6:30 PM.
From the cliff of the rocky mountain in the center of the island, I watched Jang Ye.
Since her conversation with Shin Young-joon, she had been climbing steadily up the mountain.
I wasn’t sure what exactly they had talked about, but the severity on her face showed no sign of fading.
I looked up at the sky. The sunset had turned red, signaling the approach of night.
“It’s about time.”
I surveyed the surrounding drones. Fortunately, there weren’t too many in this area, and this spot was a blind spot in their field of view.
I opened a subspace and pulled out a pure white rod.
This rod was called the Communication Disruption Kit.
Also known as a Mini EMP, it was an S-rank, single-use special item that had cost me a hefty 20,000 points from the Point Shop.
By pressing the red button on its tip, it would release a special electromagnetic wave, temporarily disabling all communication devices within its range.
“Hoo.”
The time had come.
I took a deep breath and pressed the button on the Communication Disruption Kit.
Click.
As soon as I pressed it, a surge of special energy spread out, sweeping across the entire area.
Since it was harmless to humans, my body remained unaffected.
Zzzzt. Zzzzzzt.
And true to its Mini EMP name, its effect was immediate.
Every drone in sight wobbled, lost control, and began crashing to the ground.
The school was probably panicking over the sudden communication blackout, but that was none of my concern.
I turned my gaze back to Jang Ye.
She was visibly flustered as she noticed the drones shutting down.
Now, it begins.
I retrieved a Mana Elixir from my pocket and downed it in one gulp.
“Ugh.”
A distinct metallic taste filled my mouth as mana surged through my body.
Immediately after, I followed it up with a High-Grade Mana Concealment Potion that I had purchased in advance from the Point Shop.
With this, even if I used magic, no one would notice.
Sssss…
I manifested a sphere of light-attribute magic above my palm.
A bright, round orb illuminated the darkness.
Since my combat endurance was short, mistakes weren’t an option.
Moreover, Jang Ye’s mana rank was A.
I had to assassinate her as quickly and efficiently as possible.
“…I’m getting nervous.”
Woooooom!
The mana swirling around my hand roared intensely.
I stretched out my hand and took aim at Jang Ye.
I stilled my trembling fingertips and focused my mind.
Baaaaaang!
A deafening explosion tore through the air.
The force of the blast sent my body hurtling backward.
The magic sphere that had left my hand shot toward Jang Ye at blinding speed.
Fwoooosh!
BOOOOOM!
“Aaaargh!”
From within the black smoke and dust, Jang Ye’s agonized scream rang out.
The attack had hit its mark.
Without hesitation, I used Air Walk to dash toward her while activating Heart of the Great Nature.
[Activated: ‘Heart of the Great Nature.’]
[For 1 minute, mana recovery speed increases by 1,000%.]
Thump!
As I rushed toward Jang Ye, I conjured three smaller magic spells above my hand and unleashed them into the unseen smoke.
The magic guided the wind, sending strong gusts sweeping through the smoke.
As the wind cleared the dust, Jang Ye’s figure was revealed.
Half of her body had been obliterated, and she writhed in agony.
Thanks to the light attribute, her regeneration had slowed significantly.
I immediately prepared my next attack.
Woooong!
Once again, five magic spheres infused with light-attribute mana floated above my body.
“…Kh-hh!”
Jang Ye’s fierce eyes locked onto me.
Ignoring her gaze, I fired the magic spheres at her.
Shoooom!
They tore through the air at high speed.
At that moment, her eyes turned completely black as she entered a berserk state.
“Kraaaah!”
A violent surge of mana erupted from her body, consuming the spells I had launched.
I instinctively took a step back.
“As expected of an A-rank—she won’t go down easily.”
“…Kim Sunwoo.”
Her messy hair blazed red, and the remnants of her body slowly regenerated.
Had the light attribute not suppressed her healing, the situation could have turned troublesome.
If she had been able to regenerate at full capacity, she would have instantly restored herself to perfect condition, as was expected of an A-rank Demon.
It was a relief that I had the ability to wield light-attribute magic.
I had no intention of giving her time to heal.
Once again, I conjured light-attribute magic and launched another barrage.
Boom!
Boom!
BOOOOM!
“Kh-hh!”
Jang Ye desperately formed a mana barrier to withstand the attacks.
However, no matter how powerful an A-rank Demon was, one that had already triggered their regeneration was significantly weaker in terms of defense.
In other words—whoever landed the first strike would win.
Overwhelmed by my relentless assault, Jang Ye finally collapsed onto one knee.
Shortly after, her other knee buckled as well.
I retrieved a Beast Summoning Scroll from my subspace and summoned a snake.
The serpent swiftly coiled around Jang Ye, restraining her.
“Urgh!”
I approached her.
I compressed every ounce of mana I had into a single point.
A silvery magic sphere glowed atop my palm.
This was the end.
With Jang Ye completely restrained, all that remained was to crush her head.
“…Was it you?”
Jang Ye looked up at me and spoke.
It was a short question, but the raw fury in her voice was unmistakable.
“What are you talking about?”
“Kim Jinwoo.”
I looked at her with cold, emotionless eyes. Jang Ye, her eyes half-rolled back, glared at me.
“Now I finally get it. The reason you first approached me. Your strangely empty past. Your ability to see through demons. Your low ranking despite the skills you showed in the exam. And your eerily identical appearance.”
Muttering to herself, she bit down hard on her lip.
“You were Kim Jinwoo.”
“Yeah. I’m Kim Jinwoo.”
“You bastard… You fucking bastard…”
Tears began to well up in her black-stained eyes. Soon, those tears trailed down her cheeks.
I hadn’t let it show, but that sight shocked me.
A demon’s tears.
Not even the original work had ever touched on something like this.
“You were right in front of me…! And all this time, I didn’t even know…!”
Jang Ye kept muttering to herself as if in deep frustration.
“I won’t forgive you…! You killed my dad…! I’ll kill you!”
Looking at her like this, I almost felt pity.
Even demons have emotions, just like humans. They also have familial love.
Aside from the fact that they survive by eating humans, they really aren’t all that different.
But the truth remains that demons are a threat to humanity. She alone had killed dozens of people.
Just as she lost her father, She had made others lose their loved ones.
I couldn’t afford to be swayed by such trivial emotions. I hesitated for nothing.
Boom!
Another explosion of magic erupted. The demon’s black blood splattered onto the ground.
Jang Ye’s body dropped limply to the floor. The snake coiled around her turned to dust and vanished.
[You have single-handedly eliminated the A-rank villain, ‘Jang Ye.’]
[A small change in the story has been detected.]
[Causality has increased by 0.85.]
[You have successfully defeated an A-rank demon using light magic.]
[Light attribute proficiency has increased by 23%.]
With this, another incident was resolved.
I should’ve felt pleased, but I didn’t feel particularly good. Her final words lingered in my mind.
As I descended the mountain, the aftereffects of the mana elixir hit me—mana exhaustion.
My whole body collapsed, and my breathing became difficult.
I scanned my surroundings, looking for a place to rest. No, rather than rest, I needed to find somewhere to hide.
The sky had already turned dark. At night, monsters grew even more ferocious.
—Krrrr…
Just then, I heard a monster’s growl from somewhere nearby. It wasn’t far. Judging by the sound, it was likely a beast-type monster.
“… ”
A tense chill ran through my body.
Beast-type monsters are much more aggressive than other creatures. Always starving, they charge the moment they spot prey.
Could it be after me? A shiver ran down my spine as I moved cautiously.
If I made a sound, I was done for.
Rustle.
The sound of my foot stepping on fallen leaves echoed through the forest.
At the same time, rapid footsteps approached from somewhere.
—Krrraaang!
A small wolf with three eyes jumped out from the underbrush.
I instinctively swung my paralysis dagger at it.
Clang!
The wolf barely received a scratch before it backed off.
Now, it circled me warily, its movements cautious.
I lowered my stance, bracing for its next attack.
“Haah…”
This situation wasn’t looking good.
With no mana at my disposal, I had no chance of winning against this wolf.
My heart pounded wildly with anxiety.
Eighteen minutes.
That was how long I had to endure until the potion’s aftereffects wore off.
But could I really last that long?
Then, suddenly—
A strong surge of mana erupted nearby.
A white, glowing ice spear shot through the underbrush and pierced the wolf’s head cleanly.
—Kiiiieeeng!
“Oh? Senpai?”
Choi Seo-yoon stepped out from the bushes.
Her face was covered in dust, but her beauty remained unchanged.
No, at this moment, she looked more stunning than anyone else in the world.
“Oh, uh… Hi. Wow, I’m really glad to see you.”
“Hello. Ah, sorry! I didn’t realize you were hunting this monster, Senpai.”
It seemed she mistakenly thought I had been after the wolf.
“But since I killed it, I can’t give up the mana stone.”
She spoke firmly.
I nodded.
“…Yeah. You keep it.”
Seo-yoon smiled and conjured an ice blade in her hand. With practiced skill, she sliced open the wolf’s stomach and pulled out a small, glowing red mana stone.
“Hmm. It’s smaller than I expected.”
She murmured with slight disappointment, then stretched her body with a long sigh.
“Ahhh… So, Senpai, did you manage to collect many mana stones?”
“No, barely any.”
“Huh? What have you been doing all this time?”
“…Hunting monsters.”
“Oh, guess you got unlucky. You must’ve been desperate to find this wolf, and then I just snatched it… Sorry about that, but what can I do?”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
Hearing my response, Seo-yoon nodded.
“Alright then, I’ll be off. Good luck, Senpai!”
With that, she turned to leave.
“Hey, wait!”
I hurriedly called out to her.
“Hm?”
“Stay with me for just 20 minutes.”
“Why?”
“…I need someone to talk to.”
Seo-yoon frowned.
I had never seen her without her usual cheerful smile before.
“I’m busy, you know? Do you have any idea how hard it is to maintain my rank as the top first-year? If I lose my spot, my family will—ugh, never mind.”
“I’ll make you a deal.”
At my words, Seo-yoon blinked.
“A deal? You need a deal just to have someone to talk to?”
“Yeah, I do. I really do.”
Right now, with my mana depleted, I had no idea what danger might come next.
But Seo-yoon shook her head.
“Sorry. Nothing’s more important to me than staying at the top.”
“Six low-grade mana stones, one mid-grade.”
“…What?”
“This should be worth it, right?”
It would take at least three hours of searching the forest to collect that many.
Spending just 20 minutes with me would save her three hours of work.
Even she wouldn’t be able to refuse this offer.
Seo-yoon looked at me suspiciously before speaking.
“…I feel like I’m being scammed. Are you sure Jeon Min-gi didn’t put you up to this?”
Jeon Min-gi—the second-ranked first-year.
“No, he didn’t. Don’t worry.”
“Then pay me upfront, and I’ll do it.”
I nodded and pulled out seven mana stones from my pocket—everything I had.
Seo-yoon flashed a bright smile and cheerfully asked,
“So, what should we talk about?”
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