Dark Moonlit Night
A massive explosion echoed through the air. Powerful waves of mana rippled around me, and agonized screams pierced my ears.
“Arghhh!”
Before me, a man writhed in pain. Blood dripped from his shoulder—not human red, but black. The man before me was a demonkin.
“Who the hell are you?!”
He shouted at me, but I didn’t answer. Instead, I conjured a new spell with one hand and stepped closer.
“Urgh! How do you know I’m a demonkin?!”
He looked up at me, eyes filled with alarm. But there was no need to respond.
I released my spell.
Boom!
[You have defeated B-rank villain ‘Cheonseok.’]
[Causality rate increased by 0.1.]
[You have won the battle against your target!]
[Victory’s Reward: Strength +0.4, Magic +0.4, Magic Control Proficiency +3%, Light Attribute Proficiency +8%.]
“Phew.”
I wiped the sweat off my forehead. Another villain taken care of. The stat boosts from the victory were a nice bonus.
By now, I had grown enough that I no longer felt mana depletion. Even without using the Heart of Nature, a single mana elixir was enough to handle a B-rank villain. I must have improved quite a bit over the past few months.
[You have achieved the ‘Bounty Hunter’ title.]
[Reward: 2,000 points.]
[You have achieved the ‘Enforcer of Justice’ title.]
[Reward: 2,000 points.]
“Not bad.”
Dismissing the message windows, I pulled out my smartphone and checked the news. Sure enough, articles about ‘Kim Jinwoo,’ the mage who had been taking down criminals and demon kin, were everywhere.
Two weeks into summer vacation, I had spent most of my time hunting villains.
I did it for points, for fame, and to increase my causality rate. My actions resulted in steady growth.
Of course, I couldn’t yet handle the major villains crucial to the story—they were still beyond my abilities. So, I focused on eliminating small-time criminals and low-tier villains.
As a result, ‘Kim Jinwoo’ had gained considerable fame. I even had strangers occasionally recognizing me.
The only downside was that my frequent appearances in the news had made me a little too well-known. I wasn’t earning as many points as before.
A bit unfortunate, but I supposed it was inevitable as people grew used to my presence.
“There he is!”
A sudden voice came from behind.
The sound of multiple hurried footsteps followed, and then—
“Freeze!”
A surge of mana radiated from behind me. They had already conjured spells, aiming them in my direction.
Raising both hands, I signaled that I had no hostile intentions.
“The mana surge just now—was that you?”
I heard another voice from behind.
Judging by the situation, they were probably Special Task Force agents. They must have detected the mana fluctuations from my fight and rushed here.
“Yes, that’s correct,” I answered. “I haven’t committed any crimes. I was engaged in battle with the demonkin lying before you.”
“…Demonkin?”
One of them spoke in a doubtful tone.
“Check the body.”
“Understood!”
Two agents rushed forward to examine the corpse.
I remained still, hands raised.
“Team Leader! He’s right! It’s a demonkin!”
“…Damn it.”
I heard the sound of someone clicking their tongue behind me.
“Can I lower my hands now?” I asked.
“Ah, of course!”
Lowering my hands, I turned to face them. One of the men observing me suddenly bowed his head slightly.
It was a familiar face—one I had grown used to seeing over the past few days.
A slim man in his mid-thirties.
The man looked at me and spoke.
“I thought your back looked familiar… Mage Kim Jinwoo, is that you?”
“Team Leader Shin. Another busy day for you, I see.”
“Haha, it’s nothing. Still, another demonkin case… That makes five in just two weeks, doesn’t it?”
“Something like that.”
To be precise, two demonkin and three wanted criminals.
Thanks to that, I had been receiving a lot of attention. It wasn’t common for an individual, not part of the Special Task Force, to solve so many criminal cases in such a short time.
“You work hard, mage. But how do you keep finding these demonkin so easily? One might think you have a way to identify them.”
For a brief moment, I felt a prick of unease.
He wasn’t wrong.
I did have a way to identify demonkin.
But I remained calm, offering him a relaxed smile.
“After getting tangled in so many demonkin-related cases, I think they’ve started targeting me specifically out of revenge.”
“Ah! That makes sense. You’ll need to be extra careful, then.”
“Of course. Getting caught off guard and killed wouldn’t be ideal for me, after all.”
I smiled lightly.
Then, glancing at my wristwatch, I said—
“Well, if there’s nothing else, may I go? I have an important appointment to keep.”
Ding-a-ling.
Somewhere in Seoul, inside a small, luxurious bar.
The door to a private room opened, and a woman stepped inside.
I rose from my seat, greeting my companion for the evening.
“Ms. Han Se-yeon.”
“Sorry, I was a little late. Work got busy.”
“It’s fine. Please, have a seat.”
Han Se-yeon sat across from me and lightly wiped the sweat off her forehead.
“Ugh, the air conditioning feels great. It’s way too hot outside.”
“They say it’s the worst heatwave in ten years.”
“Right? I heard even mages are taking breaks because of the heat.”
“It’s not just the mages. Even monsters in the fields are hiding from the heat, not showing themselves.”
“Oh, yeah, I heard about that.”
Han Se-yeon chuckled, then gave me a curious look.
“I heard you solved another case today?”
She must be referring to the fight with the demonic human.
The way rumors spread in this industry is always astonishing.
“Yeah, I suppose so.”
At my indifferent response, Han Se-yeon simply nodded.
“You work hard. Aren’t you overdoing it?”
“I’m fine.”
I filled my glass with liquor, then poured some into Han Se-yeon’s as well.
She stared at the glass for a moment before pulling something out from inside her coat and handing it to me.
“Here, take it.”
It was a card envelope, elegantly decorated with golden patterns.
“Your invitation to the ‘Night of Pioneers,’ as requested.”
“Ah, thank you.”
The Night of Pioneers—a high-profile social event.
It was the stage for the biggest incident that would occur this summer break.
That night, two major events would take place: the Night of Pioneers, led by Han Se-jin, and the Underground Auction, hosted by Ha-ryeong.
Originally, these were separate affairs. However, since Han Se-jin frequently associated with demonkins, he took an interest in Ha-ryeong’s auction and decided to collaborate with him.
Of course, unlike the Night of Pioneers, which was an official event, the Underground Auction would be conducted in complete secrecy due to its illegal nature.
“And like I mentioned before, you’ll need to enter the underground event with me.”
“Yes, I’m aware. I’ll be counting on you again.”
Han Se-yeon nodded before fixing her gaze on me.
“So… what are you scheming?”
“What do you mean?”
“Every time you set something in motion, an incident follows. I just can’t help but wonder what trouble you’re stirring up this time.”
“I’m just going to the auction to bid. No other reason.”
“Tch.”
Han Se-yeon pouted slightly before quietly sipping her drink. Then, she spoke.
“Thank you.”
Her sudden gratitude made me look at her.
“For what?”
“You told me to drop the dungeon business. If it weren’t for you, my already weak standing in the Han family would’ve suffered even more.”
“Ah.”
It had been a casual remark on my part, but for Han Se-yeon, it must have been a crucial decision.
Unlike Han Se-jin, who had a firm foothold in the company, her position within the group was tenuous, meaning every success mattered.
“And what about Vice President Han Se-jin?”
“What else? He got chewed out by our father. I have no idea how a man bedridden with illness can still yell so loudly. Seriously.”
I smirked.
Han Se-yeon’s father, Chairman Han Dae-hyeon.
A ruthless and cold-blooded leader, fitting of the head of the Han family.
But now, he was confined to his sickbed.
His time was running out.
The moment Han Dae-hyeon passed away, the battle for succession in the Han Group would begin in earnest.
“So now, my brother is staking everything on the upcoming Night of Pioneers. It’s just a social event, but it’s about Han Group’s image.”
“Of course. With so many important people attending, they have to be extra cautious. And this year’s event is supposed to be the biggest in history, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. He’s determined to make it a success. If he fails, he says he won’t be able to face our father.”
I listened to Han Se-yeon’s words as I took a sip of my drink.
The rich blend of sweetness and bitterness filled my mouth, lifting my mood.
Top-shelf liquor really does taste different.
“Ms. Han Se-yeon, congratulations in advance.”
“Huh?”
She looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“This year’s Night of Pioneers… it’s going to be a complete disaster.”
“…What?”
After parting ways with Kim Jinwoo, Han Se-yeon returned home.
Her steps were sluggish, likely due to the lingering effects of the alcohol.
She wasn’t the type to drink so freely in front of others, but something about today had made her more relaxed.
Come to think of it, the same thing happened at Kim Jinwoo’s housewarming party.
Why is it that I keep letting my guard down around him?
“Huuh….”
Han Se-yeon collapsed onto the couch.
Staring blankly at the dark TV screen, she replayed their conversation in her head.
— This year’s Night of Pioneers… it’s going to be a complete disaster.
— …What? A disaster?
— Yes. And not just any disaster—a massive one. For you, Ms. Han Se-yeon, it’s a great opportunity. You should know exactly how to use this information.
“…….”
Han Se-yeon fell deep into thought.
Use this information…
She understood exactly what he meant.
He wanted her to oppose the event’s execution in front of key figures in Han Group.
If the event proceeded and failed as spectacularly as Kim Jinwoo suggested, her foresight would be acknowledged, elevating her standing within the company.
That would significantly strengthen her position in Han Group.
But she hesitated.
Following Kim Jinwoo’s advice always came with risks—it was a gamble.
Eventually, she made up her mind.
Once again, she would trust him.
After all, he had never been wrong before.
Han Se-yeon grabbed her smartphone and dialed a number.
Beep, beep, beep…
The dial tone rang.
By now, the effects of the alcohol had long since faded.
— What is it? You never call first.
A deep, authoritative voice came through the speaker.
Han Se-yeon smiled slightly and opened her mouth.
“Father, there’s something I need to tell you.”
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