The Light Stone
Song Jiseok stepped forward before everyone and spoke.
He recounted the dangers they had faced while climbing the mountain, how Kim Jehyun had overcome them, and how, upon encountering the boss, Jehyun had saved even his own life when he had been blinded by greed for the core. Finally, he described how Jehyun had overwhelmingly defeated the two mutated bosses.
Once Song Jiseok finished speaking, a relieved expression crossed his face. Watching Jehyun uphold his dignity, he had felt ashamed at the consideration from someone so much younger. In that fleeting moment of self-reflection, Song Jiseok had stepped forward to speak—and in the end, it had a positive impact on him as well.
—That punk seems to have gained some enlightenment.
'Yeah.'
Kim Jehyun and Alkasha, watching Song Jiseok, noticed the change in him. While honestly recounting what had happened, Song Jiseok had turned inward—and in that process, he had gained a small insight.
—Heh, sticking around a lucky bastard like you must be rubbing off on him. Luck's coming his way too.
Jehyun gave a slight smile at Alkasha's words. No one knew where mages might find the spark of enlightenment. Song Jiseok had stumbled upon it simply through honest self-reflection. Jehyun didn't know exactly what insight he'd gained, but if he organized it well, he could break through to 6th Circle. Even if not, he could at least tear down much of the massive wall standing in his way.
"Th-then... does that mean Kim Jehyun the mage really cleared the dungeon break all by himself...?"
"The minions of the Oma Wizard were handled with help from other clans, so it wasn't solely Kim Jehyun. But I can confidently say that without him, even if all the other clan members had combined their strength, this operation would have been difficult to succeed."
"...!"
The crowd stared at Jehyun in shock, their faces showing surprise, disbelief, and a mix of other emotions.
Jehyun had shown overwhelming prowess inside the Magic Tower, but it hadn't been publicized to the general public. It had been an internal Magic Tower event, after all. They'd only heard rumors of a mage with incredible talent appearing. There were no detailed reports on Jehyun. So, people couldn't believe it rashly.
"What he says... is all true."
At that moment, Seo Cheol-hee of the Isu Clan, who had approached nearby, spoke up. He added his testimony: that Jehyun had created a massive sword of fire and slain both bosses in a single strike.
Now that even Seo Cheol-hee—a promising star of the Holy Clan—had vouched for it, most had no choice but to believe.
"N-no way..."
"Whoa... that's insane. A 4th Circle taking down two mutated boss mutants solo?!"
"They called him a once-in-a-generation genius, and it looks like it's real?"
The way people looked at Jehyun changed in an instant. Rumors about him began to spread like wildfire.
* * *
"Excellent."
Tower Master Choi Hanseom looked at Jehyun and spoke.
Jehyun had demonstrated capabilities beyond what he had expected.
"Heh heh, I never imagined there'd be another mutant... You did far better than I hoped."
Choi Hanseom smiled warmly. He had summoned Jehyun to the Tower Master's office immediately upon his return, astonished by his achievements.
'Overwhelming two A-rank mutants. I might not have anything left to teach him.'
The Tower Master felt the need to revise his evaluation of Jehyun upward. He already seemed able to wield his power near its limits on his own. Previously, he'd seen him as having potential at least equal to his own—but that seemed wrong now. He strongly felt that in time, Jehyun would surpass him at minimum.
"And thanks to you, Jiseok gained enlightenment."
"That's thanks to Senior Song Jiseok's diligent cultivation all this time."
"Heh heh, no need to be so humble. Thanks to you, he shed the worries he'd carried for so long—something even I couldn't do. Truly impressive."
Song Jiseok wasn't present because he had immediately entered secluded training to organize his enlightenment upon returning. His chances of breaking through the 6th Circle wall were now extremely high. He owed Jehyun an enormous debt—saving his life and providing the spark for enlightenment. Given his personality, Song Jiseok would surely try to repay it fully.
'Jiseok had been shaky lately. This is great. I paired him with you for stimulation, but I never dreamed he'd gain enlightenment.'
Choi Hanseom smiled with genuine pleasure once more. Then he extended a hand to Jehyun.
"A gift for you in advance."
"This is..."
Jehyun's eyes widened at the item Choi Hanseom offered: a silver pigeon seal. It was a temporary version of the golden pigeon seal. It didn't grant the same authority within the Magic Tower, but it allowed free access anywhere in the tower.
Now, once Jehyun passed the realm limit, he could head straight to claim the dragon legacy before even taking the Ascension Tower exam.
"The temporary seal is valid for three months. But I'll renew it every three months, so you can consider it indefinite. Bear with the inconvenience for now. Once you finish the remaining tasks, I'll give you the official one right away."
"Thank you for your consideration."
Jehyun accepted the temporary seal without hesitation.
"Now... back to the main topic."
The Tower Master's eyes sharpened.
"You've felt it too, but this incident was terribly contrived. I believe the culprits behind it are the same faction that caused that unsavory incident in the Magic Tower recently."
The hidden faction. The Tower Master explained about them. Jehyun listened quietly. They talked for quite a while.
* * *
—The Tower Master already knew about the hidden faction, huh.
"Yeah."
Back in his quarters, Jehyun nodded. The Tower Master had long been aware of the hidden faction. That's why he had been able to purge them from the Magic Tower so quickly last time—he'd already grasped them to some extent beforehand.
—In the end, he borrowed your hand for this too.
"Right."
Choi Hanseom had sensed the hidden faction's influence in the Haejeongsan incident as well. That's why he'd observed from behind to see how they'd react while Song Jiseok and Jehyun resolved it.
[Thanks to you, we caught their tail. I'll ask for your help again soon, so prepare.]
Thanks to Jehyun's more dramatic performance than expected, the hidden faction had been greatly rattled, allowing them to grab their tail again. Choi Hanseom said he'd contact him again regarding it.
"I'm curious about those guys' true identity too."
Jehyun gladly accepted Choi Hanseom's request. Uncovering their identity was one of his tasks. They were surely connected to the purple sphere that had devoured Grandrsha, Arkanios's world.
"Anyway, more importantly, I'm glad we achieved our goal this time."
Jehyun pulled out the Magic Bead of Oma he'd obtained from the Oma Wizard from his inventory. It was the necklace-type bead the wizard had worn around his neck. Even while slicing him with the sword of fire, Jehyun had controlled his mana to avoid damaging the bead. If others knew, they'd be floored. It required absurdly high mana control.
—Inheriting the dragon's power as the master of mana, you'd be pathetic if you couldn't manage this much.
Jehyun nodded once at Alkasha's words. Then, he used mana to sever the cap on the central gem of the Magic Bead of Oma. A fist-sized stone emitting white light rolled out from within.
"This is the Light Stone."
Jehyun picked it up as he spoke. Immense light energy emanated from it. He placed the Light Stone in the prepared vessel.
What followed was the method future Buthalik had discovered for ingesting the Light Stone.
"Install the magic circle here."
Jehyun drew five magic circles around the vessel. The light magic they emitted would last 24 hours.
Fwaaah.
At Jehyun's will, light burst from the magic circles. It traced a pentagram, intersecting over the Light Stone in the center.
—Oh ho. So there's a method like this.
Alkasha, instantly grasping the principle, let out an exclamation.
"Pretty amazing, right? I have no idea how he figured this out."
—I'm growing more and more curious about that Buthalik fellow. When you get the chance, arrange a meeting with him.
"Hmm. Might not be easy to meet. Alright, I'll look into it when I have time."
Jehyun replied to Alkasha. Her unusual interest piqued his curiosity as well.
"Anyway, see you tomorrow."
After double-checking the magic circle, Jehyun grinned.
And the next day.
"It's done."
The once-hard Light Stone had softened to a squishy texture. Gripping it from the vessel felt just like clutching jelly. Jehyun carefully took it out and took a bite.
"Oh."
A peach-like aroma spread in his mouth. The perfect sweetness was irresistibly pleasant. It melted smoothly on his tongue and slid down his throat. Jehyun devoured the entire Light Stone in his hand.
Slurp.
He even licked his fingers clean—for the first time since eating ribs as a kid. It was that delicious.
—Whoa, that looks really tasty.
Alkasha was overwhelmed by Jehyun's intense focus as he ate.
"Whoa, it's insanely good. I wanna eat it again?"
Jehyun's eyes sparkled with excitement.
—I-is that so. Anyway, shouldn't you digest the absorbed light energy first?
"Yeah... you're right."
Jehyun glanced regretfully at the empty vessel once more, then sat cross-legged in the center of the room.
Ruuuumble.
The effect of absorbing the Light Stone was outstanding. Light energy began overflowing from within Jehyun's body. He immediately activated the high elf's spirit arts. The massive light energy swirling around him surged toward his dantian.
Flaaaash!
Jehyun's body was enveloped in radiance, and his vision inverted.
* * *
'This place...'
It was a purely white space all around. A familiar place—he'd visited once before. Ahead, an enormously bright white light surged just as last time. Jehyun's steps led him there, where he faced the massive white light mass.
—You... you're that hatchling from before.
A heavy voice echoed in Jehyun's ears. Immense presence pressed against his skin.
The effect of Bright Mirror Still Water is active.
Mental strength is fortified.
The effect of Bright Mirror Still Water activated, preventing the crushing mental pressure from last time. And in that moment, Jehyun glimpsed a figure within the white light mass.