Chapter 250: The Thousand Curses Dragon (2)

Song Ha-Eun widened her eyes and cocked her head in confusion. “

Huh?

You want us to take him down, but we don’t know where its nest is—”

“I know,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.

“What?”

“I know where its nest is.”

“How?”

Song Ha-Eun and Isabella looked at him in disbelief. However, Vega and Riarc’s expressions were different.

“

Haha

. I see, so that’s what it is,” Vega said.

“

Grrr

. Looks like it hasn’t changed.”

Vega and Riarc both nodded knowingly.

More confused by their reactions, Isabella narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean it hasn’t changed? What are you talking about, Mr. Oh-Jin?”

Kwon Oh-Jin hesitated for a moment before glancing at Vega as if silently asking if he should tell her.

Vega shrugged and nodded. “The Celestials are bound to find out sooner or later anyway.”

“That’s true.” Kwon Oh-Jin nodded and turned to face Isabella. “There’s something I need to tell you, Isabella.”

“Yes. Please go ahead.”

“I’m...” He continued quietly. “I’m a Regressor.”

“Excuse me?” Isabella gaped in shock, her mouth falling open.

Then, she glanced at him worriedly.

“Mr. Oh-Jin, maybe you had a bit too much to drink—”

“It is true,” Vega said as she floated up.

“I-It’s true? I-If you're a Regressor... you’re saying you came from the future, right?” Isabella asked in confusion.

“That’s right.” Kwon Oh-Jin nodded. He slowly began to explain the story he had kept hidden until now. Of course, he made up most of it.

After listening to the long story, Isabella rubbed her forehead like she had a headache. “Please give me a moment to process this.”

Her head felt like it was overheating and tangled in a mess of thoughts.

If anyone else had said this, she would’ve immediately shut them down for talking nonsense. However, this wasn’t just anyone. It was Kwon Oh-Jin, whom she trusted most and opened her heart to.

“Is it really true?” she asked again.

Kwon Oh-Jin nodded.

Isabella quickly turned to Song Ha-Eun, “You knew too, unnie?”

Song Ha-Eun flinched, visibly flustered.

“Y-Yeah.” She scratched her head with an awkward smile. “I-I did know.”

More accurately, she knew that he wasn’t a Regressor, but pretending to be one.

Unbelievable. How is this guy lying so smoothly without even a twitch in his expression?

Song Ha-Eun stared at him in disbelief.

One of the most important cues in detecting a lie was someone’s facial expression. Movement of the lips, eyebrows, jaw, the subtle trembling of pupils, and an even tone of voice... Humans always instinctively showed that they were lying no matter how hard they tried to hide it.

Everyone had experienced talking to someone and just knowing that person was lying. This intuition stemmed from subconsciously picking up on visible and audible cues.

However, Kwon Oh-Jin had none of those. Even though Song Ha-Eun knew the truth, she couldn't help but wonder if he was actually a Regressor. His expression, voice, and demeanor felt that convincing.

“Why didn’t you tell me until now?” Isabella looked at him with trembling eyes.

Everyone else present had known, but only she remained in the dark. The worry that he still didn't trust her crept into her mind.

“Is it because I’m an Awakener of Leech?”

Kwon Oh-Jin firmly shook his head. “No. I know it sounds absurd, so I figured you wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”

“That’s not tr—” Isabella started to protest, but stopped mid-sentence.

She suddenly thought back to earlier when he claimed to be a Regressor. Immediately, she had assumed that he simply drank too much. If Vega hadn’t stepped in to confirm it, would she have believed him? Even now, deep down, she couldn’t help but wonder if they were all in on some elaborate prank to tease her.

“I can’t say with confidence that I would have believed you,” Isabella said.

“Well, that’s only natural. If someone else told me they came from the future, I’d probably tell them to stop spouting nonsense too.” Kwon Oh-Jin chuckled. “But it’s not something I could keep hidden forever. And you, Isabella... Well, you’re basically family now.”

Isabella’s eyes widened. “W-What?”

Her face turned bright red, and she flailed her legs.

“A-Are you proposing to me right now?”

“

Eh?

”

“You are! You’re proposing, aren’t you?!”

“No, that’s not it. I just meant that it feels like we’re family since we live in the same house.”

“When should we set the date for the wedding?!”

“Can you please listen to what I’m actually saying?”

He lightly flicked Isabella on the forehead, who had clearly gone off in a completely different direction. Isabella rubbed her forehead and took a deep breath.

After composing herself, a thought suddenly struck her, and she lightly gasped. “Then, that time you came to Italy and saved me was because...”

Back then, she hadn’t thought much of it. Now, knowing that Kwon Oh-Jin was a Regressor, the timing of his appearance felt far too perfect.

He nodded. “That’s right.”

Isabella narrowed her eyes and seriously asked, “What happened to me in the previous timeline?”

“Well...” Kwon Oh-Jin hesitated for a moment and deeply sighed. “You probably died that day.”

Isabella frowned in shock. “I did? Then, if you hadn’t been there, I would’ve...”

She fell silent while recalling the events of that day. Back then, she had volunteered as bait to draw out the Marco Family, who were illegally trafficking drugs in Italy. However, the situation had turned far more dangerous than anticipated due to the Purple Forbidden Enclosure curse.

If Kwon Oh-Jin hadn’t shown up, she probably would’ve died before making it to nightfall.

“There’s no need to dwell on it now. It’s all in the past,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.

“But still—”

“You’re here now, alive and well, aren’t you?”

He gently took her hand. Just like that, his warmth melted away the creeping anxiety within her.

“This is strange,” she said.

“What is?”

Isabella lowered her head and tightened her grip on his hand. It felt strange. She already thought she had fallen for him as deeply as she could, but she liked him even more now.

She smiled softly and shook her head. “

Hehe

. It’s nothing. Thank you, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

A part of her wanted to pour out the feelings swelling in her chest, but the person in his heart right now was Song Ha-Eun instead of her.

Someday, that'll change.

Isabella suppressed the boiling emotions inside and let go of his hand.

“Then, are you planning to ask the Valhalla Guild for help in subjugating the dragon?” Isabella asked.

He shook his head. “No. I’m not planning to contact them.”

“Is there a reason for that?”

Realistically, it would be more efficient to cooperate with the Valhalla Guild for something as serious as subjugating the Thousand Curses Dragon.

“This is something I have to do myself.” Kwon Oh-Jin glanced at Song Ha-Eun.

“

Ah

...”

Right, Isabella remembered hearing about it before they met. Song Ha-Eun had lived for years in darkness due to that dragon’s curse.

Song Ha-Eun lightly punched him on the shoulder. “Why is this your responsibility?”

“Ha-Eun?”

Her eyes shimmered with a cold light. “This isn’t your job. It’s mine.”

Despite the murderous aura she was releasing, her legs slightly trembled. She still feared that being that had locked her in terrifying darkness.

“You don’t have to push yourself, Ha-Eun.”

Song Ha-Eun shook her head. “I’m not.”

She calmed her trembling legs and wryly smiled.

“I appreciate the concern, but I’m not some delicate little girl who’d ask someone else to take revenge for her.”

A faint flame blazed from her clenched fist.

Whoosh.

“I’ll be the one to kill that lizard bastard,” she said.

“Then we’ll kill him together.”

It wasn’t some family vendetta that needed to be settled one-on-one.

“Anyway, the point is, we’re going after that lizard bastard ourselves, right?”

“Yeah. With the five of us here, we’ve got more than enough power to do so.”

Vega and Riarc couldn’t unleash their full strength due to the restrictions of the Law, but even with that handicap, the five of them were more than strong enough. Above all else, they had Isabella on their side.

“Well, come to think of it, that bastard was only nine stars, wasn’t it?”

Six years ago, a nine-star monster was considered nothing short of a walking catastrophe. Now, as the number of Awakeners grew and their average strength multiplied, a nine-star monster wasn’t nearly as terrifying anymore.

Of course, it still wasn’t an ordinary monster. It was a Named, which meant it probably possessed more strength than a typical nine-star monster.

“At this rate, Isabella might as well just go snap its neck by herself,” Song Ha-Eun said.

“In that case, maybe you should sit this one out and just let me and Mr. Oh-Jin handle it?”

Ha-Eun narrowed her eyes and glared at Isabella. “

Oh?

Don’t you dare. I told you, didn’t I? I’m the one who will kill that lizard.”

Isabella covered her mouth with one hand and laughed gracefully. “

Hehe

. Got it, unnie.”

“The Thousand Curses Dragon... Even just hearing the name sounds wicked,” Vega said.

Riarc bared his teeth with a fierce growl, his fighting spirit flaring. “

Grrrr!

It’s still just a mere monster, nothing more.”

“So, when are you planning to leave, my child?”

“There’s no need to rush.”

The dragon had only just awakened and would still be gathering its forces. Of course, the sooner they struck, the better. However, that didn’t mean they should charge in unprepared.

“First, I’m planning to stop by the association.”

“Oh, because of what Si-Hoo said?”

He needed to investigate the Living Armor’s spear, Dantalian, more thoroughly.

“Yeah. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to get some new gear for you too, Ha-Eun.”

“Then, let’s go together tomorrow.”

“Isabella, do you need anything?”

“I’m fine. As long as Mr. Oh-Jin is with me, I can always be in peak condition.” Isabella ran her fingers along the back of his neck and gave him a deep, sultry smile.

“I suppose I should conserve as much strength as I can until we depart,” Vega said.

Riarc growled eagerly and burned with excitement. “

Grrrr!

A true warrior needs only spirit and skill! Let’s head out right now, kid!”

Perhaps he had been holed up training in the Sanctum for too long without a real fight.

“We haven’t even cleared the table yet. What do you mean, ‘head out now?’” Kwon Oh-Jin chuckled and stood up.

Dragon or not, they needed to deal with the messy dining table in front of them first.

“I’ll do the dishes.” Picking up the plates, Kwon Oh-Jin made his way to the kitchen.