NOVEL NEXT Chapter 222
Chapter 223
Yeon-woo, comfortably seated on the floor, took a deep breath. The cool air flowed in and out of his lungs, lightening his heart.
“If you’re ready, go ahead and eat.”
“Do I have to swallow it whole?”
“You just need to take a bite. You’ll understand once you try it.”
Behind Yeon-woo stood Yuri, arms crossed, while Shar and Noel sat beside her. There wasn’t really a need for Noel to be there, but Yuri insisted that it might come in handy someday.
Though the question remained unanswered, Yeon-woo brought the dragonfruit to his mouth without hesitation. With a crisp crunch, an overwhelming sweetness burst forth from the juicy flesh.
It felt as though all the fruit’s nectar concentrated at the bitten spot. Only then did Yeon-woo realize the energy trapped within the fruit was finally escaping through the small hole he created.
A warm sensation began to spread throughout his body as the fruit’s essence traveled down his throat. Yeon-woo hastily placed his mana along the path the energy was taking.
He wasn’t trying to block it. He merely intended to position a spy so he could control the direction of the energy.
“You’re doing well. If you keep it up, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
He caught a glimpse of Yuri’s voice but couldn’t respond; his mind was too preoccupied.
Unlike the pain associated with fire or ice potions, this mana wasn’t excruciating, but its weight made it difficult to manage.
It was only natural, given that the dragonfruit was the result of decades of refinement by the Tree of Life. It possessed two of the most solid elemental attributes in Wood and Earth.
The energy from the dragonfruit was so dense, he was drenched in sweat as it fought against his will. He could barely tell whether he was controlling the energy of the potion or simply undergoing an intense workout.
“Kieeeek!”
With all sorts of ghastly screams echoing in his mind, Yeon-woo exerted himself. Sisyphus, pushing a boulder in hell, couldn’t possibly be having it this hard. Atlas… Well, maybe Atlas had it tougher.
Yuri, Noel, and Shar were quietly watching the spectacle. There were no dramatic changes on the surface, and the energy swirling around his body seemed stable, so there didn’t appear to be any issues.
“Looks like the spiritual caretaker has nothing to do this time.”
“That’s a relief. Nothing happening is the best case scenario.”
Watching Noel and Yuri exhale in relief, Shar hesitated, fidgeting with her hands. Noticing Shar’s change in demeanor, Noel initiated the conversation.
“What’s wrong, Shar?”
“Um… Did you eat, Grandfather?”
The two quickly shook their heads at Shar’s shy question. They had indeed eaten, but favored light breakfasts, so there wouldn’t be any problem with eating more.
“No, we haven’t eaten. Why?”
“Did you bring some snacks?”
“Y-yes… Will you have some…?”
Shar shyly pulled out a lunchbox, and the two couldn’t help but smile at the sight. After all, how could they refuse?
“Alright, let’s taste our Shar’s cooking.”
“Yes, I’ll enjoy it too. Hand it over. Wow, you made this well!”
Noel exclaimed in delight at the assortment of slightly lumpy sandwiches neatly packed in the lunchbox, causing Shar’s expression to brighten.
Meanwhile, Yeon-woo gritted his teeth. It was utterly unfair that the two were enjoying Shar’s handmade sandwiches while he was left out.
Fueled by anger, he summoned the dragonfruit’s energy. He felt he needed to achieve something out of spite.
‘I will eat Shar’s sandwiches too…!!’
*
The tenacity of humans is truly remarkable. Absorbing the potion in just a couple of hours, instead of it taking several hours or even a whole day, spoke volumes.
Fortunately, it seemed all impurities had been expelled earlier, leaving him in a relatively hygienic state, barring the fact that he was drenched in sweat.
Of course, the sight of him rushing toward the sandwiches while sweating profusely might have looked a bit unseemly, causing Noel and Yuri’s expressions to sour.
“I feel refreshed at last.”
However, Yeon-woo’s greedy craving for the sandwiches wasn’t solely because they were Shar’s handiwork. After managing the potion’s essence with all his might, he was genuinely starving.
He had eaten a hearty breakfast, but who would have thought he would end up famished after digesting all that potion energy?
“It’s a relief everything ended without a hitch. But…”
“Yes? Why?”
“Shar has… um, grown a bit, hasn’t she?”
At that, Shar, surprised, looked down at herself. It wasn’t significant enough to warrant that kind of comment.
Noel and Yuri were both sensitive to changes and had witnessed her sudden growth firsthand, hence their reaction. But if they hadn’t seen it happening, they might not have noticed anything at all.
“I had to share the energy because it couldn’t all fit into the vessel. Looks like she’s been affected by that.”
“Oh my, that’s how you grow…?”
Noel looked at Shar in wonder as if she had discovered something amazing. It appeared she was unaware that spirits grow similarly. Well, one wouldn’t necessarily know that dragons and spirits grow in the same way.
“Wow, mana is starting to gather in Shar’s heart…!”
“Oh, really?”
As Shar exclaimed in surprise, Yeon-woo could only stare in shock.
Until now, no matter what they tried, mana had never amassed within Shar’s Mana Heart.
They had previously speculated that since both were sharing one heart, if Yeon-woo’s heart didn’t fill with mana, neither would Shar’s. The current situation seemed to support that theory.
“It feels quite absurd to think you both share your mana.”
“Why, are you being harsh to your lovely student?”
“Given that your capacity has doubled being larger than an ordinary person, the other kids might feel a little bad, you see.”
“I didn’t think I was such a fraud that it would reach that level.”
“Oh dear.”
Regrettably, there seemed to be no one among the two who would agree with Shar, as they always picked on him.
*
It’s exceedingly bothersome when three separate incidents unfold simultaneously. Yeon-woo’s body isn’t equipped to handle three crises bursting forth all at once.
Certainly, the likelihood of Edward’s restraint, the Ghost Pirates of the East Sea, and the Vampire situation in Transylvania all escalating into massive problems at the same time was extremely low.
One could equate it to the probability of a camel passing through the eye of a needle. Believing this, Yeon-woo reviewed the information compiled by Riley.
“…This is a disaster, isn’t it?”
In the East Sea, a real Dragon had risen from the depths—an eastern dragon made of bones, while in Transylvania, movements suggesting a resurgence of vampires were detected.
To top it off, news from Aaron Chester revealed that Edward was exceedingly displeased. Yeon-woo felt like a ticking time bomb ready to explode with three simultaneous crises.
The troubling part was that Yeon-woo couldn’t venture out of the academy whenever he wished. Not that he could drop out of the academy either, which made matters even more complicated.
“I wish someone could substitute for me.”
The real issue was, who would even go if he asked for someone to deal with the vampires in Transylvania?
While considering these dilemmas, Yeon-woo sighed when a voice interrupted him.
“Where are you going?”
“Wowah!?”
Startled, Yeon-woo nearly fell over, as the approaching figure, Kim Hyun-soo, chuckled while watching him. It was no surprise that he was Kim Yoo-min’s sibling, he was quite the prankster.
“That was a shock, Professor.”
“It’s because I didn’t know who was speaking to themselves here. So, who were you hoping would substitute for you?”
“Uh….”
Yeon-woo briefly thought through it. The calculations ended quickly. Who besides Yuri could he trust as much as Kim Hyun-soo?
“Professor, do you like catching bad guys?”
“Hmm, I do have a certain interest in it. Why, is something happening again?”
“That’s about right. If you wouldn’t mind going a bit far, I’d like to entrust you with this.”
“Let’s hear it first. What’s about to happen?”
The upper echelons of the Harmony Council were mostly aware that Yeon-woo was extending his reach via the Magic Tower.
Naturally, Kim Hyun-soo had his doubts about Yeon-woo, who knew things that could not merely be expressed in the word “information.”
However, the shared understanding was that Yeon-woo’s actions, which were far too elaborate for a mere student, weren’t intended to harm humanity.
As such, Kim Hyun-soo felt comfortable approaching him in a friendly manner.
“Strange occurrences are happening near the Transylvanian fort.”
“Oh, I heard about that. Monsters are apparently disappearing, right?”
“Yes. Because of that, many Hunters are abandoning the Transylvanian fortress. The high-ranking members of the fortress seem to have no clue, though.”
“Don’t speak poorly, Yeon-woo.”
“How can I not? Those idiots aren’t managing it properly, leading to the rise of the vampires.”
“…Oh really? Do you have evidence?”
At Yeon-woo’s words, Kim Hyun-soo’s eyes sparkled. Yeon-woo gulped nervously.
At first glance, Kim Hyun-soo appeared to be an incredibly kind and compassionate person. However, that accommodation and generosity did not extend to all living beings.
Anyone standing at the forefront of humanity possessed some sort of vile and blood-stained past. Even Kim Hyun-soo, the model citizen renowned for his good looks, was no exception.
“There’s a collaborator on the ground— a duo Hunter party. They’ve been recording all the illegal activities happening within the fortress and sending them to me. Should I send it over by email?”
“Please do. I’ll decide whether to go or not based on that.”
“Just give me a heads-up when you’re going, and I’ll be on my way. I have other matters to attend to.”
“Take care, Kim Hyun-soo. Don’t get too caught up in outside issues, but focus on your studies as well.”
As Yeon-woo rushed to leave, Kim Hyun-soo waved goodbye. Yet, Yeon-woo barely registered the farewell in his mind; his thoughts were preoccupied with just one idea.
“Yes! I’ve successfully dodged a tedious task.”
No, it wasn’t just the bone dragon in the East Sea; a dragon appeared. He, as the contracting dragon, couldn’t afford to miss out on such a major incident.
“If only Edward could go deal with that problem too.”
Did he just invoke a heavenly curse by wishing for that? Thinking about it, Yeon-woo hurried toward the dormitory.
A bone dragon! He had never encountered such a creature prior to his regression. What on earth could have happened? Where did it come from, and how was it resurrected as an undead?
No matter how it was analyzed, this was undoubtedly something that required immediate attention.
(Continued in the next episode)