Clack!

As the red Gate turned green, it made a pleasant sound like a lock unlocking. Players started coming out one at a time. The reporters gulped nervously, clutching their cameras. 

“The battle must’ve been hard. No one looks like they want to talk.”

“You’re right. The Cinder Fox is something else.”

Eventually, they couldn’t hold it in any longer and started pulling away uninjured Players and shoving their mics at them. 

“How many tails did the Cinder Fox have?”

“Was the inside of the Gate a meadow like it was for Specter?”

“Who would you say was the MVP in the Gate?”

The first two questions were answered easily, but the Players all looked towards the Gate when the reporters asked the third question as if on cue. 

‘What?’

‘Their response...does that mean they’re not out yet?’

‘Who hasn’t come out yet?’

The reporters wracked their heads for an answer. 

One Player’s voice carried over the rest. “ ...Hey, look, he’s coming.”

Simultaneously, all the reporters turned to look. 

Step, step.

A man was slowly coming out with someone on his back. 

“That’s…”

“Cha Min-Woo! Cheong-Hae Guild’s Cha Min-Woo!” 

“He’s the younger brother of the Guild Master Cha Won-Woo, right?”

“They said he led the Players as a group inside the gate.”

“Yeah. So he’s the MVP this time?”

The reporters quickly started drafting their articles. If they uploaded faster than the others, they would get more views. 

“But…”

“Isn’t the man on his back Seo Jun-Ho?”

“Really? Why is he carrying him?”

The reporters seemed disappointed as they looked at Seo Jun-Ho draped over Cha Min-Woo’s back. He already cleared two Uncleared Gates, made a daring statement at his press conference and was the most famous rookie right now. 

“That’s too bad. It seems that he couldn’t do much this time around.”

“Can’t be helped. The elites in high-ranked guilds have been training since they were children.”

“He has never received that kind of formal training. You can’t compare him to the elites.”

The reporters whispered to each other as they waited for Cha Min-Woo. He set Seo Jun-Ho down carefully in an ambulance and went to receive treatment for his own injuries. As soon as the medic gave the sign that they were done, his interview started. 

Unlike the other Players, he stood behind a podium to answer his questions. That was because the reporters thought that he was the MVP.

“They say you led the Players to victory in battle. How do you feel?”

“I heard that the Cinder Fox had nine tails this time. How difficult was the battle?”

“Your name is already trending as the number 1 searched keyword. You’ve said in the past that being a hero is your dream, so how do you feel now that you’ve achieved that?”

Cha Min-Woo blinked as he listened to their questions. He tapped on Vita to check if it was true and frowned. 

“Goodness…” He didn’t seem remotely happy. 

Confused, the reporters continued to ask him questions. “You don’t look happy at all. Is there a problem?”

“That’s…”

Cha Min-Woo paused, looking over his podium to the crowd of reporters. 

‘...So this is what it looks like.’ 

There were dozens of cameras and faces trained on him. It was a scene usually reserved for the heroes who were being interviewed after successfully clearing a Gate. He had grown up watching their beaming faces on TV. Maybe it was because of that, but at some point, his dream was to become a hero like Specter. 

‘This may be the perfect chance to achieve my dream.’ 

Instead, he closed his eyes. He had no thoughts of shamefully claiming someone else’s achievements. He could be a star with a light of his own until he became the sun. If he stole someone else’s light, then it would be no different to him shining light as a firecracker—temporary.  

‘It would be unethical.’

Feeling unburdened, Cha Min-Woo opened his eyes. “I shouldn't be standing here in this spot.” 

The reporters looked confused. 

“Is he...being modest?”

“He looks really serious, though.”

“First Seo Jun-Ho and now this guy...why are the interviewees so cryptic these days?”

“Leave it. It’s probably trendy or something. Just ask him what he means.”

The buzzing reporters asked what he meant. Cha Min-Woo answered with a solemn voice, “I did not defeat the Cinder Fox. No, to be exact, I couldn’t defeat it.”

“.....Huh? What do you mean? Are you saying that all the other Players were lying?”

“Please think carefully about what they said. Did they say that I was the one that defeated it?”

“That’s…”

The reporters tried to remember, drawing a blank. Not one of the Players had actually mentioned Cha Min-Woo.

‘But they definitely called him the MVP when he came out…’

‘...Huh? Wait a second.’

‘He didn’t come out alone.’

‘Then, the MVP of the battle was…’

‘Seo Jun-Ho?!’

The cogs in their brains slowed, and their hands started moving instead. They had to make both corrections and follow-ups.

***

It was all over, and his whole body felt warm; it was as if he was floating in a hot bath. As soon as the comfortable feeling started to set in, Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes fluttered open. 

“Oh my?!” They settled on Cha Si-Eun, who let out a loud screech. 

“...My injuries aren’t even that bad. Why are you so surprised? Did you do something?”

“O-of course not. You just woke up so suddenly.” She glanced away. 

“What time is it?”

“9:28 AM. You slept for eight hours.”

“...It seems I was quite tired. Were you here by my side the whole time?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I came here to the hospital at 6 AM. You told me to get up early.”

“...Goodness.” Seo Jun-Ho looked very sorry. “You didn’t have to do that. I was asleep…”

“But you might have woken up earlier. Oh right, I got bored so I organized your commission requests, and you were right...there were a lot. I mean, that was before. They’re still coming.”

“You’ve been working hard all morning.” 

As soon as he tried to sit up, Cha Si-Eun scolded him, “The doctor said you overworked yourself. Don’t push yourself and just lie down.”

“I tend to have trouble staying still, so it’ll actually be harder for me to stay down.” He pulled away the troublesome bandages and stood up, blinking. 

“Huh? Your body...looks alright?”

His muscles still ached, but he just needed to stretch a bit. He had engaged in a violent battle with the Cinder Fox, but he looked shockingly healthy. Confused, he asked a question, “Did someone feed me an elixir while I was asleep, by any chance?”

“From what I know, they just gave you some nutrients.”

“...Then, I wonder what it is.” Was the title ‘Bringer of Spring’ this good? He looked around as he rolled his shoulders. “Well, I don’t mind it. Which hospital are we at?”

“Hanguk Hospital. Specter-nim is recuperating here too. It’s Korea’s best hospital.” Cha Si-Eun turned and stared at the ceiling. It seemed that she believed that Specter was somewhere upstairs. 

“Ahem.” 

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Seo Jun-Ho went to the bathroom and changed. As he came out, Cha Si-Eun stood up. “You really don’t need any more rest?” 

Seo Jun-Ho gave a faint smile and shook his head. “I’m fine. President Choi Pil-Ho is probably waiting for me.”

“Ah…” Cha Si-Eun pursed her lips as she realized why he was in such a rush. She looked at him with a new look in her eyes. “You still haven’t fully recovered...yet you’re already thinking of others.”

“I’m just a bit stiff. But right now, someone is dying and someone is falling apart from being forced to watch.”

Choi Pil-Ho probably wanted to sprint here and get the core as fast as he could. But since it wasn’t appropriate, he was probably pacing around as he waited for Seo Jun-Ho to wake up. 

“I can take a break whenever I want after she’s healed.”

“...I understand. Then, I’ll escort you.” Cha Si-Eun bowed her head without another word as she opened the door and led him to the parking lot. 

Soon, they arrived at President Choi Pil-Ho’s house. Since Cha Si-Eun contacted him before they arrived, he personally came out all the way to the front gate to meet them. 

“Is it ok for you to move this quickly? The articles said you were unconscious…”

“They’re exaggerating. I was just a little tired and slept for a bit.” Seo Jun-Ho spoke with a grin as he looked around the large courtyard. “Actually, I was wondering if it would be presumptuous of me to come so early in the morning.”

“Of course not. Let’s go inside.” 

As they went into his house, Choi Pil-Ho asked a servant to make coffee. But Seo Jun-Ho refused. “No. Coffee can come later. Where is your daughter’s room? I’ll start with the treatment.” 

Choi Pil-Ho’s complexion brightened at his words and he led him directly there. 

A girl lay on a bed inside the charming, pink room. 

“Ugh…hh…..”

The cold sweat on her forehead, her dry, cracked lips, and her pale complexion told them her state. 

‘...It’s worse than I thought.’ 

It was admirable how she was able to endure this far. 

Seo Jun-Ho reached into his inventory to pull out the Cinder Fox’s core, and Choi Pil-Ho took a few steps back.

“Uh…”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. Being close to the core may cause it to burn you.”

“I-I’m fine...But is it ok to feed her something so hot?”

“I’m not just going to feed her.” Seo Jun-Ho gripped the core in his hand. “President, do you know how the core is used to treat Nine Yin Severance Syndrome?”

“.....”

Of course, he didn’t. Even the rich Frenchman had told him that he didn’t know.

“I do.” Both Choi Pil-Ho and Cha Si-Eun looked surprised at Seo Jun-Ho's words. “Because President Shim Deok-Gu told me how.”

“Wait, how does he know how to treat Nine Yin Severance Syndrome…?”

“The one who used it in the past to treat the Frenchman’s wife was Specter.”

“...Oh!”

Suddenly, they understood. Shim Deok-Gu was close friends with Specter. 

Choi Pil-Ho took Seo Jun-Ho’s hand and squeezed it tightly. Seo Jun-Ho’s hands should have been hot, but the president’s eyes were determined. “...Please take care of my daughter.”

“Leave it to me. It won’t take too long.” 

Choi Pil-Ho forced himself to pull his hands away and left the room with Cha Si-Eun so Seo Jun-Ho could concentrate. 

Scrape. 

Seo Jun-Ho sat down on the chair and took the patient’s hand. Her complexion darkened. 

‘I see. Her magic circuit’s all clogged up.’ 

She was in a worse state than the one he had treated in the past. 

‘For now, I’ll grind down the core to powder and sprinkle it to melt the circuits down…’

As he started to make a plan, an unexpected message popped up. 

[You sensed Intermediate-level Yin energy from the target.]

[You can absorb it with the Frost Skill.]

[Magic stat will increase upon absorption.]