Chương 73: Night Visitor

Ch 73 - Night Visitor Evan cradled the Vermilion Flame Core in his hands. The longer he held it, the more convinced he became that it had to be worth a fortune. What should he do with it? Sell it, or have it turned into an Artifact? Having another ace up his sleeve couldn't hurt. The problem was finding an Artificer, since he doubted Yeon-ah would be willing to make one for him. Maybe he could ask Reid to convince her instead? That woman still had a massive crush on his brother, so that could work.

Just as he began forming a plan, the item suddenly vanished from his grasp. [Vermilion Flame Core ×1 has been stored in Inventory!]"Hey! That's mine!" Evan shouted at the floating System window.

"And what do you mean, Inventory?! I never even knew I had one! Give it back! That's my Quest reward, you shitty System!" The System just closed the window.

"You thief!" Evan screamed. The space around him trembled, and moments later, he was falling once more. His vision filled with light, and when he blinked his eyes open, he found himself being carried on Hiroto's back as they stepped through the exit portal.

"Evan! You're awake!" Hiroto said. Evan wriggled free from the piggyback ride.

"I'm fine. I can walk on my own." Geez, that was almost a repeat of that embarrassing incident with Reid. Taking in his surroundings, he realized numerous Awakeners from the Eternal Flame Guild had already gathered nearby. Among them was Brooks, glaring straight at him. What? It wasn't his fault! It was the System! He was absolutely blameless here. Ignoring his teacher's murderous glare, Evan surveyed the scene.

Paramedics were already tending to everyone, with Reika receiving special attention for the burns she'd suffered. Fortunately, the healing potion she'd chugged during the fight had already taken care of some of them. The three cannon fodder hadn't escaped unscathed either, especially Ji-ho, who was covered in minor burns and bruises. Not content with a mere scowl, Brooks strode over.

"Why is it that whenever anything goes wrong, it's always you two?"

"Hey, technically it's three since Reika was involved too," Evan replied, jabbing a thumb toward her. Brooks stared at him, thoroughly unimpressed.

"I truly cannot understand how something as unlikely as a Secret Dungeon opening years ahead of schedule could occur at the exact moment you happened to be nearby. Do you have any idea how much panic and paperwork you've caused?"

"Hey, at least it was on the third day?" Evan offered.

"It's the end of the fourth day now," Brooks replied.

"Really?" Evan blinked. It hadn't felt that long inside the dungeon. Then again, time behaving strangely wasn't unheard of when dealing with Rifts or the Tower.

"But hey, we cleared the Secret Dungeon and even killed the boss. That has to count for our exam points, right?" Brooks pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Let's just get all of you checked over first. Then you're going to answer every question the RCB officers have. And don't you dare wander off afterward." Evan shrugged. The paramedics turned their attention to him as well. With everyone caught up in such a major incident, the final exam was brought to an early end. After returning to the academy, Evan was met by Reid's concerned expression.

"I know I said I expected you to get into trouble," Reid said, "but I didn't expect it to happen this soon."

"Sorry?" Evan scratched the back of his head.

"At least you seem to be alright. Was the bracelet useful in the dungeon?" Evan nodded.

"Yeah. It blocked one of the boss's attacks."

"As it should," Reid replied.

"But I'd much rather you never encounter anything capable of testing it." Evan hoped that would be the case, but with that troll of a System still haunting him, he doubted he'd be granted that kind of mercy. As for the results of their semester final exam, the academy could hardly fail them after they had cleared a Secret Dungeon, even without proof that they had defeated the phoenix.

Evan was still salty about having his reward stolen, but no amount of demanding or complaining had convinced the System to spit the Vermilion Flame Core back out. News of what had happened during the exam had begun to spread, and as Evan read through the reports, he wondered whether the dungeon still existed now that its boss was truly gone. The dungeon on Floor 71 had always been unique, reopening only once every decade, so with its most important resident gone, it should have disappeared along with him.

Yet the news only reported that the RCB was still investigating the strange incident. The whole ordeal left him with plenty of unanswered questions, but Evan pushed them aside. There was nothing he could do about them for now, and dwelling on problems he couldn't solve would only waste his time.

"Hiroto! Come show me your new skill!" Evan called, brandishing the wooden sword in his hand. They were back in what had practically become their permanent training room, with Reid watching from the side with interest. Hiroto grinned before vanishing from Evan's view. In the next instant, he appeared at Evan's right side and swung his wooden sword. Evan barely managed to bring his own sword up in time to block the attack, though Hiroto had deliberately held back his speed.

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"Whoa... that's really trippy," Evan said.

"It's even harder for me, believe me," Hiroto replied.

"I can only teleport short distances with this skill, but it's really useful for closing the gap. I think my limit is around five meters." Evan nodded. It was an excellent ability, one that allowed Hiroto to live up to his S-rank potential. With it, he would no longer be confined to a support role and could become a far more capable frontline fighter.

"How about sparring with Reid?" Evan suggested.

"Aren't you curious how you'd do against my brother now?"

"That does sound interesting," Reid said as he walked over.

"Need a sword?" Evan asked, offering him the wooden weapon.

"No need."

"Suit yourself." Evan stepped aside and crossed his arms, eager to see if Hiroto's new ability would let him land a single hit on his brother. Facing each other, Hiroto gulped as he tightened his grip on his sword. Meanwhile, Reid remained relaxed, one hand still tucked inside his pocket.

"I won't hold back!" Hiroto declared.

"I don't expect you to," Reid replied. Hiroto activated Spatial Step and appeared behind Reid. He swung his sword toward Reid's temple, but Reid tilted his head aside at the last moment, letting the blade whistle past. He followed with a kick to Hiroto's stomach, sending him stumbling backward. Clutching his abdomen, Hiroto looked up in disbelief.

"How did you react so fast? It's like you can predict my movements."

"Every skill consumes mana," Reid explained.

"Whenever mana is used, a trace of it leaks into the surroundings. The moment you activated your spatial skill, I sensed mana condensing behind me, which told me exactly where you were about to appear." The explanation itself was simple enough. Actually pulling it off, though, required an absurd level of perception and experience. Yet Reid had spoken about it as though it were the most natural thing in the world. That's the overpowered protagonist for you, Evan thought with exasperation.

"Even so," Reid continued with a smile, "that's a very impressive skill, Hiroto."

"I'm not done yet!" Hiroto disappeared once more, then blinked into existence beside Reid. He launched into another flurry of attacks, sending the two into a strange dance across the room. Hiroto pressed forward relentlessly, trying to land even a single blow, while Reid evaded every swing with the barest movements. The exchange continued for nearly a minute until Reid caught Hiroto's sword with one hand. With a twist, he wrenched it from Hiroto's grasp and brought the blade up to his neck.

"Good job," Reid said, lowering the weapon.

"But you still have plenty to learn." Hiroto let out a defeated sigh.

"It really feels impossible to land a hit on you."

"That's one of the advantages of having plenty of experience," Reid replied with a smile. Hiroto tilted his head.

"But weren't you just a civilian before this? Or do RCB officers get into fights more often than I thought?" Reid's smile froze. Evan clamped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. Ha! He got too comfortable and forgot he's supposed to be nothing more than an A-rank Healer. Yet here he is casually outclassing someone with S-rank potential.

"Here and there, I suppose," Reid answered. Hiroto, as gullible as ever, accepted the explanation without a second thought.

"But you're right, Reid. I still have a lot to learn. Just because I've obtained this ability doesn't mean I can afford to slack off now." Was he remembering what happened in the Secret Dungeon? Evan couldn't blame him. It had been a close call. Both Hiroto and Reika had almost lost their lives, and if Hiroto hadn't awakened his new skill when he did, neither of them would be standing here laughing.

"Then how about we do some more training?" Reid said, clapping his hands together. Damn you! You're just trying to change the subject so we'll forget about your little slip-up, Evan thought.

Yeon-ah's life had changed drastically. For the first time in years, she was free from the relentless demands of the spotlight. She no longer had to rush from one advertisement shoot to the next or spend hours in dance practice. She could eat without worrying about her manager scolding her for an extra bite or a little weight gain, and she no longer had to force a smile whenever she faced her fans. These days, she spent most of her time helping out at her father's restaurant.

It wasn't particularly demanding, especially since they didn't have many customers. Her other main responsibilities were writing new songs and lyrics for the NovaTube music channel she had started with the other former members of Stellaris, along with keeping up with her Awakener training. Thanks to Stellaris's popularity, the channel had gained traction without much effort. None of them wanted to revisit the songs or concepts they had performed as idols.

They were much more excited to experiment with new genres and figure out what kind of music they actually wanted to make. Her Artificer studies, however, had caused a bit of tension. Ever since Evan's visit, her father had become even more opposed to anything related to Awakeners.

"Reading that book again?" her father said.

"Why don't you just give up on that training? It's nothing but a waste of time."

"Father..." Yeon-ah closed the textbook Kennedy had lent her.

"Didn't I already tell you? It's required by law. I have to complete the course even if I never intend to become a licensed Awakener."

"Bah! What nonsense. Do they think you're going to hurt someone with a hammer?" her father grumbled. Yeon-ah lowered her head and let him continue complaining. It wasn't as though she didn't understand where he was coming from. Ever since her mother's death, he had hated anything related to Awakeners. When the System window had unexpectedly appeared and announced her awakening, her heart had sunk.

She had promised her father she would never become a licensed Awakener and assured him she was content living as a civilian. Yet she couldn't deny the joy she felt whenever she immersed herself in crafting Artifacts. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. There was something deeply satisfying about creating something with her own hands and knowing it might one day help someone else. Was it really wrong for her to feel that way? Ring! Her father's phone buzzed.

He glanced at the screen, hesitated for a moment, then answered. Yeon-ah couldn't make out what the person on the other end was saying, but their tone sounded angry. Her father stood there with his shoulders tense, his expression growing increasingly strained.

"Yes... yes, I'm really sorry. I'll do my best to take care of it as soon as possible. Yes... I understand. I apologize..." Eventually, the uncomfortable call came to an end.

"Father?" Yeon-ah asked.

"Who was that? You've been getting a lot more calls like that lately. Are those people... debt—""It's nothing!" her father interrupted.

"You don't need to worry about it. I'll handle it, alright? They're my problems. You just... focus on writing your next song." Biting her lip, Yeon-ah decided to let the matter drop. The rest of the day passed without incident. By nightfall, she was wiping down the tables when the bell above the front door jingled.

"Sorry, but we're already closed." Yeon-ah looked up and froze. A cloaked figure stood in the doorway. Beneath the hood was an elaborate mask, its surface decorated with long black lines running from the eyes like tear streaks.