A Familiar Face from Another World
Lee Sehan read the comment over and over again.
He hadn't written anything too specific since he'd only posted the message as a joke. But spoiled ingredients?
It was possible they'd simply gone bad with age, but the part about him burying the return magic ingredients was accurate. That meant someone who had actually been to the same world had shown up!
Judging by how the comment said the post had been helpful, it seemed the person had gone there recently and just returned...
"D-Don't tell me they saw Jeomi?"
His heart began to race. He'd been half-ready to give up, but the mere thought that he might get news made his hands tremble.
He quickly started typing a long private message to the commenter, pouring every ounce of politeness he could muster into it.
Lim Dojun spent the next several days holed up in the training room.
The first thing he'd felt upon encountering the world of magic was how endlessly vast and fascinating it was. People naturally found joy in what they were good at, and having learned dragon-style magic, how could he not be thrilled by spells that unfolded exactly as he envisioned them?
What he was currently diving into was the fusion of his existing combat techniques with magic.
Among these, Jiren-Style Combat Technique was something he had learned long before. To be precise, it wasn't even a skill he'd acquired through the system—it was something he'd been taught in the military.
Even on Earth, things like martial arts and magic existed, even if they weren't classified as skills. They were sold by returnees who had come back from other worlds. Many returnees sold their knowledge to nations, corporations, or guilds.
Of course, they kept their true secret techniques hidden and only sold the more common ones. Jiren-Style Combat Technique was one such item. Natural awakeners possessed outstanding physical abilities but lacked the know-how to use them effectively. This knowledge helped fill that gap.
It was nowhere near as good as what returnees had learned directly in the other world, but it was still better than nothing.
Whoosh!
Crack!
The air around Lim Dojun's fist froze solid as he threw a punch.
I think I can combine Jiren-Style Combat Technique with dragon-style magic.
The original Jiren-Style was a combat method that combined an awakener's strength, mana, and various weapons. It wasn't overly complicated, yet it produced decent power. However, after being discharged and returning all his artifacts, its effectiveness had been cut in half. This training was an attempt to compensate for that loss.
The idea had come from the fact that dragon-style magic activated instantly. It might prove even more useful than artifacts.
No matter how good a weapon was, it could never surpass one's own body. If he added Jiren-Style Combat Technique to a body capable of generating power and change on the level of an artifact, the results should be considerable.
Besides, Lim Dojun's original specialty had been close-quarters combat. Even as a mage, he might be able to deliver a devastating blow that no one would expect.
Crrrrack!
Only after the entire training room had frozen over and he'd poured out every last drop of mana in his body did Lim Dojun stop his training.
"Hoo..."
Feeling the hollow emptiness in his dantian, he frowned.
I haven't even trained that long...
The mana shortage was becoming a serious problem. He needed to consume an elixir or obtain a Dragon Heart as soon as possible.
Has Senior still not produced any results?
He wanted to go find Jo Difel and press him for an update, but as a junior, that would be rude, so he held himself back. Even if he went, it wouldn't make the results come any faster.
After that, Lim Dojun left the Magic Tower.
He had an errand to run outside today.
They said they were looking for a cat, right?
The only times he logged out each day were to eat and use the bathroom. He decided to check if he'd received any messages.
It had been a while since he'd cut off contact with his acquaintances while living in seclusion, but Kim Eunju or Park Daecheol might have reached out.
Contrary to what he'd expected, however, a private message had arrived from the community out of nowhere. It was from an unknown returnee asking if he'd ever seen a cat in that mansion.
He immediately understood.
When he'd first visited that house, the Gellard Brotherhood had been taking care of a single cat.
He sent a reply.
The other person must have been desperate—the message that flew back was so rushed it was full of typos.
Just from the message, he could tell how precious the cat was to them.
Because of that exchange, Lim Dojun decided to go check on the cat once more. After all, he'd only caught a fleeting glimpse of it last time.
When he arrived at the house...
"Grrrr! Peekaboo!"
"Ah, Boss! What are you doing to a cat?"
"Then what should I do?"
"That's something you do with babies! Watch closely. You take this grass and go like this—swish~ swish~"
Just like the first time he'd seen them, three burly men were sprawled out in the garden, desperately trying to get a single cat's attention.
The cat had distinctive brown spots on its white fur. Its coat looked well-maintained, and above all, it was plump and healthy from being well-fed. It was clear the Gellard Brotherhood had been caring for it with utmost devotion.
I should let him know later.
The ingredients had been in slightly poor condition, but thanks to them he'd obtained a great deal of gold coins and more. The least he could do was share this much.
"Mage-nim!"
The eldest of the Gellard brothers spotted Lim Dojun and shot to his feet.
"Um... ahem. This isn't us playing with the cat. It's training. We're practicing getting up quickly after lying down like this..."
"You don't need to feel embarrassed. The owner was very grateful that you were taking care of his cat."
"Oh! So it was his cat all along? I thought it was a stray that had settled here. The owner must have been very worried."
"Yes. It seems he couldn't return due to certain circumstances, but he's been very concerned."
"We may not be able to care for it as well as its original owner, but we'll continue looking after it with great care. We've already grown quite attached."
During the time they'd been forced to serve under the dark mage Eggnock, the cat Jeomi had been their emotional sanctuary. Amid the exhausting task of catering to the eccentric dark mage's every whim, the only moments of rest had come when they were with the cat.
"I'll be sure to pass that on to the original owner. I'm sure he'll be delighted."
"Yes. Ah, Mage-nim. The auction I mentioned before begins today."
"I'm aware."
Lim Dojun nodded.
While the cat was part of the reason, the real purpose of leaving the Magic Tower today was the auction. According to the eldest Gellard, an absolutely incredible item was going to be put up for sale.
Since he happened to have prepared plenty of funds, he intended to participate.
"We'll escort you!"
The Gellard Brotherhood took the lead and began guiding him.
Running an underground auction house was harder than it seemed.
Even the people on the surface turned a blind eye to it, but it was still an illegal business. Without the protection of laws and regulations, problems could arise at any moment. That was why security for the merchandise was crucial.
In the black market, there were far more people thinking about how to steal or rob items than those simply willing to pay for them.
Especially when word got out that an absolutely incredible treasure was being auctioned, monsters beyond the market's control might show up to seize it. Security was literally a matter of life and death.
"Gellard...!"
"Haha... Hello, Manager-nim."
The auction house's mid-level manager, Dalco, ground his teeth at the sight of the Gellard Brotherhood before whispering quietly.
"It was clearly my mistake, but I never expected you to do something like this. I specifically asked you the next day to keep it a secret. Gellard."
Unlike the usual trash found in back alleys, Gellard had a decent personality and did good work, so they'd grown close. That was how he'd accidentally let something slip while drinking. But to think the price of that trust would be bringing a mage from the Blue Magic Tower!
An uninvited mage from the Blue Magic Tower—one of the largest powers in the city of Bellangs—was a fatal problem for the black market. If the mage had been officially invited, that would be one thing, but a mage who had shown up unannounced could do anything!
"Manager-nim! Please wait! I know what you're worried about, but this person is truly fine!"
Gellard quickly tried to calm him down.
Lim Dojun nodded from the side as well.
"I am Jun from the Blue Magic Tower."
"...It is an honor to meet such a renowned mage."
The manager first bowed his head deeply. Showing proper respect to a Blue Magic Tower mage was basic courtesy.
Even so, he was desperately thinking of a way to send the man away politely. Today's auction was especially important, so only trustworthy people should have been invited. A mage who might run wild out of greed—especially one from the Blue Magic Tower—would be difficult to handle, and the cleanup afterward would be even worse.
"No need to drag this out. Will this be enough to gain entry to the auction?"
Instead of wasting words on further explanation, Lim Dojun opened the bag slung over his shoulder.
It contained every gold coin the returnee had stored, along with the decent ingredients he'd exchanged for gold at the Magic Tower. The amount was enough to fill an entire large bag with gleaming yellow coins.
"......!"
The manager's eyes widened.
"Please come in! We sincerely welcome the esteemed mage! I will personally guide you to the best seat!"
Treating him like a VIP, the manager ushered Lim Dojun inside.
The auction was held in a large, tiered hall.
The participants all wore masks to hide their identities. Since they couldn't conceal their clothing as well, their general backgrounds were easy to guess: those who looked like knights, those who appeared to be nobles, noblewomen, mages, and others wearing black robes that made them impossible to identify.
Lim Dojun leaned back comfortably against the sofa.
It'll probably appear toward the end of the auction.
If it was the treasure Gellard had mentioned, it would be the main event. Items like that were usually revealed at the very end.
Since he might run out of funds, Lim Dojun decided to cleanly skip bidding on anything before it.
The next item is holy water personally blessed by Bishop Marcos of the Holy Church. According to official certification from the White Magic Tower, it provides mana slightly below that of a Grade 4 elixir. Bidding starts at 50 gold!
That one's tempting.
Even so, he couldn't help but be drawn to the elixirs. His hand twitched with the urge to bid on it for around fifty gold, but he forced himself to shake his head and hold back. One bid would lead to another, and before he knew it, he'd have nothing left for the final item.
But then...
An item appeared that completely shattered Lim Dojun's relaxed mindset of simply observing until the end.
The auction is heating up, and so is my mood. The next item is a hand mirror estimated to have been crafted in ancient times. Adorned with the refined beauty of the past and still-brilliant gold and jewels, this is no mere luxury good—it appears to hold significant archaeological value as well! I guarantee there is no mirror more beautiful for noble ladies to use!
A single hand mirror decorated with gold and jewels, showcasing refined elegance.
The moment Lim Dojun saw the item the auctioneer was presenting, he shot up from his seat without realizing it.
"Jun-nim?"
Gellard called out in confusion from beside him, but Lim Dojun didn't hear a word.
Thump. Thump.
His heart pounded violently, and he could feel it resonating with the object in front of him. His entire mind focused on it; he could hear every breath he took, and it felt as if his blood was pulsing in that direction.
The Crystal Dragon's Will was whispering to him.
That hand mirror.
It was an object made from a dragon's bone.