Chapter 19: God level elixir

“Um… Baek-ryong?”

I couldn’t open my eyes yet. I had no desire to see a naked man in this setting.

“Yes, Master.”

I’d only offered a single piece of advice.

Why the insistence on calling me “Master”? He would have reached that level eventually.

‘He would have reached Transformation Realm, even if not Transcendent Realm.’

Transcendent Realm.

The realm of superhumans who broke through the wall, a realm attainable by only a handful.

In the current martial world, only Ha-yeon had reached that realm.

On Earth, officially, only one person had achieved it.

“Put some clothes on first. I can’t open my eyes with you like that.”

Whether Jin Baek-ryong could reach that realm remained to be seen, but for now, I wanted him to get dressed.

“Understood, Master.”

‘Aren’t you embarrassed being naked in a public place?’

Though everyone else had left, and only our group and Jin Baek-ryong remained, his nonchalant response to being naked in the exam hall was unsettling.

‘To become superhuman, you need to be broken somewhere, right?’

He seemed to be missing the “embarrassment” part.

As I pondered this, Jin Baek-ryong stopped bowing and retrieved clothes from his inventory.

“Master, I’m dressed.”

I had to stop him from calling me “Master.”

I was already burdened with the “top-ranked freshman” title; adding “Master of S-rank Jin Baek-ryong” would be the death of me.

‘Just kill me now.’

That absolutely could not happen.

“Why are you calling me Master? I just offered some simple advice out of guilt. You absorbed it well… It was nothing, really, so stop with the ‘Master’ nonsense.”

It wasn’t exactly “nothing.” Advice from someone who’d reached the Transcendent Realm was worth a fortune in the martial world.

Countless martial artists would risk their lives for a single sliver of that enlightenment.

But this wasn’t the martial world, and no one here knew I’d reached that realm.

This incident needed to be framed as a genius like Jin Baek-ryong coincidentally gaining enlightenment from a random comment by a classmate.

I would make it so. As I solidified my resolve, Jin Baek-ryong spoke.

“An unskilled doctor harms one’s health, but an unskilled teacher harms one’s life. Wrong teachings can lead someone astray.”

True. Ill-suited teachings or flawed ideologies could ruin a person’s life.

“But you showed me the right path when I was about to stray, so there’s no reason not to consider you my Master. Teachers of knowledge are easy to find, but teachers who guide one’s life are rare.”

‘This guy is good with words.’

He spoke eloquently, as if he’d studied Confucian scriptures. As I searched for a rebuttal, Ha-yeon interjected.

“He’s right. Even if your teachings came from a casual remark, if the recipient took them to heart and achieved enlightenment, it’s fitting to consider you their Master.”

‘Ha-yeon…?’

She was backing Jin Baek-ryong. This was unexpected.

“Especially you, Yu-won. You know how desperate and driven a martial artist is when facing a wall.”

I knew the feeling. Faced with an insurmountable cliff, one would simply give up.

But if a glimpse of what lay beyond was visible, if it seemed just within reach? One couldn’t help but become obsessed.

If they weren’t that driven, they wouldn’t be facing a wall in the first place.

“You helped him break through that wall. Even if you tell him not to, he won’t change his mind. Look at his eyes. Do those look like the eyes of someone who gives up easily?”

His gaze, fixed on his goal. I’d seen that look before. The Hero, relentlessly pursuing his goal of saving the world, had worn the same expression.

And he’d ultimately succeeded in defeating the Demon King. A miracle born from unwavering determination. Those with that look never gave up.

I sighed.

“Ha… Fine. Do as you please. But don’t expect proper guidance from me.”

I’d suddenly gained three wives; what was one more disciple? I wasn’t obligated to teach him diligently; I’d just ignore him for the most part.

“Yes, Master.”

He knelt on one knee and bowed his head, a gesture usually reserved for the family head, now directed at me.

“But you’re forbidden from calling me ‘Master’ in front of others. Call me Yu-won in public. And if you tell anyone I’m your Master, our relationship is over. Understood?”

The milk was spilt.

But damage control was necessary.

This was for his sake as well.

As long as no one knew, it wouldn’t matter if he considered me his Master.

“Yes.”

He seemed to understand. He wasn’t stupid, judging by his earlier eloquence.

“By the way, do you have any gifts for your Master to celebrate your breakthrough?”

‘I should get something out of this.’

I might as well milk this young master of a top 10 family for all he was worth. Jin Baek-ryong pondered, then brightened.

“The most valuable thing I possess… is a Divine-grade elixir in my room, specially procured by my father to help me reach the next realm.”

‘Divine-grade… elixir…?’

“I was going to take it after absorbing the effects of the previous elixirs, but it seems unnecessary now. I’ll be busy mastering my new abilities. Well, someone of your level wouldn’t need an elixir…”

“I need it.”

“Huh?”

“I need it, so please bring it to me.”

Elixirs were classified into six grades: Lowest, Low, Intermediate, High, Highest, and above them all, Divine.

Divine-grade elixirs.

Legendary elixirs said to have been used by gods in the mythical age.

If the highest-grade elixirs cost at least 10 billion won, what was the value of a Divine-grade elixir?

Priceless.

They weren’t typically sold for money.

Only by offering substantial concessions could a powerful faction acquire one.

Jin Baek-ryong’s father must have sacrificed a great deal to obtain it. But what wouldn’t a parent do for a son on the cusp of becoming the youngest S-rank at 17?

The title of “youngest S-rank” was worth sacrificing substantial resources. His son would bring even greater benefits to the family.

“Yes. Please give me your address, and I’ll bring it to you by tomorrow.”

“You truly are my best disciple.”

I’d chosen well.

I wasn’t sure if he was really okay with giving me a Divine-grade elixir, but I wasn’t going to refuse.

The potential gains far outweighed the risks.

I needed to increase my strength quickly, and a Divine-grade elixir could halve the time required to reach the Transformation Realm.

He even offered to deliver it personally. Safer than entrusting it to someone else.

As I was about to give him my address, Ha-yeon spoke.

“No, we’ll come to you. Didn’t you invite us to the Jin family estate? It’s too risky for you to carry it yourself; someone might try to steal it. We’ll come and collect it personally.”

She was right.

Divine-grade elixirs couldn’t be stored in inventories.

Transporting it risked losing my precious elixir.

“I agree.”

Jin Baek-ryong nodded at my agreement.

“Understood. I’ll return and prepare for your visit. Please come tomorrow with your partner.”

He bowed respectfully. I waved my hand dismissively.

“Alright. You can go.”

Was I imagining things, or did Jin Baek-ryong seem incredibly generous, offering an elixir worth over 100 billion won for free? I watched him leave with a satisfied smile and turned back to the group.

Liera and Estelle looked displeased.

Seung-ah seemed slightly upset too.

‘What’s wrong with them…?’

Things never went well when they wore that expression.

My heart pounded nervously as I desperately tried to figure out what I’d done wrong.

‘What is it…? Please, let me remember…’

Before I could find the answer, they spoke.

“What do you mean you were invited to the Jin family estate, oppa?”

“What was that about, honey…?”

Gulp

I’d overcome one mountain, only to find two more in its place.