Chapter 324
Chapter 324
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 325
Chapter Title: Len's Inquiry and Aporia's Secret
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At Ren's words, Elin was somewhat surprised but met his gaze with calm eyes and asked.
“……Kim Sun-woo? Why Kim Sun-woo?”
“Just got interested in various things about him.”
Ren shrugged as if it were no big deal and continued.
“As you’ve seen, among the magic Kim Sun-woo uses, there’s [Instant Acceleration].”
“Isn’t it just similar magic? Physical acceleration spells are pretty common.”
In fact, there were quite a few physical acceleration spells.
Many users employed spells that temporarily accelerated the body to speed things up.
But at Elin’s words, Ren paused in thought before speaking.
“Common, sure. But [Instant Acceleration] is different from typical acceleration spells. I can’t explain in detail, but Instant Acceleration is a spell that utilizes space-time.”
“Utilizes space-time?”
Elin asked in a surprised voice.
She had vaguely sensed it was different from regular acceleration spells, but she hadn’t imagined it used space-time.
……How does that guy use such advanced magic?
Elin paused in thought before opening her mouth.
“Sorry, but I…… no, Kim Sun-woo, I only saw him briefly that day, so I don’t have much to say.”
Ren shrugged in response.
“I’m not expecting to learn much from you, so don’t worry. I just want to hear your small impressions.”
It was meant to ease her burden, but Elin couldn’t easily speak up.
The Ren she knew would zero in the moment he sensed even a slight suspicion.
After some hesitation, Elin parted her heavy lips.
“To me, he seemed like just one of those talented students you see around. And the acceleration spell he used was simply one that boosted speed—it didn’t even cross my mind that it was your Instant Acceleration.”
“……Hmm. I see?”
Ren looked at Elin with thoughtful eyes.
Elin calmly met his gaze and continued.
“That’s the impression I got of Kim Sun-woo. Just a somewhat talented, ordinary student at the wizard academy. Nothing more, nothing less.”
As Elin finished, Ren tapped his biceps with the fingers of his crossed arms.
“……Elin, your assessment of Kim Sun-woo feels oddly defensive.”
At those words, Elin shrugged exaggeratedly.
“Huh? W-what do you mean? Defensive? I’m giving a very objective evaluation……”
“You’ve got something going on with Kim Sun-woo, don’t you?”
After that lunch filled with lingering questions.
I arrived at the virtual training ground for the next class, ‘Virtual Stage Conquest Experience.’
Looking around inside, many students were already seated, waiting for class to start.
I spotted a few familiar faces.
Lee Seo-jun and Shin Young-jun. And Yun Ha-young and Yoo Ah-ra.
Since there were no empty seats around them, I sat somewhat apart.
“Where are we going for the graduation trip?”
“We haven’t even gone on the school trip yet, and this guy’s already thinking about graduation trips.”
As I sat, I overheard talk of trips from somewhere.
“Oh, right. There’s a school trip. When’s the school trip?”
A trip……
If things hadn’t diverged from the original, the school trip would be after the first midterm exams. And the graduation trip after finals.
For reference, the ‘Seongmuje’ was held after the second midterms.
“Hmm……”
As I recalled the upcoming schedule and events.
“Now, we’ll begin the ‘Virtual Stage Conquest Experience’ class.”
The teacher’s voice echoed as they entered the virtual training ground.
“The rules are simple. Enter the portal, and you’ll be randomly assigned teammates. Then conquer the stage with your assigned team!”
As the teacher finished explaining, students began entering the portal.
I moved into the portal as well.
Flash!
The space shifted in an instant.
[You have entered the virtual world.]
[‘Blessing of Unreality’ activates.]
I slowly looked around.
The scenery before me resembled the interior of a tower with a pure white background.
In other words, a typical ‘stage’-type dungeon.
These stages were solved by collecting clues, so with the outsider’s benefits, escaping was easy.
And.
Flash!
A bright light flashed beside me, and my randomly assigned teammate appeared.
It was a quite welcome face.
“Yun Ha-young?”
“Huh? Sun-woo!”
Yun Ha-young approached me with a delighted expression.
Then she clenched her fists triumphantly and shouted loudly.
“Yes! Jackpot on the number one draw!”
Stunned for a moment, I just stood there, and Yun Ha-young gave an awkward smile.
“Ah! Sorry. I just got excited thinking it was a sure number one. Hehe.”
“……Well, it happens.”
She did have confidence in taking first place no matter who she teamed with.
Then Yun Ha-young looked around and said.
“So, Sun-woo. What should we do first?”
“Find the clues.”
“Okay.”
And so, Yun Ha-young and I began searching for the hidden clues in the stage.
With the outsider’s benefits, it didn’t take long to find them.
[Stage 1 conquered.]
Clunk!
“Wow, it opened fast.”
Opening the door revealed a vast corridor stretching endlessly.
It was the passage to the next stage.
“Let’s go.”
Yun Ha-young and I proceeded down the corridor.
As we walked silently, a question popped into my mind, so I casually acted like I’d just remembered and asked.
“Oh, right. By the way, what were you guys talking about earlier?”
“Huh? Talking about what?”
“At the cafeteria. You all seemed to be having a serious discussion without me.”
“Oh〜”
Yun Ha-young opened her mouth as if recalling.
“It’s nothing much. The others were just really concerned about you, Sun-woo.”
Yun Ha-young grinned, flashing her pearly whites.
“Concerned about what?”
“Various things. Um……”
Yun Ha-young started glancing around. I immediately understood why she was so cautious.
“It’s not an exam, so no recording. Don’t worry.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Yun Ha-young nodded and continued.
“You have a lot of secrets, Sun-woo, and……”
Yun Ha-young trailed off and turned her gaze to me.
“The prophecy we heard in the Tower of Four Seasons has the others really worried.”
“……Is that so?”
I’d felt it before, but somehow they seemed more hung up on the prophecy than I was.
Hearing that the main characters were worried about me felt strangely odd yet oddly pleasant.
It wasn’t a bad feeling that they cared, but at the same time, it worried me.
Because trying to help me could lead to something bad happening to them.
Lost in such serious thoughts,
Yun Ha-young spoke up.
“Sun-woo.”
“……Yeah?”
Turning my head, I saw Yun Ha-young looking at me with an unusually serious gaze.
“But about your other identity or the secrets you’re keeping…… Can’t you just tell the others?”
I met her gaze straight on and shook my head.
“Not yet.”
If I could, I’d want to tell them everything without hiding. It’d be more comfortable that way.
But there were too many things hard to explain.
My abilities and why I could always move ahead of my opponents.
Eventually, that would lead to revealing this world was ‘inside a novel.’
But would they even accept an explanation that this was a novel world and I was a reader of that novel?
It could shatter the trust we’ve built and ruin our relationships.
……At the very least.
At least until this world’s story ends, I can’t tell them anything.
“Later. When the chance comes, I’ll definitely tell you.”
Yun Ha-young stared at my face intently, then smiled lightly and nodded.
“Yeah. I’ll wait.”
Right then, a message alert rang from my smart student notebook.
[Lee Seo-jun, Yoo Ah-ra, Kim Sun-woo. Wait at the school gate after classes.]
It was a message from Kim Deok-hyeon.
Meanwhile, at the top floor of the Seoul Wizard Association headquarters.
The door to Chairman Kim Jin-cheol’s office—the strongest wizard—opened, and a man entered.
“Nothing’s changed here.”
The man muttered, stroking his scruffy beard.
A wide window offering a view of Seoul’s skyline.
Beneath it, several potted plants infused with mana.
Even after years, nothing had changed.
“Your taste for strange plants hasn’t changed either.”
As the man peered at the plants and muttered, a deep voice came from somewhere.
“It’s been a while since I heard my impudent disciple’s voice.”
At the voice from inside the room, the man straightened up and turned.
Moments later, Kim Jin-cheol, the white-bearded man, appeared from within.
“Still barging into someone’s office without permission, as impudent as ever. Do you eat your age out of your ass?”
At Kim Jin-cheol’s words, the man, Choi Il-hyeon, grinned.
“Heh heh. Old man. Long time no see.”
“Calling your master ‘old man’…… Tsk. I heard you were busy with research. Coming all the way here means it’s not going well?”
“……Research. Well, it’s progressing steadily.”
Choi Il-hyeon smiled as he answered. Kim Jin-cheol frowned at his expression.
“Fine, what are you here to mooch off your master for this time after so long?”
“Nothing much, but I heard the Association formed a special task force for Kim Chang-hyeon.”
At Choi Il-hyeon’s words, Kim Jin-cheol nodded as if he’d half-expected it.
“And?”
“I’ve recently developed a bit of interest in that guy. So if any clues about him turn up, I’d appreciate it if you shared them with me.”
Kim Jin-cheol stroked his beard, staring intently at Choi Il-hyeon’s face.
From his tone and behavior, it seemed he knew something the Association didn’t.
“You know something about Kim Chang-hyeon.”
“Not exactly, but I have suspicions. I recently visited the floating island ruins where that guy stirred things up.”
“Visited the ruins?”
“Yes, and I found something promising there as a clue.”
“……What is it?”
Kim Jin-cheol’s expression turned serious.
He was a wastrel of a disciple, but Kim Jin-cheol privately acknowledged his abilities and insight.
Above all, Choi Il-hyeon was close friends with Jin Cheon-woo and had conducted numerous studies together over many years.
“Maybe he’s trying to open a passage to another dimension.”
“……Open a passage to another dimension?”
At Kim Jin-cheol’s question, Choi Il-hyeon nodded without a word.
“What gain is there in opening a passage to another dimension?”
“Reasons abound. We’ll have to investigate the exact motive step by step.”
“A passage to another dimension……”
Kim Jin-cheol stroked his beard, lost in thought.
“Got it. I’ll share any info as soon as it comes in.”
“Oh, and one more request.”
“Another? What is it?”
Choi Il-hyeon grinned.
“I’d like to visit Aporia.”
Evening, after all classes ended.
I, Lee Seo-jun, and Yoo Ah-ra gathered at the school gate for our meeting with Kim Deok-hyeon.
“Why’d he call us all of a sudden?”
“Yeah.”
The sudden summons left Lee Seo-jun and Yoo Ah-ra full of questions.
But I knew why he’d called us.
Probably to help defend Aporia, the next target of Jaun’s terrorism.
After waiting about three minutes, a familiar burly man approached from afar.
“You’re already here waiting together.”
Kim Deok-hyeon looked pleased as he glanced over us and spoke.
“I called you today to inform you of the next training schedule.”
“The next training?”
Lee Seo-jun asked in surprise.
“Jaun’s terrorism is coming up soon.”
“...!”
At the mention of Jaun’s terrorism, Lee Seo-jun and Yoo Ah-ra looked shocked.
But only for a moment—their eyes turned more serious than ever.
“The location?”
“The special magic prison, Aporia.”
“……Aporia? Jaun’s targeting Aporia?”
“Yes.”
At the name Aporia, Lee Seo-jun’s eyes widened slightly.
An impregnable fortress that could never be breached.
That was the public’s view of Aporia.
“……The date?”
“We don’t know the exact date. But since it’s far away and the attack date is unknown, we’re short on guards.”
Aporia was hidden on some island in the Pacific.
Powerful barriers prevented travel without a ship, and it took over eight hours from Korea, limiting reinforcements.
“As you know, with incidents breaking out worldwide, we can’t concentrate forces solely on Aporia.”
“For that reason, during your next training, you’ll spend two days on guard duty at Aporia. But don’t worry about Jaun’s attack. Aporia is guarded by elite wizards and armed with countless mystical defenses.”
Lee Seo-jun nodded.
Then Yoo Ah-ra asked.
“But why is Jaun targeting Aporia? What do they gain from it?”
At Yoo Ah-ra’s question, Kim Deok-hyeon stared into her eyes.
He seemed lost in deep thought before speaking.
“……You need to know for the mission. While Aporia is known as a prison for criminals, it was actually built to contain something else.”
“……Something else?”
Kim Deok-hyeon spoke.
“To prevent resurrection through necromancy, Jin Cheon-woo’s soul is sealed in Aporia.