Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Magic Tower Lord Shin Yura and Baal Guild Leader
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Shin Yura. She spoke to me with a cold expression.
"What on earth is your identity?"
"What do you mean? I don't quite understand the intent of your question."
"Exactly what I said—what's your identity? Who are you to thrash President Baek Juseok, a top-tier A-rank mage, like he was trash? And he even used a dark artifact on top of that."
She spoke to me with a displeased expression. She was probably irritated that President Baek Juseok had been arrested because of me. After all, Baek Juseok was practically in a partnership with the Magic Tower Lord.
I answered with a serious face.
"I've hated standing out since I was young, so I always operated alone. That's probably why my name isn't well-known."
In truth, back when I lived as a hunter, I snuck in and out of gates using loopholes without dungeon entry tickets and never teamed up with anyone.
In other words, I spent my entire growth period alone.
Of course, there were times I needed official hunter status, so I got licensed up to A-rank.
'Anyway, since I can already sneak into dungeons freely, advertising S-rank-or-higher power would just bring headaches.'
For someone like me, who had to pose as an instructor for quests anyway, it was far easier to pass as A-rank in combat power and S-rank in intellect than to snag an S-rank license and deal with scrutiny from the Hunter Association or guilds.
Yang Hangil and the others only knew about my hunter activities from records I'd intentionally left public. In short, Yang Hangil got his ass handed to him for mouthing off because he never imagined I had S-rank power.
Not just him—my own disciples thought the same. So realistically, no one would link the Masked Instructor casually blasting SS-rank spells with the real Choi Juwon.
'Even with all that acting, Magic Tower Lord Shin Yura kept trying to scout me—but that was just because of my mana reserves.'
For reference, during the Black Gate incident when Seol Euna and the other guilds nearly died, I was masked, so my identity stayed hidden from everyone else.
Seol Euna found out through a tangled mess of events, but to calm my nerves once she knew my magic prowess, she voluntarily cast a contract spell vowing never to reveal it. So there was zero risk of exposure.
Shin Yura's face flushed red as she spoke irritably.
"You're not trying to mess with me, are you? No way a mage like you stayed completely unknown just by going solo. Are you from overseas?"
"Yes, I came from abroad."
-Crunch
She suddenly yelled in fury.
"Do I look like a moron to you? I'm Magic Tower Lord Shin Yura. You think I can't tell foreigners from locals?"
I spoke to her coldly.
"I answered politely—why snap at me? What did I ever do to you? I saved lives on the brink of death and gave Baek Juseok the lesson he deserved. That's it. Why vent your anger at me out of nowhere? It's downright bizarre."
She glanced around at the onlookers, then smiled and apologized. Sure, Baek Juseok had tried to slaughter everyone with that dark artifact, but he was still her errand boy—she couldn't exactly chew me out in public for humiliating him.
"Haha, I was just way too curious about who you are. Baek Juseok didn't just use a dark artifact—he nearly massacred everyone, so you handled it perfectly. No complaints from me there. Sorry if I upset you. Will you accept my apology?"
While play-acting remorse, Shin Yura shot me a venomous glare hidden from the others.
'This bitch has no idea who she's messing with.'
I replied to her as if it were nothing.
"Since you apologized so earnestly, I'll forgive your rudeness this once."
I channeled mana through my entire body.
"But there won't be a next time."
Shin Yura knew Baek Juseok was framing me but aided him anyway—not to mention she'd tried using me as a black magic battery right up until recently. It was only natural to boil seeing a psycho like her climbing the ranks.
She looked at me and said,
"I'm quite displeased. I saw you handle Baek Juseok well enough, but this attitude toward me, the Magic Tower Lord? Not wise. You planning to make enemies of every mage in my Magic Tower?"
She summoned a massive wave of mana to rival mine.
As I opened my mouth to reply, a sword-wielding man strode up beside us, roaring with laughter.
"Man, even Magic Tower Lord Shin Yura's toast now. Getting straight-up dissed like this."
A hulking frame mismatched with a goblin-like face. Korea's sole active S-rank swordsman, hailed as the strongest. Baal Guild Leader Choi Seung-hyun.
Even Shin Yura said nothing to his cackling, merely turning away in annoyance. True to the head of Korea's premier guild Baal—commanding hundreds of B- to A-rank swordsmen—immense mana poured from him even at rest.
Choi Seung-hyun looked at me and said,
"Saw that fight just now. Damn impressive for a mage. Oh, and I caught your dungeon clear live too. I was the first to solo an A-rank, but yours was pretty striking."
'This guy's speech alone is infuriating.'
-[for a mage] [I was the first though]
It took real talent to sour moods with mere wording.
'Well, he's always been this type.'
Baal Guild Leader Choi Seung-hyun: an unpredictable rubber ball of a man. Laughs in rage, cries in joy, hands out random kindness or bashes strangers for no reason—a total loose cannon.
Choi Seung-hyun extended a hand to me.
"Your magic's got you headed for stardom soon. Wanna be friends?"
That's when Shin Yura muttered under her breath beside him.
"Friends my ass."
-Swoosh
"Eek!"
In an instant, Choi Seung-hyun swung his sword at Shin Yura.
"Wha... have you lost your mind? Why attack out of nowhere?"
Choi Seung-hyun spoke to her coldly.
"I was talking, bitch—why mutter and piss me off from the side?"
"..."
"Not answering, bitch?"
-Crunch
-Hummm
Mad mana surged through his blade; at the sight, Shin Yura whimpered,
"Sor... sorry..."
"Hahahahaha!"
Choi Seung-hyun exploded in laughter and patted her back.
"Just kidding. You agreed to be friends with me, right? Why so spooked? Between friends."
"You're... such a scumbag. Don't pull stunts like that, please. My heart nearly stopped."
His face iced over again in an instant.
"What'll you do if I joke again?"
"..."
"Haha. Kidding. Why freeze up again?"
Shin Yura wore an irritated scowl but couldn't snap back at him.
"Sorry, sorry. Anyway, masked friend—thought about my offer?"
"You mean being friends?"
"Yeah. Hanging with hyung here's nothing but upside. Kinda awkward saying it myself, but our guild's pretty renowned and badass, yeah? Hit me up if trouble comes later."
'Hyung? The hell?'
Either way, tangling with a lunatic like this spelled nothing but hassle. But outright rejecting him risked whatever insanity he'd unleash next. I deflected vaguely.
"Your prestige, Mr. Choi Seung-hyun, dwarfs my own as a lowly creator. How about we revisit this when I'm more your equal?"
"What're you on about~ You're plenty big-time already—quit the humility. Or just join our guild. Thoughts?"
"We don't recruit mages unless they're essential, honestly. Straight talk: mages suck in dungeons compared to swordsmen. Mana drains fast, they cower and get mobbed—total drag. But you look solid, so join up and I'll hook you up good. Fat stacks of cash included."
"I don't care for affiliations."
-Swoosh
-Swoosh
Baal Guild Leader Choi Seung-hyun twirled his sword idly as he spoke.
"Hmmm... fair enough. Not my style to force the unwilling. Still, didn't see the rejection coming."
He offered his hand with a grin.
"Least we can do is shake on it, right?"
As he stuck it out casually, I extended mine.
"Handshake? Sure, why not."
-Thud
Suddenly, berserk mana erupted from our gripped hands.
-Hummmm
Choi Seung-hyun grinned.
"Who the fuck do you think you are, cockily turning me down? Wanna get wrecked?"
-Crunch
He ramped up the force like he meant to pulverize my hand.
"Speak up, you little shit. Took down one Baek Juseok and got cocky? How's this feel? Starting to think you fucked up?"
-Rumble
The ground quaked under his mana surge—that very moment.
"Fuck, I can't take this anymore."
I muttered low and incanted.
"Absorb."
Choi Seung-hyun's mana got yanked into me in a flash.
"Huh...?!"
He gawked at it with a dumbfounded look.
I raised my free hand at him and yelled,
"Release!"
-Piiing
A massive mana blob rocketed straight at point-blank Choi Seung-hyun.