Precious Guest -1-
Weakness Infliction.
Juyeon's finger, of course, didn't bend.
Rohan concentrated, compressing his focus to activate the skill.
And then.
…!
It was as if the vessel containing his mana had shattered.
All the mana he had drained out in an instant.
Mana is insufficient.
A notification window popped up in front of Rohan's eyes.
He didn't even have the luxury to feel regret.
His mind flashed with a dizziness that went beyond mere vertigo.
His vision blurred white in an instant.
"Ugh…."
Rohan, whose mana had evaporated in a flash, tried to cling to consciousness.
But exhaustion from such sudden mana depletion—unlike gradual consumption—couldn't be endured by willpower alone.
Rohan's awareness began to fade slowly.
"!!!"
At the same moment, a chill instinct grazed Juyeon.
Rohan's mana, seeping through her finger, attempted to create a change.
What she felt was a sense of disharmony, as if her balance were being disrupted.
'From a cadet…?'
Juyeon suppressed the impulse to move her body with patience and reason.
She had nearly swung Rohan—still gripping her left hand—forward to smash him away.
Watching Rohan closely for any further anomalies, Juyeon was surprised again.
The sword in his hand slipped loose, and the grip on her finger weakened.
'His consciousness!?'
Rohan was toppling over like a puppet with its strings cut.
Juyeon caught him as he fell toward her, cradling him in her arms.
Dodging wasn't an option.
Beep-beep-beep-ring!
The alarm signaling the two-minute mark rang out.
Juyeon's situational judgment was swift.
She sprang to her feet, still holding the unconscious Rohan.
"I'm taking him to the infirmary. Everyone else, stay here."
There was no room for pretense in this situation.
Juyeon shot off like lightning.
'Huh?'
Rohan opened his eyes on a bed. A thin, warm blanket covered his body.
As his mind cleared and he lifted his eyelids, a pristine white ceiling came into view.
Familiar notification windows greeted his returning consciousness.
Zero Mana Day
Reward: 10P
This is survival?
Reward: 30P
"…."
Rohan immediately summoned his status window without delay.
Name: Rohan
Health: 98%
Mana: 3%
Affiliated Nation: Southern Ruins' Remnant
Affiliated Group: Orion Academy
Attributes: [Physical] [Fire]
Status: Exhaustion
Remaining Points: 2304P
'Whoa, if this had been real combat, I'd be dead for sure.'
The moment he glanced at the status window and the bluish IV drip connected to his arm, he grasped the situation.
Rohan pulled his limp hand from under the blanket and covered his face.
Thank goodness he'd tested it beforehand. He could only hope that raising his capacity and skill level would open a path forward.
'…My condition's totally wrecked.'
So this was mana exhaustion. It was nothing like overusing his abilities back in his hunter days.
His whole body sagged like a cotton ball soaked in water.
He knew he needed to figure out exactly where he was and what time it was, but a profound sense of helplessness made even that simple action feel impossible.
How long had he lain there, adrift in a daze?
The curtain rustled—shhrrk!—as someone entered.
"You're awake."
"!"
Rohan removed his hand and rolled his eyes. Juyeon entered his view.
She sat naturally in the chair beside him.
"Mana exhaustion. You scraped every last drop without leaving any reserves."
"…I'm sorry."
"You did nothing wrong. It's good experience, so no need to apologize. Rest for now."
Juyeon watched the steady drip-drip of the bluish IV fluid as she continued.
"How's your condition?"
"Just… a bit tired."
"We're administering a recovery IV, so finish it all before you go."
Juyeon placed Rohan's bag on the desk and handed him his smartphone.
With a word of thanks, he turned it on. Classes were already over.
There were messages from Ichinose and the rest of Class 1.
He wanted to reply to everyone right away, but time was the priority.
"Instructor."
"Hm?"
"Do you know how long it'll take to finish this IV?"
"Wait a moment."
Juyeon pushed the curtain aside and spoke to someone outside. She returned quickly with the answer.
"About two hours left."
"Phew…."
Good, he could make it to his part-time job.
As Rohan sighed in relief at the thought, Juyeon read his intent and hardened her expression.
"Rohan. This IV isn't a miracle cure. With the aftereffects of exhaustion, you should rest deeply today."
"I'm fine. My part-time job is basically rest anyway."
"Hmm…."
Juyeon had more to say, but she closed her mouth, not wanting to overstep into interference.
They both had their circumstances.
It wasn't leisure—he couldn't force Rohan to skip a job tied to his livelihood.
She was curious about his skill too, but as an instructor, there were limits to prying into personal matters.
Juyeon could only watch as Rohan left the infirmary.
"…."
Juyeon finished her Orion Academy duties and returned home.
The lavish residence granted by the chairman when he summoned her to Academy City.
She considered returning it or passing it to another instructor and moving somewhere else when the chance arose.
Beep-ring!
Entering the password, the pitch-black living room greeted her with silence in the darkness.
Every time she faced this scene, she missed the cozy home back in Samhwa Nation.
'Space should be just right, not excessively big.'
A house this oversized was hard to maintain, and without furniture, sounds echoed.
Half this size would be perfect.
Click.
She neatly placed her heels in the corner of the shoe cabinet.
Juyeon began shedding her suit.
In her underwear, she loaded the suit into the clothing manager and headed to the bathroom for her usual wash.
Chika-chika.
She tossed her underwear into the laundry basket and started brushing her teeth while facing the mirror.
Reflecting on the day's classes during her wash was essential.
'I should hold sessions like this more often.'
Each one had dazzling talent.
That brilliance shone more radiantly than in regular practical lessons.
All were excellent, but three cadets left a particularly strong impression on Juyeon.
'Noah Frozenheart, Ichinose Yui….'
She believed those two would easily surpass her with smooth growth.
In a world heralding chaotic times, the saying about heroes emerging felt tailor-made for these elegant cadets.
Shhhh—!
"Phew…."
Juyeon recalled the final one under the cold shower spray.
'And Rohan.'
He was different from a hero.
She couldn't predict his growth.
The more Juyeon mulled over Rohan's movements, the more she felt admiration mixed with bitterness.
It wasn't the combat style of a fresh academy cadet—her heart ached for that reason.
A battle method ingrained not through formal training, but experience.
She could feel the desperate struggles for survival. Rough, savage motions dripping with blood.
And since it wasn't innate talent like Noah Frozenheart's, but something artificial.
In those two minutes of sparring, Juyeon glimpsed Rohan's past.
Above all.
'It was definitely Scorching Blade.'
She hadn't expected to encounter it so abruptly.
Was it obtained by chance, or had he possessed it since birth?
'Knowing won't change or alter anything….'
She knew it was the immaturity of someone not yet free from past shadows.
Still, she was curious.
A lingering emotion of missing her little brother.
Shhhh—.
"…."
But she didn't want to pry forcefully from Rohan.
As an instructor, she knew such questions would impose immense pressure on a cadet—far beyond imagination.
"Ah?"
Deep in thought, Juyeon realized she'd frozen again.
It was a bad habit.
'I did something unfair to Rohan too.'
Those two minutes were precious to the cadet, yet she'd let her mind wander. Unbecoming of an instructor.
A shame for someone who made teaching her profession. She needed to make amends herself.
"Hoo!"
Finishing her shower, Juyeon subtly manipulated the heat in her mana to dry her body cleanly.
She donned the new underwear she'd bought recently.
It felt a bit tight around her hips. Same up top.
'Hm? The size?'
She hadn't slacked on training, so she hadn't gained weight.
Not in a growth spurt either—her chest or hips growing was out of the question.
'This brand won't do.'
Other brands fit perfectly at this size, but not this one.
Juyeon changed to different underwear, slipped into light clothes, and headed to the kitchen.
She drank cold water and picked up her phone.
Juyeon meticulously checked the recorded messages.
'Flower Lily Bookstore, huh.'
She checked the time.
If the report was accurate, Rohan's shift hadn't ended yet.
Next, Juyeon reviewed the Orion Academy instructor manual.
Standing in the kitchen, she double-checked the section on cadets' part-time jobs.
'Instructor's responsibilities and duties… Maybe a quick visit.'
Juyeon shed her clothes and opened her wardrobe for an outing.
She pulled out casual wear she hadn't touched in ages and slipped on sneakers for the first time in who-knows-how-long.