I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 92

92.

“Now.”

At Yoo Ji-an’s quiet command, Yoon Ah-jung and Kang Hae-in simultaneously activated their skills.

Swish-

Soil and water extinguished the flames engulfing Seo-ah, and at the same time, Song Jin-ho grabbed Seo-ah and pulled her back.

Then, Yoo Ji-an lunged forward and wrestled Ignis to the ground, pinning his neck.

[Skill ‘Silent Night’ is strongly activated!]

Thanks to Seo-ah’s skill suppressing Ignis’s rampage, Ignis didn’t resist much, staring blankly at Yoo Ji-an straddling him.

“Cough!”

As ‘Silent Night’ strongly activated, Seo-ah’s mana rapidly drained, causing blood to trickle from her nose.

“Hunter Park Seo-ah.”

Song Jin-ho quickly healed Seo-ah, making her drink a mana potion from the Maker [a hunter specialized in creating potions and other consumables].

“Whew, I think he’s calmed down now.”

After finishing the mana potion, Seo-ah looked at Yoo Ji-an and Ignis. Ignis’s eyes seemed clearer than before.

【…….】

“So, Ellis was the Fire Spirit Master.”

“I had no idea.”

“It was lucky that Hunter Park Seo-ah rescued her back then.”

Song Jin-ho and Yoon Ah-jung, who had seen the child together, quietly nodded.

Yoo Ji-an remained vigilant, firmly gripping Ignis’s neck.

“Tell me now, Ignis. Where is he?”

【Ellis…….】

“Now that we know who the Fire Spirit Master is, we will protect her safely.”

【I can’t trust humans.】

“The Fire Spirit Master is still a human you hate so much.”

Even as they talked, Ignis’s flames flared and subsided repeatedly.

It was as if it represented Ignis’s emotional turmoil.

【Promise me.】

“I promise! We will protect the Fire Spirit Master!”

As soon as Kim Soo-hyuk urgently answered, flames erupted from Ignis’s fingertips.

The flames instantly rushed into Seo-ah’s body.

“Ah!”

“Hunter Park Seo-ah!”

Startled, Song Jin-ho checked on Park Seo-ah.

Yoo Ji-an tightened his grip on Ignis’s neck, bringing the edge of Ruin Blade to his face.

“What are you doing?”

Ignis nonchalantly replied to the growling Yoo Ji-an.

【A mark of promise. If my child dies, my fire will burn that child’s heart.】

Seo-ah was surprised and covered her heart with her hand, and the members looked at Seo-ah with serious faces.

“Stick that crap in my heart instead.”

Yoo Ji-an threatened to stab him immediately, but Ignis remained calm.

【If you don’t like it, stab me with that sword. That sword will probably put me to sleep for five hundred years.】

He couldn’t kill Ignis. He could only put him to sleep for a long time.

Then the village would be safe for hundreds of years. But what about after that?

Yoo Ji-an’s blade wavered. Even if he killed Ignis, the mission would succeed.

However, he would not obtain [Fire Resistance]. Yoo Ji-an knew the future that would come when he didn’t have that attribute.

If he had to compare [Fire Resistance] and Park Seo-ah, which one should he choose?

It was not an easy question. But the 고민 [Korean word for ‘worry’ or ‘dilemma’] didn’t last long. The hand holding Ruin Blade tightened.

“Ignis. Just go to sleep here.”

【As expected, I saw you right. That child is precious to you. Like my child.】

Every time Ignis chuckled, the surrounding flames flickered. Fire was truly Ignis himself.

Just as Yoo Ji-an was about to stab Ignis, Seo-ah hurriedly intervened.

“Wait a minute!”

Seo-ah not only intervened but also grabbed Yoo Ji-an’s hand with both hands. It was a very weak force, but Yoo Ji-an paused for a moment and looked at Park Seo-ah.

“You’ll die if you’re not careful.”

“We can save her, can’t we? I know her face. She looks exactly like Ignis now.”

“Of course, the Spirit King mimics the Spirit Master’s appearance. Step aside, Park Seo-ah. The risk is too great. You don’t need to bear it.”

Seo-ah clung to Yoo Ji-an, holding his hand even tighter.

“We weren’t originally planning to kill Ignis, were we? There must have been a reason.”

“…….”

When Yoo Ji-an said nothing, Seo-ah looked away from Yoo Ji-an, knelt next to Ignis, and met his gaze.

“I saw Ellis.”

At the mention of Ellis’s name, Ignis looked at Seo-ah with clearly shaken eyes.

【Ellis, my child.】

“Yes, the Fire Spirit Master. But when I saw her in the village, she looked like an ordinary child. She was being beaten by people.”

Whirr-

Once again, flames erupted around her at the mention of Ellis being beaten.

【If I had been there, if my connection hadn’t been severed, she wouldn’t have been treated like that by humans.】

Yoo Ji-an reached his arm behind Seo-ah, and the flames around her seemed to shrink and disappear as if suppressed by force. Yoo Ji-an had suppressed them with the skill ‘telekinesis’.

“Yes, I saved that child. And I received this gem.”

Seo-ah once again held up the red gem to show it to Ignis.

[Skill ‘Gentle Sunlight’ is activated.]

Was it a skill that reacted even to non-human beings?

Seo-ah was surprised for a moment, but Ignis, who was looking at the red gem, closed his eyes. And after a long time, he opened his mouth.

【He is everywhere. He comes when you least expect it and strangles you.】

It was quite strange information. Yoo Ji-an added to it.

“Is the entity near the village?”

【Southeast.】

Ignis only said that and closed his mouth. Seeing that he didn’t completely deny Yoo Ji-an’s words, it seemed that his guess was somewhat correct.

It seemed that he couldn’t say more because of the restrictions, but anyway, Ignis gave information.

Yoo Ji-an released his grip on Ignis’s neck and got off his body.

“I’ll come back.”

Ignis also transformed into fire and returned to the form of a standing child.

As Ignis watched the group turn around, he suddenly said something.

【By the way…】

While the A-class hunters were walking ahead, Yoo Ji-an turned around. Seo-ah also stopped a little ahead of him.

【Have you and I ever met? Why does your face look familiar? It’s definitely the first time.】

Yoo Ji-an’s lips twisted subtly.

“As expected, being a Spirit King, you seem to have some memory left. It’s almost like a residual image. Did that bastard fail to delete it properly?”

【What…】

Yoo Ji-an didn’t answer anymore. There was no point in saying it anyway. Like everyone else in the world.

Yoo Ji-an met Seo-ah’s eyes as she looked at him.

“Um…”

“Let’s go, hold on tight.”

“Ah, yes.”

Seo-ah hugged Yoo Ji-an’s neck tightly as he picked her up. By now, she seemed quite used to being hugged and carried on his back.

Yoo Ji-an lightly climbed the wall with Seo-ah in his arms. And he easily overtook the A-class hunters who had already climbed more than halfway and reached the top.

Even after that, he didn’t put Seo-ah down for a while, looking into the distance. Evening was slowly approaching this land of fire.

“It’s almost been six hours since we entered. An exit will be created.”

Kang Hae-in said, approaching from behind. Seo-ah got out of Yoo Ji-an’s arms and looked at the A-class hunters coming up.

“We’ll have to go back to the village. To find that Spirit Master child.”

“Park Seo-ah.”

But suddenly, Yoo Ji-an called Seo-ah. As she looked at him inquisitively, Yoo Ji-an held out his hand to Seo-ah.

“Uh…”

Looking closely, Yoo Ji-an’s palm was swollen red. It seemed he had been burned from grabbing Ignis’s neck directly.

“Hey, what’s wrong, hyung [Korean term for ‘older brother,’ used by males to address older male friends or relatives]! Are you hurt? Let me see.”

As Song Jin-ho, who had just come up, tried to look at him, Yoo Ji-an subtly pulled his arm away.

“Hyung?”

Then he slyly held it out towards Seo-ah again. Seo-ah was a little embarrassed, glancing at Song Jin-ho, but still grabbed Yoo Ji-an’s hand and looked closely.

“Oh, my… That must hurt.”

Seo-ah immediately used a healing skill. The subtle light flowing from Seo-ah enveloped Yoo Ji-an’s hand.

Watching the scene, Song Jin-ho shook his head as if he was dumbfounded.

After all, Yoo Ji-an probably didn’t really need treatment. That level of injury would disappear completely in less than an hour.

“He’s really like a child…”

Song Jin-ho turned around, grumbling discontentedly, and headed towards the other members.

“Is there anyone else hurt?”

“Ah, me, here!”

The members crowded around, showing their bumps and burns, and Song Jin-ho silently healed them. He didn’t forget to glance at Yoo Ji-an and Park Seo-ah from time to time.

“The swelling has gone down now. But how about showing it to Hunter Song Jin-ho again? I don’t think I’m enough…”

As Seo-ah released his hand and spoke to Yoo Ji-an, Yoo Ji-an pulled his hand back.

“It’s enough.”

“Hmm.”

Seo-ah scratched her cheek with her finger and then started talking as if she had just remembered.

“But I was surprised. The Spirit King looks like the Spirit Master. And he calls the Spirit Master his child.”

“The Spirit Masters give the Spirit King intellectual abilities and sustain their souls. You could say they are closer than human parents and children.”

“Sustain their souls…”

“He was trapped here and helplessly watched the past Spirit Masters die.”

Yoo Ji-an cast his gaze inside the crater and continued to speak calmly.

The crater, which had been boiling when they entered, now had only residual heat left.