A Spreading Reputation and Blue Flow
On the continent, every evil cult was marked for purging—with the sole exception of the Supreme Martial God Sect.
It was almost comical.
The strongest and most influential sect of all was the Supreme Martial God Sect, yet it alone was spared. Of course, that wasn’t simply because of its power.
The Supreme Martial God Sect worshipped strength, but its core doctrine wasn’t inherently evil. The problem lay with those who pursued power through wicked means. The pure faction at its headquarters wasn’t particularly malicious.
“The Eumsa Temple! That is the identity of the evil cult the madman Marquis Baran joined hands with!”
The Eumsa Temple.
Once an affiliated organization of the Supreme Martial God Sect, it had been expelled after repeatedly committing acts so vile and inhumane that even the sect could no longer tolerate them. They pursued strength by summoning demons from the lower dimensions or receiving their power directly. Every time they moved, catastrophic damage followed, making them a group the entire continent shuddered to even speak of.
“From this moment onward, we shall subjugate the Baran Marquessate!”
The noble council of the Akrasen Kingdom—the dominant power in the western continent, holder of both the Baran Marquessate and the Blue Magic Tower—had reached its conclusion. The king himself delivered the verdict.
After all, Tower Master Valteon had personally secured the evidence, and an elder of the Blue Magic Tower had nearly died. The ritual site beneath the mansion, the symbolic artifacts Lim Dojun had brought out—there was simply too much proof to deny.
The Baran Marquessate had always been despised for its excessive ambition to expand its influence. Many already harbored grudges against them. Now that the scandal had broken, those factions seized the opportunity to strike.
“A most excellent decision, Your Majesty!”
“We shall confiscate the Baran Marquessate’s lands and seize all of their business ventures.”
“Then what of the escaped marquis and his elite forces?”
Marquis Baran and his top elites had been absent from the estate when Lim Dojun caused the incident. Had they been present, even he would have struggled to escape unscathed. In that sense, luck had been on his side.
As soon as the mansion was destroyed and irrefutable evidence surfaced, they had immediately gone into hiding.
“We must pursue them. If left alone, they will only bolster the cult’s forces.”
They could not allow the Eumsa Temple to absorb such powerful assets. It would be a disgrace to the kingdom and to the Blue Magic Tower alike.
“Those who distinguish themselves in this pursuit shall receive shares of the Baran Marquessate’s wealth according to their merits.”
It was a condition designed to encourage voluntary participation from the nobles and other factions without expending the royal family’s own forces. Naturally, the greatest merit belonged to the Blue Magic Tower. Without them, there was no telling what the Baran Marquessate might have done to the kingdom.
“We are not chasing these villains in pursuit of mere merit! We simply cannot forgive the fact that they nearly brought harm to this nation and to His Majesty the King!”
“Well said!”
A few nobles exchanged transparently false declarations, and the meeting concluded to everyone’s satisfaction. Most stood to gain significantly from the Baran Marquessate’s downfall.
Still, I’m envious of the Blue Magic Tower.
To think he only just became an elder and already pulled off something this massive…
Other families, knight orders, and magic towers cast envious glances toward the Blue Magic Tower’s representatives. They themselves would now have to begin a grueling pursuit, yet no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t surpass the Blue Magic Tower’s contribution. A substantial reward had already been promised to them.
In truth, Valteon and the Blue Magic Tower elders were struggling to keep smiles from breaking across their faces. A magic tower was an organization with endless expenses, yet Lim Dojun’s outrageous feat had suddenly granted them tremendous financial breathing room.
-Haha! What did I tell you? I said that once Elder Jun became an elder, he would bring glory to our tower!
-Elder Jangbart. Let’s not rewrite history. Weren’t you the one grumbling about how a mage with no experience becoming an elder would be a disaster?
-Hahaha… That was just a figure of speech. You have an excellent memory, Elder Keon.
Only Tower Master Valteon and Discipline Elder Keon had openly supported Lim Dojun at first, but this incident earned him the goodwill of nearly every elder in the tower. After all, the Blue Magic Tower’s newly enriched coffers would greatly aid their research as well.
They called him Elder Jun.
They say he’s even being spoken of as the next Tower Master. It seems his abilities aren’t limited to just magic—he excels in every regard.
When the Blue Magic Tower announced the full details of the incident, they also formally declared Lim Dojun’s appointment as elder. Thanks to this, families, knight orders, magic towers, and various other organizations across the kingdom etched the name Lim Dojun deeply into their memories.
“At last, our opportunity has arrived!”
Vex, the sole heir of the Rodonos County, clenched his fist tightly.
“They were the ones who joined hands with an evil cult, yet they pinned that same accusation on us.”
Merely thinking about his fallen house still made rage boil up inside him, but Vex forced his emotions down. This was not the time for outbursts—it was time for action.
“Fortunately, the Blue Magic Tower has agreed to help us.”
After the incident unfolded, Lim Dojun had revealed the entire truth without omission. Since even the Tower Master had come in person, there was no point in trying to hide anything.
He explained how he had infiltrated the Baran Marquessate at the request of the Rodonos survivors, how he had noticed traces of the evil cult and even attempted to secure evidence on the spot.
“Elder Jun, you’ve been through a lot. However, it was far too dangerous. In the future, if something like this arises, please exercise caution. And if you must act, inform us in advance. We nearly lost one of our tower’s brightest stars.”
The Blue Magic Tower never asked why Lim Dojun had joined hands with the remnants of the Rodonos House. Even if he had collaborated with cultists, the tower would have protected him first. After all, the arm bends inward—one must first shield a mage of their own tower.
Besides, the Rodonos House had ultimately proven innocent.
Afterward, the Blue Magic Tower approached the Rodonos survivors.
“Young Master Vex. Will you join hands with our tower in this matter?”
Their interests aligned perfectly. The Rodonos House could step forward to clear their name and exact revenge on the Baran Marquessate, while the Blue Magic Tower could avoid drawing direct hostility by supporting the wronged party.
If the Blue Magic Tower—the primary contributor—pursued the fugitives too aggressively, other factions would undoubtedly resent them. However, if they framed it as aiding the unjustly ruined Rodonos House, they could secure even greater merits.
The Rodonos House naturally welcomed the proposal with open arms. Backed by the Blue Magic Tower’s support, they were positioned to take the lead in the upcoming pursuit.
“When I first met Elder Jun at that auction house, I only felt despair. Looking back now, it was truly a blessing.”
“You are correct, Young Master.”
Vex and Olivia, mounted on their horses, nodded in agreement. It was no exaggeration to say that forming a connection with Jun had been the best decision of their lives.
Both revenge and the reconstruction of their house had seemed nearly impossible. Yet the moment Lim Dojun stepped in, everything had resolved as if by magic.
They had maintained the relationship thinking it might prove useful someday, but they never imagined such dramatic results would come so quickly.
“We should continue to be good partners moving forward.”
“Of course, Young Master. Once the Rodonos County is rebuilt, we will surely be able to offer Elder Jun proper assistance in return.”
They owed him a massive debt. That was why Vex and Olivia waited patiently for the day they could stand as equals and repay his kindness.
“UAAAAAAGH—!”
Deep within the forest, several figures raced forward at terrifying speed. Because they were sprinting with all their might, uncontrolled energy leaked from their bodies—dark, twisted power so malignant that the surrounding plants withered at the slightest touch.
They were Marquis Baran and his elite subordinates, who had lost everything after their alliance with the Eumsa Temple and were now fleeing for their lives.
“Jun of the Blue Magic Tower? That bastard—I’d chew him up and it still wouldn’t be enough! How dare he do this to my house…! To my dreams…!!”
A grand plan nearly ten years in the making had been completely shattered.
This should never have happened. By some cruel twist of fate, Marquis Baran and all his top elites had been away from the estate at the exact same time.
They had joined hands with the Eumsa Temple to absorb power from the lower dimensions and grow stronger. The grand ritual required precise timing and conditions that were notoriously difficult to meet. Yet a perfect window had finally appeared, and every elite had left the mansion briefly to participate.
And that was exactly when Lim Dojun had visited.
If only I had been at the estate. No—even if just some of the elites had remained behind. If that damn bastard had arrived even a few hours later…
How could his luck have been so absurdly good?
Wave after wave of regret washed over him. But what was the point of regretting it now?
The immediate priority was escaping the kingdom’s pursuers. Even so, Marquis Baran swore he would never forget the name Jun. It would be the first thing that came to mind even in the moment of his death.
Blue Vision – Blue Flow.
This was the secret art of the Blue Magic Tower that Tower Master Valteon had bestowed upon Lim Dojun as compensation for the recent incident. Learning any advanced magic or higher required sufficient contribution points, and the amount needed was enormous.
It was no coincidence that elders built their own factions and actively worked. Accumulating that many contribution points through individual effort alone would leave no time for magic training.
Of course, if one caused an incident of this ridiculous scale, the story changed somewhat…
In any case, Lim Dojun lay in his hospital bed, diligently studying the Blue Flow manual.
The first technique he had learned, Blue Enhancement, literally strengthened anything “blue.” It worked on magic that naturally manifested in blue hues, such as ice-type spells. Thanks to the Crystal Dragon’s influence, Lim Dojun could already cast ice magic silently, making the technique an excellent match for him.
And Blue Flow allows even spells of different colors to be dyed blue.
That was the true essence of this manual. Vivid blue fireballs, azure wind arrows… It could change the color of any spell. Naturally, those altered spells would then benefit from Blue Enhancement. In the end, it would allow him to strengthen every spell he cast.
This is practically a set with Blue Enhancement.
They had to be learned together.
Flip. Flip.
Lim Dojun slowly turned the pages, reading with care. There were many difficult sections, but he refused to skim over them. He pondered each one thoroughly.
It was possible to simply read the book and register the skill, but that felt too easy. Since he had the time while bedridden, he wanted to truly understand it with his own mind. He believed this approach would ultimately deepen his overall comprehension of magic.
How long had he been concentrating like this?
The fame of ‘Blue Magic Tower Elder Jun’ has spread far and wide.
2 Achievement Points have been awarded.
Hm…?
Lim Dojun paused mid-read and tilted his head in confusion. Why had this suddenly appeared?