Deadline [2]

In the morning and afternoon, she worked as an assistant Professor.

In the evening….

"Here you go, Sir," Karina said, carefully placing a sizzling platter of pork belly on the table.

She worked at a humble samgyeopsal restaurant owned by a friend's uncle.

It was a humble place tucked in a quiet neighborhood, which was frequented by locals.

The pay wasn't great, but it was enough to help cover her father's medical bills and leave a little for her own expenses.

Karina Maeril, 23 years old, a graduate of Saint Laurent University.

And here she was, cleaning tables, restocking side dishes, and darting between customers, all while wearing a smile to hide her exhaustion.

"Miss, more kimchi, please!"

"Coming right up!" Karina replied cheerfully.

She rushed to the side station and grabbed a small dish of freshly fermented kimchi. 

Balancing the dish on her tray, she moved through the crowded restaurant, narrowly avoiding a collision with a child running between tables.

"Careful!" she said gently, smiling at the child's parents.

Her balance faltered slightly as she reached the table.

"Ah—"

Karina quickly steadied the tray, setting the dish down before it fell off her hands.

"Here you go."

"Thank you."

The evening continued. The restaurant was alive with laughter, and the sound of meat sizzling on the grills filled the air.

"Karina, table four needs more water!" One of the staff shouted from the back.

"Got it!"

She grabbed a jug of water quickly.

On her way to the table, she bumped into a server carrying a tray of soju bottles.

"Ah—! Sorry!"

"Karina, watch it!" the server exclaimed, managing to save the bottles from falling.

Karina bowed deeply. "Sorry! Sorry! I'll be more careful."

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, but she kept moving.

At table four, she poured the water with steady hands, careful not to spill.

"Thank you."

"Let me know if you need anything else!" Karina replied cheerfully.

Her voice was warm, even though her feet ached from the constant movement.

During a brief lull in service, Karina leaned against the counter, catching her breath.

"Long day?" the owner, Mr. Han, asked.

Karina nodded, then wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. "Not at all! Haha~"

"You're doing great, kid."

"Thank you, Mr. Han."

By the time the last customer left, it was close to midnight.

Karina grabbed a towel and started wiping down the greasy tables.

"You can leave that to me," a staff member offered.

"No, it's okay. I'll finish up."

When the restaurant was finally spotless, she clocked out, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Hoo…."

The cool night air greeted her as she stepped outside as she felt her body heavy with fatigue.

But as tired as she was, Karina couldn't afford to stop.

She had responsibilities.

Her father's hospital bills weren't going to pay themselves.

"I can do this," she whispered to herself.

The moment she returned home, Karina dropped her bag, took a shower, changed into more comfortable clothes, and sat down at her modest desk.

Stacks of receipts, hospital invoices, and a notebook lay waiting for her.

She opened the notebook and began jotting down with her pen as she calculated the past month's expenses

[∎ Rent: 500,000 Rend.]

[∎ Utilities: 100,000 Rend.]

[∎ Hospital bills: 50,000 Rend.]

[∎ Groceries: 300,000 Rend.]

[∎ Transportation: 50,000 Rend.]

Her hand paused briefly.

"...."

There wasn't much room in her budget, and the thought of it made her chest tighten.

Her first paycheck from the university wouldn't come until next month.

For now, she relied solely on her evening job.

Karina sighed, moving on to the income column.

[∎ Samgyeopsal Salary: 1,500,000 Rend.]

[∎ Estimated Tips: 100,000 Rend.]

[∎ Additional: None.]

Her pen tapped against the notebook as she reviewed the numbers.

After deducting her expenses, she scribbled the remaining amount at the bottom of the page.

[∎ 600,000 Rend.]

She leaned back in her chair, staring at the number.

It wasn't a lot.

But it was enough to get by this month, especially if she continued skipping meals.

Her stomach growled softly at the thought.

Karina pressed a hand to her abdomen, shaking her head.

"I can wait until dinner tomorrow," she muttered, trying to convince herself.

She set the notebook aside, stacking it neatly with the rest of her papers.

Then, her gaze shifted to a smaller pile on the desk.

It was her own notes from Professor Vanitas's lectures.

Being an assistant gave her access to lessons and resources she hadn't encountered during her time at Saint Laurent University.

Silver University Tower was on an entirely different level.

Karina grabbed her notebook and pen again, flipping to a fresh page.

Flip— Flip—

She wrote down the title of today's lecture: Mana Synchronization Across Essence Types.

Her handwriting was neat but swift as she jotted down the core concepts Vanitas had discussed.

During his lectures, she had discreetly taken notes for herself.

Not out of disobedience, but out of a hunger to learn.

Vanitas's teaching style was unique.

While his lectures were clear and concise, he had a way of explaining concepts in depth, introducing nuances she had never learned before.

Karina smiled faintly, recalling one of his diagrams.

It was a simple illustration on the board, but it had made a previously difficult concept crystal clear.

"Synchronization isn't about brute force," she murmured, repeating his words as she wrote. "It's about balance, control, and clarity."

Flip—

Karina flipped to another page, scribbling her own questions and observations.

What made Professor Vanitas so efficient in explaining concepts?

Was it his knowledge? His experience? Or perhaps the way he structured his lessons?

She couldn't help but admire his methods.

If she could absorb even a fraction of his expertise, it would elevate her understanding of magic.

"Hoo…."

Karina paused, rubbing her tired eyes.

Her hand ached from writing, but she remained persistent.

"I'm lucky," she admitted softly.

Not every assistant got this opportunity.

She returned to her notes, writing down key terms Vanitas had emphasized during the day.

[∎ Essence Harmony: The alignment of mana flows between opposing essences.]

[∎ Channeling Precision: The ability to direct mana without excess leakage or disruption.]

.

.

So on and so forth.

Her pen paused as a thought crossed her mind.

His control over mana synchronization wasn't just theoretical. It was evident in every spell he demonstrated.

Her eyelids grew heavy as the clock ticked closer to 2:00 A.M.

But Karina pressed on, flipping to another page.

This one contained her personal reflections.

[∎ Areas to Improve:

∎ Better understanding of Zephyr essence.

∎ Practice mana flow exercises more frequently.

∎ Study synchronization techniques for Aqua and Pyro.]

Her notes trailed off as fatigue finally caught up with her.

Karina set down her pen, closing her notebook with a tired sigh.

"I'll review more tomorrow," she murmured, standing and stretching.

As she climbed into bed, her thoughts drifted to the day's challenges.

She was exhausted, but there was a sense of fulfillment in her work and studies.

And as her eyes closed, Karina held onto one thought.

"I can do this."

However, the next day.

"Miss Maeril, we're sorry, but we need an advance on the expenses."

"...."

Karina froze at the nurse's words, gripping the strap of her bag tightly.

"An advance?" she asked.

The nurse nodded.

"Yes, due to your father's condition, we've had to increase the dosage of his medications. Additionally, his upcoming treatment requires more specialized equipment. The hospital cannot proceed without the necessary payment."

"...."

Karina's heart sank.

She had thoroughly planned her finances, stretching every Rend to its absolute limit.

But this?

She hadn't accounted for an advance.

"....H–How much are we talking about?" Karina asked hesitantly.

The nurse glanced at the clipboard in her hands.

"450,000 Rend."

Karina felt her knees weaken.

450,000 Rend!?

She barely had 600,000 Rend left for the month after all her budgeting.

Even if she paid the advance, she would be left with nothing for rent, transportation, or food.

"Isn't there…. anything you can do?" Karina pleaded, her voice trembling.

The nurse's expression softened, but she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Miss Maeril, but these costs are unavoidable. The hospital has already been lenient by allowing delayed payments for the previous treatments."

"...."

Karina swallowed hard.

Her father's condition was her top priority. She couldn't let him suffer or risk his treatment being postponed.

But where would she even find the extra 450,000 Rend?

She stepped out of the hospital.

"I could ask the restaurant for an advance," she muttered to herself.

But even as she said it, she knew it wasn't a viable option.

The restaurant barely earned enough to cover its own expenses, let alone offer advances to employees.

Her next thought was the university.

"Could I ask for an advance on my first paycheck?"

It was a long shot.

Still, she had to try.

She was heading to the university for work anyway.

Karina arrived at the university with a heavy heart.

The administration office wasn't far from her usual route to the lecture hall.

As she stood before the office door, her hand hovered over the doorknob.

"...."

Her pulse quickened.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered, taking a steadying breath. "I just need to ask."

She opened the door and stepped inside.

The receptionist greeted her with a polite smile. "Miss Maeril, how can I help you?"

Karina hesitated, clutching her bag tighter.

"I…. I'd like to request an advance on my paycheck," she said.

The receptionist's smile faltered.

"I'm sorry, Miss Maeril, but university policy prohibits advances for new hires. Salaries are only disbursed at the end of the month."

Karina's heart grew heavy, causing her to smile a rather weak smile.

"....I understand. Thank you."

Her shoulders slumped as she left the office.

The rejection felt like another weight added to her burden.

She walked autonomously toward the lecture hall, though her thoughts swirled.

"Think, Karina. There has to be another way."

Her father's health depended on her.

The words from the nurse lingered in her mind.

—We can't proceed without the payment.

Her chest tightened.

Not long after, she arrived at the lecture hall.

As she prepared the materials for the day's lecture, her hands trembled slightly.

"Karina?"

Vanitas's cold voice reached her ears, startling her.