Sparring (1)
Sparring was arranged at the speed of light.
We were led to the underground training ground of the Phoenix Guild members at Phoenix Resort.
'They said a lot of all-around training happens here since it's owned by the Immortal Guild. They even have facilities like this.'
The underground training hall was equipped with everything from simple exercise gear like dumbbells to high-end training devices like gravity rooms—facilities that cost a fortune.
"Oh? Captain!"
"Is the captain here for training too?"
Twenty members of Jeong Ri-on's Spirit Knights were in the middle of training. Among them was Mulsuja, whom I'd seen at the last guild meeting.
"Huh? Hyunwoo!"
Mulsuja, who had been training by switching between undines and water forms, approached us.
"What are you doing here with the captain?"
Jeong Ri-on's expression turned a bit awkward. Next to him, the sylphs shouted shamelessly without a care.
[It's sparring!]
[We're seeing who's stronger!]
"……Sparring?"
Mulsuja's eyes turned to me.
"With Hyunwoo? He's an academy student, and it's been less than a month since he contracted a spirit?"
"Ahem, ahem."
Jeong Ri-on quickened his pace unnecessarily and headed toward the inner sparring area.
"Don't pretend you didn't hear and stop right there! You're really going to spar with that young kid? You, an S-rank captain?"
Mulsuja followed right behind Jeong Ri-on, pouring out her scolding without missing a beat. As we trailed after them, the knights' voices chased us.
"Sparring? The captain with that guy?"
"That's the spirit from the video."
"Ah, the one the vice-captain called 'big sis spirit' last time."
"This'll be fun."
The training knights started following us one by one, spirits in tow.
[Go Aqua!]
[Show those sylphs who's boss!]
The undines cheered for Aqua. Aqua nodded with a face that said to just trust her.
[Don't worry!]
The sparring area had two player waiting rooms for discussing strategies and tactics. We entered the one opposite from where Jeong Ri-on had gone. Since all the knights had followed him, the three of us could quietly plan our strategy.
A moment later, the door to the waiting room burst open, and Jang Gilsan rushed in with a shocked face.
"You're sparring with Jeong Ri-on?"
"Yeah. Hey, long time no see."
"Of all people, why him?"
"Of all people?"
I looked at Jang Gilsan with puzzlement. It sounded like he wished I wouldn't run into anyone.
Come to think of it, he'd told me on the phone earlier to stay somewhere without people. I'd thought it was a joke, but apparently not.
"What's up? Am I wanted or something?"
"Well, something like that."
"Something like that?"
Jang Gilsan pulled up a chair and played a video on his phone. It was the guesthouse promo video.
"What's this got to do with it?"
"Your wanted poster."
"Speak plainly."
"Because of this video, all the guilds that came for the guild harmony event are looking for you."
The moment I heard the explanation, I understood why. Those two videos showed Aqua's uniqueness without filter.
'I half-uploaded them to brag about Aqua anyway.'
The guilds that agreed with the brag were now moving. To claim this special spirit and her contractor.
Jang Gilsan looked at my face and nodded.
"Smart guys like you are easy to talk to."
"So Jeong Ri-on is 'of all people' too."
"Jeong Ri-on wants every outstanding spirit user in the country under his knights."
Honestly, from my perspective, it wasn't 'of all people' at all. He might be a scouting rival to Jang Gilsan, but to me, he was just a senior I wanted to learn from.
"Isn't it academy rules that students can't sign guild contracts?"
The academy rules meant more than mere school regulations. The countless guilds in Korea that needed academy graduates as hunters had to follow them to maintain good relations with the academy.
"But what if a superstar appears who's worth breaking the rules for?"
Jang Gilsan said in a bored tone, as if it were obvious.
"Someone who could be the face of the guild in the future, or raise its status overnight?"
It was a voice saying such rules meant nothing before giant guilds—too obvious.
I looked at Aqua, and she looked back at me.
"We're that big a deal?"
"You know the Water Spirit King has been in seclusion, right?"
"Yeah. ……Ah."
Only then did I grasp my situation. The Water Spirit King hadn't appeared in the human world for five years, and here was this special spirit.
"At least the info that Aqua can make supreme-grade Healing Water is only known to our guild. If that got out, it wouldn't be scouts at your guesthouse—it'd be guild executives."
Aqua's Healing Water had safely been rated supreme-grade.
As I marveled anew at that fact, Aqua suddenly interjected.
[They're mistaking me for the Water Spirit King?]
Jang Gilsan nodded at Aqua's question.
[Hmph! As expected, this body's uniqueness leaks out even when I'm just sitting here!]
Aqua crossed her arms and raised her nose. A fountain even sprouted from her shoulders. It was her pride-piercing-the-sky emotional display.
Jang Gilsan asked.
"Aqua. Are you the Spirit King?"
[No! The Water Spirit King lives safely in the Spirit Realm!]
Jang Gilsan nodded, a mix of disappointment and relief.
I asked.
"Anyway, other guilds think Aqua might be the Spirit King, right?"
"Yeah."
"They think whichever guild scouts us gets Korea's first Spirit King member."
"No spirit user in our country has ever contracted a Spirit King."
So far, only three had worldwide: in America, Australia, and Japan.
"Among them, Immortal Guild is the most desperate. With Jeong Ri-on and you, the world's strongest spirit user guild wouldn't be a pipe dream."
We were bigger targets than I thought.
[Hee hee hee!]
Aqua didn't seem worried at all. She just enjoyed being mistaken for the Spirit King.
'It'll be a bit annoying, but no big deal.'
The upcoming sparring was more important.
"Since it came up, can I get the Healing Water balance now?"
Instead of answering, Jang Gilsan gestured to his secretary behind him. The burly secretary placed three black cases in front of me.
Click. The cases opened, and glistening magic stones sparkled toward me.
◈ Price per bottle: 40,000,000 won
"Aquaa's supreme-grade Healing Water is priced at 40 million won per bottle. This is the balance for the three bottles we bought last time: 75 million won in magic stones."
"40 million won?"
I was startled by the enormous amount. Considering upper-grade spirit Healing Water went for 15 million won, this was astonishing.
"Isn't Spirit King Healing Water around 50,000 dollars—50 million won?"
"It was rated equivalent, so that's the price. But that salamander on your shoulder—is that your spirit too? Dual contracts now?"
Jang Gilsan's eyes gleamed. He looked ready to whip out a contract on the spot.
"Just protecting a stray. I told you my new skill turns magic stones into spirit stones. I'm using it to care for wild spirits."
"Ah, got it."
I dumped all 75 million won worth of magic stones into the Spirit Shop with Aqua.
Remaining Coins: 8,635
Aqua looked at the remaining coins window and said to Jang Gilsan.
[Give us more!]
"……Huh?"
[We'll give more Healing Water, so give us more! Can't now since we need to conserve power, but right after the fight!]
It was a request on credit. Jang Gilsan glanced at Aqua, then at me, surprised by her eagerness. I shrugged.
Aqua now faced a fight she absolutely couldn't lose.
* * *
After the Healing Water deal, Jang Gilsan left, saying he had to check on Jeong Ri-on. We dumped the payment for two more supreme-grade Healing Waters—80 million won in magic stones—into the Spirit Shop.
Remaining Coins: 16,635
We first bought four Spirit Stones and immediately recharged Aqua's spirit power.
[Alright, next is that one!]
Aqua snorted at me and pointed at something in the Spirit Shop.
[Let's buy this!]
What Aqua pointed to was one item.