Meeting with Destiny
Monica and Park Bong-sik stared at me in bewilderment as the desk flew far away.
"Y-You! Do you even know where you are right now…?!"
"Little one?"
The only one not flustered was Lee Haryeong, who had been watching me the moment I gathered ether.
"Heh… What an amusing little brat."
I crossed my arms and spoke to her.
"Do you think Monica and I would put up with treatment like this? We'd just go to another country. For the announcement, just put that Bong-gu or whatever his name is—Bong-sik—in there. We're leaving because it's pathetic."
"Oh ho."
Lee Haryeong giggled and added her own spin to my words.
"Then the 7-level mage Monica and her chosen disciple would be chased away by our dear Bong-sik here."
At those words, Minister Bong-sik snapped out of it and blinked his eyes wide. The arrogance from before had vanished, leaving only wide, deer-like eyes on his face.
"W-Wait, you're an apprentice mage? That name…"
Bong-sik checked his tablet and spoke hurriedly.
"Yu Eunha, right? Immigration for mages isn't something decided so lightly…?"
"So you're going to stop us? A 7-level mage wants to leave? Can you even do that?"
"……."
Bong-sik swallowed hard.
"What the hell are you banking on to hold out like this? Tormenting mages isn't your job, old man."
No answer came, so I pressed on.
"Right or wrong?"
"R-Right."
"Can I trust you to keep it confidential?"
As I looked at Lee Haryeong, she burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.
"Ahaha! Monica! Where on earth did you find this kid?! Perfect casting hold at that age. She's gonna be a great battle mage."
"So you're doing it? Don't change the subject."
Lee Haryeong nodded.
"Don't worry about confidentiality. Even if I'm retired, handling one guy like this is nothing."
She grinned wickedly and turned to Minister Bong-sik.
"My specialty is mental control, after all."
"Oh…."
So that's why she gives off that slightly unhinged vibe.
After hearing that, I almost felt sorry for Bong-sik.
[Gangnam Dungeon Data Room]
We left the Alliance President's office and headed straight to the Association's data room. We needed to discuss Abyss data security processing with the Alliance's staff.
"Phew."
Yuri massaged her stiff tail, apparently more tense than she'd let on.
"Little one~ You got a spare life or something~? Standing up to that Haryeong like that."
Yuri clacked her teeth together in horror.
"You~ Back in the day, old Haryeong would've killed you five times over."
"And Bong-sik?"
"That guy? Maybe six?"
"Then I lose, it seems."
"Ahah~ Is that how it works~?"
Monica, finding my attitude intriguing, kept petting my head.
"Our little one knows how to get mad."
"Hmph, that guy's ugly anyway."
"Uhaha! That's too much~ What if you hurt his feelings, little one."
Yuri held the card key from Haryeong up to the door's security panel.
"Alright then."
Yuri pushed my back.
"Little one, go play for a bit."
"Don't need me?"
"Yeah~ Does the Monica Alliance HQ have a daycare~?"
"It does, first floor, right side…."
"Daycare? What nonsense is that?!"
I furrowed my brow and pointed down the hall.
"Fine, I'll take a little stroll then."
"You sure, little one? The HQ is huge."
"I'm fine! This one's spatial awareness is top-tier."
I left the data room with a wicked grin.
Perfect chance to learn more about the Magic Tower Alliance.
The higher I climb, the more important good connections become.
Whistling as I walked the corridor, my eyes caught a photo of an Abyss hanging on the wall. A white-haired mage was preparing for a raid in front of it. Someone I knew well.
"Lee Han… He went missing, right…."
Might as well follow Lee Han's path into the Abyss.
Higher floors regenerate high-quality ether faster, which could help Korea's ether shortage.
They caught that monster abyssal entity, but something went wrong, maybe.
Maybe he died from exhaustion. Or…
Trying to save me…?
I shook my head to clear the thoughts.
"New life, new goals. Let's add Abyss raids to the list."
As I walked with my heavy head swaying, a massive staircase appeared. A grand T-shaped one leading to the first-floor lobby.
Descending, I saw kids gathered in the lobby, all in black robes—academy students.
Little humans are cute, aren't they.
Every mage must have been that pure once.
Hope they don't turn twisted.
As I smiled warmly at the fledglings, my eyes met a boy’s.
"Whoa! There's a super tiny kid on the stairs!"
All eyes turned to me.
"Who're you calling tiny?!"
I shouted, and the kids rushed over. Up close, embarrassingly, they were all bigger than me.
"Whoa, so smol!"
"Not smol!"
"Little one lost?"
"Hardly! Just strolling!"
"Look at those tiny hands!"
"Yours too!"
Arguing one by one gave me a throbbing headache. Their high-pitched, shrill voices grated on me.
"Argh! Where's the supervising mage?! Why are you brats running loose?!"
One kid poked my forehead.
"Little one! That's rude. Use proper speech with big sis and bros!"
"Oh? Like what?"
"Not whatever you're doing."
"Ugh, real talk, can't argue."
As their attention scattered, I bolted down the stairs.
"Got it! Dana-ka!"
"Dummy! That's soldier uncle talk!"
"…It's polite speech, idiots."
"Hey, the little one's gone."
"There!"
The kids chased after me noisily.
"Why?! Why follow me?!"
Surrounded again by black-robed brats, I sighed. Then a girl grabbed my hand.
"Lost, huh? Wanna stick with us for now?"
She pulled a big green grape candy from her pocket and offered it. Her hand was covered in scars.
Hands full of wounds…
"Wanna eat?"
I looked at the girl, maybe 10 at most, and nodded.
"…Sure, for now."
I popped the candy in my mouth and followed the academy kids. Not for the candy.
Pure curiosity about this girl.
"This is the public training ground, usable by all mages under the Magic Tower Alliance."
The supervising teacher returned, and the kids ran around excitedly. The candy girl vanished somewhere. Attention spans shorter than a minute.
Age for playing, no surprise.
The supervising mage left to take a call.
Keeps stepping away.
Anyway, chance to broaden horizons. I blended in and observed the public training ground.
White coats absorbing ether, capture and reduction devices, even 5-level barriers.
A massive magic circle auto-applies 5-level protection to entrants. Spacious, ether-rich, state-of-the-art setup.
But.
"Small."
Too cramped for intense training. Even practicing Ether Shot would be tight. I clicked my tongue.
"Practicing in a space like this… Poor young mages."
A boy overheard and laughed loudly.
"Haha! Dummy! This is one of the biggest public ones! Hehe, little one's a dummy!"
That childish taunt scratched an itch.
"Big? Smaller than mine."
"Dummy! Dummy!"
"……."
Blood rushed to my forehead, but I held back. Opponent's just a 10-year-old brat.
"Little one's dummy~ Liar~!"
"You punk! Don't mock adults!"
"Uhahaha! Says he's adult! Total dummy!"
"You little—!"
About to get serious with the boy, I clenched my eyes and dispersed my ether. No point going all out on a kid—too much to lose. Beating a 10-year-old for teasing? Adult fail.
"Yeah, no comeback? Totally owned? Dummy certified?"
"……."
As I pondered a sneaky punch, I spotted a girl practicing magic quietly in the corner. The candy girl.
Her fluid form drew my eye.
1-level Projection
Ether Shot
Thread-like ether tangled in her hand, then unraveled.
"Hmm."
She practiced in the corner—wrapping ether around her body, kneading it like dough. My brow furrowed.
Her ether handling sense is innate!
Treating intangible ether like clay—proof of superior, delicate control.
As I moved to advise, the taunting boy ran ahead.
"Eunbyeol practicing again! 10 years old and can't even do 1-level Ether Shot—why bother?"
Ether scattered from Eunbyeol's hand. Tears welled in her big eyes.
"No point forcing what you can't do. Fact: switch jobs now, dude."
"…I can do it someday!"
"What? Low sync rate means game over!"
"No! They said you can raise sync rate!!"
"Yeah~ Take a thousand years~ Can't even do 1-level."
1-level Projection
Aqua Splash
1-level magic bloomed in the boy's hand. Water poured over Eunbyeol's head.
Eunbyeol, used to it, just glared through teary eyes.
"That's a bit harsh…."
Suddenly, I recalled a community post with Monica.
"Yeah, seems true…."
I slowly drew up ether.
"Hey, you rotten brat."
The boy scowled.
"What? Dummy little one? You're tinier, dummy?"
"Tch, weakling with a nasty personality."
"Dummy? I'm the strongest here!"
I wrapped ether in casting hold and smiled thinly.
"Oh? Perfect, it's a training ground. Good lesson time. Come at me, fledgling."
"Huh?"
"If you're so good at magic, show me."