Chapter 29: Hangover

Someone caught Ion as he collapsed sideways.

“Ion Corps Leader! Are you okay?”

I’m about to pass out.

In his fading consciousness, Ion wondered what final words he should leave. The answer was clear.

“Scrape up… all the Moshi…”

“Moshi?”

“The green… green stuff… don’t leave… until it’s all mined…”

“Got it! To the healer—!”

“And my Sanse…”

“Ion… Ion!”

Without Teacher’s training, he wouldn’t have endured this pain.

Teacher was right.

Ion closed his eyes.

Teacher seemed uninterested in Ion’s magic. The strange power he called “magic” should’ve sparked curiosity, but she never probed its mechanics.

“Teacher, why’s only he got magic?”

“We live with spirits—why don’t we have it?”

“I wanna use magic like him!”

The orphans’ questions always got the same response:

“I don’t know how he uses magic either. Focus on training. Anyone below tenth place gets no dinner this week.”

With their only adult uninterested and training so grueling, the kids’ curiosity faded.

When Ion turned thirteen, Teacher said, “It’s time to look into your magic.”

“Thought you weren’t interested,” Ion replied.

“I’m curious what happens when your mana hits its limit. What happens if you use your powers with only vitality?”

She wasn’t intrigued by the mechanics of his flame sword or vine growth but by mana depletion.

Ion followed her orders faithfully, but this one made him hesitate. Even slight mana shortages caused intense pain.

“Seeing you suffer pains me too. But it’s for your sake,” Teacher said.

“…”

“Imagine your mana running dry, alone, with no one to help. What happens when it hits zero? You need to know the symptoms of using vitality to prepare for the future.”

It made sense.

“You’re right. Thank you, Teacher…”

“Good. To the basement. Deplete your mana there.”

“…”

“…”

“Answer, child.”

“…Yes, Teacher. I’ll do it.”

Teacher smiled, satisfied.

The experiments began: measuring Ion’s mana capacity, what happened at depletion, and how long he could last on vitality alone.

In the villa’s basement, she made him use magic recklessly. Knowing he had to obey, Ion instinctively reduced mana use as pain grew.

“Clever trick,” Teacher said, pulling out a whip.

She ordered him to block it with magic, but the pain was so intense he thought taking the lashes was better.

Then she brought an orphan, later named Saon, a scrawny kid. She whipped him instead.

A whipping boy—punished in place of a noble child. Her usual, effective tactic.

Ion, with a sliver of mana left, wrapped Saon in vines.

“Aaagh!”

As mana vanished, agony hit. Vitality drain was pain itself—his brain and bones crushed like an orange, a boulder smashing his body, bones breaking, then thrown into flames, muscles and organs burning, nerves searing.

“Argh… Teacher, please…”

“Hm. Just pain, no other side effects?”

“It… hurts… so much…”

Teacher watched the writhing, tear-streaked boy, saliva dripping, as he vomited blood and rolled in it. When he tried to faint, she forced him awake.

He attempted self-harm, slamming his head against the basement wall. Teacher clicked her tongue.

“Impatient child.”

Finally, she placed a Sansevieria pot before him. Too weak to hold it, she pressed it to his face.

Mana filled the void left by vitality. A small amount, but enough to dull the pain.

Haa…

Ion’s vision blurred, and Teacher let him pass out.

…

Ion sat up, clutching his throbbing head, expecting the cold basement floor but finding a bed.

Teacher sat in a chair, legs crossed, sipping tea. Ion, head pounding and throat parched, licked his lips and looked at her. Instead of water, she spoke in a humorless tone.

“Awake now?”

“Yes… How long was I out?”

“Three days.”

Shocked, he jolted upright, only to collapse from the pain.

“You’re like a hungover drunk. Remember the past few days?”

“You said I was out…”

“When mana depletes and starts recovering, you act drunk and forget afterward. Interesting.”

“I… acted drunk?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry…”

“It’s fine. It was amusing. So honest… full of self, yet somehow empty…”

What does that mean?

“An intriguing side effect, but don’t let yourself hit mana depletion in front of others. Acting out like that could cause trouble.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

Afterward, she occasionally pushed him to mana depletion, mainly to build pain tolerance but also, it seemed, to see his drunken state. She never told him how he acted.

Ugh… my head…

Ion woke, feeling the “hangover” for the first time in ages. Opening his eyes, he knew he was on Earth.

White ceiling, soft white sheets.

And surrounding his bed… pots of plants: Sansevieria, Areca palm, bamboo palm, Phalaenopsis.

The ones from his car. Daon must’ve retrieved them. Good job.

There were new ones too—Scindapsus, ivy.

Gifts for me? Taking them all.

He reached for the ivy pot and noticed his hospital gown, marked “Awakened Medical Center.”

The hospital Ilon and Saon recently opened for awakened.

Why am I here?

They’d clearly cleared the Moshi dungeon.

Relief hit first, followed by dread of the questions awaiting him. The digital clock on the clean wall deepened his unease.

July 10, 07:32

The Giant encounter was July 6…

How long was I out? Teacher would’ve chewed me out for losing my tolerance.

Ion tried to rise but, head heavy, only managed to prop himself up. His mana was full, but vitality was still recovering.

He leaned against a large, cushy pillow by the bed—more like a cushion.

How long since I slept in a bed like this?

He pulled the pots closer, one by one. The vibrant green eased his headache. Hugging the Sansevieria, he stroked its leaves.

“Sanse… were you worried? Sorry…”

“…”

“Thanks for holding up in the desert…”

“…”

“Because of you, I made it… I won’t push you so hard next time.”

“…”

He petted the silent Sansevieria, about to bond with the other plants when footsteps approached.

Ion shut his mouth and looked at the door.

It burst open.

“You’re awake,” Jin Seongha said.

“Plant-loving boy! You’re up!” Horizon Guildmaster Jipyeong Seop added.

“Early riser, Ion Hunter,” Aide Daon said, followed by Team Leader Lee Jina.

Medical staff entered, gave a quick checkup, and left. Ion caught a glimpse of their holographic tablet chart: [Patient Awakening Rank: S].

They’d decided that while he was out.

The staff left, and the three pulled up chairs. Ion stayed in bed, as the doctor had ordered rest.

What’s with this vibe?

Ion glanced around. Daon avoided his gaze, staring at a corner like a guilty child. Jipyeong Seop’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. Lee Jina’s stern expression held a slight frown.

Jin Seongha… seemed angry yet intrigued.

“Ion Corps Leader, before we ask, any questions?” Jin Seongha said.

“What’s the system level now?”

“Back to Level 1,” Jin Seongha replied.

“Personal rewards—did they come out well?”

He wanted to ask about Level 4 rewards. Since they didn’t kill the Giant, Level 1 rewards were likely, but…

“Hm. Didn’t expect that question. Bolder than I thought,” Jin Seongha said, surprised.

Oh, right.

Still groggy, Ion forgot personal rewards were as private as exposing inner thigh skin.

“Check your inventory, but… it gave Level 4 rewards. Future dungeon raids will be much easier,” Jin Seongha said.

Really? Level 4 rewards?

A chance to outpace others even more. Great news.

But Ion couldn’t celebrate. The three were too calm.

“Other questions?” Jin Seongha asked.

“Did we collect enough Moshi?”

“Yes. We planned to rush out, but someone threw a fit about mining more Moshi, so we scraped it all.”

“…”

“Anything else?”

Two things struck Ion as odd.

Jin Seongha casually discussed “levels.”

And he accepted Ion calling the mineral “Moshi” without question. Had they named it Moshi while he was out?

Ion rubbed his temples, feigning a headache.

“No questions. I need rest. Bad hangover…”

“Hangover?” Jin Seongha raised an eyebrow.

“Calling it a hangover downplays how much pain you were in.”

“Yeah… after that pain, I need rest.”

“No more questions? Then my turn.”

See? Total misanthrope. Keeps talking when I’m hurting.

Ion resisted addressing Daon—revealing their connection would complicate things.

Jin Seongha, eyeing the flinching Ion, spoke.

“Why are you trying to revive the Demon King?”

…What the hell did I say while drunk…?