Possessing Nothing Novel (쥐뿔도 없는 회귀)

Chapter 68 - Kin

A sudden gale assaulted their camp. Scarlett's small fire couldn't endure and was put out. Thankfully, the sun hadn't quite set yet and the sky was crimson, so there weren't any issues with visibility.

The black haired girl was standing right next to the fire. The place she was standing allowed her to attack both Sungmin and Scarlett.

When?

Both of them thought the same question at once. The girl's approach was so fast neither of them could recognize it.

Aine stood up from her crouching position. The fact that she was not in a state of hunger was a fortune for Scarlett and Sungmin.

Scarlett didn't know who the girl was, but felt the ominous feeling coming off her. That kind of feeling was very unfamiliar to her.

"...What are you?"

However, Scarlett wasn't fearful. One of her strengths – at the same time, a weakness – was that she acted like herself regardless of the situation. Scarlett distanced herself from Aine with a few steps.

'What are you doing?'

Scarlett acted as soon as she came to a guard, but Sungmin didn't. He only stood and looked at Aine. His thudding heart resounded loudly in his ears. Aine did'nt move either. She blinked her yellow eyes and stared at Sungmin's face.

"...You..."

Sungmin's lips moved. This was his first meeting with Aine. However, she didn't feel unfamiliar to her. Even though they had never met before... he felt that he knew her. No, rather than that.

A sense of kinship.

"Who are you?"

Before he could ask, Aine asked him first. Aine was feeling the same thing that Sungmin was feeling. It was just that, her progression of emotions was different to that of Sungmin's. From kinship came discomfort. Sungmin was feeling the same discomfort by that point, but they differed in the way they handled their 'discomfort'.

It happened in an instant. Aine's hand seemed to twist in a strange way before turning into a tentacle, shooting towards Sungmin.

"Hey!"

Scarlett shouted out to Sungmin and she acted at the same time. She swung her hand, and magic energy rippled with it. The tentacle that aimed at Sungmin's heart changed course mid-way due to the interfering magic energy. Sungmin gasped deeply and took several steps back.

"Get yourself together! What the hell are you doing!"

Shouted Scarlett with a stiff expression. Sungmin sharpened his mind and moved. He picked up his spear from the floor, but he couldn't be relieved just yet.

Aine returned the tentacle back into her arm. She repeatedly gripped and loosened her hand while looking at Sungmin's face. Aine did not care about Scarlett's presence. She only looked towards Sungmin.

"There's something strange about you," muttered Aine.

When she reached out with her leg, a pitch-black magic energy shot up from beneath her. The ominous form made Scarlett bite her lips. She reached out inside her chest and took out a large pair of gloves and put them on.

"Who are you?"

Aine asked. Sungmin did not reply. Unfamiliarity, ominousness. And an unknown hostility. No, rather than that, the one in front of him was trying to kill him. He couldn't just let himself be killed.

"...Lee Sungmin."
"Lee Sungmin? Is that a name? I'm Aine."

Replied Aine. She frowned once, before smiling.