99) Chapter 16. I’m Glad (1)

I don’t know the limits of my power.

Honestly, that probably isn’t unique to me. Most people don’t know their limits.

How many people have run until they were about to die? How many have lifted something until their arms were about to break?

…Well, if you’re someone who trains seriously, maybe you’d know your limits clearly. But in this world, even that feels different.

How many people have pushed their superpowers to the absolute limit?

Superpowers are weapons. Hidden weapons no one else can see.

If Soi were to breathe fire with all her might, she could probably burn down most places. Not just a small fire, but rather enough to scorch everything pitch black. If she flew around setting fires on purpose, she could cause a massive blaze right in the middle of a city.

What if Hyeonji suddenly froze an entire classroom? Human hearts are more fragile than people think — a sudden drop in temperature like that could kill someone. If she filled the whole room with ice, people would freeze to death before anyone could break through to save them.

Chae‑yi could cancel all of those powers. But even her ability has limits — she couldn’t completely suppress Seo Arin’s power when she attacked the middle school.

Then what about Seo Arin’s power?

The idea of holding up a mountain with telekinesis sounds absurd.

Mountain soil isn't something that can be stopped that way. Logically speaking, hundreds or thousands of tons of earth can't stopped by holding it with a big hand.

But if there were conditions.

Just as she could manipulate someone who controlled animals, what if she could capture the villain who travelled underground and threaten him?

If she could make him dig out specific parts of the mountain in advance…

If she planned everything precisely, maybe she could hold it back by gripping only a specific part.

“Haa…!”

So I climbed the mountain.

I was pushing my power as far as it would go.

Two arms — the only number I could control for now. Invisible arms that didn’t tire because they didn’t physically exist.

But the more I used them, the more the pain accumulated. The more I gave them substance.

I could dismiss them. But whenever I did, a wave of weakness washed over me instantly. Like sprinting at full speed and then suddenly stopping — my body would go limp.

Ah. I see.

This is my limit.

I never pushed myself this far before, so I didn’t know. But this is it.

I think I understand why I never grew stronger. I never used my power to its limit, so I never built the “muscle” for it.

“Meow.”

The cat running ahead looked back at me.

Its face was smiling. Eyes narrowed, mouth curved upward — an expression no normal cat would make.

But its body clearly wasn’t feeling that way.

It panted desperately. Its legs trembled. Blood dripped from its paws. It looked like it wanted to collapse, but something forced it to keep moving.

Like a puppet on invisible strings.

Whenever I got close, the cat ran ahead again. It darted through trees and bushes, taking the shortest path, then burst out the other side. Its fur was soaked. Cats don’t sweat — so it must have been blood from cuts.

The sky was already turning orange. Rumble. Another sound came from the mountain.

Maybe somewhere, the earth really was collapsing.

“Haa—!”

Finally, I saw the building in the distance. And the path leading to it. The path was on the opposite side from where we climbed. Since it was a training facility, they hadn’t connected it directly to the academy.

“Ah.”

Seeing the building made my tension snap. The invisible hands supporting me gave out.

I was exhausted — and in pain. My real hands, scraping against the rough ground, would’ve been torn and bleeding if they were truly real.

I barely avoided rolling and collapsed forward, catching myself with my real hands.

I gasped for a while before forcing myself up. Then I staggered toward the entrance.

There were two buildings. One four‑story building where students stayed. The other was a gymnasium for training.

But Seo Arin — and the people here — didn’t seem interested in using either building.

“Ah…”

A groan escaped me.

There was a wide open area outside the buildings. Mostly asphalt, with patches of flowerbeds and dirt like a small park.

People were gathered in front of that park. Not exactly in a line, but standing in loose formation, backs turned to the entrance.

Their backs were to me.

“Daughter!”

A soft, chillingly sweet voice called out happily from far away.

Shoulders flinched. Several people turned around.

Those who recognized me stepped aside.

“Ah…”

And I saw the black cat collapsed on the ground.

It was panting as if it would die any moment. Its fur was wet with something. The asphalt and its fur were both black, but the wet patches looked darker.

And kneeling in front of the cat, staring blankly, was a woman I had never seen before. Her face was hidden by her hair, but I didn’t need to see it to know she was in despair.

“Here, daughter!”

And again, that bright voice.

Beyond all the people, sitting on a slightly raised garden bench like a small mound in the asphalt, waving cheerfully—

Seo Arin.

Her clothes were clean. Even though she’d been on the run.

Did she steal money? Or hurt someone and take it? Either was possible for her.

“You ran all the way here, covered in sweat. How sweet. Did you miss your mom that much?”

Eyes burned into me.

My heart pounded wildly — not from exhaustion.

The children’s eyes were on me.

But that didn’t matter. At least none of them seemed hurt.

I didn’t care about their stares anymore. I never had. It hurt, but something else mattered more.

I didn’t see any teachers.

The principal said she had increased the number of teachers and instructors. So each group should have had someone leading them.

But some of the kids looked pale…

“Now, now.”

Seo Arin stood up.

“Shall we go home?”

So casually. So naturally.

Or maybe… a little urgently.

“T‑th…”

“Hm?”

I opened my mouth, but the word wouldn’t come out. Even the sound “Th” came out only as a breath.

My jaw trembled. My tongue felt frozen.

My mind blurred.

Seeing that face — the face that resembled mine — made my heart feel like it would explode.

Ah.

I see.

I’m weak. Too vulnerable to trauma.

Being hugged, having my head patted, imagining a villain attacking me—

All of that was traumatic.

But this woman was trauma itself.

“What is it? What does my daughter want to say to her mom? Is it ‘I love you’—”

“The mountain.”

I forced my mouth to move.

“The mountain?”

Seo Arin tilted her head. Her well‑kept hair slid to the side.

“You’re holding up the mountain.”

“Oh.”

Seo Arin giggled.

“I see. You think I’m holding up the mountain. And if I leave, there’ll be a landslide. That’s what you thought? Yes, yes. So innocent.”

She folded her arms and nodded playfully.

“If that’s what you’re worried about, don’t be. Honestly, what kind of superpower could hold up an entire mountain? How would I stop a landslide? Of course that was a lie.”

“……”

“Why? Shocked?”

She giggled again.

“Did my daughter really think her mom was that amazing? Well, children always see their parents that way.”

“No.”

I shook my head.

“I… I just…”

“Just?”

“I’m glad.”

Yes. That was what I thought.

Even though this wasn’t the time for such thoughts.

But still — I was glad Seo Arin didn’t have such an insane power.

Because that meant she was someone who could be defeated.

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Pub: 01 May 2026 09:55 UTC

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