Chapter 14: Reward (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 14: Reward (1)
I opened my eyes.
The ceiling above stretched high.
At the far end of this vast cave, a faint sliver of light seeped in, barely illuminating the dark space.
I instinctively took a step toward that light.
And there, on the stairs of the exit where that faint light streamed in.
Someone was sitting there, on the stairs.
He was hunched over, his head bowed.
In one hand, he held a spear, tapping something with it.
A chill ran down my spine; I hadn't sensed his presence at all until the moment I saw him.
He was silent and still, but the ghostly aura emanating from him was chilling and sharp.
‘If I fight him, I’ll lose… No.’
A suffocating pressure. This wasn’t a matter of winning or losing.
‘I’ll die.’
His silhouette in the darkness was similar in build to mine, but his presence completely overwhelmed me.
I froze on the spot. The sound of my pounding heart echoed in my ears.
“Hello?”
He spoke.
“Hmm… Nice to see you, but I think it’s a bit too early for you to be here.”
The figure’s face was still unrecognizable.
“Is it because of the elixir? Still… she fed you really well.”
He quietly rose to his feet. His movements were flawlessly smooth.
I gripped the spear at my waist, very tightly.
I didn’t know why. It was instinct.
Fwip—
The figure, who had been far away, vanished in an instant.
I instinctively drew my spear to block, but it was too late. A cold sensation grazed my neck. The blade of a spear, pressed against the nape of my neck, felt frigid.
He was already right in front of me.
He was right under my nose, but still.
His form was like static, and I couldn’t make out his face.
“Sorry. This was the only way to wake you up.”
Along with the sensation of a blade digging into my neck.
“See you next time.”
My vision went black.
“Though you probably won’t remember.”
*
My eyes opened naturally. I felt as if I’d just woken from some deep, unknown dream.
My body, however, felt refreshed. I felt as clear-headed as if I’d slept all day in a plush bed.
The soft, cozy feel of the bed spread through my back, and as my mind slowly cleared, the surrounding scenery came into view.
It was an unfamiliar ceiling.
I shot up.
“Where am I?”
Looking around, I saw a spacious, clean hospital room. Beyond the window, a view of high-rise buildings stretched out.
I looked down at the blanket and saw I was wearing a hospital gown.
And then, the last memory before I lost consciousness finally came back to me.
‘That’s right… that’s right… drink it all down.’
Ah. Shit.
I quickly closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and drew up my mana.
Feeling the pulse spreading from deep within my chest, I checked the flow of my mana.
Thump, thump.
As the sound of my heartbeat grew louder, I could gauge the pathways of my mana.
‘Three times… four times…’
I continued the rapid calculation in my head.
‘No… five times.’
Speed, efficiency, and even the absolute quantity. Everything was beyond comparison to before.
I stopped drawing up my mana, pressed a hand to my head, and let out a soft sigh.
“What has she done…”
This elixir doesn’t produce results like this just by drinking it.
Of course, you can see some effect just from drinking it. After all, it’s a blessed elixir concentrated with hundreds of years of nature’s energy.
But natural energy that’s been condensed for so long is wild and difficult to control.
The one who ingests it might lose consciousness, unable to handle its force, or in severe cases, their life could be threatened.
That’s why someone to act as a guardian is essential. They must delicately handle the mana to spread the elixir’s energy to every corner of the body and properly manage any excess.
And yet, the mana that should have been rampaging through my body was organized with perfect efficiency, as if it had been completely tamed.
…Honestly, she did a ridiculously good job.
Meticulously, as if determined not to let a single drop of the elixir go to waste.
It seemed Cheon Yeo-wool had performed even that process perfectly.
“Mmm… you’re awake?”
I turned my head at the soft, slightly drowsy voice.
Glancing down to my right, I saw another patient bed.
Sion was there, arching her back and stretching.
As if woken by the sound of my movement, she rubbed her eyes and slowly lifted her head.
“I woke you up. Sorry.”
“Mm, no. I was about to get up anyway…”
Yawn.
She covered her mouth with her hand and let out a long yawn.
“Why are you here?”
“They told me to watch over you during the night in case something went wrong. So I just stayed.”
“Thanks.”
Sion nodded at my short reply. Then she slowly got up and began to stretch.
Clack.
Just then, the hospital room door opened with a heavy sound.
A figure ducked his head slightly as he entered the room.
An overwhelming height approaching two meters, neatly combed-back white hair, and a deep scar running from his chin to his cheek.
It was the Old Man.
When our eyes met, he closed his for a moment before opening them again.
“I heard you collapsed, so I came to check, but seeing you’re fine, it seems I came for nothing.”
His deep voice echoed in the room.
“Aw, Grandpa, there you go again. You came last night, too.”
The Old Man cleared his throat and looked away. But his gaze returned to me.
His eyes, fixed on me, shimmered with a blue light.
He closed his eyes slightly and asked.
“…What in the world did you pick up and eat?”
The Old Man’s voice was low, but it held a heavy weight of suspicion and caution.
I turned my head and sighed softly.
“That’s what I’d like to know.”
The Old Man slowly approached me and continued.
“Stand up.”
I got up from the bed.
“Your heartbeat is stable. Your mana is…”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Solid.”
The Old Man muttered quietly.
“But you’ll need to get it checked out.”
I nodded in agreement as well.
“Of course.”
He picked up the intercom next to the bed and had a brief conversation.
After hanging up, the Old Man rolled his wrist and walked slowly toward the door.
“Move.”
A single, command-like word.
“Yes.”
I nodded and followed him.
*
I was on my way out after hearing the test results.
‘There’s nothing wrong with your health… In fact, you’re so healthy it’s almost a problem, haha.’
Those were the words of a doctor at Glory Hospital, known as the best medical facility in South Korea. He couldn’t be wrong.
‘I thought as much.’
‘What a relief~’
After hearing the doctor’s explanation, the Old Man and Sion left without much fuss.
Sion had to go to school, and the Old Man is an incredibly busy person.
I, too, completed the discharge procedures and left the hospital.
‘Excuse me? Who?’
The bill had already been paid in full. I asked who paid it, but they wouldn’t tell me.
“Who could it be…”
I wasn’t sure, but it was probably the Old Man.
The moment I stepped out of the hospital, a black luxury sedan at the entrance caught my eye.
The door opened, and a man in a sharp suit got out of the car.
A neatly pressed collar, a necktie at a perfect angle.
‘The Association.’
I could tell he was from the Association at a glance.
“I’m glad to see you’ve been discharged without any issues, Mr. Mukgui. I am Hero Kim Gil-gyu from the Association.”
“If you have a moment, could we speak about the matter of Iano’s Tomb?”
“I don’t know, I have to get to school.”
He gave a slight smile and bowed his head.
“We’ve already coordinated with Gaon. How about taking the rest of the day to rest and clear your head?”
It seemed the Association had already pulled some strings.
To be honest, I was planning on going with him anyway.
I was just playing hard to get.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
The sedan’s interior was spacious. The seats were plush and luxuriously decorated.
“We’ll be departing now.”
As the car started moving, I leaned my shoulder against the window and clutched my bag.
The cross was still inside the bag.
“I heard from the Saintess Candidate.”
A few minutes after the car started down the road, the man who was driving spoke.
“That you, Mr. Jung Hae-in, were the one who discovered Iano’s Tomb, and that all rights belong to you.”
“Yeah, well.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“…Representatives from the Japanese Hero Association have been waiting for you, Mr. Jung Hae-in, since last night.”
It seems the news had already spread that far.
For Japan, Iano is a symbolic figure, so it seems they came running at a moment’s notice.
“…The elixir, and Iano’s cross. May I ask how you plan to use them?”
But then, as if realizing his mistake, he quickly added.
“Ah, of course, we fully respect a hero’s rights to a dungeon. However, it would be much easier to respond to and negotiate with the Japanese side if we knew more, so if there’s any way you could cooperate…”
“I ate it.”
“Excuse me…?”
I didn’t want to, but that’s what happened.
“I did.”
For real.