The Descent and the Reward
"Shall we head back now……."
Lee Yeon-woo, who had been trudging along, spoke in a voice completely drained of energy. She looked as if she might collapse at any moment. For the past few hours, she had scoured the interior of the ruins after the illusion barrier had shattered. Although the test was over, she couldn't shake the possibility that something else might have been left behind. However, after circling the massive cavern, nothing new had been discovered, and her physical stamina had finally reached its limit. Considering her usual lifestyle, it was impressive she had lasted this long; it would have been impossible without her burning passion for research.
"I’ll head back, write up the report, and then organize a proper investigation team to return later……. It’s gotten quite late, too……."
"Then let’s head out now."
"Ye-es……."
Having decided to return, Kim Ilshin and Lee Yeon-woo passed through the corridor and emerged from the ruins. A bright moon was already hanging in the darkened sky. Once outside, Kim Ilshin took a deep breath. Having spent so much time inside the ruins, the cool night air was a welcome relief. Lee Yeon-woo, however, muttered listlessly, as if such things were of no concern to her.
"Ah…… I have to go down the mountain……."
As the obvious reality dawned on her, a look of profound despair settled over her face. She wouldn't have looked any more devastated if the house she lived in had collapsed in an instant.
"……Student Kim Ilshin, how about we just sleep here and head back tomorrow? The inside of the ruins was cool and nice……."
Her voice, offering such an absurd suggestion, carried a ring of sincerity. It seemed she had already given up on the idea of walking down the mountain on her own feet.
"It’s too dangerous. We can't."
If there had been an unavoidable circumstance, it might have been different, but otherwise, there was no reason to camp in such a dangerous place. In the first place, there was no way they could get a proper night's sleep in a mountain teeming with beasts.
"Right… you're right… it’s better to go down quickly, isn't it……?"
Upon hearing Kim Ilshin’s firm answer, Lee Yeon-woo’s body swayed pitifully. Her closed eyelids showed no sign of lifting, and her posture was completely limp. At this rate, she wouldn't be able to make it down properly anyway. Kim Ilshin asked her,
"Then, shall I carry you on my back?"
It was a suggestion she had refused back when they were climbing up, citing the strange excuse that she was embarrassed because of her sweat. But the current Lee Yeon-woo was in no state to care about such things. She answered without a second of hesitation.
"Please do……. Ah, I’ll guide the way……."
Despite saying that, Lee Yeon-woo fell asleep less than three seconds after being hoisted onto Kim Ilshin’s back. Thanks to the fact that he had memorized the path while coming up, there was no problem in descending the mountain.
The day after returning from the Mad Demon’s ruins, the report writing began under the lead of a well-rested Lee Yeon-woo. The report contained detailed information regarding the investigation process, the purpose of the ruins, and the plans for future surveys. Of course, the incident with Park Sung-jun’s group was omitted. While Lee Yeon-woo wrote the report, Kim Ilshin helped her from the side. It was mostly a process of Lee Yeon-woo asking what she needed and Kim Ilshin providing the answers. Lee Yeon-woo apologized for making him help with even this, but it was unavoidable. The details regarding the predecessor’s test could not have been written without Kim Ilshin’s assistance.
The report, which had started in the morning, only concluded in the late afternoon.
"Good. That finishes the report. Thank you so much for helping me until now……."
After organizing the completed report and standing up, Lee Yeon-woo bowed her head to express her gratitude. If not for Kim Ilshin, it would have been impossible not only to finish it but even to start.
"So, I’ve prepared something. Just a moment……."
What Lee Yeon-woo pulled from her pocket was a letter envelope with a luxurious design. She placed it in Kim Ilshin’s hand and said,
"It’s an admission ticket to the Heavenly Myriad Bazaar. I recently received it as a token of appreciation from an acquaintance, but I don't think I’ll have any reason to go……."
The Heavenly Myriad Bazaar was a place Kim Ilshin knew well. It was called the Heavenly Myriad Bazaar because it sold everything under the heavens. True to its name, the bazaar possessed all sorts of things in the world. It was easier to count the things they didn't have than the things they did. Because of that, there were countless people who wanted to visit the bazaar. If one had the ability to pay the price, they could purchase anything there.
However, the Heavenly Myriad Bazaar was not a place anyone could visit. Only those who possessed admission tickets, which were periodically distributed in small quantities, could use the bazaar, and naturally, obtaining one was as difficult as picking stars from the sky. Kim Ilshin had also intended to acquire one if the opportunity arose, just in case he needed it later. He hadn't expected to obtain it like this.
"Are you sure I can accept something this precious?"
"Of course…! I had originally thought about going to find items related to the Ilshin Pacheon-gong, but thanks to you, Student Kim Ilshin, there’s no need for that anymore."
Kim Ilshin didn't decline further, tucking the ticket into his pocket as he said,
"Thank you. I will make good use of it."
"No, not at all…! I’m the one who should be thanking you……."
With that, the business was concluded, and after bidding Lee Yeon-woo farewell, Kim Ilshin stepped outside.
‘He was incredible.’
Immediately after Kim Ilshin left, Lee Yeon-woo ruminated on her memories of him once more. At first, she had thought of him as just an ordinary person who had learned the Ilshin Pacheon-gong. Although it was true he had recently taken the top spot with his rapid growth, to Lee Yeon-woo, he was still just a third-year student. But the figure Kim Ilshin had shown that day far transcended her expectations. The fact that he had taken down two C-rank heroes who utilized difficult-to-counter tactics without suffering a single injury was hard to believe.
They had promised to keep it a secret between the two of them, but even if they hadn't, it felt like nothing would have come of it. No one would have believed that a third-year academy student had defeated two C-rank heroes.
‘Even I wouldn't have believed it if I were them….’
Even Lee Yeon-woo, who had witnessed it firsthand, found it hard to grasp the situation, so one could only imagine how others would react. But it was an undeniable fact. The scene she witnessed during the predecessor’s test was the same. At that moment, when a storm rose with a tremendous roar and the earth shook, Lee Yeon-woo had only thought it was the impact created by the exploding monument. She had even teared up, worried if Kim Ilshin, who was at the center of it, was alright, but it hadn't taken long for her to realize that all of it had been her own misunderstanding.
After the sand and dust settled, she checked Kim Ilshin’s body, and there wasn't a single scratch on him. In the first place, the person who had created that impact was Kim Ilshin himself.
‘How many people do I know who are capable of that….’
She couldn't know for sure, but it was certain that the number was very small. It made her wonder if even A-rank heroes, who were said to have few rivals, could exert that much destructive power with a single fist.
Following that thought, the memory of coming down the mountain after leaving the ruins surfaced. She had whined about being tired and exhausted, and in the end, she had descended the mountain on a student’s back. She had even fallen asleep the moment she was carried, despite saying she would guide the way.
"Ugh……."
Feeling a sudden wave of embarrassment, Lee Yeon-woo slumped over her desk and kicked her feet. What was even more shameful was her own weakness, knowing that if she could turn back time and return to that moment, she would likely make the same choice again.
‘Should I start exercising……. No. I wouldn't do it anyway.’
Knowing full well she would never put it into practice, she didn't make any insincere resolutions. "Sigh, let’s just get back to work……."
Raising her upper body, Lee Yeon-woo began her backlog of work. Yet, even in the midst of that, memories kept surfacing. The moment when she was about to give up, unable to withstand Park Sung-jun’s threats, Kim Ilshin had grabbed her wrist, stopped her, and moved forward. His back, which had looked so reliable, as if he could block any danger, kept flickering in her mind.
"……You’ve lost your mind, Lee Yeon-woo."
Muttering that to herself, Lee Yeon-woo walked toward the restroom. She felt she needed to wash her face and clear her head.
That night, after finishing his physical training, Kim Ilshin moved his mana slowly and thought.
‘I think I can test it now.’
It seemed the time had come to begin training the Mad Wave Strike of the Ilshin Pacheon-gong that he had acquired. It had been a long time since his damaged mana circuits had fully recovered, but he had been restraining himself just in case. However, after testing it during his physical training a moment ago, he had judged that it would be fine.
‘I’m looking forward to it.’
How it would perform if he operated it at a lower limit, how he should use it in actual combat, and so on. There were many things he wanted to find out.
‘…Hm?’
At that moment, there was someone who caught Kim Ilshin’s eye. It was Baek Ha-yeon, who was approaching him quickly, her gaze fixed firmly on him.