The soft bed made me not want to get up, but, fighting my impulses I got off the bed in the end.

Almost two weeks have passed since I left the Lock, I need to return.

‘But before leaving I should change my clothes first!”

Now my body had healed and was brimming with energy. The moment I received the reward and levelled up, the fatigue and exhaustion I had left.

‘I could take on multiple ranked demons like him... probably!

I jokingly thought as I walked up to the washroom.

Entering the washroom, I extended my arms and placed them right under the faucet.

Soon warm water came gushing out of it and I washed my hands. The warm water felt pleasant to the touch.

SPLASH—! SPLASH—!

Washing my face, I rubbed my eyes and looked at myself in the mirror in front of me.

Taking the hospital gown off and placing it over the sink, I looked at my body. It looked different from the first time I saw it.

I could evidently see and feel the changes that had occurred to this new body.

My glossy black hair and obsidian eyes and my physique, it looked different in every aspect. My hair was a little longer, but nothing that notice worthy. But the dark circles underneath my eyes were gone.

My skinny and malnutritioned body, now had put on some weight and muscles. But itwas just a little change.

But still, I was making good progress.

Observing my body for another few seconds. After that I extended my arm and pulled out the clothes I had packed inside the inventory.

A grey shirt and sky blue jeans. Putting them on, I once again placed my hand under the faucet and again splashed water over my face.

Taking the towel on the stand, I wiped my face.

Exiting the washroom, I sat down on the bed. Pulling a pair of sneakers and a black cardigan out of my inventory, I put them on.

Then standing up from the bed, I walked up to the door.

A lot happened in the passed few days, but all that matters is that I’m alive right now.

But to achieve my goal, there will come multiple times when I will have to put my life on the line.

But I didn't fear that outcome. If that’s what it took for me to protect the people I love and care about, then so be it.

Even if I crumble in the end.

With a determined look I opened the door, but then I saw someone standing outside.

His arm was stretched forwards, I think he was trying to open the door and enter.

“Thank god, you’re finally awake!”

“Jihoon?” I exclaimed. I was not surprised, rather dumbfounded.

Why was he here?

Was he alright! What about Jiyoung?

But calming my thoughts, I looked at him with a caring warmth in my eyes.

“I was really worried about you, you know?” His voice weepy.

Still I was relieved to see that he was alright. My eyes examined his body up and down, before I spoke.

“Sorry too make you worry, Jihoon!”

“Yeah, you should be.” He crossed his arms as he spouted.

My lips curled upward seeing him. I felt truly relieved.

To be honest, Jihoon reminded me of someone I knew!

“Well let’s talk on our way out.”

“Ok!”

Nodding his head, I stepped out of the room and shut the door close.

Putting pressure on the heel off my foot, I stepped in the left direction.

“Are you okay? What about Jiyoung?” I asked.

Honestly, ever since waking up I was really worried about both of them.

“We're both fine, we didn't take a beating like you to go in a coma for almost a week... and about Jiyoung she is currently... training!”

There was a slight pause in his speech.

“Training already?” I asked.

“Yeah, I told her to rest, but she doesn’t listen! She became angry with me after I persisted her to rest.” He sounded defeated.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Placing my hand over his shoulder, I gave him a pitying look.

“She’s so scary when she gets mad!”

He sighed as we walked up to the elevator.

Pressing the button on the side, the elevators door opened and we both entered.

“Just what kind of demon does Jiyoung becomes when she gets mad, to get you all scared, huh?” I sarcastically said whilst sequentially pressing the ground floor button.

Ting—!

With a tinging sound the elevator started to descend down.

“You can say that because you have not seen her in her angry mode.”

“Angry mode? Hahaha!” I burst into a fret of laughter.

“Oy don’t laugh.” He jokingly hit me on my bicep.

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop.”

Turing his head in my direction, he looked at me as if he remembered something important.

I returned the gaze. But then Jihoon spoke.

“Oh yeah, Jiwoo do you have a phone?”

“Yeah!” I answered.

“Give it to me.” He said whilst extending his hand forward.

Heeding his words, I took my phone out of my inventory and handed it to him.

Tap—! Tap—!

He tapped multiple times on the screen.

Ring—! Ring—!

Soon a buzzing melody rang inside the elevator. Giving me my phone back, he took his own out from his pocket and showed it to me.

“I gave you my number, now we can stay in contact.”

He cheerfully looked at me. His bright smile looked just like the morning sun. He really reminded me of him.

Ting—!

With another tinging sound the elevator stopped descending and the doors opened.

Walking out of the elevator a bitter smile flashed over my face as I looked at Jihoon. He resembled him, his child-like moments and his good nature.

“What’s wrong?” He said as he looked at me.

“Nothing!” I replied.

Exiting the elevator, we had entered a big hall. The entrance to the hospital.

The reception hall was just like any other hospital hall. But just from looking you could tell that it was decorated beautifully.

Well to make a better environment for the patients as well as civilians.

The beautiful plants were decorated around the reception hall to give it humid and peaceful look.

“I’m going to the reception to confirm my discharge, can you wait for me at the gate.

"Okay!”

Then stepping forward, I walked up to the reception and greeted the receptionist.

“Good Morning.”

“Good Morning to you too.” She respectfully returned my gesture.

“Seo Jiwoo, I'm here to confirm my discharge.” I said.

Without a halt, she tapped her fingers on the keyboard of the PC in front of her.

Soon my name came up and she handed me a piece of paper.

“Sir, please sign here!” She said. Her brunette hair cascaded down her shoulder as he leaned forward to give me the paper and the pen.

Taking the pen from her, I signed on the paper and handed it back.

“Thank you very much, you are free to leave Sir.”

“Thanks!”

Then turning around I walked up to the glass door in the front.

Jihoon was already waiting for me there.

“Alright let’s go!”

But he was taking with someone over his phone. He didn’t pay attention to me and continued to talk over his phone.

Then after an entire minute, he put his phone down and back into his pocket.

“Sorry, it was from my Dad.” He apologetically said.

“No need to apologise.”

“Shall we go?”

Looking at Jihoon, we both stepped out of the hospital.

My vision blurred as I walked passed the door and in to the bright sunny outside.

It was 8 in the morning currently!

“Yeah Jihoon, I wanted to ask?”

I turned and looked at Jihoon.

“Did the black market give you both any rewards?”

“Yeah!”

He nodded his head and explained.

“They allowed as to take a skill appropriate for our ranks. They also gave us VIP cards.”

‘What? They gave away skills. Aren't they being a little too generous with there rewards?’

I was dumbfounded. Skills are one of the most valuable assets a person can possess.

But on that note, this incident was no small matter. A demon appeared in a fungeon and it almost caused a dungeon break.

If word got out, it could cause the black market to lose a few sponsors, for there unreliability.

“Why’d you ask?” He curiously asked.

“Just for—!”

BUZZ—! BUZZ—!

I heard the same buzzing melody I heard in the elevator.

Jihoon took out his phone and answered.

“Hello! Yes... yes.”

Putting the phone back in his pocket. He looked at me and spoke.

“Sorry Jiwoo, I need to go.”

“It’s fine, go on.”

Just as I said he walked off in to the opposite direction.

"What might he be doing... Koeji...?"

Pressing my heel on the ground, I also walked off.

***

Standing outside the same shop I stood two weeks ago, I looked around before entering.

Creak—!

Nothing much had changed inside the shop. It still looked as if a disaster had struck this place.

Walking up to the counter, I saw the same man I saw two weeks ago.

He laid on the tatami mat with one leg resting over the other.

“Excuse me...”

I spoke.

He stood up and looked me with his red eyes which shined brightly.

But I came prepared. I placed the black card which Glenn gave me in the hospital, on the counter table.

Taking the card and looking at it, he gave it back to me and stood up from the tatami mat.

“Welcome.”

“Please follow me.”

He respectfully addressed me and told to me follow him.

Is this the power of a VIP?

But listening to him, I followed him from behind.

But this time he didn't take me to the door behind him, but rather he stood beside it.

He brought his right hand forward and channelled Mana into his index finger’s tip.

TAP—!

Tapping his finger once on the wall, the spell came undone and an elevator door appeared before us. It stood beside the door which led to the staircase.

He entered the elevator and so did I.

The elevator door closed and he pressed a button on the elevator and soon it started to descend.

After a minute, the elevator stopped descending and I exited.

“Have a safe trip Dear customer.”

He said while the elevator door closed and started to ascend.

I was in a small corridor, and a door stood at the other end of the corridor.

Walking up to the door, I opened it and entered a much bigger room.

There stood a guard on the door on the other end.

Walking up to him, I flashed him my VIP card. He opened the door for me and I exited the room.

The same scenery came it too my view when I first came to the black market.

Clean streets! Arranged stalls! Bustling stores!

“I better hurry!”

***

Flashing my VIP card to the receptionist, I put it back it my inventory.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

I did as she said.

After a minute passed an attendant approached me.

“Please follow me, Sir.”

I did as he said. I followed him from behind and walked in to the elevator with him.

***

Ding—!

Exiting the elevator, the attendant walked in front of me.

“This way please.”

I did just as he said and followed suit.

I was currently wearing the mask I wore when I came here.

Reaching the end of the hall way, I saw Glenn standing there.

“You made it, Kid.”

“Hey.” I greeted him

“Good work, you can leave now.”

With his next words, the attendant went back.

“What?” Glenn barked.

“I have to say Glenn, you do work diligently!” I scoffed.

“Keep that game of words to yourself and let’s go.”

Extending his hand he gave me a flask full of a transparent liquid.

“We can’t let people find the vault where we keep our skills and other stuff, so it’s just for a precaution.”

“This thing is... safe, isn’t it?” I worriedly asked.

The hesitation in my voice was evident.

“Yeah, one hundred percent safe. It would just momentarily cause you to go unconscious. Don’t chicken out, even that Jihoon kid took it who was with you in the dungeon.”

“Alright!”

Taking the cap off the flask, I chugged it down in one go.

Soon darkness started to envelope my vision and soon I went unconscious.