30 Minutes Before the Incident
Baek Eunseong, having altered his appearance using a magic tool, was leisurely enjoying the event while devouring fruit.
“Mmm. This is pretty good.”
— Stop fooling around. You’re not here for pleasure.
A woman’s voice echoed in his ear. It was Berthe.
“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”
Baek Eunseong casually glanced around.
“And like I said before, I don’t see anyone particularly suspicious.”
— Keep looking. We have intel that the Fire Witch is attending this event. Also, Hanseong Group has hired some highly skilled mercenaries for security. It’s going to be dangerous.
“This terror attack’s got quite the difficulty level.”
— Hey! Keep your voice down. Someone might hear.
“Alright, alright.”
Baek Eunseong continued strolling through the venue.
The atmosphere was as ordinary as ever—guests laughing and socializing, completely unaware of the chaos about to unfold.
“There are quite a few big names here.”
He muttered to himself as he spotted several well-known business moguls frequently featured in the media.
“Huh? Even Jang Sugi is here.”
— Jang Sugi? The Sword Demon of the Hanseong family?
“Yeah. Wow. This is my first time seeing him in person, and his aura is no joke. He looks stronger than Scar.”
— You’d better not say that in front of Scar.
“Obviously.”
Step, step.
Just then, Baek Eunseong’s eyes landed on a man’s back.
A brown-haired man.
“…He looks familiar.”
Where had he seen him before?
Baek Eunseong had an exceptional sense for recognizing people just from their physique.
He was sure he had encountered someone with a similar build before.
Who was it?
As he pondered, another man with a familiar face passed right before his eyes, immediately drawing his attention.
“Excuse me! Aren’t you Lee Seo-jun?”
The opulent atmosphere of Pioneers’ Night remained unchanged.
No one seemed to have the slightest knowledge of the chaos that was about to erupt.
As I walked among the guests, my thoughts focused on the imminent incident.
The site of the attack would be the exhibition hall where Jin Cheonwoo’s item was stored.
If events unfolded as they did in the original story, Jaun—having successfully completed the auction—would launch a terrorist attack on this gathering to retrieve Jin Cheonwoo’s Black Sword.
Ordinarily, they would succeed.
However, I had no intention of letting this attack proceed unchallenged.
Since I knew what was coming, I couldn’t just stand by and watch.
I planned to intervene.
My goal: to capture at least one member of Jaun.
I wasn’t strong enough to inflict any serious damage on them myself, but Pioneers’ Night was full of swords ready to strike in my stead.
With the right leverage, I might just make this work.
“Hm.”
As I made my way toward the exhibition hall, I spotted a familiar face on the second-floor stairs.
Lee Seo-jun.
He was engaged in conversation with a young man holding a wine glass.
Something about the man felt… off.
If the story was following its original path, then that man was likely him.
I used Character Insight on him.
━━
Name: Baek Eun-seong
Age: 35
Race: Human
Status: Calm
Mana Grade: S
Interest Level: 0
━━
Just as expected.
Baek Eun-seong had approached Lee Seo-jun, just like in the original story.
He had altered his appearance with a magic tool, but Character Insight couldn’t be deceived.
I amplified my hearing with mana to eavesdrop on their conversation.
— What do you think of that item on display?
— …Excuse me?
— You may not know since you’re still young, but that sword…
Baek Eun-seong was talking to Lee Seo-jun about Jin Cheonwoo.
Lee Seo-jun, caught off guard by a stranger’s sudden interest, looked confused.
Though he was listening quietly for now, he would eventually grow suspicious of Baek Eun-seong’s true identity.
I began scanning the crowd, using Character Insight on one person after another.
Sure enough, more key figures emerged.
Jaun’s members: Natasha, Scar, Emily, Jin, Theresa, Heather…
Dawn’s Blade members: Yoo Ah-yeon, Jung Jae-won, Clay, Choi Jung-won…
Even a few from the Association: Kim Deokhyun and Jung Hyunsoo—likely here to secretly guard Lee Seo-jun.
With so many significant individuals gathered, it was a clear sign that the time was drawing near.
I checked the time.
9:59 PM.
With the terror attack set to begin at 10, it was mere moments away.
Flash!
“Huh?”
“What the—?!”
Every light in the building suddenly went out, plunging the venue into pitch darkness.
The guests erupted into confusion.
Fortunately, my Adaptive Trait allowed me to see to some extent even in total darkness.
I quickly turned to where Jaun’s members had been.
But they had already disappeared.
Then—
A massive surge of mana erupted from somewhere.
A deafening explosion followed as a section of the hotel wall was blown apart.
Boom!
“Kyaaah!”
“What’s going on?!”
In an instant, the ballroom was thrown into chaos.
Panic-stricken guests rushed toward the exits.
I turned my gaze back to Lee Seo-jun.
Baek Eunseong, who had been speaking with him just moments ago, had vanished—just like the other members of Jaun.
Left alone, Lee Seo-jun seemed to have grasped the situation.
He drew a backup sword from his waist and braced himself, eyes scanning his surroundings.
KWAANG!
Another explosion erupted.
Whoosh. Fierce flames spread inside the social hall.
“Everyone! Evacuate this way!”
Security personnel at the entrance shouted loudly.
Following their guidance, people quickly exited the hall.
“Find the culprit immediately!”
“Who did this?! Who used such magic?”
The remaining security personnel ran toward the direction of the explosion, trying to uncover the cause of the attack.
However, the magical explosions happening now were caused by Jaun’s magical weapons designed for terrorism.
Since they were pre-installed devices, even if the security followed the explosion’s source, they wouldn’t be able to track Jaun’s location.
At that moment, twenty individuals appeared around the glass case displaying the broken black sword.
They were elite A-rank mages hired to protect the relic.
And just as in the original story, a woman appeared before them.
Though her appearance was altered, the massive scythe in her hands instantly gave away her identity.
Natasha.
A member of Jaun.
“Who are you?! Are you the one behind this attack?”
One of the security personnel stepped forward and questioned her.
Natasha, however, did not respond.
She simply swung her scythe.
Slash!
Two security mages were cut down in an instant.
Their unsettling blood soaked the floor.
It was such a futile end that it was hard to believe they were A-rank mages.
“W-What the hell?!”
“We couldn’t even see it coming!”
The remaining security mages hesitated for a moment before charging at Natasha.
But with the overwhelming power gap, their attacks never reached her.
“Arghhh!”
One by one, Natasha slaughtered the security personnel in a gruesome display.
“Hmph.”
Despite the bloodshed, her expression remained unchanged.
With calm movements, she retrieved a small, square device from her coat and attached it to the glass case.
The relic granted by an external benefactor neutralized the magic of artifacts.
As soon as the relic was attached, cracks spread across the glass case.
Once the case weakened, Natasha gathered magic in her fist and struck it.
Crash!
Natasha grasped the broken black sword, placed a hand on her ear, and spoke to herself.
“The item is secured.”
Just as she was about to leave—
A circular magic circle began forming beneath her feet.
Chains of light shot up, binding her arms and legs.
“What?!”
It was a binding spell.
As far as I knew, there was only one mage who used such chain-type auxiliary magic.
Choi Jung-won of Dawn’s Blade.
“Tch!”
The moment Natasha was restrained, powerful ice spikes imbued with magic flew toward her from somewhere.
But another spell intercepted them, shielding Natasha from the attack.
Natasha gathered magic in her body, forcibly moved, and swung her scythe, severing the chains.
“Hoo!”
Now free, Natasha prepared to escape.
At that moment, a man rushed toward her at an incredible speed, swinging his sword.
Whoosh!
The man was Jung Jae-won of Dawn’s Blade.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
“Get lost!”
Natasha gathered magic and kicked Jung Jae-won, then quickly turned to flee.
Jung Jae-won gritted his teeth in pain for a moment before giving chase.
Another explosion erupted somewhere.
Elsewhere, Jaun and Dawn’s Blade had engaged in battle.
I watched from a distance.
A brutal clash between S-rank monsters, a scene heavily featured in the original story.
Seeing it unfold with my own eyes made my heart race.
“……Whew.”
If I jumped into that fight, I would surely die without accomplishing anything.
But now, I had a new power.
With it, I could at least stall one of Jaun’s members for a brief moment.
However, not here.
Using magic recklessly in this open area could put me on Jaun’s radar.
If I wanted to intervene, I needed to move to a safer location.
With that in mind, I kicked off the ground and dashed outside.
A rough plan was forming in my head.
Amidst the chaotic and horrific scene, Lee Seo-jun was assisting in evacuating the people.
He understood exactly what was happening.
It was the work of the terrorist organization, Jaun.
And their goal was to steal an item that once belonged to their former leader, Jin Cheonwoo.
“This way! Hurry!”
As he continued guiding people to safety, a powerful explosion erupted right before his eyes.
“Ughhh!”
Countless people were caught in the blast and lost their lives in an instant.
Lee Seo-jun trembled at the gruesome sight.
Then, a man holding a massive spear appeared before him.
Blood was splattered across his face, likely from the slaughter he had committed.
“This place is dangerous. You’d better not get involved.”
Lee Seo-jun paused and looked at the man.
It was the same man who had mentioned Jin Cheonwoo to him earlier.
“…Jaun?”
“Yeah, that’s right. You catch on quick.”
Surprisingly, the man admitted it without hesitation.
Lee Seo-jun gripped his sword, gathering magic, and glared at him.
“You don’t need to be so wary. I have no intention of attacking you. At least for now, let’s just get along.”
Something about the man’s relaxed tone made Lee Seo-jun question him.
“Why are you showing me goodwill?”
It was something that had puzzled him for a while.
During the mercenary trial and even now, despite their reputation for slaughtering people like insects, Jaun had shown him an oddly friendly attitude.
Hearing the question, Baek Eun-seong paused in thought before speaking.
“Goodwill… Is that how you perceive it?”
He smirked.
“Well, you’re not entirely wrong. At least for now.”
“For now?”
Lee Seo-jun pressed.
Baek Eun-seong shrugged.
“The truth is, we don’t really know either. No one can predict the future, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“It means our stance could change depending on how things unfold. Right now, we’re treating you favorably, but that could change at any moment. So, if you don’t want to become our enemy, it’s best not to get in our way.”
“…….”
After saying that, Baek Eun-seong suddenly looked like he had made a mistake.
“Oh, did I spill too much? Damn, Bert is gonna scold me for this.”
He scratched his head.
“Anyway, see you next time. I’m kinda busy right now.”
With that, Baek Eun-seong disappeared somewhere.
Lee Seo-jun clenched his teeth and ran forward.
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