Chapter 35
Meanwhile, in a remote mountain in Gangwon Province.
At the Level 3 Gate where the Claw-Handed Orc Tribe resided, the site of the recent villain incident that had stirred up so much controversy, the police had maintained a tight perimeter for several days.
“Seriously, can you listen to me for a second? We’ve recovered the bodies, documented the crime scene, and collected the evidence. Inspector, what more do you want from us here? Huh? I’m telling you, there’s nothing more to find here, so—wait! Wait! Inspector! Sir! Bro!!”
Beep beep beep…
Sergeant Park stared blankly at his phone in frustration.
As he stood there, a mild-mannered-looking man approached him from behind.
“Cheol-soo.”
“…Are we going back in again?”
“Do you want to quit together? Wouldn’t opening a chicken shop be better? My sister runs a great rib place in Suwon—we could turn that marinade into a killer chicken recipe. It’d be a hit.”
“Please count me out. I haven’t even paid off my rent deposit yet.”
“Damn! That damned loan! Who said we were the people’s protectors when we’re just slaves to the banks?”
“Let’s just get going. If we’re any later, we’ll have to work overtime.”
And so, once again, the two headed back to the crime scene for another round of investigation.
They entered the Blue Gate.
“Sigh… Cheol-soo, I’m not feeling motivated today. Got a light?”
“Here.”
“Phew~ I’m telling you, there’s nothing left to find here.”
“I’d agree with you. The ‘Administration Bureau’ and the ‘Enforcement Division’ already scoured this place thoroughly.”
“That’s what I’m saying! But the higher-ups want us to keep digging. They think it might be those ‘Evolution Sect’ bastards.”
“E-Evolution Sect? You mean that Evolution Sect?”
The Evolution Sect is a villain organization notorious for their ruthless human experiments, driven by the belief that:
“Humanity is inferior. Before this inferior race destroys the world, it must achieve ‘Evolution’. That is the only answer and the ultimate truth.”
“Yes, the Evolution Sect, or whatever. Either way, because of them, we have to continue this investigation. Today, tomorrow, and the day after. No such thing as going home early. We’re screwed.”
“But why would the Evolution Sect suddenly show up here? I mean, come on, sir, the Evolution Sect is a top-tier villain organization—one of the world’s three biggest. Why would they bother coming to a place like this?”
“I don’t know. If I knew, do you think I’d be here, wasting my time?”
Sergeant Park lit a new cigarette with the end of his old one as he continued talking.
“Anyway, one thing’s for sure: we’re going to be stuck doing this for a while. So what should I tell you at this point?”
“Find a quiet spot and take a break?”
“Exactly, Cheol-soo. You may have a common name, but your intuition is sharp. Let’s find a good spot to relax. Just don’t wander too deep. It’ll be a hassle if we get tangled up with the combat support team.”
“Yes, sir. Enjoy your break.”
“Will do.”
Sergeant Park waved lazily and disappeared into the forest.
As soon as his presence vanished completely, the junior officer’s eyes changed.
“…”
The officer dashed off in the direction his wristwatch indicated.
First and foremost, stealth.
For three days, he hadn’t been able to move aggressively because he couldn’t risk being caught.
“…Found it.”
In his hand was a simple stone.
It looked like any ordinary rock you could find anywhere, but in reality, it was a specialized “Message Stone” used by dark magicians, crafted with dimensional mana.
The man quietly tucked the stone into his jacket and began to make his way back.
…
…
“The 7th workshop is currently under attack by an unknown assailant. The identity of the attacker is unknown. It is unclear whether it is an individual or a group. There were five man-eating trees, three of which were comparable to Level 4 monsters…
…However, given that the summoners’ sigils were not just destroyed but necrotized, it’s evident that the man-eating trees were not merely unsummoned but completely obliterated. For this reason, it is speculated that the attacker might be a Priest capable of anti-magic or a dark magician who can manipulate dimensional mana. I lean towards the latter.
…If this message has been ‘recovered,’ it probably means that I’m already dead. I regret not being able to complete my mission. Evolution must continue indefinitely.
Evolution is the only answer.”
…
…
Some time after the villain incident.
Park Gi-hyeok, who had been shuttling between Hanbit Orphanage and the academy, finally resumed his gate activities once the public interest began to wane.
The task at hand was to gather spirit stones for the ‘Spirit and Familiars’ course, an assignment given by the academy headmaster.
Given that completing this mission would earn them an A grade in the ‘Spirit and Familiars’ class, it wasn’t a bad deal for Park Gi-hyeok and the other two, who had little connection to spirits.
So, Park Gi-hyeok and Group 20 headed to the Level 3 Gate where the ‘Stone Mountain Orc Tribe’ resided to collect the spirit stones.
“These guys are so, like, brutish. Gi-hyeok, switch. Take the shield!”
“Alright, just cast your spell and catch your breath. Jun-woo, I’ll handle defense.”
“I’m on offense. Got it.”
The Stone Mountain Orcs, clad in full-body stone armor, were a formidable enemy, not only because of their defense but also due to their immense strength, allowing them to move freely despite their heavy armor.
However, to the experienced Group 20, they were just tougher orcs.
Taking this opportunity, Park Gi-hyeok, Merry, and Han Jun-woo practiced rotating their positions in a ‘triangular formation,’ completing the mission with ease.
The next task came from the Yggdrasil club and had nothing to do with academy grades.
They were assigned to clear a ‘Purple Gate’ that had suddenly appeared near the academy. Without even a day’s rest, Park Gi-hyeok and Group 20 headed to the gate.
There, they were greeted by ‘Sawblade Orcs.’
Orcs wielding serrated swords resembling saws.
“Jun-woo, it’s been 10 minutes. Fall back. Merry, take over as the tank.”
“Be careful. They’re not perfect, but they use swordsmanship.”
“I’ll just block them completely. ‘Regenerating Shield!’”
“In that case, I’ll go all out. Cry, my serrated blade!”
“…You’ve been spending too much time with the kids; you’re turning into one.”
The Purple Gate required them to defeat the boss to clear it, which meant that, despite being a Level 2 Gate, it took longer than the previous Level 3 Gate mission.
But that was it.
Other than taking more time, it wasn’t particularly challenging.
Neither the Sawblade Orcs with their intimidating weapons nor the boss, who was three times the size of a regular orc, posed any significant threat to the current Group 20.
After reporting the clear, Park Gi-hyeok and his companions returned to the academy.
But as soon as they finished their report, another mission came in.
This time, they were tasked with retrieving ‘Black Iron,’ a material needed for crafting wooden swords used in swordsmanship training.
The funny thing was, the lowest gate where they could obtain this Black Iron was the ‘Shadow Scream Mountain,’ inhabited by Black Tendril Orcs.
“Ugh~ I hate this so much. That ear-piercing, shrieking sound from those orcs! It drives me crazy!”
“Another orc, huh.”
“This is a conspiracy! They’re out to get us! How is it that every mission involves orcs?!”
“No way… It’s just a coincidence, right? The last mission was from Yggdrasil, after all.”
“Ugh~ Jun-woo, don’t you get it? How can it be a coincidence four times in a row? They’re all in on it! They all hate us! Gi-hyeok!! Don’t you have anything to say?”
“…Should I carry you?”
“Hmph, that wasn’t the response I was expecting, but go ahead and carry me.”
“Damn that headmaster. This is how he gets his revenge. Just wait, I’ll show him.”
Claw-Handed Orcs, Stone Mountain Orcs, Sawblade Orcs, and now Black Tendril Orcs.
Perhaps it was due to this endless chain of orc hunts, but by now, the three of them had become such skilled orc hunters that they could predict the orcs’ next moves just by looking into their eyes.
So, after completing four consecutive orc missions, on Friday, the three of them took a break in the clubroom, nervous about another mission coming in.
As it turned out, something did come in.
But it wasn’t a mission—it was a person.
“Is this the ‘Hell with No Exit’? Nice to meet you. I’m Jin Yu-ri.”
Hell with No Exit.
True to the motto, “Once you pass through this door, you’re strong!” our clubroom door weighed 200 kilograms.
If you count both sides, that’s 400 kilograms.
At first, Jun-woo and Merry couldn’t even open the door by themselves, which led to a comical situation. Embarrassed by this, the two of them doubled down on their strength training… or so the story goes.
This notorious clubroom door swung open.
A petite figure that looked like she’d collapse with a light tap.
A mysterious, red-haired girl with a smile that could enchant anyone.
Jin Yu-ri, leader of Group 1.
“Is this the ‘Hell with No Exit’? Nice to meet you. I’m Jin Yu-ri.”
But there’s a simpler and more accurate word to describe her.
True Dragon.
The pinnacle of South Korea’s magic community.
I closed the flask I was experimenting with and looked straight at Jin Yu-ri.
“Wow, the others are training, huh? They say it’s endless sparring, and they weren’t kidding. Impressive. But no greeting?”
“…I was just taken aback by an unexpected guest. Welcome. Would you like some tea?”
“What do you have? I can’t drink coffee. I’m allergic to caffeine. And I can’t drink milk either. Lactose intolerance.”
“Picky, aren’t you? There, help yourself.”
I pointed to the corner.
A vending machine lined up with all kinds of drinks.
No coins needed. I was originally going to get a fridge, but Merry insisted that we needed a ‘vibe,’ so we ended up with this instead.
“Wow, you even have this? That’s so cool.”
“You think that’s cool?”
“Yeah, it has a certain vibe. Makes me want to take a picture.”
“That vibe, huh. Just grab something and come over.”
Jin Yu-ri chose a cherry-flavored soda and sat across from me.
Just as we were about to get down to business, Jin Yu-ri said something completely unexpected.
“Huh? Is this… a spirit stone?”
“…!”
“But that’s strange. The spirit stones I know are sharp and have a strong will, but these are all round and soft. Like clay.”
“You’ve got an interesting way of putting it.”
Like clay.
It’s an accurate description.
This is a ‘synthetic spirit stone’ that I made myself.
Because it’s synthetic, it’s not as sharp as a naturally formed spirit stone.
It’s more like a blank sheet of paper.
It can be used for anything, which actually makes it more versatile.
And she figured this out in one glance, with no prior knowledge, just by casually looking at it?
“That’s impressive… You have the ‘Eyes of the Dragon,’ huh?”
“Yeah, it’s similar to your ‘Instincts.’”
Just as a swordsman’s instincts awaken when they hold a sword, a True Dragon can naturally read the information contained within a spell simply by observing it.
From a magician’s perspective, this is insane. It’s like having a glimpse of the ‘truth.’
“Mind-boggling.”
“Hmm, but you don’t have to take it too seriously. Not everyone in my family can do it to this extent. I’m a bit special. Was that too much bragging?”
“No, if you’re that good, you should definitely boast about it. I like your straightforwardness.”
“Same here. I like how manly you are.”
Enough with the pleasantries.
After taking a sip of her drink, she got to the point.
“So, why are you here?”
“Why would I come to a clubroom? I’m here to join.”
“Join? But you’re already in a club.”
“I left. It was boring.”
Here’s what happened.
Jin Yu-ri used to be a member of the ‘Grand Magician’ club.
As the name suggests, it was a club dedicated to in-depth research and discussion on magic.
With its focus on advanced magic, it attracted many talented students, making it one of the most competitive clubs to get into.
It was only natural for Jin Yu-ri, the child of a renowned magic family, to join.
But then a problem arose.
“All they ever did was preach about tradition. So I asked them, ‘What exactly is tradition?’ And they pulled out some dusty old Encyclopedia of Magic and said that was tradition. Honestly, I was disappointed.”
In the world of magic, there are radicals and conservatives.
Radicals argue that magic should be developed by embracing various forms and expanding its scope, while conservatives emphasize that magic should be honed and developed under the order of tradition.
Jin Yu-ri leans towards the radicals, while the Grand Magician club was an extreme bastion of conservatism.
Their clash was inevitable.
“I suggested we research War Armor. It’s a global trend, after all. But they said no. When I asked why, they said it’s not magic. Does that make any sense?”
“Yeah, that’s pretty extreme.”
“Right?!”
I’d only heard about it from my mother.
Magical engineering, which combines magic and advanced technology, has been a hot topic of debate in the magical academic community for years.
Honestly, it’s a ridiculous discussion.
“Who cares if it’s a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice? Why stress about it?”
“Exactly!! I knew you’d get it.”
“So you left and opened the door to hell?”
“It was heavier than I expected. I had to use fourth-form magic to get it open.”
I understand why she’s here, and it makes sense.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t issues.
“Hey, you know there’s a problem with our club, right?”
“I know. The headmaster has his eye on you. Everyone’s talking about it.”
“You’re well-informed. But if you join us, that fox… I mean, the headmaster, is going to have something to say.”
“Does that bother you?”
“I’m fine with it.”
I gestured toward the training ground where Merry and Jun-woo were sparring.
“But I’m worried about them.”
“The four consecutive orc raids?”
“Oh, you know about that?”
“Yggdrasil told me. It sounded fun.”
“…That lady talks too much. Anyway, it’s a bit of a problem for me.”
“Then just leave them out of it. But you’re okay with it, right?”
“Well, I don’t see why I should refuse. I’m curious about those eyes of yours.”
“Glad we’re on the same page. I was curious about that ‘Apocalypse’ you showed me.”
Jin Yu-ri smiled and handed me a piece of paper.
I absentmindedly took it and started reading…
“Group… Assignment… for Final Exams?!”
At the top of the paper, it said “Group 1 + Group 20.”
Why are Group 1 and Group 20 paired together… Wait, that’s not the point. This shouldn’t have been announced yet. How does she know?
Jin Yu-ri must have read my expression because she giggled playfully.
“I swiped it~.”
I need to rethink this.
Maybe she didn’t leave the Grand Magician club of her own accord.
Maybe she was kicked out? That seems more likely.
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