The Sixth Legacy

A flash of white light surged before Kim Jehyun's eyes, and he stepped once more into the Dragon God Temple.

'Enter the Training Room.'

This was already his third visit. Now quite familiar with the Dragon God Temple, Jehyun headed straight for the Training Room.

"Still the same."

He'd heard that the Training ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Room's structure changed to match the user's abilities. Even after raising his level by seven and growing much stronger, it seemed he hadn't yet reached the threshold for the next stage.

The terrain was identical to before, and a similar horde of monsters appeared.

Jehyun summoned Gui once again, fully unleashing his mana as he engaged the monsters.

Unfortunately, the fire wyvern didn't show up this time. It must have been a one-time special bonus last visit.

'Would've been nice if it appeared again.'

Jehyun resolved to capture a wyvern if the chance arose. Its performance had left a deep impression on him.

'Back then, without the wyvern, it might've been a bit overwhelming...'

Now, he could clear it relying solely on his own power.

A grin tugged at Jehyun's lips as he faced the onslaught of monsters.

"Gui, summon."

Whoosh! Amid a burst of light, Gui appeared before him, slightly larger than before. Jehyun hopped onto its carapace.

He then summoned all his spirits at once: up to three Kasas now possible, the mid-tier fire soldier Vulcan, the low-tier light soldier Wisp, the low-tier thunder soldier Electron, and the mid-tier thunder soldier Thunder Bird.

Thanks to Dragon Blood, Jehyun's mana was denser, allowing him to handle all these spirits effortlessly.

"Alright, let's go."

With those words, the battle between Jehyun and the Training Room's monsters began.

* * *

In a dark room, Lee Hyunwoo stood with a hardened expression, while Kim Daeil bowed his head before him.

Kim Daeil reported on the incident, his face full of shame.

"......What did you say?"

Lee Hyunwoo thought he'd misheard.

"D-Deputy Chief Kim Sanghwi was defeated......"

Bam! Unable to contain his rage at Kim Daeil's words, Lee Hyunwoo slammed his fist on the desk. Still fuming, he growled at Kim Daeil with a fearsome glare.

"So. Kim Sanghwi's dead?"

"......Yes."

"Hah, you said a video was uploaded? Bring it here."

Lee Hyunwoo pinched the bridge of his nose wearily as he watched the video Kim Daeil played.

"......"

Lee Hyunwoo was speechless watching Jehyun dispatch the boss and Kim Sanghwi. He'd assumed they'd screwed up some simple task, but...

'This... is beyond specs.'

The power Jehyun wielded was no 5th Circle mage's. As a fresh 7th Circle himself, he could tell. The spells Jehyun cast exceeded 6th Circle destructive force.

'And a light spirit, no less.'

A hollow laugh escaped him in disbelief.

'So that's why the VIP ordered us to take him out.'

Now it made sense. The VIP, a top figure in a group wielding immense power, wouldn't bother with a mere 5th Circle mage unless he was some unimaginable threat.

"Um... there's one more thing to report......"

Kim Daeil cautiously spoke up as Lee Hyunwoo pondered.

"What? Is there more?"

Lee Hyunwoo's tone was deflated. Kim Sanghwi's failure wasn't due to incompetence—he now realized that. It was his own misjudgment of Kim Jehyun. No, as the planner, the fault was mostly his. In times like these, a superior should show magnanimity and cover for his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠subordinates...

"Well, Kim Jehyun demanded our clan's dissolution as compensation for violating regulations......"

"What? Fuck. This bastard's getting cocky. What kind of bullshit is that!"

Lee Hyunwoo's suppressed anger exploded anew. Magnanimity be damned—this was entirely their fault for botching the job.

"Who went with Kim Sanghwi? Get that bastard here!"

That day, Lee Hyunwoo summoned Yoon Jiyong, Kim Sanghwi's backup, and pinned all the blame on him. As a result, Yoon Jiyong was expelled from Black Snake Clan with his mana circles shattered.

Black Snake Clan issued an official statement claiming the fiasco stemmed solely from Kim Sanghwi and Yoon Jiyong conspiring out of guilt over burdening a superhuman's spirit. Most people didn't buy it, but the clan brazenly stuck to their story.

When public opinion soured further, they admitted "profound regret for failing to manage our members" and surrendered all territorial rights disputed with the Magic Tower, withdrawing entirely. The scale of concessions dealt a massive blow to Black Snake Clan, shocking everyone.

Thanks to Jehyun, the Magic Tower reaped unexpected gains.

"We have to clean this up before the Clan Lord emerges from seclusion."

Lee Hyunwoo ground his teeth with a demonic scowl. He acknowledged his shortcomings. Both he and the Clan Lord had focused solely on magical attainment, neglecting such matters. His poor relations with the advisory staff meant he hadn't borrowed their wisdom—a painful mistake.

"......Contact the advisors."

To catch the dragon whelp Kim Jehyun, Lee Hyunwoo swallowed his pride.

* * *

Flash.

Light particles gathered, and Jehyun returned to reality.

Alkasha, waiting for him, lit up at the sight.

―You succeeded!

"Yeah."

Jehyun nodded at Alkasha's words.

Level 50. He'd broken through it.

―Hah, impressive! I worried you might stall at 50, but it was needless concern.

Level 50 wasn't as monumental a wall ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as the jump to 7th stage at 60, but it was still a thick barrier. Raw experience alone wouldn't suffice.

Yet Jehyun had smashed right through as if it were nothing.

―Don't tell me you'll free-pass the 7th stage wall too......

Alkasha delivered solemn advice, utterly convinced this time.

―Your achievements are unprecedented! But beware arrogance. The 7th stage wall won't fall easily, not even for you. Always guard against overconfidence.

"Of course. And thanks. With Alkasha's blessing today, I feel extra solid."

―What nonsense? When did this body ever bless......

Alkasha trailed off mid-retort, realizing Jehyun was teasing, and shuddered in irritation.

―Grr. This isn't a blessing! The 7th stage is no wall you can underestimate.

"Haha, sure, sure."

Teasing Alkasha helped Jehyun unwind from the grueling battle. Alkasha was a true lifesaver.

'Status window.'

'Level 52.'

Jehyun smiled proudly at his level. The Dragon God Temple's effects were outstanding—not just breaking 50, but gaining two more levels besides.

'Pure mana stat over 100 too.'

The moment his pure mana hit 100, his mana core surged, expanding further. Adding the bonuses, his total mana reached a whopping 201. This vast reserve let him go all-out for extended periods. In sheer mana alone, he now surpassed fresh 7th Circle mages.

'Spirit levels up across the board, dragon authority proficiencies risen sharply.'

Soon, he'd claim each dragon legacy authority one by one. He sensed light spirits would soon allow mid-tier summons. Gui had grown larger too, signaling his progress. Soul Collect leveling would grant another soul.

'Should ask for another golem core in advance.'

He was already gathering materials for it. Jehyun's growth wasn't linear but exponential—the curve steepened over time. He couldn't predict how much faster he'd grow.

'At this point, even facing that guy again, I could take a limb at least.'

Not even having claimed the sixth legacy yet, Jehyun felt confident he wouldn't be helplessly overpowered like before. A bit more growth, and he might confront the masked man head-on before breaking 7th stage.

"Alright. Time for the sixth legacy."

Jehyun's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he eyed the entrance to the 6th floor.

* * *

The 6th floor's vibe differed starkly from the 5th. While the 5th bustled like a thriving marketplace, the 6th felt serene and luxurious, like an enclave for elite residents.

'Makes sense given the scarcity of 6th Circle mages.'

Even 5th Circle mages were high-rank, far fewer than 4th. 6th ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Circle was rarer still. Just consider Song Jiseok, a touted genius who'd struggled at the 5th Circle wall for years—reaching 6th was grueling.

―Of course, someone with your absurd talent probably can't fathom that agony.

Jehyun shrugged at Alkasha's words.

'Hey, I despaired endlessly at the 2nd Circle wall too.'

―2nd... 2nd Circle and 6th... Ugh.

Alkasha started to retort but fell silent. It had been Jehyun's sore spot pre-regression—no need to dredge it up.

"So, what's the sixth legacy?"

Jehyun asked curiously.

―The sixth legacy is... Dragon Bone.

'Dragon Bone!'

Jehyun's eyes lit up.

―With this, your physical foundation will near completion. The authority it spawns will aid you greatly.

'What's that?'

As Jehyun pressed eagerly, Alkasha replied with what felt like a smirk.

―Dragon Bone Soldier. You'll gain that shuddering legion.