Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Anyway, Once Revenge Ends, I Planned to Kill Myself
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The Hellfire I unleashed shattered Chang Seokhyeon's incantation in an instant and slammed into his body.
-KWAAAAAAAAANG-!
The smell of burning flesh began to rise amid the deafening roar.
"Tch. Why'd you have to come at me like that?"
I muttered under my breath, and Chang Seokhyeon staggered forward.
"My... my magic was high-rank too... How...?"
He stared at me in disbelief, his body half-charred. I gave him an answer.
"You really don't know? It's obvious. If the magic used by an amateur shitstain like you had the same power as mine, that would be the weird part."
"..."
"Even if we cast the exact same spell, yours and mine are worlds apart in power. Know why? Because our levels are different. The way we handle mana, how we wield it, the total amount we use—there's dozens more factors I could list, but this should be enough for you to get it."
-THUD-!
I smashed the stiffly standing bastard into the ground.
"You get beaten down and still talk big till the end—that's one thing. But you threw the first punch, so at least apologize properly. You don't seem willing, so I'll force one out of you."
I ramped up the gravity crushing him, bit by bit, until his entire body was pinned flat to the earth.
"Now that's a posture I like. Don't get cocky. I was dead serious about killing you, but my first batch of disciples-to-be are watching, so I'll show some mercy. Consider yourself lucky."
-Fwhoosh-
As I released Gravity, he gasped for air.
"Kuhk... Kuugh..."
"Quit your whining. No skill, and you still pick fights?"
"You... enough with the mockery... My cousin will make you pay for this..."
-ZZZAPPP-
Chang Seokhyeon took a Lightning Storm bolt to the face mid-charge and crumpled to the ground without even a scream.
"A pathetic leech who only clings to others. Live your life like the trash you are."
I spat one last line at the unconscious prick and headed back to where the disciple candidates waited.
Over a hundred prospects stood there, eyeing me in all sorts of ways.
'Hmm...'
Some feared me. Others looked up to me with admiration. And a few wore cold, emotionless masks.
'I like that gaze. Dead fish eyes? She seems to have a story.'
I pointed at one girl staring at me with rotten eyes.
"You. Come forward."
-Step, step, step-
The girl walked out without a word.
-Whirrr-
A close look revealed she held a hefty amount of mana.
'B-rank for now, but with my SSS buff, external mana techniques, and a circle breakthrough for growth? She'd skyrocket to top-tier A-rank mage in no time.'
I asked her,
"What's your name? Why do you want to be my disciple?"
"Park Hye-yeon. Revenge. Someone I need to get even with. But I'm too weak. Heard you're strong, so I came."
She met my eyes with hollow, emotionless voids.
'Hmm... No lies there.'
'Around twenty years old, speaks casually out of nowhere—but her motive's solid, and potential's sky-high.'
I told Park Hye-yeon,
"You're in. Step back."
I went on to quiz the hundred-odd candidates briefly, weeding them out.
No clear motive, just vague "I wanna get strong"? Gone. Weak-willed? Out.
'Just about matches what I wanted.'
Out of over thirty thousand applicants, I picked four—including Park Hye-yeon. You could say only four in thirty thousand fit my ideal, but that was plenty.
'Add Kang Eun-byeol, the Hunter Association Chairman's daughter, and it's five total.'
I addressed the remaining candidates.
"Congratulations. You're the elite few selected from tens of thousands to be my disciples. I'll teach you everything I have, and your power will explode in a short time."
"No fee. But you must promise one thing: lend me your strength five times when I call. This'll be a binding contract. If the terms don't sit right—or lending strength bothers you—feel free to walk away."
Of course, no one budged.
'Good. They're all driven, but recruiting replacements would've been a hassle.'
Why gather disciples? To smash the Magic Tower collective and trash swordsmen like Baal Guild. Solo? Tough. But these handpicked talents with burning grudges—top talents filtered from thirty thousand—plus Kang Eun-byeol's connections? Doable.
'Eun-byeol's growth potential lags, but that insane Hunter Association tie-in evens it.'
She's crime-averse, sure—but I saved her dad's life, so for a just cause, she'll help.
'New disciples. Time for background checks.'
I told the four standing there,
"Introduce yourselves, one by one. Keep it simple."
They did, in turn.
"Seo Chan-woo. Male, A-rank mage, as you can see. Hunted as a Hunter till now, but quit all affiliations to apply."
"Im Sea. B-rank mage. Been solo researching, no guild or anything."
"Min Da-yun. A-rank mage. Was in a guild, quit for this."
"Park Hye-yeon. B-rank mage. Never joined anywhere."
I told my new disciples,
"Intros done. From now on, I'll speak casually for convenience. Cool?"
They all nodded. Curiosity struck, so I asked Park Hye-yeon,
"Hye-yeon—no shade, just curious. You talk casual to everyone?"
She nodded.
"I don't polite-talk anyone I don't truly trust. Only ones I ever did were my parents."
"Got it. Rest of you, don't take her speech personally. Doesn't seem like lies."
I worried about friction, but they brushed it off like it was nothing. Each one felt... broken somewhere.
'Makes sense. All driven by revenge.'
In our chats, each named a target they had to crush. Grow strong, no matter what. Their eyes went bloodshot at "revenge."
'Not surprising. Weak eat strong here. Going from kid to adult without injustice? That's the anomaly. Middling talents without connections get openly suppressed.'
I spoke bluntly to my disciples.
"You all burn to get stronger. Fueled by revenge."
"I'm no charity case. Remember: five times, you lend me power. We'll contract it later—speak up if you change your mind."
"One more thing. I have a growth boost buff for rapid gains. Link you to my skill, and you'll grow faster than you dream. Catch? Unlink it, and it flips to a massive debuff. Your call."
Park Hye-yeon stepped forward, no hesitation.
I said to her quick advance,
"I barely explained. You sure? Don't know the debuff or its bite."
She spoke with empty eyes.
"Doesn't matter. Long as I get strong fast. Debuff? Don't care."
"Anyway, once revenge ends, I planned to kill myself."