After finishing the tea party with the cadets, Ian was returning to the dormitory, chatting idly with his summons, completely off guard.
Why was he so defenseless that he didn’t even sense the demon’s attack?
The answer was simple. It was the academy—widely considered the safest place on the continent, a last bastion located adjacent to the islands.
Of course, there had been rare incidents where demons managed to infiltrate or cadets turned into demons, but the general consensus was that the academy was secure.
Fu-swook!
“… … ?”
So, until the demon—hidden within the academy—pierced a hole through Ian’s stomach, he couldn’t have imagined that something like this would happen.
[Master!]
His summons, understanding the threat in an instant, appeared and crushed the demon. Though demons were adept at hiding, their combat prowess wasn’t particularly high. They were quickly slain, their corpses collapsing to the ground.
Despite having defeated an advanced demon, the summons had no time to celebrate. They rushed to Ian, supported his body, and checked his wounds.
“Master! Calm down!”
[Hey! Stupid Summoner! Don’t you dare die! If you die, I’ll kill you myself!]
Anna immediately began praying to heal Ian’s injuries, while Pink dulled the pain by forcibly regulating his hormones.
It was a textbook emergency response that would have impressed seasoned experts—but the root of the problem remained unresolved.
‘Ugh… damn… I’m dizzy.’
His thoughts were in disarray. Perhaps it was the excessive blood loss. In times like this, the best thing to do… was to simply faint.
Fortunately, his summons were by his side to protect him. Even if he closed his eyes now, his life wouldn’t be in danger…
Before long, Ian lost consciousness and collapsed.
***
News of the Hero, Ian Clark, being attacked spread swiftly across the continent. It reached not only the academy but even the imperial family, where the Emperor himself resided.
The Emperor was stunned to learn that demons had already crossed the borders and infiltrated the academy. He had just started investigating the situation and was preparing to dispatch an escort.
Though it was too late to prevent the incident, he immediately sent the imperial family’s best doctors to the academy to treat Ian.
Thanks to this, Ian received the same level of care as the Emperor himself.
However, despite the exceptional treatment, Ian remained unconscious. His life was not in immediate danger—as the crest of his summon remained intact in his hand—but he did not awaken.
Unable to wake, people began referring to his condition as “vegetative”.
“Ian…”
His hospital room was filled with visitors—despite restrictions limiting access to only those closest to him.
“If I had gone with him…”
“What would that have accomplished, Senior Dinua? One death would’ve simply become two.”
“…Ian isn’t dead yet. Mind your words.”
“Yes… I’m sorry.”
Stella and Dinua exchanged tense words. Both were strained, standing together in the heavy sunlight.
Ian, who had been laughing and chatting with them not long ago, was now lying unconscious, his fate uncertain.
Then, Noah rose quietly from her seat. The girls’ eyes turned to her.
“…Where are you going?”
“Yes. I’ll be stepping out for a while.”
She smiled softly as she answered. No one realized that she was planning to leave the academy—to go somewhere far away.
As Noah left the hospital room and walked toward the principal’s office, she recalled something Ian had once said.
‘The four Protector?’
‘Yeah, the divine beasts—one for each direction: east, west, north, and south…’
She remembered the White Tiger who had once helped seal the demon tunnels all across the continent. Ian had told her that there were three more such beings in existence.
‘He said the Phoenix is in the south…’
A divine beast of fire and a symbol of immortality.
It was said that its flames could heal any wound.
‘I can heal Ian with that fire…’
Noah believed that Ian’s inability to wake stemmed from an unseen, internal injury—something no one else could detect.
Outwardly, Ian’s body was fine. There was no logical reason for him not to wake up.
In Noah’s eyes, the real issue lay deeper, within.
Even if a 3-star summon couldn’t heal him, a divine beast surely could. The power of a 5-star summon—no, a being like the Phoenix—might be the only hope.
“Principal!”
“…Miss Noah? What’s the matter—”
“I need to use the communication tool!”
Without waiting for permission, Noah stepped into the office and activated the communication device—a magical channel that connected directly to the Emperor.
As it was meant to be used only in emergencies, it wasn’t an item that could be activated arbitrarily.
Astonished to see Noah using it so freely, the principal initially tried to stop her—but paused upon realizing the Emperor had already received the transmission.
Whether it was before or after the connection was made didn’t matter. It would have been more disrespectful to cut off an ongoing communication.
[…Count Noah? This appears to be a communication channel connected to the principal’s office.]
“Excuse me, Your Majesty.”
Unlike before, Noah now faced the Emperor with a calm, emotionless expression. Whether it was because of the nature of the communication or because she had grown more accustomed to dealing with the Emperor, she no longer flinched.
She now had the courage to assert herself and pursue what she wanted—at least for now.
“I need the Massive Eagle.”
[What do you need them for?]
“I have a place I must go.”
[I can’t deploy them at the moment.]
“Then I will die.”
Noah’s firm tone made the Emperor sigh heavily. With Ian already incapacitated due to the attack, they couldn’t afford to lose another Hero.
Still silent, the Emperor looked at her as if prompting her to explain further.
[Where are you going—especially at a time like this?]
“There’s a way to wake Ian.”
[Are you certain?]
“Maybe.”
The Emperor narrowed his eyes at that. After briefly considering Khorne’s current schedule, he concluded that reviving Ian was the top priority and gave a slow nod.
[It’s dangerous to go alone. Take at least a 4-star Summoner with you.]
“Then I’ll go with Stella.”
[Stella Eritz? She’ll do. Very well—where are you going?]
With his implied permission granted, Noah smiled brightly.
“South!”
To Phoenix’s nest.
***
[Ian’s POV]
I opened my eyes. A familiar ceiling greeted me.
It was the cramped and awkward ceiling of my studio apartment.
‘…What is this?’
Dazed, I looked around. Everything was exactly as it had been before I was pulled into the game world.
It was like time had frozen—there wasn’t even a speck of dust.
‘Was it a dream?’
It felt too real to have been just a dream. Half a year had passed—things I’d seen, felt, eaten, touched…
Dream time moves fast, sure, but even then, if that much time had passed in the dream, at least some of it should have passed in reality.
But here? It seemed not even a second had gone by.
‘…It really was a dream.’
Honestly, it hadn’t been a bad one. I’d been healed, formed connections with women I couldn’t have even met on Earth, and even had the special power of a summon.
Even if it was only a dream—it had been amazing.
If I could, I’d dream it again.
‘Ah—f*ck it.’
I headed to the bathroom, hoping the cold water would jolt me out of this bizarre reality.
The place was always small, but it felt even more cramped now compared to the mansion I’d lived in during the dream.
As I entered, bowing my head to avoid bumping into anything, I glanced at the mirror—wondering why the toilet seemed so low.
“…Huh?”
I was there. Ian Clark.
‘No, f*ck—what the hell is this…?’
Now that I think about it, the reward from the main quest was supposed to be a healthy body.
Maybe I really had returned after defeating the Demon King… but I couldn’t remember.
“…This must also be a dream.”
“No.”
“Woah—!”
A familiar interface appeared before me. It had been a long time since I’d seen the status window.
There hadn’t been any activity since I chose Theresia. So why was it showing up now?
[Your sense of desperation has been waning lately. I thought this would be a good chance to let you experience the result in advance.]
“…In advance?”
[This body is the ‘reward’ you’ll receive upon completing the main quest. I’ve just given it to you a little early.]
A healthy body… This was it?
It was different than I expected. I thought it would merely fix my ailments—but this… this was beyond that.
“Is everything—identity and all—taken care of?”
[Yes. So you’d do better to not lose this body…]
“You know I won’t let go of it.”
Tall, broad-shouldered, handsome—an alpha male physique.
On Earth, this body could open countless doors.
In a world obsessed with looks, power, and fame, having this kind of body meant you could survive—even thrive—without credentials.
You didn’t even need an identity to make it.
“How long do I have?”
[Not long. A week at most.]
“That’s enough.”
I washed my face and stepped outside—onto the streets of modern Earth.
Facing it for the first time in half a year.