Chapter 355
Chapter 355
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 356
Chapter Title: The Vanished Target
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“...What? Where’d this guy go?”
Hotel 12th-floor corridor.
Bert, who had been chasing the Rune Clan member, came to a halt. Her face was filled with utter bewilderment.
Just moments ago, the guy who’d been right in front of her had turned into the adjacent passageway and vanished without a trace.
She had no idea where he could’ve escaped to in that brief time.
“...Doesn’t look like there are any other paths.”
The hotel corridor stretched out in a straight line. Unless he’d slipped into another room, there was nowhere to hide.
She’d thoroughly checked places like bathrooms and lounges, but they were all empty.
Was this what they called a situation that would make even ghosts wail?
This was the first time she’d lost her target so pointlessly while pursuing someone.
“No mana or presence at all... no way to track him...”
Bert bit her lip and turned around.
Standing there was Baek Eunsung, blood dripping steadily from his shoulder after getting hit by the Rune Clan member’s ambush.
“Is your wound okay?”
“Nah, it hurts like hell.”
Baek Eunsung muttered with a wry grin.
Bert let out a deep sigh.
“Serves you right. Who told you to drop your guard?”
“The mana wasn’t detectable—who’d have guessed he was casting magic on the sly? And he was way too close to dodge.”
“...Well, true.”
If the opponent had been low-level, she could’ve dodged or blocked even at close range.
But the opponent was at least an A-Rank wizard. Top-tier skill among them, no less.
Dodging a surprise attack at that distance was impossible, even for Jawoon.
“So, what now? You let him slip right out from under your nose. Gonna just give up?”
Bert fell into thought at Baek Eunsung’s question.
Failing to recover the Blood Crystal—a key material for ‘His’ resurrection—was disappointing, but there were plenty of substitutes, so no need to despair.
More importantly, she needed to pin down the identity of this Rune Clan pest who kept meddling in their plans at every turn.
Bert pondered, then asked,
“What room was Kim Sunwoo in again?”
“802. Sharing with Lee Seojun.”
“802...”
If she rushed to 802 right now, she might find circumstantial evidence that the Rune Clan member was Kim Sunwoo.
But it was a gamble.
They’d already caused way too much commotion.
Hotel security and Association wizards would swarm the place any minute.
“...Tch.”
Bert clenched her fist.
She’d been outmaneuvered by him again. Even though they’d come face-to-face this time, unlike before.
Suspicion was mounting day by day, but without hard evidence, the frustration just kept building.
—Trouble on the 12th floor?
—Yes, looks pretty serious. Should we alert the guests?
Voices drifted over from somewhere. Hotel security heading up from the lower floors.
Bert glanced up at the CCTV camera at the end of the corridor, capturing their group.
“Let’s get out of here first.”
Having shaken off Jawoon, I slipped back into the dorm room through the window.
My heart was still pounding.
Face-to-face with Bert and Baek Eunsung. Knowing full well the rage they harbored toward me, I’d fled with everything I had.
The silver lining was that the mana-concealing potion had made my ambush a success.
Even so, if it’d turned into a proper chase, they would’ve caught me.
The only reason I’d escaped them was thanks to the [Space Leap] I’d learned from Choi Ilhyeon.
“...Hoo.”
Once I’d calmed my nerves, I changed my formless clothes into comfy sleepwear.
In case those Jawoon guys who suspected me decided to barge in here.
Then I stowed the Blood Crystal in my sub-space and slowly headed toward the bed.
That’s when—
—Kyaaack!
—W-what? Someone’s inside...
—What is this...? A murder?
A faint commotion sounded from outside the door, barely audible.
Hotel security must’ve found the gruesome scene on the 12th floor.
Lee Seojun, with his sharp senses, stirred at the noise and woke up.
“...Mm...”
He sat up and looked at me standing awkwardly by the window.
Our eyes met, and about three seconds of silence followed.
Lee Seojun broke it first.
“...Kim Sunwoo?”
“...Yeah, you’re up?”
At my words, Lee Seojun gave me a puzzled look and asked,
“...Got noisy all of a sudden. But what’re you doing standing there?”
“Oh~ Just went to the bathroom, got cold, so I was closing the window.”
Click.
I shut the window. Lee Seojun blinked at me, eyes already clear—sleep was gone.
Then the commotion picked up again.
—...Who’s that?
—...Something must’ve happened?
“...Something going on outside?”
Shin Youngjun woke up next, still groggy from sleep.
The hotel’s soundproofing wasn’t bad, but their senses were honed from long training.
Thud thud thud.
Multiple footsteps echoed outside nonstop. Sensing the gravity, Lee Seojun got out of bed.
“Let’s go check it out.”
And so we opened the door and stepped out.
Other students and guests who’d heard the noise were emerging too.
“Someone died on the 12th floor?”
“...For real?”
“Yeah, and one of them’s a demon.”
Lee Geonyong’s death had come to light faster than expected.
Probably from the clash during my chase with Jawoon.
Well, running through the halls and firing off spells—it’d be impossible not to notice.
“Seojun and Sunwoo!”
A voice called from the opposite corridor.
Turning, I saw Yoon Hayoung, Lee Hyunjoo, and Yoo Ara approaching in matching pajamas.
“You guys are up too, huh.”
Lee Hyunjoo nodded gravely at Lee Seojun’s words.
“Heard? Two bodies found in 1206.”
“Two bodies?”
Lee Seojun looked puzzled.
Lee Hyunjoo nodded and continued.
“One’s this guy named Lee Geonyong, and a demon’s body was with it...”
The mention of a demon’s body startled Lee Seojun again.
We headed up to the 12th floor where the incident happened.
Word had already spread through the hotel—quite a crowd had gathered.
“This is the Association. Make way.”
The Association’s investigation team arrived. Fast response, considering the time.
—Light attribute detected on the demon’s body. Form is a manifestation orb.
—Light attribute orb?
—Yes, and... the same spot also showed light attribute mana mixed with some unusual property. Probably used in synergy with light, matching the property from that prior demon assassination.
—...Same culprit? But I don’t recall synergy being used before.
That’s when Yoon Hayoung quietly sidled up to me.
“Sunwoo.”
I turned at her call.
“By any chance, did you take out that demon?”
She whispered. I glanced around, then whispered back,
“I’ll explain later.”
The next morning.
The mysterious incident in room 1206 spread quickly via students’ SNS and media reports.
The hotel announced full cooperation with the Association’s investigation and that the perp’s traces were on CCTV, which they’d scrutinize.
But I’d worn a hat and mask, and stuck to window routes without CCTV, leaving no real traces.
Instead, Bert and Baek Eunsung’s faces were caught crystal clear, drawing all the attention.
「The demon who killed Lee Geonyong has been identified as Yoo Cheol, a world-famous investor. Yoo Cheol and Lee Geonyong clashed over the ‘Blood Crystal’ at yesterday’s Jeju Fall Festival Mystery Auction. Yoo Cheol’s death remains a mystery. The whereabouts of the ‘Blood Crystal’—the cause of their conflict—are unknown, and per the Association, the suspect who killed Yoo Cheol took the Blood Crystal...」
[Comments]
[Seems like demon assassinations are happening a lot lately... Likes: 802 Dislikes: 17]
[I think one person did all the demon assassinations. Likes: 5622 Dislikes: 22]
[Heard the demon assassination spree started with last year’s Magic Academy exam? And this time the school trip was at that hotel? Likes: 428 Dislikes: 216]
[Rumor the CCTV caught Jawoon guys... Likes: 154 Dislikes: 15]
“...Hm. Seems like it worked out okay somehow.”
Back at the Magic Academy dorms after the school trip.
I lounged on the sofa, scrolling news on my smart student handbook.
Public opinion looked manageable overall.
With Bert and Baek Eunsung on CCTV, attention naturally shifted to them.
But comments linking the Magic Academy and demon assassinations were picking up—kinda worrying.
All these coincidences piling up—it’s starting to feel less like baseless conspiracy.
“But what do I even do with this?”
I held the Blood Crystal.
I’d swiped it so it wouldn’t fall into demon or Jawoon hands, but it was useless to me.
I didn’t suck blood like a demon.
“How do you make the blood?”
I activated Outsider’s Boon again to check the manual(?).
[Blood Crystal (Relic)]
Description: Infuse mana into the crystal to supply blood.
“Infuse mana to supply blood...”
I promptly poured mana into the crystal.
It began glowing red. But no blood came out as described.
“What? Why isn’t it working?”
Hmm.
I rubbed my chin, thinking, when I vaguely recalled how the Blood Crystal was used.
I nicked my fingertip and let a drop of blood fall onto the crystal.
Drip.
The crystal absorbed the drop instantly, and its transparent interior filled with red liquid.
“Got it now.”
Everyone’s blood carries unique info.
The crystal needs to be told what kind of blood to make.
I infused mana into the Blood Crystal again.
Whirr...
Red droplets formed on the crystal and began plopping onto the table.
“Ooh.”
The blood volume increased, staining the desk red, so I cut off the mana.
“Ugh, what a mess.”
I grabbed tissues and wiped the table. The metallic blood smell stung my nose—gross.
“...Wait.”
A thought flashed through my mind.
I hurriedly pulled the ‘Goblet of Life’ from my sub-space.
Blood Crystal and Goblet of Life.
Somehow, I’d ended up with two key items for resurrecting the dead...
There had to be a way to use them.
“Wahh.”
That’s when Gretel’s cry rang out.
Turning, Gretel stared at me with a worried face.
She must’ve thought I was hurt from seeing the crystal’s blood.
I smiled faintly and scooped her up.
“Gretel, I’m not hurt, don’t worry.”
Gretel nodded.
I patted her back and eyed the fruit sprouting above her head.
In just two days, it’d grown noticeably bigger.
The elixir secretly ground into her sausage was definitely working.
It’d take more time to fully ripen, but I couldn’t help being excited.
Bzzz.
My smart student handbook chimed.
[Photo]
“...What’s this?”
A message from Yoo Ahyeon after ages.
Photos of complex ritual circles drawn in various shots.
Not a single form, but scattered like puzzle pieces—Outsider’s Boon wouldn’t parse them.
Another message arrived.
[These are the rituals Kim Changhyeon investigated. Can you decipher them?]