Sister of the Ranking 1st (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
Suddenly, her expressionless face approaching me with heavy steps was utterly terrifying.
She grabbed my chin, looking utterly incredulous.
“Callie, what on earth are you doing! Let go right now!”
“Dan, are your eyes just buttonholes? Can’t you see what state ‘that thing’ is in?”
“I see, I see it! I don’t know what you’re doing, but my eyesight is perfectly fine! Stop bullying a civilian!”
“If your eyesight’s so perfect, then look properly. Park Ha Young, what exactly are you?”
Her blazing golden eyes shone fiercely like a beast’s. The raw pressure aimed directly at me made breathing difficult.
A chill ran down my spine. At the same time, my mind grew eerily calm.
“If you’re asking about my true nature… there’s nothing I can actually tell you…”
“Don’t lie to me! You bastard, what are you? If you don’t tell me straight, I’ll snap your neck right here.”
“Guh— ngh!”
Callie shoved Dan away and immediately seized my throat. The force was incomparably stronger than when she’d grabbed my chin.
“Hey, Callie! Have you forgotten your orders?!”
“Shut up! Does that look like a ‘normal person’ to you?!”
Dan stepped forward again. Callie stomped once, and the concrete floor beneath her foot cratered inward. The sensation of my throat being crushed was chillingly eerie.
“What do you mean, not a civilian?! Our investigation clearly concluded…”
“Ha, haha. You think an unawakened, ordinary civilian could break free from ‘brainwashing’—especially brainwashing reinforced by an S-rank item?”
“What?”
“This ‘thing’ is pretending to be normal.”
I’d reached my limit. My mind was growing hazy from the choking. I desperately tried to pry Callie’s hands off my neck, but it was useless.
I was really going to die now—suffocating like this…
Just as everything began fading to white, her hands let go. Crimson hair like sunset and intense golden eyes like blazing sun stared fiercely into mine.
“Huh… ugh… ngh… haah… huh…”
Gasping desperately for air, tears streamed uncontrollably from my eyes.
Dan, though flustered, confronted Callie again. Why was she making such a fuss over this? Wasn’t the girl clearly lying? How could she possibly resist this much? Even if so, was it really fair she couldn’t even fight back? My head was too muddled to fully grasp their words.
My mouth blurted out words on its own.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Please, spare me. Please spare me. Please spare me…”
All I could say sounded so weak and helpless.
I didn’t want to die. It hurt. That was all that filled my mind. Every question that had surfaced earlier vanished without a trace, leaving only desperate pleas for forgiveness.
“Drop that pathetic act. No one without an S-rank mental barrier could possibly resist Crimson Meteor. Are you really trying to appeal to our sympathy in this situation?”
“I—I really don’t know anything. I’m truly unawakened. I’ve never awakened, honestly…”
My voice stuttered badly due to the lingering choking sensation. Even my slurred, unclear words only made Callie look at me as if I were ridiculous.
“So now you’re outright lying. An unawakened one? You?”
“Callie, look at her crying like that—cut her some slack.”
“I—I’m serious. I’m an unawakened returnee. I don’t know about anything else, but I really… I’ve never even seen a system window…”
I couldn’t tell if what came out was speech or just a sob. My head throbbed. My mouth tasted bitter. Tears blurred my vision.
And at the same time, I was furious.
Why? Why did I have to endure this?
Because I was unawakened? Because I was weaker than her? Or because I’d gotten tangled up with Cheon Shin Woo?
None of it was by my choice—things completely beyond my control.
Why?
“You’re still spouting nonsense. Do you need to die to come to your senses?”
Two selves clashed within me, and a voice scolded me again.
“Callie! Enough already!”
The man shouted loudly. I instinctively shrank back.
Callie’s gaze shifted from me to Dan.
“I get that you’re angry about the lies. But it’s true! There really was a rare case in Korea—a country like this—of an unawakened returnee! You’re oppressing a powerless young girl right now. Please, just stop!”
“……”
His rapid words made fresh tears burst out. Breathing felt difficult—not because my throat was squeezed, but simply because breathing itself had become hard.
“…Ha. So you’re seriously saying such an anomaly actually exists.”
“Yes. There were even rumors she couldn’t awaken for some unknown reason.”
“But that info wasn’t in any of our verified reports! Silence didn’t mention a word either. Damn it, what’s going on?!”
“That’s not what you should be saying right now… Sorry, little miss. Are you alright?”
“……”
Do I really look alright to you right now? Despite his help, I felt no gratitude. My choked throat only let out a wet, breathy sound.
Dan untied the ropes binding my hands and feet.
“Dan!”
“What can this kid possibly do, even if she’s untied? It’s right to release her now.”
“You’ve forgotten, haven’t you? She showed zero reaction to Crimson Meteor! Even if unawakened now, she’s at least S-rank!”
“So has she attacked us yet?”
“Have you completely lost your mind?!”
“Calm down, please. We need to understand the situation properly.”
My limbs tingled numbly. They seemed to be arguing among themselves—I didn’t care. Shaking uncontrollably, I clutched my phone. I’d call someone—anyone—to let them know what was happening to me.
…But even if the person on the other end was Callie Brian, what difference would it make?
Ah, I don’t know. I just don’t understand why I’ve been thrown into this mess.
“I’m really sorry. We were in a rush, so we had no choice. Calm down, and let’s talk again properly.”
The man casually handled that War God and tried to soothe me. Was he a ranker too? I couldn’t remember. Not wanting to think anymore, I closed my eyes briefly.
[This is the timeline separator]After a short while, I carefully assessed my current situation.
Trying to escape from here would be useless anyway. So right now, I needed to figure out how to answer appropriately without drawing the ire of a World Ranker.
Callie offered only a half-hearted apology, tossing out a curt “Sorry.” Her gaze remained sharp as ever.
“I’ll ask again—you. What’s your relationship with Cheon Shin Woo?”
“…We really have no relationship at all. Why would I lie when my life’s on the line?”
“You sure looked awfully close for having ‘no relationship.’ Jeok Cheon wouldn’t keep just anyone by his side.”
Here we go again. I was getting exhausted—too tired to think. I cleared my hoarse, breaking voice several times before speaking slowly.
“I still don’t understand why you brought me here. Even if Cheon Shin Woo is impressive, he’s only ranked 13th worldwide. I don’t know how he compares to you, but wouldn’t it be better to just ask him directly…?”
“You really don’t know anything, do you.”
An irritated tone slipped from Callie. I pressed my lips shut tightly.
Suddenly, Baek I Hyun came to mind.
Ah, right. Lee Hyun must be worried. Did Baek I Hyun realize something had happened to me by now?
“…Fine. A brat like you wouldn’t know anything anyway. Well, whatever. Your role won’t change regardless.”
“Huh?”
“Listen carefully. You need to persuade Cheon Shin Woo.”
“Huh?”
“Are you deaf? I said persuade Cheon Shin Woo exactly as I instruct.”
“…Why?”
My confused, skeptical expression made a vein pop on Callie’s neck.
“Are you stupid? The world is ending. Your homeland, your friends, your family—all of it will vanish. To prevent that, we need Cheon Shin Woo.”
“……”
What did I just hear? I turned to look at Dan seated beside me—he was covering his face with one hand.
Callie didn’t care. She just said what she wanted to say.
“The Second Cataclysm has already been foreseen. And damn it all, only Jeok Cheon can stop it—but his Royal Highness Jeok Cheon refuses to cooperate at all.”
“…I’ve never heard anything like that.”
“Of course not! If people knew the world was ending, what would happen? Only a handful of rankers even know this truth.”
“…Then why are you telling me this?”
“You keep making me repeat myself. Where exactly did you think I was going with what I just said?”
“……”
The more I heard her unpleasant tone, the more rebellious I felt.
So what? You want me to persuade Cheon Shin Woo? Say something that actually makes sense! How am I supposed to convince him?
My unspoken resentment built up in my throat. Callie watched me with a strange smile.
“You look full of complaints.”
“…No, I’m not.”
“Haha. You look like you want to punch me right now. They said you’re an unawakened returnee—guess you’re just cowardly? Most returnees have survived countless battles in other worlds and aren’t scared of anything.”
Her mocking voice reached me. Dan beside me started, “Hey, Callie, that’s enough…” but the willful woman did exactly as she pleased.
For example, drawing out a beautiful yet fearsome long spear.
“If you’ve got complaints, come at me.”
“Huh?”
A silver arc flashed before my eyes. That split-second felt impossibly long.
What had just happened to me? All strength drained from my body.
If I hadn’t instinctively stepped backward, my head would’ve already been separated from my body, lying somewhere over there.
Callie leaned the spear against her back, still expressionless as she stared at me.
“Why that look?”
“Callie!”
Dan rushed forward to stop her—or tried to.
“You’re Ha Young, right? Do you know the easiest way to awaken?”
“…No.”
My vision flooded with red—like sunset at dusk, or like blood spreading everywhere.
Vermilion hues engulfed my sight and coiled around Callie. The crimson energy swirled, shot up into the sky, then crashed violently back down.
War God. A woman also known by the alias Mars—she loved battle, adored combat, and from afar seemed like dancing flames, earning her the title ‘Goddess of Fire’…
“Don’t worry.”
Why was she doing this to me? Just as I couldn’t think anything anymore, a soft voice settled like a fading illusion.
“I won’t actually kill you.”
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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