Chapter 257: Episode 257

The lights went out, the windows shut, and safety shutters came crashing down. Complaints started bubbling up all around.

“Ugh, this sucks.”

“I hate disasters.”

“Mom! Can’t I go see the monsters?”

As the grumbling spectators milled about, safety personnel came running.

“Everyone, please evacuate to Basement Level 2. No exceptions!”

“Mister, can’t we just hide here?”

“Absolutely not!”

Rifts were a part of everyday life for people in Seoul. No one seemed particularly panicked.

With the emergence of mages as a new profession, even non-combatants could contribute to the fighting force, and the number of hunters in Korea had increased dramatically. In Seoul, at least, if monsters spilled out of a rift, they were usually dealt with in minutes.

Unless you were unlucky enough to have a monster literally fall on your head, you were probably safe.

But this time, something felt off.

The ceiling shook violently, and the crowd began to panic.

“What the hell? Did it land on top of the museum?”

“Dude, run!”

Only then did people fully grasp the situation and start hurrying down to the basement.

It was an emergency, but for me, it was the perfect chance to retrieve Specter. I crossed my arms and leaned my back against the wall.

<Water Veil>

Water flowed over me, hardening into a surface that blended with the wall. It was a simple camouflage spell, but in the chaos, I figured no one would notice.

I waited there, hidden in plain sight.

A deafening crash sounded a short distance away as a wall was blown out, followed by the roar of a monster.

“It’s here!”

“Fire!”

Shouts and gunshots rang out, and soon the monster let out a pained scream as the sound of its retreating footsteps echoed away.

“Chase it down before the damage spreads!”

“Where are the hunters?”

“They’re on their way!”

The security team thundered off after the monster. At last, the area fell quiet.

’Alright, time to grab my sword and get out of here.’

I dispelled Water Veil and had just taken a few steps when I froze. The girl I had been talking to earlier was hiding behind a pillar, shaking like a leaf.

All I could think was that she must have a death wish.

“What are you doing here?”

She flinched at the sound of my voice.

“It’s dangerous. You need to get to the shelter—”

Before I could finish, she spun around and bolted.

’Damn, she’s fast.’

That wasn’t the movement of an ordinary person. She was using mana to run; she had to be a player.

Panting, she sprinted toward the museum exit. It looked like she was trying to get out through the main entrance, but the doors were locked tight because of the monster.

“Stop.”

I appeared in front of her. She let out a startled scream and stumbled back.

“I’ll take you. Let’s go to the shelter together.”

“I-I can’t!” she shouted back. “If I go there, people will be in danger! I have to stay here…!”

“What are you talking about?”

Just then, I sensed something rapidly closing in from the side.

“Aaaaah!”

The wall exploded, sending debris flying. I’d already thrown up a shield to block the shrapnel.

Apparently drawn by our voices, the monster revealed itself. It was a catfish-shaped creature with gills plastered all over its body.

Judging by its mana, it was quite strong—at least a Rank 5 monster that required a hunter.

I could see a hunting device embedded in its skin. The blood splattered on it suggested it had already killed a few guards on its way here.

“U-ugh…”

Terrified, she shrank back, then suddenly thrust her right arm out toward the monster.

A bluish magic circle formed on her palm, and wind began to swirl like blades.

’Magic?’

It was a second-order Wind Cutter.

She swung her arm with all her might and launched the spell, but the catfish beast whipped its whiskers like a lash and scattered it.

Grrrrowl!

Enraged, the monster opened its jaws wide and charged.

I had no choice. I stepped slowly in front of her.

“Whatever you’re about to see,” I said, “keep it a secret.”

“…What?”

The catfish’s massive body slammed into my shield and bounced off.

I snapped my fingers. All around the museum, security cameras exploded.

The furious catfish monster thundered toward me on its four legs.

I shaped my hand into a finger gun and aimed. Magic circles rapidly layered over one another at the tip of my finger.

<Minerva Original – Over Shooting>

The catfish’s body convulsed violently before bursting apart, spraying green blood in every direction.

Its flesh was cleanly separated from its bones. An exposed skeleton stood for a moment before collapsing, while chunks of meat slapped wetly against the windows and floor.

“Ah.”

She collapsed where she stood.

“A Rank 6 Golgor… in one hit…”

Her eyes darted between the monster and me in disbelief before she finally asked, “Who… who are you?”

I hid the blue haze seeping from my right eye as I looked at her.

“That’s what I’d like to ask you.”

Name: Ha Yerin

Innate Ability: Settler

Personal Traits: [Child of Mana Lv.1], [Fortified Mind Lv.4], [Escape Lv.2]

Primary Stats: [Magic 107], [Agility 22], [Stamina 15], [Strength 8]

Special Stats: [Willpower 25], [Focus 13]

Total Stat Points: [190]

She was, incredibly, a new Child of Mana.

I tried to remain composed, but my whole body trembled. I had never imagined I would find such a raw gem here.

“Yerin!”

Just then, a woman came running with some guards in tow.

“I told you it was dangerous! Why are you here all by yourself? Honestly, why are you always causing trouble?”

“Teacher!”

The two of them threw their arms around each other. Meanwhile, the guards stared, speechless, at the mangled remains of the monster.

“M-miss! Who did this?”

“Huh? Well, that is…”

She started to answer, then stopped and glanced around.

“I-I don’t know. It was already like this when I got here.”

“Hmm? Did a support hunter get here ahead of us?”

She brushed it off with a vague excuse, then kept craning her neck, looking for me.

I was hiding near the ceiling.

’We’ll meet again soon.’

Using the commotion as cover, I slipped quietly over to Hall D, where Specter was.

It was time to take back what was mine.

First, I used a sixth-order Flame Tauros to destroy the cameras as before, then reached out toward Specter on its second-floor display.

With a soft whoosh, the greatsword flew into my hand. I’d missed the familiar weight in my grip.

I swung it a few times through the air, then slid the sword into my subspace pouch.

Now it was time to leave.

I pulled Water Veil over my entire body, turning myself transparent, and strolled casually toward the exit.

I knew the Child of Mana’s name, and I remembered her school uniform. It wouldn’t be hard to track her down.

When I stepped outside the museum, I saw people fleeing in a panic.

Hunters and soldiers were rushing in with weapons drawn, charging into the building.

’Ah.’

I stopped in my tracks and turned my head.

There was a familiar face.

A woman in a hunter suit, her purple hair streaming behind her as she ran.

I recognized her instantly.

Her hair was longer than before, and she had a more mature allure now.

And most of all, there was a simple grass bracelet on her wrist.

Urgency was etched on her face. She had kicked off her heels and was running barefoot, mana flaring around her.

I could see her, but she couldn’t see me.

As she ran past, I spoke in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper.

“See you later.”

She came to an abrupt stop and looked back.

My chest ached. I wanted to talk to her right then and there, but this wasn’t the time.

’I’m sorry, Bora.’

Forcing my reluctant feet to move, I walked past her.

* * *

With my weapon reclaimed, I returned to my base.

“Mom! That guy’s back again!”

“Shh!”

The jjimjilbang.

By now, I was on familiar terms with the owner’s daughter. I gave her a cheerful wave, then folded the lid of a cup of ramen into a makeshift plate and placed a bundle of perfectly firm noodles on it with my chopsticks.

I blew on them and took a bite.

’Ah, this taste never gets old.’

[Breaking news! A rift has opened at the Kim Yusin Museum! Fortunately, there were no civilian casualties, but the SS-rank national treasure, the weapon “Specter,” has been stolen. The police are investigating the possibility of demonic involvement.]

The middle-aged regulars at the jjimjilbang clicked their tongues.

“Of course it was those damn demons. The bastards!”

“The Magic Tower’s going to blow its top again.”

“They should all be wiped out!”

The real culprit behind the whole mess was sitting right next to them, not that they knew.

Listening to the men mutter, I pulled out my phone.

Finding Ha Yerin’s school didn’t take long. The news coverage of the museum incident had a shot of students from her school being interviewed.

Korea Advanced Institute of Magic, better known as KAIM.

Simply put, it was a national educational institution that trained mages. It was divided into high school and university programs, and since she had been wearing a school uniform, she was clearly in the high school division.

That was right. She was a student at a magic academy.

She’d even cast Wind Cutter when the monster appeared.

’The Child of Mana…’

It wasn’t just some random trait. She met the minimum requirement to become a Tower Master.

Even if she didn’t become a Tower Master, she had more than enough potential to bring about a major upheaval in the world of magic. I had to get her on my side.

’That aside, what the hell is the Magic Tower doing?’

Several questions came to mind.

Why had they stuck the Child of Mana in a magic school? Shouldn’t the Tower have taken her in and trained her directly?

Or maybe the Tower simply didn’t know she existed yet.

Only a tiny handful of people knew about the Child of Mana. The only ones I’d ever mentioned it to were the administrators, at most.

In any case, running into the Child of Mana right after starting my new life was a stroke of luck.

If I put some real effort into training her, I might be able to turn her into a mage who could pull her own weight before the Nemesis incident.

’Looks like I’ve got a new task.’

I took out a pen and started scribbling on a notepad I’d bought at the neighborhood stationery store.

1. Find out which of my comrades became demons. I need to take full advantage of the fact that they don’t know I’m back.

2. Train the Child of Mana.

Rubbing my chin with the pen, I decided my first priority was to establish a solid connection with the Child of Mana.

If I called the school and asked for a student’s contact information, they wouldn’t give it out easily because of privacy concerns. So I went to a social media site instead.

[KAIM. Ha Yerin.]

I typed the keywords on the touchscreen and hit search.

I immediately found Ha Yerin’s account and even got her cell phone number.

People could talk all they wanted about privacy, but ironically, social media was a paradise for those who wanted to advertise themselves in any way they could.

I dialed her number. A sweet ballad started playing as the ringtone.

—When I walk alone, I always miss you. That one kind word you never meant keeps me up at night…

Click.

—“Hello?”

It was her. I cleared my throat and spoke.

“Hey. I’m the—uh, the guy who saved you at the museum. You’re not hurt, are you?”

I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end.

—“Whoa, that’s creepy! How did you get my number? Are you a stalker?”

“What the hell—!”

My voice shot up before I realized it.

When I turned my head, an old man watching TV nearby was glaring at me. I hurriedly bowed and apologized, “Sorry, sir,” then moved to another seat.

“You’re the one who set your number to public on your social media. Did you forget?”

—“Oh! Right! That’s what happened. Well, thank you for saving me. You really saved my life.”

I started racking my brain for a way to make meeting up with a high school girl feel natural, but nothing came to mind.

Honestly, I had zero tact for that sort of thing, so I decided to be direct.

“Have you eaten dinner yet?”

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