Chapter 66

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Sponsored Chapter- 3/4..

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Eventually, I took off my blood-stained and dirty shirt, and roughly shoved it into the trash.

It was a rag anyway and I couldn't wear it again, so I decided to throw it away quickly.

The pants were black, so if I was careful they wouldn't show, and the T-shirt worn underneath was also dark, so I thought it would be okay as long as it didn't show.

Even when I saw my reflection in the window of a building, I didn't have any noticeable injuries perhaps thanks to Jin Ye-Seul's potion and Paper Bird's healing.

The only thing was that the burned area was slightly reddish, but even that could only be seen if one looked carefully.

[To everyone inside the academy. The explosion sound that occurred a while ago was confirmed to be an accident caused by a gas leak, and experts are currently deployed to solve the problem. In case of an unexpected accident, those who are near the site, please follow the instructions promptly and move away from the site. We would also like to inform you that we have swept away all groups with impure intentions that were hiding within the academy and are currently tracking down the remaining ones. In case of emergency, all those who are currently listening to this broadcast are requested to move to shelters. We would like to inform you once again. Earlier...… .]

On my way to the library, I heard the guidance sound from the speakers.

Seeing that such a broadcast was coming out, I thought that the situation had been sorted out.

‘Well, six of the Ten Strongest are here.’

The Thorns Cross Society seemed to have been wiped out before they could do anything, and the two Red Case's Killers fell to me and Jin Ye-Seul.

The only ones I didn't know about the situation yet was the Big Watch, but judging from the fact that the monster that always showed up whenever they caused trouble was nowhere to be seen, they seemed to have fled quickly.

There should be remnants left, but there would be nothing they could do in this situation.

Perhaps they were fleeing while preparing themselves appropriately.

I couldn't even figure out what some of them were doing, but since six guild masters, led by Lee Myung-Joon, were moving, I decided to just trust them.

If I tell Jin Ye-Seul about important information later, she will organize it and bring it to me.

Shortly after arriving at the front of the library and waiting, Han Soo-Young and Choi Hyun-Woo, and an old woman appeared from afar.

As soon as Han Soo-Young saw me, she paused for a moment, but then quickly came running over to me.

The first thing she said as soon as she saw me was none other than the word 'clothes'.

"What?"

“Where's your shirt?”

“It was hot, so I took it off.”

“In this weather?”

As she said, the weather right now was rather chilly.

I countered with a nonchalant look on my face.

"I get hot easily."

“Hmm…… .”

Han Soo-Young looked at me and made a meaningful sound.

In the meantime, Choi Hyun-Woo, who was holding the old woman's hand tightly as if to support her, approached me and greeted me.

“Hello, Ji-Hyuk.”

“Yeah, come to think of it, I heard you beat Ahn Do-Hoon? Congrats."

“What to congratulate.” 

Choi Hyun-Woo muttered with a smile, and then carefully released the old woman's hand and said to me.

“Ji-Hyuk, she's our master. She said she really wants to meet you. Master, this friend is that Ji-Hyuk.”

“It’s my first time seeing you.”

Nam Hyun-Hwa showed a kind smile with a quiet voice.

“My name is Nam Hyun-Hwa. Nice to meet you, student.”

To her words, I immediately bowed my head and responded politely.

As Nam Hyun-Hwa, wasn't anyone but their parent and master, it was necessary to be polite.

“Please speak comfortably, Eoreusin. If you do that, I'll be uncomfortable." [Note: '어르신' 'Eoreusin'- means elderly or old man/woman but in a polite form.]

"Oh, my. You're so polite."

She let out a small laugh as if she were having fun.

Then she took my hand and whispered to me, still smiling.

“Did you say Ji-Hyuk? Hyun-Woo and Soo-Young talked about you a lot. Especially Soo-Young, whenever I contact her…… .”

“Master!”

At Han Soo-young's shrill cry, Nam Hyun-Hwa showed a sad expression inside.

Then, looking around the area, she blinked as if dissatisfied.

“I wanted to talk to you for as long as possible, but I don't think this is a situation where we can talk comfortably. Why don’t we all go to the broadcasted place together first?”

At her words, we all decided to head to the shelter for now.

In fact, I could see people moving here and there following the instructions of the staff.

We moved with them and talked about many things.

Meanwhile, Han Soo-Young, who kept looking at me, suddenly took off her cardigan and held it out to me with an indifferent hand.

“What, do you want me to wear it?”

“Then, would I have given it to you to put it on your face?”

Han Soo-Young responded bluntly.

Even when I told her it was okay, she remained stubborn.

Then, she almost forcibly pushed the cardigan on me, saying it doesn't matter because she was wearing long sleeves.

It was because it was cold to look at me.

Then she kept staring at me, and I had no choice but to pull the cardigan over my head.

The difference in size between the two of us was so great that I didn't even have to look at it that I looked ridiculous, as if an adult wearing children's clothes.

Choi Hyun-Woo burst out a small laugh at the appearance.

"Ji Hyuk, that looks really good on you."

“… Hyun-Woo, be quiet while I'm being nice, okay?”

Han Soo-Young muttered quietly.

Choi Hyun-Woo was still laughing as if he was having fun.

“Even if it's a bit big, I think mine will fit Ji-Hyuk, but I'm only wearing a T-shirt inside, so it’s a bit difficult to take it off.”

“No, I won't wear yours even if you take it off.”

"Choi Hyun-Woo, you've really gone crazy!"

When I responded to his words, surprised, Han Soo-Young also shouted with a surprised look.

And Nam Hyeon-Hwa, who looked at us happily, burst into laughter.

“The three of you must be very close. It's nice to see."

She muttered like that, but Han Soo-Young blushed and shut her mouth as she was.

Meanwhile, Choi Hyun-Woo, who still had a smile on his lips, came up to me and whispered softly.

“By the way, Ji-Hyuk.”

What's wrong with this crazy guy all of a sudden?

That was when I was about to get away from him, startled.

"Who in the world did you fight with?”

I looked at him in surprise for a moment and saw that Choi Hyun Woo was still smiling.

“How did you…… .”

“I'm a little sensitive about these things. You know, I have a great intuition.”

He let out a small laugh.

“Well, Ji-Hyuk, you must have something in mind because you did it...… .”

Then he glanced at Han Soo-Young and said as if giving advice to me.

Meanwhile, I thought that his eyes looking at her were somehow familiar.

It was the eyes when I looked at my sister in the past.

“Still, Ji-Hyuk, I believe that you won’t make Soo-Young cry.”

By the way, Soo-Young knows too, but she's just pretending not to know.

I could only nod my head at the words, which were like a soft threat.

* * *

In the end, most of the invitation dates were canceled.

First, it was announced that it was a gas accident, but in the Sparring area where the Thorns Cross Society appeared, there were so many civilians that the Orhe Academy chose to disclose it frankly rather than control information clumsily.

Even if there was miraculously no death, perhaps due to the efforts of the Guild masters, the fact that the academy was attacked by outside forces did not change.

Orhe Academy had suffered a heavy blow to its high honor.

In fact, it was a good ending that could not be compared with the ending of the original story, where a large number of civilians died, several buildings collapsed, and even the relic was stolen…….

Anyway, most of the dates have been canceled and only the ones that cannot be omitted will be briefly carried out tomorrow.

The broadcasting station even organized a special program saying how much they liked today and sent it out as a scoop.

“Ugh…… .”

After taking a light shower, I flopped down on the sofa with a groaning sound.

Even with potions and healing, the muscle pain seemed unavoidable, so the whole body was aching, so I had to put the paste on it.

The branch of the World Tree came out of my right arm and was hung over the tank where Mandragora resided, and at first glance, he looked like he was getting an IV.

It was thick and I can feel my mana and stamina filling up every time he absorbed the water.

Of course, Mandragora, who was forced to come out of the tank thanks to that, was embracing the two spirit stones that were his household possessions, and staring at me with displeasure.

Sitting absent-mindedly, I was rethinking my future plans.

And I was able to come to a conclusion right away.

If I keep going like this, I will end up in the same situation again soon, and there is no guarantee that I will be as lucky as today.

“…… .”

The plan had to be completely revised.

Skills and items that I didn't touch with the excuse of not having time...… .

Now that I think about it, if I had only a few of them, nothing like today would have happened.

It still felt like the back of my hand had a hole in it, and it throbbed.

‘It's too much to collect them all at once, but I have to bring them little by little somehow.’

I desperately needed to be strong myself.

And to do that, I could say that it was impossible to go out only on weekends.

I was just wondering if I should take the opportunity to ask Professor Blesbuck for a week or so of sick leave on the pretext of injury and personal circumstances.

“… ?”

Suddenly, Mandragora came closer to me as if something was strange.

Then he looked around, and as soon as he saw the ring on my finger, he shrank like a freakout.

It was a ring given to me by Belluna, a higher spirit of the wind.

“… !”

"Ouch! No, why are you...… .”

And he ran to my face, who was sitting blankly, and slammed into it as hard as he could with his own body.

Immediately afterward, he started hitting it with his fists and kicking it with his feet, like hitting a punching bag.

I wondered how painful it would be if the grass roots hit me, but perhaps because he was a legendary herb, his fist hurt a little.

He seemed to be very angry about something, but since I couldn't understand him from the start, there was no way I could figure out what was going on.

"Hey, I'm really tired today. I'm not kidding. I almost died... Aww!"

Suddenly, he ripped off my cheek beard, causing me to let out an involuntary scream of pain.

When I turned my head, he was scattering the hair he had ripped off in front of me.

“This pea-sized thing is real!”

“… !”

Despite my threats, he didn't falter at all.

Rather, he pretended to throw a fist, folding and unfolding his roots in the air, as if to tell me to give it a try.

It was when I was seriously thinking about how I should really do this, and whether I should show him even boiling water in a kettle.

Ding dong.

At the sudden ringing of the bell, Mandragora fell flat on my face.

There was no one to come at this hour, so I quietly got up from my seat.

At the same time, I carefully picked up the fallen Mandragora, put it in the tank, and headed towards the door.

"Who is it?"

― The package has arrived. Please receive it in person.

The answer came over the intercom installed inside the dormitory.

I looked outside and saw a drone floating in the hallway with a really small box hanging from it.

As I opened the door,  the drone approached a little forward as if thrusting in the touchpad.

I wondered if it had come by mistake, but my name was clearly written on the recipient.

When I looked through to see who on earth had sent it, I felt my face distort in an instant.

Jin Ye-Seul.

“…… .”

Maybe there's something weird in it.

While I was contemplating whether to receive this or not, the drone carefully put the box down in front of the front door and leisurely exited the hallway.

“Ummm…… .”

When I grabbed the box with the branch of the World Tree and shook it around, I could see that there was something heavy in it.

There was also a rattling sound, and the distrust grew even more.

I continued to use the branch of the World Tree to carefully open it, just in case.

Inside the box, there was a letter on the top.

And underneath it was a black box with the shattered remains of the Silent dagger.

The first sentence of the letter began with a polite and courteous tone, to the point of being burdensome, saying that she hoped she was not being presumptuous.

The contents of the letter went like this.

First, I have retrieved the Silent dagger, since it was such an expensive item, all the information of the buyer would have been recorded, so I thought it would be a problem if it was left on the site.

As you ordered, I am hacking CCTV and records inside the academy to get information on the Red Case, the Thorn Cross Society, and the Big Watch, so please wait a little bit.

Finally, it ended by saying, I have sent a pair of daggers that will suit you as a gift, and it is only pure favor and I would like you to consider my face and accept it.

There was nothing related to Shadow Walker's legacy anywhere.

I felt uncomfortable for some reason, but I opened a black box first.

Inside, there was a pair of daggers that looked classy with white inscriptions engraved on their black blades.

Yado's Dagger - Black Bird's Beak (Rare)

This is a form belonging to the middle of the dagger series forged with great care by the legendary craftsman, Blacksmith Yado.

The blade is said to be so light yet hard that even if a dragon were to step on it, the blade would not break.

It is also said that the Black Bird's Beak never gets dull and it always retains its sharpness.

― The blade will not be dulled or destroyed.

― Wounds from this dagger take longer to heal than normal wounds.

― If an injury is sustained with this dagger, there is a low probability that the bleeding will not stop.

Although I had expected this to some extent, I couldn't say anything about it when I actually checked the information on the dagger.

It was the moment when I realized that Jin Ye-Seul was the third richest among the eight and was a huge gold spoon.

But above all else, her sudden change of attitude was very burdensome.

First, I carefully closed the black box and put it on the table.

I'll have to meet her later and return it.

It was very uncomfortable to just accept a gift from Jin Ye-Seul, of all people.

Then, I heard the sound of Mandoragara tapping and hitting the glass wall in the tank.

“What again?”

“…… .”

The guy was looking at me in silence.

To be precise, he alternately looked at my patch-covered upper body and the black box, and then without a word, he cut off one of his own small roots.

Then, indifferently, he threw it over the tank and dropped it on the table.

“… What?"

Surprised by the sudden action, I made a puzzled face, and the guy was looking at me with a somewhat triumphant expression.

To be precise, the black box on the table.

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