Chapter 16: Encounter (4)
Chapter 16: Encounter (4)
As dawn began to break, Han Shin’s eyes snapped open on their own.
Perhaps it was because he had told Grace he would start training this morning, or maybe it was the anticipation he felt after resolving to change his mindset before falling asleep, but he had woken up remarkably early.
Still resting on the sofa, he propped up his upper body and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only 5:00 AM.
Han Shin had always been a light sleeper. Even back when he was injured, he would often wake up early at the sound of his older sister, Kang Yujin, getting ready for her day. However, on days when his physical condition was poor, even waking up on his own had been a struggle.
It had been a long time since he had woken up feeling this refreshed, and he felt a surge of gratitude toward Tiamat once again.
Hmm... but now that I think about it, where are we going to train?
Han Shin lived in a single-story detached house with a small yard, leaving no proper space for training.
It’s not like I have anywhere else to go with Grace, either...
Ransacking his memory, Han Shin recalled that his house was situated in the middle of a residential area with only one small park nearby. But he couldn't exactly go there with Grace to practice swordsmanship.
Awakeners were required to train only in designated areas to avoid causing panic among civilians with their weaponry. Furthermore, Han Shin was currently in a position where reporting himself as an Awakener was difficult.
It was unprecedented for someone who had been paralyzed from the waist down after a major accident to suddenly walk again and become an Awakener overnight. While it wasn't unheard of for people to awaken late in life, awakening didn't typically heal pre-existing injuries or disabilities.
If he came forward, there would undoubtedly be an investigation. They would pressure him to reveal his abilities.
How am I supposed to explain this? That I made a contract with a god named Tiamat and use this app...? Ugh...
Even to his own ears, it sounded insane. Since he didn't even know his own talents yet and could access dungeons through the app anyway, he wondered if there was any need to report himself at all.
Ah... but making money is going to be an issue.
Han Shin had lived as a burden to Kang Yujin for so long that he desperately wanted to earn his own keep and lighten her load. The problem was that without registering as an Awakener, he had no way to make a living.
"Sigh..."
"Han Shin, is something troubling you?"
Grace, who had just opened the door to Han Shin’s room, saw him sighing just as she was about to greet him. She approached him immediately. As a knight, she was accustomed to rising early and had woken up slightly before him.
She hadn't come out immediately, however. She had spent a moment checking her appearance in the mirror in Han Shin’s room. For Grace, this was the first time she had ever fussed over her looks for someone else's sake.
Even during her days as a knight, she hadn't bothered with such things. Her beauty had never faded regardless, and she had always appeared perfect to others. Since she found the bed comfortable and didn't toss and turn much in her sleep, there wasn't much to fix. Aside from tidying her hair, she hadn't needed to do much, and she only stepped out once she was satisfied with her appearance.
Seeing Han Shin sigh the moment she emerged made her worry. Han Shin, for his part, was slightly flustered that she had caught him in that moment.
"Oh... it’s nothing."
"Han Shin. If it is something I can help with, I wish to do so. Please, tell me."
Grace spoke with a rare touch of firmness. She hated seeing Han Shin like this and was filled with a desire to help.
Startled by her intensity, Han Shin explained how he had been a complete burden to his sister because of his injury and how he wanted to move past that life.
Grace had already heard a bit from Han Shin yesterday about how Awakeners with abilities operated in this world. She understood his plight regarding finances, as she had struggled significantly in the ruined world of Nippur.
Though she was a noble knight, she was not one lost in delusions; she had experienced and understood the cold harshness of reality. She knew firsthand that human greed only amplified as a world neared its end, and thus, she understood that financial matters were both unavoidable and vital.
The fact that Han Shin held such thoughts for his sister only made Grace view him more favorably.
"Han Shin. I can resolve that for you."
"Huh?"
Han Shin didn't quite understand how she could solve his dilemma. Grace took his arm and closed her eyes, concentrating her mind.
She transported Han Shin to her Sanctuary.
Ah... this is...
The sensation of his body floating—it was the same feeling of spatial movement he experienced when entering or leaving a dungeon. Han Shin realized Grace was taking him somewhere.
When his vision, which had been blinded by white light, returned to normal, he saw a space built in the same architectural style he had seen when he was first summoned by Tiamat.
This was the Sanctuary, a personal space Tiamat had granted to Grace. Since it was a space created by the goddess, only those possessing Tiamat’s divinity could enter. As Tiamat’s Proxy, Han Shin met this requirement.
"Han Shin, this is the space Lady Tiamat granted to me."
"Ah... I see."
Han Shin nodded, having expected as much from the familiar interior. It was a desolate space roughly the size of a soccer field, empty save for a collection of weapons and training equipment on one side.
Surely this isn't all of it? Ah... there’s a door over there.
He eventually spotted a door on one of the walls.
"Han Shin, let me show you the way."
"Okay."
Following Grace, Han Shin realized the next room was her living quarters. One entire wall was lined with books, and a bed that clearly belonged to Grace sat beside them.
However, Grace didn't stop there. She opened another door and led Han Shin into the next room.
That room was filled with objects that glittered with a brilliant, unmistakable golden light. These were the treasures Tiamat had bestowed upon her followers.
Before becoming a god, Tiamat had been a dragon, and as such, she had collected a vast amount of treasure. She had once been obsessed with anything that sparkled, collecting them as a matter of instinct, though that urge had naturally faded after her ascension.
Having lost her obsession with wealth, Tiamat had distributed her overflowing treasures to those who would become her followers, yet an unfathomable amount still remained.
As a follower of Tiamat, Grace had also received a portion of this treasure. However, she had never been summoned to another world since becoming a follower and had no particular use for it.
"Lady Tiamat told me to use these to handle whatever is necessary. You no longer need to worry about financial matters, Han Shin."
Grace told a white lie, fearing Han Shin might refuse if he thought she was simply giving him her own possessions. She suspected that if she offered them as her own, he would feel he was merely shifting his burden from his sister to her and would decline.
She had read Han Shin’s character perfectly. Just as she expected, had she told the truth, he would have refused.
Han Shin felt a bit uneasy, but never imagining Grace would lie to him, he accepted it as something Tiamat had provided for him.
With this sudden, massive influx of treasure, Han Shin had become an overnight millionaire. Of course, liquidating these treasures would be a tedious process, but he figured he could find a way to dispose of them. There were always people looking to buy such riches.
According to Grace, this was a legitimate reward for his contract with Tiamat. The thought that he would no longer be a burden to his sister was incredibly welcome.
Grace tucked a reasonable amount of treasure into her personal subspace.
Having solved one problem, the two returned to the main area—the training space he had seen first.
"From now on, you will train here with me every morning."
Grace had already decided that Han Shin’s house was too cramped. To train efficiently while avoiding the eyes of others, her Sanctuary was the best option.
"Yeah, I'll be in your care. So, are we starting right now?"
"Yes."
Since they were already in the space, there was no point in leaving without doing anything. They had agreed to start today, after all.
And so, Han Shin began his rigorous training under Grace.
When it came to teaching swordsmanship, Grace became a strict instructor. Because Han Shin had absolute faith in her as a master knight, he accepted her tutelage without a single complaint.
As she taught him, Grace was quite surprised. She had known from his physique and the way he dodged the Serpent’s attacks in the first dungeon that he had some talent for movement, but he absorbed her teachings far beyond her expectations.
He was like a sponge soaking up water. To Grace, he seemed more talented than anyone she had ever instructed before.
From that day on, Han Shin and Grace continued their training every morning. They also made sure to clear any portals they were capable of entering whenever they appeared.
They cleared two F-Rank dungeons, and each time, Han Shin used the weak monsters as opportunities to gain practical experience with the swordsmanship Grace had taught him.
He performed better than expected without freezing up, and Grace felt a sense of pride as his skills improved rapidly.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
After a long session, Han Shin collapsed onto the floor, exhausted.
A dungeon had appeared this morning, so they had cleared it immediately. After taking a break, they had resumed training late in the afternoon.
"Well done, Han Shin."
"Ah... thanks. I'll take that."
He couldn't remember the last time he had pushed his body to the point of drenching himself in sweat. After drinking some cool water and catching his breath, Han Shin realized his body was in better shape than he thought.
Even though Grace had done most of the work in the dungeon today, he had fought a skeleton himself and followed it up with high-intensity training. Yet, he felt no lingering fatigue. After a short rest, his breathing leveled out, and he recovered quickly.
It was a stark difference even from his body before the accident two years ago.
"Grace, we can head back now."
"Yes. Then, if you'll excuse me."
Having finished their training, Han Shin stood up, and Grace took his hand as she had before.
The two returned home. Before they knew it, about three hours had passed.
It’s already been that long?
To Han Shin, it felt like very little time had passed, and he was surprised by how late it had gotten.
I guess it’s because it was already afternoon...
The glow of the setting sun was beginning to spill through the window.
"I'm going to go wash up first."
"Yes, Han Shin."
Han Shin headed straight for the bathroom. Though it had only been four days since they met, Han Shin and Grace had grown quite accustomed to each other.
Unlike Han Shin, Grace barely broke a sweat, and since Han Shin was a man and would take less time to wash anyway, they decided he would go first.
However, just as Han Shin entered the bathroom, the electronic beep of the digital door lock echoed from the front entrance.
In that moment, Grace froze.
Someone who knew the code to this house.
It was undoubtedly his older sister, whom she had heard about indirectly.
She considered rushing back to the Sanctuary, but it required a moment of concentration—time she simply didn't have.
Grace could do nothing but stand still, staring toward the front door.