Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Prove Safety -1
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"Mana Alert Level 7?"
Association President Seo Won drummed his fingers on the conference table.
His subordinates sat before him, faces tense.
"Explain. What happened?"
"Well... President."
One employee operated a tablet.
A hologram displayed that day's data.
"Today, mana levels spiked suddenly."
"How much?"
"It exceeded our measurement limits."
Seo Won's expression hardened.
"Measurement limits?"
"Yes. Our equipment couldn't capture the exact value. However..."
The employee swallowed hard.
"Roughly Mana Alert Level 7. Possibly even higher."
The conference room fell silent.
Mana Alert Level 7.
A level even all of humanity's Awakeners would struggle to handle.
A disaster on the scale of mankind itself.
"Damage report?"
"Well... none."
"What?"
"No damage at all. The mana persisted for about 20 seconds before vanishing abruptly."
Seo Won frowned.
"20 seconds?"
"Yes. Exactly 20 seconds."
"Strange."
Seo Won rose from his seat and gazed out the window.
"A Level 7 mana burst exploding for 20 seconds with no damage? Does that make any sense?"
"We don't understand it either, but there were no casualties."
"Another inscrutable bastard just showed up."
At that moment, one employee cautiously raised a hand.
"President."
"What?"
"Our department found something unusual while investigating the site."
"Unusual?"
The employee operated the tablet. A new screen appeared.
"The site of the mana explosion was the Awakener certification exam venue."
"Exam venue?"
"Yes. There was an exam that day with about 2,000 examinees."
Seo Won frowned.
"2,000 people there, and no damage?"
"Yes. And..."
The employee played a video.
The quality was abysmal. Mana interference had made it nearly unrecognizable.
"Do you see this?"
A blurry silhouette appeared in the hazy footage.
And beside it.
"A dragon?"
A massive form. Wings. Scales.
"Yes. According to witnesses, someone was commanding a dragon."
Seo Won leaned forward.
"Commanding a dragon?"
"Yes. It appears to be a Summoned Beast. But..."
The employee pulled up other data.
"No dragon of that type is registered."
"Unregistered?"
"That's right. And..."
The employee drew in a breath.
"We suspect this Level 7 mana originated from that dragon."
Silence flowed through the room.
Seo Won stared at the blurry dragon silhouette in the video.
"A dragon Summoned Beast..."
"Yes. And the summoner."
"Who?"
The employee handed over a document.
"The exam venue's examinee list."
Seo Won took the document.
And froze.
His face grew icy.
"This certain?"
"Yes. We cross-checked witness testimonies with entry logs."
The name on the document.
Seo Gi-hyeon.
"President. Do you know him?"
The employee asked cautiously. Seo Won didn't respond.
He simply stared down at the document.
Seo Gi-hyeon.
His own youngest son.
The one deemed useless in the family for lacking ability or talent.
"That kid?"
Seo Won's voice dropped low.
"President?"
"Enough. Everyone out."
"But..."
"Didn't I say out?"
The employees hurried out of the conference room.
Left alone in the silence, Seo Won scattered the flung documents across the table.
"Seo Gi-hyeon."
Dragon Summoned Beast.
A Level 7 disaster-grade monster.
That kid who had no abilities at all?
"Were you hiding it, or..."
Seo Won's hand clenched into a fist.
The son discarded by the family as worthless.
The son even he, the Association President, had ignored.
To think that kid possessed such power.
Seo Won pressed the intercom.
"Chief Secretary."
"Yes, President."
"Summon Seo Gi-hyeon here immediately."
"Seo Gi-hyeon-ssi?"
"Yes, right now."
"Understood."
The call ended.
Seo Won gazed out the window.
His eyes had cooled to ice.
"Let's see about this, Gi-hyeon. What you've been hiding."
About an hour later.
Seo Won still sat, staring out the window.
Waiting for his youngest son, Seo Gi-hyeon.
That was when it happened.
"...What?"
Something appeared in the distant sky.
It was growing larger.
Wings.
Scales.
A massive form.
"A dragon!"
Seo Won shot to his feet.
The dragon was flying straight toward the Association building.
No, this aura...
Chills ran over his entire body.
Mana. Immense mana.
The air grew heavy. Breathing became difficult.
Seo Won was Korea's top Awakener.
S-Rank Awakener.
A veteran who had traversed countless battlefields.
Even he.
"Gulp."
Swallowed unconsciously. It was a being on another plane entirely.
The dragon drew closer. Its enormous wings blotted out the sky. Shadow engulfed the Association building.
"Alert! Alert!"
Sirens blared inside the Association.
Employees screamed and ran about.
"It's a dragon!"
"Evacuate! Evacuate!"
But Seo Won didn't move.
He glared at the dragon beyond the window. A familiar face was visible on its back.
"Gi-hyeon."
The one riding the dragon. It was unmistakably his youngest son, Seo Gi-hyeon.
That was when it happened.
The dragon hurled something it held in its grasp.
"What?"
Men in black suits. Association employees.
The ones sent earlier to fetch Gi-hyeon.
They were battered all over, unconscious.
Boom!!
The massive floor-to-ceiling window shattered to pieces.
Glass shards flew everywhere.
"This mad...!"
Seo Won shielded his face with his arm.
The dragon charged through the broken window. Just before its massive body collided with the building, it spun in midair.
And then.
"Urk!!"
Light erupted.
The dragon's form began to shrink.
Wings vanished, scales replaced by skin. The huge body transformed into that of a somewhat petite girl.
In an instant, it became human form.
Thud!
Elisian Dragonia landed on one knee.
Gi-hyeon lightly stepped down beside her.
"Long time no see, Father."
Seo Won stood in the center of the debris-strewn conference room.
His suit was dirtied for the first time in ages, an unsightly sight.
"Gi-hyeon."
"You called for me."
Elisian stood beside him, glaring at Seo Won.
Her eyes still burned with unresolved anger.
"Don't worry. I didn't kill those guys."
"..."
"Quite the opposite. I held her back."
Gi-hyeon smiled.
He hadn't inherited talent, but that chilling smile was passed down perfectly.
"So, what's the business, President?"
"...Is it true you summoned a Level 7 disaster?"
"Less 'summoned' and more 'she came to me.'"
"What?"
"I didn't summon her. Elisian came to find me."
Gi-hyeon turned to Elisian.
"Right?"
"Yes, Master."
Elisian nodded.
Seo Won frowned.
"Came to you? A dragon just waltzes in?"
"I just opened the path."
"Nonsense."
"Believe it or not, your call."
Gi-hyeon said nonchalantly.
Seo Won glared at Elisian.
"You."
"Yes."
"What's your identity? Rank? Affiliation?"
"Well..."
Elisian paused in thought, then beamed brightly.
"I'm Elisian Dragonia, Father-in-Law."
The conference room went quiet.
Seo Won's expression stiffened.
"...What did you say?"
"You're Father-in-Law. Master's father and all."
Elisian smiled innocently.
"We even bought couple tees, Father-in-Law."
"..."
Seo Won was at a loss for words.
Gi-hyeon sighed.
Elisian drove the wedge home by pulling out the couple tees.
She slipped hers on and dressed Gi-hyeon in his in an instant.
Half-hearts on their chests formed a complete one.
"Master and I are always lovey-dovey, Father-in-Law."
"...Hah."
"Must be nice? The son you cast out brings home a dragon like this."
The air grew heavy.
Elisian was still smiling.
Sweat trickled down Seo Won's back.
This.
This wasn't a joke.
"If you know, then spit it out already?"
"..."
"Why did you interrupt our date?"
"Date?"
"Yes. Our date."
Elisian linked arms with Gi-hyeon.
"Master bought me clothes, fed me delicious things..."
Her smile deepened.
But crucially, her mouth wasn't smiling.
"What could the problem have been? Hm? Father?"
Elisian's expression began to twist.
"Answer."