Epilogue
Seo Ji-ah's office.
Sunlight streamed through the window, warming the back of Seo Ji-ah's head.
"Ugh..."
She lifted her disheveled head.
The tranquility felt unfamiliar.
Normally, she would bolt awake drenched in cold sweat. For nearly three years now.
Chirp chirp—
The sound of birds singing drifted in. It was a peaceful, refreshing morning.
The situation felt so strange that she just blinked vacantly.
Knock knock—
"Guild Master, may I come in for a moment?"
Her secretary knocked on the door. Seo Ji-ah hurriedly checked the mirror.
But unbeknownst to her, a single tear had fallen.
'Why is this happening?'
She quickly wiped her eyes and responded.
"...Come in."
The secretary cautiously opened the door and entered, handing over some documents.
"The Association sent the wave dispatch allowance..."
But upon seeing Seo Ji-ah's complexion, the secretary couldn't continue.
"Oh? Did you sleep well, Guild Master? Your face looks so much better!"
"Yeah... I got lucky."
No Vasuki or monsters appeared in her dream, after all.
The mysterious ally in the dream and the use of asd123's scroll even there—it had to be good fortune.
"That's really great..."
Seo Ji-ah waved her hand dismissively at her secretary, who chattered happily as if it were her own relief.
"Anyway, just leave the documents there and go. I look a mess right now."
Once the secretary left, Seo Ji-ah fell into thought.
She'd only just noticed: she had only one scroll left from asd123.
'Didn't I receive two?'
Her sharp senses pieced together the reason.
'Come to think of it, in all those dreams, I appeared exactly as I was before sleep...'
Were they more than ordinary dreams?
Probably. Experiencing her own Virtual Barrier in dreams wasn't normal to begin with.
Anyway.
Seo Ji-ah's conclusion was simple.
'...I need more.'
To enjoy peaceful sleep, she had to clutch this scroll while sleeping.
Until asd123 found the perfect solution, that is.
What kind of research was the creator doing? She couldn't quite picture it.
Probably something like further growth—analyzing circuits or growth through gold consumption.
With her resolve firm, Seo Ji-ah sponsored asd123.
◈ Message: Hello, Creator!!! This is the first peaceful morning I've had in 3 years. Thank you so much, and I won't hold back on support so your research succeeds...
Until that research succeeded, asd123 couldn't even get a scratch.
Gates popping up in Korea, rampaging Mines...
She would block them all with her barrier ability.
Hwaryeong Guild, representing Korea's special-type awakeners, would prioritize protecting asd123...
There were monthly scrolls to receive from asd123 too, not just the research.
Yes. She had subscribed to asd123's [Detection] scrolls regularly.
...And a few weeks later, having largely overcome her insomnia, Seo Ji-ah reported that her overall cognitive abilities had improved, leading to a massive boost in her powers.
A certain classroom at Yeonhee University.
The lab currently hottest in the math world was recruiting researchers.
It was the legendary lab where even a single researcher's performance bonus reached ten million won, thanks to research that shocked the magic academia.
The peculiar point: famous for magic fusion research, yet it only recruited mathematicians.
Of course, even non-math majors could get an interview if they passed Professor Park Ha-jun's exam.
Here, a brain-type awakener—who had little interest in math—had passed the exam using awakening abilities. Tempted by the performance bonus.
But the interview shouldn't be too hard.
Just spout the answers Professor Park Ha-jun wanted, matching the vibe with his brilliant mind.
"...How much interest do you have in math normally?"
Honestly, not much. Early on, he'd read a few books commissioned by a mage—that was it.
Why care about such a dusty old field?
But that wasn't the answer Professor Park Ha-jun wanted.
"Honestly, I don't seek it out, but when I read Kelley and John's General Topology and Ryszard Engelking's various books for ability development, I can confidently say I found them quite interesting..."
Park Ha-jun nodded and asked.
"Oh... Could you explain the most impressive book and the most intriguing concept from it?"
It was from ages ago. But a brain-type awakener's abilities defied imagination.
"Of course! The book that impressed me most was the classic in topology, General Topology. Especially Tychonoff's theorem—compactness, which I thought held only in finite dimensions, extends to infinite products too..."
As he recalled and explained.
Professor Park Ha-jun suddenly twisted his lips into a smirk.
'What's that...? Did I get something wrong?'
The sudden smile flustered the interviewee.
What drove him mad was not knowing where he'd erred.
'I skimmed it, but no mathematical errors in what I said...'
In his confusion, Park Ha-jun—wearing a somewhat eerie smile—asked.
"...Could you say that again?"
Mental breakdown. From his pre-research on Park Ha-jun, the professor had a reputation for being extraordinarily exceptional.
'Damn... Even I can't beat a topology professor relying on vague memories.'
Better to be honest and highlight his stats.
"Ah... Sorry. It was so long ago, I don't remember the details accurately..."
"Hm? I heard you're a brain-type awakener—'long ago' isn't like a couple years, is it?"
"Yes... It's been about five years."
"...I see."
The atmosphere soured.
It was an expected question—should've reread the books.
'No... How could I reread that boring stuff.'
Whatever. No use regretting. His abilities outshone other interviewees.
This one slip wouldn't be fatal.
Rationalizing it that way, the brain-type awakener left the interview room.
Park Ha-jun finished interviews and returned to the lab.
This round had many talented candidates, including postdocs.
Thanks to rumors of the lab's performance bonuses spreading properly.
'...But one was a bit off.'
The brain-type awakener. His general math knowledge wasn't bad, so Park Ha-jun had watched closely...
'But he suddenly self-destructed.'
What he said about Tychonoff's theorem was correct.
But with Seo Ji-ah's [Sponsorship] arriving suddenly, he couldn't react properly and politely asked for a repeat...
—It was so long ago...
Sudden weird answer. Sudden pang of conscience? Strategy of honesty?
Whatever the reason, Park Ha-jun couldn't hire him as a researcher.
'No matter how smart, if you don't enjoy advancing scholarship, you'll get weeded out in academia.'
Park Ha-jun sought colleagues to elevate math's status.
Not just lab drones, but those who'd grow together.
That was why he gave massive performance bonuses.
'Focus on growth potential over current skill...'
He'd selected three in his mind.
Those three plus two intern researchers would join the second lab.
Their first project: discovering a circuit to perfectly solve Seo Ji-ah's issue.
'...Like I told Seo Ji-ah, yesterday's scroll was just a temporary fix.'
The Detection scroll sent to Seo Ji-ah merely "filled the Virtual Barrier's interior with dark matter."
Paint the inside dark and burn mana-possessing entities—like Vasuki monsters—with fire attribute...
At least no dreams of fighting monsters.
Wasn't Seo Ji-ah's fatigue and fear from battling monsters in dreams?
Thus, Park Ha-jun sent a scroll creating a barrier-entry environment without combat.
Not one erasing space.
Literally temporary. He'd even considered it might be wrong...
Fortunately, it worked as a temp fix.
Park Ha-jun sent the email and looked at Kim Ah-hyun.
"...Well, shall we continue?"
The second paper announced to magic academia: Understanding Fusion Attributes—Knot Connections.
This would reignite interest, filling next semester's Mathematical Circuitry class with optimal students.
From that class, recruit Mathematical Circuitry researchers, ultimately spreading the school across magic academia...
"Yes...! Like last time, present all data as diagrams myself?!"
"Yes. But we need an extra step. To teach the 'connection' concept..."
This paper would be the start.
And this time, before the Mines schemed anything, he'd find them first...
No interruptions, absolutely.
Thus, Park Ha-jun made full preparations.
Around that time, in the Association's item analysis room.
Association President Lee Jong-hwa, back from using the [Fragment of the Story], conversed with Lee Dong-gyu.
"...Any results?"
"Of course. I learned quite a lot. The Mines' origins, their hideout... such things."
"...!"
Lee Jong-hwa smiled refreshingly. He finally felt the main stage approaching.
The memories of Vasuki in the Fragment of the Story revealed much.
Their world had a demon race called 'Asura.'
Mines weren't just corrupted human minds—they were dead bodies parasitized by Asura.
And the 'poison' Vasuki traded in his false contract with Kali created Mines.
Where those Mines were active now...
Lee Jong-hwa explained to Lee Dong-gyu like reading a fairy tale.
Lee Dong-gyu nodded calmly upon hearing it.
"That's fortunate."
"Hm...? What do you mean?"
"The Mines have no special circumstances. One reason hunters hesitated to kill them is gone..."
Mines' bodies were once family or acquaintances.
That alone stopped many hunters from fighting aggressively.
Now, even if not perfect, there was reason to convince them.
The bodies were already dead. The minds moving them were parasitic lifeforms...
"And knowing their locations is more valuable than any reward for our hunters."
"...But no substance. Their hideout is in a completely different dimension, as expected."
Even a grand mage like the president couldn't use space magic.
Didn't even know if such ability existed.
'...Does 9th circle, the end of circles, have a way?'
Knowing the hideout but no access—what use was that?
"How about asking asd123?"
At Lee Dong-gyu's words, Lee Jong-hwa sighed.
"...I knew you'd say that. You need to lower your standards for asd123. He's an awakener too. Clear limits."
Lee Dong-gyu seemed to overrate asd123 due to lacking magic knowledge.
Time and space—transcendent realms—weren't for a recently awakened asd123.
But.
"...Not a thoughtless suggestion. I saw it. asd123 handling space."
Lee Dong-gyu relayed exactly what he'd seen inside the Virtual Barrier.
Though merely indirect influence of the [Darkness] attribute.
Still, asd123 had touched space.
"Impossible now, but asd123 will achieve it soon. And didn't you say Mines are targeting asd123 now?"
Now a representative awakener of Korea...
No, the world hadn't fully grasped asd123 yet.
Soon, as Korea's representative awakener, they needed to inform asd123 and discuss solutions together.
Thus, the Association sent an email to asd123.