"Uncle!"
The man paused mid-step.
Slowly, he turned his head—sharp eyes sweeping across the crowded hall before locking onto me. For a brief moment, he didn't react.
Then—
"…Leo?"
A flicker of surprise crossed his face. Subtle, but real.
That was Elias Ward.
A man who once stood at the peak.
Six feet tall, broad-shouldered, and built like someone who had spent his life on the battlefield. Even now, dressed in simple clothes, there was nothing ordinary about him. His presence alone carried weight—quiet, controlled… dangerous.
His dark hair was slightly unkempt, streaked faintly with gray at the sides. A long scar ran from the edge of his jaw down toward his neck, half-hidden beneath his collar. His eyes—cold, calculating—were the kind that had seen too many fights… and survived them all.
Elias Ward.
A former A-rank adventurer.
Back in his prime, his name echoed across Eldoria. Not just respected—
Feared.
A-rank adventurers weren't just strong.
They were monsters in human form.
They cleared high-level Rifts without hesitation. Fought creatures capable of wiping out entire squads. Walked into the Deadlands… and came back alive.
If F-ranks struggled just to survive—
A-ranks dominated.
They weren't just powerful.
They were veterans of death itself.
But that was the past.
Now, Elias lived in the background.
A severe injury had ended his career—something even someone like him couldn't overcome. Instead of fighting, he worked inside the Adventurer Inn. Managing operations. Guiding rookies. Watching from the sidelines.
But even so—
A blade doesn't lose its edge.
It just stops being swung.
He started walking toward me, arms crossing over his chest.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
His voice was calm.
But there was an edge to it.
I scratched the back of my head.
"Uncle… can you help me with something?"
He stopped a few steps away.
For a second, he didn't respond. His gaze sharpened slightly, studying me—like he was trying to peel something apart.
"…What kind of help?"
I glanced around.
Too many people.
Too loud.
Too exposed.
"…Not here," I said quietly.
That was enough.
His expression shifted—just slightly. But I caught it.
Without another word, he turned and gestured.
"Follow me."
We moved through the hall, weaving past adventurers, until the noise faded behind us. The corner he chose was quieter—isolated.
Safe.
I hesitated.
Then—
I reached into my pocket.
Slowly… carefully…
And pulled it out.
A mana core.
The moment Elias saw it—
his entire presence sharpened.
"…Where did you get that?"
I lifted it slightly, letting the faint glow catch the light.
"This…" I said, frowning a little, "…should've been a Level 2 boss core."
Elias' eyes narrowed.
"…'Should've'?"
I took a small breath.
"When I fought it… it was still Level 2."
I looked at the core again.
"…But when I checked it after…"
A pause.
"…it became Level 3."
Silence.
For the first time—
Elias didn't respond immediately.
He stepped closer.
"Let me see."
I handed it over.
The moment it touched his hand, his expression darkened—not with fear…
But realization.
"…This is a Level 3 Boss core," he confirmed quietly.
My eyes widened slightly.
"…So I wasn't wrong."
Elias kept staring at it, turning it slightly as if reading something invisible.
Then—
he spoke.
"…You got lucky."
I frowned.
"Lucky?"
He exhaled slowly.
"No… not just lucky."
His gaze shifted back to me.
"That monster…"
"…was already on the verge of evolving."
I froze.
Elias continued, his tone now more serious—like a mentor explaining something dangerous.
"Monsters don't just level up randomly," he said.
"They evolve when their mana reaches a critical threshold."
He raised the core slightly.
"If you killed it right before that evolution completed…"
"…then the core would stabilize at the next level."
My grip tightened slightly.
"So… even though it was Level 2—"
"It died as something closer to Level 3," Elias finished.
A chill ran down my spine.
That fight…
If I had been even a little slower—
"…It would've evolved mid-fight, wouldn't it?" I asked.
Elias didn't sugarcoat it.
"Yes."
One word.
Heavy.
"If that had happened," he continued, "you wouldn't be standing here."
Silence.
I swallowed.
"…Leo," Elias said, his voice lower now, "do you understand what you just did?"
I didn't answer.
Because now—
I did.
I didn't just defeat a Level 2 boss.
I killed something that was about to become far worse.
Heavy.
For the first time since I'd known him—
Elias Ward looked genuinely shaken.
"…That's not something a normal adventurer can get," he said slowly.
Even B-rank adventurers would hesitate to face a Level 2 boss alone. It required a team. Strategy. Experience.
Power.
And yet—
Here I was.
Holding proof.
"…Leo," his voice dropped, quieter now, "where did you get this?"
I hesitated.
This was the moment.
Tell him—
Or don't.
For a second, I said nothing.
Then—
I stepped closer.
And whispered.
I told him about the fight.
The Awakening.
The danger.
But not everything.
I didn't mention the Aether.
Something deep inside me warned against it.
That secret—
was mine.
When I finished—
Elias didn't speak right away.
His face had changed completely.
Shock.
Confusion.
And beneath it—
Worry.
"…You're serious?" he asked.
I nodded.
He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.
"I know your parents," he said quietly.
His eyes locked onto mine again—this time, heavier.
"And you…"
"You're still a kid. You haven't even graduated from the Awakener Academy."
His tone hardened.
"Do you realize how dangerous what you did was?"
I lowered my gaze.
"…Yeah."
A few seconds passed.
Then—
he sighed.
Not annoyed.
Not angry.
Just… tired.
"Listen to me carefully," Elias said.
"Don't tell anyone about this."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it carried authority.
"Not your friends. Not the guild. No one."
"I won't say anything either."
I nodded immediately.
"I understand."
Relief settled quietly in my chest.
…Good thing I came to him.
Elias wasn't just strong.
He understood this world.
If anyone could guide me—
it was him.
"Come," he said.
"I'll help you sell it."
We moved upstairs to the second floor.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The noise below faded into a distant murmur, replaced by a calmer, more controlled environment. This was where real transactions happened—where value was measured, and nothing was taken lightly.
The staff recognized Elias immediately.
No questions.
No hesitation.
Respect wasn't given—
It was earned.
And he had plenty of it.
After a careful inspection—
the verdict came.
Authentic.
High quality.
Level 3 boss core.
"This is worth a lot," Elias said.
Then he glanced at me.
"You sure you want to sell it?"
I didn't hesitate.
"I need the money."
He studied me for a moment…
Then nodded.
No arguments.
No lectures.
Just understanding.
The transaction was completed quickly.
A small pouch was placed in my hands.
"Count it," Elias said.
I opened it.
Inside—
Cash.
"…two thousand dollars."
For a moment—
I couldn't breathe.
That amount…
was more than I had ever held in my life.
My fingers tightened around the pouch.
This wasn't a dream.
This wasn't luck.
This was real.
Everything—
was real.
Elias watched me quietly.
Then he spoke.
"This is just the beginning, Leo."
I looked up.
His eyes were steady.
Serious.
"Be careful," he added.
"The world you're stepping into…"
He paused for a fraction of a second.
"…isn't forgiving."
I nodded.
But deep inside—
I already knew.
End of Chapter 13