Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The Beginning of President Baek Juseok's Downfall
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-Whiiiiiing
A massive clump of mana hurtled straight toward Choi Seunghyun, who was right in front of me.
-KABOOM!
The absorption draws in more mana the stronger the opponent's mana or magi is. Naturally, the more it absorbs, the greater the power of the release to match it—so it would have been an even more lethal attack against Choi Seunghyun, who wielded such immense mana.
-Sizzzzzz
In that split second, Choi Seunghyun blocked the release with his sword. He looked at me and spoke.
"Wow, you've got some balls. You're the first mage to hurl magic at me on sight. Of course, you'll be the last one, too."
"..."
I silently stared at Choi Seunghyun and raised my hand, preparing another spell.
-Whoooosh
Choi Seunghyun swung his sword once, then sheathed it back in its scabbard.
"Don't take it too personally. I wasn't planning to fight. I just wanted to gauge your skill level."
Choi Seunghyun looked at me and continued.
"I meant what I said about the guild. If you change your mind, let me know. I'll slot you into ours anytime."
-Whish
"Let's go."
At Choi Seunghyun's command, the Baal Guild members around us glared at Choi Juwon as they prepared to withdraw from the scene. That's when I shouted.
"You crazy psycho bastard. Running away? If you're gonna throw the first punch, at least apologize!"
-Halt
At my shout, the Baal Guild Master flinched for a moment and said.
"You... really wanna die?"
"Wanna die? Me? Or you?"
-Hummmmmm
Just as Choi Seunghyun began to draw up his mana. A woman stepped in to stop both of us.
"Please stop, both of you."
A crowd of people accompanied her.
Her name was Kang Eunbyeol. She was the daughter of the Hunter Association President.
Kang Eunbyeol spoke to me.
"My father wants to see you. Would you mind sparing some time, if it's not too much trouble?"
The Hunter Association President. He was the representative figure for all hunters in this world. His raw combat power might pale compared to Choi Seunghyun's, but his influence was far more formidable.
'He wants to see me? Why?'
I didn't know the reason, but if it was for something positive, it was a great sign.
'The Hunter Association President is someone I can use in all sorts of ways.'
I looked at Choi Seunghyun and said.
"I've got something to do, so we'll have to postpone this fight. Consider yourself lucky."
"Fuck... don't get cocky."
As Kang Eunbyeol, the Hunter Association President's daughter, glared at Choi Seunghyun, he spoke in annoyance.
"Hah... let's pull out."
In an instant, the Baal Guild members followed him as they withdrew, shooting glares my way.
'What're you gonna do, glare at me? Those crazy bastards too. Their guild master threw the first blow.'
I watched the retreating Baal Guild with those thoughts.
Once they were a good distance away, Baal's vice-guild master, Han Yujeong, angrily questioned Choi Seunghyun.
"Guild Master. Why did you let that damn mage off the hook?"
At those words, Choi Seunghyun pointed to his left hand.
-Tremble tremble
His hand was shaking uncontrollably.
Han Yujeong asked with a look of utter confusion.
"What's wrong with your hand...?"
"Backlash."
"Backlash?"
"That mage just absorbed my mana and released it, right? This is the recoil from blocking it with my sword."
"..."
"And that bastard didn't even go all out."
-Grind
Choi Seunghyun ground his teeth to the breaking point as he thought.
'A crazy monster's appeared.'
"He's the strongest mage I've ever met. If that guy hooks up with the Magic Association, he could be a threat. We need to start preparing countermeasures."
At the spot where the Baal Guild Master had left, there were guild members who had come for support, Magic Tower Lord Shin Yura, and independent hunters. Reporters and civilians without combat ability had long since fled. In other words, no broadcasting or reporting was happening now.
I asked Kang Eunbyeol.
"Why does the Hunter Association President want to see me?"
She spoke cautiously.
"This isn't something I can discuss in a crowded place."
"Hm... alright. Let's go somewhere quieter and talk, then."
Before leaving, I approached Shin Yura and whispered.
"You saw the Baal Guild Master chicken out and run, right? Cool it yourself, you bitch."
Shin Yura's face flushed red with anger as she yelled.
"A-Are you insane? You think you'll get away with talking to me like that?"
"Yeah, I do."
I whispered in her ear.
"If it pisses you off that much, go ahead and blast me with magic right now—in front of the Hunter Association President's daughter, you bitch."
-Grind
She couldn't muster a word and just stared. She spoke coldly.
"You'll live to regret treating me like this today."
"Regret is for the weak. You think I'm weaker than you?"
-Crunch
Shin Yura glared at me.
"You think this ends here? Choi Seunghyun's tricky because he has Baal backing him, but you're just one guy. Think you'll survive next time we meet? Not that a coward hiding behind a mask would stick around anyway."
To the furious her, I drew up my mana and said.
"Cut the bullshit. You think I'd run from you? I'll come find you soon, so wait up."
With that, I left Shin Yura behind and turned to Kang Eunbyeol.
"Let's go."
Then, Kang Eunbyeol asked me.
"Um... are your companions coming along too?"
I glanced to the side and saw Seol Euna and Jang Hyena standing there awkwardly.
'Oh right, they were here too.'
I asked them.
"Wanna come with?"
They nodded quietly. An opportunity to meet the Hunter Association President wasn't something that came around often.
"Can my companions tag along?"
When I asked Kang Eunbyeol, she shook her head regretfully.
"That... I'm sorry, but security protocols make it difficult."
"Hm... no helping it, then. Ms. Seol Euna, Ms. Jang Hyena, I'll contact you later."
I bid them farewell and turned to Kang Eunbyeol.
"I don't know the reason, but let's hurry."
The Hunter Association President was worth meeting.
Following Kang Eunbyeol, we got in a car and drove until a massive building came into view.
"We've arrived at Hunter Association headquarters."
The driver spoke, and Kang Eunbyeol led the way.
-Whirr
She pressed her pupil to the scanner, and layer after layer of security systems disengaged one by one.
"Just stick close behind me."
After she deactivated the locks for a while, we were finally able to enter.
-Ding
She arrived at the elevator and pressed the top floor, 39.
-Whirr
The doors opened to reveal an office that had to be at least 100 pyeong. But no one was there.
Kang Eunbyeol looked at me and said.
"Everything we discuss from now on must be kept strictly confidential."
I nodded, and she continued her explanation.
"When I said my father wanted to see you earlier... that was a lie. I'm truly, truly sorry... but I had no choice...."
She bowed her head 90 degrees in apology.
"It's fine. First, tell me why you did it."
Only after I said it was okay did she lift her head and begin.
"The Hunter Association President—my father—brought home a strange artifact recently. Ever since he used it, his whole body has been burning red-hot, and his face is gradually turning a reddish hue."
'Magi poisoning?'
From the symptoms alone, it sounded like magi poisoning.
"Sounds like magi poisoning. Who gave him the artifact?"
"I don't know... He only said it was a gift from someone important... and after using it, he's been unconscious ever since."
"I see. So why did you seek me out?"
"I assume you know that magi poisoning kills you slowly, like cancer, and it's considered an incurable disease with no real treatment... But I still mobilized huge sums of money and countless people to find a cure. Nothing worked."
'Of course not. If magi poisoning were that easy to fix, everyone would be borrowing artifact power to use magi left and right.'
She was starting to choke up as she spoke.
"I saw you on a live broadcast absorbing the Death Knight's magi in an A-rank dungeon and releasing it outward. You can do that on people too, right?"
'Ah, that's why she called me.'
Absorption and release were skills any decent mage could do. Of course, the capacity varied wildly between individuals.
Most mages would die if they tried to 'directly absorb' magi. Thanks to my Infinite Recovery, I could offset the damage from directly absorbing and releasing magi, but other mages couldn't layer spells dozens of times over, so this stunt was impossible for them.
'She wants me to use [Absorption] to suck out the magi accumulated in her father's body and release it externally.'
It was, in fact, the only viable method to cure magi poisoning right now.
'After trying everything else, she's grasping at straws with me.'
Looking around the office, I saw piles of healing-type artifacts.
After a brief pause, I answered her.
"Of course it can be used on people."
Kang Eunbyeol, tears welling up, pleaded.
"Please help. I beg you. My father is everything to me. Name your price—anything."
Still masked, I grinned at her and said.
"You said you'd do anything as compensation?"
She nodded.
"Anything at all... please... even if it doesn't work, just try once, and I'll still compensate you. I beg you...."
I told her.
"As the Hunter Association President's daughter, you can pretty much wield all his authority and connections, right?"
"Yes... Right now, I've been delegated all his authority. It's a fact only a tiny few know...."
"With the Hunter Association President's authority, can you pressure government agencies?"
"To some extent, yes. But not for anything malicious... My father definitely wouldn't want that...."
"Ah, it's not malicious. If anything, it's serving justice or whatever. There's this real scumbag academy president. He just got arrested for a crime, but he's gonna weasel out using his connections. So, help me crush this criminal. In return, I'll help save your father."
She nodded.
"If it's something like that, I can do it no problem."
The moment I heard her answer, I cheered inwardly.
'Baek Juseok. I was worried you'd slither out with connections again, but it looks like the gods are on my side. Get ready, you bastard. Things are about to get fun.'
I grinned and said.
"Let's go. Time to save your father."