Kim Jong-chol gave the address to the driver as he got into the car. It was a location not far from the Center.
He would need to enter Dungeons through the Portal Tablets at the Center once he graduated.
Being close to the Center was one of the conditions Kim Jong-chol had requested.
“We’re heading out now,” the driver said as he entered the coordinates into the navigation system and started the car.
The mid-sized sedan accelerated smoothly, leaving the Center and merging onto the road.
Kim Song-cheol sat in the back seat, watching the scenery flash by.
‘It’s already graduation.’
The fact that he was looking for a house made it feel real. It hadn’t been a long time, of course.
Kim Song-cheol had spent roughly nine months at the Training Academy. In university terms, that would be only two semesters, but it was more than enough time for him to get used to the place.
He remembered when he first met Kim Myung-joo. The image of the man bowing so low his head almost touched his knees while begging for help was still vivid in his mind.
Back then, he had secretly thought, ‘How much help could I really be?’
Now, nine months later, Kim Song-cheol was already changing the Republic of Korea. It felt surreal when he thought about it that way.
He had simply worked hard to learn Magic, but it felt like everything around him had transformed.
‘To think the country is buying me a house.’
He felt a bit bashful for no particular reason.
“We have arrived.”
Kim Jong-chol snapped out of his thoughts at the driver’s voice. Looking around, he saw a residential area.
It was his first time in this neighborhood. Through the window, he spotted Kim Myung-joo walking toward them, dressed in a suit.
“Thank you. You can head back now.”
Kim Song-cheol stepped out of the car, planning to take Kim Myung-joo’s car later.
“You’ve arrived? Haha,” Kim Myung-joo greeted him with a bright smile.
“Yes. Is there a house here?”
“Yes, it’s just around this corner.”
Kim Jong-chol looked around the area.
‘It’s an expensive neighborhood.’
It felt like the times he visited a wealthy friend’s neighborhood as a child. Similar-looking red brick houses were lined up, each with a spacious yard.
Kim Song-cheol followed Kim Myung-joo into an alley. A well-paved asphalt road awaited them.
It wasn’t a narrow alleyway, but a road wide enough for a car to pass through.
“It’s here.”
Kim Myung-joo stopped in front of a house.
“Pardon?”
Kim Song-cheol’s jaw dropped slightly as he examined the house. Even from the exterior visible over the walls, it looked extraordinary.
The lot itself was incredibly large, but that wasn’t what surprised him. It was the fact that there were three separate buildings on the property.
There was one main house and two annexes.
“Please, come in.”
Kim Myung-joo opened the gate and led Kim Song-cheol inside. A well-manicured garden greeted them.
The grass was damp as if it had just been watered, and beautiful shrubs showed off their forms along the edge of the garden.
Kim Jong-chol stepped inside, walking along a path made of smooth marble.
As expected, the three buildings immediately caught his eye. One was a completely detached annex, while the other was connected to the main house by a corridor encased in transparent glass.
It was quite different from a typical modern home.
Kim Song-cheol glanced back. Since the house was situated halfway up a small mountain, the view was unobstructed.
He could see past the neighborhood to the city center in the distance, and even the Center was visible.
“How much… does a place like this cost?”
Kim Jong-chol asked.
“Does the price matter? What matters is whether you like it. Haha.”
Kim Myung-joo guided Kim Song-cheol inside.
He seemed to have already finished his inspection, as his explanations were seamless.
“As a special feature, there is a movie theater in the basement. It’s a bit small, but it’s more than enough for watching films.”
The main house was impressive. It was a two-story structure with luxurious bedrooms, guest rooms, a kitchen, and bathrooms.
There was a swimming pool in the backyard, and one of the annexes had been turned into a fully equipped gym.
The other annex had the atmosphere of a vacation villa. It seemed like the perfect spot to host parties for acquaintances.
“So, do you like it?”
Kim Myung-joo asked as they returned to the yard after touring the entire property.
Kim Song-cheol looked back at him.
Kim Myung-joo had an expectant expression, as if asking, ‘Well? Isn’t it great?’
“Well…”
Kim Song-cheol hesitated for a moment before deciding to be honest about his feelings.
“Isn’t it too big? I’m going to be living alone anyway.”
“Ah, is that so?”
A flash of disappointment crossed Kim Myung-joo’s face, but it didn’t last long.
“I showed it to you first because it’s the best location… perhaps I should have saved it for last. Haha.”
“It’s really nice. It’s great, but… it’s just too big. My voice was echoing when I talked in the living room.”
“Ah, I see. Then there’s nothing for it. I have other houses prepared, of course. Places where your voice won’t echo. Haha.”
Kim Myung-joo had prepared a total of five houses. He had personally inspected dozens of candidates before narrowing them down to these five.
This house had been the first, and the second was a very spacious apartment.
It was a penthouse with a great view, but it had the disadvantage of being a bit far from the Center.
The third house was a large officetel. Its unique feature was that several Hunters lived there.
It was a place originally built specifically for Hunter residences.
The fourth house was a detached home. Neither the yard nor the house was particularly large.
Unlike the modern and sophisticated feel of the first house, the exterior had a quiet, cozy atmosphere. it was a single-story structure, about 40 pyeong in size.
It wasn’t very far from the Center either.
Kim Myung-joo had included this house on the list because he felt it somehow matched Kim Jong-chol’s vibe.
He had hesitated because it didn’t have many other advantages, but he had added it on an impulse.
However, Kim Jong-chol was immediately drawn to this fourth house.
“I like it here,” Kim Jong-chol said, sitting in a rocking chair in the yard.
Behind him was a small flower bed where well-tended plants showed off their elegant forms.
Kim Jong-chol looked quite at home sitting in the rocking chair by the graceful flower bed.
“You should still check the inside.”
“Shall I?”
Kim Song-cheol followed Kim Myung-joo into the house. It had a similar atmosphere to its modest exterior.
The interior had been remodeled with a comfortable and warm design.
Wooden furniture predominated, and it felt as though every piece belonged exactly where it was without trying to show off.
The lighting was calm, making it a perfect place for Magic training.
“It’s good. Let’s go with this one.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Why? Is something wrong?”
Kim Jong-chol asked, noticing Kim Myung-joo’s hesitation.
“It’s… relatively cheap. I was worried people might say I treated you poorly by giving you this place — “
“Ah. I’m the one living here, so it doesn’t matter. I’ll take this one.”
Kim Jong-chol cut him off and walked back out to the yard. The house was nice, but the quiet yard was the real highlight.
Kim Jong-chol leaned back in the rocking chair once more. He truly liked this house. He was grateful to Kim Myung-joo for finding it.
***
Kim Jong-chol returned to the Training Academy. He got out at the main gate and walked onto the grounds.
Under the midday sun, Swordsmen were training hard, drenched in sweat. Some were sparring in the center of the field, while others were doing physical conditioning on the track.
It was a familiar sight. Kim Jong-chol took them in one last time.
He could even see the drops of sweat sparkling in the sunlight as they fell onto the grass.
The grass would grow even greener using those drops of sweat as nourishment, just like the Hunters of the Training Academy.
Kim Song-cheol walked slowly along the path behind the field. Passing the field, he reached the gymnasium.
Next to it was Deok-am Hall, where the Swordsmen took their theory classes. The dormitory was right next to that.
Kim Jong-chol entered the dormitory. Now that the house was decided, all he had to do was move.
He only needed to pack his essential belongings; others would take care of the rest.
Kim Song-cheol took the elevator and habitually pressed the button for the 16th Floor. The elevator rose quickly.
*Ding.*
He reached the 16th Floor in no time. The doors opened, and Kim Jong-chol stepped out and turned the corner without a thought.
*Bam-bam-ba-bam!*
*Bam-bam-ba-bam, bam!*
Suddenly, loud music blared. Kim Jong-chol habitually started casting a spell, but the targets weren’t monsters.
“Congratulations! Congratulations!”
Beyond the corner were the trainees. There were Su-ji, Min-jeong, and Min-cheol, who had taken the first Magic class with him.
There was Team 25A — Oh Song-hui, Ser Gang-jin, and Mun Gi-jeong — whom he had entered his first Dungeon with.
And there was Team 24C — Kang Hye-seong, Lee Yong-chan, and Park Ha-su — who had shared his final Dungeon at the academy.
They were holding a handmade banner that read:
“Congratulations on Big Brother (Uncle) Kim Song-cheol’s Graduation!”
It was made of A4 paper taped together, and the fonts were all different, as if each person had written a part.
The letters were colorful, and some had drawings of flowers or a caricature of Kim Song-cheol next to them.
“Congratulations! Congratulations on your graduation!”
*Ba-ba-ba-ba, bam!!*
They were all looking at Kim Song-cheol with smiling faces. They seemed pleased that they had managed to startle him.
A Magic Circle had even briefly appeared before vanishing, so the operation could be called a success.
Kim Jong-chol looked at Kang Hye-seong with an ‘you got me’ expression.
There were two reasons Kim Song-cheol hadn’t sensed the trainees until he turned the corner.
First, he hadn’t expanded his senses like he did in a Dungeon, and second, Kang Hye-seong had deployed a Force Field to temporarily block the flow of Mana.
If Kim Song-cheol had expanded his senses, he wouldn’t have been fooled by something like that.
“You… using what I taught you for this…”
“Isn’t this exactly why you taught me, Big Brother? Haha,” Kang Hye-seong laughed and stepped aside.
From behind him, Oh Song-hui stepped forward holding a cake.
The cake was covered in candles, packed so tightly there wasn’t a single gap. There had to be at least 100 of them.
When Kang Hye-seong lit them with Fire magic, the candles flared up like a campfire.
“Guys, I’m 31. I’m not 100,” Kim Jong-chol said, pulling his head back slightly.
The flames were so intense he felt like his bangs might catch fire.
“This is how we do it for academy graduations. It’s a tradition, Big Brother,” said Park Ha-su, who was the most senior among the trainees gathered there.
The Training Academy didn’t traditionally have a graduation ceremony.
Usually, graduating meant filling vacancies in the Hunter ranks.
That meant someone had died, so held a formal graduation ceremony felt somewhat contradictory.
Because of this, a trainee’s graduation was usually celebrated by their peers.
They packed the cake with candles to wish the graduate a long life.
“So you want me to blow this out?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I’m not a Swordsman, so I don’t have to blow it out with my mouth, right?”
“Swordsmen put them out with Aura, Big Brother.”
“Is that so?”
Kim Jong-chol grinned and flicked his finger. An attack spell, *Wind Cutter*, appeared and swept over the top of the cake.
The *Wind Cutter* precisely brushed past only the tips of the candles. All the candles were extinguished in an instant.
“Whoo! Congratulations! On your graduation!”
“Congratulations, Big Brother!”
Surrounded by the congratulations of the trainees he had worked with, Kim Song-cheol officially graduated from the Training Academy.
He moved into his new home, and as he balanced his Dungeon raids with Magic training, time flew by.
Twenty-one days after graduating from the Training Academy, Kim Jong-chol felt that the time had come.