“Eun-seong? It’s been almost ten years. What happened to your arm? Did you get injured?”
“…Why are you here?”
Baek Eun-seong asked in a wary tone.
“That’s what I should be asking. Why are you guys here?”
“…Well…”
At that moment, Choi Ilhyeon let out a small laugh.
“I think I can guess why. I bet you came after reading Jin Cheonwoo’s research journal.”
“…”
“That research? I worked on it with him back when we were students. Which means… your target is the ‘Heart of the Beast,’ isn’t it?”
The entire Jaun team looked flustered, their plans exposed in an instant.
As expected of Choi Ilhyeon.
That man knew far too much.
Maybe even more than the Mage Association itself.
After all, he was a long time friend of their leader, Jin Cheonwoo.
“Are you after the Heart of the Beast too?”
Bert glared at Choi Ilhyeon as she spoke.
“And if I am?”
“…Then we’ll have to kill you.”
A smirk formed on Choi Ilhyeon’s lips at those words. He calmly stroked his chin.
“One, two, three, four, five, six… Where are the rest of your people? Six of you won’t be enough.”
“We’ll see about that!”
Crackle!
A lightning-charged spear formed in Bert’s hand and shot toward Choi Ilhyeon—as fast as lightning striking from the sky.
But without even moving to dodge, Choi Ilhyeon blocked it by unfolding a translucent magical barrier.
Boom!
The lightning’s shockwave made the rain-soaked ground tremble.
Seeing her attack blocked so easily, Bert clenched her teeth. She could faintly sense just how powerful Choi Ilhyeon was from that single defense.
This time, Baek Eun-seong gripped his polearm tightly and charged forward.
Choi Ilhyeon calmly twisted his body, dodging Baek Eun-seong’s attack.
But Eun-seong didn’t stop. He continued to attack, spinning and stabbing with speed.
Yet his attacks weren’t as sharp as before—because of his prosthetic left arm.
Choi Ilhyeon seized the opening and shoved a fireball into Eun-seong’s abdomen.
Fwoosh!
“Argh!”
Baek Eun-seong’s body lifted off the ground and was thrown backward.
Even with his defensive aura reinforced, the pain was intense.
“Damn it! If only my arm was fine…!”
Eun-seong shouted in frustration.
A tense standoff resumed.
Jaun didn’t make the first move.
And Choi Ilhyeon, seeing he was outnumbered, didn’t rush either—he observed calmly.
“Bert. What are we doing? Are we really going to keep fighting him?”
Natasha asked, her voice filled with concern.
“What else can we do? We need the Heart of the Beast for our future plans.”
“Still, fighting that guy right now is reckless. You know that too.”
“…Yeah, I do.”
They had underestimated Choi Ilhyeon’s power—likely because he had lived secluded.
But Jaun knew better—thanks to their leader, Jin Cheonwoo.
They knew how powerful he truly was. How many hidden abilities he still kept secret.
Then it happened.
Ding-ling~
A ringtone rang out. Choi Ilhyeon blinked and pulled a magical communicator from his pocket.
“Hold on. Timeout.”
“…”
“Yeah, hello?”
Choi Ilhyeon casually began a call. The Jaun members stared in disbelief at the absurd situation.
“Oh~ yeah? You found it? Okay. I’ll head over. Yep. Got it.”
Click. He ended the call.
“Ah, sorry. I gotta go.”
“…Go? Weren’t you after the Heart of the Beast?”
“Not really. I mean, it’s tempting, but I don’t exactly need it right now.”
Jaun briefly looked puzzled at his words.
“…Then why did you come to the Rain Island?”
“You don’t need to know. Anyway, I’m busy. Take care.”
And with that, Choi Ilhyeon disappeared somewhere.
The Jaun group stood there, staring blankly at the spot where he had just stood, full of questions.
“Hey. Wasn’t Choi Ilhyeon always a loner?”
“Yeah… did he find someone to work with?”
Thursday, after school.
The special class had ended. With finals just around the corner, the class ended 30 minutes earlier than usual out of consideration for the students.
“That’s all for today’s class. You all did well.”
“Okay~”
The students quickly dispersed. Lee Seo-jun, who sat in front of me, stretched out to ease the stiffness in his body.
“Ugh, I’m starving. Let’s grab dinner.”
“Kim Sunwoo, you’re eating with us, right?”
I nodded at Shin Young-joon’s question. I happened to be hungry too.
“Yeah, I should eat.”
“Sunbae! I’ll join too!”
Choi Seo-yoon, who sat beside me, jumped in. I didn’t mind, so I nodded.
“Sure.”
“Hehe.”
And with that, we headed straight to the school cafeteria. The group was the same as during the Atlantis incident.
Me, Lee Seo-jun, Shin Young-joon, Lee Hyun-joo, Song Seung-ah, and Choi Seo-yoon.
“Kim Sunwoo, what are you eating?”
“Ramen.”
“Ramen? Isn’t that a bit small?”
“I just feel like something spicy.”
Seo-jun nodded at my answer. We got our food and sat down.
I glanced around and saw some students studying while eating.
“Everyone’s studying even during dinner.”
“Finals are just around the corner.” Choi Seo-yoon, sitting beside me, responded.
“Still, you should just eat during meals. It’s not like cramming last-minute will help much.”
“Ooh. Spoken like someone who’s aced theory five times in a row.”
“…Come on. I just think it looks bad, that’s all.”
“Ah! Right. Sunbae, sunbae, sunbae.”
“What, what, what. Just call me once.”
“What are you doing this weekend?”
Choi Seo-yoon looked at me with hopeful eyes.
“This weekend?”
“Yeah.”
I glanced subtly at Lee Seo-jun, who was sitting across from me.
He, too, was watching me and Choi Seo-yoon with a curious expression.
This weekend, I was scheduled to visit the Eunwol family with Lee Seo-jun to learn protection magic.
“Why are you asking about the weekend?”
“Oh, it’s nothing special. I just wanted to know if you could help me study. I don’t have to go back to my family for a while.”
Choi Seo-yoon said with sparkling eyes.
“You’re good at studying, though.”
“Still, I’m not getting perfect scores like you.”
“Forget it. I’m too busy studying for myself.”
With that, I slurped up a mouthful of ramen. The seasoning was just right—delicious.
“Then you don’t have to teach me—just study with me.”
“No. Not this weekend.”
“What are you doing?”
At that moment, Lee Seo-jun cut in.
“He’s training with me this weekend.”
Choi Seo-yoon blinked at his words.
“Both Saturday and Sunday?”
“Yeah.”
“What about tomorrow, then?”
I answered in his place.
“Nope. Training tomorrow too.”
“You’re training for three days straight? Where?”
“That’s…”
As I trailed off, Lee Seo-jun jumped back in.
“We’re learning magic at the Eunwol clan. The process is pretty complicated, so we probably won’t have time.”
“The Eunwol clan?”
Everyone looked intrigued at the sudden mention of the Eunwol family.
“You said you were busy last weekend—did you go to the Eunwol clan then?”
Lee Hyun-joo, who had been listening quietly, finally chimed in.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“But why the Eunwol clan? Don’t they specialize in support magic?”
“There’s a reason. I’ll explain later—it’s a long story.”
“Hmmm. Okay.”
Lee Hyun-joo nodded.
“Let’s eat.”
“Yeah.”
Just as we were about to resume eating, my smart student ID buzzed strongly in my pocket.
I checked the message right away.
[Training resumes starting Monday.]
It was from Choi Ilhyeon.
The next day.
The day of our appointment with the Eunwol family arrived.
As soon as all our school classes ended, Lee Seo-jun and I took the portal gate and returned to the Eunwol household.
“You’ve arrived.”
Eun Hye-soo came out to greet us at the front gate in person. Her demeanor was noticeably different from last week.
They did say I was now a benefactor of the family—clearly, we were being treated accordingly.
“Come in.”
“Yes.”
We followed Eun Hye-soo inside.
Just then, a silver-haired girl, Eun Seol-ah, stepped out of her room.
When she saw us, she looked unsure of what to do.
I thought we had grown more comfortable before parting, but in just a week, she had reverted to the old Eun Seol-ah.
“Ah, hello…”
Eun Seol-ah gave us a polite bow.
“Hi.”
When I returned the greeting, she smiled brightly. Eun Hye-soo looked at her with a fond expression, then turned to us.
“We’ll begin right away. Are you mentally prepared?”
“Yes. We’re ready.”
“Then follow me.”
We followed Eun Hye-soo out the back door.
Outside, a massive mountain appeared before us.
“You must climb this mountain. Follow me.”
The mountain we were ascending was called Mount Eunwol, named after the family itself.
It was famous for being imbued with various natural illusion spells suited to the clan’s specialties.
“It’s dark, so watch your step.”
“Okay.”
Eventually, we arrived at the entrance of a cave.
Even from a distance, I could sense a special kind of magical energy emanating from within.
“This is the place where you will face the Trial of the Soul Stone.”
Eun Hye-soo spoke in a calm voice.
“The Soul Stone trial gnaws at a person’s mental strength and can drive them insane. Even seasoned S-class mages struggle to endure it.”
She pulled out small pills from her robe and handed them to us.
“That’s why I prepared these. Take one before you use the Soul Stone.”
━━
[Eunwol Clan’s Special Protective Pill (B)]
Type: Medicine
Description: Increases resistance to Eunwol clan’s illusion magic by 20% for 3 days.
━━
“This pill enhances your resistance to our family’s magic. I made them especially for you. They’ll be a great help in enduring the Soul Stone’s trial.”
“Thank you. Should we take them now?”
“Yes.”
I tossed the pill into my mouth.
I didn’t know what it was made from, but it had a slightly bitter taste.
[The effect of ‘Eunwol Clan’s Special Protective Pill’ increases resistance to the clan’s illusion magic by 20% for 3 days.]
[Effect amplification boosts both effectiveness and duration by an additional 20%.]
As soon as I swallowed the pill, a special energy surged within me.
It was the power of protective magic.
A 20% boost in illusion resistance was a significant effect. The ingredients must be rare and expensive.
“Ugh. It’s kind of bitter.”
Lee Seo-jun frowned.
Eun Hye-soo looked at the two of us in satisfaction before leading us into the cave.
The cave looked like any ordinary cave.
It didn’t feel like a dungeon—just a plain cave.
The only major difference was the walls, which were covered in magic circles.
“This place is used for special rituals. The family head succession ceremony is also held here.”
Eun Hye-soo spoke as she walked inside.
With each step she took, the candles installed in the cave lit up, lightning up the surroundings.
“These magic circles on the walls are designed to respond to the Soul Stone and the mana of the clan’s head.”
How long had we walked?
Eun Hye-soo finally stopped.
“This is where you’ll use the Soul Stone to learn Eunwol Hwanjeol over the next three days.”
Beneath her feet was a large magic circle.
At that moment, the outsider’s privilege activated, and the information within the magic circle poured into my mind.
It was a spatial magic circle that reacted with the Soul Stone to create a new virtual space.
“Are you both ready?”
“Yes. I’m ready.”
Lee Seo-jun answered, and Eun Hye-soo nodded before looking at me.
“I’m ready too.”
“Good. Then let’s begin.”
Eun Hye-soo released her mana.
The Soul Stone in her hand slowly rose into the air, absorbing her mana.
Whoooosh—
Blue light began to emanate from the Soul Stone, curling and expanding like mist.
In an instant, the blue light engulfed both me and Lee Seo-jun.
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