Chapter 10

[10] Oppa, Are You Okay?

“Urrgh.”

Grimacing, I clutched my chest.

The pain wasn’t confined to my chest. My entire body prickled as though I were being electrocuted.

The agony was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and I felt a surge of fear that I might actually die.

‘I can’t.’

I grabbed my phone with trembling hands to call for help, but the pain made even pressing a button a struggle.

Just as I felt as though the darkness were swallowing me whole—

All the pain suddenly vanished, as if it had never existed.

“…What was that?”

I had been in so much pain I thought I would die, yet my entire body now felt strangely fine.

Bewildered, I flexed my hands and feet and tried moving the rest of my body around.

But nothing seemed wrong.

“That’s really strange.”

Should I go to the hospital or not?

Deciding that I really would go if it happened even once more, I returned inside, where Sia was sleeping soundly, and went back to sleep.

She was back to the Sia I remembered, rather than the “mature older woman” I had seen last night.

“Did you sleep well, Oppa?”

I had wondered whether last night’s scenario might carry over into today, but Sia was calling me Oppa as faithfully as ever.

“Yeah, I slept well. Did my Sia sleep well too?”

“So well.”

We started the morning with a brief hug.

“I’m going to peel an apple. You’ll have some too, right, Oppa?”

“Yeah.”

The next day.

The first thing I saw when I woke up was, naturally, Sia’s beautiful face.

She was lying beside me, smiling sweetly.

After getting out of bed, she began preparing breakfast, peeling fruit as usual.

It was no different from any ordinary morning.

And yet, for some reason, something felt slightly unfamiliar.

Was it because I kept remembering the side of her I had seen last night?

As I sat there in a daze, Sia set down the knife she had been using to peel an apple and turned toward me.

“Oppa, what are you thinking about?”

“What happened last night.”

At those words, a faint blush began spreading across her face.

“W-well, Oppa. You see, last night—”

“Sia-noona.”

When I teasingly called her Noona as I had last night, her face turned bright red.

Apparently embarrassed, she covered her face with both hands.

“Eee…”

“Last night, you practically devoured me like a real older woman. Now look how shy you are.”

“Ugh. Why did I do that?”

“You say that, but you looked like you were having a wonderful time yesterday.”

Besides, she had been the one to suggest it.

It seemed reality had finally caught up with her.

“Well, I enjoyed it. Let’s try a different scenario next time.”

Not wanting her to feel too embarrassed, I decided to steer the conversation naturally toward something else.

“Is there anything you want to do today?”

Happily chewing on a piece of apple, Sia thought for a moment before answering.

“A training-ground date!”

Not just a date, but a training-ground date?

We used to do that sometimes back when we attended the Hunter Academy.

But now that Sia was a dragon so powerful she had no need for training, I didn’t think there was any particular reason to have a date there.

If she still wanted to go, though…

“Is it to relive old times?”

That was probably why.

“That’s part of it. But aside from that, I honestly just want to help you train. I told you yesterday, remember? I could see the potential in you to become a ranker in no time.”

Sia enthusiastically explained that she wanted to help draw out that potential as soon as possible.

Of course, I wanted to see my potential fully blossom sooner rather than later too…

But that was a separate matter. For at least a week, I wanted to stick to Sia like glue and go on dates like an ordinary couple.

After everything it had taken for us to be together again…

Couldn’t we spend just a week taking it easy like this?

“Let’s only train until three. After that, we’ll have a regular date instead of a training-ground date. How does that sound?”

As though she had read my mind, Sia added another suggestion.

“Shall we, then?”

“Let’s!”

After finishing breakfast, we headed to the training grounds.

We chose the place we had often visited during our academy days.

I had thought I would never have a reason to come here again.

“Being here brings back memories.”

“Me too.”

Perhaps because we were close to the academy campus, familiar shop signs kept catching my eye.

It really felt as though we had traveled several years into the past.

Once we arrived at the training grounds, we put down our belongings and got straight to training.

Though, to be precise, it was my training, not ours.

I picked up the Dragon Bone Sword Sia had given me yesterday, while she brought over a chair and sat right behind me.

“What would you like me to do, Teacher?”

I called her Teacher in a playful tone.

“Teacher? Pfft.”

“Well, you’re the one teaching me. That makes you my teacher.”

Apparently unused to the title, Sia squirmed in her seat.

“You’re giving me goosebumps, Oppa.”

“Should I call you Noona, then?”

“Eee…”

Sia neither agreed nor disagreed.

But the teasing didn’t last long.

She soon switched into teacher mode and began supervising my training.

“Let’s see. For the monster… a Wood Golem should do.”

“That’s a B-rank monster.”

I had expected her to pick a suitable C-rank monster, but Sia chose a B-rank Wood Golem as my opponent.

“It won’t be as difficult as you think.”

Since this was a simulation rather than an actual battle, Sia suggested we be bold, and I agreed.

‘This is exciting.’

It had seemed a little strange at first, but the memories it brought back excited me. So did the thought of finding out just how much power I could unleash.

What talent did I possess that allowed me to draw out the Dragon Bone Sword’s power?

And just how far could I take it?

Before beginning the training, I gave the sword a few practice swings.

As expected, I still couldn’t tell.

“Even if it’s a simulation, you know what to do, right, Oppa? Don’t treat it as practice. Give it everything you have.”

“Of course.”

I was pretty sure those were words I used to say to Sia during our training-ground dates.

I had never expected to hear them directed back at me.

“Imagine all the Wood Golems coming out are bitches trying to get your number. Cut them down with one stroke each! You know what I mean, right?”

“Of course.”

Her tone was playful, but the look in her eyes suggested she wasn’t entirely joking.

‘Well, fair enough.’

If I had been in her position, that incident would have bothered me too.

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh.

Anyway—

With an enthusiastic cheer, the simulation began.

As soon as the training started, practice Wood Golems began spawning along the opposite wall.

‘What’s the best way to approach this?’

The Wood Golems I would be facing had exceptionally high defense, but their movement speed and attack power were unimpressive for B-rank monsters.

That meant agility and stamina would be the deciding factors.

Thinking back on yesterday’s fight, agility probably wouldn’t be much of a problem. My stamina would be the real issue.

Still…

Wasn’t there a saying?

What matters is a spirit that refuses to break.

Holding those words in my heart, I tightened my grip on the sword and charged straight into the enemy ranks.

The Wood Golems that had been approaching slowly began to pick up speed, but I paid them no mind.

At this moment, I decided boldness had to come before everything else.

I spotted the golem farthest from the rest of the group, ran straight toward it, and swung my sword.

Whoosh!

It might not have been obvious from the outside, but I could feel it clearly.

‘Got it.’

The way it staggered told me the blow had landed solidly.

But I couldn’t settle for that.

‘I have to push through with sheer grit.’

I rolled forward, avoiding the golem’s sluggish attack.

As I evaded it, I swept my sword horizontally across its legs.

Slash!

I wasn’t imagining it. Something definitely felt different when I held this sword.

‘But she said it wasn’t simply because of the sword’s power.’

I had to keep thinking about the reason as I swung.

All the more so because this was training.

A massive golem arm swept toward me. I ducked beneath it, then leaped with all my strength and drove my blade into another golem.

‘The reason I can fight like this.’

The Dragon Bone Sword.

Being made from a dragon’s bones meant it contained a dragon’s power.

A dragon.

Right. For now, I should focus on what a dragon was.

How could I draw out the power of a dragon, a creature that reigned supreme over all others on land?

‘Sia said dragons are beings that reign and dominate.’

Reign and domination.

I felt as though I was close to grasping something, but it still hadn’t quite clicked.

Those words didn’t exactly suit someone like me, a mere D-rank hunter.

But if I wanted to draw out even a fraction of the dragon’s power within this sword, didn’t I first have to become someone worthy of it?

According to Sia, most of those who had previously drawn out the Dragon Bone Sword’s power to its fullest had become rulers.

People of humble origins had risen to reign as kings, while kings of weak nations had united entire continents beneath their rule.

Then shouldn’t I wield this sword with the ambition to become a ruler myself?

I still didn’t know what had allowed me to draw out its power so far, but I was beginning to understand the mindset I needed.

I couldn’t approach this as a challenger.

I had to swing as though I already stood above them.

I wasn’t here to learn a lesson. I was here to teach one.

I struck a golem as though it were nothing more than a practice dummy.

Craaaack!

With an impact far heavier than before, the golem collapsed in a single blow.

After confirming that it had fallen, I glanced at Sia.

“Nice one, Oppa!”

Her face was filled with surprise and delight.

“One number-snatcher down.”

I pointed at a golem reeling from my strike and joked.

Given her nature as a dragon, she probably couldn’t forget yesterday’s unpleasant incident. Still, I wanted to ease those feelings, even if only a little.

“Not that any of them could ever hold a candle to my Sia.”

“Exactly. Exactly.”

I had deliberately thrown in a cheesy line, but Sia nodded, clearly pleased.

Sia was happy, and I was starting to get the hang of this.

All that remained was to press forward.

Forget what sword I was holding. Forget what enemies stood before me.

The number of Wood Golems continued to increase, but I kept swinging without a care.

Confidence and exhilaration unlike anything I had ever known began surging through me.

Was this what it felt like to lose yourself completely in the moment?

Little by little, my awareness began to fade.

‘…No.’

At first, I mistook it for that, but something was different.

Even as my mind grew hazy, agonizing pain began spreading throughout my body.

It was the same pain I had briefly experienced on the rooftop last night.

The unbearable agony made my legs begin to give way.

“Oppa? Are you okay?”

I needed to tell her I wasn’t. To ask her for help.

But for some reason, the words wouldn’t come.

At this rate, I would probably collapse any second.

Clang!

My grip weakened, and the sword slipped from my hand. I immediately reached toward Sia, desperate for help.

“Si… a…”

But I couldn’t get the words out properly.

The last thing I saw was Sia rushing toward me in a panic.

Then I lost consciousness.