Chapter 278: Episode 278

After sending Jin Bora off, I sat on a bench on a street in Sanggye-dong and waited. The streets were deserted, as everyone had evacuated due to the ongoing disaster.

“-Tower Master, I have prepared everything you commanded.”

“As expected of you, Ea.”

“-I, too, am pleased to be with you again, Tower Master.”

With her around, everything proceeded smoothly. I had tried planning things on my own while she was gone, and it had been no easy task. It was a good time to appreciate her value. I had told Ea everything, including my future plans.

“-But, Tower Master, if we proceed as planned, you will have no choice but to reveal your identity.”

“It can’t be helped, given the situation. Too many lives are at stake. Besides, I have a good idea of who the demonkin are.”

I had already resolved to reveal myself when I planned my return to the Magic Tower. This disaster would be my debut.

“Mister!”

Just then, Ha Yerin came running toward me, waving. She was the one I had chosen as my sole partner for this debut.

“Did you rest well?”

“Yes! I’m in top condition.”

As she approached, she suddenly blushed and muttered, “Ugh, but this suit is so embarrassing.”

She was wearing a black suit that clearly outlined her body. It was a new model I had asked Jeong Seojin to procure, but she was fidgeting awkwardly, clearly self-conscious. It wasn’t as if she could fight in a frilly dress, though. I put on my best business smile.

“Really? I think it looks great on you.”

“Y-You think so?”

“I’m not just saying that. Dressed like that, you look like a real hunter. You have a different vibe.”

Her expression brightened immediately. It was a relief that she was so simple.

“Alright, before we head out, let’s do a little prep work.”

“What kind of prep?”

“See that magic circle over there? Go stand on it.”

She nodded and stepped onto the circle without suspicion. “Now what?”

“Just prepare yourself.”

I raised my arms and activated the magic circle. A blue light emanated from beneath her feet.

“This is a Cancellation-type magic,” I explained beforehand, so she wouldn’t be alarmed. “It’s a magic circle that disrupts mana to neutralize magical effects.”

“Huh? Why are you using that on me…?”

“Because you were under a spell.”

The light from the circle intensified to its maximum brightness, and a pillar of blue light engulfed her, shooting up into the sky. Ha Yerin, who had been cowering, looked around with a bewildered expression.

“Is it over already?”

“Yep. It’s over.”

I looked up at the sky. The bluish aura that had been lingering above her was completely gone.

“Sorry for not noticing sooner. That condition you mentioned, the one that makes monsters flock to you.”

“Ah, yes.”

“It wasn’t a condition. It was Field Magic.”

“Whaaaat?”

Among the 4th Floor’s Field Magic, there were spells that could attract monsters. I had used them to great effect five years ago when attacking the demonkins’ research labs or when they invaded the Tower. What had been applied to Yerin was a modified version of that Field Magic—its range drastically reduced to target a single individual in exchange for a longer duration.

“It-It wasn’t my constitution?”

“Does such a thing even exist? You were simply the target of Field Magic.”

At the word “target,” her hand trembled. “Who would cast such a spell on me?”

“Who do you think?” There was only one person in the world capable of such high-level Field Magic. “The current Tower Master and 4th Floor Administrator, Na Daeyong.”

“Why would the Tower Master do that to me…?”

“Because you’re a Child of Mana.”

At my words, Yerin lowered her head. “What exactly is a Child of Mana? Everyone I meet keeps calling me that…”

“A Child of Mana is a trait possessed by candidates for Tower Master. You were born with the aptitude to become one.”

“Ah…!”

When Yerin enrolled at KAIM, she registered her traits in their system. It wouldn’t have been difficult for Na Daeyong, who had direct influence over the academy, to find that information. As for why he attacked her, I could only guess that Na Daeyong had a pathological obsession with his position as Tower Master. If the other administrators learned of a new Child of Mana, they might have decided to focus on raising a new, legitimate Tower Master instead of supporting a half-baked one.

For Na Daeyong, that would have been the worst-case scenario. So, he felt the need to eliminate Yerin quietly, without getting his own hands dirty. That’s why he used Field Magic. It was a terrifying act, practically attempted murder. Yerin should have died. Fortunately, Eunsol had noticed his plan and had been protecting her from the shadows.

“But…” Her voice began to tremble. “I didn’t know! I just thought the Magic Tower was a dream job for a mage. I never even thought about wanting to become the Tower Master!”

Overcome with emotion, her eyes welled up with tears. “Is that why the Tower Master tried to kill me? Just because of that selfish ambition, he turned my life into a living hell for two years? I couldn’t see my family, I couldn’t meet my friends! My classmates pointed fingers at me, calling me a demonkin! Why…!”

Unable to control the flood of emotions, she buried her face in her hands. I waited quietly until she calmed down.

“…Mister.”

She lifted her head and looked at me with teary eyes. “You worked at the Magic Tower too, didn’t you? Did you approach me because I’m a Child of Mana? To save me and make me the Tower Master? To get rid of Na Daeyong and seize power for yourself?”

I sighed and walked over to her. “It’s not like that. I couldn’t just leave you alone because you’re the same as me.”

“…The same?”

“The truth is, I’m a Child of Mana, too.”

She stared at me, her face a mask of shock. “Then, don’t tell me…”

I slowly raised the hand that was on her shoulder and touched my face. The Water Veil dissolved, revealing my true features.

“That’s right. I’m Kim Yusin.”

She gasped, her mouth falling open. Then she lowered her head and spoke in a calm voice. “…I knew it.”

“You figured it out?”

“…A little. You know incredible people like Jin Bora, Jeong Seojin, and Eunsol, and you have the power to overwhelm the Magic Tower’s mages. A mage stronger than Tower Master Na Daeyong… there’s only one in history, right?”

I nodded. “Right. So, I’ll ask you one last time. Are you really going to fight this disaster with me? If you want to go back to your normal life, this is your last chance.”

She had suffered so much because of her monster-attracting “constitution” that she had once resented her fate as a player. After this battle, she would inevitably become the center of global attention. I wanted to give her a choice before that happened.

“If you want to go back, I’ll take responsibility and put everything back the way it was. We won’t show up in your life again, and no one will ever point fingers at you and call you a demonkin.”

“What are you talking about? Do you think I came here without any resolve?” she said, her eyes filled with determination. “The lessons with you were tough, but I’ll never forget them. I was scared when Na Daeyong was chasing me… but when I defeated that troll, I realized something. This past month has been the most brilliant moment of my life!”

She smiled and continued, “It’s not fair to give me a taste of this and then tell me to go back, is it?”

“Good.” Her resolve was clear. “Let’s go together.”

“Yes!”

Yerin and I got into the car Seojin had prepared. I took the wheel, and she sat in the passenger seat.

“Where are we going?”

“We’re driving to Pyeongtaek. There’s something you need to do on the way.” I took a small tablet from my subspace pocket. A magic circle was inscribed on it. “Before we reach our destination, I want you to decipher this magic, make it your own, and practice controlling it.”

“Whaaat? A lesson, even now?”

“It’s necessary,” I said with a grin. “If you can solve this in time, you’ll be able to use it on the field right away.”

* * *

Yusin and Ha Yerin sped down the empty highway and arrived in Pyeongtaek.

“Yerin, we’re here… hmm?”

She had been whining about how she was supposed to do this the entire drive, but now she was so focused on the magic circle that she didn’t even hear him. Yusin waited without disturbing her, and finally, the magic circle on the tablet glowed with a blue light.

“I did it!” she cheered, throwing her arms in the air.

“You passed.”

“Oh! What would have happened if I didn’t?”

“You would’ve been guarding the car until the disaster was over.”

“Ugh.”

The two of them got out of the car and walked toward the site.

“You brought the compression bandages and potions, right?”

“Yep!”

Yusin was taking care of the details for Yerin’s first real battle. She took the subspace pocket he offered and peered inside with fascination.

“Ah, by the way, why are we in Pyeongtaek? Is there a Cataclysm disaster here?”

“That’s right. We’re going to do a little tour, hitting the areas the main attack teams aren’t covering and smashing these disasters as we go.”

It wasn’t long before the Cataclysm came into view. A hemispherical dome had formed in the center of Pyeongtaek. Civilians who had remained despite the evacuation order were now fleeing in a hurry, while hunters dispatched to handle the disaster were preparing to enter.

“Wow, it’s huge,” Yerin said, her mouth agape.

An area large enough to swallow an entire city had been transformed into a volcanic landscape. Volcanoes erupted from the mountains, magma flowed instead of river water, and various fire-attribute monsters roamed about. The condition for clearing a Cataclysm was the same as a regular dungeon: find the boss monster somewhere within the disaster zone and completely destroy the Seed of Sealing.

“Ugh, so we have to find the boss monster in there? That’ll take all day.”

“Five seconds is enough.”

“…What?”

Yusin gestured with his chin toward the sky. Her gaze followed.

“Ah…!”

A murmur rippled through the crowd. The fleeing civilians and the hunters who had come to control the situation all spotted it at the same time. A massive island was floating through the sky, approaching from the direction of the sea.

He asked, “Wh-What is that?”

“Is it another disaster?”

“This is D-8! An unidentified object is approaching from the sea!”

Amid the chaos, Yusin slowly extended his right arm. As if responding to the mana flaring from his arm, a blue light flashed from the island. Then, Ea’s voice echoed through the air.

—System online. Connection to Sky Castle successful.

* * *

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