Episode 67: Reward (2)
“Two weeks?”
While I was unconscious, two whole weeks had passed.
I thought it had only been a few days at most, but the gap was longer than I expected.
It seemed my condition had been more serious than I had realized.
“It was dire. Almost beyond saving.”
The old man muttered in a low voice.
“Sophia did her best, though…”
Even with the direct intervention of Sophia, the leader of the Paladins and a high priestess, using her sacred arts, my condition hadn’t improved much.
Hearing all this, I was starting to find it strange that I was even sitting here, conversing as if nothing had happened.
So I asked,
“How did I survive?”
“Moon Spirit Water.”
The old man answered calmly.
“Arcadia approved the use of Moon Spirit Water.”
“What?!”
I couldn’t help but be shocked.
Moon Spirit Water.
A sacred elixir imbued with the divine energy of the full moon, produced in the holy land of Arcadia.
That mysterious liquid was gathered at a rate of only two drops per month.
It took decades of accumulation to produce just a single bottle.
By doctrine, it was reserved solely for the Hero and the Saintess.
That was the Church’s policy.
As a result, each faction was allowed to hold exactly one bottle, maintaining a delicate balance of power.
I knew better than anyone how precious it was.
And I also understood the weight of the decision to use it.
The Saintess’ faction.
If anyone had been willing to use Moon Spirit Water on me, it would undoubtedly be them.
“That wasn’t all.”
The old man closed his eyes and continued.
“Word of what happened on the battlefield must have spread. The Yu Clan provided Ahwan Dan (elixir), and from Glory, they even brought out a hidden elixir—offering everything they could.”
Only then did I notice the unfamiliar energy surging within me.
Unrefined, churning wildly inside me, as if it might explode at any moment.
Moon Spirit Water was known for its overwhelming healing properties, but in the end, it was a form of divine, natural energy.
Calling it an elixir with unparalleled potency wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
“You’re going to have a hard time after you’re discharged.”
The old man smirked.
“They stuffed you with so many rare elixirs. I managed to suppress the rampaging energy for now, but it’s only a temporary measure.”
I thought for a moment, then nodded.
“I don’t mind.”
If this was the kind of struggle I had to go through, I welcomed it.
After all, these were treasures that couldn’t be bought with money.
And the fact that they had used Moon Spirit Water on me—I had never even imagined it.
The Church must have made a considerable sacrifice.
I was glad I had built good relationships with them over time.
Arcadia, the Yu Clan, Glory.
Before I knew it, I had gained allies in multiple factions.
Groups I once thought would be difficult to befriend had, somehow, become supportive of me.
That was a good sign.
“…That’s all I had to say.”
The old man rose from his seat.
I looked at him and spoke softly.
“You’re leaving already?”
“I’ll come back with Sion in the evening.”
A short answer.
He didn’t add anything more and started walking toward the hospital room’s door.
He must have had a mountain of tasks waiting for him, yet he had made time to visit me personally.
Then, just as he reached the door, he stopped.
Without turning fully, he slightly tilted his head and spoke in a low voice.
“…You’ve been through a lot.”
I inhaled sharply.
That brief sentence carried a heavy weight.
A moment of silence passed.
Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he added,
“When you graduate, come to Vanquisher with Sion. I’ve already reserved a spot for you.”
For the first time, he had directly extended a recruitment offer.
I had sensed the implicit invitation before, but hearing it aloud was different.
A wave of emotion washed over me.
I almost felt a lump in my throat but simply chuckled and shook my head.
“I’ll think about it.”
The old man slowly opened and closed his eyes, then let out a quiet smile, the corners of his lips slightly raised.
“Do as you wish.”
And with that, he left the hospital room.
I leaned my head back against the pillow. Raising a hand, I opened and closed my fingers toward the ceiling.
“Not bad.”
Then, I let out another chuckle.
***
I spent the next few hours trying various things.
Checking my physical sensations one by one, I also prodded the unfamiliar energy swirling inside me.
Through meditation, I steadied the disrupted mana, slowly relaxed my stiff muscles, and worked on restoring my body.
‘I think I’m getting there.’
The heaviness in my body was gradually lifting. If I refined the energy a little more, I’d be back to my usual condition with almost no difference.
According to the medical reports, there was barely any physical damage left.
Now, it was simply a matter of my own perception.
In other words, if I moved my body and felt no strain, then theoretically, I could be discharged.
Of course, even if that were the case, the hospital would still want to keep me for a few more days.
But at this rate, maybe by tomorrow or the day after…
—Bang!
Damn, that startled me.
The hospital room door suddenly burst open.
“Who… huh?”
The person who boldly stepped inside was—
“Kang Arin?”
—Grab.
Kang Arin rushed forward and cupped my face with both hands.
She turned my head this way and that, scanning me as if searching for injuries.
Her expression was unnervingly serious.
As she intensely examined my face, her brows furrowed, and she spoke.
“Are you really okay…?”
Her eyes met mine.
From the moment she entered, I had been silently staring at her.
“W-Why are you looking at me like that?”
She averted her gaze slightly, flustered.
Yet, her hands remained firmly on my face.
A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, something unusual for her.
—Slide.
Naturally, I pulled her arms toward me.
And gently, I embraced her.
“I’m glad.”
“Ah…”
Really, I’m relieved.
Kang Arin flinched for a moment.
But I didn’t care.
Cheon Yeoul, Yu Hana, Kang Arin, and Sion.
These four had no reason to be on the battlefield if not for me.
It was entirely because of me that they ended up there.
And yet, they were abducted by an Apostle.
‘It’s 100% my fault.’
I couldn’t think otherwise.
No matter how hard I fought, if they hadn’t returned— would I have been able to bear that reality?
But now, all those worries felt pointless.
Because right in front of me, Kang Arin was here.
Completely fine.
‘Thank goodness.’
Could there be a more fitting phrase than this?
—Tight squeeze.
“Really… I’m so relieved.”
I held her close, gently stroking her back.
“Mm…”
Kang Arin’s lips parted slightly.
She flinched at first, but soon, the tension in her shoulders gradually eased.
Letting herself rest against me, she breathed softly, her shoulders rising and falling gently.
But at that moment—
“….”
I felt a strange sense of discomfort.
I thought I had hugged her naturally.
But before I knew it, Kang Arin had slid my thigh between her legs, holding it tightly.
It wasn’t exactly the most appropriate position.
So, I shifted my shoulders slightly and carefully pushed her away.
As if nudged, she straightened up.
After living together for seven days in the mountain lodge during the Fragment Acquisition, I had grown oddly used to this kind of physical contact with Kang Arin.
Because of that, I often accepted it without much thought.
I should probably be more cautious about this.
Stretching lightly, I asked her a question.
“What about the exchange match?”
“Huh?”
A natural change of topic.
It had already been two weeks since the battle, during which I had been unconscious.
The exchange match had originally been scheduled for a week after the incident, which meant it should have already started.
Kang Arin seemed to understand my point and shook her head.
“It was postponed.”
“Really?”
“I mean, the top students of Gaon, including me, all disappeared. How could they just go ahead with it?”
She shrugged and added,
“We can’t afford to lose to Kalos, right? The chairman went all out to get it postponed.”
“I see.”
At times like this, the chairman’s extreme pursuit of profit worked in our favor.
In the end, it was a relief.
Ah… I really want to get out of here.
Restlessness suddenly started creeping in.
Honestly, I could stay and rest a little longer.
But I had a mountain of things to do.
From the exchange match to the remnants of the Evil God—there were countless matters that required my direct attention.
The problem was that the hospital would never approve my discharge so easily.
This wasn’t just any hospital.
It was Glory Hospital, infamous for its thoroughness to the point of being almost obsessive.
But then…
‘Wait a minute.’
Glory Hospital?
I narrowed my eyes slightly and looked at Kang Arin.
Her long, flowing black hair and crimson eyes.
When our gazes met, she tilted her head in confusion.
Glory Hospital.
And the real power behind Glory Group—Kang Arin.
“Kang Arin.”
“Yeah?”
Ah, I suddenly had an idea.
I wanted to speed up my discharge process.
Thinking about it, I had a cheat code sitting right in front of me.
“Get me discharged.”