Chapter 74 (1/2)
Lee Ji-hu finished the next floor’s trial and came outside, only to be bombarded by several news reporters.
First, there was the alliance between Su-hyeun and the Reaper Guild. Then, the encounter with Song Hyeong-gi.
Just these two alone were more than enough to cause an uproar in the world, especially with the latter. The hottest trending topic of recent times was that Su-hyeun met up with the sole S-rank awakener not affiliated with anyone, Song Hyeong-gi.
This event held the potential to throw a wrench in the precarious balance maintained by the Awakener Guilds.
“This guy, he’s not answering his phone again.”
Lee Ju-ho was using his phone while walking towards the Awakener Authority. He had called over ten times already, but Su-hyeun was not picking up. Even so, he was able to come here all thanks to calling Hak-joon beforehand and getting some answers from the young man.
“He should be taking a well-deserved break instead, so why…”
Su-hyeun had finally become an S rank. In other people’s eyes, he had definitely made it in his life. He could take it easy, spend the money he earned, maybe go on a trip overseas and have fun, etc.
But then, Su-hyeun couldn’t endure the short period of downtime until the d-day of the dungeon assault and wanted to train by borrowing the Authority’s underground facility.
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Depending on who looked at it, it was a waste, an unnecessary luxury.
The S-Rank. Lee Ju-ho, doing his best to get to that realm, couldn’t really understand Su-hyeun. But at the same time, he also felt rather awestruck by the latter.
Pik, pik, pipipipik—
Drop, thud, crumble—
A continuous stream of small noises could be heard.
Countless stone plates were strewn about within the underground facility. They were a type of illusion used during Su-hyeun’s re-evaluation not too long ago.
Crumble—
A stone plate brushed past Lee Ju-ho’s face, and almost at the same time, a very thin strand of magical energy flew past just above his head.
“Bro? When did you arrive?” Su-hyeun, standing in the middle of the cavern, asked.
Lee Ju-ho replied while patting his chest in relief. “That surprised me, man. Were you trying to kill me or something?”
These two grew close enough to call each other brothers ever since that day Su-hyeun started referring to Lee Ju-ho as “big bro.”
It had been around one year since they got acquainted. They knew enough about each other, and their friendship ran pretty deep now. Most importantly, though, Su-hyeun felt grateful for Lee Ju-ho being the person who stepped up without being asked to take care of things in his stead.
“No way. Besides, you won’t die from that. It might sting a little, though.”
Lee Ju-ho heard Su-hyeun’s good-natured reply and looked at all the fragments of stone plates strewn about on the floor. Would he have really not died from that?
Lee Ju-ho sighed in relief again and spoke up. “Be more mindful of your surroundings, dude. Or lock the doors or something.”
“I’ll be more careful next time.”
“By the way, what’s all this?”
“Taking a few days off dulls one’s senses. Entering a low difficulty dungeon and slaughtering everything in there will only have an adverse effect.”
“You’re going crazy like this just to maintain your edge?”
“It helps a lot more than you think. Magical energy isn’t just a simple medium that lets you use skills, you know.”
This method was initially envisioned as a way to measure and assign numerical values to the Awakener’s ability to control magical energy.
Meaning, if the current you managed to destroy a higher number of stone plates than in the past, then it served as proof that your control over the magical energy had improved.
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Actually, this training was reserved for the small number of awakeners the Authority was fostering back then. At first, it was seen as just a testing method, but gradually, the Authority further refined the concept and employed it as a systematic training tool.
Su-hyeun carried on. “Besides this one, using illusions to strengthening your mental strength, dumbbells infused with a gravity-type skill using Ether stones, strengthening your resistance….”
“Okay, okay, I got it. Just hearing about them makes my skin crawl.” Lee Ju-ho hurriedly waved his hands about as if it all sounded too disgusting to him. Of course, he was inwardly stunned despite what his mouth said.
<> Lee Ju-ho thought.
He thought that Su-hyeun was just blessed with excellent talent, but as it turned out, the dude also happened to be a hard worker, too.
To think that he couldn’t wait those brief couple of days of respite and voluntarily chose to walk this path of hardship. He was fundamentally a different species from those conceited fools who couldn’t wait to splurge away their new wealth acquired after becoming Awakeners.
Kya-ong, kyaaa-ooong—.
Miru raised its head from around Su-hyeun’s neck.
Lee Ju-ho thought it was a scarf until then, so he hurriedly stepped back from fright. “Argh, that surprised me. Is it that dragon?”
“Yes. Its name is Miru.”
“Miru? You didn’t give the naming of it too much of your consideration, did you?”
“What’s wrong with it? Isn’t it cute?”
Gya-ruuung—
Miru nodded as if to say, “I agree.” Thoroughly mystified now, Lee Ju-ho got closer and studied the hatchling dragon’s head from this way and that.
Su-hyeun took out a towel he prepared earlier from the gym bag and while wiping away his sweat, asked Lee Ju-ho a question. “By the way, how did you know I was here?”
“I called Hak-joon and asked him where you were. I heard about you forming an alliance with the Reaper Guild, but what’s up with this Song Hyeong-gi business?”
Lee Ju-Ho cautiously reached out with his hand, trying to touch Miru at least once no matter what it took, but the growling Miru was vehemently refused his outstretched hand.
Su-hyeun stared at the two of them and opened his mouth. “What happened was…” He told Lee Ju-ho the simplified version of the events that happened so far. Of course, the latter already heard most of that story from Hak-joon.
“Okay, so when will the dungeon attack be?” Lee Ju-ho asked.
“We have to assemble in the morning two days from now.”
“I want to tag along.”
“You too?”
It seemed that the reason for his visit today was related to that.
“Don’t misunderstand me. I don’t expect you guys to share even a tiny bit of the loot with me, you know?” Lee Ju-ho clarified.
“Is that so?”
“Just the experience alone will be enough. Especially when it involves a higher plateau.”
A higher plateau, he said.