Chapter 14
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 014
Chapter Title: Mental Attack
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“...If it's your concern, Eun-ho, we could discuss it together.”
“My concern?”
“Would you mind following me for a moment?”
Park Ha-jun walked over to the board set up in one corner of the training ground. Magical training rooms like this one came equipped with setups for studying theory.
Park Ha-jun picked up the board marker. Before long, his face had taken on the expression of an educator.
“Eun-ho's concern boils down to this.”
Maintaining transcendent casting speed while perfectly executing magic.
Put another way, it was executing perfect magic without any calculations.
“Impossible.”
At those words, Kang Eun-ho blinked. Some of his energy drained away.
He had figured Professor Park Ha-jun would say something different.
“But there is a solution that affects casting speed only minimally. Get used to it, and you might pull off perfect magic at speeds close to what you have now.”
If it was just close, Kang Eun-ho could receive the respect due a solid A-rank mage.
His casting speed was that fast, and he even possessed the insane ability known as penta-casting.
That was why Kang Eun-ho grew intensely excited.
“...! How?”
“Supplement the formula that comes to you intuitively with theory. In other words, don't treat intuition and theory separately.”
Kang Eun-ho nodded, but it didn't quite resonate. The method felt a bit too abstract.
Catching every one of those reactions, Park Ha-jun smiled faintly and spoke up.
“Could you draw the five Fire Magic Bullet formulas you just cast? Include the circuit diagrams if possible.”
This was because Park Ha-jun's Geometric Interpretation only applied to scroll circuits.
“Uh... give me a sec.”
Most ordinary mages didn't even know how to circuit a formula.
But Kang Eun-ho was a student who had delved into such esoteric arts because he had lost his way so badly.
With somewhat clumsy skill, he drew his own formula and then circuited it.
Each time a circuit took shape, Park Ha-jun experienced the uncanny sight of something complex transforming into geometric forms.
Likely because he had drawn the formula first, then circuited it.
In any case, Park Ha-jun eyed the five circuits and matched them to the five Fire Magic Bullets Kang Eun-ho had fired earlier.
Gulp. While Park Ha-jun scrutinized the circuits, Kang Eun-ho swallowed hard.
Soon enough, having completed his analysis, Park Ha-jun spoke.
“I told you—if you grasp the essence of the formula's core and deform it while preserving that essence, you can move toward perfect formulas.”
The trick of topology. Even Kang Eun-ho could accept that.
“You seem to intuitively grasp the essence of the formula's core, Eun-ho.”
Every time Kang Eun-ho cast a spell, he manifested it with varying power, size, and so on.
Yet the magic never failed. It activated precisely as magic should. That meant he was deforming it while preserving the essence.
“The problem is, you have no clue which direction that essence should take.”
He grasped the essence intuitively, but not the direction.
In other words, he knew it on instinct alone, without true understanding.
“That's exactly where the theoretical supplementation I mentioned comes in.”
To correct an intuitively recalled formula, you needed theory to pinpoint the direction.
But that was precisely enough—just enough to supplement the intuition.
Anything more would hinder Kang Eun-ho's intuition.
Using theory only to the exact degree needed in specific situations.
In mathematical terms, that was a 'theorem'—a tool that let you skip messy calculations and grab the result.
Theorems could only be forged by those who fully understood the concepts.
So it would have been impossible for Kang Eun-ho. Even impossible for your average Magic Department professor.
Thus, he had no choice but to wander for those two years.
But Park Ha-jun was different. Hadn't he already perfectly understood the Fire Magic Bullet circuit?
“The essence of this part is this, and the correct direction to evolve it is like so...”
Park Ha-jun first 'evaluated' the circuit Kang Eun-ho had drawn. His assessment was spot-on at every turn.
Tap tap—
“And here's the completed circuit based on that.”
The examples he sketched were clean and free of any excess.
Park Ha-jun's instruction flowed as smoothly as water.
“Combining the five formulas, we can partially define the essence of the attribute formula core like this...”
This was no light material, yet absorbing it took almost no mental energy.
No need to deliberate—it simply sank in and stuck.
“Step by step. First, let's properly grasp the essence of attributes. From my research, the Purification circuit looks simple and efficient for that.”
Kang Eun-ho's focus slipped as a growing sense of wrongness crept in.
Who was this person delivering this unbelievable lecture to him right now?
A non-awakener—an outdated Mathematics professor.
Sure, he'd realized from their prior talk that Professor Park Ha-jun was no ordinary man.
'Last time, it was grafting topology onto magic. Now...
He's teaching actual magic—or magic scrolls—them better than any Magic Department prof.'
'Just... how? What's this professor's real deal?'
But in this moment, such doubts didn't matter. Kang Eun-ho shot up his hand in a panic.
“P-Professor, hold on!”
“Hm? Something wrong?”
“No... just wait. Notebook—gotta take notes!”
He flipped open a notebook right on the floor. Pen in hand, he began copying the board word-for-word, without a single slip.
As he did, he recalled and jotted annotations for everything Park Ha-jun had said.
It was worth it.
Park Ha-jun scratched his cheek and waited patiently. Wish there was coffee.
The moment his notes were done, Kang Eun-ho's eyes gleamed.
“Keep going!”
“Haha... very well. Then let's pick up with the Purification circuit.”
And so Park Ha-jun explained the elemental structure at work in Purification.
By inspecting Kang Eun-ho's own Purification firsthand, he fostered the student's growth while resolving his own curiosities.
Meanwhile, the Korea Awakener Association's Mage Alliance learned that the elemental golem's core required purification.
But when they heard the request had gone to asd123, they flew into a rage.
“What outrageous nonsense!”
“If it's a matter tied to humanity's fate, it should be us.”
“Exactly. As members of the same organization, we wouldn't even charge much.”
Lee Dong-gyu sent an inquiry.
- So how much to get your heavy asses moving.
“Given the severity, 20 million gold suffices.”
- ? We'll stick with asd123.
“We'll head there now.”
The Mage Alliance thus set off for the elemental golem's core.
A touch reckless, but high-ranking mages wielded immense authority. No one dared block their path.
Lee Dong-gyu sighed as they arrived, hands clasped behind their backs.
“...Ha. We're grateful for the assistance, but botched purification could be risky. Unless it's Councilor Jeong helping, we won't accept it.”
The man dubbed Councilor Jeong was a seasoned 4-circle mage.
He held considerable sway in the Association, so though reluctant, Lee Dong-gyu deemed his aid worthwhile.
“Understood.”
The other mages looked deeply offended but held their tongues at Councilor Jeong's word.
Councilor Jeong approached the golem core, hands still behind his back.
Lee Dong-gyu spoke up anxiously.
“As you're aware, Councilor... don't push too hard. Mana backlash is a risk.”
Mana backlash: when a caster's mana flows backward, striking the body. Not fatal, but a long recovery ahead.
“Spare me the needless worry.”
Gruffly annoyed, Councilor Jeong placed one hand on the core. Ominous energy crept up his fingertips.
'Definitely... off.
He frowned. But surrender was out of the question. Not with the underlings watching.
Councilor Jeong gathered mana at his fingertips.
He mapped the local mana flows, then enveloped the target thickly with his own.
With the elemental golem core designated, he initiated purification.
Nothing happened.
'...No surprise there.'
Frowning deeper, he refined his mana control.
Grip the foul energy with earth attribute, condense it with water, peel it away with wind.
Finally, incinerate it with fire to purify.
But midway through...
Rumble.
Ominous runes etched on the core's surface quivered faintly, pushing back.
Veins bulging on Councilor Jeong's hand turned blue.
Lee Dong-gyu paled, rushing forward.
“Stop...! Pull back now!”
But Councilor Jeong's eyes widened instead, shoving the purification flow harder.
“...You dare resist.”
In that instant, something impossible surfaced in Councilor Jeong's mind.
A snake with nine heads. Some bore horns, others crowns.
The colossal nine-headed serpent roared at him.
Kieeeek—!
'What in the—!'
Councilor Jeong's face blanched in a heartbeat. Veins throbbed on his neck next.
“Keheuk—!”
Blood gushed from his mouth. As it splattered, Lee Dong-gyu sighed.
“What a damn fool...”
Councilor Jeong couldn't even react. He clutched his throat, hacking, then collapsed unconscious.
Lee Dong-gyu frantically summoned the medical team and reflected.
'Not mere mana backlash. Something far worse...'
He hadn't anticipated this level of danger. Even worst-case, he'd pegged it as simple backlash.
Wrong. Purifying the elemental golem core was far riskier than imagined.
The Corrupted Awakeners' hideout.
A purple-skinned man gingerly touched the mural.
“Confirmed?”
The man in Association robes bowed low.
“As I reported before, that asd123's scroll is the wildcard.”
A chill silence fell. The purple-skinned man stroked the mural ever so slowly before pulling his hand away—
Bang—
The Association-robed man's head exploded.
“...Still spouting drivel. You're truly tainted.”
Magic scrolls. Trash like that couldn't derail his grand design.
That cursed Association President must have pulled some scheme.
'How does he foil our every move? Cleanup's sloppy, though.'
This wasn't the end. It was the beginning.
The elemental golem core would power the gate, summoning His apostle.
In a mere B-rank gate, it couldn't amass enough life force for a perfect summon, but...
Left alone, the summon itself was feasible.
Yet the fool jetted off overseas, oblivious. Refusing to yield an inch.
'Your dimwitted choice seals the summon's success.'
Blocking His apostle required flawless purification.
Impossible without the Association President. Scrolls were a joke not worth mentioning.
“...Mother, the day you descend upon this land draws near.”
The man knelt before the mural.
Councilor Jeong, carted off by the medical team.
Kim Ji-seok arrived late, eyeing the bloody mess caked in dirt.
“...Safe to entrust something this dangerous to the Association President?”
“Only he can pull it off.”
“What about asd123's scroll?”
“...”
Lee Dong-gyu groaned. True—if asd123 crafted a perfect Purification scroll, it could cleanse the demonic energy.
But.
“Too risky.”
“You think asd123's at risk? Then maybe rethink—”
“No. The one channeling mana into the scroll. The user.”
“...”
In the original plan, that user was Kim Ji-seok.
Lee Dong-gyu glanced at Kim Ji-seok's stony face and continued.
“Mental attack hit during the purification attempt. Not just backlash—we have to consider Corrupted Awakener transformation.”
Councilor Jeong's skin had indeed morphed into theirs.
“It needs someone with top-tier mental fortitude and demonic energy resistance.”
The obvious pick was the Association President.
No one matched his demonic resistance or ironclad will.
“Best to debrief Councilor when he wakes, then hand it to the President.”
If feasible, yes—that was ideal.
But.
Roooar.
The gate's mana density climbing in real time.
“Healers say Councilor won't wake anytime soon. Corrupted risk isn't off the table either.”
Delays or no intel at all were possible.
In that scenario, should the President shoulder the risk?
If he took damage—even slightly—it'd be a national catastrophe. Could they afford it?
And...
“If this ties to Corrupted transformation, better I use asd123's scroll.”
A Corrupted Association President? No Awakener in the country could stop him.
Plenty in the Association could kill Kim Ji-seok, though.
“...I'll handle it. No—I will.”
Kim Ji-seok declared. He prided his mental resilience. Unshaken by outside pressure, grinding through a hellish schedule for years.
'...I can tough it out. My demonic resistance is above average too.'
Lee Dong-gyu met Kim Ji-seok's eyes. Steely resolve.
“...Ha. Stubborn bunch, all of you.”
His reasoning wasn't wrong, though. The riskier, the less for the President.
He nodded reluctantly.
“...With proper prep, it's doable. I'll loop in HQ.”
As they assembled key Association brass for the meeting—
Sender: asd123
Made the scroll you requested.