Chapter 28. On the Way Back.
Early that morning, Ji-hyuk led the telekinesis mage Celly out to the backyard. A few diligent guild members were already training in the corner at dawn. The hero returned their bows with a casual wave of his hand.
Even so, Celly had spent eight weeks at the academy honing her discipline, and it still hadn't fully worn off. Her expressions, her gaze, her every movement—all precise and controlled. It was exactly the kind of thing that pleased Ji-hyuk.
He strode to a suitable spot, stopped abruptly, and spun around. Celly, who had been following close behind, halted sharply and snapped to attention.
"From today on, I'm going to raise you like a disciple. That means I'll be watching your every move, cracking the whip to make sure you grow."
"Yes, sir. I'm ready."
"It won't be easy. I'm pretty harsh when I teach. You might even want to quit."
"...I heard that only the strong survive."
Ji-hyuk grinned at her words.
"Right. The strong survive. I don't know what your world was like, but here, if you're not strong, you live a pathetic, groveling life. Especially us outsiders with no money or connections."
The black-bobbed disciple clenched her fists as she listened to her master's words. She'd later receive recruitment offers from S-rank hero teams, which meant she had the grit for it. Ji-hyuk had no doubts about her perseverance or talent. If she just works hard, she'll climb high.
"Your talent is exceptional. But this continent is crawling with people like that. You've seen it and felt it at the academy, so you know what I mean."
"Yes... I do."
"Alright... let's leave it at that for now."
At that moment, Ji-hyuk's aura shifted sharply.
-_-!!
Celly instinctively took a step back from the sudden, chilling, terrifying pressure washing over her.
"Stand straight."
The telekinesis mage straightened up immediately. Ji-hyuk spoke in a stern tone, each word deliberate.
"I'm going to make you a hero."
...A hero...? Celly looked startled. She hadn't expected her master to have that in mind.
"You're not like ordinary mages. Telekinesis mages like you don't need incantations as an intermediate step. Of course, efficiency might suffer a bit, but in terms of utility, you're far superior."
Celly swallowed hard. Every word from the hero felt like a dagger piercing her heart.
"In other words, you can stand on the front lines, not fall back to the second. But to do that, there's a prerequisite."
"What... what is it?"
The telekinesis mage asked, suppressing her trembling chest. Ji-hyuk paused briefly before answering.
"Agile, seasoned movement."
Celly nodded slightly. She was completely absorbed in his words.
"Telekinesis can be your weapon. But you can't attack and defend at the same time. Sure, in the second line, you'd have teammates shielding you up front. But on the front lines? Don't expect anyone to protect you. You have to handle both offense and defense alone."
"Then how do I do that?"
"Move so you don't get hit. And you need the ability to watch your teammates at the same time."
It didn't sound that complicated.
"If a telekinesis mage is quick on their feet too, that's a nightmare for the enemy. An invincible existence no attack can touch. Then you can turn the tide single-handedly."
Celly the telekinesis mage had the potential to become that kind of monster. If she did, Ji-hyuk would have a rock-solid ally. Of course, the road there wouldn't be easy. She clearly hadn't done much physical training, so plenty of hardship lay ahead.
"It'll be a tough path. Steel yourself starting now."
"I'm ready. If it means I can go back home someday... I can do anything."
The bob-haired girl seemed desperate to return to her homeland. Ji-hyuk thought that kind of burning desire wasn't a bad thing. Whatever it was, having a firm goal to cling to in shaky moments was good.
"Good. With that mindset, you'll make it."
Ji-hyuk patted her shoulder encouragingly.
"Your immediate goals are two: physical conditioning and telekinesis training. Both tie directly to your abilities, so don't slack off. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!"
And so the morning training began. Of course, Ji-hyuk had no intention of pushing her as hard as he did Mahushu right from the start. Treat a raw beginner like that, and she'd lose interest and burn out fast.
Rewards matching the effort—that was the key to education. Ji-hyuk planned to give Celly fitting rewards when she hit her targets. That way, she'd want to keep training. Blindly relying on her strong sense of purpose alone was just lazy.
Mornings started with running and light strength exercises. After lunch and a short nap, telekinesis training. Evenings wrapped with more conditioning. That became her daily routine.
And Ji-hyuk was always by her side.
A week after settling into the mansion, the hero team prepared to depart. Cheonma said he'd head to the capital once things were sorted here, so they'd catch up and swap stories then. He shared a firm handshake with the hero.
Ji-hyuk also bid a warm farewell to Rarosa.
The hero team left Eretria, the city of beginnings, at dawn.
Ah...
Celly, stepping onto the continent for the first time, was deeply moved by the beautiful fields shifting colors in the red sunrise. It was worlds apart from her post-nuclear wasteland of a home.
This wasn't gray ruins—it was paradise.
Even on the return journey, Ji-hyuk and Celly didn't neglect training. If they found a stream to wash in, she'd grind out conditioning late into the evening. Sweat-soaked clothes, washed and hung on the carriage roof, dried crisp in the next day's blazing sun.
On the carriage, Celly leaned on her master's shoulder and slept soundly. She'd once jolted awake at the slightest noise, but now she slumbered through the jolts without stirring. Proof of how grueling the training was.
The bald brute watched her sleep with her mouth agape and shuddered. "Ugh, I could never be the boss's disciple. How does she even survive that?"
Ludvine agreed with Gid for once. Watching Celly lately, she couldn't imagine keeping up.
Anyway, after a full month on the road, the hero team reached the city of Galpesia. There, Ji-hyuk decided to split from the group briefly. He planned to detour to Crescent Lake to see his long-missed master, Eizel.
The capital was just two weeks away from here anyway.
"Kayak, you can handle the team for that long, right?"
"Of course. Leave them to me and take care of your business."
"Yeah... thanks to you, I can."
Ji-hyuk entrusted the rear to the reliable lizardman. He repeatedly stressed to Celly not to slack on training in his absence.
With that, Ji-hyuk parted from his team and headed for Milanko, the city by Crescent Lake.
The carriage with the five young men and women was already buzzing with flirtations. Ji-hyuk sat silently, lost in thought, as if in another world. With a sword at his side, ordinary folk didn't dare approach him easily. No sense risking trouble with a surly mercenary.
Of course, he didn't stay silent the whole way to Milanko. The mercenaries, thrilled to meet a fellow traveler, chattered nonstop. In exchange for conversation, Ji-hyuk gleaned rumors about the continent.
The guy had circled the southern continent and suffered plenty, ranting that all the bandit scum needed wiping out.
"Those fuckers? Slice 'em from the balls up and toss 'em to the beasts in the fields. Fucking bastards."
And as if on cue, that very night, bandits raided their camp.
Caravans traveled in groups to fend off bandits, so mustering fighters yielded about a dozen. But the attackers numbered over forty.
"Fuck!"
The mounted bandits set the carriages ablaze on approach. Drivers tried fleeing on horseback to save their skins, but the veterans cut them off.
"Kill anyone who resists!"
Some dropped weapons and prostrated themselves at the shout. Ji-hyuk ignored them, drawing his holy sword and scanning the bandits coolly.
"Fuck, drop the sword! ...Kill that bastard!"
Spear-wielding bandits charged at Ji-hyuk. But before they could thrust, they and their horses were cleaved clean through.
-_-!!
Ji-hyuk snatched a fallen spear and hurled it at the one who'd ordered him dead. It streaked like lightning, piercing the man's skull.
"K-kill that fucker!"
Bandits dismounting for loot surged toward Ji-hyuk. The hero wasn't fazed by such rabble, no matter the numbers.
They pressed with sheer volume, but he carved through them in seconds. Half gone in a blink, and they finally realized something was wrong.
The quick ones mounted up and fled. Ji-hyuk, mid-fight, grabbed stray spears and flung them into fleeing backs.
The bandits lay dead except for a lucky one or two who escaped.
Only then did the others realize Ji-hyuk was no ordinary man. The mercenaries who'd dropped weapons to grovel eyed him sheepishly.
He casually wiped blood from his holy sword, ordered cleanup, and flopped onto a blanket.
The next day, some eager to make connections sidled up, coaxing for his name with flattery. Ji-hyuk stayed tight-lipped.
He didn't want his name buzzing from such incidents. Rumors twisted with the telling.
A week later, Ji-hyuk finally reached Milanko. He took another carriage to the village by Crescent Lake.
His steps quickened upon arrival. Walking the sunset fields, his shadow stretched long.
The hero reached the lake at dusk. Memories surfaced of strolling the quiet woods and shore with her. Savoring that feeling, he walked the path step by step.
Through the darkening woods, he arrived at the cabin's front yard. Night had fallen, pitch black.
Cluck... cluck... Chickens muttered in their coop.
He approached the cabin slowly. Creak... creak. The wooden floor groaned pitifully underfoot. The sensitive fairy would know someone was there from that alone.
A light flickered at the window soon after.
"Who's there?"
Her voice was sharp. The disciple grinned deeply. Same tone as when she'd nagged him about chores.
"It's me, Master."
The door flew open at his words. His master stood in thin nightclothes, her face a storm of uncontainable joy and passion.
The disciple grinned wider, dropping his pack and scabbard with a thud.
"...Ji-hyuk...!"
"Have you been well?"
Master Eizel leaped into her disciple's arms. The hero hugged her fiercely as she buried into his chest. She smelled of fresh grass—the scent he'd longed for.