The Reporter's Hidden Mana
The first interview subject was Yoo Min-jeong, the team leader herself.
After exchanging a few words, Skyla was startled to learn that the young woman before her was the daughter of Yoo Wan-seop, one of the pillars of the Korean Dungeon Association.
"So you're Yoo Wan-seop's daughter?"
"You didn't know? Coming here to interview without even that? Not very professional."
A curt reply.
Yoo Min-jeong wasn't pleased that this woman had ruined her morning training. Realistically, the only days left for training were today and tomorrow.
The day after that was the real deal—entering the dungeon.
The dungeon gate opened at 6 p.m., but they had to spend the whole day checking gear and steeling their nerves to plunge into the world of darkness without panic. No time for training.
"Why are you here?"
"I got kicked out of Jushin."
"For real?"
This is a scoop! If word got out that Jushin had cast out Yoo Wan-seop's daughter, everyone would be buzzing.
"Kidding. Truth is, I left on my own."
"...Why?"
Skyla's face toward Yoo Min-jeong grew icy. It felt like she was being toyed with.
"Making a small guild succeed like Jushin? That's way more fun."
"......"
Skyla said nothing.
Occasionally, when meeting raiders in person, she'd encounter ones with a shockingly poor grasp of reality. Yoo Min-jeong, raised as Yoo Wan-seop's daughter, seemed to fit that mold.
Turn this puny thing into a Jushin Guild?
Skyla nearly snorted.
"You're mocking me right now, aren't you?"
"Me? Not at all."
Skyla struggled to hide her true feelings.
Kim Jun, changed into training clothes instead of his suit, glanced at the interview while running laps on the track.
The interview was set up with a table and chairs between the locker room entrance and the pitching machine training room, but things weren't going smoothly—the reporter's face looked grim.
As he circled the track, he drew farther from and closer to the interview spot. When passing within about five meters, he felt a familiar energy alongside a prickling sensation like needles jabbing his skin.
After his Bone Transformation, Kim Jun could now sense the energy emanating from people nearby.
Yoo Min-jeong burned like pure flame, Choi Muhyun sparked like brilliant light laced with electricity, and Yeom Sang-taek carried a cool, shaded aura like dense shelter from the midday sun.
Master Go Cheolmin emitted a faint but refreshingly woody energy, like a forest breeze.
The emission of ki or mana was proof of awakening. The problem was that mana was leaking from the reporter's body too.
Faint, but unmistakably mana.
He'd been doubtful at first sight. It was early morning; maybe the chill air was playing tricks. But lapping the track convinced him it was no coincidence or atmospheric effect.
Go Cheolmin, descending the metal stairs, beckoned Kim Jun with a hand gesture.
Kim Jun stopped before him.
"Best not to mention the elder."
Go Cheolmin said cautiously, handing over a water bottle.
Kim Jun just stared at him.
"Ahem, people's views on that elder aren't kind. He was expelled from the Dungeon Association."
"...Really?"
"So it's better to say nothing at all."
"Got it. But what's the deal with that reporter?"
"Skyla? She's a Dungeon Association beat reporter. Writes mostly about raiders and dungeons—sharp as hell. A headache for associations and guilds, maybe, but her journalism's so top-tier no one can ignore her. She's snagged a few reporter awards with her scoops."
"Was she ever a trainee with another guild?"
"Not that I've heard. Why?"
"Showing up so early felt off."
"She's a weird one, always has been."
Kim Jun resumed running.
The question lingered, but he didn't want to dwell on it more than necessary.
"...You're Choi Min-su's son?"
"You didn't know?"
Choi Muhyun blinked.
"You joined here to make a small guild succeed too?"
"Nah."
"Then why?"
Skyla felt curiosity mixed with exhaustion. The team members were shattering her reporter's expectations so effortlessly. Yoo Wan-seop's daughter and Choi Min-su's son, of all people.
"'Cause the master's a good guy."
"But your dad's one of Korea's top tankers. You could easily join Cheonhondan, right?"
"I hate my dad. So I don't go anywhere he's at."
"Really?"
Another scoop! If this got out, it'd explode with interest...
"Just messing with you."
"......"
Skyla clamped her mouth shut.
Her already rough skin flushed with bulging veins.
"Daejeon Yuseonghoe? First I've heard of it."
"Tiny guild, only known in Daejeon. Anyway, I was a buffer there, came up to Seoul, and luckily got into Uramata."
"Ah, I see."
Silence stretched.
"Nothing else to ask?"
"That's plenty."
"My patroness is Yang Hee-seon."
"...What?"
"Yup. Crazy Buffer Yang Hee-seon."
"......"
Skyla had thought the buffer was the normal one, but no—she was a client of Yang Hee-seon, the absolute pinnacle of talent-spotting!
Skyla's head throbbed like a hammer blow at the unpredictable team lineup.
The video from Choi Hyeon-seop was scoop-worthy on its own. But without deeper reporting, it wouldn't make for a substantial article.
That's why Skyla had come all this way, and despite the headache, she realized her interest in this quirky guild was growing.
The final interview was today's star, Kim Jun.
As Kim Jun walked toward Skyla for the interview, he sensed mana far more intensely than before.
It pricked his skin like ice—freezing cold.
This is... water attribute. Sharp icicle-like mana.
Kim Jun sat across the table and eyed Skyla. The reporter was organizing previous interview notes on her laptop.
She looked up with a smile, but Kim Jun didn't buy it.
Tension radiated from Skyla.
Not consideration for him. It was the quiet tension of a predator lurking for prey, holding its breath before explosive pounce.
Kim Jun instinctively knew this woman had come to the guild house early for him. In Uramata Guild, the least notable, with no reason to draw attention, was the carrier.
So why?
And this reporter was emitting mana like a raider.
"First impressions weren't great, huh? Let's start over. I'm Skyla from Daily Raider."
"This interview—it's not mandatory, right?"
"W-well, no, but."
"I'm passing."
Kim Jun stood.
"Mind if I ask why?"
"I'm a carrier."
"It'd help guild promo, though?"
"You joking? What good's a carrier?"
Turning away, Kim Jun felt chills like facing a lion that had burst from its cage.
Thankfully, Skyla didn't lunge from behind.
She shrugged, exchanged greetings with Master Go Cheolmin, then roared off on her Harley Davidson, leaving a thunderous exhaust note behind.
Only then could Kim Jun relax.
Go Cheolmin approached.
"Why skip the interview?"
"That woman's a raider."
"What?"
Kim Jun explained his unique senses honed by training with Nam Eung-ryeol, then added,
"She has water mana. Like how you have forest ki, Master."
"You can sense that?"
"Faintly. Only up close."
"That's phantom sense. The sixth sense—only a tiny fraction of awakened raiders develop it."
"Oh! I didn't know."
Kim Jun mentally repeated "phantom sense" a few times.
"Develop it, and it intertwines with other senses. Reach that level, and you can even seeki and mana."
"Whoa."
Kim Jun was genuinely shocked and awed. Seeing mana and ki with his eyes would change everything.
"Listen up, Jun. You can sense others' ki because of contamination effects. Got it?"
"...Yes, Master."
Kim Jun realized once more he mustn't mention Nam Eung-ryeol.
"I'll look into Skyla. Don't worry—just focus on training."
"Will do."
Kim Jun headed to his teammates.
Soon, the delayed simulation training began.
Daily Raider editorial office.
Calendars cluttered cramped desks, next to fax printers sputtering paper with grating noise. Monitors on concrete walls streamed various news broadcasts, phones rang nonstop from desks everywhere.
Reporters hustled between, racing deadlines to finalize stories—some yelling into phones to verify facts with sources.
In the frenzy, one person alone sat with headphones on, eyes closed, twirling a pen with her fingers.
That leisure was Skyla's exclusive privilege.
The editor had granted her the right to write based on independent scoops, no deadlines.
Over the past two days, Skyla had crammed every scrap of info on Uramata Guild into her head. She'd dug into Kim Jun's raids and his personal background.
She'd gathered as much as possible on Yoo Min-jeong, Choi Min-su's crisis-plagued son, and Yeom Sang-taek, dramatically saved by Crazy Buffer's patronage.
Data was better in abundance.
Rich info birthed deep, flavorful truths.
I'm not writing an article. I just want to approach the truth. Deep, concrete truth needs comprehensive data.
Skyla's interest zeroed in on Kim Jun.
Meeting him in person, he was far more captivating than the video carrier. She wanted to uncover the source of that indomitable will.
Perfect score on the CSAT, no less...
What an odd carrier.
Then, two story ideas sparked like magic.
Lose the insight, lose the stories. Eyes snapping open, Skyla typed the now-outlined duo into her laptop.
One was heartwarming but clichéd: a small, impoverished guild rising from Devils Day ruins behind young, talented raiders.
The other... from a wholly different angle.
The editor would nix the first as lacking article value.
The second was pure scoop, but publishing would plunge that carrier into deep trouble.
I didn't write an article. Just organized my thoughts into familiar article form. I'll never publish this.
Her phone rang.
Skyla closed her laptop, stood, grabbed the phone, and stepped into the hall. The near-deadline office was a shouting fish market.
One man quietly approached and sat at Skyla's spot. Silver hair that proved stylish on him—the editor.
He opened the laptop.
"Password, huh... interesting."
He entered it on the first try, skimmed the saved drafts.
Skyla had written two, as usual. One trash, the other jaw-droppingly brilliant.
"Nose for it, as always."
Transferring the video and article to his computer, the editor closed the laptop and glided through reporters like a ghost.
No one noticed his approach, despite his wandering and striking silver hair.