To You Who Will Destroy Me - Chapter 123 (FIXED)

T/N: Reupload

The creak of the basement door startled Irel, but relief flooded her when she saw the face she had been anxiously waiting for.

“Varkan!” she exclaimed, rushing to him, inspecting him from head to toe to make sure he hadn’t been hurt.

“As usual, hiding in a place like this. You really are like a little rabbit,” Varkan teased as soon as he saw her, clearly amused by the way she had been tucked away, trying to avoid being caught by Ryu Cheong.

“What was I supposed to do? I nearly got caught!” Irel protested, pouting her lips.

“If it wasn’t for Jin, things could’ve gone really badly,” she added.

Varkan’s eyes shifted toward the corner of the room, where Jin was still sweating profusely in his winter gear.

“You’re here, big brother!” Jin greeted, his face lighting up with admiration.

“Yeah, good job,” Varkan replied curtly, but even that short acknowledgment made Jin’s eyes sparkle with pride. His desire for recognition was earnest and pure.

“N-no, it was nothing! I just did my duty,” Jin replied enthusiastically.

Varkan, however, scarcely spared him a glance. He sized up Jin before giving a dismissive nod.

“You can leave now. And take off those ridiculous clothes,” he ordered.

…You’re the one who made him wear that, Irel thought, glancing at Varkan in disbelief. Sensing her gaze, Varkan turned and smiled, like a flower blooming, his charm radiating effortlessly.

“I brought something for you, my love. Care to guess what it is?” Varkan asked, holding out his clenched fist in front of her.

The contrast between how he treated Jin and how he treated her was almost comical. Jin, who was heading out the door, felt a wave of unexplainable sorrow wash over him.

Bianca… I miss you, he thought, feeling particularly lonely as he left the basement.

Oblivious to Jin’s forlorn thoughts, Irel stared at Varkan’s closed hand.

“Wait, did you get the ring?” she asked, her heart racing with anticipation.

Varkan’s smile deepened. He was the kind of man who always got what he wanted, and Irel felt both relief and curiosity growing inside her.

“What happened to Ryu Cheong?” she asked, her mind flashing back to their confrontation.

Did he kill him?

“When he saw me, he tried to transform into a bird and fly away.”

“And then…?” she asked, leaning in slightly.

Did you kill him?

“I fried him. Nice and crispy.”

So you did kill him, Irel thought. Knowing Varkan’s temper, it was surprising he even gave Ryu Cheong three chances. Still, she felt a small pang of pity and closed her eyes briefly in silent mourning for the man.

“He’s still alive, you know,” Varkan added with a mischievous grin, interrupting her brief moment of reflection.

Irel blinked, her eyes snapping open. “Alive? Did you let him go?”

She couldn’t understand it. That didn’t seem like something Varkan would do. Sensing her confusion, Varkan sighed and elaborated.

“First, I forced him to transform back into his human form and took the ring from him. But then…”

“And then?” Irel pressed.

“He transformed into a lizard, cut off his tail, and fled.”

Even Varkan hadn’t expected such a trick. He had beaten Ryu Cheong to the brink of death, thinking he’d have no energy left for anything.

Maybe I didn’t push him far enough, Varkan thought, irritated.

No, I should have killed him outright, he realized, as Ryu Cheong, sensing his grim future, had used his last ounce of strength to escape.

Irel couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Cut off his tail? It was such an outlandish move, even Varkan had been caught off guard. He had been left holding the squirming lizard tail in his hand, its bizarre motion so strange it could only make him chuckle.

“He cut off his tail and ran away? So what happened to the tail?” Irel asked, still bewildered.

“It turned back into a finger after a while. Quite an impressive trick,” Varkan replied, his tone dripping with amusement.

In the end, Ryu Cheong literally sacrificed a finger to save his life. It was a smart, if desperate, move, and Varkan had to admit—though reluctantly—that the man had escaped death by a narrow margin.

He’s more resilient than I thought, Varkan mused.

“Well, at least we’re both safe,” Irel said with a relieved smile. “And we got the ring, too!”

She held out her hand expectantly, clearly asking for the ring. But Varkan, though smiling in return, didn’t unclench his fist.

“What if I don’t feel like giving it to you?” he teased.

“Huh?”

Varkan’s grin only widened as he spoke, “I’m not giving it up. It’s my prize.”

Irel’s jaw dropped. What was he talking about now? He had been so cooperative earlier—why the sudden change?

“Wait, what? Give me the ring! It’s my ring!” she protested, her frustration mounting.

“Strange. Since when was it your ring?” Varkan replied playfully.

“But I said I wanted it first!” Irel countered.

“And I changed my mind,” Varkan said with a sly grin.

Unbelievable. Irel’s eyes narrowed, a sense of betrayal washing over her. How could he pull something like this after everything? She glared at him, her expression filled with indignation, but Varkan seemed to find her anger entertaining.

“You want it that badly?” he asked with a chuckle, finally opening his hand. The ring, adorned with the crimson gem—Avihushan’s Left Heart—sparkled brilliantly, its beauty mesmerizing.

Irel stared at it, her frustration melting into awe. But just as quickly, Varkan closed his hand, hiding the ring from view again.

“Hey! What’s the deal? Give it back!” she whined, pouting and grabbing onto his chest in a mix of frustration and playful protest. She tugged at his collar, looking up at him with those big, teary eyes that never failed to tug at his heart.

Varkan felt a shiver run down his spine, overwhelmed by how adorable she looked in her helpless state. He bit his cheek to suppress his grin, but his lips betrayed him, curling into a smirk.

“…You’re teasing me, aren’t you?” Irel accused, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she clenched her fists, which were still gripping his shirt. The soft, butterfly-like hold on his collar turned into a firm grasp, and she stared him down with determination.

“You have no idea how hard I worked to stay out of trouble! I was terrified of being captured, and now you’re playing games with me?!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with exasperation.

Varkan realized he’d taken the teasing a bit too far. His smirk softened into a warm smile, and his voice, suddenly gentle, sent shivers through Irel’s body.

“How could I ever tease you? I was worried sick,” he murmured, his voice like honey, his golden eyes gleaming with affection. The way he looked at her—his whole demeanor—made her knees weak. Slowly, her grip on his shirt relaxed.

“This ring, I got it just for you,” he continued, pausing briefly. “But…”

“But what?” Irel asked, her curiosity piqued, though she sensed there was another playful catch coming.

“But I need one favor from you. If you grant it, I’ll give you the ring.”

“What exactly is this favor you’re asking for?”

Before answering, Varkan paused briefly. He gazed down at her with a deep, penetrating look, then smirked mischievously as he whispered,

“Could you grab me by the collar one more time?”

“……”

“And, if possible, make it even more humiliating.”

I’m going insane. Really. How did I end up liking someone like this?

Irel felt a wave of conflicting emotions and lost all will to get angry.

“I’m joking.”

At least Varkan was a man who knew when to stop. Thankfully.

He took her hand, which had slackened and started slipping away and placed a kiss on it.

Then, as if that weren’t enough, he went so far as to kneel on one knee, theatrically, like a consummate actor.

“My love. My fiancée.”

He mimed pulling a ring from his pocket, opened his hand as if presenting it, and said,

“Everything good, I’ll give to you.”

His hand was so large, it made her look like a child by comparison. On his palm, the ring shimmered with a mysterious light.

Back in her bedroom, Irel shut the door. As if that wasn’t enough, she locked it securely. Finally alone, she sat down at her vanity.

‘I finally got it.’

Was it just her imagination? The ring on her left hand felt unusually heavy. Irel carefully slid it off and placed it on the vanity.

At that very moment, a system notification rang out:

[You have acquired the sacred artifact ‘Avihushan Left Heart.’ This item is of mythic grade and cannot be discarded or destroyed.]

[This is the left component of the set item ‘Avihushan Heart.’ To activate its hidden effects, you must collect both the ‘Right Heart (1/1)’ and the ‘Left Heart (1/1)’ of the set.]

She had finally obtained both hearts. Now, all that was left was to combine them.

“Can I even pull this off?”

Irel picked up the ring to examine it. The moment her fingers touched the gemstone, it slid apart on its own, as if by magic.

Next, it was the earrings’ turn. Irel removed the gemstones that had been dangling from her earlobes for some time. These, too, detached effortlessly, as though they had been waiting all along to become one.

The strange phenomenon made Irel suddenly uneasy.

What if this was a reckless act that could awaken some ancient, sealed evil god? What if it was too dangerous?

‘Maybe I shouldn’t do this.’

Hesitating, she double-checked the quest description.

[Mission Quest: “Prevent Ruin” — Find the remaining item, Avihushan Left Heart,’ and complete the ultimate set item, Avihushan Heart.’]

Nothing had changed. She never really had a choice in the first place.

Why had she been thrown into this world? Why did the real Irel Elorance not hate her but welcome her instead? And why did Vlad treat her as if they were “sisters”?

The only way to unravel all these mysteries was to follow the quest to its end.

‘Alright. Let’s do this.’

With a deep breath, Irel gripped the two gemstones firmly in her hands. She brought the pieces together, and with a sharp click, they fused.

At that exact moment, a dazzling red light erupted, filling the room.

“This is…!”