Throwing in the Resignation, Becoming a Mage
In one week, the B-rank disaster 'Arakhan' will manifest near your residence in Incheon Michuhol-gu Hakik-dong.
Containment procedures will commence per relevant regulations.
All external communication channels are now severed, and escape beyond the barrier is impossible.
We wish you the best of luck.
Information Provider: Elise Remiere
It was right before the end of the workday.
The moment I saw the announcement in the messenger app, my blood ran cold.
"……."
In the midst of the staff who couldn't utter a single word easily, a siren wailed—weeeng—echoing through the district office.
"Sunbae, what does this mean?"
Lee Ye-ji, the newbie officer, was the only one who hadn't grasped the situation yet.
"It means we're all dead."
I summed it up in one blunt sentence.
I'd been dispatched to Gangwon-do once before when a B-rank disaster like this had hit.
The city had turned into a desert, all buildings buried in a sandstorm, corpses strewn everywhere. Those sights were still vivid in my memory.
"Literally one week left. Go grab your parents and eat some beef you've never splurged on before. It's money that'll turn to ash soon anyway."
"N-no, what are you……."
BAM!
The District Chief shot up from his seat and yelled.
"Request deployment of A-rank hunters from above!"
"As you can see, all communication is……."
"We must have some hotline open!"
"The government notice says no support of any kind is possible."
Shouts and curses erupted from every corner of the district office.
The team leader, face drained of color in terror, kept picking up the receiver only to slam it down at the dead signal.
My smartphone showed the same 'out of service area' message.
It was hard to accept. Just five minutes ago, we'd been peacefully chatting about post-work plans.
"How can a disaster even appear outside the Tower? Hunters climb it and gather mana stones to prevent this shit, right? Why is this happening?"
Lee Ye-ji asked me, her hands trembling.
"Can we trust that message? Who the hell is this person making everyone freak out? Could just be some psycho pranking us."
"An S-rank hunter."
"Pardon?"
"S-rank. There are only ten in the whole world. Her trait is prophecy. Elise Remiere is the woman who sees the future."
I replied while tapping away at my keyboard.
"Arguing logic went out the window a hundred years ago. Back when there were no Towers, monsters, or hunters. Peaceful Korea, good times."
Just a dreamlike story from the textbooks.
"It's true mana stones from the Tower can prevent disasters, but whether the government uses them on our district is another matter."
Put simply, we're not worth it.
The higher-ups had decided sacrificing one district was cheaper than wasting mana stones or hunters.
"How could they……."
Lee Ye-ji bowed her head deeply.
"Then why warn us in advance? To watch us doomed folks squirm for fun? Or some mercy to spend our last days with family?"
Tears even started dripping down.
No, why was she crying? I was just answering her question.
Then it hit me—she thought I had given up on life too.
Like the other officials who had started running aimlessly, not knowing where to go.
That wasn't the case. I had no intention of dying quietly.
As I was about to offer her some half-hearted comfort, the District Chief shoved his frog-like face in mine.
"Hey, Baek Seo-hu. You got some plan, right?"
"……Pardon?"
"Why do you think I placed a worthless orphan spec like you in a 7th-grade civil servant spot?"
"Beats me."
"Bloodline."
His eyes glared down at me, full of suspicion.
"Your parents were A-rank hunters. You got some escape route using their connections, just for yourself? Why else are you the only one so calm in this mess……!"
"It's done."
I cut him off, and his brows furrowed.
Something unimaginable in normal times.
Usually, I'd have to smile through his emotional outburst.
But I had no tomorrow anymore.
I hit print. Chik, chik—the machine's whir was deafening in the quiet office.
I handed over the resignation letter.
"I'm quitting."
"What?"
"I want to make the most of my remaining time. Thanks for everything."
I nodded slightly, grabbed my coat, and ignored the District Chief's noisy shouting.
Finally, I left the comfort I'd meant for Lee Ye-ji earlier.
"There's a reason for the prophecy coming down."
For instance, to buy that one week.
And right on cue, I had one method.
Extremely dangerous, no guarantees on the outcome—but with high odds of breaking this situation.
I'd obtained that method ten years ago.
Sky Orphanage.
A government-run welfare center where any child with hunter blood was sent.
Life there was decent enough.
No starving, and hospitals for when we got sick.
"You will all awaken one day and climb the Tower. Become hunters and repay the debt of being raised. For the great nation and people."
The downside? Endlessly hearing that brainwashing worship like parrots.
I let it go in one ear and out the other while lounging, when the director called me.
"Baek Seo-hu, come to the director's office."
There were my parents' belongings left behind.
"An album with a photo from when you were born. Must miss them a lot, huh?"
Could've been touching. But all I felt was dread.
"An album?"
Overwhelmed by terror, I pointed at the book with trembling fingers.
"Don't you see these tentacles and teeth?"
The family photo was just camouflage. Thick letters in an unknown language were engraved boldly.
Forbidden Book of Divine Punishment
A grotesque malice emanated from the worn book.
Just glancing made nausea surge, head spinning with dizziness. What horrors awaited if I turned the next page?
"What are you talking about? You okay?"
But the director didn't understand a word, like always. Even when I showed it to my peers after hiding it in my clothes.
"Your parents were handsome. Lucky."
"I got nothing. Apartment in Gangnam, luxury goods—all seized by the state. Guess they return worthless memories……."
Just normal reactions.
Seemed like only I could see the book's true form.
I briefly doubted my sanity. Nah, everyone else was crazy.
With that conviction, time passed. I left the orphanage, became a proper citizen—but never awakened as a hunter. Lived an ordinary life instead.
Until today, at least.
After submitting my resignation, I rushed back to my cheap studio and rummaged deep in the closet.
"Urk……."
I dry-heaved once, dusting off the book. Older now, I could endure it better than back then.
Forbidden Book of Divine Punishment
The real title visible only to me. Below were warnings.
—Do NOT open unless your life is about to end!
Probably from my mom. I nodded at the photo in the corner.
"Guess that's now."
Otherwise, in a week, I'd head straight to the afterlife. Nothing worse than death.
I flipped the page casually.
More serious than expected.
"Fundamental truths……? And magic?"
If not written here, I'd scoff. But I couldn't laugh. If it was a prank, I'd be screwed.
I calmly rummaged through the kitchen cabinet.
"Seasoned salt work?"
I lit the gas stove, poured it into a frying pan, roasted for three minutes, then into a ramen bowl.
Next, 'something burned to its limit'—expired chicken breast. Tossed it in the pan on high heat. Endured the acrid smoke with windows open.
"Gonna get complaints."
Sure enough, five minutes later, a call from the security office.
After sincere apologies to buy time, I had meteorite-like chunks done.
The last two were easy.
Sliced my finger with a kitchen knife, dabbed blood on tissue.
Smashed the wristwatch—a goodbye gift from the orphanage—with a hammer. Prep complete.
"Hoo……."
Placed the grimoire in the room's center. Arranged ingredients east, west, south, north around it.
Night had fallen outside.
The precious day was ending. No time to hesitate.
Flutter.
I opened the book. What happened next was nothing like I'd imagined.
No sinister tentacles sprouting, no black mist sucking my soul to an absolute being.
You have awakened.
Your trait is (EX) Mage.
Questions flooded my mind.
First, the EX rank.
Above S, sure—but had any hunter ever gotten EX in history?
'……Mages actually exist?'
Legendary stuff, like 'maybe someday.'
Hunters could only use one awakened trait.
Fire, ice, body enhancement—whatever.
System traits were like rule-breaking magic.
A monster who could spam them without limits? Impossible.
I tried to stay calm. But my heart pounded.
Notifications kept coming.
You are the first on Earth to meet the qualifications.
Access to the interdimensional fantasy magic Cradle: Mage Gallery is granted.
What appeared before my eyes was a bulletin board resembling an internet community I knew.
"What the hell is all this?"
8th tier? Magic? Corpse resurrection? Basilisk tail?
Basilisk was the Tower 60F boss, right?
Shouldn't this be something like?
As I muttered in bewilderment,
New user, 'Proxy of ■■ ▌ ▍■■', has entered the Cradle.
Ding!
A server-wide notice popped up in the community, and simultaneously,
the board that had been stagnant exploded with posts like crazy.
I could practically feel the gasps of shock from beyond.