PFC Chapter 350 350: The Gambler’s Mercy [7]
Chapter 350 350: The Gambler’s Mercy [7]
A corpse floated in the air, wrapped in radiance.
Light poured out of it in slow waves, gentle yet overwhelming, as the ruined body gradually became whole again—flesh knitting together, blood retreating, shattered bones rewinding as though time itself was flowing backward.
It was a scene that defied common sense.
Whether it was beautiful or horrifying depended entirely on the person witnessing it.
Suspended in that light, the man's wounds vanished one by one.
His breathing returned.
His fingers twitched.
Then, slowly, he opened his eyes.
Golden light spilled from beneath his lashes as he looked down at the people below, his gaze calm and unhurried, as if he were merely waking from a long sleep rather than rising from death itself.
The air changed the moment their eyes met.
His presence alone was heavy—an indescribable pressure layered with something distant and untouchable.
It was domineering, yet strangely familiar, creating an atmosphere that made it difficult to breathe.
If not for the words that followed, no one would have believed he was really Rin.
"…What?"
His voice was hoarse, but unmistakably his.
"Is this the first time you've seen someone come back to life?"
The silence that followed was deafening.
Divine or terrifying—either description fit.
And so, the reactions of those watching were anything but uniform.
Lena was the first to break.
Her legs finally gave out, and she dropped to her knees, hands trembling as she clasped them together in front of her chest.
"Thank you… thank you so much…"
Her voice cracked, tears spilling freely down her face.
She bowed her head again and again, as if afraid that if she stopped, the miracle before her eyes might disappear.
"I thought… I thought I lost you forever…"
Her mistake didn't vanish.
The guilt still weighed heavily on her heart.
But even so, how could she not rejoice when something she believed was gone for good had returned?
Normally, she would have been suspicious.
She would have questioned the cost, the method, the danger.
But her body and mind were far beyond their limits.
After exhausting herself resisting the relic, after pushing through fear and despair, the sight before her was nothing short of salvation.
"…This is unbelievable," she whispered.
Not far away, Leo watched in silence.
His expression was one of shock, yet unlike the others, he didn't lose his composure.
Not because he was braver.
Not because he was calmer.
But because he had seen something similar once before.
That day.
The day he went berserk and caused an incident that nearly destroyed everything around him.
Back then, Rin had stood before him with a presence just like this.
Not exactly the same—but close enough to make his chest tighten.
"…So it really is you," Leo muttered under his breath.
His hands clenched at his sides.
"Back then… you looked the same."
Rin's gaze briefly shifted toward him, lingering just long enough for Leo to feel certain he had been heard.
Meanwhile, Ryan's reaction was far less composed.
He stood stiffly, fists shaking, nails digging into his palms.
"…Damn it."
The word slipped out before he could stop himself.
It wasn't relief that filled his chest.
It was frustration.
Anger.
Self-loathing.
He had failed.
He couldn't protect his friend.
Even now, looking at Rin floating in the air, bathed in impossible light, that fact didn't change.
"…You idiot," Ryan muttered quietly.
"Do you have any idea what you put us through?"
Of course, Rin was alive in the end.
Ryan didn't know how.
He didn't know what kind of relic effect this was, or what price had already been paid.
But he knew Rin well enough to understand one thing.
His secretive friend never did anything without preparation.
And power like this—power that mocked death itself—never came for free.
Ryan's jaw tightened.
"…You better not tell me you walked out of this without losing something."
The words came out low, almost forced, as if he were afraid that letting his voice rise even a little would cause something inside him to crack. His fingers curled slowly, nails biting into his palms.
He wished he were stronger.
The thought surfaced again, bitter and relentless. Stronger—enough that this scene would never repeat itself. Stronger—enough that his friend wouldn't be lying hurt behind him. Stronger—enough that the villain standing in front of him wouldn't still be breathing.
His chest burned with frustration. His abilities felt laughably insignificant in moments like this. No matter how many times he trained, no matter how many battles he survived, it was never enough. He couldn't protect everyone. He couldn't even end this fight cleanly.
What if I were strong enough to subdue them in a single blow?
What if I could protect the professor without hesitation, without sacrifice?
Ryan exhaled through clenched teeth. He knew better. There was no such person. It was a meaningless assumption, a childish fantasy born from helplessness.
In reality, Ryan was already pushing the villain back, step by step. Sparks of power collided between them, the floor beneath their feet cracking under the pressure. But it wasn't overwhelming. Not decisive.
It wasn't enough.
Even so…
Something inside him shifted.
The genius—who until now had resolved everything smoothly with only what he possessed—began to crave power. Not ambition. Not greed.
Desperation.
He had always believed that what he had was sufficient. That effort and intelligence would compensate for any lack. But now, standing here, feeling the weight of another failure pressing down on his shoulders, that belief started to crumble.
He felt inadequate.
And for the first time, he wanted to reach out for something more.
The masked villain showed no reaction, their face hidden behind an unreadable shell. But beside them, the one who had brainwashed Lena was visibly shaking.
Her eyes were locked onto Rin.
Rin stood quietly, slightly behind Ryan.
At first glance, Rin looked ordinary—almost deceptively so.
But now, the head of the Twelve Signs felt cold sweat run down her spine.
She knew that feeling.
There was only one being she had ever encountered who gave off the same pressure.
The one who had distributed relics to them.
The one who had provided full support for their ambitions.
The one who had single-handedly crushed the organization's executives while calmly stating she would make them obey her someday.
The "helper."
The atmosphere Rin exuded—if only for an instant—was eerily similar.
That light.
That overwhelming proof of overflowing life force.
It was not something an ordinary human could possess.
It was the pressure of a higher-dimensional being, the kind that bent reality itself just by existing.
It had appeared only for a moment—so brief that anyone less sensitive would have missed it entirely. And then it was gone, withdrawn as if it had never existed.
But she knew.
She was certain.
The helper had always looked ordinary too.
"This… this can't be…" she whispered under her breath, her voice trembling.
There was no chance of winning.
Her instincts screamed at her to run.
Now. Immediately.
But her legs wouldn't move.
Even if she managed to escape, what then?
She didn't believe for a second that someone like the helper—or someone similar—would simply let her go. Once marked, prey never truly escaped.
"…I won't lose here," she said suddenly, forcing her fear down. Her eyes hardened, desperation twisting her expression. "I can't."
So she took her stance and was ready to fight.