Chapter 30
To begin with, let me say that a deal was indeed struck between Chun Soo-man and me.
Why? After all that bold talk, why did I agree?
Yes, I live on my own terms!
I walked out of the principal’s office with flair, my pride soaring.
But just because I have pride doesn’t mean I’m oblivious to reality.
If I do what I want, the other side can do what they want too.
I’m still a part of this Academy, and Chun Soo-man is the principal. His authority over Academy matters far outweighs mine.
I’m not in a position where I can simply stick to my guns.
Still, perhaps because of the stance I took early on, the subsequent negotiations were relatively smooth.
And here we are as a result.
Tuesday. 11:38 AM.
Normally, we’d be at the cafeteria having lunch, but instead, we’re climbing an unnamed mountain in Gangwon Province.
“Hmmm~ The air is so fresh and cool.”
“Cool? This is cool to you?”
“And with the light drizzle, it’s perfect.”
“Drizzle? This isn’t drizzle! My raincoat’s soaked through! How can you call this drizzle? Argh—!”
Thud.
Merihem tripped over a branch and fell.
Splat.
Mud soaked from the rain splattered all over Merihem’s expensive training clothes.
Under normal circumstances, I would’ve teased her for being a sorcerer tripping over a mere branch, but…
I turned my gaze away, pretending not to notice.
“Hmm, the smell of the earth is quite nice.”
“Ugh, this is so annoying! Why did this have to happen today? The helicopter I ordered isn’t coming until next week!”
“Just hang in there. We’re almost there.”
“You seem to be enjoying this, Junu. Sure, of course, you’d love it—getting to do real combat to your heart’s content, huh? Must be great for you.”
“Don’t blame me. I’m not the culprit.”
“Huu… Right. Sure. Junu’s right. The culprit is someone else.”
Meri glared at me with sharp eyes.
“You’re staring holes through me.”
“I wish I could.”
“Hmm, our Meri is getting quite aggressive, huh?”
“Cut the nonsense. Just tell us why we’re here. Why are we climbing a mountain when we should be in class? You said you sorted things out with the principal.”
“Hmm, about that…”
Negotiating with Chun Soo-man at the table again, neither of us had spoken it aloud, but we both sensed that this would be our final meeting and so proceeded cautiously.
“What Chun Soo-man wanted was balance—in other words, he didn’t want me to interfere with the other students’ playtime.”
“True, your involvement would make competition meaningless.”
“Shh, Junu. Don’t interrupt. Ki-hyuk, go on.”
So yes, I understood what Chun Soo-man wanted.
The problem was, I didn’t particularly want anything in return. The basis of a deal is that both parties have something to offer each other, but in this case, our negotiation was too one-sided.
So what could I possibly need? As I pondered this, an advisor appeared.
The veteran parent who graduated two of her children as valedictorians.
My mother, Kim Yeon-hee.
“Did Chun Soo-man really say that? Hmph, he must be desperate. To come crawling to you like that.”
“From what I see, you don’t really need to attend classes. Why not focus on gaining practical experience instead? You could earn credits by tackling Gates like the third years do.”
“Class? Is there a class you want to take? Oh, how about ‘Positioning’? That’s a good one. Then just ask them to provide the lectures online. What’s the problem? Say everything you want. The moment Chun Soo-man bent, this negotiation became overwhelmingly favorable to you.”
And once again, my mother’s prediction was spot on.
Chun Soo-man accepted all my terms without conditions.
“Wait a minute. So, you’re telling me that the reason they selected ten ‘Outstanding Students’ this time…”
“That’s right. It’s because of our team.”
Outstanding Students.
In each year, those who achieve exceptional grades, demonstrate exemplary conduct, and serve as role models are designated as Outstanding Students.
…But in reality, it’s more commonly known as a ‘Free Pass.’
Why? Because you’re allowed to skip classes.
Being designated as an Outstanding Student means the professors officially acknowledge that they have nothing more to teach you.
As a result, these students only need to get credit for activities in external institutions, like agencies or associations, instead of attending regular classes.
‘At least, theoretically.’
But the Korean Academy fundamentally revolves around group activities.
As everyone knows, ‘major courses’ like the ‘Understanding and Application of Positioning,’ which I like, require group participation and evaluation.
So even as Outstanding Students, for the sake of our group members, we still had to participate in these group-based major courses.
Until yesterday, that is.
“…As principal, I’ve determined that the top ten students from the midterms will be selected as Outstanding Scholars.”
Chun Soo-man had selected the top ten from the midterms as Outstanding Scholars.
Meri was ranked ninth, Junu third, and I was first. This meant our entire group was officially Outstanding Scholars.
What does this mean? It means we no longer need to attend classes.
“We’re free!”
“Free? My foot!”
Whack!
Meri smacked me on the back of the head.
“You say we’re free, but we’re going to be constantly taking on requests, which means we’ll be working non-stop! How is that freedom?”
“Aww~ It’s just an excuse for the jobs.”
“Are you kidding me? Is that something to be proud of? While everyone else is comfortably taking classes at school, here we are, drenched in rain, climbing a mountain. How is this a good thing!!”
Meri was livid.
But what can I do? No one else here shares her anger.
“Actually, this is great. It’s awesome.”
“Awesome?”
“Hunting is always the right choice.”
“The right… choice?”
Sure, classes are good, but for now, battle is better, especially for someone like me, and for Junu, who loves combat as much as I do.
There’s no way her complaints are going to get through to us.
“Huff, huff… I’m too annoyed to keep walking.”
“Want me to carry you?”
“Yes, please.”
I lifted Meri onto my back.
“How’s the ride?”
“Just shut up and walk.”
“Yep.”
So, we continued our trek up the mountain in the rain.
And then, we spotted it in the distance—a blue Gate.
“We’re here.”
“Yep, I see it.”
“So, if we hunt the orcs there, we’ll be able to get the ‘Psychokinetic Stone’?”
“Yeah.”
Today, we’re heading into the ‘Clawed Hand Orc Tribe Gate.’
These orcs are born sacrificing one eye as a tribute, which grants them psychokinetic powers.
Our first assignment is to retrieve ‘Psychokinetic Stones’ from these orcs.
“Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
“Ugh, don’t you dare put me down. Not even in your dreams.”
“I was just switching arms.”
Thud, thud, thud.
A man wearing sunglasses walked forward.
“Hahahaha! Full house! I hit the jackpot!”
“No, no way! This is a scam! My money, my mooney!!”
“Don’t touch anything, you bastards! Where’s the manager? Hey, do you know who I am? I’m the chief of police, and I’m…”
An illegal casino, full of people as usual, came into view.
Even in the middle of a weekday, these less-than-human scumbags were drunkenly throwing down cards.
Just sharing the same space as them was revolting.
The man behind the sunglasses frowned for a moment before his expression returned to its usual cold demeanor.
“You’ve arrived, sir.”
“Where’s the boss?”
“He’s inside.”
A moment later, the door opened, and the man walked in, receiving respectful greetings from the guards.
Inside, a man was leisurely smoking a cigarette—Kim, the manager of this operation and the man whom the other man served.
“Here already? How did it go?”
“It’s done.”
“Well done. Here, have a smoke.”
“Thank you.”
Kim personally handed him a cigarette and even lit it for him. It was his way of showing appreciation.
“So, what did they say? Why did the ‘supply’ suddenly dry up?”
“Apparently, a new recruit, not knowing any better, ‘collected’ the prosecutor’s grandson. The sudden increase in stock meant there wasn’t time for a proper background check.”
“Goddamn, incompetent bastards. Even in a rush, they shouldn’t have swallowed something that’s bound to bite back.”
“The prosecutor went berserk, pulling in the entire police force. We managed to resolve it by handing over the kid and one of our workshops.”
“Ridiculous. These idiots, what kind of business do they think they’re running? It’s not their first day on the job. Hah, you’re the one who has to deal with all this crap.”
“It’s nothing, sir.”
Kim stubbed out his burnt-out cigarette in the ashtray, lit another, and changed the subject.
“What about that thing we’re investigating?”
“Regarding Park Ki-hyuk, it seems we won’t be able to approach him for a while. There’s too much attention on him.”
“The kid had an extraordinary presence from the start, and now he’s too famous. What did they call it… Apocalypse? I scoffed at the idea of a tiger cub casting spells, but it’s something else, huh.”
“The team is already studying it.”
“Shame, if I had more time, I’d look into it myself… Provide them with more resources. Who knows, it might prove useful to our research.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, and I nearly forgot. How’s the ‘Psychokinetic Stone’ deal coming along?”
“It’s proceeding without issue.”
“Mobilize all available funds to acquire as much as possible. If you’ve got any money stashed away, stockpile some for yourself too. You’ve been working hard, so you deserve a bonus.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Alright, let’s go grab something to eat.”
Psychokinetic Stones (念動石).
Magic stones imbued with the ‘physical’ attribute.
On Earth, these stones are considered highly unpopular materials.
They’re traded for less than half of what pure magic stones of the same capacity fetch.
The reason is simple—once an attribute is inscribed, its usage becomes limited.
Magic stones are the essential fuel of this era. They generate electricity, power vehicles, and keep the world running.
But once a magic stone is infused with an attribute, it loses its value as fuel.
Its applications become severely limited.
Furthermore, the physical attribute of the Psychokinetic Stone is far less versatile than elemental attributes like fire, water, or earth.
Given this reality, Psychokinetic Stones are practically worthless.
As a result, Gates where these stones can be obtained have become unpopular hunting grounds.
This is the assessment of Psychokinetic Stones on Earth.
So why bring up Psychokinetic Stones now?
Because of the fools in front of me, begging for their lives.
“Please spare us.”
“We’re begging you, just this once.”
“We didn’t know anything, I swear.”
These idiots, who called themselves members of the Baekho Gang.
Wait, now that I think about it, this pisses me off.
“Hey, change your gang’s name.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, change it. If I catch you using names like Baekho, Mountain King, or anything related to tigers, you’re dead.”
“We’ll change it right away.”
“We’ll disband.”
“We’ll live honestly from now on.”
Anyway, these morons tried to interfere with us about ten minutes ago.
Just as we were finishing our preparations and about to start hunting.
“Damn, unlucky to run into such annoying pests. Hey, why are you bothering the kids?”
“Let’s not make a scene. Just send them on their way.”
“This is our ‘Baekho Gang’ territory. Leave while you still can.”
The moment they revealed themselves without knowing our capabilities, these guys were confirmed to be either mentally challenged or simply lacking in intelligence.
Already frustrated from dealing with Meri all day, I took it upon myself to personally persuade these fools.
Through persuasion (physical).
As I was busy convincing them through persuasion (physical), they suddenly started spouting strange things.
“Please, let us live. We were just following orders.”
“We were only supposed to scare you off, really. We’re just hired hands.”
“I don’t know… Ah! No, I do! They said they were collecting Psychokinetic Stones! They said if we didn’t meet the quota by tomorrow, no one was to be let in. Please stop hitting me!”
They said they were gathering Psychokinetic Stones.
They’re trying to monopolize something that’s practically worthless, even setting quotas.
“Do you really not know why they’re collecting them?”
“We don’t!”
“Use your heads. You’re supposed to be good at picking up on things.”
“They said we should mind our own business. They told us knowing too much would get us hurt.”
“…Hmm.”
In truth, monopolizing a Gate to gather materials isn’t uncommon.
But what I find puzzling is…
‘Why didn’t they handle it themselves and instead put these idiots on the front line?’
‘And is the Psychokinetic Stone valuable enough to go to such lengths to monopolize it?’
…That’s what I’m wondering.
“…Alright, get lost.”
“You’re letting us go?”
“Yeah, get out before I change my mind. And don’t forget to change your gang’s name. Whether you live honestly or not… that’s up to you. But remember, if you keep acting up with those skills, you’ll end up in hell sooner or later.”
“Yes! Yes! Thank you!!”
The group scattered in a hurry.
Even the way they fled was pathetic.
Honestly, with skills like that, how do they even think they can pull off any crimes… It’s beyond pitiful; it’s almost sad.
“…It’s surprising. You really let them go.”
“Agreed.”
“What’s so surprising?”
“I thought you’d take them all down.”
“Take them down? What do you mean by ‘take them down’? Where’d you even learn that phrase?”
“From a movie. ‘You’ve insulted me.’ Then splash, splash! It was a cool scene. But why did you let them go? You’re not usually one to show mercy.”
“I’m curious too.”
“Well… They were too pathetic.”
“True.”
“…And pitiful.”
In fact, their souls were too clean.
Even if a person is evil or acts for a righteous cause, when a human kills another human, their soul gets scarred.
In that sense, those idiots were too clean. Pathetically clean.
“But why were those idiots collecting Psychokinetic Stones? I mean, is it really worth monopolizing a Gate just for that?”
“I’m curious too. Do you know anything, Ki-hyuk?”
“Hmm…”
I have some inklings…
In the Empire, Psychokinetic Stones are known as Magnetics.
As their ambiguous ‘physical’ attribute suggests, they are shunned even by regular magicians.
However, despite being practically useless, there is one field—just one field—where they are invaluable, considered irreplaceable.
The magic that involves using souls as collateral to manifest existence from the void.
‘…Black Magic.’
It seems we’ve stumbled into something absurd.
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