Chapter 6
The Magic Control Bureau office. The building had plenty of offices, but since Shin Chae-ah—the girl who was going to be my friend—was stationed on the third floor, I decided to stick around here too. Hunters like her were mostly out in the field, so she didn't have a ton of desk work, but she still had to hold down the fort sometimes, which meant spending long hours here. The Department Head had lugged her laptop over and was working away too. Apparently, her own office was upstairs, but she felt like hanging out here today.
I plopped down in a chair at a desk in the corner of the office, humming a little tune—hmm-hmm. Every time I glanced around, my eyes met those of the hunters, who quickly looked away. I pouted my lips.
"Book."
[What's up?]
"People keep avoiding my gaze."
I pondered for a moment.
"If I'd sung my hum a bit better, maybe they wouldn't?"
[I don't think that's got anything to do with it.]
"Why not?"
Book, who had been lying on the desk, propped itself up.
[Not joking here—I'll answer seriously. You could always practice proper singing to draw some attention. Your voice is actually really good.]
"Even when I just wing it, it sounds pretty decent."
Right then, Shin Chae-ah, who'd been fidgeting anxiously at her seat, approached me.
"Um... Lee Seo-ah?"
"Yep."
"If it's okay... how long are you planning to stay in the office?"
I blinked at her.
"Hmm, not sure?"
"Ah... haha, okay."
"What's up?"
"Oh, nothing. Just curious... ahaha."
"Aha, gotcha. Makes sense."
I thought for a second. She came all the way over to talk to me—I didn't want the conversation to fizzle out like this.
"I'm happy you're curious about me, Shin Chae-ah. Truth is, I came here hoping to scout a bunch of candidates for my friends list."
"S-scout?"
Shin Chae-ah looked flustered.
"Yeah. Plus, there are folks here I already kinda know. Easier to befriend someone whose face rings a bell than a total stranger, right?"
"Ah, ah... haha. Yeah."
"You laugh a lot."
"Eek! Hic... Y-yes. Th-thank you."
I tilted my head, then threw both hands up quick.
"Waaang!"
"Eek!"
Shin Chae-ah let out a little yelp in surprise. Every eye in the office turned our way.
"Want me to do it for you?"
"...Uh, what? Yes?"
"Waaang—want me to?"
I mimed pulling her into a hug.
"You smiled in front of me, so I gotta return the favor. You seem like a nice person anyway."
I nodded to myself. Shin Chae-ah stared at me silently for a bit, then murmured softly.
"Oh, uh. N-no, it's fine..."
"Ah, sure. Fair enough. Anyway, you're my first friend candidate, so no worries there."
"Ah... haha, ha... Yep."
Business was business, it seemed—she started firing off questions like she had a mountain of research to do on me.
"Do you remember anything from your childhood?"
"It's been so long, most of it's fuzzy. As you know, I'm over ten thousand years old."
"Could you explain your abilities in a bit more detail?"
"Say waaang!, and yummy stuff goes straight into my mouth."
"...If you get injured, how do you heal?"
"I never get injured."
"......"
Shin Chae-ah made a blank face, then jotted down summaries of my answers on a sheet of white paper that looked like a form. After staring at it for a while, her gaze shifted to Book, lying quietly on the desk.
"This book... so, it's a living magic tome?"
"Hmm, more precisely, a magic tome with a soul inside. Ancient book, magic tome, soul—all of the above, depending on how you slice it."
Book sat upright on the desk, eyeing me and Shin Chae-ah in turn. When we both stared back silently, it gave her a little bow—its cover folding over at a 90-degree angle. Shin Chae-ah looked stunned, then propped her chin on her hand and stared at the paper again, clearly stumped on how to log that.
"Hmm......"
I answered everything earnestly, but most of it probably went over her head. After all, most of what made me me came from the Demon Realm—the result of endless research and accumulated achievements over millennia. No way someone who'd lived their whole life on Earth could wrap their head around it easily.
After that came more questions proving just how strong I was: My mana matched Earth's in texture; the previous measurement only detected a tiny leak because I held most of it back; and so on.
I wasn't trying to brag—after all, I just wanted to connect with people—but I couldn't help feeling a little pleased every time Shin Chae-ah or the nearby hunters reacted with awe and wonder.
The questions dragged on, and she wrote down answers that didn't differ much from what I'd said. Even after Shin Chae-ah returned to her seat, the office vibe stayed the same. I stayed slumped in my chair, flipping through Book's pages while mulling over one step in making Shin Chae-ah—my prospective Friend #1—a weapon.
The orthodox method was to follow the production steps using Book's Armory Grimoire ability. The base was my vast mana, mixed with a dash of Earth's mana and materials.
To craft a weapon with the mana I had on hand—and make it visible and comprehensible to human eyes—I'd have to pare down the recipe drastically.
I inscribed a formula on Book's page with mana. I was thinking of a sword that devoured whatever existed around it however it pleased. Since Shin Chae-ah had to see it first, I modeled the appearance after her swordswoman class: a sword.
The exact specs and fine details were already set. Recalling the monster mana I'd absorbed before, I was a bit short on quantity and other materials right now. Wonder where I could snag some.
I glanced around briefly, then slipped out of the office. Strolling the hallway, I took my time admiring the surroundings more leisurely than before. That's when I sensed someone tailing me stealthily from behind.
I headed to a dead end, then whipped around and charged—thud thud thud.
Two hunters, realizing they'd been made, tried to bolt pretending they hadn't seen me. I cut them off and stood in their path. I gave a polite bow, and they forced awkward smiles as they shuffled past.
"Uweng. If you're gonna follow, at least stick it out to the end."
[Exactly.]
I wandered the third floor like that, then took the elevator down. I blinked.
Something had entered the Magic Control Bureau.
Right then, the lights flickered—then snap, total blackout. The surroundings erupted in chaos.
"Stay calm! Emergency lights and countermeasures!"
Cocking of weapons echoed everywhere. Soon, dim emergency lights started flickering on one by one. Shutters dropped over windows, reinforced locks engaged in key spots. Quick response.
But catching the two intruders who'd breached this place? That was another story.
I blinked. I read the two presences. Humans infused with mana. Body enhancement and mutation. Stealth. Mana injection and mental manipulation, and more abilities visible.
I blinked. Time to greet them.
Down to the second floor. I walked the flickering hallway under the emergency lights, casually scanning around. I arrived at a small office. Two human-shaped silhouettes stood out clearly. They were stealthed.
I gave a light greeting.
"Hello."
A beat of silence, then their stealth unraveled, revealing them slowly. Two men wrapped head to toe in black robes, wearing crocodile and leopard masks.
"What the fuck. Did my stealth weaken?"
"Who the hell's this kid...?"
Their masked gazes turned to me.
"Found you right away."
"Kya, jackpot."
I tilted my head.
[Their intentions are obvious.]
I just stared at them wordlessly, and they huddled whispering, pulling out what looked like a photo from their robes. They compared it to me, then lit up with glee.
"Yeah, that's her. Perfect match. Whoa, the prey walks right to us. God's on our side."
"Monsters talking? It's real. Rare Demon Race. Boss knows how to pick materials."
"Hey, missy. No hard feelings. We just need your demon horns. That's how it is. It'll hurt a bit—don't hate us too much."
I blinked. The crocodile mask pulled out a skull from his robes. The skull's eyes glowed purple.
I stared quietly at the skull. Its glow snuffed out. The skull retched grotesquely. Jagged teeth clattered. It emitted a horrific mechanical screech.
"Save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me."
"Huh?"
The two men faltered in panic. I pierced them with my gaze.
"Waaah. Perfect timing—I was getting bored."
I grinned ear to ear.