Irin

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Rin-ie likes hyung a lot, too, but Rin-ie likes Yoohyun-ie the most.

Chapter 254

Irin (Korean: 이린, RR: Irin) is a fire elemental bound by a contract to Han Yoohyun.

Appearance

Irin is a small red lizard made of flames, roughly fist-sized,^[1] with small horns on its head.^[2] As its rank goes up, its color shifts slightly, becoming brighter and more yellow-tinged. It is capable of sinking into people's skin where it appears as a flat, 2-dimensional tattoo. In this form, when it passes over an eye, the color of the iris shifts to Irin's body color instead of a lizard shape appearing on the eyeball.^[3]

While in the mana-rich environment of the virtual reality dungeon, Irin is able to take an imugi-like shape, becoming a large scarlet serpent with a long body and four feet. It can trigger this change at will, switching freely between its small lizard and large serpent forms.^[4]

Personality

As a fire elemental, Irin is an incredibly passionate creature; its sole passion, something all fire elementals have, is its contractor Han Yoohyun. It is very emotionaly expressive and likes for others to be so as well, insisting that Yoojin should frequently tell Yoohyun that he loves him. It is fairly excitable, childish, and temperamental owing to its young age, but does have a fair amount of intelligence right from its birth,^[5] perhaps from the elementals of a past world that worked to create it.^[6] While Irin conceptually understands human standards, it has trouble actually applying them to humans, especially in reference to its contractor, being affronted by the idea that Yoohyun might ever care about someone or something other than Yoojin and baffled by this idea not upsetting Yoojin.^[7]

As young elementals are normally unable to speak aloud in mana-scarce environments,^[5] Irin was normally silent. However, it was temporarily able to speak to Han Yoojin inside the mindscape created by his skill.^[8] When Yoohyun and Irin entered virtual reality dungeon with its Mana Holes, it was able to speak aloud,^[4] an ability carried forward permanently when Irin is in contact with Han Yoojin while he's wearing Yoo Eunhye with its Mana Spring ability.^[9] Irin speaks very childishly, exclusively referring to itself in the third person.^[5]

Abilities

Stats

Irin was F-rank at birth,^[1] but grew to E-rank within a few days.^[3] By the time of the Hong Kong trip, it had grown to C-rank,^[8] and in the time since it has almost certainly grown even further.

Irin's maximum potential rank is L.^[5]

Skills

• Elemental’s Contract (L)^[8]: Allows an elemental to form a contract with a target. The rank of this skill is the maximum potential rank the elemental can grow to.^[5] The elemental can understand its contractor's thoughts and intentions without needing them to be spoken aloud.^[3] This contract cannot be terminated until one party ceases to exist.^[5] This skill also automatically provides the contractor with a resistance skill targeting the elemental's attribute—in this case, fire.^[10]

Relationships

Han Yoohyun

As Irin's contractor, Irin's care for Han Yoohyun is leagues ahead of its care for anyone else.^[11] It cares greatly for him to the point of liking things just because Yoohyun does. Irin wants the best for Yoohyun, encouraging Han Yoojin (Yoohyun's favorite person) to frequently tell Yoohyun he's loved.^[5] Irin is almost always hanging around Yoohyun as his bound elemental, often seeping into his skin as a tattoo; it particularly enjoys dwelling in his eye.^[3]

Han Yoojin

Irin greatly likes Han Yoojin due to him being Yoohyun's favorite person, and calls him hyung because Yoohyun does.^[12] It likes being praised by Yoojin, but likes even more when Yoojin praises and is affectionate towards Yoohyun, to the point of explicitly demanding it aloud.^[13] It generally works with Yoojin to help Yoohyun or give and get advice regarding him, hoping that Yoojin will continue to love Yoohyun;^[7] it is particularly upset by the fact that Yoojin has other loved ones, given that Yoohyun only has Yoojin.^[14]

Peace

Despite Peace's interest in Irin even before it hatched, Irin does not pay particular attention to Peace.^[3] That being said, it does enjoy his energy, likely as Peace is a fellow flame-attribute creature.^[14]

Bak Yerim

Irin doesn't particularly care for Bak Yerim, likely due to her being of water and ice attributes.^[7]

Trivia

• Irin's name could be drawn from a few different sources:
  • The Aramaic עִירִין (iyrin), meaning “wakeful/watchful ones” (singular form עִיר, iyr), used to refer to a type of Biblical angel.
  • The Sanskrit इरिन् (irin), meaning “powerful”/“tyrant”.^[15]
  • A derivation from the Greek word ειρήνη (eirḗnē, sometimes written irini), which gives rise to the name Irene and means “peace”.

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References

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