Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Abandoned Library
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The Management Bureau agents who had entered the theme park suffered only one death and all returned safely.
Several had sustained injuries, but those were the kind that would heal after a few days of rest in the recovery room. Fortunately, there were no cases of bodily mutilation.
The results were decent as well. They hadn't rescued anyone, but by figuring out the theme park's rules and layout, they had compiled a strategy guide that would make the next expedition much smoother. This alone promised a significant reduction in casualties.
Having read through all the reports, the Branch Director of the Management Bureau's Capital Branch nodded with a gentle smile.
"You did well. Everyone worked hard, so take some time off for now and come back to duty later."
"......"
"Miss Mir?"
"......Oh, sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment."
Mir, seated across from the Branch Director, bowed her head slightly. The Branch Director waved it off and handed her some cookies and coffee before speaking.
"Are you worried about the rest of Team 6?"
Currently, all the key personnel from the Capital region's Management Bureau were deployed on the museum raid operation. The team leader and even the division head were tackling the Taste Museum within the Five Senses Museum.
They were, one and all, vital forces and weapons of the Bureau. Naturally, Team 6—renowned within Response Division as the strongest—had joined in full force, excluding Mir, who was the team's rookie and thus left out.
It was only natural for her to worry about her teammates. The museum itself was an anomaly of extraordinarily high caliber, and the number of Bureau agents lost there so far was enough to build a mountain.
The Branch Director smiled warmly and gently clasped Mir's hand.
"Don't worry too much. They're all doing fine."
"......Yes, ma'am."
Mir replied with a somewhat awkward expression.
In truth, she wasn't worried about her teammates at all. It was just that the bizarre sight she had witnessed in the theme park wouldn't leave her mind. But she didn't bother correcting the Branch Director's misconception.
Instead, she handed over a single shard of the mirror Ian had tossed her.
"What's this?"
"It's one of the mage's attack methods mentioned in the report."
"Oh."
The Branch Director carefully took the translucent shard and examined it.
A structure that let you peer at both the person across from you and yourself. A heterogeneous aura that felt off for an ordinary magic tool. An instinctive unease without any clear reason.
She swallowed hard and placed the shard on the table.
"......You said you saw a strange shape beyond this?"
"Yes. The mage's grimoire peeked through slightly, and at that moment, my mind started acting up. It felt like someone was directly grabbing and kneading my brain."
"Is it a tool that inflicts mental domination?"
"......I don't know. But it had considerable physical destructive power too. It turned the floor into glass and shattered it into shards...... If it hits a person, they'd probably die on the spot."
"What a headache. Why does a mage capable of this have to show up in Korea...... We just got a report of a new mage appearing in Busan too. Jeez......"
The Branch Director sighed deeply and leaned back in her chair.
"Did you engage?"
"The Management Bureau's Anti-Mage Guidelines, Article One: If you encounter a mage in the field and they produce a magical tool, attack without question or withdraw from the scene. We followed it to the letter."
"It's an outdated guideline, but not wrong either."
Mages themselves weren't inherently that threatening. If this were a fantasy world, they might spew fire, erect shields, or hurl lightning bolts, but this was reality. Almost none could pull off such feats.
Most died to a single bullet. The saying that long-range sniping was the best way to deal with mages wasn't for nothing.
These days, mages carried anti-sniper measures, so it wasn't as reliable as before, but it was still the top method. That's why agents always brought guns and snipers when facing mages.
Of course, the Management Bureau wasn't hostile to all mages.
It was true that many harbored resentment toward mages after incidents like the spontaneous human combustion cases and the cursed doll in the isolation room, but not all mages were like that. Some were reasonable, others still green.
Even so, the guideline said to attack first because it offered the highest survival rate.
"A completed spell from a mage is dangerous. Pulling out a magical tool means they're about to kill whoever's in front of them."
The Branch Director exhaled slowly, as if recalling past events.
"So you strike first. Disrupt their spell, then fight, flee, or negotiate—that's the policy. It's the best approach against wild mages."
"......We decided to keep fighting."
"You did. But that wasn't the best choice. If they're acting hastily? If they don't seem all that interested in Bureau agents? No need to stir up trouble. Your judgment there was a bit off. You should've tried talking instead."
The Branch Director picked up her coffee cup and continued.
"Most mages are rational, so they won't hold a grudge forever or refuse cooperation just because you attacked first. Stubborn ones or those who hate the Bureau are exceptions, but even they cooperate if the situation demands it. Keep that in mind next time."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Heh."
The Branch Director chuckled softly and took a sip of her coffee. The cold mint pineapple iced Americano wriggled on her tongue before sliding down.
"Well, you made it back alive, so that's what matters. Good thing you gave up the pursuit eventually. Now go get some rest. I'll have the isolation team put that mirror shard in a special containment room."
"Thank you for your consideration."
"No need. Off you go."
Mir nodded, bowed to the Branch Director, and left the room. The Branch Director picked up the leftover cookies and stood.
"Guess I should get back to work......"
Her bones cracked with a crunch as she rose.
[......]
For a split second, the pure white tent inside the mirror appeared, then vanished.
*
Another day passed. The workshop was now fully set up. Ian donned the coat he had taken off to fill the room with ether, sat in his chair, and opened his grimoire.
He checked the list he had prepared in advance for items to craft right away now that the workshop was complete.
He was definitely making more Dying Eyeballs. Facing the vampire had shown him just how powerful it was to burst eyeballs from long range with zero risk.
The Piercing Mirror had solid destructive power too, but it came with the risk of having to embed the shards directly. If the target dodged or deflected them, it was useless.
The Eyeball, on the other hand, was impossible to dodge. Unless it moved faster than the retina could register, there was no resisting—the vision would be sealed.
So the Eyeballs were a must-make.
‘There are other tools to block the other senses besides sight...... But everything except the tongue requires human body parts. Can't make those right now.’
Eyes and tongues were similar across most creatures, but noses, ears, and skin often weren't. The grimoire specified human parts only.
Too bad, but no choice. Eyes it was for now.
Ian scooped out the eyes from fish bought at the market with a spoon and placed them on the table, along with the other materials nearby.
Then, transmutation. As he chanted the incantation, a Dying Eyeball was complete.
Like before, he wrapped it carefully in cloth to avoid crushing it. After repeating the process three times, three cloth-wrapped spheres rolled on the table. Ian smiled in satisfaction and opened the grimoire again.
‘Eyeballs done. Next up......’
With a rustle, he turned the page and checked the next item on his list.
[Knowledge-Eating Paper]
[The target with this paper attached will gradually lose intelligence. On humans, the lost intellect does not return. Eventually, as they become an idiot, their brain will leak out from the holes on their face.]
[Materials: 3 Anomaly Byproducts, 1 Sheet of Clean Paper, 100ml Beast Blood, 50ml Mage Blood, 1 Bowl]
Knowledge-Eating Paper. Perfect for use against fellow mages or highly intelligent anomalies.
He had already confirmed intelligent beings capable of human communication in the theme park. This tool would let him resolve issues without unnecessary conflict.
Above all, sticking it on the Librarian of the Abandoned Library—who held the rules—would make them spill everything effortlessly. Ideal for the next request.
"Good."
Ian promptly piled his prepared materials on the table.
The three ghost orbs from cleaning the officetel. One clean A4 sheet. Two bottles of lab animal blood ordered online, his own blood collected in advance, and a bowl.
Preparation complete. Ian drew a magic circle on the paper, placed the bowl in the center, and poured in his blood and the beast blood. He submerged the ghost orbs too.
......Sizzle.
The blue-glowing orbs turned red, and with the grimoire in hand, Ian chanted.
"The Lord hath not granted thee knowledge, deeming it blasphemy for base creatures to speak. Thus, it is taken away. Let the lowly return to lowliness."
As the incantation ended, the bowl melted away, and the blood spread across the paper.
The blood quickly soaked the paper red. The anomaly's byproducts seeped to the bottom, spreading like ink from a brush.
Alchemy complete. Ian lifted the grotesquely red paper and nodded in satisfaction.
Naturally, he didn't test its power. A chance to try it would come soon enough—no need to rush.
He folded the paper carefully, tucked it into his backpack, left the workshop, and headed home.
Repeated alchemy had left him a bit fatigued. On the way, he scarfed down a triangle kimbap for dinner, showered, and hit the bed.
It was 1 a.m. Already dawn.
With plans to start the request today, no point fiddling with his phone late. He pulled up the covers and closed his eyes.
Morning came. Ian packed his pre-made gear, accepted the Cartel's request, and left the room.
His destination: the Abandoned Library.
Fortunately, it wasn't far from here.