Academy (16)
Diana meticulously swept and scrubbed the Lapis Workshop — her home and workplace. The workshop was a bit worn, looking shabby next to the modern building right beside it. But it was a precious building to her.
"Haa..."
Originally, the owner of the Lapis Workshop was her husband. It was a place where his dreams had been realized. But when her husband suddenly collapsed, she inherited it. There was no way she could handle alchemy without ever having properly learned it. The Lapis Workshop, which had once dealt only in the highest quality products, went under in no time. Despite her desperate efforts, she managed to produce items of similar quality to her husband's heyday, but it was too late. The customers had already left.
'Still... things will get better, bit by bit.'
She steeled her weakening resolve, forcing a bright smile as she swept and scrubbed the workshop until not a speck of dust remained.
*Zing.*
She knew exactly who would be contacting her now. Her daughter's savior. Diana touched her red lips and read the message.
It seemed rushed — it was filled with typos. He must be busy.
'Nine o'clock... that leaves about six hours.'
She wasn't in a position to offer anything expensive. Her husband's hospital bills had been stretching her thin lately.
"...I can't help it."
She let out a small sigh and picked up her shopping basket. It made her feel a bit sorry that all she could do was prepare a meal.
'But nine o'clock is a bit late for dinner, isn't it...?'
She deliberated for a moment, then thought of a lunchbox. If she used a container inscribed with preservation magic, it would keep perfectly fine even if he ate it the next day.
She reached the market right next to the alchemy district, habitually touching her red lips. After a brief hesitation, she entered a particular shop. One that normally sold ingredients too expensive for her to even consider.
"Oh my... Sara's mom? What brings you here buying lobster? Gonna cook for someone? For Sara?"
The question from the merchant, who normally never spoke to her, struck her as a bit odd.
"No, not exactly."
"Oh my!? Don't tell me it's a man? Come on, spill it. Let me in on the fun too."
She was about to say she was preparing it for her savior without a second thought, but she stopped. Fun? What did she mean by that?
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Huh...? What, what? Did I say something?"
"You just said 'fun'—"
The middle-aged merchant with permed hair scowled.
"Aish! Don't talk nonsense! Anyway... who are you cooking for? It's a man, right?"
"...Ma'am. I don't have much time. Sorry, but could you hurry up and pack it for me?"
Diana frowned as the merchant clicked her tongue and wrapped up the lobster. But the strange sense of unease vanished at the sight of the lobster's hefty price tag.
"Tch... Two of them — eighty thousand won."
"E-eighty thousand... Ugh..."
It looked like she'd be eating nothing but ramen for a while because of this. Her husband's hospital bills left her no choice. But she couldn't hold back when it came to treating the savior of her daughter's life.
* * *
*Ding-dong.*
Diana, who had been humming while cooking, beamed.
"Oh my! You're early?"
She'd hung a CLOSED sign on the shop, so there could only be one person coming. She'd debated whether it was proper etiquette to serve him a meal here, but in the end, she'd chosen a lunchbox. Eating together, just the two of them, in this place without Sara didn't feel quite right.
*Thud.*
"Welcome!"
Diana opened the door with her signature bright smile.
***
Arriving at the alchemy district, Si-woo checked the time. It was five minutes before nine o'clock.
'At least I'm not late.'
Amelia had clung to him even after losing consciousness.
"Heheuk...♥ Ah, it's still hard...?"
"This is enough. You can stop now, Amelia."
"Aahng... I, I don't wannaaaa... You said you wouldn't be satisfied until it got soft!"
"Mm..."
"Aahng♥ Aaaaahng!"
In the end, he'd pounded her until she passed out, then mobilized his internal energy to dash over here. He'd barely made it five minutes before the appointment.
'Hm?'
The path to Diana's Lapis Workshop was unusually empty. It was always a secluded spot in an alley corner, but it was especially quiet today.
'What's with the sudden construction?'
There was even a sign blocking the path. Carrying a flicker of suspicion, he entered the alley.
*Thud.*
There was even a barrier set up, probably because of the construction.
He sent a text, but there was no response. She didn't pick up the phone either.
'Should I just come back another time.'
He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. Something about this felt off. There was a strange, prickling sensation. He closed his eyes and focused.
A faint *bang bang* sound reached his ears. Narrowing his eyes, he channeled internal energy into his ears.
"...Open this!"
"No one's coming to help you anyway!"
He heard bizarre shouts. Surrounding his palm with anti-magic power, he pressed it against the barrier. Just that created an opening to enter.
*Tap-tat.*
He sprinted forward and found a ridiculous scene unfolding.
*Bang! Bang!*
A potbellied middle-aged man. Roton — the one who claimed to be Diana's husband's friend — was grinning with sheer delight. Sweat pouring off him, he was swinging a hammer. A blue magic circle glimmered on what seemed to be an artifact.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
"Hoo... damn exhausting. Diana! Just come out! You'll only make things worse for yourself if you drag this out! You can barely hold on as it is!"
Si-woo couldn't care less about what some stranger was doing. The problem was that the bastard was pounding the Lapis Workshop.
'What the hell is this?'
The entire Lapis Workshop was enveloped in a translucent magical barrier, humming and shaking violently with every blow of the hammer. It looked like it could collapse at any moment.
He condensed the yang energy within his body to a single point. Guiding the throbbing, nearly bursting energy to his fingertip, he released it as if opening a pathway at his fingertip.
*Pft!*
"Kyaaah!?"
A streak of white shot through the air. The condensed energy flew like a bullet. In the martial arts world, this was called *jipung* — the Flicking Finger Technique. A tiny fraction of his sixty years of internal energy. Barely a month's worth, but it was quite formidable.
'About as strong as a pistol...?'
This was his first time properly using *jipung*, so he didn't know how it would turn out. Truth be told, he'd fired it with the attitude that he didn't really care if the guy got seriously hurt.
"Kkeuuu..."
Roton, now stiff as a board, rolled on the ground. Blood was seeping from a hole near his shoulder. The energy that had seeped in had also sealed his acupressure points. He lay frozen like a log, his face twisted.
"Kkeuhr... you... do you know who I am?!"
His face was planted in the dirt, so his pronunciation was garbled. Not even a single front tooth was visible — he'd been unlucky enough to knock them out when he fell after his acupoints were sealed. The bastard rolled his eyeballs to glare at Si-woo as if he wanted to kill him.
A guy who'd been smashing someone else's house with a hammer, and he had the audacity to act so defiant. Si-woo didn't like it.
"Unlock me right now!!"
"Shut up."
"I'm the president of the Alchemy Associa— *gurk*!"
A roughly fired *jipung* struck the bastard's throat. It didn't penetrate. This time, he'd really put in only the minimum energy.
'Oops, miss.'
"Kuweeeeek!! Kkuuwoeok! *Cough cough*!"
The *jipung* had gone wildly off target. The technique worked by detonating compressed energy, so even a small deviation resulted in a huge discrepancy. Refocusing, he fired another *jipung* to hit the bastard's pressure points.
The man couldn't even groan; he just choked silently, drool spilling from his mouth.
But this scumbag wasn't the main issue. Si-woo focused on the energy signature he'd been sensing. Inside the Lapis Workshop, there was only one person. Diana's energy was trembling uneasily.
"I'll deal with you later."
What was more urgent than him was her condition. He breached the barrier in the same way as before and stepped inside the Lapis Workshop.
"Ms. Diana? It's me, Si-woo—"
*Whoosh!*
Flames poured out from in front. But that was a decoy. The real threat was creeping up from under his feet. High-voltage current. He could feel a tingling energy trying to climb up from his soles. It was attempting to burn through his body from the inside, and he responded instinctively.
He merged it with the Mixed Origin Energy swirling through his entire body. With a slight flick of his fingertips, all threats flew into the air and vanished. It seemed like a trap set up for emergencies.
'Hm.'
A normal person couldn't possibly perceive the speed at which electricity traveled. He hadn't perceived it either. It was an instinctive reaction that occurred before he could even properly register it. It was similar to the sensation he'd felt when he used Flowing Clouds and Running Water on that snowy mountain.
He made an effort to remember this feeling deep within his mind as he entered the workshop.
'What a mess.'
Display cases had been knocked over haphazardly. Tables and chairs were scattered about. It looked like a robbery had taken place.
In the middle of the chaos, Diana lay collapsed. Her skin was flushed red — clearly not normal. She was clutching a sharp dagger in one hand, breathing heavily.
"Haa... haa... d-don't... come closer...!"
Her once-pale skin was burning red, and her breaths were ragged. She could barely keep her eyes open, trembling as she raised one hand. The sharp dagger pointed toward her own face. As if she were trying to harm herself.
"Calm down. It's me, Ms. Diana. Si-woo."
At those words, her movements stopped.
"H-huh...? M-Mr. Si-woo...?"
"That so-called husband's friend is outside. What the hell is going on?"
Perhaps she'd been thinking she'd rather destroy what he wanted than resist meaninglessly. The dagger she'd been about to use on herself clattered to the floor.
"Augh... c-call the police...! Haaak...!"
With her tension released, her condition began to deteriorate rapidly. Her already-red skin grew even hotter, and a sweet something began to mingle with her ragged breaths.
"Aughh... n-nooo... haaak...!"
He moved toward her immediately. He needed to know what state she was in to provide first aid.
'Did she get poisoned or something?'
"Hyaaak! Aahng!"
"Hm?"
All he did was grab her wrist, like taking a pulse. But her back arched sharply and she trembled violently. As if she'd climaxed.
'No, she actually did cum.'
"Aaaaaahng!!"
*Pshh! Pshhshhht!*
And it didn't end there. Her neat skirt was soaked through. From the sudden gush of her fluids.