Statement

'Let's grab the mana crystals from the Goblin Champions and leave this place.'

After more than five hours of hunting, Yasuo had finally cleared the mutated portal.

With the collected mana crystals in hand, he had arrived at the returning portal. Now at long last, Yasuo stepped through the portal back to earth.

"Someone is coming out! He is alone!"

"The portal is closing! It has been cleared!"

When Yasuo came out of the portal, he was overwhelmed. A huge blockade was set out around the portal, with the military and awakeners surrounding it.

Yasuo didn't know what was going on, but he had an inkling that it had something to do with the stronger goblins that were in the portal.

Yasuo tried to figure out exactly what was going on, but there were so many people screaming that Yasuo couldn't really make out what anyone was saying.

Suddenly there was one voice that sounded clear as day.

"Yasuo!"

As Yasuo looked in the direction of the person that called his name, he sees someone running towards him. On second look, it was someone he recognized…. It was Hana Lee.

"It must have been scary, but it is all okay now." She said while embracing Yasuo and trying to comfort him.

Yasuo felt happy that she tried to comfort him, but than suddenly had a realisation.

'Wait, I still have my mask on right?'

Yasuo quickly reached out to his face to confirm whether he still had his mask on.

'I still have my mask on… So why does she know that it is me?'

"Uhm, ma'am. I think you've got the wrong person. My name is blank as you can see on my awakeners ID." Said Yasuo, who deepened his voice as he was trying to hide his identity.

Hana Lee chuckled and grabbed Yasuo's hand. "The Vulcan guild will investigate this incident further."

Seeing that no one had complaints about her having said that, she quickly walks away with Yasuo and they enter her car.

"No one is around anymore Yasuo, you can take your mask off now." Said Hana Lee with a worried expression on her face.

Yasuo was now sure that she knew it was him, but he still made one last attempt at hiding his identity. "Sorry miss, I think you're mistaking me for someone else."

Hana Lee stared at Yasuo for a few seconds, which gave him a little bit of hope that she wasn't 100% sure.

Reaching her hand towards Yasuo, she quickly takes off Yasuo's mask without him even having the chance to react.

"I think I have the right person though." Hana Lee said in a playful way as she giggled at Yasuo.

Not having wanted to expose his identity as an awakener, Yasuo looked at Hana Lee with a serious expression, but couldn't hold it up for long. Not being able to be mad at Hana Lee, Yasuo became curious instead.

"How did you know it was me, I have an anonymous awakener ID and I had my mask on?" Yasuo was waiting in anticipation for an answer as he genuinely didn't understand.

Hana Lee had a simple explanation for this. "Well, do you remember the time you were recovering in the Vulcan guild building? At that time you gave us your fingerprint when you were discharged."

"Damn, I knew having to give my fingerprint would lead to trouble." Yasuo said as he was pouting.

After only a few minutes, they had arrived at the Vulcan guild and Hana Lee took Yasuo back to the room he stayed in last time.

"Before I start asking you questions about what happened, a healer will examine your body to check if nothing is broken or anything." Said Hana Lee as she placed Yasuo on a bed.

As Yasuo didn't get hit even once, he didn't see the need for it. "A nurse doesn't have to examine my body, I wasn't injured." Yasuo said.

Hana Lee looked at Yasuo and saw that he would be stubborn about this. "Okay fine, I won't get a nurse."

Yasuo felt relieved as a healer might have discovered his runes if they had an examining skill.

"But that doesn't mean that I won't check." Said Hana Lee with a devious expression on her face.

As soon as she finished her sentence, Hana Lee removed Yasuo's shirt and examined his body, but she didn't find any injuries.

"I told you I didn't have any injuries." Yasuo said with a blushed expression as he felt embarrassed about Hana Lee examining his body.

Having concluded that Yasuo didn't have any injuries and didn't need to go to the hospital, Hana Lee began questioning Yasuo.

"Please tell me everything that happened." Hana Lee said, who had a serious expression on her face.

Not being able to get out of telling Hana Lee what happened, Yasuo begins telling her almost everything, just leaving out a few things about his abilities.

While Yasuo was telling his story Hana Lee looked surprised at a lot of things that Yasuo said, but she never interrupted him and let him finish his story before she said anything.

With Yasuo having finished explaining everything that happened, Hana Lee collected her thoughts, and began asking Yasuo questions.

"First question. You said you entered the portal on your own without anyone else?" She asked calmly.

Yasuo replied shortly. "Yes."

Apparently that was the wrong answer as she flicked her finger on Yasuo's forehead.

Yasuo was startled by what just happened. It didn't hurt, but he didn't know why she did that. And before Yasuo got the chance to ask, Hana Lee continued asking questions.

"Second question. Why didn't you bring any gear into the portal?"

An awakener can only bring in armour specifically for their class into portals, so Yasuo can't bring in any gear as there are none for rune related classes. But Yasuo didn't want to reveal his class, so he quickly thought of an excuse.

"Because I don't have the money for that?" Yasuo said as that was the only thing that he could come up with.

Apparently that was the wrong answer again as she flicked Yasuo's forehead on the same spot.

'Okay, I can't argue with that one, that was a bad answer. But why am I even getting flicked in the first place..?'

"Third question. What kind of monsters were in the portal?" Hana Lee asked, being curious about this the most.

'Finally a question I can tell the truth about that won't be seen as wrong.' Yasuo thought.

"The two main monsters were goblin mages and goblin warriors. There were also three Goblin Champions." Said Yasuo confidently as he didn't need to lie about this.

But after Yasuo said this, he got flicked once again.

"Why are you flicking me?" Yasuo finally asked, now really not knowing what could possibly wrong in the answer he gave her.

Hana Lee looked at Yasuo, but didn't give an answer immediately as she didn't really have a reason. "That last one was for going into a dangerous portal."

Yasuo was flabbergasted hearing the reason she flicked him, but knowing that he couldn't win if he started an argument, he just accepted it.

Expecting more questions, Yasuo waited patiently for Hana Lee to say something, but she didn't. And for a few minutes they just sat in silence.

'She must be thinking of more questions to ask me about what happened in the portal.' Is what Yasuo thought as he looked at Hana Lee, who was lost in thought.

Snapping out of thought, Hana Lee asked another question.

"Do you want to join the national academy?"

Completely bewildered and not expecting a question like that, Yasuo started choking on the water he was drinking while Hana Lee asked him the question.

"WHAT?!!" Blurted Yasuo as he didn't know how to react.

With hopeful eyes Hana Lee looked at Yasuo thinking that he would be overjoyed at the chance of being able to join the national academy.

But unlike what Hana Lee was expecting Yasuo looked sad, which puzzled Hana Lee.

"Do you not want to go the national academy?" Hana Lee asked with pure curiosity.

Yasuo didn't reply to Hana Lee and didn't change his expression.

Yasuo was thinking that the national academy wouldn't be the best place for him to get stronger and thought that he wouldn't be allowed to go into portals anymore as he is still a minor.

Thinking that Yasuo might not know about the academy Hana Lee started explaining all the positives things about joining the academy, trying to appeal to Yasuo.

"In the academy you will be with other kids between the ages of sixteen and twenty years old, so you might be able to make some friends your age. You will be thought by awakeners almost like a regular school and there will be combat classes, duels between students and trips into portals. Oh yeah, there is also an advanced training hall and even a library where different achievements are recorded."

After every sentence that Hana Lee spoke Yasuo's expression became brighter, making his previous sad expression disappear. All the doubts that Yasuo previously had were answered.

Not only would he be able to continue to fight monsters, but he would also be able to get stronger with all the resources at the academy. On top of that, Yasuo would also be in a similar environment as a school, which he had longed for ever since he dropped out.

Now looking up at Hana Lee for the first time, he had a sparkling expression on his face.

"I want to join the national academy!' He said with passion.

Finally seeing Yasuo with a positive expression again made Hana Lee happy.

"Okay, I will arrange that." Said Hana Lee with a smile on her face. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot to say that the academy will begin in two days."

Yasuo was left speechless for a few seconds trying to process what Hana Lee just told him, but as he couldn't keep up with his thoughts, he could only come up with one response:

"WHAT?!!"