Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: A Long-Awaited Call
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"Yeah, right. So we really do need to investigate that Azit we talked about here, huh?"
That was when it happened.
Kururuk.
A hungry growl echoed from somewhere.
I chuckled and turned to Lee Seo-jun.
Lee Seo-jun stared at me with a blank look before shaking his head.
"Wasn't me."
"......Huh?"
I shifted my gaze to Eun Seol-ah. Her face flushed bright red as she sat still, then shyly raised her hand.
"U-um, it was me......"
The culprit confessed bashfully.
She hung her head low, clearly mortified.
Come to think of it, it was past dinnertime.
"Want me to order something? I'm starting to get hungry too."
"Delivery? Sounds good. But do they even deliver here?"
"Of course they do."
At that moment, Eun Seol-ah's eyes widened in surprise.
"Delivery food?"
"Yeah, why? You don't like it?"
"No! I've never had delivery food even once because of Grandma."
Eun Seol-ah's eyes sparkled as she looked at me.
Never ordered delivery in her life. What a huge loss.
"Try it this time. What do you want?"
"Um...... well......"
Eun Seol-ah's expression turned serious as she pondered deeply. I was already excited to hear what food she'd pick.
"......What kinds of food can you get from delivery?"
"Oh."
Guess I have to start from the basics.
After finishing our meal and tidying up the room, it was suddenly 9 p.m.
I headed to the rooftop for some fresh air and a break.
"Whew."
The cool night breeze cleared my head.
I leaned against the railing and gazed at the view.
Clusters of small buildings dotted the landscape.
It felt nostalgic and familiar, just like the slum neighborhood from my old life in reality.
That was when it happened.
A vibration buzzed from the inner pocket of my shirt. Not my pants pocket—the shirt pocket meant it was my smartphone.
I immediately used Outsider's Boon to check the source.
It was Han Se-yeon.
It was 9 p.m., so about time for her message.
I smiled wryly and replied.
A call?
I glanced around cautiously.
"......Hmm. Should be fine."
Instead of texting back, I called Han Se-yeon using Outsider's Boon, not my smartphone.
Drururu...
[Hello?]
Han Se-yeon's excited voice rang in my ear. I couldn't help but smile.
"Han Se-yeon."
[Whoa, it's been ages since I heard your voice.]
"Yeah, it's been a while for me too."
[What have you been up to lately? You used to be all over the news, but I haven't seen much of you recently.]
News articles, huh.
Come to think of it, Kim Jin-woo's activities had slowed down lately.
Been busy with school stuff.
"Just keeping busy. You?"
[Me? Same old. You know how it is.]
A lonely smile crossed my face at her sigh-tinged words.
And so, we caught up on the daily life we hadn't shared recently.
Things at the company, progress on new drug development.
Her father Han Dae-hyeon's health. That kind of stuff.
I never realized from the original story just how chatty Han Se-yeon could be.
Did that mean I was someone she felt comfortable with?
[Oh, right. It's been forever since we last saw each other, hasn't it?]
"Yeah, it has."
Last time was a month or two ago.
[Um...... how about dinner tomorrow night?]
Tomorrow? Tomorrow's packed with Eunwol Clan schedule.
"Um...... tomorrow might be tough."
[Oh, really? You must be super busy.]
Disappointment colored her voice in my ear.
[What about next weekend?]
Next week was uncertain. The Eunwol schedule might extend, and I had the welcoming barrier to deal with.
Still......
I could squeeze in some time.
Plus, I'd be heading back to the dorm after finishing tomorrow's Eunwol business anyway.
"If it's okay, we could meet briefly tomorrow night. After 9 p.m."
[Huh? Really? Okay, tomorrow then. I'll clear my schedule too. Drinks after so long?]
Her voice lit up. The sudden mood swing made me chuckle.
"Drinks sound great."
[Got it. See you tomorrow. I'll text the spot in the morning.]
"Sure."
[Hehe. It's late—get some rest. Hanging up now.]
"Okay."
Click.
The call ended.
Silence returned, bringing a touch of melancholy.
"Whew."
Still, a small sense of peace settled in my heart.
Looking forward to tomorrow.
That was when it happened.
What the hell?
20,000 points out of nowhere. As I wondered what triggered it, my smart student notebook buzzed with a message.
It was Choi Seo-yoon.
I blinked and checked the news article.
My photo dominated the front page.
"Korean Sorcerer Academy 'Rising Star', Kim Seon-woo. Around 1 p.m. today, subjugated an A-rank mine that appeared in the city......"
"The article's already out."
But 20,000 points for a simple mine subjugation?
Worlds apart from when I was Kim Jin-woo.
Probably because expectations for 'student' Kim Seon-woo were higher than for pro wizard 'Kim Jin-woo'.
People's 'emotions' toward me influenced points too.
The cat emoticon tilted its head cutely, full of curiosity. Its faint brown hue vaguely resembled Choi Seo-yoon.
I stared at it blankly.
The next morning.
We took the portal gate back to the Eunwol Clan.
As we entered, Eun Hye-su appeared before us with unusually light steps.
"Seol-ah!"
"Grandma!"
Eun Seol-ah rushed to Eun Hye-su.
She hugged her tightly and said,
"Um, I'm completely cured."
Eun Hye-su's eyes widened as she grabbed Eun Seol-ah's cheeks with both hands. She squeezed so hard that her face comically distorted.
"Is that true?!"
"Yes. I can tell with my own body."
Eun Seol-ah mumbled through the squished cheeks.
Eun Hye-su released her and turned to me.
Unlike yesterday, her gaze was filled with astonishment.
"......To think you actually pulled it off. I heard you took down that mine yesterday."
She muttered in a trembling voice before looking at me.
"Your name is Kim Seon-woo, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Thank you. Truly."
Eun Hye-su gripped my hand tightly, her voice shaking.
"As promised, I'll give you and Lee Seo-jun the chance to learn our clan's secret magic."
I nodded.
This meant deeper involvement in the main story.
Jin Cheon-woo had used the Eunwol Clan's welcoming barrier to hide several mechanisms.
"And."
Eun Hye-su looked me straight in the eye and continued.
"The Eunwol Clan deems you our benefactor. We will provide full support for all your endeavors from now on."
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: The Soul Stone
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After finishing the talk with Eun Hye-su about yesterday's events, the promised transmission of the Eunwol Clan's secret magic began.
"Follow me."
Lee Seo-jun and I followed Eun Hye-su to the Eunwol Clan's training ground.
The training ground had the atmosphere of a martial arts dojo.
Eun Hye-su looked us over and spoke.
"What you want from the Eunwol Clan is the protective magic to pass through the illusion barrier on the mountain behind the Sorcerer Academy, right?"
"Yes, correct."
Eun Hye-su nodded at Lee Seo-jun's reply.
"As I said before, that barrier combines the Eunwol Clan's illusion arts and the mystical power prepared by Jin Cheon-woo. To pass it, you must master 'Eunwol Hwanjeol'."
Eunwol Hwanjeol.
One of the Eunwol Clan's secret magics, the ultimate protective spell that frees you from illusion magic.
It was also essential for future developments.
"However, fully mastering Eunwol Hwanjeol normally takes about ten years. For talents like you, maybe five. But that's still not satisfactory for you."
She lumped Lee Seo-jun and me together, but honestly, my talent didn't even reach his toes.
Lee Seo-jun could master it in under five years; for me, it'd take over ten.
"But you don't need to spend five or ten years. There's a shortcut—risky, very risky—but a cheat method."
"A cheat method?"
Eun Hye-su crossed her arms at Lee Seo-jun's question.
"Use the 'Soul Stone', the treasure containing the essence of the Eunwol Clan."
"......Soul Stone?"
Eun Hye-su pulled a small box from her bosom and opened it.
Inside was a small, transparently glowing gem.
"This is it."
Soul Stone.
A mystical relic item that stores 'concepts' or 'mana'.
Using this Soul Stone lets you easily acquire special 'concepts' stored within.
Thanks to that convenience, famous clans and small families stored secret magics in them.
Of course, they were fragile and required careful storage.
"The Soul Stone stores 'concepts' and injects them easily into someone. But with great convenience comes risk: it can destroy or corrupt the mind."
That was my biggest worry—mental destruction.
To gain the concept in the Soul Stone, you had to overcome its trial, which wasn't easy.
The mystical will within the Soul Stone tests the user.
If it deems your level insufficient, it mercilessly shatters your mind, turning you into a vegetable.
"I heard you're heading back to Seoul tomorrow for school. No time, so today we'll build resistance to illusions to prepare for the trial. We'll use the Soul Stone next week."
With that, Eun Hye-su swung her hand through the air.
At the same time, a magic circle formed under our feet and emitted light.
"Now, let's raise your resistance to illusion magic."
The magic circle's light swallowed Lee Seo-jun and me in an instant.
Flash!
And.
When I came to, I stood alone in pitch darkness, seeing nothing.
I pondered what to do when a voice echoed in my mind.
It was Eun Hye-su's voice.
Not through my ears, but resonating like 'will' directly in my head.
With that, Eun Hye-su's voice faded away.
"Hmm."
I slowly surveyed my surroundings.
This scenario was described in the original work, so I wasn't too rattled.
Soon, various illusion magics would activate from the darkness, launching mental attacks.
That was when it happened.
The dark surroundings began tinting red.
Then it slowly shifted to yellow, the colors blending like paint.
As I watched the bizarre scene, horrific screams pierced my ears.