Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Translator: Penny
Episode 20: End of the Prologue
Episode 20: Prologue End
"Hoo... Alright, as promised, I won't ask about that strange thing you did in the hospital room."
"Thank you, Chairwoman."
My body is gradually recovering, and I can feel my limbs moving with remarkable ease.
It's time to be discharged and discuss company matters with Mr. Deok-bae. I also need to keep my dinner appointment with Thomas Andrea, who wants to purchase more Potions after seeing how effective the first batch was.
Screech!
"Hey, why don't you join our Guild after all? With your talent, I think you could even succeed me as the Guild Master of the Golden Guild~"
Unfortunately, my entire body was still bound by Eve's chains, so even if I fully recovered, I wouldn't be able to escape.
If it hadn't been for Lee Cheon-ma... I would have been in serious trouble.
I recalled the events of a few hours earlier. Eve Meitner, driven mad by my persistent rejections, had tried to force my restrained body to stamp my fingerprint on the Guild membership application. But just then, Lee Cheon-ma appeared in the hospital room—perhaps he had fed her Nectar properly this time—and discovered her scheme. I had narrowly avoided the "graduate student ending."
"Well, clinging to someone who's already fully recovered would only make me look bad."
"That seems likely."
"We'll still meet every Sunday, right?"
"Yes, for now. I still don't fully understand how to control this power."
My body felt lighter. Looking down, I saw Eve's broken chains lying on the ground.
Ding!
"I should head back now. Want me to help with your discharge procedures?"
This was the Healing Room inside the Golden Guild. Since I wasn't a member, receiving treatment here would likely involve a complicated process.
Unlike the National Treatment Center, which had fixed rates, this recovery room was operated by the Guild. Here, the Guild's demands effectively determined the treatment cost.
Technically, I could argue that I saved Shena's life by defeating her after she had defeated Eve. But if I hadn't intervened, Eve would have simply obliterated Shena with her Supreme Lightning Magic. I doubt I could use that as leverage to waive the treatment fees.
We're out of potions...
Demanding payment for the Nectar that saved the Sword Demon's disciple would be absurd, given the Sword Demon's legendary status.
I managed to get support from an S-Rank Hero for free. I can't waste it on something trivial like this. Absolutely not.
This massive debt I've incurred from him must be reserved for a more critical moment. For now, I'll have to break through this situation on my own.
The only things I can offer them are money or Yuseong Group potions.
Given that I was suddenly dragged into the Gates, I was hoping they'd let me off easy... but.
"Ah, the Guild Master instructed us not to charge you for the treatment. You're free to return home."
"...Ah, thank you."
"The Golden Guild always welcomes talented Heroes. We can assure you that joining us will only benefit you, Yun Se-a, and never harm you."
It's amazing how Chairwoman Eve, who not only rescued me from a life-threatening emergency and covered all my hospitalization and treatment costs, but also overlooked the information about my eyes and generously waived the treatment fees despite having the opportunity to extort a fortune, could be so compassionate.
Whirr...
As soon as I was discharged and stepped out in front of the Golden Guild headquarters, a black sedan was waiting for me.
Mr. Deok-bae
Young Lady, please board the car parked in front.
"How kind of you."
A moderately sized four-seater sedan. It seemed Mr. Deok-bae had taken to heart my comment about the two-seater car we'd used last time, as he'd purchased a new four-seater.
Why not just use one of the cars Yun Seong-ho gave me?
I already had too many—so many it was giving me decision fatigue. Maybe I should just get rid of them all this time.
Welcome, Young Lady. Please enter your destination.
"...Take me home, please."
Yes, resetting destination... Estimated travel time is 40 minutes. Would you prefer autonomous or manual driving?
"Autonomous driving, please."
Then, I will ensure a comfortable journey to your destination, Young Lady.
Looking at the interior and features... this is 100% custom-made.
Burning company funds like this? I'll have to give him a piece of my mind when I get back.
Clunk, clunk...!
"Next station is..."
A long time had passed.
The heavy snowfall had stopped, and the New Year's Eve bell-ringing ceremony, which featured a large group of celebrities, had concluded successfully.
The bitter cold had gradually given way to warm spring breezes, and the end of winter vacation was approaching.
Raon Academy: Historic Golden Generation Set to Enroll? From the Sword Demon's Hidden Disciple to a Flood of Talented Applicants from Overseas!
"Raon Academy's first-year students are naturally the protagonists of the story. Of course they have to be the Golden Generation."
Without the Golden Generation, it would be impossible to smoothly navigate the perilous story that lay ahead.
"...Status Window."
Information
Name: Yun Se-a
Age: 19
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Skills:
Psychokinesis (A)
You can freely manipulate psychokinesis.
Recovery (S)
You can perfectly heal any wound, but you still feel the pain.
Blunted Senses (B)
Due to prolonged experimentation, you have a diminished sense of pain.
Great Fortune (S)
The probability of luck favoring your actions is greatly increased.
Stats:
Strength: B
Defense: C+
Mana: A+
Stamina: D
Agility: B+
Luck: S
It was worth visiting the National Cemetery after all.
The Jeju Island Raid, once dubbed "South Korea's Greatest Disaster," remains the deadliest Dungeon Break in the nation's history and one of only fifteen S-Rank Gates to ever manifest worldwide.
Though S-Rank Heroes Eve Meitner, Lee Cheon-ma, and Kang Jin-myeong successfully sealed the Gate, countless A-Rank and lower-ranked Heroes perished. Even mentioning the catastrophe is considered taboo, and it's likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.
All victims were posthumously designated as national heroes and interred at the National Cemetery. I visited the cemetery to inherit the legacy they left behind.
Unlike Hidden Pieces with limited quantities, the ones here were incredibly generous, dispensing them like a copy machine as long as the qualification requirements were met. I'd have to bring the main characters here later, but let's worry about that later.
Inheriting the legacy posed no real challenge. With my Blunted Senses (B), it was an exceptionally easy quest.
The condition was to experience the pain the Heroes had endured during the Jeju Island Raid.
Thanks to my Recovery (S) skill, I survived fatal wounds that would have killed an ordinary Hero hundreds of times over. Before enrolling in the Academy, I'd seen a viral post claiming that obtaining this skill beforehand would drastically lower the difficulty. Mesmerized, I entered the dungeon and cleared the quest after dying over a hundred times.
"It's a shame I couldn't achieve a No-Hit Clear."
If I hadn't taken that critical hit for Eve Meitner during the Jeju Island Raid, it would have been a perfect run. Still, I'm fortunate to have acquired the Great Fortune (S) skill, which raises my Luck stat to S Rank, before the original story even begins.
"The new students this year... well, first there's the protagonist..."
The protagonist from the original story. Unfortunately, I don't know their name—it's user-customizable.
Hanae Sakura, the Divine Archer who transferred from an Academy in Japan.
Seong Arin, who will eventually succeed Eve Meitner as an S-Rank Magic Hero.
These were the names of the main characters enrolling at Raon Academy.
For now, I only remember the names of the protagonist and heroines. I'll need to refresh my memory on the others.
The main characters in the second year are probably just me and Kang A-yul, Kang Jin-myeong's granddaughter.
There were no third-year students at all.
Clunk!
The chair jolted slightly.
It always does this around here because of the uneven track.
The next station is Raon Academy. Raon Academy. The doors will open on the right...
It seemed like I had prepared reasonably well.
Alright, then...
Is this the beginning, the original story?
Even if it means resorting to desperate measures, I'll make sure this story ends with a happy ending.
No matter what it takes.