Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: Aftermath of Atlantis
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‘Kim Jin-woo’ wasn’t the only reason.
Kim Seon-woo had a similar build and aura to the monk.
“......Nah, no way. Probably not.”
Elrin forced a smile.
“Wah!”
“Gretel~ Did you behave yourself?”
Gretel, summoned onto the dorm bed, grinned and threw herself at me.
It had only been a few days, but she was overjoyed. I should’ve summoned her yesterday too.
“Oh, I brought some food packed for you, Gretel.”
I pulled out the takeout food. Gretel’s eyes sparkled.
“Dig in.”
I patted her plump cheeks, and she started eating.
As I watched Gretel, something on her head caught my eye.
“Huh?”
A fruit.
The mysterious demon fruit from the demon world tree. Just like last time, a new fruit had grown.
Seeing it made me smile.
Last time, that fruit had brought in quite the profit. I wondered what effect this one would have. It was exciting.
“Heh heh.”
“Wah?”
At that moment, Gretel noticed my gaze and looked up at me curiously.
She had no idea a fruit had grown on her head.
I suddenly remembered her face when I’d plucked the fruit last time, staring at me with resentful eyes.
......No need to mention it now. It wouldn’t do to heighten her wariness.
“Nothing. Eat up.”
“Wah.”
Gretel nodded and resumed her meal.
I watched her fondly and turned on the TV.
「Around 2 a.m. today, the holy relic ‘Poseidon,’ the main power source of the magic ship ‘Atlantis,’ was stolen. The Association suspects the terrorist group ‘Jaun’ and has launched an investigation, but」
“Home.”
As expected, every news channel was covering Poseidon and Jaun.
Reports mentioned how citizens’ anxiety was skyrocketing due to the string of terrorist attacks.
There were also speculations about Jaun’s ultimate goal in pursuing mysteries.
A few other news items popped up as well.
‘There have been a few mysterious incidents too, as I’ve heard. Care to explain, reporter?’
「Yes, here’s footage of what’s presumed to be the Jaun group escaping on an airship. This was captured by some passengers on Atlantis. As you can see, one figure is holding what appears to be a ‘Bangcheonhwageuk’ spear.」
「The Bangcheonhwageuk, an S-rank spear stolen from a Chinese mystery museum 18 years ago, right?」
「Yes, that’s correct. It’s known to be wielded by Jaun’s core member, ‘Baek Eun-seong.’ The man in the video is presumed to be him. But look closely—one of his arms is missing.」
「Indeed. The wounds all over his body look fresh.」
The screen switched to Baek Eun-seong’s face.
A handsome man.
This was Baek Eun-seong’s original face, without his face mask.
「Baek Eun-seong is, as everyone in Korea knows, one of the most promising magic prodigies. He graduated top of his class from the Korean Sorcerer Academy and led a major victory in the ‘Holy Martial Festival.’」
Baek Eun-seong.
A name as famous as Jin Cheon-woo’s among Koreans.
Of course, most records of Jin Cheon-woo had been erased, but not Baek Eun-seong’s.
He had been a star prospect on par with the current Lee Seo-jun, so the sense of betrayal Koreans felt toward him was beyond words.
「Speculation is rife among citizens about who could have done this to Baek Eun-seong. And...」
The news ended.
In summary, some unidentified individual had intervened in the incident.
And that person was presumed to be a high-rank sorcerer capable of inflicting fatal wounds on Baek Eun-seong himself.
I turned off the news and sank into thought.
Beep!
Then the room’s announcement speaker chimed.
[This is an announcement for all passengers. We are scheduled to arrive at Donghae Port in approximately 30 minutes. Please prepare your luggage in advance.]
Finally arriving earlier than the expected 2 a.m.
“Phew.”
Back to solid ground at last.
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Grandfather's Secret
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Sunday afternoon, 3 p.m.
After the three-day Atlantis training, Lee Seo-jun headed not to the dorms but to his family home.
To see his grandfather, Kim Jin-cheol, who had raised him, after so long.
“Grandfather?”
But the one greeting Lee Seo-jun was an elderly housekeeper, not Kim Jin-cheol.
“Oh my, Seo-jun. When did you get here? You should’ve called ahead. I could’ve prepared some food.”
The housekeeper had worked at the estate since Lee Seo-jun was young.
Lee Seo-jun smiled and bowed politely to her.
“Ah, ma’am. How have you been? I’m just here to say hello and head right back, so no need for food. Where’s Grandfather?”
“The chairman said he’s on his way. I wondered why he was coming early—it was for you, Seo-jun.”
“Yes. I contacted him separately.”
“But really, no food? Shall I whip something up?”
“No, truly, I’m fine. Please rest.”
The housekeeper nodded with a gentle smile and disappeared somewhere.
“Hm...”
Lee Seo-jun pondered what to do with the remaining time, then slipped into his grandfather’s study to surprise him upon return.
Opening the door revealed towering bookshelves. Countless books, and among them, a photo of himself as a child.
Lee Seo-jun chuckled and gazed at the photo.
“Brings back memories.”
He caressed the photo, then scanned the books.
There were many unusual magic tomes.
Among them, secret texts from a minority tribe said to have been wiped out 500 years ago, and magic books from extinct families.
Then, at the top shelf, a nameless book caught his eye. Out of curiosity, Lee Seo-jun pulled it down.
[Mystery Research
“Mystery research notes?”
Intrigued, Lee Seo-jun opened it.
[I have been fascinated by mysteries, pursuing and studying them for a long time. This book records my research on mysteries.]
It wasn’t a published book but seemed like a personal diary by someone.
No author’s name visible.
“Not Grandfather’s handwriting...”
He skimmed the pages. It detailed experiments on phenomena when multiple mysteries overlapped.
Despite its thickness, few pages were written.
Meaning, the book was unfinished.
“A mystery researcher...”
As he muttered to himself, something astonishing happened.
The book reacted to Lee Seo-jun’s mana, flashed with light, and something slipped out onto the floor.
“......W-What?”
Startled by the sudden event, Lee Seo-jun panicked.
What’s going on? As he puzzled over it, he realized the book was a ‘magic safe’ disguised as a tome.
But for a magic safe to open so easily? Something was off.
“Hmm...”
Lee Seo-jun closed the book and carefully picked up what had fallen.
Two photos.
He looked at the top one first.
It showed Kim Jin-cheol the chairman and two boys in training uniforms.
Their faces—he recognized them instantly. Everyone knew them.
Jin Cheon-woo and Choi Il-hyeon.
The two among the three disciples Kim Jin-cheol had raised, excluding himself.
This was public knowledge, so no surprise there.
Though always revered, Kim Jin-cheol raising Jin Cheon-woo was called ‘humanity’s greatest mistake’ and drew massive criticism.
Now, the next photo.
Familiar faces again.
Jin Cheon-woo and Choi Il-hyeon.
And the woman from Ghost Island, Lee Yun-kyeong.
Lee Seo-jun swallowed hard and examined it closely.
Jin Cheon-woo and Lee Yun-kyeong held hands like lovers.
Choi Il-hyeon stood slightly apart, looking lonely but with a bright expression.
Jin Cheon-woo and Lee Yun-kyeong.
He’d somewhat expected their relationship.
Choi Il-hyeon had said Lee Yun-kyeong was his mother, and the tower administrator mentioned Jin Cheon-woo’s blood flowing in him.
Seeing the three happily photographed together, they must have been close friends in the past.
Come to think of it, it made sense.
Jin Cheon-woo and Choi Il-hyeon were famously rivals under the same master.
Lee Seo-jun glanced at the book, then the back of the photo.
A small map and address were written there.
Before he could check the exact address, the sound of the door opening clunked from outside.
—The chairman is here?
—Is Seo-jun here?
—He’s waiting inside.
Lee Seo-jun hurriedly pocketed the photos and returned the book to its place.
“Grandfather.”
He went out to greet Kim Jin-cheol with his usual bright smile.
I lay on the bed, thinking about my remaining schedule for the year.
First up was conquering the dungeon on the land I bought in Gangwon Province.
But it was too early to attempt it now.
Gretel needed more growth, and I wanted to level up a bit more myself.
“......I’d like some magical enlightenment soon.”
At some point, my magic abilities had plateaued.
Thanks to Choi Il-hyeon’s teachings, my martial arts and combat experience had improved greatly, but my main specialty was manifestation magic, not reinforcement.
I couldn’t help gravitating toward my primary skill over secondary ones.
“Hm...”
Maybe crank up the training intensity.
Right, I had that Training Room ticket from the Taehwi Festival prizes.
I took the ticket out of my subspace pocket.
A ticket adorned with ornate golden patterns.
I wanted to use it right away, but I planned to save it for winter break.
All the major characters who received one intended to use theirs then too.
“Sigh.”
I put the ticket back in subspace and sighed deeply.
What else was left on the schedule...
The final exams, which were the last test of the year and determined qualification for next year’s ‘Holy Martial Festival.’
And...
“Oh, right.”
Come to think of it, right after the Atlantis incident in the original story, Lee Seo-jun discovered Jin Cheon-woo’s records.
I wondered if that was proceeding properly.
With the butterfly effect messing up events, I had no idea.
It was a pretty important episode too.
“......I can’t exactly tell him myself.”
What a headache.
Even if Lee Seo-jun found the records as in the original, what excuse could I use to insert myself into his affairs?
That was another dilemma.
In this unpredictable world, hanging around Lee Seo-jun was the best option.
“Hmm...”
Whatever.
I’d watch the situation and drop a hint if needed.
Wednesday afternoon, multipurpose indoor magic training hall.
Time for Comprehensive Mana Control class.
The students began mana control training freely under the instructor’s guidance.
“You must create a perfect form. Visualize your primary form clearly.”
Creating forms was a type of manifestation magic, but this training tested mana control.
Even non-manifestation sorcerers could boost their abilities through it.
I practiced a form I hadn’t tried before, instead of my usual sphere.
Spheres had their limits, after all.
The form I was training now was the ‘spike.’
Spikes were one of the most common and frequently used manifestation forms.
Like attributes, forms had pros and cons. The spike’s advantage was low mana cost due to its small surface area.
Its sharp tip also ensured decent lethality.
Of course, pros came with cons.
The small area made it hard to compress mana into it.
Thus, Compressed Manifestation with spikes was quite difficult.
“Hm...”
I’d manifested a spike, but it felt off.
The form was blurry, and the tip lacked sharpness.
To match the detail of my sphere, I’d need a lot more practice.
“Spike form? Trying something new?”
Then Yoo A-ra, who’d been intensely training beside me, asked.
“Yeah. Spheres use too much mana.”
Yoo A-ra, who also used spheres, nodded in agreement.
“Spheres aren’t the most advantageous form. But isn’t high mana cost a pro? It means more destructive power.”
“That’s for mana monsters like you.”
“Your mana doesn’t seem lacking either.”
It had grown a lot compared to before, but still far behind a freak like Yoo A-ra.
“I figured adding sub-forms wouldn’t hurt. Spheres and spikes aren’t that detailed anyway.”
Yoo A-ra paused thoughtfully, then turned to me sharply.