I opened my eyes.
The ceiling above my head stretched high up.
At the far end of this immense chamber, a faint beam of light seeped in, barely illuminating the space shrouded in darkness.
Instinctively, I took a step toward the light.
There, the staircase where that weak beam of light was creeping in, someone was sitting.
His back was bent, and his head was bowed.
In one hand, he held a spear and was gently tapping something.
But the fact that I didn’t sense his presence until I began to focus on his silhouette sent chills down my spine.
Silent and motionless, yet the imposing aura that radiated from him was icy and sharp.
‘If we fight, I’ll lose… No.’
The oppressive sensation tightened my breath. This wasn’t about winning or losing.
‘I’ll d*e.’
In the darkness, his silhouette resembled mine in build. But his presence completely overshadowed me.
I stopped in my tracks. The sound of my pounding heart reverberated in my ears.
“Hello?”
He spoke.
“Hmm… Nice to see you, but it seems a bit early for you to be here.”
I could still not make out the features of his figure.
“You’re here because of the elixir, right? Still… you’ve taken good care of it.”
He quietly stood up, his movements smooth and effortless.
Instinctively, I gripped the spear at my waist tightly. I don’t know why; it was a reflex.
Pfft—
The figure far away disappeared in an instant.
Instinctively, I drew my spear to block the front, but it was already too late. A cold sensation grazed my neck. The blade at my nape felt chillingly cold.
He was already right in front of me.
Even so close,
His figure was still distorted, as if covered in noise, and I couldn’t make out his face.
“Sorry. There was no other way to wake you.”
The sensation of the blade pressing into my neck accompanied his words.
“See you next time.”
My vision went dark.
My eyes opened naturally, as though I had just woken up from a deep dream.
My body, however, felt refreshed. It was as if I had slept soundly in a soft bed all day—a feeling of clarity spread through me.
The sensation of the soft, comfortable bed pressed against my back, and as my mind slowly cleared, the scenery around me came into view.
It was an unfamiliar ceiling.
I sat up abruptly.
“Where am I?”
Looking around, a wide and clean hospital room came into view. Beyond the window stretched a panorama of skyscrapers.
Looking down at the blanket, I saw myself in hospital scrubs.
And now, my last memory before losing consciousness came back to me.
‘That’s right… that’s right… keep drinking.’
Ah, d*mn.
Anxiously, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and drew mana.
Feeling the heartbeat spreading from deep within my chest, I examined the flow of mana.
-Thump, thump
As the heartbeats intensified, I could gauge the channels of mana.
‘Three times… four times…’
Calculations raced through my mind.
‘No… five times.’
Speed, efficiency, and even the sheer volume—all were incomparably superior to before.
I stopped drawing mana and sighed lightly as I massaged my temples.
“What have I done…”
This elixir doesn’t produce such results just by drinking it.
Of course, drinking it alone would still yield effects, after all, it’s a thousand-year-old natural elixir.
However, the condensed natural essence that had been accumulated over a long time was coarse and difficult to control. The consumer could potentially pass out from the overwhelming energy, and in severe cases, even risk their life.
That’s why a guardian was necessary. Someone skillful enough to guide the mana throughout the body, carefully dispersing the elixir’s energy, and managing any excess.
Yet the mana that surged within my body felt like it had been perfectly tamed, organized efficiently.
… Honestly, it was impeccable.
As if not letting even a single drop of the elixir go to waste, it was meticulously handled.
Cheon Yeoul must have flawlessly managed the whole process.
“Umm… are you awake?”
Turning my head, a soft, slightly drowsy voice caught my attention.
Lowering my eyes to the right, I saw another patient bed.
There, Sion was stretching while leaning forward.
When she noticed my movement, she seemed to have woken up, rubbing her eyes as she slowly looked up.
“It’s because of me you woke up, sorry.”
“Hmm, no, I was about to wake up anyway…”
-Yawn.
She covered her mouth and yawned widely.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was told to keep watch in case anything went wrong during the night, so I just stayed here.”
“Thank you.”
At my brief reply, Sion nodded, then slowly got up and started stretching.
Creak!
At that moment, the heavy sound of the door opening echoed.
A tall figure entered the room, slightly dipping his head.
A towering figure nearly reaching two meters with neatly brushed-back white hair, and a deep scar that ran from his jaw to his cheek.
It was the Old Man.
When his eyes met mine, he briefly closed them, then opened them again.
“Heard you felt dizzy, so I came to check, but seems like you’re fine.”
His deep voice reverberated through the room.
“Ah, here we go again, Grandpa. You were here last night too.”
The Old Man cleared his throat and averted his gaze. However, his eyes returned to me.
His gaze fixed on me, his eyes flickered blue.
He closed his eyes and questioned.
“Exactly, where did you pick up whatever you consumed?”
The Old Man’s voice was low, but heavy with serious doubt and caution.
I turned my head, letting out a small sigh.
“That’s what I want to know.”
As he slowly approached, he continued.
“Stand up.”
I rose from the bed.
“Your heartbeat is stable. Mana…”
His eyes slightly narrowed.
“Strong.”
The Old Man murmured quietly.
“Still, we need to run tests.”
I nodded in agreement with his words.
“Of course.”
He picked up the intercom next to the bed and had a brief conversation.
After hanging up, the Old Man rotated his wrist and slowly walked towards the door.
“Move.”
Just a single command.
“Yes, sir.”
I nodded and followed him.
We’re heading back after receiving the test results.
‘No abnormalities in your health… On the contrary, you’re too healthy, it’s almost a problem, hehe.’
Those were the exact words from the top physician at Glory Hospital, one of the best medical facilities in South Korea. They were likely accurate.
‘Figured.’
‘What a relief~’
The Old Man and Sion left after hearing the doctor’s explanation with indifferent expressions.
Sion had school to attend, and the Old Man was notoriously busy.
I also completed the discharge procedures and exited the hospital.
‘Whom?’
The settlement was already fully handled. When I asked who did it, they wouldn’t tell me.
“Who was it…?”
I wasn’t sure, but it was probably the Old Man.
The moment I exited the hospital, a black luxury sedan caught my eye.
The door opened, and a man in a sleek suit stepped out.
A perfectly ironed collar, a tie tied at the exact right angle.
‘The Association.’
Even at a glance, it was clear he was from the Association.
“Congratulations on a safe recovery, Mokkwi. I am Kim Gil-kyu, a hero belonging to the Association.”
“Could we perhaps have a conversation about the matter of Iano’s tomb? If your schedule allows.”
“Well, I should be heading to school.”
He gave a slight smile and bowed his head.
“The Realm has already arranged everything. How about taking a day off to rest your mind?”
It seemed the Association had made preparations beforehand.
Though, in truth, I already intended to follow them. I just tested him once.
“Yes, let’s.”
The interior of the sedan was spacious. The seats were soft and elegantly designed.
“Let’s get going.”
As the car started moving, I leaned back and held my bag.
The cross remained inside.
“The candidate Holy Maiden told me.”
After a few minutes of driving, the driver spoke.
“That it was Jung Hae-in who discovered Iano’s tomb and that all rights belong to him.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
It wasn’t wrong.
“…Since last evening, envoys from the Japanese Hero Association have been waiting for Mr. Jung Hae-in.”
The rumor had spread so far, so quickly. Given Iano’s symbolic significance to Japan, they must have rushed over.
“…Regarding the elixir, and also Iano’s cross, could I inquire about your plans for their use?”
But realizing his mistake, he quickly added:
“Of course, we fully respect the rights of heroes to their dungeons. However, having prior knowledge would certainly smooth out negotiations and responses with the Japanese side. If there’s any area where your collaboration could help…”
“I drank it.”
“Pardon?”
It wasn’t something I intended to do, but it happened.
“It was me.”
Really.
