Thugs (3)
Come to think of it, the Gangsu Clan surely had dungeons under their control.
Let's use these guys.
That thought flashed through his mind.
If I negotiate to borrow them without destroying the dungeon core...
Even clearing just a few areas without shattering the core would net a massive amount of experience.
And pay them a fair rental fee for it.
He wasn't planning to steal them outright. This was about legitimately leasing the rights.
Recently, that Red-Bearded Wolf Mask from the Gangsu Clan had been buying up C-rank dungeon clearances in bulk, so there was a high chance they still had untouched ones queued up.
"Fine. I accept your proposal. Lead the way."
At Kim Jehyun's words, Nodarae's anxious face broke into a beaming smile. He'd prepared second and third offers in case Jehyun rejected the first. When Jehyun accepted the invitation right away, he nearly teared up with relief.
"Th-then I'll prepare right away."
Nodarae bowed deeply to Jehyun.
* * *
A chilling aura hung over the valley. In the center of a massive underground cavern there, a purple energy seeped out.
"Any progress?"
"Don't even ask. I've been glued to this thing without proper sleep, and it's barely budging."
"Still, it feels a bit more open than before."
"Yeah, more than before. About this much?"
At Jeon Jung-sik's words, Jang Boyoung wiggled her right index fingernail. It meant they'd advanced about as much as a fingernail's width.
"We're short on manpower, huh."
"Yooouu bet. You get it, right? So do something about it! Things have been so chaotic lately I'm about to drop dead. Kim Minsik..."
"It's not Kim Minsik. It's Kim Mansik."
"Right, right. Minsik, Mansik, whatever. Anyway, Kim Mansik wasn't much in a fight, but he was a huge help with this stuff... His absence is killing us. Look at these dark circles. What're you gonna do about it?"
Jang Boyoung grabbed the bags under her eyes with both index fingers and whined.
"Hang in there a bit longer. We're already recruiting to fill not just Kim Mansik's spot but overall manpower."
"For real? This time for real? You promised!"
"Yeah. I'm working on it."
"As expected of our Jung-sik. Big sis loves you tons!"
"......"
Jang Boyoung put on an exaggerated cute face to tease Jeon Jung-sik, but he responded with a blank expression.
"Tch, no fun. Oh! Right. Speaking of which, that Kim... Ji-hyun or whatever."
"Not Kim Ji-hyun. Kim Je-hyun."
"Yeah, yeah. That Kim Je-hyun. How's the plan to take him out going? Mansik shows up crying in my dreams every night, begging for revenge!"
"Hm... The one who killed Kim Mansik... No. It's not confirmed. Anyway, word from the team I assigned is they'll handle it soon. Just wait and see. You're busy, but so am I. Kim Je-hyun isn't urgent, so focus on your tasks for now."
"Phewww. Got it."
* * *
Vroom.
The latest-model limousine glided smoothly over the paved road. Thanks to the newly developed engine, there was zero vibration while driving.
Nice.
Now that money was no object, Jehyun figured he should buy a car for trips outside the Magic Tower.
Mana cars from Tissler, of course.
Tissler dominated the mana car market. In his previous life, they were too pricey to even dream of. But now, he could buy their entire top lineup without batting an eye.
"Um... sorry, but could we make a quick stop at a mana charging station...?"
Nodarae, in the passenger seat, turned around hesitantly and asked.
They don't even charge it properly?
Jehyun nodded without a second thought.
"Th-thank you."
Nodarae's face lit up with relief.
Vroom.
The mana car veered off course toward a nearby charging station in a remote area.
While it charged, Jehyun pulled out his smartphone to organize his schedule.
Hit level 40, advance to stage 5, grab the legacies right away... Then straight to the Ascension Tower exam. After that, if the Tower Master has no other requests... divine gear first. Or scout for dwarves? Gotta swing by the Nature Clan too.
Time flew as he mapped out his plans.
Hm?
Jehyun glanced up, noticing it had been quite a while with no sign of departure, and called out to Nodarae.
"Hey, how much longer?"
"Ah, y-yes. You seemed focused, so... It's almost done now. We'll head out shortly."
Nodarae panicked more than necessary at the question, which struck Jehyun as odd.
"A-alright, departing now."
His stammering and sweating looked downright suspicious.
—Something smells off.
Yeah.
Jehyun caught a whiff of ulterior motives from Nodarae's reaction. But he wasn't too worried. If they were plotting against him, it'd be a foolish challenge to the Magic Tower's authority. Besides, he trusted his current strength. At the cusp of stage 5, it'd take a 7th Circle who'd breached the second wall to handle him.
If they try something stupid... that works for me.
Jehyun smirked inwardly. He almost hoped they had an agenda—it'd give him justification to strip the Gangsu Clan bare.
* * *
The mana car pulled up far from downtown, at a sprawling site packed with buildings. This was the Gangsu Clan's current base.
"This way..."
Following Nodarae's lead, they entered a large building in the corner of the grounds. Even then, something felt off—no one was in sight across the vast area.
"Ah, see that big building in the middle? There's a massive training session there today, so everyone's probably over there."
Jehyun nodded and stepped inside. The interior was an open superhuman training hall. Two men awaited him there.
"You've arrived."
The man in black robes spoke first.
"Good work, Nodarae. Now get lost."
"Y-yes, Master. Then I'll..."
Nodarae nodded at Lee Geolsu's command and scurried out. Now, only three remained in the vast space: Jehyun and the two men.
"Welcome. First time meeting, right?"
The black-robed man, Jang Gwangsu, smiled brightly.
This guy's reeking of rot.
Jehyun used Dragon Eye to read his info.
...!
The man's true identity was a black mage from the Black Snake Clan. And those garbled characters matched the shadowy force rooted in the Magic Tower.
"Haha. Looks like our friend's tense."
The fat pig next to Jang Gwangsu jiggled his cheeks as he spoke.
—What's that pint-sized porker?
Short stature, rolls of fat— to Alkasha, he looked like a pig waddling around.
Pretty sure he called that one the clan leader earlier.
Jehyun scanned him too.
A-rank?
As expected, he was the Gangsu Clan leader. What surprised Jehyun was that this bloated body housed an A-rank ability user. Higher than anticipated.
Jehyun faced Lee Geolsu and spoke.
"I came because you said you'd apologize."
"Ah, right. The apology. Yeah. But you know... I did the math again, and turns out we deserve one. Our boys are in rough shape after you messed them up."
Lee Geolsu grinned sleazily and continued.
"So... for that apology. Pay with your life."
Clunk.
With those words, the building's doors sealed shut.
"Don't bother running. Unless you're a grand archmage, you can't force those open."
Lee Geolsu cackled.
I half-expected this... and damn if it isn't playing out exactly.
Jehyun had anticipated this scenario from Nodarae's fishy behavior. In fact, he'd hoped for it— it handed him perfect justification to crush the Gangsu Clan harder. At his level, he could solo a mid-sized upstart clan like theirs. Lee Geolsu being A-rank was a surprise, but it wouldn't change the outcome.
The variable's that one.
The smirking bastard beside Lee Geolsu. Black Snake Clan. A+ rank suggested he'd partially breached the second wall. Not an easy foe.
"You know I'm from the Magic Tower, right? Wanna make an enemy of it?"
Jehyun circulated his mana as he spoke. No matter how reckless they were, tangling with the Tower would make standing on this land impossible. Even with the Black Snake Clan's rising power, they couldn't match the Tower yet.
"Hahaha. Think we didn't plan for that? Alibis are set."
One thought crossed Jehyun's mind: the mana station detour. They'd dragged their feet suspiciously—must've pulled something there. More thorough than expected.
"Hmm. I see."
Jehyun nodded. The mood screamed unavoidable fight.
"I'll handle educating the brat. Watch from back, Section Chief Jang. Our boys came back pretty banged up, so I gotta avenge them."
Lee Geolsu cracked his knuckles and stepped forward. Seeing the squat, obese pig toddle out almost made Jehyun chuckle.
"Give it your all. That way, you won't regret it on the way to the afterlife. Heh."
"Gutsy... but save the trash talk for when you can back it up."
Jehyun surged his aura.
Fwoosh!
Golden light erupted from his body like an explosion.
"...!"
Lee Geolsu's eyes widened at the overwhelming power—far beyond expectations.
"Wha... You're only 4th Circle!"
Lee Geolsu knew little about Jehyun, dismissing rumors as exaggeration. Now he realized they were true.
"Raaah!"
Lee Geolsu charged with a roar, desperate not to be crushed without a fight.
Dragon Fear.
Jehyun unleashed it on the incoming foe.
Thud.
The air in the room grew heavy instantly. Lee Geolsu's charge slowed, then halted. He even started backpedaling.
"Urgh..."
A-rank kept him from total collapse, but he was faltering.
"What... the hell..."
Jehyun dashed forward, cast Strength, and smashed a fist into Lee Geolsu's face.
Bam!
His face caved as he flew back.
"Kuek."
Broken teeth and blood sprayed midair. Jehyun followed with stacked Air Bolts, slamming them down.
Boom!
Lee Geolsu crumpled into the corner amid the crash, limp. His Iron Cannon Triple ability meant he wasn't dead.
—Pathetic worm.
Alkasha commented after watching.
Lee Geolsu hadn't utilized even a fraction of his power—that was key to his crushing defeat.
Clap, clap, clap.
"Wow. Impressive."
Jang Gwangsu applauded, genuine surprise on his face.
"Truly amazing. I'm honestly shocked. Now I get why they want you—a kid like you—taken out."
Jehyun's eyes flashed at Jang Gwangsu's slip. It revealed their backers' true aim. Not just Gangsu Clan beef—someone was pulling strings.
—The shadowy Magic Tower faction, huh.
Jehyun nodded. With this guy from their ranks, it confirmed retaliation had begun. Another reason to grow faster. If their reach extended to him now, his current power might not suffice.
First, this one.
Jehyun's eyes blazed gold. Mana horns sprouted from his head.
"Whoa! What's this? That wasn't even your full power? Fun. This is really fun. Hahaha!"
Jang Gwangsu laughed maniacally, unfazed. He saw Jehyun as caught prey.
Cocky now's my chance.
Jehyun amped his mana, unleashing spells.
Fire Burst.
A maxed-out 4th Circle fire spell. Double-casting chained dozens in seconds.
Jang Gwangsu's pupils quivered at the spectacle.
"What..."
Before he could finish, the fireballs rained like meteors.
"Insane!"
Even past the second wall, eating that barrage would leave no corpse. Each packed mana far beyond standard 4th Circle.
Kaboom!
Golden flames engulfed his vision. Explosions birthed a shockwave that shook the building's multi-layered defenses.