After the Lily incident, a grim atmosphere began to settle over the Mage Academy.
As time passed, what started as a simple final exam escalated into a full-scale interschool competition.
Of course, this tense mood wasn’t confined to the academy alone.
The media sensationalized the event, fuelling the fire to make it feel like a battle between nations.
But regardless of all that, I attended my classes as usual.
For me, national pride was far less important than figuring out how to navigate the developments ahead.
[Hanseong Pharmaceuticals]
And so, on Saturday, the academy’s day off, I arrived at the headquarters of Hanseong Pharmaceuticals, disguised as Kim Jinwoo.
Despite it being the weekend, the company was bustling with people.
Just then, an employee approached me with a friendly smile.
“Hello. How may I help you?”
“I’m here to meet Director Han Se-yeon.”
At my response, the employee glanced me over before saying,
“I’m sorry, but Director Han Se-yeon isn’t someone you can meet so easily. May I ask the purpose of your visit?”
“It’s a business matter. I have an appointment.”
“An appointment?”
The employee tilted their head in confusion.
“Yes, an appointment.”
“…May I have your name?”
“Kim Jinwoo.”
“I’ll check.”
With a skeptical look, the employee disappeared.
About three minutes later, they returned.
“I’m sorry, but your name is not on the meeting list, Mr. Kim Jinwoo.”
“Tell them it’s Kim Jinwoo. They’ll know.”
“Well, that’s…”
At that moment—
“Yoo Sawon! Leave this to me and get back to work.”
A middle-aged man approached us in a hurry.
“Huh?”
The employee, called Yoo Sawon, looked puzzled but then quickly bowed to the man.
“Oh, yes. Understood.”
Once the employee left, the man smiled at me.
“Mr. Kim Jinwoo, I apologize for the inconvenience. Please follow me.”
Thanks to his polite guidance, I took the elevator up and arrived at Han Se-yeon’s office.
As I entered, Han Se-yeon, dressed in a suit with a white coat over it, greeted me with a smile.
“Sorry about that. I didn’t put you on the meeting list because I wanted to keep this quiet, but I guess that caused some trouble.”
“It’s fine.”
I grinned nonchalantly and walked over to sink into a plush chair.
Han Se-yeon sat across from me, gazing at me with a thoughtful look.
“Hmm…”
“Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?”
“No, it’s just… your style seems a little different.”
“Ah.”
Since many people had noted the resemblance between my real face, Kim Sunwoo, and my disguise, Kim Jinwoo, I had altered my overall style a bit.
A more refined, gentlemanly look, so to speak.
“How is it?”
“…Not bad, but you should shave. It really doesn’t suit you. It just makes you look older.”
That was the point.
“I’m comfortable like this.”
“Hmm. You’d look much better if you shaved. Your eyes make you seem young, after all. I prefer younger-looking faces.”
“Oh, so you like younger guys.”
I recalled reading that in a pre-regression magazine interview with Han Se-yeon.
At that, her eyes filled with suspicion.
“Have I mentioned that before?”
“I misspoke. I meant to say, ‘So, you like younger guys, huh?’”
“…”
Han Se-yeon looked me with suspicion before nodding.
“It’s not exactly about younger guys. I just like youthful-looking faces.”
“Someone like you could have your pick of anyone.”
I grinned playfully. Han Se-yeon frowned slightly.
“I’m too busy to date. I’ve never really— Ahem. Oh, and take this.”
She pulled out a card from her pocket and handed it to me.
It looked luxurious, with the Hanseong family name inscribed on it.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a token of association with the Hanseong family. Only those who have been with us for a long time receive one, but I recently got an extra, so I’m giving it to you. If staff ever question you like today, just show them that. They’ll take care of everything for you.”
“Oh.”
I examined the card with newfound interest.
Now that she explained it, it felt even more prestigious.
“Beyond that, you can freely access all facilities used by the Hanseong family. You’ll find it quite useful.”
“Nice. I’ll put it to good use.”
Han Se-yeon smiled.
“Honestly, compared to the Ilwol Medical Book you gave me, this is nothing.”
“Sounds like you’re making good use of it.”
“Yes, thanks to you, the quality of our medicines has improved overall. We’ll need more research before commercialization, but we’re getting there.”
“Good to hear. I can expect a share of the profits, right?”
“Of course.”
Han Se-yeon replied with confidence.
“Alright, enough small talk. Here’s what you asked for.”
She stood up, opened a drawer, and pulled out a large brown envelope.
“This contains the identities and activity records of the wanted criminals you asked about. I noticed some regular citizens mixed in—are they criminals too?”
“Yes, they are.”
I skimmed through the documents.
Honestly, I hadn’t expected much since I’d only given her two days, but the information was quite comprehensive.
The details on known villains were accurate, and even the unfamiliar fugitives were well-documented.
“Nice. Good work.”
“Why do you need these, by the way? Planning to catch some fugitives?”
“Yeah, I thought I’d try some bounty hunting.”
Han Se-yeon’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“But you’re already wealthy, aren’t you?”
“I have plenty of money.”
“Then why? Oh, I see—it’s for justice, huh? Just like at the Pioneer’s Night social event. You have a strong sense of justice.”
Instead of answering, I just smirked.
I didn’t have a good excuse anyway.
“Well, in any case, I appreciate it.”
After parting ways with Han Se-yeon, I reviewed the documents she had given me while moving to a new location.
[Kwak Chan-yong: Frequently spotted at an illegal gambling den in Suwon.]
My destination was a small illegal gambling den in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Kwak Chan-yong was a villain who operated several small crime syndicates from the shadows. However, “Kwak Chan-yong” was merely an alias, and very few people knew his true identity and name. His real name was “Mujin.” He was a demon.
“Hm. This must be the place.”
I slowly walked into the gambling den. A man blocked my path.
“For security reasons, we need to check your ID.”
I took out the ID of Kim Jinwoo from my pocket. It was a bit uncomfortable, but there was no other choice.
“Alright, you’re cleared to enter.”
I stepped inside, surveying my surroundings as I moved. It was exactly what one would expect—a gambling den. People placed their bets, winners cheered in excitement, and losers fumed in frustration.
I used my ability to assess individuals, scanning the people in the room one by one. Since this was only a small illegal gambling den, it wouldn’t take too long.
“…What the hell. He’s not here.”
Contrary to my expectations, Mujin was nowhere to be seen. Had I chosen the wrong day?
Just as I was considering what to do next, a man entered through the doorway. A scrawny looking man in his thirties.
I immediately used my assessment ability on him.
━━
Name: Mujin
Age: 35
Race: Demon
Condition: Calm
Magic Grade: B+
Interest Level: 0
━━
…Found him.
Time passed, and Kwak Chan-yong—no, Mujin—left the gambling den. I followed him secretly, ensuring I remained undetected.
There were multiple reasons I had chosen Mujin as my first target. First, I planned to use his demonic nature to quickly build up my proficiency with light-based magic. Second, he was a direct subordinate of Cheonhae, an commander of the Ten Demon Council.
With Jang Ye dead, it was uncertain what Cheonhae would do next. It was best to suppress them before they could make a move.
When we reached a secluded alley, I called out to him from behind.
“Mujin.”
Hearing his real name, Mujin turned his head toward me, momentarily startled.
“Who the hell are you? Are you a demon?”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I gathered my magic power and reinforced my body.
To be honest, I could have ambushed him for an easier fight, but I wanted to test my newly acquired abilities. Sensing that something was off, Mujin lowered his stance, preparing for battle.
[Activation: ‘Victory Call’ effect.]
[Target: Mujin.]
[If you win this battle, you will gain a random attribute increase or a new trait.]
Target locked. All that was left was to take him down.
“…You’re human. Who the hell are you? How do you know my real name?”
Mujin glared at me, his body surrounded by five flaming spikes that blazed into existence. A masterful display of compressed magic.
Each spike carried an intense concentration of magic. I couldn’t help but admire his level of control.
For a moment, I thought—perhaps this man was even stronger than Jang Ye. After all, combat experience was just as crucial as magic grade.
Alright, let’s test this out.
How well could I fight a B-rank demon without relying on mana elixirs or the Heart of Nature?
“I asked how you know my name!”
With Mujin’s furious shout, the five flaming spikes shot toward me.
But thanks to my heightened perception from my combat trait, their movement seemed slow. I easily dodged the attack and charged at him.
I intended to force a close-quarters fight and strike at his vital points while he was off guard.
Just then, a powerful surge of magic gathered beneath my feet—
With a boom!, a massive pillar of fire erupted from the ground.
“Tch!”
I barely avoided the attack. If not for my enhanced perception, I would’ve been incinerated.
He could manipulate the shape of his flames this well?
This wasn’t just basic fire magic—he could transform it at will. Instead of simple constructs like swords, spears, or arrows, he could create large-scale area attacks.
This level of control meant his magic mastery was far beyond ordinary.
“…How is this guy only B-rank?”
Judging by his control alone, he should be ranked much higher. The only explanation was that, like me, he had exceptional talent but lacked the raw magic reserves to back it up.
Well, even so, he still had way more magic than I did.
“Haa…”
It seemed I wasn’t quite ready to fight a B-rank demon on pure skill alone.
Then, let’s test the next ability.
[Activation: ‘Fighting Spirit’.]
[For three minutes, all attributes increase by 20%.]
Bzzzzzzzzzt—!
A powerful energy surged through my body. I felt my muscles strengthen instantly, and my speed skyrocketed.
This ability enhanced all stats by 20%. The stronger I became, the more effective this boost would be. Even now, the improvement was unmistakable.
“Good.”
I grinned and dashed toward him.
—!
Mujin’s eyes widened in shock at my sudden acceleration.
He tried to block me by raising another pillar of fire, but it was useless. I was far faster than before.
Shhhhhh.
When I got close enough, I conjured three light-based orbs above my palm.
One aimed at his head. One at his torso. One slightly delayed, aimed at his head again.
Boom!
“Aaagh!”
Mujin managed to block two of them but failed to stop the third.
Now was my chance.
I gathered all my remaining magic power into a single, maximum-output light sphere.
“Haaaah!”
A radiant light illuminated the dark alleyway. The blinding sphere shot directly at Mujin’s head.
BOOM!
[Victory achieved over the target.]
[‘Victory’s Call’ effect activated: Strength +0.5, Magic Power +0.5, Magic Control Proficiency +2%.]
[A demon has been slain using light magic.]
[Light Magic Proficiency increased by 15%.]
[B-rank Villain, ‘Mujin’, has been eliminated solo.]
[A minor shift in the story has been detected.]
[Causality increased by 0.3.]
“…Haa.”
I had won.
Even without mana elixirs or the Heart of Nature, I had taken down a B-rank demon.
If I combined Fighting Spirit with the Heart of Nature, my power would multiply even further.
As I exhaled in relief, a brilliant light suddenly erupted from my body.
“What the—?”
[Trait ‘Blessing of Nature’ has leveled up to Rank 4.]
[A new effect has been unlocked.]
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