It had already been a week since the second practical exam ended.
Right now, I was lying in bed, flipping through my activated notebook.
Since I passed the exam, I figured I should at least prepare a bit for the next step.
For people like me, preparation is absolutely essential.
Flip—
Mm, the lenses are nice, but nothing beats the feeling of flipping paper.
I don't know how many hours I spent reading, but at some point, I came across a section about mana deficiency symptoms.
'Huh. Come to think of it, I wonder if she's okay.'
After suffering a rebound seizure from mana deficiency, Yoon Si-ae had been immediately rushed to Incheon Baek Hospital.
I only met her on the day of the exam, so it didn't feel right to meddle too much—I just stood there and watched.
Of course, that doesn't mean I didn't do anything.
'Countermeasures for mana deficiency…'
Naturally, I'm very interested in Awakeners in general.
That means, for me, knowing how to respond to mana deficiency—or its advanced state, rebound—is basically fundamental knowledge.
I lifted the right hand that had grabbed Yoon Si-ae's chin back then.
'Well, she should be fine.'
I managed to block the mana backlash in time, and I took some other emergency measures as well. On top of that, she was rushed straight to the hospital.
She should be safe.
Besides, Yoon Si-ae is the one who will later be revered as the Silver Wing, a saint.
She's been classified as a blessing-type from the start, so her survivability is overwhelming.
Just then, the smartphone next to me vibrated.
'Hmm? What's this?'
The screen showed an unknown number.
Without thinking much of it, I answered.
"Hello?"
—This is Kang Byung-hyun, instructor at Polygon. Is this examinee number Baek Kang-hyun?
"Yes, that's me."
Ah, Polygon.
Well, it has been a week since the exam.
I guess the results would be coming out around now.
But wait, something's odd.
If I remember right, Polygon sends acceptance letters by mail, doesn't it?
—Do you have time right now?
After Kang Byung-hyun's call, I was now heading to Seoul National University Hospital.
The reason for his call was simple:
Yoon Si-ae wanted to see me.
Honestly, I didn't have to go, but I decided to anyway.
'I am curious about her condition, after all.'
And personally, I was curious about her Gate skill too.
Since I rode the Warp Gate back to the past, maybe it could give me a clue.
'But when did she transfer to Seoul National Hospital?'
I'm pretty sure she was first taken to Incheon Baek Hospital.
Well, given Yoon Si-ae's level, that kind of transfer was nothing.
She might not have been active publicly, but her father certainly was.
He's one of the founders of Polygon—need I say more?
—Next stop, Seoul National University Hospital Entrance.
Before I knew it, the bus arrived at my destination.
Finding her ward wasn't difficult.
I'd been to this hospital many times as a reporter, so I knew the layout well.
"Examinee Baek Kang-hyun."
A man in a black suit rose to greet me.
His face was familiar—I'd seen him during the second practical exam.
That meant his name was probably Kang Byung-hyun.
But honestly, I was a little startled the moment I saw him.
'Whoa…'
The dark circles under his eyes were brutal.
That's exactly how I looked back when I'd gone three days without sleep as a reporter. I can guess why, though.
One examinee collapsed from mana deficiency, even blacking out.
And that examinee was none other than the daughter of Polygon's founder, Yoon Si-ae.
From a reporter's perspective, that's the scoop of a lifetime.
Though I'm sure they buried it well.
"Hello."
"Yes. Good to see you. Hoo…"
The moment he saw me, he let out a heavy sigh.
Yeah, I can understand. He must be dead tired.
He pressed his fingers into the bridge of his nose before speaking.
"As I said on the phone, examinee Yoon Si-ae asked to see you. You can head right in."
"Ah, I see."
I glanced around.
Given Yoon Si-ae's status, I figured there'd be bodyguards stationed nearby, but strangely enough, I didn't see any.
"Something wrong?"
Oops, maybe I looked around too obviously.
"No, I just thought… usually in dramas, private wards like this always have bodyguards standing around."
"They are here."
"…Huh? They are?"
"Yes. Hidden. Out of sight."
"…."
I couldn't tell if he was joking or serious, but honestly, it sounded serious.
The air grew awkward.
Okay, time to change the subject.
"So, how is Yoon Si-ae doing?"
"She's nearly recovered now."
"That's good to hear."
I said it sincerely.
Sure, I'd taken measures to stabilize her, but that was just my assumption.
Her recovery speed had nothing to do with my confidence.
'Still, that's really fast. Must be because she's a blessing-type.'
Normally, someone who experienced mana deficiency like that should've been in a coma for a while.
The fact that she woke up in just a week—it must be because she's Yoon Si-ae.
At that moment, Kang Byung-hyun slung his bag over his shoulder and gave me a glance.
"Well, I'll be off now."
"Oh, you're leaving?"
"Yes. I still have other matters to attend to."
"Ah, I see."
"Since she's waiting for you, go on in. We'll see each other again."
I bowed lightly.
Wait. See each other again?
…Don't tell me I passed Polygon?
The moment I entered the room, a gentle floral scent tickled my nose.
Damn, this room was huge.
I knew Yoon Si-ae was wealthy, but I didn't expect a private ward this big.
This was the kind of room you'd only see in dramas.
Then—
"Ah, Baek Kang-hyun."
Leaning back against the bed, Yoon Si-ae noticed me.
She still looked weak, even her smile seemed strained.
'Well, Kang Byung-hyun did say she wasn't fully recovered yet.'
Still, her complexion had returned.
I didn't need to worry too much.
"Here, I brought you something."
I'd almost forgotten.
Coming all the way to the hospital empty-handed felt awkward, so I bought flowers outside.
There were plenty of florists near the entrance.
I chose cherry sage.
Its flower meaning was simple: health.
Basic etiquette, really.
Sure, the nurse would probably throw it out for hygiene reasons, but as long as Yoon Si-ae saw it, that was enough.
What mattered was my gesture.
"Ah, thank you."
She inhaled the flowers' scent softly, then set them aside with a faint smile.
"How's your condition?"
"My mana has recovered somewhat. Of course, using a skill right now would be impossible."
"Well, you don't need to use them anymore, do you?"
"Mm, that's true."
Since the second practical was over, she wouldn't have any reason to use skills for now.
The results hadn't been released yet, but admission was next week.
Yoon Si-ae let out a short sigh.
"…Do you think I passed?"
"I'm sure you did."
"You really think so?"
"Of course."
She possessed one of Korea's rarest blessing-type talents.
In the future, she would be known as the Silver Wing, a saint.
There was no reason Polygon would ever let her slip away.
"…Uh, the way you say it so confidently is actually kind of overwhelming."
"Didn't I trust you back in the exam?"
"…You did, didn't you?"
"Then this time, trust me."
Honestly, I was certain.
Since she cleared the second practical, her acceptance was guaranteed.
"…Ugh, that's kind of embarrassing."
"Well, you deserve it."
"…Then Baek Kang-hyun, you must have passed too!"
"Of course. No doubt about it."
"…So confident."
"Yeah, people tell me that a lot."
Right. Even Jung-hoon had told me something similar before.
At this point, I naturally checked Yoon Si-ae's status window.
Since she'd gone through mana deficiency, I expected to see something….
=
Name: Yoon Si-ae
Level: 1
Hunter Rank: Undecided (Estimated: A)
Skills
- Silver Wings (S)
- Veil of Light (A)
- Feather Sword (A)
- Mini Gate (A)
Stats: HP (D[F]), Strength (D[F]), Intelligence (C[F]), Agility (F[F]), Mana (B[F])
Status Condition: Aftereffects (=For 21 days, all stats fixed at F.)
=
Just as I thought, there was some change.
But seeing it in detail left me speechless.
'Holy crap, that's brutal.'
A new line, Status Condition, had appeared.
And the word written there was awful.
All stats fixed at F for 21 days?
That was harsh.
'Can you even call that a recovery?'
Even after thinking about it, I wasn't sure.
It didn't feel like she'd recovered at all.
Then—
"See? I was right, wasn't I?"
She suddenly grinned at me.
I flinched without realizing it.
"W-what do you mean?"
"The one-hit skill."
"…."
She fiddled with her fingers and continued.
"That was the only offensive skill I could really think of. I believed it would work…."
"And it did."
"Yes, though I didn't expect the aftereffects to be this bad."
"What if you could go back in time—would you do the same thing again?"
"Of course. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have passed."
Without the slightest hesitation, she answered.
I realized again just how fearless she was.
Even knowing the pain, she'd make the same choice again.
Not many could decide something that extreme.
Maybe that's why she'd one day be revered.
Still, I clicked my tongue.
"…But you're suffering from aftereffects now?"
"Yes. All my stats are locked at F for a month, and I can't use Mini Gate. Since it's already been a week, I've got three weeks left."
She gave a bitter smile, fingers fidgeting.
The penalty felt a little too harsh.
"Could you tell me more about that Mini Gate?"
"Mini Gate?"
"Just personal curiosity. Gate-type skills are rare."
"Ah, sure. It's simple."
She explained in a calm tone.
"Mini Gate cuts anything that isn't a person if I shut it while they're inside."
"…What about people?"
"They get bounced back the way they entered."
So that's how it worked.
Since the Skull Drake wasn't human, it got severed.
Wait a second.
"Then was the mana deficiency because of the cut?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because of mass."
"…Mass?"
"Yes. When I sever something through the Gate, my mana drains in proportion to the object's mass. Skull Drake was… well, big."
She smiled awkwardly as if it were obvious.
But it felt strange.
Her skill proficiency was low, yet she understood it so clearly.
Wait…
"…Don't tell me you knew?"
"…Knew what?"
"That severing the Skull Drake would cause mana deficiency in you."
"Yes."
I was speechless.
What the hell? Why say it so confidently?
Even if the exam is holographic, the changes to the candidate's body are real.
That means she knowingly gambled her life just to pass.
"…Why?"
"Because I was prepared."
"…."
"And it was the surest method."
"…Do you realize you almost died?"
"But you saved me, didn't you?"
"…Huh? Me?"
Why was my name brought up here?
"I heard. While I was unconscious, you gave me emergency treatment."
"…Well, yeah."
I had.
I tilted her head back, released the mana-blocked points with my hand.
I won't go into detail about which points exactly.
The point is, it worked. I learned something, she lived—win-win.
So no problem.
Then, gazing out the window, she spoke softly.
"I have to get into Polygon. I have a purpose."
"…A purpose."
I muttered without meaning to.
A purpose—her reason for entering Polygon….
That word tangled my thoughts further.
Silence lingered between us until she broke it.
"It's not anything grand. If I had to put it simply… it's just self-satisfaction."
"Well, most purposes are. Usually just selfishness."
"Right. Usually, it's desire…."
She nodded slightly, lost in thought.
So… was calling me here just to say thank you?
Well, I had been curious about her condition anyway, so I didn't mind.
But still, leaving with just a thank-you felt like a waste.
She was the future saint, the Silver Wing, Yoon Si-ae.
If possible, I wanted to get something more out of this.
But what?
Ah, I know.
"Yoon Si-ae. We're closer now, right?"
"Uh… yes, I guess so."
There might've been some unnecessary qualifiers there, but I got a positive answer.
Good. We're comrades now, Yoon Si-ae.
"And it's true I saved you, right?"
"Yes, that's true."
I emphasized it again, just in case.
If she saw me as her benefactor, I wouldn't complain.
Honestly, who hates being liked?
And if that's the case—
"Then grant me one request."
—Might as well put some shamelessness to use.
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