The reason “Lee Jeong-jun” became fascinated with the mage class wasn’t particularly grand.
One day, more than a year had passed since the veteran players of <Blackout> slowly started to increase, and the mage class that was available only in subsequent playthroughs had been discovered.
After completing the game as a hunter on his second playthrough, Lee Jeong-jun was browsing the community and came across a video of a mage player.
At the time, <Blackout> was known for having relatively cutting-edge graphics, and the display of magic that the mage player showcased was nothing short of pure beauty.
However…
– Huh? You can even handle close combat with those circle spells?
– Nah, look closely. The difficulty is set to normal.
– Ah, lololol, if it’s on normal difficulty, a warrior could pull off that kind of massacre too.
– Yeah, totally doable.
Although the post was met with a bit of mockery and arrogance from the veteran players, there were many who, like Lee Jeong-jun, were captivated by the sight of magic being cast as if it were being unleashed in a torrent.
– I can’t chain spells like that with low-circle magic. What skills did you learn?
– Yeah, I couldn’t do that either.
– No matter how much gold I pour into it, all I’m doing is increasing my mana pool…
– Nah, it’s possible to spam like that to some extent if you learn Rapid Casting from the magic tower auction.
– But in the video, they’re spamming low-circle spells while simultaneously casting high-circle magic?
– Multi-casting?
– I learned multi-casting, but I can’t do that, lol. To be precise, neither multi-casting nor rapid casting alone can produce that kind of firepower.
As many players expressed their curiosity, the user who posted the video gave a simple response.
– I used an artifact.
– An artifact?? There’s an artifact like that?
– Where’d you get it?
– Where’d you get it? 2
– Where’d you get it? 3
Despite numerous users asking, he never answered.
It happened occasionally.
Some would show off their character yet keep tight-lipped about how they built them.
But veteran players always find a way.
Many experienced players who were interested in the mage class pooled their knowledge, and Lee Jeong-jun who was still a student at the time joined in.
What they eventually discovered was a man named Shylock, the master of Zenkhar Magic Tower.
However, before long, the veterans hit a dead end.
A newspaper article reporting that Shylock had been found dead one day was the last trace he left behind.
– Damn it. Why is there no trace of anything?
– Maybe there’s a related quest?
– Has that user still not responded?
– Nope, that stingy bastard deleted his post and ran.
– For real?? No one managed to archive it?
– Damn, should’ve figured it out when he was using a temporary nickname.
Even after that, a few persistent users kept digging. Lee Jeong-jun joined their ranks, but all he managed to uncover was that Shylock had a disciple…
***
“Is there a reason we had to meet at such a shabby hut? It feels like we’re in some villain’s hideout.”
At the muttering of a man completely covered in a colorless robe, a woman wrapped head to toe in black bandages responded.
“Oh my. Does that mean you don’t like being here with this big sister?”
“As if. It’s precisely because you’re here that I came. If the usual softies had shown up to greet me, I would’ve burned this hut down with them in it.”
“Fufu. A fiery man isn’t exactly my type, but I do like your skills, so I’ll give you a heads-up. If you harm our cute little members, you won’t leave here unscathed.”
Despite the seductive voice laced with warning, the man merely let out a hollow laugh.
“Ha! Your loyalty to the church is impressive. They say even beautiful roses have thorns. Fine, there’s no point in chit-chatting with you lot. Let’s get to the point already.”
“So, what could be the reason the high-and-mighty battle mage of Volcatornic has called for us? It’s been 15 years since we last had any real interaction.”
The woman’s voice carried a certain calmness to it, though her tone was laced with sharpness.
The man shrugged his shoulders and said as if he felt a little wronged.
“How would I know? It’s the old folks up top who made the decision.”
“Then shouldn’t those old folks have come instead of you?”
“Haha, come on now. Those old geezers don’t have the guts to stand in front of a woman like you.”
“Mages with weak hearts? That sounds like a real problem.”
“Well, listen anyway. This time the topic should pique your interest. It’s about the vessel’s body your Heavenly Church has been searching for all this time.”
At this, a hint of curiosity appeared in the woman’s eyes.
While not as long as the history of the Heavenly Church, the history of the Volcatornic Magic Tower wasn’t light enough to make empty boasts.
Though they were known for breaking promises.
“The vessel, you say…”
“Now you’re interested!”
“Explain it properly.”
“Before I explain… if I start from the beginning, it’ll be a long story. Are you aware of our magic tower’s recent activities?”
“To some extent. Isn’t everyone too busy protecting their own interests?”
The wording was crude, but it was accurate.
Recently, the Volcatornic Magic Tower had joined forces with a certain merchant guild to keep the new faction of Blackout, the Gillen merchant guild, in check.
“Ahem. It’s almost embarrassing to say we’re ‘keeping them in check’. In truth, Gillen isn’t even our main focus.”
From the perspective of the Volcatornic Magic Tower, which had been guarding Blackout for over a hundred years, the Gillen merchant guild was nothing more than a newborn. Perhaps a rather robust newborn, but still.
Other merchant guilds might have seen things differently.
In any case.
“But during the process, we came across something quite interesting. A male mage who’s always hanging around the daughter of the Gillen merchant guild. His background is rather interesting.”
“Hmm…?”
The bandaged woman was somewhat familiar with this mage as well.
He had recently been interfering in their activities at every turn.
Whether it was intentional or just a coincidence, she wasn’t sure, but he was someone they planned to deal with eventually.
“It seems that guy was born with a special body.”
“A special body? What exactly do you mean?”
“I’m not certain, but there’s a chance he possesses a trait belonging to the mythical ruler of magic. The [Mana Body].”
“……”
If the bandaged woman’s conversation partner had been any other ordinary mage, she would have definitely laughed at his face.
And then she would accuse him of stirring up such an atmosphere over a legend that may not even exist.
But she did not mock the man.
“That is… quite fascinating.”
“So, I’m planning to confirm it this time. What do you think?”
“What are the conditions?”
“The heart. All we need is the heart. You’re the ones who need the body, right? You just need a vessel to contain that divine power or whatever it is you possess.”
“Hmm.”
The woman fell silent for a moment at this. She was lost in thought as she weighed the pros and cons.
“Alright. Since you’ve even provided the source of the information, that’s not too much to concede.”
A vessel without a heart would be far less useful, but this was a body with the trait of [Mana Body].
Besides, didn’t her plans for a vessel to be used in the recent Black Forest raid fall through? It had been given her a headache.
If this goes well, I might be able to smooth things over.
Having finished her calculations, the bandaged woman smiled.
“I’ll leave the rampaging to you. I’ll handle the target myself.”
Judging by how confidently she spoke, it seemed she was quite sure of herself.
Although she didn’t particularly like the man standing before her, she trusted his skills.
Unlike the typical desk-bound mages, this man had survived on the battlefield for ten years.
“There’s one thing I’m curious about, though.”
“What is it?”
“Why did you call us in for this? You can’t be short on manpower. Besides, don’t you have your reliable allies in the merchant guild.”
“What else? I can’t trust those greedy merchants with their bulging bellies.”
In the end, what he was implying was that to obtain the [Mana Body], he was willing to betray the merchants they had been allied with for decades.
The bandaged woman smiled even more seductively at him.
“Really. You are children who can only see what’s right in front of you.”
“Isn’t that how life works? Anyway, I’m counting on you, Illora.”
“I hope things go as smoothly as your confidence suggests, Adrian.”
***
Two days had passed since the meeting with Shylock.
By then, Jun had managed to grasp a clue about the growth of the artifact.
As a result, he was able to significantly shorten the golem’s growth time.
Meanwhile, Chloe was deeply engrossed in preparing for the auction.
Just in case, Jun had assigned Aiden and Maya to stay close to Chloe.
If the enemies are targeting me, it’s better for me to stay as far away as possible so things can proceed smoothly.
If any unexpected situations arose, they had to at least occur within a predictable range.
With that in mind, Jun had been staying alone at the “Hungry Wolf Inn”. This was a place he once frequented in the past.
I also needed some time to hone my magic.
It had been quite some time since he had reached the fourth-circle.
For Jun, who had always felt there was never enough time to reflect on his inner self, this period of calm was turning out to be quite fruitful.
Having a full purse really does allow me to research magic with ease.
However, the peaceful time didn’t last long.
“……”
Jun who had gone to bed earlier than usual to manage his condition woke up before dawn, well before the sun had risen.
Suddenly, he felt something was off. He had a strange sense of unease.
Perhaps it was because his senses had sharpened after reaching the fourth-circle.
It was eerily quiet.
“Are they all dead? No… they’ve completely disappeared.”
If someone had died inside the inn, Jun’s heightened senses would have reacted first.
The sound of their breathing would have unnaturally stopped.
Then what?
Tat-tat-tat.
As soon as he opened the window, he saw a red mist forming a barrier around the inn.
“[Battlefield of the Mind]…”
It was a type of barrier most commonly used by the Eroders.
It caused anyone outside the designated targets to experience hallucinations, driving them to leave the barrier on their own.
Not only that, but unless they were highly skilled, people would unconsciously avoid the barrier. This made it difficult for outsiders to intrude.
Realizing this instantly, Jun cast [Shield] and bolted toward the door.
A fireball crashed into the window where he had just been standing.
Booom――!!
The window shattered in an instant under the explosion, and an unbearable wave of heat rushed toward Jun.
The [Shield] he had cast barely protected him from the intense heat, if only for a brief moment.
Taking advantage of that moment, he dashed into the hallway and headed for the window on the opposite side.
[Enchantment: Elemental Armory]
[Attribute Enchantment: Wind]
In haste, he enchanted his shoes and climbed up to the roof of the inn. There, he spotted a figure standing at the edge of the red barrier.
“I don’t know who you are, but it’s really annoying to greet someone in the middle of the night.”
“Hahaha… Sorry, but I’m not like those stuffy scholars who want to spend a quiet night. I prefer things a bit more exciting like this!”
The figure at the edge waved his hand casually as if swatting away a bug, and a fireball shot out of thin air, heading straight for Jun.
[Shield]
A mage.
And a fire-attribute mage at that.
Fire magic is known for its overwhelming destructive power. It’s also much easier to control compared to lightning magic.
But it didn’t come without its weaknesses.
Just like how a bomb’s warhead explodes with even the slightest impact, if you keep enough distance and put up a [Shield], it’ll explode on its own.
“Well… your casting speed is pretty quick, just like the rumors say. And you’re not even from a Magic Tower.”
That unmistakable feeling of disdain and contempt.
With that, Jun realized the man was part of a Magic Tower.
Disdain always follows lower-ranking mages, but contempt only comes from other mages, especially those from a Magic Tower.
“Well then, let’s see you block this!”
When the unknown man stomped his foot, a pillar of fire erupted from beneath the building.
Multicasting?
So while he was shooting fire from his hand, he was also preparing that spell below?
A fourth-circle level spell, [Fire Strike].
Sensing the surge of magic below, Jun leaped off the roof.
For a superhuman, it would have been no more than a light stomp, but for Jun, it was a considerable height.
He quickly cast [Shield] in sequence, creating a series of steps to descend smoothly.
“Do you have a monkey in your ancestry or something? You’re pretty quick.”
“Then I guess that makes you a fire-shooting monkey.”
“What?”
[Multicasting]
[Lightning Whip]
Five lightning whips were summoned and then shot out like rays of light toward the man.
The man immediately fired a fireball from his hand.
The lightning whips intercepted the fireball, but they didn’t manage to reach the man in the end.
By then, the man had already retreated.
Following his path, flames erupted along the ground.
[Burning Step]?
A movement spell for evasion.
It worked like a warrior bursting magical power beneath their feet, except it ignited flames to float thinly through the air as he moved.
“Puhaha! Just like I heard. I didn’t expect someone not from a Magic Tower to use magic this well…”
The man who was cloaked in a robe pulled back his hood.
His scorched, dark brown skin and golden hair stood out, and the piercing on his lips gave him a sinister appearance as he grinned with his tongue out.
He wasn’t exactly pleasant to look at, but Jun stared at him intently and spoke.
“Volkatornic Magic Tower?”
Adrian’s expression twisted instantly.
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