Confirming the Mastermind
I proceeded to call forth the souls from the twelve magic stones one by one, calmly interrogating them. In the process, I was finally able to identify the person pulling the strings behind them.
'The Tower Master, huh... Was the current Tower Master the one who ousted the previous one by force?'
The man’s name was Pi Jinhyuk. He was a first-generation mage who had gained immense fame for a unique changing of the guard, having overwhelmed and pushed out Park Hyuk—a man once hailed as the Great Sage—through sheer force.
It seemed there was a reason for that.
'He must have been decked out in absurd artifacts; even a first-generation Great Sage wouldn't have been able to handle that...'
Currently, Pi Jinhyuk was known to be an 8th Circle beginner. The funny thing was that people had been shocked when Park Hyuk, an 8th Circle master, was defeated. People started whispering that perhaps the "Great Sage" was simply an outsider to combat, and that became the accepted answer. However, most individuals who had reached that level of mastery knew that such a claim was a fabrication.
Within the same 7th Circle, overcoming the gap between a master and a standard user wasn't particularly difficult. The stats varied drastically depending on magic operation and the grade of artifacts possessed. But to face someone a stage higher?
If you were talking about low-level mages in the 3rd or 4th Circle, it wouldn't be impossible to handle someone a stage above you. But the gap between an 8th Circle beginner—classified as a high-ranking individual—and an 8th Circle master, who was evaluated as having surpassed human limits, was like the difference between heaven and earth.
As such, I had suspected that the reason Park Hyuk was pushed out of the Tower Master position wasn't simply a matter of skill. There was even a lot of questioning as to why he had gone into hiding instead of stepping down and trying to quell the rumors. But if the Apocalyptic was involved, I thought he might have been pressured in various ways or perhaps even turned into a sacrifice.
'What method did he use to subdue him?'
And if he had used such a person as a sacrifice, I was curious about what kind of immense power he had obtained. However, the souls I interrogated didn't know the details, and since I was only dealing in simple speculation, there was nothing more I could uncover.
'I'm exhausted...'
My entire body was drenched in cold sweat. I hadn't expected it to be this much of a struggle. The reason was simple: the souls I had summoned were of a high caliber, requiring me to experience significant fatigue and mana consumption during the interrogation.
However, the reason I was able to finish with a fair amount of leeway was thanks to the two artifacts I had obtained this time. No, it would be more accurate to say four in total.
I was able to equip a ring that amplified magic power by 30% and had one socket, and a bracelet that amplified total mana by 40% and also had one socket. Into those sockets, I inlaid the Sun God Stone and the Moon Orb, which I had been cherishing like sacred relics.
The effects of these two items, which I discovered afterward, were so powerful they could be called "cheats."
First, the Moon Orb increased my total mana capacity by a staggering 50%. Thanks to that, a single artifact allowed me to increase my total mana by nearly 90%, giving me enough capacity to use my full-scale spells up to nine times. Furthermore, the Sun God Stone amplified magic power by a whopping 100%, which sent the destructive power of my spells through the roof. It felt like it meshed perfectly with my inherent penalties, granting me even greater strength.
Because of that, the interrogation itself wasn't difficult, and I was able to share the emotions, memories, and senses of the twelve subjects while minimizing the damage to myself.
'Besides, both the orb and the stone seem to have other hidden options...'
I couldn't pinpoint exactly what they were, but it was clear they were useful items for now. My chronic problem had been solved, but regardless, since he was confirmed to be a formidable enemy, I had to seriously contemplate how to deal with him.
'In many ways, it seems both Chu Myung-hoon and Pi Jinhyuk will be stumbling blocks for me.'
I finished the work and organized the documents I had prepared. Because a massive amount of information had poured out, I had worked hard to put it into writing. I planned to continue separate interrogations later, but it remained to be seen if there was any more information to extract.
Knock, knock. A sound came from the door, and when I turned my head, I saw Go Yujin peeking in.
"You're finished with the work, right?"
It seemed she had come because my mana was no longer fluctuating.
"Yes, I just finished. Is something the matter?"
"It's time to eat. You haven't eaten anything all day, have you?"
"Was that so?"
I hadn't particularly felt hungry, but because Go Yujin came inside and grabbed my arm, I had no choice but to follow her.
Then, Go Yujin spoke quietly.
"You smell a bit like sweat. It must have been hard, huh?"
"Well, since I was handling such a large amount of mana... Is it that bad?"
"It's not bad, just... you know."
Go Yujin said that and blushed. Feeling unnecessarily sorry, I channeled my mana and used a Clean spell to wash away the scent and impurities from my body. Go Yujin jumped in surprise.
"I decided not to use that on you, Yujin-ssi."
"...Why?"
"You're sensitive to it. I shouldn't be a burden."
She looked at me with a somewhat disappointed expression, but just then, Ahn Somi waved at us from the front of the cafeteria. As we moved toward her, Go Yujin whispered something that only I could hear.
"Actually... since it's you doing it, Seongchan-ssi, I don't hate it."
After saying that, Go Yujin ran into the cafeteria. Ahn Somi looked back and forth between Go Yujin and me, then let out a sigh. I entered the cafeteria and looked at the food laid out; seeing the portions getting more generous by the day made me feel a bit awkward.
'It feels just like home-cooked food.'
There was nothing extravagant. It was just light seasoned vegetables and the stew I enjoyed, but it felt like enough, and it was delicious food that left everyone satisfied.
"You're coming to work tomorrow, right?" Ahn Somi asked suddenly.
"I've been coming every day, haven't I?"
"Really?"
Ahn Somi looked puzzled, so I told her where I had been working. She looked at Go Yujin, surprised.
"Then who's doing the paperwork for those places?"
"Somi, you have to do it, right?"
"...Crazy, you should have told me! I thought we only did the places we went to! And I thought Seongchan-ssi wasn't coming to work..."
She went on and on, and I was honestly baffled by how poor our communication could be.
I raised my hand slightly and said, "I've already organized the data, so I'll hand it over to you separately."
"I love you!"
It was a sudden confession of love. Go Yujin was startled, while Ahn Somi was beaming. Then, Ahn Somi spoke with a pout.
"I just meant thank you. There's no other meaning. You know that, right?"
"Yes, I know."
Ahn Somi looked at me with an expression that said I was ridiculous, but Go Yujin reacted as if she had heard something quite serious, which I found amusing.
I gave a light smile, and we continued to eat and exchange stories about our daily lives.
'A life lived together with others... This isn't half bad.'
I had felt that such a life was a luxury for me. At the time of the Great Cataclysm, I had lost my entire family, and even though my acquaintances had survived the monster front, they had lost their lives at the hands of humans. The emotions of that time were indescribably painful and terrible. I had preferred a cold life, vowing never to form such relationships again.
But it seemed things had changed a little now.
'Change, huh...'
Gate cleaning is divided into three types.
The first is simply hunting monsters and bringing back the remains. This is considered the most fundamental form of gate cleaning, and by bringing back massive amounts of byproducts, it provides enormous benefits to related industries.
The second is a method of harvesting resources native to the gate while leaving the Gate Core alone. This involves tasks like digging up medicinal herbs, plant life, and minerals that count as new materials. This involves many different job sectors and is usually managed as a national project because it is directly linked to base industries.
The third is a method of breeding creatures that can be used as food and harvesting a certain quantity. This mainly applies to fish-type monsters, and it can be called strategic cleaning, focusing on food sources like Horn Rabbits, Horn Big Bulls, or Wild Boars.
Most other cases fall under the first category, where Dark Mages and many others perform the cleaning by neatly tidying up the raid site after the Awakened have finished their hunt. In fact, Dark Mages are the most efficient at this, and those who handle other supernatural powers or physical Awakened also perform cleaning duties in various forms.
The base industries had developed significantly, and with new gates appearing and being cleared every single day, the world was changing rapidly, but daily life continued without much change.
"It's busy again today."
The gate we were in charge of today was a Grade 4 gate, a considerable size, 16 times the size of a soccer field. There were about 23 hours left until the gate closed, and the estimated time for completion was 20 hours.
If a typical Dark Mage were in charge, it would certainly take that long, but we weren't typical Dark Mages; we had set our target at about 7 hours.
"Are you really sure you've overcome it?"
"I told you I did!"
Hearing Ahn Somi’s confident words, I hesitated, wondering whether to hand over the artifact in my hand. Ahn Somi snatched it up, put the bracelet on her wrist, and spoke proudly.
"Trust me. I'm a woman who gets things done when I say I will!"
Go Yujin also added a word, telling me to trust them; it seemed the two of them had put in quite a lot of effort.
'Has it been a month?'
They had spent a very tight schedule. Furthermore, there had been quite a few incidents, and I knew they had paid quite a bit in damages. Even so, Go Yujin had trusted Ahn Somi, and now she was confidently saying she had completely overcome it.
"Trust is harder to build than you think."
"Don't worry! I told you I'm good at this!"
Ahn Somi walked forward confidently. A little further ahead, the first prey of the gate would be lying dead. I wondered what Ahn Somi's reaction would be to the foul stench and the blood-soaked scene created by the corpse.
I prepared a Dispel just in case, watching her.
"Hmph! See? I told you I was fine!"
She walked confidently over the corpse, placed her hands on her hips, and met my gaze. Seeing her eyes sparkle as she looked at the bracelet with the face of someone who had just scored a huge item, I couldn't help but click my tongue.
'Desire has conquered instinct, it seems.'
Regardless, it was clear she had grown a stage, and since it was a promise, I thought I had no choice, so I unleashed my mana and shouted.
"Let's get to work. Let's finish this quickly and get out."