Chapter 15 – Reality
The sparring room fell silent.
Only the sound of my breathing remained.
Heavy.
Uneven.
Elias stood a few steps away, watching me quietly.
At first—
He hadn't taken me seriously.
My movements were rough.
Unrefined.
Almost sloppy.
But as the fight went on…
Something changed.
Each exchange became sharper.
Faster.
More precise.
And I was improving—
Mid-fight.
Elias narrowed his eyes slightly.
He had seen countless adventurers before.
Talented ones.
Hardworking ones.
Even geniuses.
But this—
"…This is different."
My growth wasn't gradual.
It was explosive.
Every exchange made me better.
Every mistake—
Corrected almost instantly.
"…Like a prodigy," Elias muttered under his breath.
For someone my age…
For someone with almost no real combat experience…
That was absurd.
Elias exhaled slowly.
"…He has a future."
Meanwhile—
I stood there, catching my breath.
"…That was intense."
My arms ached.
My body felt heavy.
But despite everything—
I felt good.
No—
More than that.
Excited.
"…I'm getting stronger."
I could feel it clearly now.
Every fight.
Every movement.
Every exchange—
I was improving.
Then—
It clicked.
"…Ah."
So this was it.
"Aether…"
I acquire skills.
They level up.
And not just normally—
But abnormally fast.
"…Why?"
I didn't know.
But right now—
I didn't care.
A smile slowly formed on my face.
I was happy.
Really happy.
A memory surfaced.
Back then…
During sparring at school.
Joren.
I remembered the frustration.
The anger.
The helplessness.
I couldn't even land a single hit.
I wanted to fight back—
But I couldn't do anything.
So I endured it.
Ignored it.
Because I had no choice.
But now—
"…I can fight back."
I lifted my head and looked at Elias.
"Can I become an adventurer?"
The question came out naturally.
Elias looked at me for a moment.
Then—
He nodded.
"You're more than qualified."
My eyes widened slightly.
"…Really?"
He nodded again.
"But there's still a process."
I straightened.
"It will take around two weeks for you to receive your adventurer card."
I nodded.
Then—
His expression turned serious.
"And remember this," he said.
"We only have one life."
His eyes locked onto mine.
"If you think you're losing…"
"…or if the monster is too much for you—"
"Run."
"Don't hesitate."
I nodded firmly.
"I understand."
We left the sparring room together.
The noise of the inn returned as we stepped outside.
Then Elias glanced at me.
"How's your mother?"
"…I'm here to buy medicine for her."
"What symptoms?"
I explained everything.
Her condition.
Her weakness.
The changes in her body.
Elias listened carefully.
Then his expression shifted slightly.
"…I see."
"You know it?" I asked.
He nodded.
"That condition is becoming common lately."
"…Common?"
"It's related to mana," he said.
"The environment is changing. Mana density is increasing."
I frowned.
"And the human body…"
Elias continued,
"…is trying to adapt."
"…Adapt?"
"Not everyone can handle it," he said.
"Some get sick before they stabilize."
I clenched my fists slightly.
"…So that's why."
Elias glanced at my clothes.
"They're still fine."
I looked down.
No tears.
No damage.
But the color—
Had faded.
Old.
Worn out.
"…I should buy new ones."
Not just for me.
For my mother.
For my sister.
But—
"…Later."
Medicine comes first.
Clothes weren't even sold in this area anyway.
"I'll go with you," Elias said.
"…You don't have to."
"I know."
"But I will."
He took a day off.
We headed to a nearby medicine shop.
The moment I stepped inside—
I froze.
There were so many items.
Shelves filled with potions and medicine.
Different types.
Different effects.
Recovery.
Enhancement.
Support.
Everything.
Elias pointed at a specific section.
"That's what you need."
I nodded.
Then—
A clerk approached us.
A woman.
Around 5'7 in height.
Brown hair tied neatly behind her back.
"Elias?" she said, recognizing him.
"Cinna," he replied.
They knew each other.
I turned back to the medicine—
Then—
My eyes widened.
"…Expensive."
One tablet—
5 dollars.
"…What?"
Just earlier—
I thought I had a lot of money.
Two thousand dollars.
It felt big.
More than enough.
But now—
It didn't feel like enough.
Not even close.
I hesitated.
Just for a moment.
Then—
"I'll take 50."
Cinna nodded and prepared the items.
As I paid—
My money dropped fast.
Just like that.
I stared at what remained in my hand.
"…So this is reality."
Strength alone wasn't enough.
Money mattered.
Resources mattered.
Everything mattered.
I clenched my fist.
"…I need to earn more."
Not just for me.
But for my family.
And this time—
I had the power to do it.
End of Chapter 15
A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you like the story, please rate it and continue supporting the novel—it truly motivates me to keep improving and writing more!