Chapter 283
Chapter 283
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 284
Chapter Title: Midnight Suspicions
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Late night, 12 o'clock.
Kim Deok-hyun and Jeong Hyun-su finished their long investigation of Silverus and returned to the Special Task Force.
As the lights flicked on in the empty, dark space, the two sat down on the sofa.
Jeong Hyun-su placed the beer and chicken skewers he'd bought on the way on the table.
Kim Deok-hyun cracked open a beer can and took a sip.
"You worked hard until late."
"You too, sunbae. But we had a big haul today, so the effort was worth it."
Jeong Hyun-su popped a chicken skewer into his mouth.
Crunch crunch. The sweet taste that chased away his fatigue spread through his mouth.
"We did get more than expected...
but it left a lot of questions too."
The haul from this Silverus sweep was information more precious than any treasure in the world.
It was Jaun's next terror site.
Knowing the next move of those who usually left no traces was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"But could it be a trap?"
"Can't rule it out. But according to the spell interpretation team, it's not something they could whip up in a day or two of research. High chance it's real. More importantly, why the demons joined hands with Jaun. Figuring that out comes first."
"Hmm..."
Lost in thought, Jeong Hyun-su wet his throat with beer and spoke again.
"When will the spell interpretation team's barrier info results come out?"
"Fastest a week. Could take a month at most. By the way, the spell interpreters were shocked earlier."
"Oh~ Because Kim Sun-woo interpreted the key right there?"
"Yeah. 'Impossible,' 'innate genius,' they were freaking out."
Kim Deok-hyun recalled the spell interpretation team's fuss an hour ago.
In his 16 years with the Special Task Force, he'd never seen them like that.
Jeong Hyun-su thought back to Kim Sun-woo's performance today and spoke.
"...It was impressive. Kim Sun-woo didn't just shine at spell interpretation. He basically put on a one-man show today. Saying it now, but if he hadn't acted on his own, we might've lost Antonio."
"Right. This is all thanks to Kim Sun-woo..."
Muttering that, Kim Deok-hyun stared straight into Jeong Hyun-su's eyes.
Jeong Hyun-su panicked at the serious gaze.
It was the look Kim Deok-hyun got when deep suspicion set in.
"And I was on the fence, but now I'm sure."
"...Sunbae?"
As Jeong Hyun-su called softly, Kim Deok-hyun spoke.
"Does today's performance from Kim Sun-woo seem normal to you?"
"Not something a rookie would do..."
Kim Deok-hyun sighed in frustration.
"I've said it before, but why is your thinking so one-dimensional? You're never getting promoted."
"Ah, seriously!"
"Listen. Antonio's mana rank is A-Rank. Yet he neutralized all those enemies alone in a short time and captured Antonio."
"...Hmm? Yeah, that does sound off."
"Plus, even though he hid with the Face Mask, he found and restrained him instantly. No need to explain the unbelievable presence concealment."
Jeong Hyun-su straightened his half-reclined body.
"So Kim Sun-woo's hiding something?"
"High possibility. His actions defy common sense."
"Defies common sense..."
Jeong Hyun-su recalled the Kim Sun-woo he knew.
Impossible spell release ability.
Versatile mana skills.
Manifestation, enhancement, support.
Dual attributes.
Perfect theory scores.
Combat experience.
19 years old.
Jeong Hyun-su's head spun for a moment.
"...Thinking about it, he's really weird. What's his deal?"
"For now, keep today's talk buried and don't pry from Kim Sun-woo."
"Why? This is the time to press..."
"Press and get what?"
Jeong Hyun-su shut his mouth at Kim Deok-hyun's words.
Kim Deok-hyun emptied his beer can and said.
"Don't raise his guard unnecessarily. Stay quiet. I'll investigate on my own."
Muttering that, he continued.
"To be Special Task Force comrades, trust between us is essential. We need to clear this up properly."
[Character 'Kim Deok-hyun' greatly suspects you.]
[You acquire 500 points as a reward.]
[Character 'Kim Deok-hyun's' interest in you increases.]
[Character 'Kim Deok-hyun's' interest in you Lv: 1]
[You acquire 2,000 points as a reward.]
"...What the?"
12 o'clock at night.
After finishing his first Special Task Force activity, heading back to the Wizard Academy dorms with Lee Seo-jun and Yu A-ra, a message suddenly popped up.
It was a message that Kim Deok-hyun suspected me.
Wondering what it was, I looked at the message.
Yu A-ra turned to me.
"What's up?"
"Huh? No, just a mosquito flying in front."
Shoo shoo, go away mosquito. I waved my hand in front of my eyes. The message rippled like water and vanished.
Yu A-ra looked at me curiously, then faced forward again.
Silence fell again.
None of us—me, Lee Seo-jun, or Yu A-ra—were the type to enjoy idle chit-chat.
Plus, with Jaun involved in this incident, we each needed time to think.
Passing the school gate toward the dorms.
That's when Lee Seo-jun spoke.
"Man, a lot happened on the first day."
Yu A-ra nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. And it was connected to Jaun. Never thought we'd deal with that on day one."
Lee Seo-jun looked at her with worry-filled eyes at her words.
Yu A-ra's hatred toward Jaun.
It probably made him uneasy, thinking her grudge might connect to him as Jin Cheon-woo's blood kin.
Then Yu A-ra whipped her gaze toward me.
Her pretty, dimpled face looked scary due to her serious expression.
"Thinking about it, it's kinda ridiculous."
"What's?"
"Your performance today. Normally I'd never believe it, but it felt so natural."
At that, Lee Seo-jun chuckled softly, tension easing.
"Well, I'm used to it now."
"No, he used to at least read the room before, but now he's shamelessly showing off without a care...?"
Shamelessly showing off?
Feeling absurd, I furrowed my brows for a moment, and Yu A-ra asked me again.
"Oh, right. The barrier in that spell array is Jaun's next terror site, right?"
"Yeah... Probably. We'll know exactly once the results on what barrier it is come out."
"Hmm. Wonder what place. I'd like to go if possible."
Yu A-ra muttered seriously.
Instead of answering, I gave a small smile.
Even without the spell array, I already knew Jaun's next terror site.
A very special space covered by an enormous barrier.
The place with security second only to the Magic Association, an impregnable fortress that never allows unpermitted entry.
And the hiding place of 'that' thing that would bring major changes to future events.
Its identity is...
"We're here."
Lee Seo-jun's words snapped me from my thoughts.
We'd arrived at the dorm gate before I knew it.
"Good work today, everyone."
"Yeah, you too."
"Kim Sun-woo."
Exchanging final goodbyes and about to head to our dorms.
Yu A-ra called me.
"Yeah, what?"
She stared at me intently, then shook her head.
"Never mind. Talk next time."
Somewhere on the African continent, a vast wasteland.
Crackle crackle. The sound of a campfire burning came.
Around them, giant monster bones piled like mountains, and seven humans sat in a circle by the fire, tearing into meat.
"Mmm~ A bit lacking in salt."
"Want some salt?"
"Yeah, hand it over."
Their identities: Jaun, called the world's worst terrorist group.
While exploring desert ruins for their future plans and tracking the fourth journal, they were taking a break.
After a long meal.
Intense demonic energy swirled around them.
Moments later, smoke rose from the darkness, revealing a man.
The man's identity: Ha-ryeong, owner of the underground events.
"A demon? Why's he back?"
Even with the sudden S-Rank demon appearance, Jaun stayed calm, focused on eating.
Because Ha-ryeong and Jaun had formed a temporary alliance through some deal.
Bert, Natasha, and Baek Eun-seong stood and approached Ha-ryeong.
"What brings you?"
At Bert's question, Ha-ryeong answered.
"Came to tell you Silverus got swept by the Association."
At that, Jaun's group scowled mid-meal.
Silverus handled quite important tasks for Jaun.
Not just terror funding and bomb-making, but they'd even entrusted them with making the 'barrier release key' for the next terror.
"Hey! What happened? We shared the fourth journal in exchange for protection!"
Baek Eun-seong yelled, and Ha-ryeong said.
"The opponent was the Association. Did you think we could handle what even you can't? And it happened because you moved sloppily before we could act."
"Hmm. Well..."
At a loss, Baek Eun-seong shut up. Bert crossed his arms and asked.
"Couldn't even buy time to escape? Heard your friend was there. S-Rank, right?"
"There was a variable."
"What variable?"
"Kim Sun-woo."
...
At the name Kim Sun-woo, Jaun's group fell silent.
Kim Sun-woo.
A name they could never forget.
The arrogant kid who'd humiliated them with a one-sided deal at the Seongmuje finals.
Since then, Jaun couldn't approach him due to the blood oath's chains.
"Sigh... Him again? Why was he there?"
"It's Special Task Force training period. Heard he joined the Seoul team."
At Natasha's words, Baek Eun-seong's mouth gaped in realization.
"Oh yeah. But he always shows up at key moments to interfere. Can't even go kill him, damn."
Jaun's group all wore annoyed faces.
Ha-ryeong felt puzzled watching them.
Normally, they'd question what power a mere teen student had to be a variable, but they accepted it immediately.
Plus, uncharacteristically for Jaun, no retaliation intent.
"What happened with Kim Sun-woo?"
"...Hmm. You don't need to know."
Jaun shut up, not wanting to spread the humiliation of the blood oath.
Then Natasha scratched her head irritably.
"Ugh! Looks like the key blueprint went to the Association too. Big trouble."
"It's fine. Difficulty rose a bit... no, quite a bit, but we expected this somewhat. Plan doesn't change."
Natasha nodded resignedly at Bert's words.
Then Baek Eun-seong smirked.
"But if they prep in advance, will Kim Sun-woo come block us?"
"Yeah. High chance? Seoul Special Task Force and all."
Baek Eun-seong grinned.
"Good. If he interferes, this annoying blood oath breaks."
"...Ugh, headache."
Back at the dorm, I flopped onto the sofa.
Mental fatigue piled up from overtime on day one.
Overtime pay would come, but meaningless to me with my wealth.
Glancing at the floor, Gretel lay spread-eagled, snoring away.
Her peaceful sleep brought momentary calm.
Staring blankly at the ceiling, I replayed today's events in my head.
First up: The demon 'Seon-hwa' at Silverus.
Still a mystery why she was there.
She said it was Ha-ryeong's request...
But in the original, Ha-ryeong and Jaun had no real connection.
"What is it..."
A connection between Jaun and Ha-ryeong...
Then something clicked.
Only one thing linked them.
Jin Cheon-woo's 'fourth journal.'
If that unappearing 'fourth journal' was involved, their alliance made sense.
"Hmm. What could make Ha-ryeong ally?"
From memory, Ha-ryeong almost never allied.
Suspicious and distrustful.
Guess I need to meet Ha-ryeong...
But how?
"And..."
One more thing confused me today.
Association's 24th floor 'Records Archive.'
Must enter for the 'Spirit Materialization Spell Array.'
But CCTV makes breaching hard.
If I were normal Association staff, I'd pop in like a library.
Problem: access logs remain.
Fool CCTV, and outsider perks solve the rest.
Way to disable CCTV...
One method exists.
I pulled the 'Blue Condensed Core' from sub-space.
[Blue Condensed Core (Relic)]
Description: Paralyzes nearby electronics.
[Use Effect]
►Release
Inject mana into 'Blue Condensed Core' to paralyze all electronics within 1km for 30 minutes.
*Reuse cooldown: 30 days
Durability: B
Relic from killing Jang Ye last year.
No use till now, but worth trying here.
Issues: Too wide range, unique EMP detectable by Association.
"Using this would tip off the Association immediately."
Not that one relic would cripple them.
"Hmm."
No infiltration-specialized mystery?
Point shop might have something...
"Ah..."
Then a brilliant idea hit.
Get mystery without point shop.
Use the 10 mystery rental tickets from Han Dae-hyun Chairman.
Han Sung Group collected global mysteries with power and money.
Surely one for infiltration...
Ding!
Smartphone message alarm rang.
Few contact me this late.
I checked immediately.
A smile formed.
[Jin-woo-ssi, can we meet soon?]
Sender: Han Se-yeon.
