I'll Become an Ether Master!
"……."
Since Lee Haryeong was staring at me without a word, I waited a moment. I could almost see the gears turning furiously in her head.
"I have a place to mine ether. I'm filling the Bundang Training Ground with the ether from there."
"Ah…?"
Lee Haryeong looked at Monica while slumped on the floor.
"That's right, Haryeong unnie. I just teach magic—the kid handles all the ether for the Bundang Training Ground herself."
"So it wasn't ether from America…?"
Lee Haryeong glanced back and forth between me and Monica in disbelief.
"What of it? If you don't grab me now, it matters little if I go to another country."
At my words, Lee Haryeong's pupils shook.
"Agh…. That's beyond my authority, kid."
"You can still make it happen."
"I said no…."
"I know you helped Cheonsung Tower get their ether business license."
"……?"
Her eyes narrowed at that.
"Knowing that is a different issue altogether, kid."
"Heh heh…. That's what happens when you mistake me for a mere 7-year-old brat."
I stepped right up to Lee Haryeong's face and met her gaze.
"My information network is on par with those other tower lords you feud with."
Lee Haryeong bowed her head at my words.
"Fine. I'll try to push it through the National Assembly subcommittee. But…."
"Once I get the ether business license, I plan to build a magic tower and join the Korean Magic Tower Alliance."
"A magic tower…?"
Lee Haryeong squeezed her eyes shut.
"Haa…. I really need to quit this crap and retire…. Issuing an ether business license to a newborn tower? The other tower lords are gonna flip out."
I curled my lips into a smirk.
"How about joining our tower after you retire? We could use an advisor."
"……."
Lee Haryeong furrowed her brow.
"You little punk…. Straight-up lobbying me? What would it look like if I pull strings for your license and then jump ship?!"
"Misunderstanding. The ether business license is just the price for me staying in Korea—nothing more. You could even say you're the one betting everything on me."
"…Hah."
"Once I win Olympia, it'll all look like visionary investing."
Lee Haryeong stared at Monica.
"Our kid's smart, right? She's a genius at this stuff."
At that, I put my hands on my hips in exasperation.
"Monica, I'm brilliant in every domain."
"Sure, sure. Aigoo, so smart."
Lee Haryeong scratched her head, a few strands of her pale pink hair falling out.
"Haa. Look at my hair falling out. You really want this ether business license, huh? Fine, but the other towers will hound you mercilessly."
"How could fledglings comprehend the great phoenix's will?"
Lee Haryeong clutched her head at my words.
"Aaaah, I never should've become alliance president!"
She raked her hair wildly, then glared at me. For a split second, a faint killing intent emanated from her.
"Just one question, kid."
"What is it?"
"What's your endgame? Ether license, magic tower… What are you really after in Korea?"
I shrugged.
"The enemy draws near."
"Enemy?"
"The Spectrum showing its face in Korea now is far bigger and scarier than you imagine."
"How would you…."
Her eyes widened.
"Your current magic towers would crumble if Orbis, Spectrum's hunter unit, came in earnest."
"What do you mean?"
I grinned at her wary demeanor.
"If Orbis went all out, every magic tower in Seoul would fall in a week."
Lee Haryeong's face hardened at my confident declaration.
"…Mage Yu Eunha, how do you know all this?"
I could see her pupils dilate as realization dawned. She seemed to have pieced it together.
I spoke bitterly.
"My father was in Orbis."
"……."
Silence fell over the alliance president's office.
"So you're…."
"Yu Eunha, daughter of the Mage Hunter."
At that moment, something burst near Lee Haryeong.
"Heh heh heh, I knew something was off. A genius mage popping up out of nowhere? No way. So the Mage Hunter had a daughter…. Committing all those killings and then having a kid?"
Fierce winds whipped around her. Even in the ether-scarce tower environment, enough gathered nearby to kill a man.
"Answer if you want to live, kid. Where's your father?"
"Dead. By Lee Han's hand."
The wind stopped dead.
"Dead?"
"Yes. On layer 35 of the Gangnam Dungeon, by Lee Han's hand, right before my eyes. Satisfied, mage?"
Lee Haryeong looked back and forth between me and Monica.
"Sounds right. I searched layer 35 myself."
"Eh? W-what's that supposed to mean! I never heard about that!"
Monica scratched her head apologetically as I stared in shock.
"Wasn't that I didn't trust you, kid. Just had to rule out memory tampering or mind control…. I checked it out during the search for Lee Han."
"Ah, right—you sent a search party for Lee Han."
"Still sending them, daughter of the traitor."
I shrugged at Lee Haryeong's words.
"We found a dagger and clothes that were definitely the Mage Hunter's. No body, though."
"……."
"I can send them over tomorrow if you want."
Lee Haryeong pinched her forehead.
"Lee Han missing, Mage Hunter dead, and his daughter a 3-level prodigy at 7. What the hell…."
"So? What will you do?"
As I stared intently, she took a deep breath.
"No matter how much I hate that bastard, I can't punish the daughter for his sins. But…."
She eyed me uneasily, her face a mix of anxiety and confusion.
"Worry not. I have no intention of betraying you."
"……."
After agonizing, Lee Haryeong finally spoke.
"Kid, what's your image?"
I met her sharp gaze squarely.
"A guiding star shining for the lost. That is the root of my magic."
Lee Haryeong smirked and extended her hand.
"Heh…. You've reached that far, huh? Looking forward to working with you, talented mage."
"Of course."
As we shook, a sudden thought struck me, and I added,
"Oh, and there are two reporters writing trash articles about mages."
"Ah, those two from Hyunseong Daily and Jungmin Daily?"
I took Monica's phone and showed her.
More Spoiled, Arrogant Brat Than Genius.
Mage Yu Eunha Struck with Celebrity Syndrome?
Yu Eunha: What About Her Parents?
No Public Education? Just Look at Yu Eunha.
Lee Haryeong clicked her tongue as she read the headlines on the phone.
"Hmm, that's pretty harsh."
"Isn't this going too far?"
Our eyes met, and she nodded.
"Not hard at all. We had scum like this with Isara too."
The Mahwa Lee Haryeong's eyes curved slyly.
"I'll make 'em disappear quick."
*
Earning a living by writing articles was a rare feat these days. Park Hoseok, a reporter at Hyunseong Daily, took pride in that one fact. All his around him had jumped ship to chicken joints or cafes.
The day he arrived at his desk with his usual Americano—like any other day, but strangely devoid of colleagues on the way—was the day he found his desk completely cleared out.
"What the hell?"
No answer came. Everyone was glued to their monitors.
"……."
Seeing their reactions, darkness closed in on him. Can't fire a full-timer? Just yank their desk. Korea's final courtesy.
Staring at the spotless desk, an image of a certain pint-sized mage flashed in Hoseok's mind.
"Kuh…. Touched something you shouldn't have, huh?"
One colleague had badmouthed Isara and got canned without mercy. Back then, he'd scolded the guy: why mess with someone off-limits?
"Isara-level, my ass. That talentless brat…."
A hollow laugh escaped him in disbelief.
"Not even her league, that damn kid…."
No one approached Hoseok as he muttered in denial of reality.
*
After meeting Lee Haryeong, I dove into preparations for the magic tower with Monica.
She skimmed the documents and chuckled.
"Looks like you got everything you wanted, kid?"
"Of course—seizing what I desire is my life's way."
"A newborn tower with ether business rights, though. Can't even imagine the backlash. Academy setup, research labs—they'll block every move."
I shook my head.
"We're not building an academy. We're gathering pro mages who need support."
"Huh? No academy? That could've made bank."
"Ether will cover the money. Korea's full of talented mages lacking training."
Monica snapped her fingers at my words.
"Aha, so a training institute instead of a school?"
"Yes—rehabbing retired mages is more efficient than scouting newbies."
"Ah…. That's why Lee Haryeong."
"Yep, she'd make a great instructor for the institute."
"Her rice paper's gonna tear, kid."
"?"
When I asked what that meant, Monica smirked.
"Nah, just saying you're painting a big picture."
I grinned and bumped fists with her.
"Now just the 10th floor and Foundation League left!"
"Gotta prep tower paperwork on the side too~?"
"One step at a time, and it'll be done before we know it."
I hummed as I stepped out of the car.
"Should blast through to the 10th tomorrow."
Monica looked worried at my words.
"Mmm…. Like I said before, don't obsess over floors—safety first. No one's coming to help."
"Heh heh, got it. Can't wait for that 10th-floor artifact."
"Not guaranteed to be an artifact…."
I hummed on, double-checking my Abyss plans. With the blueprint set, all that remained was execution.