Chapter 80: The Approaching Ones (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 80: The Approaching Ones (3)
“…Alright. If this is what Student Do-jin wants, then I can certainly do this much.”
Professor Baek Hyeon-a, who seemed momentarily flustered, quickly accepted my proposal with a smile.
However, it was clear she wasn't truly happy about it.
I could tell from the thick vein throbbing at her temple, something even her heavy makeup couldn't hide.
“As a woman, this is a little damaging to my pride… but that makes me like you even more.”
She gave me a lingering look, then pushed herself up from my lap.
“Can you tell what kind of magic is on that bracelet?”
“Probably.”
I channeled a bit of mana into the bracelet, tracing the pattern of the faintly inscribed magic circle.
A basic Shield magic, made of twelve strokes.
Some spells can be modified by adding or removing strokes from the magic circle.
Shield, one of the basic spells, is a prime example of this.
By adding strokes, you increase its mana consumption in exchange for greater durability.
This magic circle also contained such a modified Shield spell.
A modified Shield, elevated to the elementary level by engraving the twelve strokes twice, one over the other.
“It has an elementary-level Shield spell embedded in it.”
“I knew it…”
As if she knew I’d figure it out, she nodded, smiling in satisfaction.
“To add to that, the embedded Shield spell can be used up to three times. The cooldown for each use is one minute, and once all charges are spent, it enters a 48-hour recharge period.”
Her final explanation surprised me slightly.
“It’s a rechargeable type?”
“Hehe, that’s right.”
Artifacts with inscribed magic are divided into two types: replaceable and rechargeable.
The replaceable type involves inserting a mana stone into the equipment and replacing it when its energy is depleted.
The rechargeable type, on the other hand, automatically absorbs ambient mana to recharge itself after its internal mana has been fully used.
It goes without saying which one is more expensive.
The convenience and efficiency of not having to replace pricey mana stones each time are immense.
Well, that’s not to say the replaceable type is worse than the rechargeable one.
They’re cheaper, making them less of a burden for poor rookie Hunters.
Anyway.
I’ve caught a bigger fish than I expected.
It wasn’t like I knew its exact value when I acted.
I only did it to tease her.
A rechargeable bracelet with an elementary Shield spell… It must be worth around four to five million won.
While I was gloating internally, she held something out to me.
It was her business card.
“The number on there… you can save it, right?”
A signal that she didn't want the connection we'd just made to end here.
I smiled and took her card.
“Of course.”
I had no intention of ending it, either.
* * *
The end of a long stretch of paperwork.
Yoon Ji-an stretched her arms out wide.
“Uungh…!”
She looked at the documents on her desk and gave a faint smile.
The papers that had given her so much trouble over the past few days. They were all about Kim Do-jin.
“He should be satisfied with this…”
What she had been working on so diligently was none other than a compensation proposal.
A compensation plan for the one who had faced—and resolved—a major incident.
The second semester's Special Admission Ceremony.
A huge incident had occurred there.
A villain attack.
Honestly, an attack in itself wasn't something to make a fuss about.
To be precise, it was a big deal, but such incidents had become so commonplace that everyone had grown somewhat numb to them.
This time, however, was a little different.
‘The scale of the attack was unusual.’
Nearly fifty people attacked from the outside alone.
And there was even a high-level mage inside the auditorium where the ceremony was being held.
Was that all?
Who knows how long they'd been planning it, but they had even installed a Teleportation magic circle under the auditorium floor.
‘It was a close call.’
What would have happened if that magic circle had been successfully activated?
If it had, everyone there would have surely met a terrible fate.
It would have been recorded as an infamous incident in the history of Korea University.
No, it would have been more than that. It might have even led to the downfall of Korea University, an institution that had produced countless high-ranking Hunters.
The one who stopped it was Kim Do-jin.
Of course, he had help from others like Professor Im Cheol-woong, but the one who first discovered the Teleportation magic circle was none other than him.
‘How on earth did he find it?’
It was so cleverly hidden that even the professors couldn't detect it.
She was curious, but it was an unanswerable question.
It would be impossible to find out unless he told her himself.
‘And on top of that, the way he looked...’
She recalled what Kim Do-jin looked like when she saw him after so long.
The shock from that moment was still vivid in her mind.
It was that shocking.
Perhaps even more so because she knew what Kim Do-jin used to look like.
Countless incidents had occurred in the world, and compensation for them was handled by the Hunter Association.
Because of this, there was an established manual, and determining the level of compensation wasn't usually difficult. But she didn't follow the manual.
Only in Kim Do-jin's case.
She highlighted his already outstanding contributions even more.
She repeatedly emphasized the worst-case scenarios that would have occurred if he hadn't discovered the Teleportation magic circle or opened the door sealed by magic.
The reason was simple.
To max out his compensation!
‘I'll just submit the report and head home.’
For that single purpose, she had spent the last few days arriving earlier and leaving later than anyone else.
Now that the work was finally done, she was excited at the thought of getting it approved and leaving early for once to relax. Her steps were light as she knocked on the door of the General Affairs Department.
Strictly speaking, this matter should have been handled by the General Affairs Department, not her, a member of the Inspection Department.
But because Kim Do-jin was involved, she had ended up taking it on.
She went straight to the department head's desk, gave a brief greeting, and handed him the binder containing the documents.
“This is the compensation proposal for the recent incident. Please review and approve it.”
The head of the General Affairs Department, a man in his forties named Kim Seong-tae, instinctively frowned at the word "compensation."
Then he suddenly realized the person who handed him the documents wasn't from his department.
He remembered her because of her memorable face.
‘Yoon Ji-an from the Inspection Department, was it...’
Someone from the Inspection Department is here for a compensation approval.
He quickly recalled a recent incident.
“Ah, is this the compensation proposal for the… attack during the Special Admission Ceremony?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
A small smile formed on Kim Seong-tae's lips.
Perfect timing. He had something to tell her anyway.
“Hmm.”
He scanned the proposal meticulously.
The compensation was within the normal range, according to the manual.
But one thing caught his eye: the compensation for Kim Do-jin.
“This… compensation for Mr. Kim Do-jin, isn't it a bit excessive…?”
It was clever. If it had been blatantly excessive, he would have rejected it outright, but it didn't quite cross the line.
“I believe you'll find it perfectly reasonable if you look at the reference materials in the back.”
“Hmm…”
She certainly had a point. The document listed accomplishments that were hard to believe a mere new student had achieved.
After a moment of thought, he readily signed the approval form.
Then, he dropped a bombshell on the gently smiling Yoon Ji-an.
“I had something to tell you anyway. You came at just the right time.”
“Yes? What is it…?”
“It's about Mr. Kim Do-jin, the one your department is currently managing.”
A sense of foreboding flashed through her mind.
“We've decided to take over his management from now on, so the Inspection Department can back off.”
“What? No, what is this all of a sudden…?”
As the flustered woman tried to speak, Kim Seong-tae glared at her with annoyance.
“Managing promising talents is the General Affairs Department's job in the first place.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“We're just saying we're going to do our own job. Is there a problem with that?”
There was… no problem.
As he said, managing promising talents was originally the responsibility of the General Affairs Department.
But she knew. They weren't trying to take him just to follow procedure.
If they wanted him, they should have taken him long ago.
Their motive for trying to snatch him now, after watching from the sidelines all this time, was obvious.
‘They just want to stake their claim.’
Through this incident, Kim Do-jin's stock had risen. No, it hadn't just risen—it had skyrocketed.
To the point where all the promising talents currently managed by the General Affairs Department combined weren't worth as much as him alone.
So now they were telling her to hand him over.
They'd realized he was a great tree destined to grow tall, and they intended to pluck all the fruit it would bear for themselves.
It was despicable and cunning.
But she had no grounds to refuse.
Normally, she would have had to hand him over without a peep.
But for some reason, she didn't want to give him up just like that.
So she pushed back one more time.
“…Is this an order from the higher-ups?”
She prayed it wasn't. If not, she might be able to hold on to him, even if she had to be unreasonable.
“How impudent.”
Kim Seong-tae shot her a glare, his eyes filled with the displeasure he felt.
But it was only for a moment.
“Well, I understand. You've spent time with him, so you must have grown attached. It's a shame to part ways.”
He continued with a magnanimous laugh, as if he were a bigger person.
“But what can you do? It's already been approved by the higher-ups.”
“……!”
“The official notice will probably come down tomorrow, so put everything you have on Mr. Kim Do-jin on my desk.”
His gaze, tinged with mockery, fell upon her.
“Anything else to say?”
“No… sir.”
“Then get out.”
She forced herself to bow her head, then left the General Affairs Department.