Episode 124: End of Semester (5)
With the start of vacation, I made my way back to the Vanquisher base for the first time in a while.
I planned to stay for a few days.
There had been a lot of back-and-forth with the Association regarding Bulgaraam, so I had plenty to take care of.
Since the portal to Gaon’s dorms wouldn’t be open at all hours like during the semester, this was the more practical choice.
Creak.
I opened the door.
The familiar door slowly swung open.
Through the crack, old memories began to seep in.
This was the room I had used since I was a child. The room where Sion and I would roll around under blankets and play.
The room where we used to study so hard together.
The room Sion and I had grown up in.
“…Looks like I need to clean up a bit.”
Since the semester started, I hadn’t been able to stop by at all, so there was bound to be a thick layer of dust.
Rolling up my sleeves, I braced myself.
But then—
“…?”
The room was oddly tidy.
Not a speck of dust on the desk.
The bed sheets were perfectly crisp. Two pillows sat neatly at the head of the bed.
It looked like someone had been living here until just yesterday.
“What brings you to my room?”
It was a familiar voice.
I didn’t need to turn my head to know who it was.
“Your room?”
I replied with a smile.
Sion slowly approached me. A soft breath, and the familiar scent of her shampoo.
She wasn’t big in stature, but the moment she stepped into the room, the air seemed to shift in a peculiar way.
I gave her a faint smile and asked:
“You did all this?”
“Of course. Who else would?”
Fair enough.
No one else in Vanquisher cared this much about cleanliness—except Sion.
I set down my bags and glanced around the room once more.
“There are two pillows?”
“Yeah, doesn’t it bring back old memories?”
Sion tapped the head of the bed lightly with her finger.
I paused for a moment, then smiled at her words.
“Yeah, it does… But why do you say this is your room?”
I asked again.
This was clearly my room.
Sion shrugged.
“Yeah. I decided I’d stay here during the break.”
It seemed she had already made up her mind to use this room for the vacation.
Well… that was going to be a bit of a problem.
But it couldn’t be helped. I’d have to use a different room.
“Then I’ll just take another room.”
Sion looked at me briefly, then shook her head.
“There isn’t one.”
“Huh?”
“There isn’t. After the others wrapped up their last raids yesterday, everyone came back. There’s not a single spare room left.”
Sion tapped the end of the bed and looked at me.
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Sion smiled quietly.
“Want to sleep together like we used to?”
“That was ages ago…”
It had already been ten years.
Even back then, we were in the same room, but not the same bed.
It would be ridiculous to do that now.
I shook my head and muttered,
“I’ll just sleep on the floor.”
Sion quietly nodded.
“That’s fine too.”
It’s only for a little while anyway.
It wouldn’t be a big deal.
***
I unpacked at the base and headed straight for the Association.
As always, the Association building stood tall and imposing.
I didn’t bring the Old Man or anyone else along.
Everyone seemed tired, and it wasn’t the kind of matter I needed company for anyway.
It was Saturday morning.
Compared to weekdays, the atmosphere was quieter.
I took the elevator to the top floor.
Ding.
As the elevator arrived, a staff member from the Association was waiting for me at the end of the hallway.
“You’re Hero Jung Haein, correct?”
“Yes.”
After a simple identity check, I received a visitor’s pass.
“The Chairman is waiting for you.”
I followed the staff member to the reception room at the end of the hallway.
When we arrived at the familiar room, the Chairman—who had been waiting inside—rose to his feet.
“It’s been a while, Haein.”
“Yes, good to see you.”
We exchanged brief greetings.
I had met the Chairman during the last party—thanks to Kang Arin’s help.
Originally, we were supposed to meet during the semester,
But I had requested to postpone it until the vacation.
“Today, before your entry into Bulgaraam’s Workshop… we need to confirm a few things.”
I silently nodded.
“It’s mostly a formality, so I hope you don’t take it the wrong way. We’re trying to accommodate your needs as much as possible, so if you have any issues, please don’t hesitate to speak up.”
“Not at all.”
The Chairman quietly laid out a few documents in front of me.
The contents of the file were straightforward.
As soon as someone enters Bulgaraam’s Forge, a system notification is broadcast to all heroes.
> The cursed flames swallow blood, and molten iron strikes the heart. Bulgaraam’s Forge now tests a new heir.
And the Association publicly announces the challenger’s identity.
That was what this document covered.
“Regardless of the outcome, the Association has decided to officially support you going forward—not just as a promising candidate, but as someone we’ll endorse and stand behind. So don’t feel pressured. Just take it easy.”
There was no reason for me to decline.
Being supported by the Association meant they’d back me in almost everything.
“Thank you.”
I replied quietly.
The Chairman shifted his gaze to the next set of documents.
This one was about previous challenges in the Forge.
“These are the records of all heroes who’ve attempted to clear the Forge.”
He showed me the neatly organized reports.
I read through the records slowly.
My impression… was grim.
Only one success ever.
And even that one success didn’t seem like a true victory—more like Bulgaraam had reluctantly allowed it.
> It’s hot. There’s no other way to describe it. (1953.4.19)
> I endured the heat… but got lost and failed to reach the end. (1978.11.19)
> I reached the end… but I was unworthy. (2009.9.25)
The last note was left by the previous Hero 20 years ago.
Since then, no one—not even once—had entered the Forge.
No successes either.
The Chairman gently closed the file and added one brief comment.
“There’s no need to be afraid. No matter the outcome, this trial will make you stronger. Every hero written in here grew stronger from the experience.”
I silently nodded.
The forge entry was scheduled for next Friday.
‘Planning to fail?’
Not in the slightest.
I needed to prepare everything I possibly could in the time I had left.
‘I reached the end… but I was unworthy.’
I read the final line left by the previous Hero.
‘Unworthy.’
I wouldn’t be.
***
There was one phrase that appeared repeatedly in the Association’s records of the forge:
“It’s hot.”
First and foremost, the interior of the forge is scorching.
Not just fire, not just lava—an intense heat beyond description fills the space.
It’s hard to describe it as merely “high temperature”…
But I definitely needed to prepare for extreme heat resistance.
[RIN]: Don’t forget to wear that outfit!
Conveniently, Kang Arin messaged me after I helped with the request she made.
She said the auction would be held tonight.
The outfit she specified was the suit I had tailored for the party a while ago.
I dressed up in it.
“… Why are you staring like that?”
“….”
When I turned around after getting ready, Sion—who shared the room with me—was sitting backwards on a chair, silently watching me.
A habit that hadn’t changed since childhood.
“I’ll be back.”
I gave a brief farewell and headed to the base entrance.
As soon as I opened the door, a luxury car parked out front came into view.
A gleaming black sedan.
As I approached, the rear door opened automatically.
“You’re here?”
Inside the car, Kang Arin was already waiting.
She greeted me with a familiar smile.
The car departed immediately.
The auction venue was located in the heart of Seoul, but it wasn’t just any ordinary place.
It was underground, beneath what looked like an ordinary office building—
A secret auction house for heroes known as the Archive.
It operated strictly on a membership basis.
From the outside, no one could tell who was coming or going.
There were no windows.
In the dim hallway, Arin and I stepped into a private elevator.
There were several levels in the elevator.
From Basement Level 1 to 4,
Each level was marked by a different color—bronze, silver, gold, and black.
Arin pulled out a black card and scanned it at the terminal.
Beep.
The elevator descended directly to Basement Level 4—the black zone.
As the doors opened, a hallway with calm lighting and luxurious vintage décor spread out before us.
Not a sound could be heard.
Ahead stood a staff member, dressed neatly in a suit,
Wearing a mask shaped like an animal’s face.
“Welcome to the Archive. Your Black Ticket has been verified.”
The staff greeted us with a deep, formal voice.
“I’ll guide you directly to your reserved room.”
As he led us down the hall, he handed over a silver tray.
On it were two masks.
One was a white fox mask, the other a black wolf mask.
“In order to protect your identity inside the auction house, wearing a mask is mandatory.
Your room today is Room 2 ‘Alexander’.
We hope you enjoy your experience.”
I picked up the black wolf mask,
While Arin, without hesitation, took the fox mask.
“Cute,”
She murmured as she turned the mask in her hands.
The staff bowed once more as he guided us.
“Then, please enjoy the auction.”
We entered the room and took our seats.
The room was dim, subtly lit.
The walls were made entirely of glass, but the dark tint made it impossible to see outside.
The sealed space and faint tension made the atmosphere feel strangely heavy.
Places like this…
I could never quite get used to them.
I hesitated, holding the mask in my hands.
“Do I really have to wear this?”
Arin lifted one side of her mouth in a smirk.
Still holding her fox mask, she walked to the glass wall.
“You’d better.”
As she raised the mask—
The dark glass surrounding the room slowly began to turn transparent.
Shuuuuuuuu.
In the center stood a grand marble podium.
Surrounding it were tiers of stacked viewing rooms.
On the lowest level—our level—rooms were arranged in a ring.
Above those were rooms glowing gold, then silver above that,
And at the very top, deep brown-colored rooms loomed.
Through the glow between the rooms,
People could be seen watching from behind the glass—each one wearing a mask.
Everyone.
I slowly brought the mask to my face.
Dozens of gazes crossed from behind the glass—
Desire and ambition burned in each one.
All of it… hidden behind masks.
“How is it?”
Arin asked with a smile.
“Don’t they all look greedy?”
They certainly did.
Still,
I had no intention of losing anything to them.
****
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