The Dangerous Invitation
After five minutes of a desperate struggle, Cheon Jong-un’s magic was finally dispelled.
As the massive, uncontrolled mana dissipated into the air, I approached Cheon Jong-un, who was slumped on the ground, gasping for air. I asked him directly.
“Was it my death that Pi Jinhyuk demanded?”
“In truth, he only wished for the removal of the entity that had been interfering with his plans. He only realized late that it was you….”
“You made a magical oath, didn’t you?”
“The value of the Necronomicon is by no means low. Perhaps Pi Jinhyuk knew it was you all along and used me to kill with a borrowed knife.”
“The oath…. How much time is left?”
“Two hours remain.”
I finally understood why he had been so desperate to call me out, even going so far as to trigger a Gate incident. I also understood what Cheon Jong-un truly wanted.
“Were you planning to die?”
“Is it not a decision made for the sake of the successors who are more capable than I?”
“If I had been weaker than you, I would be dead. Naturally….”
“It is the way of the world. Think of it as a trial that the old can leave for the next generation. And…. you are the man who has been treated the most unfairly. How could I possibly be the one more enraged than you…?”
I let out a sigh. To understand the situation, I asked.
“What is the story behind this?”
He slumped down on the floor and met my gaze. Perhaps it was because of my attitude, but Cheon Jong-un sighed as well, sat on the floor, and stared at me before speaking.
“The Black Tower, you see. It has been facing many problems lately.”
As the story unfolded, I gathered that the black mages belonging to the Black Tower were currently being leaked due to external factors. After the war ended, the black mages, who should have been granted wealth and honor, were treated like leftovers. The atmosphere was grim, with talk of them being cast onto a path of ruin. They had made many attempts to maintain the Black Tower, but most of those attempts had failed for one reason or another.
Suffering from severe financial difficulties, they had no choice but to reach out to external resources, which led to the brain drain.
Ultimately, they thought of creating a problem to revive black magic as a way to overcome the situation. After much deliberation, they had even devised a plan to utilize Gates, but they couldn't bring themselves to execute it.
He said he could never bring himself to destroy the country they had worked so hard to protect with their own hands. Hearing Cheon Jong-un’s story, filled with sorrow, a sigh escaped me.
I was well aware that many black mages were struggling with low social status and debt. Even when they tried to enter Gates, there were too many restrictions placed on them simply because they were black mages. I believed one of the biggest factors was that they were naturally excluded from subjugation requests because those restrictions prevented them from performing properly.
‘It was too excessive a sanction. All the black mages stood up against it, but the current government values the opinion of the absolute majority over the minority, and they live off their support…. Perhaps people like us were even more of an eyesore to them.’
In many ways, it felt like the era had abandoned us.
“In the midst of that, Pi Jinhyuk made an offer. An incident had occurred where it seemed black magic was used, and he requested that I find and eliminate the target. Since it was a problem that occurred in a religious facility, I thought the target would be some small-time crook buried in debt, but that wasn't the case.”
“So, since you had already accepted the request and even made an oath, you couldn't back out…. And that’s why you caused this mess.”
“I have no face to show you.”
I stood up and checked my watch.
“One hour and forty-one minutes left. What is the medium used for the oath?”
“…Are you planning to go see Pi Jinhyuk?”
“If he knew and tried to screw me over, shouldn't he pay the price?”
“He is too big an enemy. Rather…. if it can be solved by me losing my mana, wouldn't that be for the best?”
“There are at least 3,000 people relying on the Black Tower. I don't want to see them all out on the streets. Regardless of everything…. aren't we comrades?”
Cheon Jong-un stood up. Then he asked.
“Didn't I try to kill you?”
“If you had attacked with real killing intent, I might believe that, but you fought like you were playing with children. Do you think I’m some kind of fool?”
“That tone….”
“It’s the way Old Man Han Sang-gil speaks. Anyway, I’ll be back.”
Cheon Jong-un stared at me blankly. Just as I broke the seal blocking the Gate and was about to step outside, Cheon Jong-un spoke.
“Thank you…. for saving someone as incompetent as me.”
I waved my hand lightly and walked away.
By then, the situation outside had almost been settled, and it seemed that many people had been waiting in tension because of the mana surging inside the Gate.
“H-has it been resolved?”
“It wasn't a big problem.”
“…Didn't an unimaginably powerful force collide inside?”
“I said it wasn't a big problem.”
“Th-that….”
“It wasn't a big problem….”
“O-okay, I understand. It wasn't a big problem. D-disperse….”
At Gu Haesang’s words, the people retreated with bitter expressions. Gu Haesang and Park Miso, who remained, glanced inside the Gate and asked cautiously.
“What happened in there?”
“There was a subjugator inside, and I fought them due to a misunderstanding. That is all.”
“A-a subjugator? We didn't see anyone go inside…?”
“It is a subjugator. You understand, right?”
Gu Haesang, sensing that there was more to it, kept his mouth shut. I sent a look toward Park Miso, and she nodded fiercely.
After that, I asked them to keep watch here for a moment and left.
***
The Tower was one of the architectural structures that the era wanted and the era completed. Because its versatility was so excellent, it was chosen to revive various industries. Conversely, because the mages who survived in the country were deeply related to industrial contribution, it was only natural that they would rise to power.
Furthermore, thanks to the fact that all three people called heroes actively supported the Tower, they succeeded in popularizing it, centered around the Great Sage Park Hyuk, who could be called the symbol of the Tower at the time.
However, that time did not last more than two years before Pi Jinhyuk usurped the Tower Master position and rose to the top.
While Park Hyuk’s whereabouts have been unknown since he disappeared during this period, a man appeared at the entrance of the Tower, which had been reborn as a sanctuary for such mages and the starting point for industrial reproduction.
“I’m tired.”
It was a day where I consumed quite a lot of mana. I had already used full-scale magic four times. I had enough mana left to use it about five more times, but if I continued to engage in small battles, it would be wasted in an instant, so I would eventually have to draw from other sources or fight with extreme efficiency.
“What brings you here?”
A mage asked me as I stood there blankly. Seeing that he didn't recognize my face, he appeared to be a mage from after the 6th generation. The density of mana I felt from him was also around the 3rd Circle, so rather than feeling threatened, I asked him a question.
“Is the Tower Master inside, by any chance?”
“Th-that…. that is not information I can give to an outsider.”
“Then I have no choice but to check for myself.”
I walked past the mage and headed inside. He was flustered and tried to stop me in a hurry, but I emitted a little mana toward him, using mana pressure to induce stiffness. He stiffened like a log and collapsed as if he had fainted. Now, a large number of mages who felt that something was wrong began to rush out, and the countless awakened individuals inside the Tower also showed interest, their eyes shining as the situation took a strange turn.
The mages surrounding me were mostly quite strong, belonging to the 4th to 5th Circle, but I immediately emitted mana to pressure them all, then manifested amplification magic and shouted at a tremendous volume so that my voice would inevitably reach the upper levels of the Tower.
“Pi Jinhyuk!! Come out!!”
On the same floor, it sounded like a light shout, but on the high floors where the magic was amplified, it must have sounded like a thunderbolt striking right in front of their noses. Perhaps because of that?
Powerful mana surged up, and soon, small clusters of light appeared nearby, and countless high-ranking mages revealed themselves.
Some of them who knew me were startled and shouted in panic.
“Why are you causing a disturbance here!!”
“What kind of rudeness is this!”
“I wondered who it was causing a scene, tsk, what on earth are you looking for the Tower Master for?”
It was the appearance of the elder-level mages of the Tower. I looked back at them, the 1st generation, and said.
“If you want to resolve this minor misunderstanding, Pi Jinhyuk must come to me himself and hand over what I want. Otherwise, I think I will wipe this tower off the map today.”
At this, some of the onlookers watching shouted.
“How arrogant. Haven't you watched too much anime?”
“He seems to be acting up just because he has some skill, it’s ridiculous. Do you not know where this place is?”
However, the problem was that unlike those who were throwing such sarcasm, the elders’ faces had turned pale.
“What on earth…. are you doing this for?”
The awakened individuals were flustered by the elders’ humble attitude, but it seemed there was someone among that group who knew me.
“It, it’s the Most Terrifying. Shut up! You idiots…!”
“What? The, the what?”
“The Most Terrifying, the Dark Mage, the Most Terrifying! You crazy bastards!!”
The scene became restless. Then, all the mages surrounding me began to sweat, nervous. I looked back at them nonchalantly and said.
“I will give the Tower Master one minute to arrive before my eyes. I said it clearly. Even if a hero comes, they won't be able to stop me today.”
It was a stern warning. At that moment, a light appeared in front of me, and Pi Jinhyuk revealed himself.
“Tower Master!”
“Oh, it’s the Tower Master!”
Amidst the renewed commotion, Tower Master Pi Jinhyuk stared at me intently and asked.
“Seeing that your condition is intact, it must have been quite enjoyable?”
“Hand over the medium. No other words are needed.”
“How about you show some courtesy?”
“If you want to be treated like a Tower Master, show behavior befitting one. Don't think about playing tricks while being biased toward that side.”
Pi Jinhyuk glared at me intently. Even if I told people here that Pi Jinhyuk was a doomsday cultist, not many would believe it. However, if they had even a small doubt like ‘What if?’ or ‘Really?’, it would become a subject of gossip, and Pi Jinhyuk’s range of action would be drastically reduced. Along with that inconvenience, the burden of having to face the worst enemy, ‘me’, would not be easy, so I aimed for that part and spoke.
“If you hand it over, today will pass without incident, but if you think you can gain profit from it, I will definitely inflict damage.”
When some time had passed while I was locking eyes with Pi Jinhyuk, he flicked his finger, and at the same time, a document slipped out of the air and was handed to my hand.
“It’s a contract. You stick to old-fashioned forms. Tsk…. I hope I never see you again.”
“If you keep your hands off, I don't have any intention of going through the trouble, but if you keep making this land, which we protected with our own hands, chaotic…. I will have no choice but to step out again to quell the chaos.”
“The guardian has arrived.”
Then Pi Jinhyuk left the spot without any lingering attachment. I looked back at the mages who were staring at me nervously and said.
“You are lucky. It is quite pleasant to clash with me. I…. am also busy, so I will take my leave. Excuse me.”
With a light bow, I quickly left the scene.