Why Did I Have to Enroll
Chapter 205:

Why Did I Have to Enroll - Chapter 205

Lesson 40. No Alien Allowed - 5

“Oh my, you scared me!”

Kang Eun-young shouted in surprise when her daughter suddenly appeared in front of her. Yet, there was a hint of relief in her voice.

“Why are you here? There’s chaos everywhere with strange things appearing in the sky… Ah, Yu-won must have sent you! Our good son, keeping his promise to his mom so perfectly.”

Meanwhile, Ban Yu-mi, who had been half-forced back to Korea by her brother Ban Yu-won’s space-moving ability, frowned as she watched her mother express relief over a promise with her son.

“What promise did you make with Ban Yu-won? Is it related to me?”

“What?”

“Ban Yu-won said you and I are in danger.”

Ban Yu-mi was not in a good mood. The fact that her brother knew things she didn’t and was playing above her head was irritating, and it infuriated her to be in a position where she had to be protected by him due to her lack of power.

“Yu-mi.”

“Ban Yu-won definitely said that. But right now, the whole Earth is in danger. Mom, tell me. Why are only you and I in danger? He knows, so why don’t I?”

What annoyed her most was the excitement bubbling inside her, even in this situation. She knew she shouldn’t feel this way, but the vulgar and sordid fantasies she had secretly harbored since childhood were swelling with the hope that they might become reality.

“Did Yu-won say that…?”

Kang Eun-young’s face briefly showed regret, but then she steeled her expression and began pushing her daughter toward the shelter.

“We’ll talk later. For now, let’s get to the shelter with your dad, quickly!”

“Mom, please. I’m the head of the world’s top combat guild, why should I hide in a shelter?”

“Even so, you need to hide now!”

“Why?”

Ban Yu-mi’s voice now carried certainty rather than doubt. She had found her mother’s behavior strange ever since the world changed. While many struggled to adapt to the new world, her mother’s issues seemed different. It was as if she had worries and secrets she didn’t share with the family, but none of the men in the house were sharp enough to notice.

She thought time would solve it, that her mother would at least tell her daughter eventually, but months passed without resolution. Now, before she could hear the story, the problem had erupted.

“Daughter, there’s no time for arguing. Let’s get to the shelter your father prepared.”

“…Mom, you know where the ones invading Earth are from, don’t you?”

“Ugh…!”

But her brother was different. In less than half a year, her brother had grown remarkably, as if he could see through people’s hearts. Though he pretended to know nothing, Ban Yu-mi had a vague sense that her brother was troubled. And perhaps the reason was…

“Mom.”

“…Alright, I’ll tell you.”

Knowing that Ban Yu-mi had noticed, Kang Eun-young sighed deeply and nodded. Her son had realized something during their conversations but tried to keep it secret. The fact that he had told Ban Yu-mi meant he couldn’t hide it any longer, and given the current situation, it seemed they had reached the limit.

“But for now, we need to hide. I’ll tell you everything once this is over, okay? Please listen to me.”

“Okay. Honestly, even if we hide, if Ban Yu-won fails, it won’t matter.”

“Don’t say such unlucky things!”

The shelter wasn’t far, just near their house, so they didn’t need to move far. But as Ban Yu-mi said, hiding was meaningless because, aside from Ban Yu-won’s battle in space, an assassin had ambushed them.

Perhaps it was better that Ban Ju-seok wasn’t with them, as he might have been caught too.

“――Watch out!”

As they headed underground after leaving the mansion, Kang Eun-young suddenly turned around and extended her arm. Her arm glowed red, blocking a Blade aimed at her daughter’s neck. It was the unique aura handled by knights of the Prominence family.

“Mom?!”

“Followers of Ten Thousand Flames!”

The Blade was engulfed in flames, and though she wasn’t wounded, Kang Eun-young’s face turned pale as she uttered the name of a Constellation in disbelief.

“Tch!”

“How…?”

The attacker quickly retreated, fearing a counterattack, but Kang Eun-young was too shocked to notice.

“People from another dimension shouldn’t be able to enter so easily. Did they make a contractor on Earth?”

“…That’s right.”

The voice that answered Kang Eun-young’s shocked question wasn’t the one who attacked her but another person. Including that person, a group of six or so people with unnaturally long red hair surrounded the two.

This area was the Ban family’s private property, but if they were willing to attack for their lives, illegal entry was the least of their concerns. Besides being mostly Korean, their biggest commonality was that they were all contractors of the Followers of Ten Thousand Flames.

“Foolish, you can’t handle the Followers of Ten Thousand Flames at your level!”

“That’s our concern, lady.”

“Isn’t the problem whether you can handle us?”

Though Ban Yu-mi and Kang Eun-young recognized them from TV as famous ability users, they barely met the average standard of Oculus Ruber. Such people couldn’t possibly form a proper contract with a Constellation!

The Constellation’s true purpose and their future were clear to Kang Eun-young, and as her eyes darkened, one of them, feeling a bit guilty, spoke as if to justify themselves.

“They promised us more power if we bring back Ban Yu-mi’s head. How could we not risk our lives? Sorry.”

“What? Me?”

It was already frustrating and infuriating that her mother had to block an attack she couldn’t react to, but now a crazy group was talking as if they had her life in their hands. Ban Yu-mi was at her wit’s end.

“These pathetic fools, just because they got a tiny bit of power from a Constellation, they think I’m easy to handle――!”

Ban Yu-mi reached out her hand without hesitation. The crimson flame that shot out in a straight line first targeted the man who had attacked her and then retreated shamelessly.

Seeing the flame move as if it had substance, the man sneered.

“So that’s it, even after seeing whose power I wield―― Gahhhh!”

――Crunch.

With a chilling sound like a beast tearing into its prey, the flame pierced through the man’s abdomen. The fire spread rapidly over his entire body, consuming him completely in seconds. In no time, nothing remained where he had stood.

The flame was hot enough to freeze the attackers in place.

“What is that monster?”

“Isn’t this power supposed to block the Empress’s flame?”

“Damn, I knew it wouldn’t be easy!”

Whether the power given by the Constellation was insignificant or Ban Yu-mi’s awakened power was extraordinary, it was clear she wouldn’t be overpowered by hastily made contractors of the Followers of Ten Thousand Flames.

The contractors of the Followers of Ten Thousand Flames realized too late the truth that one should never sign a contract that seems advantageous without careful thought, and they retreated, hesitating.

“Ugh, let’s run!”

“But the contract terms with the Constellation…”

“You’re all dead.”

Ban Yu-mi wasn’t kind enough to spare those who invaded her property and threatened her family’s lives. She now formed the crimson flame into Blades, wielding them in both hands as she pressed the attackers.

“Ban Yu-mi, I told you not to use your power!”

Despite her daughter’s fierce performance, Kang Eun-young’s face grew paler. From the start, she wasn’t worried about the weak contractors.

“Sorry. But it’s too late now, Mom.”

[Yes, it’s already too late.]

One of the attackers stepped forward, affirming Ban Yu-mi’s words. His red hair, which had turned into actual flames, burned brightly. It was as if he had become a fire spirit. Soon, his eyes and then his entire body were consumed by the flames, and Ban Yu-mi was overwhelmed, holding her breath.

[I’ve already caught your scent.]

Another person stepped forward, adding to the statement. Despite someone else speaking, the voice sounded identical, perhaps because all the attackers were transforming into fire spirits.

[My servant caught your scent on your man. Before that traitor woman escapes me, I made sure to catch it.]

Your man? Could they mean Ban Yu-won? Even in this situation, Ban Yu-mi was exasperated with herself for catching that word and blushing.

[Knowing that, there’s nothing left to hesitate about.]

[It was a long wait. Now, return to where you belong.]

[Close your eyes and embrace me.]

The Constellation’s contractors, who had transformed into identical forms, were nothing more than remnants of humans who met a miserable end due to their excessive desire for power. Even a brief look at Union Net would reveal that forming a contract beyond one’s means is a grave mistake, yet some foolishly believed that being chosen by a Constellation proved their worth.

However, most Constellations never suffer losses, except when dealing with a rare few humans.

[Come to me.]

[The contract with Prominence, the blood you inherit, must be fulfilled.]

And for their delusion, they were used and discarded like disposable batteries. Everything that made up their individuality was burned away by the Constellation’s flames, leaving only the pure will of the Constellation.

The Constellation’s sole purpose was to descend upon this place.

[[[[Princess of Prominence, become one with me.]]]]

“…!”

Before her eyes, the fire spirits merged into one, swelling into a giant flame that looked down on Ban Yu-mi and Kang Eun-young. Though it took several humans to achieve, the Constellation’s descent was successful, and its presence was overwhelmingly strong for Ban Yu-mi, who hadn’t fully awakened her power.

“Ah, ah…”

“Yu-mi, leave this to me and run.”

Kang Eun-young stepped forward again. If she had stopped the Constellation’s descent, it might have been different, but now that it had descended, there was no escaping until the power within its body was exhausted.

Someone had to stop it.

“Run and hide. If you ask your father, or rather Yu-won, he’ll find a place for you to hide. He’s really amazing, even if he’s my son…”

“Where am I supposed to hide?!”

“Another dimension.”

[Haha. After all this, you think you can escape from me again? I won’t allow it.]

The Constellation’s descent form laughed crudely, raising its flaming hand. Kang Eun-young’s eyes shone sharply as she created flaming Blades in both hands, just like her daughter.

She had no intention of throwing her life away. Though the Constellation’s descent form was a formidable foe, no matter how many human lives were sacrificed, it couldn’t make up for the lack of material. If she could buy time or find an opening to destroy it…

[Resistance is futile. Your son, and your man, are now in my grasp.]

The Constellation’s descent form pointed to the sky like a rock star ending a performance in front of thousands. Countless red dots glowed in the sky, slowly moving and growing larger.

[Not just your man. If you won’t listen, I’ll burn this entire planet to ashes.]

“Ha…! And you call yourself a Constellation, making such vile and cowardly threats!”

As Kang Eun-young shouted in anger, the descent form sneered in response.

[Are you under some illusion about Constellations? Our way of thinking isn’t so different from humans. Some get caught up in appearances and make foolish mistakes, but I’m different. I’ll get what I want by any means. Especially if it’s the unquenchable flame――.]

But just as the Constellation continued its boast, a notification appeared before everyone’s eyes on Earth.

―Expelling aliens from Earth.

In the next moment, Ban Yu-mi, Kang Eun-young, and even the Constellation’s descent form were all flung into space. Whether it was Earth’s blessing or just the system’s design, Ban Yu-won was right in front of them.

““Oh.””

Ban Yu-mi, Kang Eun-young, and Ban Yu-won’s voices overlapped perfectly as they faced each other. Quickly assessing the situation, Ban Yu-won nodded confidently and pointed at the only unwelcome guest there—the Constellation’s descent form.

“Let’s take that bastard down first!”