Family
Family
### Seoul Wizard Community
Commonly referred to as the Mage Gallery, this massive online forum was where Korean mages and magicians gathered to exchange all sorts of stories.
From trivial daily anecdotes to major incidents—there was no topic left undiscussed. Countless people browsed the gallery, either out of boredom or to stay updated on important information. And with so many users, it was also a hotbed for all kinds of drama.
Despite the minor drawback of having no active moderators for years—leading to the occasional posting of unsavory or dangerous content—the gallery remained an indispensable hub.
And just before the second post from the 10th Class Mage set the forum ablaze, another topic had already stirred up a frenzy.
[Is it true the Necromancer got caught?]
For real?
Who are you talking about?
What, you think there's more than one Necromancer?
Damn, that troublemaker was still alive?
Is he dead?
Nah, locked up in the Management Bureau's underground prison.
RIP.
[This crazy bastard Necromancer went wild with a Magic Book lololol]
Where the hell did he even get something that rare?
What kind of Magic Book?
No idea.
You can buy any Magic Book if you throw enough money at it.
Not those cheap knockoffs. A real one.
[EMERGENCY! Angel sighting!]
I'm infiltrating a church right now, and they're freaking out over a divine revelation.
But the signal vanished seconds later, so they can't pinpoint its location.
Thinking it might've been sealed, the Vatican's sending Holy Knights to Korea for a rescue mission lol
To retrieve a holy relic? Does that even make financial sense compared to the knights' wages?
Wages? That's your concern?
What even is an angel?
Think of it like an anomaly, but different.
[A Calamity-class Aberration appeared?]
Is this for real?
Already dead.
How do you know?
If it were still alive, I'd know.
It showed up when the Necromancer went nuts with that Magic Book.
Seriously? Then did everyone sent to capture him die? Did the Management Bureau's Disposal Unit clean it up?
Nah, apparently some rookie mage took it down.
[Who the hell is this "Si-woo" guy popping up everywhere?]
Legit no clue.
He's a monster rookie.
What's his rank?
No idea.
Then why's everyone hyping him up?
Word is he's the one who captured the Necromancer and took down the Calamity-class Aberration.
The fact that the names of the monster rookie Si-woo and the 10th Class Great Mage coincidentally matched didn't escape notice—yet no one connected the two.
[What kind of magic does the monster rookie use?]
If he took down a Calamity-class Aberration as a rookie, it's gotta be insane, right?
Nobody knows.
Why?
No eyewitnesses survived.
Holy shit...
Is he even a mage? Could be a magician for all we know.
Magician my ass. Don't disrespect the rookie like that lol Common sense says he's a mage.
This is a famous template, you know.
Meanwhile, among those browsing the gallery was Go Yu-jeong—a famous idol and novice magician. The moment she saw the rumors about the monster rookie Si-woo, she immediately sought out his broker and submitted a request.
"Please, accept this...!"
Clasping her hands together, she prayed to the heavens that Si-woo would take her case.
"Mi-ho..."
Her precious family member had been kidnapped.
She'd already reached out to other renowned fixers, only to be rejected every time. The reason? Messing with a family was too risky. This was her last hope.
And the next morning, she received a message from the broker.
-Request accepted.
The moment she read it, she rushed to the broker's office in a daze.
So much so that she arrived hours before the scheduled meeting time.
Which meant she had to endure an awkward wait with the cold, stoic broker.
Two hours left until the appointment.
Yu-jeong sat quietly in the corner, stealing glances at the broker as he sorted documents with an impassive expression.
His elite demeanor—serious, meticulous—radiated the kind of trust that made you feel he could handle anything.
"H-H-He's here?!"
But when she saw that same unflappable Kim Yu-jin scrambling nervously to greet Si-woo as he entered, she knew she'd made the right choice.
"I brought coffee!"
The tension and fear in the usually unshakable broker's demeanor spoke volumes.
"Wow..."
If even he reacted like that, her expectations for Si-woo skyrocketed beyond measure.
### The Port
"We're here."
After riding in Yu-jin's car, they arrived at their destination.
The moment Si-woo stepped out, the briny scent of the sea stung his nose.
"Smuggling in broad daylight..."
He surveyed the towering stacks of shipping containers, recalling the details of the request.
Objective: Rescue a pet Gumiho before it's shipped off to Japan.
'She's pretty capable. How'd she even get this intel?'
He thought back to Yu-jeong desperately explaining everything to him.
Most people would panic if their pet got kidnapped, but she hadn't just said "I don't know, just fix it!"—she'd prepared critical details like location and timing in advance.
'No wonder she's an idol.'
Only those who prepared thoroughly got what they wanted. In that regard, she'd earned her desired outcome.
"All I have to do is not screw up."
Rustle—
He adjusted the Bandage of Purification tucked in his embrace. Unlike Lantern, who obeyed commands effortlessly, this required active concentration—a slight hassle.
"This should do."
He'd wrapped his face in bandages when talking to Yu-jeong too, avoiding exposure. Broker Kim Yu-jin knew his face, but he was trustworthy—or so Si-woo believed.
A recent realization: in this line of work, making enemies was inevitable. Yesterday's events proved that. His second job, and he'd already fought for his life.
So from now on, he'd conceal his identity. Gloves to prevent fingerprints, bandages covering every inch of his head—no loose strands.
"Ahem."
He even altered his voice—just in case.
Deepened to a low, stiff tone. Surprisingly, it felt natural. Anyone listening would think he always spoke like this.
"Let's go."
"Y-Yes! I'll wait here!"
Lantern in hand, Si-woo strode toward the maze of containers.
A man in a fluorescent work vest approached.
"Stop! You can't enter here."
Despite Si-woo's bandage-masked face and ominous lantern, the man remained polite, trying to usher him out.
But then—Si-woo sensed something.
The man's Korean accent—forced, unnatural. And the faint metallic tang of blood.
This guy's Chinese.
"If you could just head back that—Gah!"
BANG!
The man's friendly expression twisted as he whipped out a pistol and fired.
But Si-woo had been ready the moment he identified him.
"Shadows...?!"
Behind the bullet-blocking shadow, the man's face contorted in shock.
"Intrud—"
CRUNCH!
Before he could call for backup, a massive shadow erupted from the ground and swallowed him whole.
Chomp. Chomp.
"Disgusting. Stop chewing."
Wobble wobble.
Lantern swayed as if nodding.
"Let's clean this up quietly."
Melding into the shadows, Si-woo began silently eliminating the smugglers one by one.
### The Smugglers
Basic education.
Decades had passed since schooling became mandatory for children. Now, most people could read—giving even those at society's lowest rungs a ladder to climb higher.
A fair chance for upward mobility.
Thanks to that law, countless lives had improved.
And that included pirates.
"Hey! The ship's late! When the hell is it arriving?!"
Gu Hyeong-seop, a hot-tempered mage from a prestigious family, hurled his instant coffee at a dim-witted pirate lackey.
"J-Just a little longer, please!"
Pirates.
Unknown to most, real pirates still existed—not the non-profit-adjacent amateurs like Somalia's, but genuine outlaws.
Of course, they didn't pillage like in the old days. The risk-reward ratio wasn't worth it.
Modern, well-educated pirates had found a safer, more lucrative trade: smuggling forbidden goods across borders.
"We caught the Gumiho like promised, but if you keep stalling, what am I supposed to think?!"
Hyeong-seop's patience had run out.
But these were brave warriors of the sea.
They feared no mage, no matter how deadly.
"W-We're sorry!"
"Please forgive us!"
(Note: Their bowing and pleading wasn't out of fear—it was a pirate's honor. An apology for the ship's delay, nothing more.)
"Scram! Hurry up and contact them!"
Whether their sincerity moved him or not, Hyeong-seop relented, shooing them out of the container.
"Stupid pirates! Is it so hard to be on time?!"
"Will we finish before the young master arrives? If he finds out—"
"Shut up. I know."
Grumbling, Hyeong-seop plopped onto a sofa inside the container.
His junior fiddled nervously with a communication device.
"Speaking of, why's the young master coming here? Did he find out?"
"So what if he did? Worst-case, we get a slap on the wrist."
Hyeong-seop reached toward a small cage nearby.
"Kyuu~!"
Inside was a tiny fox.
"Selling this thing's way more profitable anyway."
"Hard to believe something this small is so valuable."
"Japan's full of perverts."
Hyeong-seop licked his lips as he examined the fox.
"Kinda regret not demanding more."
Just then, his junior froze.
"...Senior."
"What."
"It's too quiet outside."
"Go check—"
BOOM!!
As Hyeong-seop rose from the sofa, the container wall shattered, and a crushing shadow engulfed them.
"Guh—! What the—?! I can't move!"
"Ugh... It's heavy..."
Struggling helplessly, the two mages watched as a figure emerged from the wreckage.
"Found you."
A bandage-wrapped monstrosity.
"...What the hell is that?"
The junior's muttered words carried a mix of awe and dread.
Hyeong-seop nodded involuntarily.
Even as a mage, the sight left him speechless.
"...This guy's insane."
A mage's strength was proportional to how unhinged they were.
And Hyeong-seop was certain.
This man was far beyond his level.