A massive building located in the heart of Seoul.
Constructed with powerful magical artifacts and enchantments, this place is an extraordinarily exclusive location where only the permitted may enter.
This is none other than the headquarters of the “Mage Association.”
Its role is to maintain global safety and peace while preventing crimes and conflicts involving magic.
And the top floor of the Mage Association headquarters was the personal space of the Association’s leader, Kim Jin-cheol.
“President, Lee Seo-jun has arrived.”
“Let him in.”
The door to the top floor opened, and Lee Seo-jun stepped inside.
He gazed at the white-haired elder before him.
With snow-white hair and a long beard, the old man was close to a hundred years old, yet his body was so robust that calling him healthy would be an understatement.
“Grandfather, I’m here.”
“Hmm, I heard the news, but you’re in better shape than I expected.”
The white-haired elder, Kim Jin-cheol, scanned Lee Seo-jun up and down before speaking.
“What brings me here this time?”
“Do I need a special reason to call you?”
“No, of course not.”
Lee Seo-jun gave a faint smile.
“I was just curious. I heard you’ve been through some rather unusual events.”
“Yeah, I almost died.”
“Tsk… Stop exaggerating.”
Clicking his tongue, Kim Jin-cheol took a seat, and Lee Seo-jun followed, sitting across from him.
“You seem quite interested in yesterday’s incident. Want me to tell you about it?”
“No need. I have no interest in minor fry like the Demons or Jaun. Tell me about school instead.”
Lee Seo-jun let out a bitter chuckle.
Demons and Jaun—beings that were practically objects of terror to everyone in the world.
Yet, Kim Jin-cheol dismissed them as trivial, not even worth his concern.
“It won’t be very interesting.”
“Have you made any friends?”
“Of course. You know I’m good at socializing.”
“Is that so? Who’s the strongest among them?”
At Kim Jincheol’s question, Lee Seo-jun hesitated for a moment.
“Well… I’m not really sure. Even I find it hard to tell.”
“Hard to tell, huh… I suppose, with your arrogance, you wouldn’t see anyone as a real competitor.”
“That’s not it. Actually, I’ve recently found one.”
“Really? Who is it? That kid from the Yoo family you mentioned before?”
Lee Seo-jun shook his head.
“No, someone else.”
“There’s another one stronger than that Yoo brat? I heard she was quite talented.”
“Honestly, I’m not entirely certain. I just have a hunch that they’re pretty formidable.”
“You don’t even know for sure, yet you see them as a rival? What’s their ranking?”
“Seventy-second.”
At that, Kim Jin-cheol stroked his beard.
“Hmm… Well, rankings aren’t everything.”
“Oh, right.”
A sudden question popped into Lee Seo-jun’s mind, and he looked at Kim Jin-cheol.
“Grandfather, do you know anything about the Power of the Demon Slayer?”
The Power of the Demon Slayer.
It was the power that the Demon who attacked him yesterday had been searching for.
During the midterm exam, the Demon had mentioned that whoever broke the barrier would possess that power.
And Lee Seo-jun knew exactly who had broken the barrier back then—Kim Sunwoo.
At his question, Kim Jin-cheol gave him a peculiar look.
“The Power of the Demon Slayer? What makes you ask about that? Did the Demon who attacked you mention it?”
“No, I was just suddenly curious.”
“The Power of the Demon Slayer, huh…”
Kim Jin-cheol fell into thought.
He knew a little about that legendary power from the past, but since it was more of a myth than a physical force, even he didn’t know much.
“I don’t know the details. It’s an ancient power from the past.”
“The past?”
“Yes. Three hundred years ago, there was a human who supposedly possessed a power called the Power of the Demon Eradication—an ability that made him the natural enemy of Demons.”
Lee Seo-jun pondered deeply.
A power that was the natural enemy of Demons…
Then the mysterious magic that saved him—was it truly Kim Sunwoo’s doing?
Late at night.
Another day had been spent busily.
Between physical training, magic training, and catching up on overdue assignments, the day had flown by.
“Hmm.”
Now that all tasks were done, I stared at the [Formless Spirit’s Legacy] on my finger.
“It’s about time I chose an attribute.”
The ring currently shone blue, holding the water attribute.
But among mages, water wasn’t exactly a favoured attribute.
While some elements had immense destructive power, others were relatively weaker. Not all attributes were equal.
“What should I pick?”
Four attributes immediately came to mind: fire, ice, light, and electricity.
In terms of sheer destructive power, electricity was the strongest.
Moreover, since mastering it required enduring brutal adaptation training akin to electric torture, very few mages could wield it, making it uniquely rare.
But was electricity the best option? Not necessarily.
Each attribute had its own pros and cons.
Ice, for example, was slightly weaker in destruction but could solidify mana, allowing it to be wielded like a weapon or alter terrain for utility.
Fire excelled against multiple enemies, unleashing devastating force.
Light, on the other hand, was particularly effective against demons and dark beings, making it even more powerful than electricity in certain situations.
“…Light seems like the best choice.”
I had a feeling I’d be dealing with Demons more frequently in the future.
They were already showing an unusual interest in Lee Seo-jun, and with the story changing, they had become the most unpredictable faction.
Besides, among all attributes, light was the only one that couldn’t be trained into—only those born with it could wield it.
“Yeah, light should be the best choice.”
It wasn’t like I couldn’t change the stored attribute later.
I poured mana into the ring and held it under the bright light.
I wasn’t sure if this would work, but it was the only method I could think of.
Sssss…
Thankfully, my intuition was correct.
The blue glow gradually faded from the ring, replaced by a transparent radiance.
“…It worked.”
I conjured a magic sphere in my hand.
A luminous orb of light.
At first glance, it looked like my usual non-elemental magic, but its radiance was several times stronger than usual—a clear sign that the light attribute had successfully infused into it.
“Feels unfamiliar.”
For some reason, it seemed to consume more mana than usual.
It was also harder to control—was it because I was relying on an item?
“Hmm. I really want to test this out.”
A place suitable for testing light magic…
One location came to mind, but it was already quite late.
I’d have to postpone the experiment until tomorrow.
I picked up my smart student notebook and typed a message.
[You know we’re training tomorrow, right?]
A reply came almost instantly.
[Yeah, I know, but I just got back to the dorm. I’m exhausted… (crying emoji)]
The message was from Yoon Hayoung.
It seemed she had returned to the dormitory after completing a dungeon exploration experience.
I chuckled, sensing her exhaustion from the message.
[Rest well today and keep your condition in check. The dungeon has been cleared quite a bit, so the monsters are getting stronger.]
[Got it. Same time and place?]
[Yeah. Be at the bus stop by 10 AM tomorrow.]
Saturday, the next day.
As planned, Yoon Hayoung and I were training at the dungeon.
Over the past three weeks, we had used our weekends for training, making more progress in clearing the dungeon than expected.
By now, the monsters appearing were quite strong.
“Haaah!”
Even so, they couldn’t withstand Yoon Hayoung’s magic and fell one by one.
The Demon Eradication Power she wielded was so strong that even an A-rank demon would suffer fatal damage.
“Oh, you’ve improved a lot.”
“Yeah. I think I’m starting to understand what willpower really is.”
Through intense training, Yoon Hayoung had reached a level where she could handle the Demon Eradication’s Power to some extent.
Before, even a little use of it would drain her strength to the point of being unable to move, but now, she could use it multiple times without tiring easily.
Still, it was impressive.
Willpower wasn’t something that could be mastered so easily.
Then again, her talent was exceptional from the start, so maybe this was just natural for her.
“Sunwoo, look! I can control this power a bit now.”
Yoon Hayoung proudly materialized a pure Demon Eradication’s Mana above her hand.
A small, round, and transparent energy orb.
It radiated the same aura I felt whenever she used the Demon Eradication’s Power.
She then looked at me expectantly, like a puppy waiting for praise.
I smirked and said, “Nice job. You must’ve practiced a lot.”
“Hehe.”
Now, it was time for me to test my Light Attribute.
Was there a suitable opponent around?
As I slowly scanned the dungeon—
“There.”
I spotted a massive demon-type monster sitting on the ground in the distance.
“I’ll handle this one.”
I conjured a magic orb above my hand, infused with Light Attribute.
The dungeon, previously dim, brightened instantly as the monster turned its gaze toward me.
I fired the orb at its head.
Boom!
—Kiiieeek!
The demon monster clutched its face, thrashing against the walls.
I hadn’t even concentrated much magic power into the attack, yet it was clearly in agony.
“…Oh.”
It seemed Light Attribute really was highly effective against demon-type monsters.
I hadn’t expected it to be this overwhelming.
“Huh? That was Light Attribute magic, wasn’t it?”
Yoon Hayoung looked surprised.
“Yeah, it was.”
“Wow. Sunwoo, you can use Light Attribute too?”
“…Well, yeah.”
—Krrrraaaah!
The monster kept screaming in pain, slamming its body against the wall.
I conjured another Light Attribute spell and aimed straight for its head.
Boom!
[Achievement unlocked: Defeated a Monster with Light Attribute.]
[Reward: 3,000 points.]
[Achievement unlocked: Defeated a Monster Using an Elemental Advantage.]
[Reward: 2,000 points.]
[Light Attribute Control trait has been added.]
“…Huh?”
Light Attribute Control?
Early Sunday morning.
Jin arrived at Jaun’s hideout in Gangwon Province.
Three days ago, after an attack from demons and Dawn’s Blade, they had temporarily abandoned the hideout.
Returning so soon, just three days after the incident, was a risky move, but Jin had important belongings to retrieve.
Fortunately, there were no signs of anyone nearby.
Still, he remained on high alert.
Suppressing his presence with mana, Jin slipped inside the building.
“…It’s a mess.”
Was this the work of the Mage Association or Dawn’s Blade?
The hideout had been ransacked, as if many people had searched through it.
To make matters worse, all the art pieces that Bert had cherished were gone.
Not that it mattered to Jin—those were Bert’s treasures, not his.
“……”
Jin walked down the corridor.
At the end of the hallway, there should have been a massive golden clock.
But it was missing.
Jin ran his hand along the wall where it had stood.
A faint trace of mana lingered—subtle enough that even a skilled support-type mage would struggle to detect it.
“Whew.”
Thankfully, the barrier was still intact.
Jin sighed in relief and began dispelling the magic.
Since he had designed this barrier himself, it didn’t take long to remove it.
Once inside, Jin reached the treasure chamber and looked down at the treasure chest.
Fortunately, the usual strong enchantments and seals remained unbroken.
Satisfied, he nodded and began undoing the seals.
Without the slightest doubt, he opened the chest.
“……”
An entirely empty chest.
For a moment, Jin doubted his own eyes.
“Huh? Huh…? Wait, what?”
He lifted the chest, checking the bottom.
He even examined it from various angles.
Nothing.
No matter how hard he searched, the treasure was gone.
“What the hell? Where is everything?”
His pupils trembled violently.
This can’t be happening.
The barrier was intact—how?
“…This is insane! Where the hell is my treasure?!”
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