Chapter 18
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 018
Chapter Title: Beyond the Realm
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The Korea Awakener Association's medical room.
The mages loyal to Councilor Jeong stood in silent prayer.
Even after every attempt by healer Kim Chae-won, Lee Dong-gyu's items, and all sorts of special-type Awakeners, there was no sign of improvement.
Lee Dong-gyu sighed as he gazed at their forlorn backs.
'...We don't have many options left.'
More special-type Awakeners who might offer help kept arriving, but their abilities seemed utterly unrelated to treating corruption.
So, the realistic choices boiled down to just three.
1. Kill Councilor Jeong.
2. Deliver a massive mental shock to forcibly wake him.
3. ...Get a perfect Purification scroll from asd123.
But.
'No reply from asd123 yet.'
That probably meant there was no pre-made scroll.
In that case, there was really only one option left.
1. Kill Councilor Jeong.
Mental attacks carried unknown risks. Even if he woke that way, would he be human... or a Corrupted...?
Lee Dong-gyu squeezed his eyes shut.
'...Is this really the right choice?'
Beep. Beep.
The medical equipment's beeps rang especially loud. His thoughts stuttered to a halt. Was there truly no other way?
Did they really have to topple the Association's pillar with their own hands?
Why were they so utterly powerless against the Corrupted's schemes without the president...?
At that moment, someone entered the medical room. A powerhouse who altered the flow of mana just by appearing. A mage on par with Councilor Jeong.
"...Tch. Still making fools of yourselves like this."
It was Councilor Shin. A young mage loyal to Councilor Jeong spotted him and rushed to the door, dropping to his knees.
"Councilor! Please help just once! With your Purification..."
"Silence! What is this disgrace? A proud mage kneeling so casually...!"
Councilor Shin was genuinely furious.
The young mage belatedly came to his senses and scrambled to his feet.
"Well... I don't want that old man dying like this either."
Councilor Shin eyed the bed with clear displeasure.
"But I can't end up looking like that myself."
Mages weren't stupid; they just had pride to spare.
Councilor Jeong, his equal, had failed at Purification. That failure had triggered the corruption.
Attempting it the same way would leave him no better off.
"It's only natural. I saw it coming the moment mages stopped keeping their dignity and started scurrying about."
"..."
"Snap out of it. Are you not even considering the real danger bearing down on the Association right now?"
...
Lee Dong-gyu let out a deep sigh at the scolding. But he was steeling his resolve.
He opened his status window and began drafting a mail to the president.
It detailed the current situation and the heavy conclusion that they might have to kill Councilor Jeong.
Then.
[A new mail has arrived.]
...
From: asd123
[I've crafted the Purification scroll you requested. How should we handle the trade...]
His mind blanked. He'd crafted the requested scroll? In this short time?
Then he recalled the specs he'd sent—just the bare minimum for maximum performance amid the crisis.
'So, it won't be a 5-circle Purification scroll like last time.'
Probably not enough to turn the tide.
Still, he was nothing but grateful to asd123 for answering such a sudden, unreasonable request.
'...Let's receive it first and figure it out.'
If it was asd123's unique Purification scroll, it was worth a shot even if not 5-circle level.
[We should use the Auction House until a secure route is set up. I apologize once more for the unreasonable request...]
He sent the mail to asd123.
"Considering our past ties, I'll send you off peacefully..."
At the same time, he cut off Councilor Shin.
"There's still a chance."
"Hm?"
"asd123 has crafted a Purification scroll. Everyone, open the Auction House. The price is..."
It sounded utterly absurd.
But they knew. asd123's scroll had effortlessly succeeded where Councilor Jeong had failed, coughing up blood.
In this desperate straw-grasping moment, and from asd123 no less.
"asd123's scroll...?"
"asd123...!"
The mages loyal to Councilor Jeong began opening the Auction House one by one.
"You fools..."
Councilor Shin clicked his tongue but couldn't bring himself to call it "that worthless scrap of paper."
He'd been there when the multicolored mana dust flew. He'd seen with his own eyes what it had done.
A good while earlier.
Park Ha-jun spread a sheet of high-grade parchment on his desk.
"Ughhh..."
"Ugh?"
"Ugh."
The researchers, having finished their pizza, were zombie-like as they reviewed data or long formulas.
'Feeling a bit guilty...'
Park Ha-jun focused solely on the Purification circuit.
He sorted the sequence once more to guard against any possible mistakes, then prepared to manifest his intent and activate Accelerated Manifestation.
Zing.
A sudden electric signal hit, and his hand began moving on its own.
...Could it even be called "on its own"?
This circuit was precisely the manifestation of his intent. Exactly what Park Ha-jun aimed to draw.
Just... at a speed far beyond his usual.
[Accelerated Manifestation]
[Drawing speed accelerates.]
It wasn't merely fast—it was accelerating. Speeding up more and more.
At first, it moved at a pace he could leisurely review. Then it grew too fast to keep up.
And finally...
Swish-swish-swish—
His hand flew at an insane speed.
'...One twitch and I'll botch it.'
Park Ha-jun abandoned all levity, concentrating solely on holding his intent steady.
His intent became the quill's guiding light. It precisely illuminated the path as the circuit took shape.
Three-dimensional space and vector fields. Space-filling curves packing it dense. Knots arrayed in perfect order...
And so, that flawless circuit manifested on the high-grade parchment.
The result.
...
It had surpassed 5-circle.
'A total monster was born... How much time?'
Just 20 minutes. Despite the grind-heavy 3D spatial rendering.
"..."
For reference, his previous trance-drawing after grasping "order" had taken nearly two hours.
An insanely powerful skill.
'Is it normally this broken? Doesn't feel normal.'
Anyway, great. Too great...
'But I'm F-rank?'
Was this even okay? It was basically an invasive species.
Of course, judging solely by his awakening ability, denying his F-rank was impossible.
His only subskill as a Magic Scroll Maker was Geometric Interpretation, after all.
And in this era, a pure academic-based subskill? Utterly absurd.
If it had gone to someone else, they'd have despaired no matter how much late study.
Even geom experts might've hit a massive wall at 1-circle and quit.
It was only because he was Park Ha-jun that this freak result emerged...
Anyway.
[Circuit Completion: 6-circle]
He'd made it for the rushed request.
'Can I send this to Lee Dong-gyu?'
6-circle was the realm the president had only recently stepped into.
It felt overly cautious, but the situation had changed.
He wasn't operating in full secrecy anymore.
He needed to gauge the impact of his actions and scrolls before moving.
'Golden time until midnight.'
Current time: 1:30 p.m. Plenty of leeway even after checking.
But with a life hanging in the balance, he had no intention of dawdling.
He stashed the scroll and quill in his bag and called Kang Eun-ho.
Then he immediately mailed Lee Dong-gyu.
[I've crafted the Purification scroll you requested. How should we handle the trade...]
"...Is something wrong?"
One of the researchers asked as he hurriedly grabbed his coat.
"Just stepping out for some student counseling. If I'm late, head home first."
He bolted at full speed. But upon reaching the meeting spot, he slowed to catch his breath.
That's when he met Kang Eun-ho on campus.
"...Sorry for the sudden call."
"No, I was planning to find you anyway."
Kang Eun-ho fidgeted, lips twitching like he was dying to show something.
But with the situation so urgent, Park Ha-jun had to skip the small talk.
His goal was simple.
What reaction would the mage president—a top Awakener—have to a scroll rivaling or surpassing him...?
He wanted Kang Eun-ho, with his A-rank potential and Magic Department connections, to gauge that.
No real worry from media portrayals, but caution never hurt when contracting with the Association.
"...I told you my research encompasses magic formulas and scroll circuits."
Kang Eun-ho nodded at the preamble.
"But you said mages despise makers."
"Generally, yes."
Park Ha-jun paused appropriately before asking.
"Does that attitude hold even for the absolute elite Awakeners? Say, between the president and makers like asd123?"
Kang Eun-ho pondered briefly before answering.
"High mages are definitely wary of asd123. But judging by your example... not quite."
This was about the president.
"The president always insists stronger Awakeners must emerge. Doesn't matter if they're makers or other abilities."
Kang Eun-ho had pored over every interview. Unless the president hid his true feelings tight, it rang true.
Park Ha-jun nodded with feigned interest and probed more directly.
"So, asd123's scrolls aren't comparable to the president's magic, but even so, no conflict."
Kang Eun-ho had previously called asd123's moves entertaining, implying he'd followed the data closely.
"Well... that's the conclusion, but... Argh, sorry. Not trying to argue, Professor. I'm just a big asd123 fan..."
A strange feeling welled up, but he held it back.
"Did I misspeak?"
"N-No... not quite misspeaking, actually..."
Kang Eun-ho's eyes sparkled as he cited community examples.
From a guild master's tale on the Purification scroll to a maker analyzing asd123's 0-circle Magic Bullet circuit...
"It turned out to be made on mid-grade parchment! That performance on mid-grade? Insane... Ah, sorry."
Park Ha-jun put on a suitably baffled expression and chuckled awkwardly.
"Sounds more impressive than I thought."
"Right? Though I might be exaggerating a bit. asd123 hasn't proven 2-circle or higher yet. Can't compare to the president's magic, like you said."
That said, for 0- and 1-circle... asd123 might surpass the president.
That opinion was quietly spreading among makers, with sporadic community posts.
'So even some Awakeners are anticipating it. They'll soften the shock a little.'
Far from enough, but it eased his main concern.
The president was unlikely to react with hostility. A 6-circle scroll was outrageous, but still within Awakener bounds...
Park Ha-jun smiled relaxedly and rose from the bench.
"I see. I was worried if expanding to scroll circuits was the right direction... Thanks to you, Eun-ho, I can research freely now."
Kang Eun-ho yelled excitedly.
"Of course it should! Hiding your ideas due to outside pressure is such a waste. I'll grow fast and beat those high mages to death."
Park Ha-jun scratched his cheek at the embarrassing words. Beat to death?
"But... leaving already?"
Kang Eun-ho watched him stand, voice thick with regret.
"Ah, I was rude. Sorry."
"No. I just have something to show you. Could you stop by my training room?"
Noticing the mood, Park Ha-jun brushed off Kang Eun-ho's shoulder. It was caked in dirt and scorch marks.
"...Looks like you've made progress. Knew you would, Eun-ho. But not now—can I visit later at a better time?"
He had urgent business now.
From: Urgent Item Buyer
[...Please list at 10 million gold. We'll finalize pricing after resolution, through full discussion...]
The mail arrived mid-conversation, so he needed to list it on the Auction House pronto.
They'd called 10 million gold since Park hadn't specified performance, fearing bidding wars.
How they handled this would determine Park Ha-jun's trust in the Association.
"...Pity, but if you're busy, Professor, nothing for it."
"Feel bad leaving after you called me out hasty and just handling mine."
"No. Call me anytime for anything. It's nothing compared to what I got."
"Haha... Anyway, urgent matter—gotta go."
...
Kang Eun-ho sat on the now-empty bench, muttering.
"...Wanted to show you."
Fwoosh—
No sooner said than five Fire Magic Bullets materialized in the air.
With directionality grasped, their sizes and power were roughly even, and their trajectories showed no collisions.
'Well, still too embarrassing to show.'
Yeah. He'd perfect it before showing. He'd reach perfection somehow before Professor Park Ha-jun contacted him.
"Hey, you there! Magic Department, what year?! No magic on campus!"
"S-Sorry!!!"
Poof—the Fire Magic Bullets dispersed as Kang Eun-ho fled in panic.
Association medical room corridor.
Councilor Shin had left the room and was walking the hall.
The sight of proud mages maniacally hammering the [Refresh] button and jabbing at thin air had been too pathetic.
'Have they forgotten a mage's foundation springs from the spirit?'
Tsk. How had the Association come to this?
Arms clasped behind his back, vulgar shouts echoed from behind Councilor Shin.
"Whoa, shit, what is this!!"
He frowned. Sure, asd123's Purification scroll that day had been dazzling and incredible.
'...Overkill reaction.'
Did they not know the far greater president was their leader?
But the excessive reactions didn't stop there.
"No way... Is this real?"
That's when Councilor Shin halted.
The voice belonged to Lee Dong-gyu.
He'd told the mages to buy asd123's scroll from the Auction House, but no one could match item collector Lee Dong-gyu's speed.
"What's wrong? Some issue...?"
A mage's question drifted over.
"Hold on, stop right there! If you come closer..."
...
What could possibly...
Lee Dong-gyu would've already seen asd123's Purification scroll, and he wasn't some dramatic kid.
Councilor Shin hesitated in the corridor for a while before.
"Ahem."
He turned back. Absolutely not out of curiosity about asd123's scroll.
He had to witness a rival worthy of the name's final moments.
Stepping back into the medical room...
Flash.
The multicolored mana dust from that day now dyed the medical room even more brilliantly.