15.
—
I had a dream.
The small studio apartment I returned to after finishing my part-time job.
I roughly cooked a pack of ramen and ate, took a shower too.
Then I sat down in front of the computer.
First I turned on Seronis, and then opened the overseas community.
Recently, posts hardly went up on the community.
Every now and then a few newbies would trickle in, but since it was essentially a site waiting to die, they quickly left. Or they deleted the game.
Still, Lee Suhyeok logged into the community every day.
These days he barely wrote posts, but Suhyeok’s account, ‘Padlip-Immune,’ was an old veteran of both the community and Seronis, and even on this overseas site he stubbornly insisted on keeping a Korean nickname.
The reason he didn’t write posts anymore was simple.
Most of the players he used to meet there and actively exchange information with had already ascended and disappeared. Because of that, Su-hyeok naturally became a lurker, leaving more comments than posts.
Whenever a newbie he liked, one with potential, wrote a question post, he diligently answered it.
That was Padlip-Immune’s position in the current community.
After skimming through the new posts, he checked Seronis’s only competitive content—the Hall of Fame.
‘That bastard’s going to hit first place soon.’
He’d been stuck at fifth place for nearly half a year, but today he had finally crawled up to second.
Something must have broken through for him. Maybe he improved his build, or maybe he gave up and switched to a completely different one.
‘Hm.’
Good, he thought.
‘Better upload mine before this bastard takes first.’
Both that guy and Su-hyeok were the same in how they struggled to somehow reach first place, but Su-hyeok could take first even right now if he wanted.
His build was already completely optimized.
He could claim first place in the Hall of Fame anytime. He kept squeezing out every bit to shorten the clear time, but now there was no meaningful change left except for “luck.”
Just yesterday at dawn, he had finished maxing his character’s specs and opened the path to the hidden boss.
He was confident he could clear it even with his feet. Of course, if crits didn’t chain and luck didn’t follow, he could get instantly killed—but he had prepared as much suppression as possible against such variables.
“Yeah. You’re not getting first.”
If first place got updated with a record no one could ever surpass, wouldn’t that guy start posting meltdown threads on the community?
Imagining that, Su-hyeok snickered.
“Ah, fuck…”
He woke up.
Yuri covered his eyes with both hands as he recalled the dream he’d just had.
I shouldn’t have done that. I should’ve just let him take first…!
Regret over the past came rushing in.
‘That bastard probably doesn’t even know I’m his benefactor.’
Letting out heavy sighs, Yuri got down from the bed.
The bed Elena had bought a few days ago was big enough for two people to roll around on, and unlike the one he used in Aldor, it didn’t creak.
It wasn’t just the bed.
The once empty, bleak room had been filled with various pieces of furniture.
Elena bought all of it. Even the pajamas Yuri was wearing now.
He climbed down and sat on the floor covered with a soft carpet.
Even though he’d had a dream that could be called a nightmare, he woke up the same as usual.
5 a.m.
After checking the still-dark window, Yuri drew the curtains.
It had already been five days since he came here.
At first, living in the same house as Elena felt uncomfortable, but once he actually lived here, there wasn’t anything inconvenient at all. Rather, it was far more comfortable than when he lived alone in Aldor.
A big reason was that Elena was hardly home.
Every day at the same time, she woke at eight, ate breakfast, got ready, and left for the Dercia Mage Tower before ten. Then she came home around seven.
While Elena was gone, Yuri did the housework.
Though calling it housework was an exaggeration—cleaning and laundry were done with magic—so all Yuri really did was cook ingredients from the pantry.
‘For breakfast, heat up yesterday’s stew, and bacon…’
Thinking that, he closed his eyes.
Once in the morning, once at noon, once before sleeping.
Practicing his breathing and energy circulation three times a day, he felt proud of the inner energy that kept increasing. He couldn’t brag to anyone, but this was Yuri’s asset.
And today, that asset would grow even more.
“I’m staying home today.”
Elena, sitting at the dining table, looked far too neat to be someone who had just woken up. She dipped bread into the stew and spoke.
“Namgung Jin said he’s coming. If I leave you alone, something like last time might happen again.”
“After what happened, would he really pull that crap again?”
“You never know. Oh, you don’t need to prepare lunch or dinner.”
A happy smile spread across her face as she put the stew-soaked bread into her mouth. Before, she had occasionally tried cooking to improve her skills, but ever since Yuri came, Elena had completely let go of cooking.
“Why?”
“Because we’re going out.”
“Me too?”
“We’re buying something for you to use, so of course you’re coming too.”
“You already bought everything I need. What are we buying now?”
“Martial arts.”
Elena answered calmly.
“The Le-Seun Auction House opens today. I’m going to buy your martial arts with that apology money.”
Yuri blinked mid-bite.
Seeing his expression, Elena tilted her head.
“What are you staring at like that?”
“You’re buying my martial arts with the apology money?”
“Yeah. I don’t know how much Namgung Jin will give, but it won’t be a small amount. If we use it all, we can probably buy every martial art you need. If it’s short, I’ll add my savings.”
“…I…”
He couldn’t continue.
Of course it would be nice, but wasn’t this treating him too well?
“Even so, using all of it is a bit…”
“What do you mean ‘a bit’? It’s compensation for your damages. It should be spent on you. Did you think I’d pocket it?”
“I didn’t think that far…”
“I already borrowed Le-Seun tickets from the Tower Master. I told Haryeong too. So even if you say you don’t want to, we’re going today no matter what.”
It was already decided, and she had no intention of listening to Yuri’s opinion.
Yuri blinked, then quietly put down his spoon.
“Can I call you noona? Or Lady Elena? Miss Elena?”
“W-what creepy thing are you trying to do?”
Her words and expression didn’t match. She forced down the corners of her lips that were trying to rise.
“And the Azure Heaven Pill… you and I will take one each, and the last one… hmm, what should we do?”
“You take two, miss.”
“U-uhm… let’s save one. Later, whoever needs it can take it. Okay?”
“Of course.”
“Don’t talk like that. It’s creepy.”
When he openly buttered her up, she recoiled.
After finishing the meal, he brought books from the study.
<Basics of Magic>
<Common Magic Made Easy and Fast 1, by Arsen Lucionel>
He had already read them in the carriage, but he went over them several more times.
Unlike martial artists, mages did not learn mana cultivation or mental methods.
They understood the mana that existed in the world, borrowed it, and invoked magic through formulas. Repeating this raised their affinity with mana, and naturally the soul became a vessel that filled with mana.
From then on, one could call oneself a 2nd Circle mage.
Mana affinity was the most necessary talent for a mage.
“Arsen Lucionel. Have you ever met him?”
While cramming the formulas into his head, Yuri asked.
“Once, when I was little.”
It was a casual question, but an unexpected answer came back.
“I think I was thirteen? When I was clinging to common magic trying to reach the 3rd Circle, Sir Arsen visited the Dercia Mage Tower. I got a lot of advice then.”
Elena, who had been reading on another sofa, turned her gaze to Yuri.
“Why? Do you want to meet him too?”
“He doesn’t seem like someone you can meet just because you want to.”
“Right. As far as I know, he isn’t even at the Lucionel Tower.”
While they talked, Haryeong arrived. She looked back and forth between Yuri and Elena reading on their sofas and let out a deep sigh.
“You two really have easy lives.”
“Why are you picking a fight the moment you get here?”
“I’m not picking a fight. Just stating my impressions. So, we don’t need physical training today?”
Thanks to the renewed contract, Yuri had been receiving physical combat training from her. She had complained at first about why a bodyguard had to teach martial arts too, but after checking the advance payment, she changed her attitude.
“We don’t need it.”
Elena answered.
“We’re heading out soon.”
“Yuri is actually quite fun to teach. Looks like I won’t get to enjoy that today. What a pity.”
She didn’t look pitiful at all.
“He learns well?”
“Just like Lady Orca said, he seems to have talent for martial arts. He’s learning much better than I expected.”
Elena’s lips pouted slightly. Deep down, she had hoped Yuri would aim to become a mage rather than a martial artist, so hearing that he had talent for martial arts wasn’t very welcome.
“Do you really hate that I want to learn martial arts instead of magic?”
“Who said I hate it?”
“Your face says you do.”
“What’s wrong with my face?”
Elena hurriedly pressed her lips together.
Around noon, Namgung Jin arrived but couldn’t even step inside the estate. In the garden where he had knelt and slammed his head to the ground several times before, he handed Elena a large bag.
“About last time… I’m sorry.”
Only five days had passed, but he looked years older. Dark circles hung under his eyes, and his face was gaunt. Elena glanced at him, sighed deeply, and accepted the bag.
“There will be no issue taken with Young Master Namgung Jin’s mistake, so please rest assured.”
“The Tower Master… didn’t say anything else…?”
“No.”
Only then did his face brighten slightly.
Afterward—
“One billion Cel? My goodness, my goodness!”
Haryeong, sitting across in the carriage, made a fuss as if she still couldn’t believe it.
“Indeed, the fourth young master of the great Namgung clan. Truly generous. And three Azure Heaven Pills too? Converted into value, that’s at least three billion Cel.”
She clapped toward Yuri.
“Amazing. Yuri, the man worth three billion. Countless country youths come up to Lutran chasing dreams of fortune, but earning three billion Cel on the very first day? You’re probably the only one.”
“Please stop teasing me.”
“I’m not teasing. I’m genuinely impressed.”
Even Elena hadn’t expected to receive such a huge sum as an apology.
‘I thought at most he’d give a hundred million…’
Seeing that he brought a full billion, he must have been insanely anxious about what happened five days ago.
“I was originally thinking of first-rate martial arts… but with a budget of one billion Cel, I’ll have to redo the list.”
Haryeong folded her arms and thought.
“A mental cultivation method is essential, and footwork… Light-body movement isn’t urgent, so we could postpone it. What about weapons? If you use a sword, you’ll need sword techniques. If a blade, blade arts.”
“I don’t plan to use a weapon.”
“I’m more comfortable barehanded. Buying a weapon feels like a waste too.”
“Hmm. Personally, I’d recommend a sword or spear.”
“Is there a reason?”
“The debate over whether the sword or spear is king of all weapons has existed forever. Both have clear strengths and few weaknesses.”
She shrugged.
“And there are many martial arts related to them. In other words, plenty of supply.”
“What about fist techniques?”
“Reaching a high level with them is grueling. No matter how much you train your fists, facing blades is difficult. If a weapon breaks, that’s the end. But if your fist breaks, it doesn’t simply end there. The severity of injury is different.”
Her words were entirely reasonable.
“That’s why martial artists who use fist arts also train external body techniques together. A common one is Iron Sand Palm. By repeatedly thrusting into heated sand, they thicken the skin and harden their hands into weapons that can clash with blades.”
Elena looked down at her own hands, then at Yuri’s.
“Listening to you, it doesn’t sound like there are many advantages. Why not just use a sword or spear? Later you could use a weapon enchanted with magic.”
“It’s not that there are no advantages.”
Haryeong shook her head.
“A martial artist who has reached a high realm is terrifyingly strong. From an assassin’s perspective… assuming the same rank, killing a martial artist is far harder than killing a swordsman.”
Her eyes darkened.
“Even swordsmen train their bodies, but compared to someone who stakes everything on their bare body and constantly crosses the line of life and death, it’s not the same. Once you reach the Fourth Rank and can imbue attributes into your inner energy, the martial artist’s very existence becomes a weapon. A swing of the fist creates slashes, and even blades won’t cut them.”
Fourth Rank.
Not something easily reached.
Even Elena, recognized as a talent by Heavenly Thunder Orca, took ten years to become a Fourth Circle mage.
‘How many years will it take me?’
He was sure it would be faster than Elena, but he couldn’t tell exactly how long.
The carriage stopped.
“Le-Seun.”
Stepping down, Yuri was momentarily overwhelmed by the flashy, casino-like building.
A business directly managed by the Ascad family, the true rulers of Lutran.
All kinds of elixirs, artifacts, martial arts manuals, and magic tomes were traded here. At VIP-only auctions, even advanced techniques appeared.
Underground auctions dealt with even secret inheritances, but those were expensive and dangerous. What Yuri and Elena would buy today were strictly legal techniques with no consequences.
“Here enters the man worth three billion.”
Haryeong muttered toward the dazzling entrance.
“Please just shut up.”
Standing beside Elena, who was stifling laughter, Yuri’s face twisted.
