Chapter 25: Episode 25

’Caw. Caw.’

A flock of black crows blotted out the sunset-dyed sky. In an empty lot in a ruined city, a young girl was gathering dirt to build a mound. She sometimes hummed a song, sometimes muttered to herself.

“All done,” she said.

The girl, who had been diligently patting the dirt, finally pulled her hands away. Something was sticking out from the top of the completed mound.

“What a shame.”

It was a human arm.

The girl scooped up a handful of dirt and gently sprinkled it over the faintly visible human face. Then she patted it down, smoothing it out.

“Why do people die so easily?” she wondered aloud.

Finally, she planted a wooden cross in the mound. Looking at the finished grave, she smiled faintly.

“I don’t really know. Do you?”

As if responding to her words, the cross bobbed up and down.

* * *

After the eventful trip to the dungeon, I was commuting to the academy for the first time in a while. I got off the bus and checked my schedule on my phone. Professor Oh’s Mana Application class. So much for sleeping in.

I was stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the signal, when I noticed a strange man across the street. I couldn’t tell if it was just my imagination or if Bora’s attention-seeking habits were rubbing off on me, but he was staring at me with a fierce intensity.

’What’s with him?’

I glanced away and then back again, but he was still looking. He even nodded as if to say, ’Yes, it’s you.’

…This was incredibly uncomfortable.

The light changed. As I crossed the street, the man hurried over.

“Excuse me! You’re student Kim Yusin, right?”

“Yes, that’s me,” I replied, keeping my brisk pace. The man matched my stride and continued.

“Haha! I knew I recognized you! I heard you did something amazing in the Lava Cave!”

The Lava Cave? Didn’t Bora say that the incident was buried? “How did you…?”

“In this business, everyone who needs to know knows.” He held out a business card. A guild scout. I thought I’d never have anything to do with someone like him. “My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Gwak Chanhee, a scout for the Grimoire Guild.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Since we’re on the topic, let’s get right to it.” Chanhee straightened his tie, his expression turning deliberately serious. “Our Grimoire Guild would like to formally extend an offer for you to join.”

Wow. So a day like this had finally come. I’d never heard the name, so it had to be a small or medium-sized guild, but it was still a surprise. But why now?

“My grades are poor, and I don’t have any real accomplishments,” I said. “I’m curious what you saw in me.”

As if I’d asked the perfect question, Chanhee held up a finger. “Why, your potential, of course! The hunter who was at the Lava Cave with you praised you enthusiastically at a press conference. He said, ’I barely did anything. The only reason over a hundred people made it out safely was thanks to Kim Yusin from the academy!’”

’Ah, that fumbling idiot…!’ I was grateful he secured the boss’s rewards for us, but in the end, he was nothing but trouble.

“The process isn’t complicated,” Chanhee continued confidently. “After a simple entrance test, you’ll be working as a member of our guild right away.” He seemed to assume I would accept without question. I guess receiving a scout offer is every aspiring hunter’s dream.

“The academy you’re attending is good, of course. They send you on field trips, secure dungeons… but there’s one crucial thing missing. Income!”

The word ’income’ did sway me, just a tiny bit. Chanhee pressed on, not giving me a moment to think.

“In a guild, you have a guaranteed salary! Plus, you gain invaluable field experience and the huge advantage of working with a fixed party! It’s time to graduate and start working. The sooner you debut as a hunter, the better! You’ve got to rake in the money while you’re still young, don’t you think?”

I stopped walking.

Thinking this was his cue, Chanhee smiled broadly and opened a notebook. “So, when should I schedule your entrance test…?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Haha! Still hesitating, I see. Think about it carefully. An opportunity like this doesn’t come twice.”

I silently pointed. Chanhee’s head turned to follow my gaze. At that moment, the people who had formed a long line in front of the academy’s main gate suddenly widened their eyes and swarmed in our direction.

“Th-There he is!”

“Kim Yusin!”

“We’re from the Freeman Guild!”

“Cheonrang Guild!”

The scouts surrounded me in an instant, a motley crew in formal suits and flashy full-body armor.

“Mr. Kim Yusin! Come this way!”

“Let’s go somewhere quiet and talk!”

“What’s there to talk about? Let’s just negotiate your salary right here! How much do you want?”

“Just sign here! No other conditions, you’ll be in…!”

I glanced back at Chanhee. His confident expression had hardened, but unwilling to lose the prey he’d all but caught, he shouted, “Don’t you people have any professional courtesy?! I was negotiating with him first!”

The scouts turned to look at him. Then, almost in unison, they sneered.

“The Grimoire Guild? Know your place.”

“Why would a promising talent like Yusin go to a guild with a low salary and the number one dungeon accident rate?”

At the other scouts’ jabs, Chanhee’s face soured. The atmosphere was heating up, so I opened my mouth to calm the situation. “I…”

“Yes, yes! Which guild will you join? It’s the Cheonrang Guild, right?”

“How about a 300 grand signing bonus? No, 350!”

“Look at them trying to snatch up a top-tier prospect for pennies. We’ll offer 400!”

“I just got approval from the boss. 500 grand signing bonus, salary separate!”

…Hey, excuse me. These people had no intention of listening.

’VROOOOOM!’

Just then, a sedan on the road suddenly swerved and charged onto the sidewalk. The scouts scattered in panic.

’SCREEECH!’

The sedan stopped just short of hitting them. The car door swung upward, and a woman in a sleek suit stepped out, her heels clicking on the pavement. As she approached, the scouts parted like the Red Sea.

“Are you Kim Yusin?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m from the Snow Guild.”

The impact of those words was enormous. Everyone froze, and I was just as surprised. After all, Snow was the fourth-largest guild in Korea.

“The hero of the Lava Cave and the boy who defeated an Irregular,” she continued. “Our representative is very interested in you. Please come with us.”

Everyone murmured.

Listening to the whispers, I fell into thought. The Snow Guild wasn’t a bad option. They were a power strong enough to potentially keep Unix in check, which would become a major enemy later on.

“Would I join immediately?” I asked.

“You will need to go through an interview, an entrance test, and a medical test.”

“I see.”

“Will you accept the offer?”

I was interested, it was true, but my answer was already set. I already belonged to an organization—and I was its leader. For now, I’d refuse politely.

“I believe I’m still too lacking to join Snow right now,” I said. “I’d like to stay at the academy and study a bit more.”

At my words, the scouts’ jaws dropped. They all had expressions that screamed, ’He turned down Snow?!’

But the woman, far from being angry, offered a faint smile. “I understand your intentions, Mr. Kim.”

’Good. If you understand, then you can go n—’

“The academy’s early graduation exam is coming up, isn’t it? You wish to graduate on your own merit and have your value truly recognized.”

’No! I’m just saying I’m not going!’

“You’re as bold as I’ve heard. I suppose it would be a problem if you couldn’t even manage an early graduation. Your proposal to substitute that for the entrance test—I will be sure to relay it to our representative.”

’I never made such a proposal!’ I didn’t know why all scouts were like this. Couldn’t they just listen when someone spoke? Did they think every student would just bow down and accept any offer they extended?

Fed up, I quickly slipped out of the crowd. But now I had to face a new one.

“D-Did you hear? He turned down the Snow Guild!”

“That’s not it, you idiot! He made a new proposal to raise his value! It’s all a strategy.”

“Who is that guy? What year is he?”

“I wonder when I’ll ever be surrounded by scouts like that.”

Hearing the commotion, academy students had gathered like a cloud. I could already feel my school life getting more complicated.

“Ah, move it! Move it!” Shinwook, the second-year class president, pushed through the crowd. “You’re amazing, Yusin! I knew you’d make it big!”

He suddenly threw an arm around my neck as if we were best friends. “Alright, alright, please make way! A future Snow Guild member is coming through! Haha!”

I jabbed him in the side and walked onto campus alone. Shinwook, though wincing, scurried after me.

* * *

By the time I realized it, I had somehow become the center of a storm within the academy. There was the rumor that I had single-handedly taken down four clubs in one day, an unprecedented feat. On top of that, today’s scouting incident with the Snow Guild. Everywhere I went, I could hear people whispering.

“Mr. Kim.”

I had been lost in thought and snapped back to attention with a start. Professor Oh was looking at me with narrowed eyes. ’Crap. Getting on her bad side would make things difficult.’

I was cautiously observing her when she suddenly broke into a bright smile. “I’d like to ask you to demonstrate the mana thread application technique.”

’Huh?’

Since that day, her attitude toward me had completely changed. For that haughty professor to even use the word ’ask’…

“Understood,” I said, walking to the front of the class.

As I gave a simple demonstration with the mana projector, gasps of admiration and cheers erupted from all around—a starkly different scene from just a week ago. Professor Oh even had an expression like a high school girl who had just spotted her favorite idol.

’Please don’t look at your student like that.’

“I’m telling you, I fought the Kim Yusin once!”

“Really? So what happened?”

“Hey, how could I win? But I put up a pretty tough fight.”

And that damn Shinwook was shamelessly name-dropping me all over campus.

“Excellent. Everyone, a round of applause!” the professor announced.

The sound of thunderous applause filled the lecture hall. I felt awkward as I returned to my seat.

“You’ve become quite the star,” Yoonjeong muttered from the seat next to me.

The class ended, and lunchtime arrived. I was packing my things to go to the cafeteria with Yoonjeong when…

“Yusin! Yusin!” Shinwook stuck to me like a loyal dog. “That mana thread demonstration was incredible! I should have seen you make that giant tree with it! Too bad I was on the dungeon trip, hahaha!”

“Hey, you. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about earlier…”

“Kim Chunchuuuuu!” a voice called out, using the name of an ancient king.

’Clack!’ The classroom door flew open, and this time, Ma Yeongyeong, president of the Historical Drama Research Society, and Lee Chanhee, president of the Aegis Club, strode in.

“…It’s Kim Yusin,” I corrected.

“Hoho! What’s the difference?” Yeongyeong chirped.

“What are you doing in a second-year lecture hall?”

“Does a vice president need a reason to see her club president?” she said with a wink, holding out approval documents and a pen.

“…But I thought I told you to run the clubs yourself.”

After taking over the four clubs, I hadn’t kicked out the existing presidents. Instead, I demoted them to vice presidents and delegated all authority. The whole thing was a ploy to recruit Bora, and now that she was a member of the Magic Tower, it was no longer my concern. I was only holding onto the positions for appearances’ sake.

“You can at least give us a signature, can’t you? It’s the budget approval form,” Yeongyeong said.

It seemed these upperclassmen had taken quite a liking to me. As I reluctantly signed, Chanhee jumped in.

“Yusin! Thanks to you, we’ve gotten a crazy number of new applicants! We’re having a team dinner tonight, and the club president has to be there to give a toast, right?”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I have other plans tonight, so I have to get going…”

“Hey, Chunchu! I’m talking to you, why are you dealing with this punk…!” Yeongyeong protested.

Ugh, this was chaos. I ignored them all and looked at Yoonjeong.

“Yoonjeong, let’s just go.”

’Scrape.’

“Do you really need to go eat something like cafeteria pork cutlets with me?”

Leaving only those words behind, Yoonjeong coldly turned her back and walked away.

’Ugh, not her too.’

“J-Just look at that brat’s attitude,” Shinwook stammered, tutting as he watched her leave.

“If my friend hits the big time, it’s good for me too. How dare an underachiever like him…”

“You should really shut your mouth before you get the beating of your life,” I said, my voice ice-cold. My remark instantly turned Shinwook into a meek, groveling lamb.

I left the lecture hall alone.

-Mmm, excellent, Tower Master. That’s the spirit, Ea’s voice echoed in my mind. She had been observing the exchange quietly. -A Tower Master is a being who must command the respect and admiration of all. It seems the people of Earth are finally beginning to recognize your greatness. I believe this is a very positive development.

’Greatness? Don’t make me laugh.’

Receiving this much attention was… fine, I supposed. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t orchestrated things with some expectation of this kind of reaction, but it was far more exhausting than I had imagined. I just wanted to get back to the tower.

-Please bring back some melon-flavored ice cream on your way home, she requested.

’…Didn’t you just say something about commanding the respect of all people?’

* * *

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