The killing intent—who could it be?
According to the original plot, there shouldn’t be anyone targeting Han Se-yeon just yet.
That means this killing intent is directed at me.
But who would possibly want to come after me?
“…”
No, wait. Thinking back, there is someone.
Someone who would bear a grudge against me.
And, it’s even a detail from the original story:
Jang Han’s close friend.
The Dark Mage, Baek Kang’s assault.
“Why do you look so tense?”
Han Se-yeon noticed my sudden change in expression and asked.
“Just start driving. And act natural. I think someone’s tailing us.”
“Tailing us?”
Her reaction showed a hint of surprise.
“Yes, and call the strongest person you can.”
If it’s Baek Kang, he’s a Dark Mage with magical power on the borderline of B and A rank.
Facing him alone would be too much for me right now.
“…Alright.”
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Han Se-yeon immediately believed me and pressed the accelerator, pulling out her phone to make a call.
After finishing the call, she turned to me.
“They’re on their way now. They’ll track the GPS of this car and head straight here.”
“How long will it take?”
“About 20 minutes.”
Twenty minutes.
That was the maximum time I had to endure an attack from him.
“Who could it be? Is it someone from the underground arena, upset about losing money to us?”
“It’s not that.”
“…Then maybe a rival corporation of Hanseong Group?”
Han Se-yeon muttered to herself with a serious expression.
Ignoring her, I brought up a map on my phone and showed her a marked location.
“Head here.”
The coordinates I pointed out led to a desolate plain not far from here.
“There? Wouldn’t heading toward a busy city be safer?”
“No. We need to deal with whoever is tailing us.”
Han Se-yeon’s face was filled with doubt at my response.
“If we’re in an open plain like this, they’ll have nowhere to hide.”
With that, I pulled a mana elixir from my bag and tucked it into my coat.
A new villain was making their entrance.
But running for my life wasn’t part of the plan.
I’d use Hanseong Group’s resources to take down Baek Kang today.
Baek Kang followed behind in his car, keeping track of Kim Jinwoo and Han Se-yeon as they traveled.
After about ten minutes, they stopped in the middle of a vast, empty plain.
He couldn’t understand why they would stop in such a remote location, but he didn’t mind.
If anything, it made things more convenient for him.
This place was perfect—isolated and away from prying eyes, an ideal setting to kill someone.
“You’ve walked right into your own grave,” Baek Kang muttered with a sinister grin.
Though the openness of the plain made it hard to continue tailing them, it didn’t matter anymore.
The time for stealth was over.
He was going to kill them here and now.
Kim Jinwoo stepped out of the car, looked around, and called out loudly.
“Stop hiding and come out.”
Baek Kang paused for a moment, surprised.
Had he known he was being followed?
But how?
He was certain he’d concealed his presence flawlessly.
Although questions flooded his mind, he decided there was no point in hiding anymore.
Baek Kang emerged from the shadows and revealed himself to Kim Jinwoo.
Up close, Jinwoo didn’t seem all that impressive.
His aura was faint, and his physique showed no signs of training.
It was hard to believe someone like this had killed Jang Han, even if Jang Han had been in a weakened state.
“Impressive. When did you realize you were being followed?”
Baek Kang asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
Kim Jinwoo didn’t answer.
Instead, he pulled a small blue vial from his coat and drank it in one gulp.
“Ugh… What’s with this awful taste?”
Jinwoo grimaced and tossed the empty bottle behind him.
And then it happened.
In an instant, his entire aura changed.
“What… is this?”
Baek Kang’s eyes narrowed.
How could someone’s presence transform so drastically in mere moments?
Could it be the effect of that potion?
No, Baek Kang was certain that no known potion could cause such a change.
“Now it makes sense why Jang Han fell to you,” Baek Kang muttered.
Even so, Jinwoo’s newfound aura wasn’t overwhelming.
He was stronger than before, but still not a true threat.
Baek Kang gathered his magic, summoning three blazing spears of fire that hovered menacingly in the air.
“Die!”
With his shout, the spears flew straight toward Jinwoo.
Boom!
The fiery spears exploded mid-air, intercepted by Jinwoo’s precisely controlled magical orbs.
Baek Kang couldn’t help but silently admire the display of skill.
“…Not bad.”
The battle against Baek Kang raged on.
He was undeniably powerful—calm, experienced, and adept at wielding magic.
Thanks to the mana elixir, I had enough magical energy to keep up with him.
But for now, all I could do was endure.
The elixir’s effects would last five minutes.
Four minutes had already passed.
That left me with just one minute.
If things continued like this, I would lose once the elixir’s effects wore off.
It was time to end this.
Thump!
My heart pounded as a surge of energy erupted from deep within me.
The power of the Heart of Nature had activated.
And with it, the remaining mana from the elixir combined to fill my body with overwhelming magical energy.
“What now?”
Baek Kang’s wary eyes locked onto me.
It seemed his heightened Dark Mage instincts had picked up on my transformation.
But I didn’t care.
I fortified my body with mana and launched myself forward, kicking off the ground with all my might.
“Huh?!”
Caught off guard by my sudden dash, Baek Kang frantically unleashed more flaming spears to block my approach.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fiery explosions erupted behind me as I pushed through, my enhanced speed outpacing his magic.
“Urgh!”
Baek Kang was visibly flustered by my rapid advance.
In desperation, he conjured a spear of flame in his hand and swung it at me.
Whoosh!
But I ducked under his attack, closing the gap between us.
With a concentrated mass of mana in my palm, I drove it toward his abdomen.
Realizing the danger too late, Baek Kang tried to dodge—but he couldn’t escape.
Boom!
“Arghhh!”
The explosion tore through his body, black blood spraying across my arm with an unpleasant, warm sensation.
“Kuh…!”
It had taken me four minutes to land my first solid hit.
But the impact was enough to leave Baek Kang staggering.
Ignoring the stinging pain in my own arm from the backlash, I unleashed a flurry of magical blasts at his vulnerable body.
Bang! Bang! Boom!
“Aaargh!”
Baek Kang screamed as my relentless attacks battered him.
Despite his efforts to defend himself, he couldn’t withstand the onslaught.
As his guard began to falter, I saw my opening.
Now was the time to end it.
Drawing in all the mana I could muster, I compressed it into a single, devastating blow aimed at his head.
Vrrrm—!
A swirling vortex of magical energy.
I extended my hand, aiming at the target’s head.
It was at that moment.
Ssss…
Suddenly, the strength and magic within my body began to fade.
“…!”
Alarmed, I glanced down at my empty hand.
The condensed spell I had just formed had disappeared without a trace.
The effects of the Mana Elixir and the Heart of Nature had worn off, leaving me in a state of mana exhaustion.
“…Tch.”
Clicking my tongue, I bit my lip and stepped back from my opponent.
Now, what could I do?
Caught in the side effects of mana exhaustion from the elixir, there was nothing I could do.
…Should I run away now?
“Ugh, you… you bastard…”
Baek Kang glared at me with his severely damaged body.
Had he been human, he would have died long ago.
However, the regenerative power unique to a demonic being was keeping him clinging to life, healing his body.
If this continued, he would soon fully regenerate and attack me again.
And then, it happened.
From somewhere, an enormous surge of magical energy could be felt.
A blinding flash of light followed.
[B-Rank Villain, ‘Baek Kang,’ has been eliminated.]
[A slight deviation in the storyline has been detected.]
[Causality has increased by 0.6%.]
“….”
When I looked up, I saw a man who appeared to be in his fifties, with a thick beard, standing there with a massive sword over 2 meters long.
Instinctively, I realized who he was.
The Sword of the Hanseong Family.
S-Rank Mage, Jang Suggi.
“Are you alright?!”
From a distance, Han Se-yeon came running toward me.
“…Yes, I’m fine.”
Hearing my response, Han Se-yeon sighed in relief.
They’d arrived at the perfect time. A moment later, and things could’ve gotten dangerous.
Han Se-yeon checked my condition before glancing toward the demon’s corpse.
“That’s a demon, right?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Why would a demon target us…? Do you have any idea why?”
“Not sure. I have no clue.”
Han Se-yeon nodded at my answer.
“Still, it’s a relief you seem unhurt. Though, from the looks of it, it seems like you had the upper hand anyway.”
As she spoke, Han Se-yeon turned her gaze toward Jang Suggi.
“Uncle Suggi, thank you for coming at such a late hour. Oh, and you know you have to keep tonight’s events a secret, right?”
Jang Suggi chuckled at Han Se-yeon’s words.
“Haha, alright. I’ll keep it a secret from the chairman.”
“You better. I’ll seriously get mad if you break your promise.”
“Yes, yes. Understood.”
“….”
I stared blankly at Han Se-yeon.
To think she could casually issue such masked threats to Jang Suggi—a ruthless swordsman known as the Sword Demon (劍鬼).
Once again, I was reminded that she was truly the merciless youngest daughter of the Hanseong family.
After the eventful Wednesday passed, Thursday arrived.
Even after experiencing a life-threatening battle yesterday, I went to school as usual.
Thanks to a special potion given to me by Han Se-yeon, my physical condition was in peak form.
Today also happened to be the day for the second round of dungeon exploration classes.
Our group, including Lee Seo-jun, Shin Jihyuk, Yoon Hayoung, and Jung Jintae, swiftly cleared monsters in the dungeon, advancing faster than usual.
“Wow, Hayoung, your skills have improved so much in just a few days. The detail in your spellcasting has really leveled up,” Jung Jintae remarked in admiration, watching Yoon Hayoung’s magic.
Yoon Hayoung shrugged smugly.
“Right? I’ve improved a lot, haven’t I? Turns out I was neglecting the basics all along.”
“What did you do to improve so much?”
“I started focusing on the fundamentals. Sun-woo helped me a lot.”
Hearing Yoon Hayoung’s words, Lee Seo-jun grinned.
“See? I was right. When I saw your spells during the last test, I noticed the lack of detail in your execution. I thought sparring with Kim Sun-woo would help you out.”
“Yeah, you were spot on. Practicing with Sun-woo helped a lot.”
Yoon Hayoung shot me a bright smile.
Meanwhile, Jung Jintae looked confused and asked, “Wait, Kim Sun-woo? The same guy who’s last in our grade? He’s good at spell execution?”
“Hey, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Sun-woo’s secretly a skilled fighter.”
“…Skilled fighter? Are you forgetting the last test we saw?”
“I remember, but in actual combat, he’s different.”
Yoon Ha-young seemed lost in thought, probably recalling our previous sparring session.
Noticing the conversation about me growing uncomfortable, Shin Jihyuk subtly changed the topic.
“But, man, the monsters sure are getting denser on the second floor.”
“Yeah, but that just gives us more chances to shine. I felt bad last time since Seo-jun did most of the work.”
“Oh, right! Sun-woo, what’d you pick for tomorrow’s special elective?”
Yoon Hayoung turned to me, her tone now noticeably friendlier.
“Demon Safety Training, I think.”
“Ah, too bad. I picked Alchemy.”
“Huh? You chose Demon Safety Training? Me too.”
Lee Seo-jun responded enthusiastically.
“By the way, there’s an open spot in my group. Wanna join?”
Join his group?
…Ah, right. The special electives were group-based activities.
Being in the same group as Lee Seo-jun was a good opportunity. Interacting with key characters always had its perks.
Besides, his group tended to attract influential figures.
“Sure.”
When I agreed, Lee Seo-jun smiled warmly and nodded.
Just then, Jung Jintae’s shout cut through the air.
“Ow! Damn it, that stings!”
We all turned to look at him.
Jung Jin-tae’s face was red as if it had been burned. Tears welled up in his eyes from the pain.
“Guys, watch out! There’s a barrier up ahead,” he warned.
“A barrier?”
Looking closely, I could see a faint shimmer in the air ahead.
Before long, everyone turned their expectant eyes toward me.
After the dungeon exploration class ended, the time was already past 7 PM.
Our team finished in 2nd place, the same as last week.
However, there were a few takeaways from today.
First, the gap between our team’s clear time and Shin Young-joon’s 3rd place team had widened. Meanwhile, the gap between us and Yoo Ara’s 1st place team had narrowed slightly.
This was largely thanks to Yoon Hayoung’s standout performance as monster numbers increased.
Additionally, I managed to solve the barrier faster than anyone else.
Given how much of a disappointment I was during week 1, I found today’s results quite satisfying.
If our growth continued at this pace, it might even be possible to surpass Yoo Ah-ra’s team someday.
“Phew.”
As I lay on my dorm bed lost in thought, my phone buzzed with a message notification.
[I discovered something shocking while investigating the demon stalking incident.]
It was a message from Han Se-yeon.
She must’ve been referring to what happened last night.
Shocking, huh? What could it be?
[What is it?]
[The demon’s name was Baek Kang.]
Oh? They even found out his name? As expected of the Hanseong family—world-class when it came to information gathering.
While I was silently impressed, another message arrived.
[Something seemed off, so I kept digging. I found records of him dealing with my brother.]
“…What?”
I stared at my phone in disbelief.
Dealing?
[Dealing?]
[Yes, he’d been steadily trading with him for a while. And now, my brother is showing his true colors toward me.]
“…What?”
Flabbergasted, I blinked at the screen.
Was she misunderstanding something?
[Thank you. This is all thanks to you. I owe you one. Is there anything you need as a reward?]
At that moment—
Ding!
[Character ‘Han Se-yeon’ has regained trust in you.]
[1,000 points have been awarded as a reward.]
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