The Morning | Si-woo returned to his apartment early in the morning to take a shower and change into a fresh set of clothes.
Once ready, he summoned the spirit he had previously instructed Rhazekiel to construct.
The tiny entity swirled lazily above his open palm, the fragment of eternal flame within its core dancing merrily.
“I’ll be counting on you, little guy,” he whispered softly before sending the spirit back into his dimension.
Following that, he walked over to his bedroom closet, opened the door, and retrieved a small potion vial from the top shelf.
He had personally brewed this specific potion during his stay with the high orcs, and Razgoren himself had helped guide him through the refinement process.
Si-woo pocketed the vial securely and exited his apartment, noticing that the front door to Jin-woo’s place was already open.
Stepping inside, he found Jin-woo sitting in the living room, staring blankly into space as he remained lost in his own thoughts.
“Jin-ah was right,” Si-woo said the moment he entered their apartment.
“About what?” Jin-woo asked, tilting his head slightly.
“You really are in your gym-guy phase now.” Jin-woo merely shook his head at the observation, turning quiet once more as Si-woo walked over and took a seat on the opposite couch.
“I would have been there for you if I could,” Si-woo said suddenly, his tone dropping all hint of playfulness.
Jin-woo shifted his gaze toward the silver-haired man.
He understood exactly what event Si-woo was referring to, and he knew without a doubt that Si-woo was telling the truth.
If Si-woo hadn’t been trapped inside that red gate himself, he would have found a way to break into the Double Dungeon to stand by his side.
“I know that,” Jin-woo whispered.
He had emerged from the Double Dungeon significantly colder and more detached than when he had first entered.
The betrayal he had suffered at the hands of his party had taught him that kindness could be easily exploited.
Yet, Si-woo’s simple words served as a stark reminder that there were still people in his life who would help him and protect his family completely unconditionally.
There was no actual need for a further exchange of words between the two, so they simply sat together in a comfortable, thoughtful silence.
Jin-ah exited her bedroom after a few minutes, blinking at the two of them before shrugging her shoulders.
She jerked her head toward Si-woo, indicating that she was ready to leave.
Si-woo nodded in response, and the three of them moved down to the building’s parking garage to pile into Si-woo’s car.
Visiting Park Kyung-Hye had always been a solemn affair for the three of them, and they instinctively toned down their usual banter the way to the hospital.
Once inside the hospital aisle, Si-woo walked in the front while the Sung siblings followed closely behind his tracks.
Si-woo’s high-rank status made it easy for them to bypass standard hospital protocols, allowing them to visit her before the official visiting hours had officially began.
Entering the quiet hospital room, they were greeted by the familiar, rhythmic beeping of the monitoring machines and the soft glow of magic radiating from the large mana crystal used to power the life-support system.
On the bed lay a frail woman, looking significantly older than her years and pale enough to cause a wave of worry and grief.
Si-woo closed the door quietly behind him, lingering near the entrance for a brief moment while Jin-woo and Jin-ah took their usual seats right beside their mother.
Jin-ah extended her hand toward Si-woo, inviting him closer to the bedside with her gentle gesture and her gaze, not wishing for him to feel left out of the family moment.
Si-woo took her offered hand with a warm smile, squeezing it in reassurance and caressing her cheek before letting go to walk around to the opposite side of the mattress.
“I learned a massive amount of things during my time with the high orcs,” he started, his intense gaze fixed entirely on Jin-woo and Jin-ah.
“Just…
trust me, both of you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small potion vial.
The Eternal Sleep Disease was caused when a normal person’s body rejected mana, typically occurring when someone in their immediate vicinity underwent an awakening and exposed them to magic over a prolonged period of time.
The individual who had originally awakened near Kyung-Hye was an S-rank hunter, and an incredibly powerful one at that, which had caused her body to quickly succumb to the eternal slumber.
Additionally, the magical disease continuously weakened the victim’s natural vitality because of the constant internal struggle the human body endured against the invading magic.
Si-woo leaned forward and carefully began feeding Kyung-Hye the potion he had prepared.
It was an advanced rejuvenation elixir that he and Razgoren had created after a full month of research from his side.
Which they had further perfected after defeating the hydra and harvesting its blood and bone marrow to use as core components.
He stepped back the moment the vial was empty, and the effects took hold not long after.
Kyung-Hye visibly aged backward right before their eyes.
Color rushed back into her pale cheeks, and within a matter of minutes, she looked younger than she had the day she first went into the magical coma.
“Will she—” Jin-ah whispered, her voice trembling.
“Soon,” Si-woo cut her off gently.
Jin-ah placed her hands in front of her chest as if in silent prayer while tears began streaming down her cheeks.
Jin-woo placed a steady arm around his sister’s shoulder, seeking just as much comfort for himself as he was trying to provide to her.
Si-woo then extended his hand, and the constructed spirit materialized directly above his open palm, floating an inch above his skin.
He had ordered the formation of this specific spirit for one single purpose, which was to act as a permanent bridge between magic and Kyung-Hye’s body.
Si-woo gently pulled his hand back as the spirit floated up into the air, twisting and turning in place as if it were analyzing the surrounding room.
After a few brief moments it floated directly toward Kyung-Hye, circling her resting body once before simply merging straight into her stomach.
Not a single moment later, a sharp gasp escaped the woman’s lips.
She sat up in her hospital bed with a sudden start, her hand clutching her chest as she cook in a few deep breaths.
Her gaze quickly snapped to the side, landing directly on her two children sitting beside her in shock.
“Jin-woo?
Jin-ah?
How long was I asleep?” She asked when she noticed how much older her children looked.
The single broke the dam entirely.
Jin-ah started sobbing loudly, throwing her arms around her mother’s neck.
Even Jin-woo started crying at some point, holding his mother’s hand tightly against his cheek as if that single connection was the only thing keeping him grounded to reality.
Kyung-Hye, while tenderly consoling the crying Jin-ah, opened her free arm toward Si-woo as well, inviting him into the family embrace with her warm smile and her welcoming gaze.
Si-woo leaned over the bed, softly hugging both her and Jin-ah.
“Thank you, thank you,” Jin-ah whispered to him again and again when she felt him hugging her.
The private reunion had to come to an end at some point, however, as a nurse entered the room to check the equipment and discovered that Kyung-Hye had awakened.
Her frantic call caused several doctors to burst into the room a minute later, all of them eager to check her vitals and monitor her condition.
“I’ll start your official discharge procedure as soon as possible,” Si-woo consoled the Sung family, though they all had to temporarily step outside the room so the medical staff could work.
He handed his car keys to Jin-woo before heading down the corridor.
He pulled out his phone and dialed Go Gunhee’s number, though the call was picked up by Woo Jinchul instead.
“Hunter Sung, how can we help you today?” the blonde man asked directly.
“Park Kyung-Hye, a patient suffering from the Eternal Sleep Disease, has awakened.
I want her official discharge paperwork processed immediately, and I want her back home with her family by the end of the day,” Si-woo stated, bypassing the courtesy.
“It will be done,” Jinchul answered curtly.
Si-woo nodded to himself and hung up the phone.
He found himself texting Hae-in the very next instant.
@siwoo: Are you home?
@haein: Yes.
@siwoo: Can I come over?
@haein: Of course.
Si-woo pocketed his phone with a wide smile and immediately flickered away from view, moving rapidly toward Hae-in’s apartment building.
He found her waiting out on her balcony, and a bright smile graced his face as he materialized directly in front of her.
She seemed to have sensed his presence just like before.
He caught her in a tight hug, lifting her up and spinning her around in the air.
Hae-in let out a small yelp before giggling happily, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck for support.
Once he set her down, they moved inside to sit in her living room, where he explained theevents that had just unfolded at the hospital.
“I never thought someone could actually come back from that disease,” she whispered to herself in genuine awe.
“It would have been significantly harder to do if not for the knowledge I gained from the high orcs,” Si-woo replied.
“It makes me wonder about the humanoid magical beings we fight inside the dungeons.
What sort of magical civilizations do they actually have?” she wondered aloud.
“Oh!
That reminds me,” he whispered, fiddling around inside his coat pocket.
He paused, turning his head fully toward Hae-in.
“Close your eyes.” She tilted her head in confusion but did as he asked after a brief moment.
Si-woo grinned, pulling out the talisman he had crafted alongside the high orcs.
Its hanging thread was woven entirely from pure gold, and the bone portion was carefully hidden beneath intricate golden embroidery to make it far more aesthetically pleasing.
He walked around to the back of the couch, gently tying the cord around her neck.
Caressing her shoulder, he spoke softly.
“Now, look in the mirror.” Hae-in opened her eyes and instinctively placed a hand over the talisman, though she refrained from looking down at it, choosing instead to walk over to a large wall mirror.
A sharp gasp escaped her lips the moment she noticed the beautiful design, followed closely by the magical resonance radiating from the artifact itself.
Si-woo walked up directly behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.
“Do you like it?” She answered by turning around inside his embrace, placing her arms around his neck before expressing her feelings with a deep, lingering kiss.
“But—” she started the moment the kiss ended, only for Si-woo to quickly place a single finger against her lips to silence her.
“I made it specifically for you, so just accept it,” he whispered, offering her a brilliant, toothy grin.
Hae-in could only shake her head in fond surrender, resting her forehead against his chest.
“Yesterday you told me you were going to be late, and now you are here earlier than the scheduled time of the raid,” she giggled as she pointed out.
“Hey, I can leave if you want me to,” Si-woo joked, playfully spreading his arms wide.
She only responded with another soft giggle.
“Just sit right here and let me get ready for today’s raid.
It’s in North Jeolla, so we’ll have to head to the airport first,” she said, guiding him down to a seat on the couch before turning to walk away.
“Let me know if you need any help getting ready,” Si-woo called out just as she was opening the door to her bedroom.
She did not verbally respond to the offer, but he clearly noticed a bright blush creeping up her face just before she shut the door behind her.
While Hae-in was inside getting ready, Si-woo donned the coat he had received from Krukfays, layering it right over his normal clothes.
Once she emerged, they took Hae-in’s car straight to the airport, where the Hunters Guild’s private plane was already waiting on the tarmac for them and their raiding party.
Their private aircraft was equipped with viewing rooms and private bedrooms near the main entrance, while the standard passenger seats were located toward the back of the cabin where the rest of the raid party was currently sitting.
Hae-in and Si-woo took the private room because they wanted privacy during the flight, not that it was a particularly long journey to begin with.
“I saw that you cleared an A-rank dungeon break yesterday,” Hae-in mentioned, leaning back against the seating.
“In the official photo they posted, you looked…” “Ravishing?” “Unhinged,” Hae-in completed her sentence with a deadpan expression.
“Wh—” “I never thought I would actually see someone using a magic beast’s hand as a quill and its own blood as an inkpot.” “That was for the greater good, trust me.” Si-woo explained, altering his voice to sound like an old, wise master, only to receive a flat, blank look back from Hae-in.
“Show me the photo.
Let’s see how I looked.” he asked.
“Well, I already asked the original poster to delete it.” she answered with a brief shrug of her shoulders.
“Aw.
Did you threaten them on my behalf?” Si-woo asked, a lopsided smile spreading across his face.
“No.
I requested them to remove it politely like a normal person,” she sighed softly, placing a finger directly against Si-woo’s lips to halt his teasing.
“Let’s not talk anymore.” She pressed her lips against his to ensure he complied with the order.