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Hwangmyeong Mansion, at Eunho’s annex.
I entered the front door and Eunho, in the appearance of Cheon Eunha, was waiting.
“Welcome. You suffered much in your final exams.”
I didn’t really do much, the same goes for the old man beside me.
Hwang Jiho succeeded in securing 40 points in all the subjects without difficulty.
‘I’m struggling with something else.’
Eunho smiled as if he read my mind.
“You helped your classmates, Euishin hyung. Aside from that, you’re preparing for the festival and Christmas, and some other things you did without feeling like you need to tell us.”
I wonder why Eunho, who only stays in the mansion, knew so much.
Eunho’s words continued.
“The results haven’t been announced yet, but you’re definitely after Ahn Dain and Joo Soohyuk, right? You haven’t been first place yet, Euishin hyung.”
“That’s what I saw in the middle of the class. Although there’s still double-checking, raising objections, and correcting grades, the top ranking isn’t likely to change.”
Hwang Jiho said some unnecessary stuff.
That old man doesn’t seem interested in his grades seeing that he’s sticking to 40 points, but why does he care so much about other people’s grades?
“I see. He’s behind the two again this time… But perhaps he’s doing it on purpose?”
“Professor Gong Cheonghwon’s General Enemy Class was difficult. It’s hard to perfect the test since the scope is wide.”
I simply answered based on facts.
Professor Gong Cheonghwon’s class boasts a vast range of scope and wicked difficulty.
The final exam was extremely difficult as it included what we learned during the midterm and even basic pre-class level.
Students who were tricked by Gong Cheonghwon’s gentle appearance applied in the class and fled one after another after finding out how difficult the class was, leaving only the strongmen behind.
‘There’s a lot to learn, but it’s hard to get a high score.’
Leaving class usually means that a student has to study on their own through books, but Gong Cheonghwon provides specially recorded videos.
I wanted to continue taking his classes, if possible.
“There would’ve been three top-scorers among the freshmen if Jo Euishin got a perfect score in that class. What a shame.”
“Euishin hyung doesn’t look disappointed at all though.”
How can I take first place when there are geniuses Joo Soohyuk and Ahn Dain in our batch?
I could rise to their level, but I didn’t want to.
The top-scorer title suited the two.
“He looks satisfied with that position.”
“His grades aren’t so bad right now, but it’s a bit unfamiliar to see him not being on top.”
“Oh, was Jo Euishin always the top scorer in that world?”
Eunho and Hwang Jiho started talking about unnecessary things.
Didn’t we come here to talk to Yong Jegun and Jeokho today?
Both tigers lost themselves in talking about the past.
‘I guess Yong Jegun’s not here yet.’
Only Baekho-gun and Jeokho were in the room.
Baekho-gun nodded at me quietly, greeting me welcome.
Seeing Baekho-gun while the two tigers talked their hearts out gave peace to my mind.
“Welcome, it’s been a while.”
“I’m glad you came back safely.”
It hasn’t been that long, but it must’ve felt like forever since it’s been a long while since Jeokho left Korea.
Hwang Jiho greeted Jeokho warmly.
Perhaps because Kim Shinrok wasn’t around, Jeokho reacted more bluntly than usual.
“Is Yong Jegun not here yet? Did he go see Cheongryong?”
“It’s been a while since he left Korea. The dragons are on great terms so talking to each other through their waterscape isn’t enough, especially for Cheongryong. He’ll be here soon.”
Yong Jegun must’ve stopped by the Red Lion team building.
Yeom Junyeol also expressed disappointment that Yong Jegun doesn’t come with him to school the past few days.
‘It’s not surprising that Yong Jegun’s close with everyone.’
I was short-sighted.
We shouldn’t have asked him to report the very day he returns home.
Rather, we should’ve given him a day to greet the Dragon Clan on his return.
While I was regretting, Eunho held out a teacup.
“Don’t worry about the people who aren’t in this mansion, Euishin hyung. They just missed the Cintamani.”
I wonder if Yong Jegun missed the Tigers.
Maybe Shinrok or my angel Olmu.
Unfortunately, Olmu is playing with the descendants and Kim Shinrok is busy checking final exams.
By the way, why does Eunho call Yong Jegun Cintamani?
I don’t know if he doesn’t like the fact that Yong Jegun got his name from Jeho, or for another reason.
“I’m here.”
After a while, Yong Jegun arrived at the annex.
He was holding a shopping bag.
“I brought a present because I didn’t want to come empty-handed. It’s a souvenir from our trip. Here you go.”
“…That’s out of character.”
“I just didn’t have a lot of chances to do this, that’s why.”
Hwang Jiho took the gift despite looking uncomfortable.
The gift was a small box that fits in the palm of his hand.
Observing the well-packed bag, Hwang Jiho looked a little surprised.
It must be a pretty good gift.
Yong Jegun also gave me one.
“Here’s yours, Euishin. You can check it out right here.”
“Thank you.”
“Euishin has great manners so it’s nice to give him a gift. It’s fun seeing Hwangho-ssi and Eunho-ssi be wary too. I should bring more presents.”
“I need to get rid of your excuses to bring us presents then.”
Yong Jegun looked happy despite Hwang Jiho’s words.
I guess he’s looking forward to that as well.
‘It’s a souvenir from the Dragon Palace… don’t tell me it’s scales.’
I already have the scales that the Dragon King gave me before.
Unlike the Dragon King’s Scales and items that Yong Jegun has, mine was sealed in a bead so I cannot really use its value.
But it’s part of a superior being, and the item itself had tremendous power.
I examined the box carefully and sensed energy waves.
‘I don’t think it’s Yong Jegun’s energy waves… What is this?’
Yong Jegun said I could check it out right away, so I decided to follow.
<Skill ‘Glare’ activated.>
As the energy waves wrapped around my eyes, my field of view changed clearly.
I stared at the box and saw the shape of the energy waves vividly.
The box contained a small golden sphere.
‘It’s golden, but it’s different from Hwang Jiho’s energy waves. It feels more like sand…’
While I tried to guess what it was, Yong Jegun ended a strange fight with Hwang Jiho.
Yong Jegun watched me use the glare skill with interest as he began to explain the gift.
“It’s a pearl that Hwangryong makes as a hobby. He gave it to me when I asked for something that I could bring back as a gift.”
This energy wave belongs to Hwangryong?
The man who guards the Dragon Palce himself!
Since I’ve never seen such a pearl sold on the market, this is probably a gift only for dragons or those close to them.
I’ll have to look at the item in detail, but I expect it to be at least SR+ rank.
If it’s Hwangryong, then it’s probably SSR-rank.
“Since it’s a gift for the Dragon Clan’s benefactor, Hwangryong especially gave it to Euishin-ie in black.”
…A black pearl?
A black pearl in my hands, created by Hwangryong, is most likely SSR-rank and above.
My head suddenly hurt.
I wondered if it was too late to refuse.
“The Dragon Clan’s debt to Euishin hyung cannot be compared to a pearl. Think of it as a souvenir.”
Eunho drove the point before I could refuse.
“Of course. That’s what I said, it’s a souvenir. If Euishin wants, I’d pull a pillar from the Dragon Palace. It’s just a pillar so I’m sure Hwangryong will do something about it before the palace collapses.”
I don’t really need a pillar from the Dragon Palace.
I decided to draw a line.
“No need for that.”
“Really? What a shame. Then instead of a pillar, accept the black pearl.”
Before I realized what was happening, the black pearl given by Hwangryong was mine.
Hwang Jiho quickly changed the subject before I could contest again.
“Then let’s hear about what happened at the Dragon Palace. Report first, Jeoho.”
“Alright.”
Reports were given about what transpired at the palace.
I couldn’t cut off Jeokho’s words for this.
In the end, I drank tea without saying anything until Jeokho and Yong Jegun finished their report.
Eunho smiled and put the tea in the middle, and I felt like I was beaten by the tigers and the dragon.
‘It’s more important to hear what happened at the palace.’
Thinking so, I decided to concentrate on their reports.
There was a lot of information that I couldn’t miss, like the failed candidates that Yong Jegun and Jeokho met at the palace, the absent Dragon King, and others.
The two’s reports contained many pieces of information not available in PMH.
“I have drawn the structure of the Dragon Palace as I remember it.”
Jeokho opened his device and floated a map of the Dragon Palace.
It was a complex structure, looking like a three-dimensional maze.
While admiring the size of the palace, Yong Jegun added something.
“Hwangryong can manipulate the palace’s structure, so there’s a possibility that this would change. Since Jeokho-ssi, an outsider, visited, he’ll surely reconstruct it.”
“Is it possible to increase the number of rooms or the length of corridors?”
“If it’s just Hwangryong’s power alone, then no. If the size of the palace is going to be changed, it needs the Dragon King’s power.”
“Then we have to think of this map as kind of a jigsaw puzzle.”
The map is a puzzle whose pieces can be reassembled anytime.
As I was memorizing the structure, Jeokho spoke.
“Why didn’t you tell me that, Yong Jegun?”
“Which one?”
“What Hwangryong said about your eyes.”
Jeokho had been in a low mood since he returned.
I thought it was because he hasn’t seen his son in a long while, but looking at him now, I guess Yong Jegun is the reason.
When Jeokho was about to speak, Yong JEgun looked out the door of the room and tried to stop Jeokho.
“Wait, Jeokho-ssi…”
I sensed the presence as well.
Someone was approaching the living room.
Despite Yong Jegun’s dissuasion, Jeokho continued.
“Hwangryong said that if Yong Jegun performs a few more heroic acts and miracles as the Cintamani, he won’t be able to hide his deity. Soon, Yong Jegun might become a higher being.
Slide…
The automatic door opened while Jeokho was speaking.
The door fully opened, yet Kim Shinrok stood still.
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