I stopped walking when I heard voices coming from behind the stairs.

As expected, rumors had spread.

It was inevitable, considering it wasn’t common for such a large sum of money to be spent in a single day.

“Did you hear? It was Leo and his attendant. Both of them are mages, which is probably why they spent so much.”

“Leo?! Why did he go there all of a sudden?”

“Leo said his attendant wanted to visit the place. Apparently, they came from the Papal States.”

“Really? Did you hear their name? If they’re a mage, they must be a noble too.”

“I don’t know. I can’t remember the foreign surname. But according to the manager, it doesn’t seem to be a noble surname.”

“Could a mage traveling with Leo really not be a noble? It must be a fake name.”

“Probably. They even wore a mask.”

“Really?”

I stroked my chin.

Using a noble surname would have left traces, so I wrote my original surname instead.

Since the news would soon spread to the Papal States, there was no need to use a real noble surname and risk causing trouble between families.

‘In reality, foreign mages entering the capital and engaging in various activities would typically need to be verified at least once.’

However, there wasn’t a proper system in place, and in the novel, the law was only revised after the protagonist threw a bomb-like incident at the imperial family around the middle of the story.

Until then, they just leisurely assumed that ‘if such a prestigious family gave permission, their identity must be verified.’

‘Of course, Leo’s family would be hearing this for the first time…’

Because they never gave permission.

But since Leo would handle that, there was no need for me to worry.

For now, everything was within the expected range. That was enough.

I left the spot, leaving the students’ ongoing conversation behind.

By noon, the situation was the same.

The news quickly spread throughout the school and the entire capital.

“Did you hear?! That blue-eyed hunter is going there again tomorrow?!”

“Ugh…”

While moving to the lecture hall, I choked at the shout I heard somewhere.

‘…That title just now…’

Were they talking about me? More importantly, who said they were going tomorrow?

Once I started paying attention, I realized I could hear similar things from several places around me.

‘…Status window.’

Lucas Rene Ascanien

Title: ???’s Hunter

Health: -3.5 (+0.3)

Mental Power: -8.2 (+0.5)

Magic Power: ?

Skill: +1.015 (+0.5)

Impression: -10

Luck: -6.985 (+0.5)

Traits: Dawn 777, Divine Power

I opened it just in case, and the title had indeed changed. It seemed to vary depending on how I was referred to here.

‘Judging by that title, this will continue for a while.’

Moreover, the Chimera Wolf incident hadn’t even been reported yet. If the authorities decided to report it, the current fervor would last even longer.

I thought while glancing at the students carrying newspapers.

* * *

It turned out that the title wasn’t something the students came up with on their own; it was first used by the newspaper that reported the incident. Other newspapers also used the same title, so it seemed to have already stuck.

In fact, Leo’s situation was more severe than mine.

I just had to endure an incomprehensible name, but Leo had to deal with countless students’ questions and attention directly.

As expected, his expression darkened every time we met on the street. The usually cheerful guy had turned grim, which said it all.

The next evening, Leo was sitting on the training ground floor without saying a word for a long time.

I looked down at Leo and asked,

“Are you okay?”

“No.”

Leo answered with a face that looked ten years older.

We had gathered at the training ground, but seeing that, it didn’t seem like he was in any condition to train today.

‘He must have been bombarded with questions all day.’

In this sense, it was quite beneficial to conceal one’s identity. I interpreted it positively and sat down next to him.

Leo spoke weakly.

“Did you know? Our story was in five different newspapers today. Why are they so obsessed? I even received three interview requests yesterday.”

“You’ve been through a lot.”

I had expected the attention to die down a bit, but it only grew stronger.

‘It must be due to the air of mystery.’

If it had just been Leo and his revealed attendant hunting monsters together, it would have ended as a simple good story about Leo. But because of the mysterious elements surrounding me, people were even more frantically spreading stories.

Moreover, investigations revealed that the wolf wasn’t a type found in the Empire, and the imperial family announced that the culprit was likely from Pleroma.

With two mages conveniently appearing and stopping a crime involving a cult, it was bound to become a hot topic.

‘It’s a relief we didn’t get caught.’

Why did they have to mention Pleroma?

Even though I wasn’t from Pleroma, I was already being associated with such an image, so if I were discovered, it would truly be the end.

Considering the worst-case scenario, the current situation was quite good.

“Oh.”

Leo noticed a package beside him and handed it to me.

“I almost forgot to give you this. It arrived today.”

“It came earlier than expected.”

“I asked them to make it as quickly as possible. It doesn’t take long to make anyway.”

Even so, I didn’t expect it to be delivered in just one day.

I accepted the box Leo handed over.

“Thanks.”

“No problem. Just make sure to use magic well.”

“What…”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.”

‘Stay healthy’ would have made more sense, but what did he mean by ‘use magic well’?

As always, he was obsessed with magic.

I ignored Leo’s comment and unwrapped the package.

“Wow…”

Leo began to admire the inner packaging and then, seeing the item, he started to marvel in a slightly different tone.

“Wow, it’s really plain.”

Inside were a plain wristwatch and a silver necklace chain.

The best effects come from embedding the artifact under the skin, using small chips or earrings.

I didn’t try the former due to the psychological discomfort, and while the latter was better, a mage with pierced ears clearly indicated the use of an artifact. It could be dangerous if I encountered my brother.

However, a wristwatch and necklace were close enough to the body to be effective. I had also consecrated the artifacts with my blood and magic to enhance their effectiveness.

The watch was meant to conceal the magic circulating through my body, and the necklace chain was to stabilize my core. The current pendant I was using was an artifact, so changing the chain wouldn’t be an issue.

I had spent a fortune to thoroughly block any magical leakage, making them look like ordinary accessories, and I still had about ten million won left.

‘I’m not going out again.’

While a thousand could quickly be spent and disappear for a mage, there was no way I was going to hunt monsters again. I smiled contentedly.

“Try it on quickly. I’m curious.”

“Sure.”

At Leo’s urging, I roughly fastened the watch around my wrist.

“…!”

Perhaps because it contained my blood and magic, I felt an indescribable sensation on my wrist, even though it wasn’t embedded under my skin.

“…It feels like something is pulling, but I don’t feel anything else.”

“No, try using magic.”

Leo excitedly pointed to the other end of the training ground, waving his arm. I drew my wand and fired a spell at the spot Leo indicated.

Boom―!

“Oh.”

It felt different, like a path had been made. If I had been driving on an unpaved road until now, it felt like I was on a somewhat poorly paved road now.

“You felt it too, right? And the magic aura around you before and after casting the spell has significantly decreased. It’s much cleaner.”

“Really? I used the same amount of magic power as usual, though.”

“That’s right. This only suppresses the scattered magic after casting.”

“Nice.”

I pulled up the status window again.

*Lucas Rene Ascanien

Title: ???’s Hunter

Health: -3.5

Mental Power: -8.2

Magic Power: ?

Skill: +1.015 [+4.015]

Impression: -10

Luck: -6.985

Traits: Dawn 777, Divine Power

‘Huh?’

My skill had increased by 3 points?

Leo’s remark about the clarity was undeniably true. Seeing a significant numerical increase, instead of minor decimal rises, was astonishing.

I shoved my wand back into my belt and touched the necklace chain. Though I couldn’t feel any immediate effect… it might be different when I actually use it.

I swapped the necklace chain and tucked the pendant inside my shirt.

Leo waved his wand slightly to sense the surrounding magic and tilted his head.

“Maybe it’s because of the watch effect, but I don’t feel anything immediate from this one.”

“…Really?”

But for me, it was different.

I couldn’t close my mouth, pressing down on my chest.

Unlike before, my core had become so light that I couldn’t even perceive its presence.

Lucas Rene Ascanien

Title:** ???’s Hunter

Health: -3.5 [-0.5]

Mental Power: -8.2

Magic Power: ?

Skill: +1.015 [+4.015]

Impression: -10

Luck: -6.985

Traits: Dawn 777, Divine Power

‘My health also went up by 3 points.’

I conjured flames in my hand.

The tiny cracks and shocks I used to feel every time I used magic were gone. No, it was like I hadn’t known they were cracks and shocks in the first place.

But…

‘So this is what it’s supposed to feel like.’

This must be how a normal core operates.

To be precise, this was how a -0.5 core felt.

Being a 21st-century human without a core and with Luca’s core long damaged, I had no idea what a healthy core felt like.

But now I knew for sure.

Breathing and magic control were much freer than before.

I took the pendant out from my shirt and off my skin.

As the artifact moved away from my core, my chest felt heavy and blocked again.

I hadn’t noticed before, but now that I knew what a healthy core felt like, I couldn’t just leave it like this.

“It’ll be even better once my core is fully healed.”

“Something’s different, huh? Glad I picked the right ones.”

If I made an enhancer, I could feel this without the artifact.

And if I made a cure, I could live with a permanently healthy core, even after the enhancer’s effects wore off.

Waiting for the drug to be developed was reckless.

Leaving a normal core unattended, I almost learned magic with a severely damaged one.

I sent Leo back to the dorm, considering his poor condition, and practiced magic alone.

I checked the time when I started feeling tired. It was midnight when I entered the training ground, and it was now close to 3 a.m.

Magic does take a lot of stamina, but three hours felt a bit short. This seemed to be the limit with -0.5 health.

‘Still, I should rest for tomorrow.’

I moved to the dormitory, tossed my bag on the desk, and plopped into a chair.

“Huh?”

Something odd caught my eye.

Thud—

When I opened the door, a note fell to the floor.

I unfolded the roughly folded yellow paper to reveal hastily scrawled letters.

[I know everything.]

A chill ran down my spine.

I stared at the note with cold eyes.

[Come outside the dorm right now.]

I glared at the note for a moment, then relaxed and burst into laughter.

I didn’t know what they thought they knew, but…

If they had my weakness, they would have gone to the media and revealed my identity without confronting me.

‘Monster hunting is the most likely thing they know about.’

Let’s assume they called me out because of that.

In that case, they likely didn’t have any concrete evidence and were relying on suspicion.

In this situation, they’d press me, claiming I came out because I felt guilty, proving I was the hunter.

If it came to that… I could just play dumb.

Anyone else might struggle, but Luca could pull it off.

He was the type to follow orders out of fear, not knowing what might happen.

‘Though that was the story of the past year…’

Anyway, with no evidence, I could just mumble that I came out because I didn’t know what was going on, and they wouldn’t be able to confirm anything.

‘Any problems that arise can be dealt with.’

So I should obviously go. Telling a teacher wouldn’t solve this issue.

I hadn’t expected this to come so soon, but if someone suspicious was coming to me, I welcomed it.

I slipped the note back into the door and headed for the stairs.

As I opened the dorm entrance, a hesitant student approached.

“Uh… excuse me…”

From the way he spoke, he didn’t seem to be the one who sent the note.

I stared at him silently, and he looked at me with frightened eyes.

“Why.”

“You saw the note, right? The senior students from the magic department told me to bring you.”

“Who exactly?”

“I don’t really know…”

They must have just grabbed someone off the street.

Usually, you’d refuse a request like this from a stranger, but he came… maybe they threatened him.

I waved my hand forward silently, and the student quickly moved.

Even after a long time, we didn’t seem to be arriving anywhere. I spoke to the student’s back.

“Going pretty far, aren’t we?”

“Huh?! Oh, yeah… I didn’t realize it either. But we’re almost there.”

The main buildings of the school had already shrunk into the distance.

Abandoned buildings and the outskirts of the school started to appear.

“Did those seniors say anything specific about me?”

“Oh, no. They just said you’d come out soon, so I should bring you.”

“Got it.”

At that moment, I saw four or five people moving in the distance.

They couldn’t enter the abandoned building, so they were waiting in the central space.

Seeing them, the student hurriedly turned back before reaching the people and left.

I approached them.

“What the… He really came.”

“Hey, hand over the fifty thousand pell.”

“This guy is crazy. Anyway, I wrote the note as you said.”

The students laughed amongst themselves.

As I silently watched them, one of them stepped forward.

“Hey.”

After staring at me for a while, he stuck his chin out.

“Why are you here? Got something to confess?”

“You called me out.”

My indifferent answer made a few of the people behind him burst out laughing.

“What’s he saying…”

“See? I told you he’d come out if we just wrote ‘come out’ without any other details. He hasn’t changed a bit.”

“Right.”

“So hand over the fifty thousand.”

“Fuck, no way. Shut up. You’re ruining the atmosphere.”

They laughed to themselves and then suddenly stared at me in silence.

‘They were in my class, weren’t they?’

Faces I often saw around.

They were far from top students like Leo.

They knew magic, which got them into this school, but they had no outstanding qualities in academics or personality, and they saw all relationships as a hierarchy.

They’d do anything to get in the good graces of top students like Leo but tried to keep people like Luca, who everyone avoided, underfoot.

‘They don’t seem particularly afraid of Pleroma…’

They must have looked down on me, knowing my personality.

‘It’s unfortunate that I’m in the same class as these guys.’

Luca had terrible memories of them.

In the first year, Luca was once rumored to have eaten a live rat, a rumor these students had spread.

They probably wanted to see how far they could push Luca before he reacted.

The guy in front stepped closer, lowering his voice.

“It’s nothing serious. You just seemed a bit weird.”

“……”

“Anything happen recently?”

Another student, who had been laughing in the back, got up and put his arm around my shoulder, asking.

“What happened that you’re staring at us with those eyes? You usually don’t.”

“Haha! His eyes look so alive. Fuck, I’m too scared to look.”

I let out a short laugh at his words.

Yeah, it wouldn’t be right if there weren’t at least one of these types. I knew I’d meet them sooner or later.

The reason for my tension disappeared in an instant. They had no clue about what I was concerned about.

They just called me out to mess with me.

The phrase ‘I know everything’ was just to scare me into coming out.

‘They didn’t use direct threats like ‘come out or die’ to leave themselves a way out if questioned.’

They used just enough words and sentences to claim they weren’t threatening.

I hadn’t expected to have to play along with the school’s hierarchy games…

‘But it’s a good thing.’

Since it wasn’t a serious issue.

I sighed, looking at the increasingly aggressive students.

“Just tell me why you called me out.”

“This bastard just sighed. Hey.”

“Hey, we should tell him. We don’t like seeing punks like you acting all proper. Got it?”

“What kind of punks?”

“You don’t know? You asking because you don’t know? Trying to act smart while changing your image?”

He laughed, brushing his hair.

“Damn, you talk too much. Last year, you looked like shit, so why suddenly act normal?”

“No, stop talking. He won’t understand.”

“I think so. Hey, did you get it? If not, we’ll show you ourselves.”

They started laughing again.

A student sitting on the ground wiggled his fingers.

“Hand it over.”

“What, you bastard.”

“Haha… Oh, he’s cursing now. I’m so shocked I can’t even speak.”

The guy got up and pointed at my jacket.

“Hand over your jacket

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep