“……What the.”
Saturday evening.
When I woke up, it was already 1 PM.
Because of the paralysis poison from yesterday, I had slept for a long time, and then I ended up training magic until dawn, finally falling asleep at the late hour of 5 AM.
By the way, I still hadn’t gained any magic-related traits yesterday. It seemed like it would take quite a bit of time to acquire them.
“Yawn.”
I stretched as I got up.
[532 people remember you.]
[You have received 2,000 points as a reward.]
I quickly dismissed the message that had appeared while I was asleep. Then, I absentmindedly munched on some bread while turning on my smartphone.
There was a message from Han Se-yeon, sent two hours ago.
[I’ve gotten everything you asked for. Want to meet at 6 PM today?]
Six o’clock… I had plenty of time today, so that worked for me.
As expected, Han Se-yeon’s efficiency was always impressive.
[Sounds good. Where should we meet?]
I sent a reply, and within about ten seconds, a response arrived.
[I’ll send you the address.]
A moment later, a message popped up with the location. It was a famous restaurant in central Seoul—Kantia.
Like the Hansook restaurant I had eaten at before, it was a high-end establishment where reservations were booked months in advance.
“Oh, I’m looking forward to this.”
Kantia’s reputation wasn’t far behind that of Hansook.
The last time I ate at Hansook, the food had practically shown me heaven. Now I was curious to see how Kantia’s cuisine would compare.
“Hehe.”
As I sat on the sofa, chewing on the dry bread, I used my Outsider’s Privilege to access the internet and opened the news section of a portal site.
I needed to assess the global situation.
「The Worst Terrorist Group, Jaun—Revived After 13 Years?」
「Jaun’s Core Member, Bert, Spotted at Recent Rome Terror Incident」
「World Mage Association: ‘Jaun’s Revival Highly Likely’—Launches Investigation」
Last night’s Jaun incident in Rome had caused a huge uproar.
According to the original storyline, Jaun was considered even more terrifying and dangerous than demons during their active years.
Now, with news of their possible return, citizens were gripped with fear.
However, surprisingly, some people weren’t too concerned.
[Comments]
YangGaNom: Don’t worry, guys. Jaun’s notoriety was mostly because of their leader, and he’s dead now.
ㄴ NumB12: This is true, lol. Even if Jaun revives, they’ll get wiped out quickly. The only reason they were unstoppable back then was because of Jin Chunwoo.
ㄴ wfswq12: Jin Chunwoo was totally OP, haha.
That was their reasoning—because Jin Chun-woo, Jaun’s former leader, was no longer around.
Jin Chun-woo.
A man feared by all mages in the world, known as the most vile mage in history, whose overwhelming strength had been the very reason Jaun had remained undefeated for so long.
Even when the strongest mages in the world united against Jaun, they failed—simply because they couldn’t stop Jin Chun-woo.
That was how much of a symbol of absolute power he had been.
“Hmm.”
However, assuming Jaun was weak just because Jin Chun-woo was gone was a mistake.
While it’s true that he was a major pillar of the organization, the members of Jaun were still monsters, each at S-rank or A-rank in strength.
Not to mention, they were extremely cunning. In moments of crisis, they were the type to retreat instantly rather than fight to the death.
“…I need to reach at least A-rank within two years, minimum.”
Right now, I was far too weak.
By the time Jaun officially began their large-scale operations two years from now, I needed to have significantly strengthened myself in order to stop them.
Could I really do it?
“Sigh.”
Well… I’d figure something out.
6 PM – Kantia Restaurant
As the sun began to set, I arrived at Kantia, disguised as Kim Jinwoo for my meeting with Han Se-yeon.
Inside, a staff member approached me and asked the usual formal questions before guiding me to the reserved table.
Surprisingly, Han Se-yeon hadn’t arrived yet.
Maybe it was because I had arrived ten minutes early.
“Hmm.”
As I took my seat, I glanced around. The dimly lit setting and elegant lighting gave the place a refined atmosphere.
If Hansook had been a celebration of traditional Korean aesthetics, then this place felt like a grand Western palace.
As I scanned the restaurant, my gaze landed on a familiar face.
A sharply dressed man in his early thirties—Han Se-jin.
“What the… why is Han Se-jin here?”
He was dining with a woman, engaged in pleasant conversation.
Of course, for someone like Han Se-jin, it was completely natural to be in a high-end restaurant like this.
But encountering him right at the time I was meeting Han Se-yeon felt like an incredible coincidence.
“Jinwoo.”
Just then, a woman’s voice called my name from the side.
Turning my head, I saw Han Se-yeon standing there.
She took her seat across from me and spoke.
“You got here early? When did you arrive?”
“I just got here.”
She nodded in response.
At that moment, from across the restaurant, Han Se-jin spotted Han Se-yeon.
For a brief moment, his eyes showed surprise before he got up and walked over to us.
“Se-yeon.”
“…Oppa?”
Han Se-yeon’s expression showed a hint of surprise, as if she hadn’t expected to run into him here.
“What are you doing here?”
In response to Han Se-jin’s question, Han Se-yeon briefly glanced at me before answering.
“I had an appointment with him.”
Han Se-jin’s gaze turned toward me.
Then, smiling, he extended his hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Han Se-jin.”
“Kim Jinwoo.”
I shook his hand.
With this, I had now established contact with one of the mid-story’s major antagonists.
“Kim Jinwoo… That name sounds familiar.”
“He’s the mage who caught the criminals in the Han River Demon Incident and the Incheon Terror Attack.”
“Ah! I saw the news.”
Han Se-jin’s smile deepened as he looked at me with apparent recognition.
“But why are you having dinner with a mage? Doesn’t seem like a business meeting…”
He eyed me carefully.
Then, smirking, he turned to Han Se-yeon.
“So, this is your type? That’s unexpected.”
“Ah, it’s not like that.”
Han Se-yeon frowned, lowering her voice as if conscious of the people around us.
Han Se-jin chuckled before pulling out a business card and handing it to me.
“Let’s have a meal together sometime.”
With that, my connection to a key mid-game villain had officially begun.
And so, Han Se-jin left, leaving me alone with Han Se-yeon.
In front of us was a thick steak. The juices flowing from it were already making my mouth water.
I cut off a large piece and took a bite, and an exquisite flavour burst throughout my mouth. Seeing my satisfied smile, Han Se-yeon quietly laughed.
“I noticed it during our last meal too, but your reactions to food are really something.”
“I think it’s stranger that you can eat such delicious food without reacting at all.”
At my response, Han Se-yeon smiled.
“By the way, about the business card you got from my brother earlier. You’re not planning on contacting him or anything, are you?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“Don’t. If you need anything, just contact me.”
A hint of jealousy tinged her words, making me chuckle. For the great Han Se-yeon to say something like this…
It seemed she had concluded that I was someone necessary for her career advancement.
“I’ll think about it.”
“…Don’t think about it, just contact me.”
“Mmm, this is delicious.”
As I changed the subject, I could sense a slight irritation from Han Se-yeon. It was oddly cute.
“Oh, right. What about the items?”
“I was planning to give them to you after the meal, but would you like them now?”
“Yes, please.”
Han Se-yeon handed me a black case and a paper bag. I took them and checked the contents.
Inside the black case were 20 Amplified Mana Elixirs. The elixirs had the same effects as the ones I had been using.
“Nice.”
“Check the shoes too.”
I nodded and opened the paper bag. Inside was a pair of sturdy-looking black combat boots. For such rugged footwear, they had quite a stylish design.
━━
[6B Functional Multipurpose Combat Boots (B)]
Category: Footwear
Description: Combat boots by 6B
[Passive Effects]
▶ Custom Fit
Adjusts to the wearer’s body.
▶ Comfortable Wear
Reduces stamina consumption from walking and running by 20%.
Durability: S
━━
“Oh.”
As expected from items prepared by Han Se-yeon, their performance was outstanding.
I could feel her philosophy of “Always give a gift that never disappoints.”
‘There are two options.’
Not only did they have the ‘Custom Fit’ option, but also the stamina-boosting ‘Comfortable Wear’ option.
Items with dual options like this often had prices that soared several times higher. This would easily cost at least ten million won.
“How much did everything cost? I’ll pay you right away.”
“No, it’s fine. Consider it a gift.”
She responded coolly, as if this amount was nothing to her.
“I feel a bit guilty since I keep receiving things from you.”
“If you feel that bad, how about working under me?”
I answered with a smile.
“That would be difficult. I have a lot of things to do.”
At my firm reply, Han Se-yeon pouted slightly.
“What on earth keeps you so busy all the time?”
I laughed and replied,
“It’s a secret.”
After a delightful meal, I parted ways with Han Se-yeon and headed to a nearby park bench.
Instead of returning to the dorm, I went to the bench to enchant my new shoes.
Ideally, it would be better to perform the enchantment somewhere quiet like my dorm due to prying eyes, but I was too eager to test the Air Walk effect, so I decided to use it now.
I infused mana into the enchantment scroll I took out from my subspace. A bright light burst from the scroll, enveloping the combat boots.
With a flash of intense light, the enchantment was successfully applied to the boots.
━━
[6B Functional Multipurpose Combat Boots (A)]
Category: Footwear
Description: Combat boots by 6B
[Passive Effects]
▶ Custom Fit
Adjusts to the wearer’s body.
▶ Comfortable Wear
Reduces stamina consumption from walking and running by 20%.
[Active Effect]
▶ Air Walk
By infusing mana into the boots, the user can walk on air for 5 seconds.
*Cooldown: 2 minutes
Durability: S
━━
“Ohhh.”
Now, the item had a total of three effects. Its grade also rose from B to A.
Items with triple options like this were commonly known as Triple Option Items, and their prices would multiply several times over.
Looking at it this way, they seemed really impressive.
I immediately put on the boots. Thanks to the ‘Custom Fit’ and ‘Comfortable Wear’ options, even though they were tough combat boots, they felt comfortable.
Alright, time to test them out.
I infused mana into the boots.
When I lifted one foot into the air, I felt something solid beneath it.
“Oh. Ohhh.”
I lifted my other foot into the air.
I was now floating.
It was a strange sensation I’d never felt before. But I soon lost my balance and fell to the ground.
It wasn’t because the 5-second duration had ended.
“…I need to practice a bit more.”
It was more challenging than I expected. Simply stepping into the air didn’t work. I had to maintain a flow of mana to the boots while stepping…
In short, it was more complicated than it seemed.
“Hmm…”
But it was pretty fun.
I wanted to try again, but the 2-minute cooldown felt long.
At that moment, I felt someone’s gaze.
I turned my head and saw a young boy, around six years old, staring at me with sparkling eyes.
Then he ran off to a woman who seemed to be his mother.
“Mom! That guy was flying in the sky!”
Leave a Reply