I opened my eyes.
The ceiling above me stretched high.
At the far end of this vast chamber, a faint beam of light pierced through the darkness, barely illuminating the space.
Instinctively, I took a step toward the light.
And at the top of the stairs where the faint light entered, there was someone sitting.
He was hunched over, his head bowed.
In one hand, he held a spear and was tapping something lightly with it.
But what sent chills down my spine was the fact that I hadn’t sensed his presence until the moment I laid eyes on him.
Without a sound or any movement, the eerie energy emanating from him was chilling and sharp.
‘If I fight him, I’ll lose... No.’
The pressure on my chest was suffocating. It wasn’t about winning or losing.
‘I’ll die.’
The silhouette in the darkness had a physique similar to mine. Yet his presence completely overwhelmed me.
I stopped in my tracks. My heartbeat echoed in my ears.
“Hello?”
He spoke.
“Well... I’m glad to see you, but I think it’s a little too early for you to be here.”
His face was still unrecognizable.
“Was it because of the elixir? But... it really worked well.”
He quietly stood up. His movements were smooth, without any sense of disturbance.
I gripped the spear at my waist tightly.
I didn’t know why. It was an instinctive reaction.
Pop—
The figure that had been far away suddenly disappeared.
I instinctively drew the spear and blocked the front. But it was already too late. A cold sensation grazed my neck. The spear’s blade that brushed against my nape felt chilling.
He was already right in front of me.
So close, yet still...
It was as if there was a distortion, and I couldn’t make out his face.
“I’m sorry. This was the only way to wake you.”
Along with the sensation of a blade pressing against my neck...
“See you next time.”
My vision went dark.
“You probably won’t remember.”
***
My eyes # Nоvеlight # opened naturally. It felt like I had just woken up from a deep dream.
My body felt surprisingly refreshed. I felt as if I had just spent the whole day lying in a soft bed, completely rejuvenated.
The soft, cozy bed beneath me was comforting, and as my mind slowly came to, the surroundings became clear.
It was an unfamiliar ceiling.
Suddenly
“Where am I?”
Looking around, I saw a wide and clean hospital room. Beyond the window, the view of tall buildings stretched out.
When I looked down at the blanket, I found myself dressed in a hospital gown.
And now, the last memory before losing consciousness came back to me.
‘Right... right... drink it all down.’
Ah. Damn it.
I quickly closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and focused on gathering mana.
I could feel the pulse in my chest, the flow of mana spreading out from deep within.
Thud, thud
The sound of my heartbeat grew louder, and I could gauge the flow of mana through it.
‘Three times... Four times.’
I quickly calculated in my head.
‘No... Five times.’
The speed, efficiency, and absolute quantity. Everything was incomparable to before.
I stopped gathering mana and gently sighed, placing my hand on my head.
“What did I do...”
This elixir didn’t just work from drinking it.
Of course, you could see some effects from drinking it alone. After all, it was a rare elixir, concentrated from centuries of natural energy.
However, the natural energy that had been condensed for so long was wild and difficult to control.
Those who consumed it could faint or, in worse cases, face life-threatening consequences from the surge of power.
That was why it was necessary to have someone act as a protector. Someone to carefully manage the mana, spreading the elixir’s energy throughout the body and controlling the excess.
But the mana coursing through my body seemed perfectly controlled, as if it had been tamed and organized efficiently.
... Honestly, it was done so well.
As if not a single drop of the elixir would be wasted, everything was meticulously arranged.
Cheon Yeoul had apparently carried out this process flawlessly.
“Hmm... you’re awake?”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
I turned my head at the soft and slightly drowsy voice.
Looking down to my right, I saw the patient bed.
There, Sion was bending over, stretching her body.
At the sound of my movement, she slowly rubbed her eyes and lifted her head.
“You woke me up, didn’t you? Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I was about to wake up anyway...”
Yawn.
She covered her mouth as she stretched out, yawning deeply.
“What are you doing here?”
“They told me to stay by and watch in case something went wrong in the middle of the night. So, I just stayed here.”
“Thanks.”
At my brief reply, Sion nodded and slowly got up from her seat, starting to stretch her body.
Creek
Then, with a heavy sound, the hospital door opened.
A figure entered the room, slightly bowing his head.
With a towering height of nearly 2 meters, neatly combed white hair, and a deep scar running from his jaw to his cheek.
It was the old man.
When he met my gaze, he closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
“I heard you collapsed, so I came to check on you. Seems I came for nothing.”
His deep voice resonated in the hospital room.
“Ah, Grandpa, you’re doing this again. You came last night too.”
The old man cleared his throat and turned his gaze away. However, his eyes soon returned to me.
His gaze fixed on me, and his eyes shimmered with a faint blue light.
He slowly squinted his eyes and asked.
“... Where exactly did you find this to eat?”
The old man’s voice was low, but it carried a heavy sense of doubt and caution.
I turned my head and let out a small sigh.
“Guess I’m wondering the same thing.”
The old man slowly walked toward me and continued.
“Stand up.”
I rose from the bed.
“Your heart rate is stable. Mana...”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“It’s solid.”
The old man murmured quietly.
“But we should still do some tests.”
I nodded, agreeing with his words.
“Of course.”
He picked up the intercom by the bed and had a brief conversation.
After hanging up the phone, the old man rolled his wrist and slowly walked toward the door.
“Move.”
It was a command-like statement.
“Yes.”
I nodded and followed him.
***
We were on our way out after hearing the results of the examination.
“There's no problem with your health... In fact, you’re so healthy that it’s a bit of an issue, haha.”
The doctor at Yeonggwang Hospital, one of the best medical facilities in South Korea, had said this. He probably wasn’t wrong.
“I thought so.”
“Thank goodness~”
The old man and Sion listened to the doctor's explanation and casually left the room.
Sion had to go to school, and the old man, being a busy person, had other matters to attend to.
I also went through the discharge procedures and left the hospital.
“Pardon? Who?”
The payment had already been processed, but when I asked who had paid, no one would tell me.
“Who could it be...”
I wasn’t sure, but it was probably the old man.
As soon as I stepped out of the hospital door, I spotted a black luxury sedan parked outside.
The door opened, and a man in a sharp suit stepped out of the car.
The neatly pressed collar and the perfectly angled tie.
The Association.
It was clear that he was from the Association.
“I’m glad to see you’re discharged without incident, ‘Silent Ghost’ sir. I am Kim Gilgyu, a hero from the Association.”
“If you have time, may I speak with you about Iano’s tomb?”
“Well... I have to go to school.”
He smiled lightly and bowed.
“We’ve already reached an agreement with Gaon. How about you take today to relax and clear your head?”
It seemed the Association had already made arrangements.
In truth, I was planning to go with them anyway.
I just wanted to play along for a bit.
“Fine, I’ll go.”
The inside of the sedan was spacious. The seats were plush, and the interior was decorated luxuriously.
“We’ll be on our way now.”
As the car started, I leaned back and gripped my bag.
The cross was still inside the bag.
“I heard from the Saint candidate.”
A few minutes into the ride, the man driving spoke.
“You were the one to discover Iano’s tomb, and all the rights are said to belong to you, Mr. Jeong Haein.”
“Yeah, well.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“... Since last night, representatives from the Japanese Hero Association have been waiting for you, Mr. Jeong Haein.”
It seemed the news had already spread there.
Iano was a symbolic figure in Japan, so they had likely rushed here as soon as they heard.
“... The elixir, and Iano’s cross as well. May I ask how you plan to use them?”
However, he seemed to realize something and quickly added.
“Of course, we fully respect the hero’s dungeon rights. But it would make it easier to respond to the Japanese side if we know more about it. If you could cooperate with us...”
“I drank it.”
“Excuse me?”
I didn’t want to, but it happened.
“I did.”
Really.