Episode 49: The Night Before (2)
— Scritch, scritch.
— Scritch, scritch, scritch.
“…What are you doing?”
Joo Seo-jun couldn’t focus on the lesson at all. This was his first class since arriving at Gaon, but the person sitting next to him was making way too much noise.
The students from Kalos followed a different curriculum than those at Gaon. To balance things out, the classes had been unified for the time being.
“Don’t talk to me.”
Yoon Chae-ha, seated beside him, snapped irritably without even looking up, completely absorbed in whatever she was writing.
She wasn’t taking notes or paying attention to the lesson—just busily scribbling away at her desk.
It had been the same yesterday. As soon as the mentoring program began, she had disappeared somewhere.
‘What the hell is she doing?’
Curious, Joo Seo-jun leaned slightly to the side to get a glimpse of her desk.
But the moment his gaze landed on it—
Glare.
Like a cat bristling its fur and hissing, she swiftly wrapped her arms around her book, shielding it from view. She even hunched over it slightly, making her wariness blatantly obvious.
It looked like a book, but that was all he could tell.
Joo Seo-jun gave up. The professor’s sharp gaze was starting to burn into him.
“Ah.”
Just then, he remembered something he hadn’t had the chance to say yesterday.
He spoke in a low voice.
“Keep your schedule open this Saturday.”
Yoon Chae-ha, still staring at her book, replied indifferently.
“Why?”
“They’re offering us a class at the Mage Tower.”
Originally, when they left Kalos for Gaon, he had thought their connection with the Mage Tower would be severed. But fortunately, the tower seemed to have taken a liking to them and promised additional lessons.
It was good news for him.
In fact, the Mage Tower had already recognized their potential. From their perspective, keeping talents like them close was a smart investment.
Joo Seo-jun naturally assumed she would be happy about it, too.
“Hmm…”
But Yoon Chae-ha simply rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
“…It’s not like we have to go, right?”
She tapped her fingers lightly on the desk as she spoke slowly.
“Well… yeah, I guess it’s not mandatory, but…”
Yoon Chae-ha rarely showed interest in things. The Mage Tower was one of the few places that actually piqued her curiosity.
She had always responded positively to any lessons or research opportunities from the Tower.
But this time—
“I’m not going.”
She turned the page of her book as if it was nothing.
“It doesn’t seem interesting.”
Joo Seo-jun stared at her in disbelief.
***
The reward for subjugating Moras.
The official awards ceremony had taken place a few days ago, but there had been no news about the actual rewards.
They had been waiting anxiously, wondering when they would finally receive them.
At last, the selected individuals were summoned.
Honestly, this was what he had been waiting for.
I stood in front of the armory run by the Association, along with Cheon Yeoul and Yu Hana.
This place housed Gaon’s officially owned elixirs, artifacts, and weapons.
As they waited, the director, standing in front of them, greeted them with a bright smile.
“Now, go ahead and pick whatever you like, students!”
With his signature warm expression, he spread his arms wide in a welcoming gesture.
“Thanks to all of you, Gaon was able to get through this without any major damage. Hahaha!”
He wasn’t wrong.
If these three hadn’t been there, the school would have been turned upside down.
“You may each choose one item of your choice.”
The chairman approached me with a wink and patted my shoulder a couple of times.
‘Creepy…’
This was all just showmanship.
This was the same man who had vehemently opposed admitting students from non-military backgrounds, claiming I would tarnish the school’s reputation.
But now? He was going around calling me the pride of the school.
“Well then, let’s begin.”
At his words, an association staff member reached for the terminal.
The chairman placed his palm on the scanner beside the massive door—
Kugugung.
The giant warehouse doors slowly opened.
And then, an overwhelming sight came into view.
The warehouse was even larger than I had expected.
‘Not bad.’
Elixirs, artifacts, various weapons.
Gaon’s storage was exceptional in both quality and quantity.
These were the collections of Gaon’s founder—a well-known collector in his lifetime.
No matter what we picked, it was bound to be decent…
‘But first, let’s see what they choose.’
I had already decided what I was going to take.
I had debated it for a while, but yesterday, I made my final choice.
For now, I’d watch what Cheon Yeoul and Yu Hana picked,
And if their choices weren’t great, I’d guide them toward something better.
I was planning to completely clean this place out.
So, I stood back and observed.
“Feel free to choose anything!”
The chairman declared.
But I could only smirk.
‘Well, would you look at that?’
At a glance, everything seemed fine. The selection looked great.
But upon closer inspection, I noticed it.
The truly valuable items were subtly hidden beneath piles of other objects.
Almost as if someone had deliberately concealed the best ones.
Yu Hana was the first to move, heading straight for the weapon section.
She dug through a pile and pulled out a lightweight wrist guard from deep within.
At first glance, it looked like a simple cloth band.
‘Nice pick.’
But I knew exactly what that wrist guard was.
Not bad. No, actually, it was a solid choice.
I glanced at the chairman.
He was keeping a straight face, pretending to be composed, but I didn’t miss the way he flinched the moment she grabbed the wrist guard.
Yu Hana approached and strapped the guard onto her wrist.
Then, twisting her wrist a few times, she looked at me.
“How is it?”
It’s good.
That wrist guard was an artifact crafted from the tendons of a Titan from Greek mythology.
It wasn’t Earth’s technology—this had definitely come from a dungeon.
It would enhance muscle growth and overall training.
Perfect for her, since she was training in Flower-Butterfly Sword.
“Not bad.”
A good choice.
I nodded.
Seeing that, she smiled and turned to the chairman.
“I’ll take this one.”
“…Ah, I see….”
The chairman seemed momentarily flustered.
But he quickly composed himself and started recommending a different piece of equipment.
“But Hana, how about that armor over there? It has excellent magic resistance and great protection….”
He was pointing at a magnificent suit of armor, adorned with intricate decorations. At first glance, it looked incredible. But in reality, it was nothing more than a flashy disappointment.
“…”
She glanced at the armor once, then turned her head to look into my eyes. It was as if she was asking, What do you think?
I quietly shook my head. That one wasn’t good.
“I’m fine, I’ll take this one.”
“…Alright then.”
The director reluctantly gave his approval, looking somewhat displeased.
Next up was Cheon Yeoul.
She stifled a yawn, covering her mouth with her palm as she moved toward the pile of artifacts.
Without hesitation, she went straight to the section where the holy relics were gathered.
She reached into the pile of artifacts, waving her hand a few times as if searching for something. Then, she pulled her hand out.
“!!”
The director, standing nearby, nearly had a seizure.
What she had picked up was a ring with a silver band and a crimson gemstone embedded in it.
That’s insane.
Aurora’s Heart.
I never expected to find it here. That thing was the real deal.
Saints, who needed to use both mana and holy power, often struggled with maintaining balance between the two.
But this ring perfectly stabilized that imbalance, ensuring that neither energy overwhelmed the other.
However, she then grabbed another item—a small potion bottle.
No way.
That one was… bad. Really bad.
It might be useful for a mage, but it was nothing more than a single-use elixir that temporarily inflated mana reserves.
It was completely useless to Cheon Yeoul.
She held both the elixir and the ring, then walked straight toward us.
Then, she asked me,
“Which one looks better?”
It was like asking me to choose between gold and a rock.
“Oh, that elixir looks amazing!”
The director desperately tried to promote the potion’s benefits.
I silently pointed at the ring in her left hand.
Cheon Yeoul gazed at me for a moment.
Then, without any hesitation, she tossed the potion backward.
Thud.
The elixir rolled uselessly across the floor.
Meanwhile, the ring in her palm glowed with a faint crimson light.
“Haein, then… put this on…”
Just as she was about to extend her hand toward me—
“Perfect timing, Director! Could you help her put the ring on?”
Yu Hana suddenly interjected.
In that instant—
Cheon Yeoul’s hand stopped.
Then, without a word, she slipped the ring onto her own middle finger.
Immediately after, she raised her middle finger and pointed it straight at Yu Hana.
Yu Hana tilted her head and admired the sight.
“It looks beautiful~”
Cheon Yeoul smiled.
“Thanks~”
But she showed no intention of lowering her middle finger.
Leaving behind that chilly atmosphere, I stepped forward.
Both Yu Hana and Cheon Yeoul had obtained artifacts that suited them perfectly.
Now, it was my turn.
I walked toward a more secluded, unassuming area.
There, leaning against the wall, stood a halberd made of iron.
A sharp crescent blade and a straight, piercing spear tip.
I crouched down and examined it closely.
The surrounding weapons and treasures all bore signs of age. Yet, this iron halberd alone remained unchanged, retaining its original form.
I slowly reached out and touched it.
“!”
Instantly, the temperature around me dropped sharply.
Yet, no frost formed on the halberd.
I had just confirmed it.
“I’ll take this one.”
Twenty years ago, a beast that had descended upon this land, bringing the end of civilizations—
The Monstrous Dragon Aldebaran’s Fang.
‘Catastrophe.’
It was the weapon I had been searching for.