someone early today?
Under Seong Semin's fierce gaze, the intruder lowered his eyes, as if intimidated. Seong Semin snorted derisively and turned to Gu Jei.
"Why did you bring him here?"
"He's not here to see you."
"Exactly, he's here to see me."
A short-haired woman descended the stairs, echoing Gu Jei's words. It was Baek Haeryeong, who had returned from her mission earlier that morning. Seong Semin's brow furrowed.
"Team Leader, why is Haeryung-nuna here? Are you hurt somewhere?"
"Not me."
Gu Jei gestured toward the uninvited guest standing nearby. Only then did Seong Semin notice the bandage wrapped around the intruder's hand. His frown deepened, now tinged with disbelief.
"Did you lose a finger or something?"
"It's broken."
"Broken? You're getting treated by Haeryung-nuna for just a broken finger?"
Baek Haeryeong was the second busiest and most sought-after person at the center, after Gu Jei. It was no exaggeration to say that if you lined up everyone waiting to be treated by her, the queue could stretch across the entire Earth.
And this guy was getting Baek Haeryeong's treatment for just a broken hand? Seong Semin glared at the intruder, his frustration mounting.
"Wow, this is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous."
"I said I'm fine. Why are you making such a fuss?"
Baek Haeryeong casually ignored Seong Semin.
"Ignore that grumbling guy and come over here. This is our first proper greeting, right? I'm Baek Haeryeong."
"...Yeo Hanseo."
Yeo Hanseo seemed slightly nervous, perhaps due to his shyness. Baek Haeryeong glanced at Gu Jei. Usually, the person who brought someone new would take the initiative to introduce them and ease the tension. But Gu Jei stood there stiffly, as silent and aloof as ever.
Honestly, Team Leader... Baek Haeryeong shook her head inwardly. Well, it's not like Gu Jei has ever introduced anyone before. He never had friends or lovers, and now suddenly he has a husband...
Baek Haeryeong watched Yeo Hanseo standing awkwardly. Seong Semin, who had always despised male Guides, treated Yeo Hanseo with hostility, but Baek Haeryeong felt differently.
For an Esper to find a compatible guide was something to celebrate. And with a matching rate of 98%, it could only be described as a divine miracle. An Esper's rampage was a problem that even an S-Class Healer couldn't resolve, let alone an A-Class one.
Baek Haeryeong offered Yeo Hanseo a warm smile, welcoming him on behalf of Seong Semin as well.
For some reason, Yeo Hanseo seemed to stiffen even more at her smile, but she dismissed it as her imagination.
"May I see your injured hand?"
After a moment's hesitation, Yeo Hanseo extended his hand. Baek Haeryeong placed Yeo Hanseo's injured hand on her own and covered it with her other hand. A soft, warm light, like the morning sun, radiated from Baek Haeryeong.
As the light faded, Baek Haeryeong removed her hands and began unwrapping the bandage from Yeo Hanseo's hand. The loosened bandage fell to the floor, revealing his bare hand.
"Ta-da! All healed!"
As Baek Haeryeong said, the hand was completely healed, as if it had never been injured in the first place. Yeo Hanseo's eyes widened in astonishment at this miracle he had just witnessed. Baek Haeryeong, who enjoyed seeing people's reactions of awe and wonder when they experienced her abilities, felt a surge of delight at Yeo Hanseo's reaction.
"Bet you've never seen anything like this before, right? Not just anyone gets to witness this."
Baek Haeryeong playfully boasted, but Seong Semin immediately cut in.
"Exactly! Where else would you see something like this? Calling in a precious Healer over a mere broken hand. Especially an A-Class Healer, they're capable of reviving the dead!"
"No, I can't do that."
"......"
Seong Semin shot Baek Haeryeong a resentful glare for refusing to play along. But Baek Haeryeong even added, "Semin, how could I revive the dead? If I could do that, I'd be a god, not a Healer."
Despite her gentle appearance and warm demeanor, Baek Haeryeong was an intensely pragmatic person.
"......"
Yeo Hanseo quietly observed the scene.
In truth, he had encountered Baek Haeryeong in his previous life.
But he never knew Baek Haeryeong was this kind of person.
So you knew all along.
The Baek Haeryeong Hanseo remembered could be summed up in a single sentence:
She knew she couldn't bring the dead back to life.
Baek Haeryeong was a madwoman.
After the appearance of the a gate of unknown class, dubbed the Great Catastrophe, countless Espers struggled to conquer it.
But they all died. All except Baek Haeryeong.
Baek Haeryeong's exceptional healing abilities weren't limited to others. Having returned from the dead, she formed a new team and re-entered the Gate, only to emerge alone once more. By then, she was the sole surviving Healer in the world. Entering a Gate without a Healer was tantamount to suicide, so Baek Haeryeong relentlessly led new teams into the Gates.
And then, she finally went completely mad.
At that time, Hanseo was moving alongside the Cult Leader. All the Espers who wanted to save the world were dead, leaving only despicable bastards like the Cult Leader and his followers to seek ways to survive while evading the monsters.
One day, Hanseo saw a woman rummaging through a pile of corpses. At first, he didn't recognize her, but her actions soon revealed her identity. Baek Haeryeong was relentlessly using her ability on someone lying on the ground, even though it was already a lifeless corpse.
The Cult Leader, seeing Baek Haeryeong's potential, recruited her. Through this, Seong Semin's younger sibling, who was traveling with Baek Haeryeong, also became a follower of the Infinite Harmony Cult.
"Mr. Yeo Hanseo?"
The voice calling his name pulled Hanseo out of his horrific memories.
"Are you alright? Did seeing something like this for the first time shock you too much?"
Baek Haeryeong was looking at him with a worried expression. Her clear, innocent face was both identical to his memories and yet completely different. Hanseo parted his dry lips.
"No, thank you for treating me."
"It's nothing. As a team member, I have to take responsibility for what the Team Leader does."
Gu Jei must have told Baek Haeryeong how Hanseo's hand had been injured. Indeed, Baek Haeryeong's skills were remarkable, both in his past life and now. He idly flexed his hand, which was now completely pain-free, when Gu Jei spoke up.
"Since the treatment is finished, I'll be leaving now."
"Why are you leaving so soon after coming all this way? Stay a little longer."
"That's right. We'd be disappointed if you're already leaving."
Baek Haeryeong and Woo Taegyu tried to hold back Gu Jei, who was about to leave immediately after finishing his business. Seong Semin's face twisted like someone who stepped in dog poop as he watched them.
Seeing Gu Jei wearing an expression that said 'I don't understand why I should stay longer' Baek Hae-ryeong shook her head slightly.
"We'll be seeing each other often in the future," she said. "We should at least say proper goodbyes."
Hanseo glanced at Gu Jei. His expression remained unreadable, but Hanseo guessed he was probably thinking something along the lines of 'We won't be seeing each other often at all'.
Hanseo felt the same way. Why would he need to see Gu Jei's teammates frequently? It wasn't like they'd be entering the Gates together.
"This person is..."
Gu Jei was about to speak when Baek Haeryeong's watch suddenly began to blare loudly.
Han Seo watched as the team members' expressions instantly froze. Even Baek Haeryeong, who had been laughing playfully just moments before, now looked grim.
After checking her watch, Baek Haeryeong slowly raised her head, her face completely devoid of any trace of a smile.
"Team Leader," she said, "they've reported that the Miudong Gate mission has failed."
"Well, that's only natural since the long-awaited compatible guide finally showed up."
But for that, the effect doesn't seem all that impressive, Seong Semin thought.
With a 98% compatibility rate, shouldn't the energy stabilize just by holding hands?
Wait a minute... did Gu Jei get scammed?
Right at that moment, the door opened and a familiar face entered.
"Team Leader!"
Woo Taegyu greeted the person who entered with a bright smile, while Seong Semin's expression crumpled instantly. The saying "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear" wasn't just an empty phrase.
Why is he here already, when it's not even night? Did he suddenly feel like hunting someone early today?
Seong Semin grumbled inwardly, his eyes catching a small face peeking out from behind Gu Jei. He hadn't realized someone was hidden behind Gu Jei's frame.
"Huh?"
Woo Taegyu seemed to recognize the newcomer too, his eyes widening as he stared intently. A booming shout soon echoed through the room:
"Sister-in-law, you're here too!"
The room instantly grew cold. Only Woo Taegyu remained oblivious, blinking innocently, unaware of the tension.
"What's with calling a man 'Sister-in-law'?" Seong Semin snapped irritably. The mere sound of it made him sick.
With long strides matching his long legs, Seong Semin pushed Woo Taegyu aside and stepped in front of the uninvited guest.
He'd seen him at the wedding, but never this close. Even then, he'd thought he looked unmanly, but up close it was worse.
What the hell is this face?
"Huh?"
Woo Taegyu seemed to recognize the newcomer too, his eyes widening as he stared intently. A booming shout soon echoed through the room:
"Sister-in-law, you're here too!"
The room instantly grew cold. Only Woo Taegyu remained oblivious, blinking innocently, unaware of the tension.
"What's with calling a man 'Sister-in-law'?" Seong Semin snapped irritably. The mere sound of it made him sick.
With long strides matching his long legs, Seong Semin pushed Woo Taegyu aside and stepped in front of the uninvited guest.
He'd seen him at the wedding, but never this close. Even then, he'd thought he looked unmanly, but up close it was worse.
What the hell is this face?
A small, pale face with big eyes and red lips, like a doll little girls play with. But what good is being pretty? The fact that he had the same thing hanging between his legs remained unchanged.
Under Seong Semin's fierce gaze, the intruder lowered his eyes, as if intimidated. Seong Semin snorted derisively and turned to Gu Jei.
"Why did you bring him here?"
"He's not here to see you."
"Exactly, he's here to see me."
A short-haired woman descended the stairs, echoing Gu Jei's words. It was Baek Haeryeong, who had returned from her mission earlier that morning. Seong Semin's brow furrowed.
"Team Leader, why is Haeryung-nuna here? Are you hurt somewhere?"
"Not me."
Gu Jei gestured toward the uninvited guest standing nearby. Only then did Seong Semin notice the bandage wrapped around the intruder's hand. His frown deepened, now tinged with disbelief.
"Did you lose a finger or something?"
"It's broken."
"Broken? You're getting treated by Haeryung-nuna for just a broken finger?"
Baek Haeryeong was the second busiest and most sought-after person at the center, after Gu Jei. It was no exaggeration to say that if you lined up everyone waiting to be treated by her, the queue could stretch across the entire Earth.
And this guy was getting Baek Haeryeong's treatment for just a broken hand? Seong Semin glared at the intruder, his frustration mounting.
"Wow, this is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous."
"I said I'm fine. Why are you making such a fuss?"
Baek Haeryeong casually ignored Seong Semin.
"Ignore that grumbling guy and come over here. This is our first proper greeting, right? I'm Baek Haeryeong."
"...Yeo Hanseo."
Yeo Hanseo seemed slightly nervous, perhaps due to his shyness. Baek Haeryeong glanced at Gu Jei. Usually, the person who brought someone new would take the initiative to introduce them and ease the tension. But Gu Jei stood there stiffly, as silent and aloof as ever.
Honestly, Team Leader... Baek Haeryeong shook her head inwardly. Well, it's not like Gu Jei has ever introduced anyone before. He never had friends or lovers, and now suddenly he has a husband...
Baek Haeryeong watched Yeo Hanseo standing awkwardly. Seong Semin, who had always despised male Guides, treated Yeo Hanseo with hostility, but Baek Haeryeong felt differently.
For an Esper to find a compatible guide was something to celebrate. And with a matching rate of 98%, it could only be described as a divine miracle. An Esper's rampage was a problem that even an S-Class Healer couldn't resolve, let alone an A-Class one.
Baek Haeryeong offered Yeo Hanseo a warm smile, welcoming him on behalf of Seong Semin as well.
For some reason, Yeo Hanseo seemed to stiffen even more at her smile, but she dismissed it as her imagination.
"May I see your injured hand?"
After a moment's hesitation, Yeo Hanseo extended his hand. Baek Haeryeong placed Yeo Hanseo's injured hand on her own and covered it with her other hand. A soft, warm light, like the morning sun, radiated from Baek Haeryeong.
As the light faded, Baek Haeryeong removed her hands and began unwrapping the bandage from Yeo Hanseo's hand. The loosened bandage fell to the floor, revealing his bare hand.
"Ta-da! All healed!"
As Baek Haeryeong said, the hand was completely healed, as if it had never been injured in the first place. Yeo Hanseo's eyes widened in astonishment at this miracle he had just witnessed. Baek Haeryeong, who enjoyed seeing people's reactions of awe and wonder when they experienced her abilities, felt a surge of delight at Yeo Hanseo's reaction.
"Bet you've never seen anything like this before, right? Not just anyone gets to witness this."
Baek Haeryeong playfully boasted, but Seong Semin immediately cut in.
"Exactly! Where else would you see something like this? Calling in a precious Healer over a mere broken hand. Especially an A-Class Healer, they're capable of reviving the dead!"
"No, I can't do that."
"......"
Seong Semin shot Baek Haeryeong a resentful glare for refusing to play along. But Baek Haeryeong even added, "Semin, how could I revive the dead? If I could do that, I'd be a god, not a Healer."
Despite her gentle appearance and warm demeanor, Baek Haeryeong was an intensely pragmatic person.
"......"
Yeo Hanseo quietly observed the scene.
In truth, he had encountered Baek Haeryeong in his previous life.
But he never knew Baek Haeryeong was this kind of person.
So you knew all along.
The Baek Haeryeong Hanseo remembered could be summed up in a single sentence:
She knew she couldn't bring the dead back to life.
Baek Haeryeong was a madwoman.
After the appearance of the a gate of unknown class, dubbed the Great Catastrophe, countless Espers struggled to conquer it.
But they all died. All except Baek Haeryeong.
Baek Haeryeong's exceptional healing abilities weren't limited to others. Having returned from the dead, she formed a new team and re-entered the Gate, only to emerge alone once more. By then, she was the sole surviving Healer in the world. Entering a Gate without a Healer was tantamount to suicide, so Baek Haeryeong relentlessly led new teams into the Gates.
And then, she finally went completely mad.
At that time, Hanseo was moving alongside the Cult Leader. All the Espers who wanted to save the world were dead, leaving only despicable bastards like the Cult Leader and his followers to seek ways to survive while evading the monsters.
One day, Hanseo saw a woman rummaging through a pile of corpses. At first, he didn't recognize her, but her actions soon revealed her identity. Baek Haeryeong was relentlessly using her ability on someone lying on the ground, even though it was already a lifeless corpse.
The Cult Leader, seeing Baek Haeryeong's potential, recruited her. Through this, Seong Semin's younger sibling, who was traveling with Baek Haeryeong, also became a follower of the Infinite Harmony Cult.
"Mr. Yeo Hanseo?"
The voice calling his name pulled Hanseo out of his horrific memories.
"Are you alright? Did seeing something like this for the first time shock you too much?"
Baek Haeryeong was looking at him with a worried expression. Her clear, innocent face was both identical to his memories and yet completely different. Hanseo parted his dry lips.
"No, thank you for treating me."
"It's nothing. As a team member, I have to take responsibility for what the Team Leader does."
Gu Jei must have told Baek Haeryeong how Hanseo's hand had been injured. Indeed, Baek Haeryeong's skills were remarkable, both in his past life and now. He idly flexed his hand, which was now completely pain-free, when Gu Jei spoke up.
"Since the treatment is finished, I'll be leaving now."
"Why are you leaving so soon after coming all this way? Stay a little longer."
"That's right. We'd be disappointed if you're already leaving."
Baek Haeryeong and Woo Taegyu tried to hold back Gu Jei, who was about to leave immediately after finishing his business. Seong Semin's face twisted like someone who stepped in dog poop as he watched them.
Seeing Gu Jei wearing an expression that said 'I don't understand why I should stay longer' Baek Hae-ryeong shook her head slightly.
"We'll be seeing each other often in the future," she said. "We should at least say proper goodbyes."
Hanseo glanced at Gu Jei. His expression remained unreadable, but Hanseo guessed he was probably thinking something along the lines of 'We won't be seeing each other often at all'.
Hanseo felt the same way. Why would he need to see Gu Jei's teammates frequently? It wasn't like they'd be entering the Gates together.
"This person is..."
Gu Jei was about to speak when Baek Haeryeong's watch suddenly began to blare loudly.
Han Seo watched as the team members' expressions instantly froze. Even Baek Haeryeong, who had been laughing playfully just moments before, now looked grim.
After checking her watch, Baek Haeryeong slowly raised her head, her face completely devoid of any trace of a smile.
"Team Leader," she said, "they've reported that the Miudong Gate mission has failed."
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