Chapter 425
Chapter 425
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 426
Chapter Title: Graduation and Warnings
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The final exams, which wrapped up the year at the Korean Wizard Academy, had all come to an end.
With graduation on the horizon, the job preparations for the third-year students officially kicked off.
［Korean Wizard Academy 3rd Years Lee Seo-jun, Yoo Ah-ra, Shin Young-jun, Lee Hyun-joo, Yoon Ha-young. Pass Special Task Force Direct Hire］
First off, the so-called ‘Lee Seo-jun Family’—Korea’s top elites who were drawing the world’s undivided attention—had successfully achieved their goal of joining the Special Task Force.
Countless media outlets celebrated their acceptance, spotlighting the fact that they were the closest friends to ‘Kim Sun-woo, the King of Demons’ at the center of the controversy, and drawing massive public interest.
[Will Lee Seo-jun, who passed the Special Task Force exam, finally face off against Kim Sun-woo, the King of Demons?]
Seated at his desk, Lee Seo-jun read through the flood of articles pouring in.
Ever since Kim Sun-woo became the King of Demons, media outlets had been churning out pieces that heroized him as the rival and arch-nemesis to their former Demon hunter.
Lee Seo-jun wasn’t thrilled with the situation.
They were simply exploiting his relationship with Kim Sun-woo for sensational headlines.
“Wow. Everyone passed in the end. Congrats on getting hired.”
As he read the articles with a heavy heart,
A familiar voice reached his ears, prompting Lee Seo-jun to look up.
“You know 3rd Grade Agent Jeong Hyun-soo, right?”
The owner of the voice was none other than Jeong Hyun-soo from the Special Task Force.
At his arrival, Yoo Ah-ra, Shin Young-jun, Yoon Ha-young, and Lee Hyun-joo, who were sitting with Lee Seo-jun, all stood up and bowed their heads.
“Hello, Senior!”
Jeong Hyun-soo chuckled at Shin Young-jun’s energetic greeting.
“You’ve got spirit. Looking forward to working with you. For the next two weeks, you’ll be probationary agents learning the ropes.”
“Yes, sir. Looking forward to it.”
Jeong Hyun-soo then turned his gaze to Lee Seo-jun and Yoo Ah-ra.
“By the way, you two aren’t probationaries—you’re full agents. Don’t forget you’re hitting the field starting today.”
“Yes.”
Having already worked nearly half a year as probationaries, Lee Seo-jun and Yoo Ah-ra transitioned straight to full agents.
“No need to stress on your first day. We’re not throwing anything major at newbies yet. Oh, right. You know the press is all over you these days? Watch your words at all times. Got it?”
“Yes, understood.”
Lee Seo-jun nodded.
Jeong Hyun-soo gave his shoulder a light pat.
“Alright, so what we need to do now is…”
That was when it happened.
Beep beep! Beep beep!
A loud alarm blared from Jeong Hyun-soo’s pocket.
It was the emergency call alert reserved for urgent situations.
Not just him—every other agent’s did too.
Jeong Hyun-soo blinked at it for a moment before turning to Lee Seo-jun.
“I’ve got something urgent come up, so I gotta head out first. You all stay put here. Got it?”
With that, Jeong Hyun-soo and the other agents dashed out of the office.
Shin Young-jun stared blankly at their retreating figures before speaking.
“…Looks like something big just broke.”
“Yeah. Seems like it.”
Yoon Ha-young murmured as she pulled out her smart student planner.
She figured if it was that urgent, maybe a breaking news alert would have details.
As she scrolled down the screen, her eyes suddenly widened.
“...Huh?”
“What? Something come up?”
Seeing her flustered reaction, everyone naturally leaned in to look at the screen.
[[Breaking News] Kim Sun-woo’s Warning to the Association Leaked Late… “Cruas Will Descend on Seoul Within a Month”]
“…What the hell?”
The headline blared Kim Sun-woo’s name.
The content was shocking.
…Cruas descending on Seoul within a month?
The revelation that Kim Sun-woo had warned the Association about Cruas’s descent created massive ripples across society.
[This is the news. It’s been revealed that Kim Sun-woo, the Demon King who shocked the world by becoming the King of Demons, sent a warning message via the Association. The message states that the catastrophe-grade magical beast Cruas will descend on Seoul within a month.]
[The Association dismissed it as ‘an unfounded claim from a Demon, unworthy of trust,’ but added that ‘we will significantly bolster Seoul’s defenses in preparation for any eventuality.’]
[Public backlash is mounting over the Association’s delay in disclosing the message. The Association explained they withheld it until verifying the facts to prevent panic from an unsubstantiated Demon claim.]
[Meanwhile, controversy is swirling that Kim Sun-woo is the same person as Kim Jin-woo, the wizard known as the Demon Hunter, and investigations are underway to confirm the truth.]
Kim Sun-woo’s message became the hot topic across every online community.
Debates raged between those arguing it must be believed to avert disaster and those insisting they shouldn’t be swayed by a baseless Demon claim.
［Comments (122)］
［Common sense says ‘Seoul in its entirety within a month’? That’s way too broad. Not realistic at all.］
［Getting played by claims with zero evidence just makes you a sucker. It’ll keep happening too.］
［Kim Sun-woo isn’t your average Demon. How many Demons has he killed? Plus, Demon incidents dropped 70% compared to last year after he became king.］
［Already forgetting how Seoul got wrecked by Demons last month? Even if it seems unlikely, we gotta prepare.］
［That was the Second King who wrecked us. Kim Sun-woo’s a total fraud.］
［Heh~ Let it invade lol. If we die, oh well.］
“…Seriously, Kim Sun-woo doesn’t let even a single day go by without stirring something up. Is this guy the protagonist of the world or what? Everything he does turns into news.”
Late at night.
In a luxury hotel at the heart of Seoul, Baek Eun-seong scrolled through his smartphone screen and muttered.
Jin let out a small laugh at his words.
“Can’t blame them. He’s number one on the public vote for most-wanted criminal they want caught.”
“…Huh? Haven’t we held that spot for over ten years?”
“Yep. But he snatched it this week.”
Baek Eun-seong clamped his mouth shut at Jin’s words, then scratched his head.
“…Is this good for us?”
“Gotta be, right? With attention scattered, it’ll be easier for us to move.”
“Right? Even better?”
As he muttered that, Baek Eun-seong’s face fell into a sulk.
“But why do I feel so disappointed and salty about it…?”
“Ugh, you idiot.”
Jin shook his head.
“Either way, that bait Kim Sun-woo tossed is a big one. Cruas invading Seoul? That’s pandemonium-worthy.”
“…It is a riot. Online only, though.”
Everyone’s eyes turned toward Velt at the sudden voice.
She stood by the wide window, glass in hand, gazing down at Seoul’s nightscape.
At the end of her view lay the peaceful sight of Seoul’s citizens.
“Even with the possible descent of a catastrophe-grade magical beast king on Seoul, reality hasn’t shifted much. Everyone’s just living their usual day indifferently.”
“It’s safety blindness, what else.”
Natasha chuckled and shrugged.
Baek Eun-seong pondered for a moment before speaking.
“But Cruas descending on Seoul… that’s gotta be real, right?”
“Probably. Kim Sun-woo’s not the type for pointless stunts. If it was him, he said it thinking of the citizens’ safety.”
“…Hmm. So in the end, things aren’t going according to Kim Sun-woo’s plan right now.”
Baek Eun-seong looked back at his smartphone screen.
Velt took a sip of her drink and spoke again.
“Exciting. Wonder what Kim Sun-woo does next.”
December 29th, as cold winter winds blew.
The Korean Wizard Academy’s final events of the year began: the year-end ceremony and the third-years’ graduation.
“Man, so many people.”
“Yeah. Last year’s graduation wasn’t this packed.”
The auditorium hosting the graduation was filled with more reporters and dignitaries than ever before.
Part of it was to celebrate the graduation from Korea’s premier training institution, the Korean Wizard Academy—but even more so, they had gathered to mark the graduation of Korea’s top prospect, ‘Lee Seo-jun.’
The man of the hour, Lee Seo-jun, calmly ascended the podium and began his speech as the graduating class representative.
[Hello. I am Lee Seo-jun, representing the graduates. First, I offer my sincere thanks to everyone who has come to celebrate our graduation.]
As Lee Seo-jun’s greeting began, all eyes focused on him.
He then steadily shared his story, along with the lessons and memories from school.
Students and teachers watching recalled their own pasts and smiled softly.
Time passed, and Lee Seo-jun’s thank-you speech concluded.
Applause rang out as he descended the podium with a smile tinged with complex emotions.
Next up was the speech from the underclassmen representative.
2nd-year Choi Seo-yoon took the stage.
Reporters captured her image, now even more elegant and mature after just a year.
[Hello. I am Choi Seo-yoon, representing the underclassmen. It feels like just yesterday I entered the Wizard Academy with dreams of becoming a wizard, yet already two years have passed, and we’re entering our third.]
Like Lee Seo-jun, Choi Seo-yoon drew on her wealth of public speaking experience to deliver her story flawlessly.
Her once-bright energy and captivating smile had faded, but her charm to hold the audience’s attention remained undiminished.
[…We have received the beautiful gift of youth and precious memories. We underclassmen will always cherish our gratitude toward you graduating seniors and miss you dearly.]
As she continued her speech, Choi Seo-yoon paused briefly.
Memories of the past two years flooded her mind.
A time short yet long.
She had amassed irreplaceable experiences and memories.
Memories she would never forget for the rest of her life.
…And the person who taught her so much.
Her throat tightened momentarily, but she composed herself and continued.
[I do not see this as farewell. I firmly believe that one day, as we follow in your footsteps, we will meet again.]
The speech flowed smoothly.
Grads and underclassmen alike smiled as they listened to her every word.
Even a lengthy speech that could drag held them rapt thanks to the power in her voice.
And so time passed.
[…Once more, congratulations to our seniors on your graduation. I wish you all great fortune ahead.]
Her long speech came to an end.
A heavy silence fell over the auditorium, soon broken by thunderous applause echoing through the hall.
Feeling a mix of relief and bitterness, she gazed out at the scene below the podium.
First, she saw Lee Seo-jun, Yoo Ah-ra, and Shin Young-jun clapping vigorously in her direction.
Beside them, Yoon Ha-young wept with red, bloodshot eyes—and seeing that nearly brought tears to her own.
But she held back.
She didn’t want to send off her seniors with tears.
Suppressing the emotions welling up, she slowly scanned the surroundings to etch the scene into her memory.
Right then.
Her gaze suddenly locked on one spot.
In the back of the auditorium, among the dignitaries, a familiar silhouette was clapping.
Long coat and a hat pulled low…
The fashion was unfamiliar, but the build, physique, and aura were not.
Her heart plummeted.
…Senior?
Even with his face hidden, she recognized his distinctive presence.
In that instant, longing and joy surged, tempting her to rush to him unthinkingly.
But she clenched her fists and desperately held herself back.
She knew full well how dangerous it would be for him if she ran to him here, with everyone watching.
Even though he was right there yet untouchable, her chest burned—but she regained her reason.
Instead, she chose the best she could do.
She smiled.
A genuine smile she had never shown from the podium before.
[I was Choi Seo-yoon, your underclassmen representative. Thank you.]