—You won't be able to return to the dorm in that condition. Leave the cleanup to Seokhyun, and you go home for now. I've already sent a limousine.
"Thank you, Father. I'll see you at home."
With that, the call ended.
"Master."
The moment the line went dead, someone appeared silently behind me.As quiet as a ghost or a shadow—so silent I hadn't sensed him even when he was right there.
"Uncle Seokhyun."
"It's been a while, young master."
Kim Seokhyun.
He bowed his head toward me.
"Those injuries don't look minor. I'll apply some first aid before they fester."
"I'd appreciate that."
He placed a hand over my burns, moving his mana gently.A warm, sunlit glow—the pure white light of Light-attribute magic, famed for its healing properties.
My burns began to mend.
"That should do for now. The family's specialists will handle the complete treatment once we return."
"Thank you."
"Think nothing of it. Now, if you'll come this way—the car has arrived."
"Yes."
I followed Uncle Seokhyun toward the nearby limousine.
After getting inside, I spoke to him one last time.
"Then I'll leave the cleanup to you."
"Yes, sir. The operatives are already on the move, so there's nothing to worry about. None of what happened here will ever reach the outside world."
"I trust you."
"Then please rest well, young master."
With those final words, Uncle Seokhyun vanished again—no doubt moving through the night to erase every trace of the battle between Baek Sahyuk and me.
"Departing now, sir."
"Yes, please."
The limousine began to move.Watching Seoul's nightscape drift by through the window,I finally let out a long breath of relief.
Shin Jihan's Mansion.
Shin Jihan was in conversation with an unknown figure.
"My, my. Who could've guessed the Blue Magic Tower would interfere there? Talk about bad luck."
A man of average build, face hidden beneath a black robe drawn up to his nose, spoke with an easy grin.
"To be caught before even starting the mission—well, that's a first for me! I honestly don't know what to say."
He laughed brightly, as if amused by his own failure.
"…Do you think this is the time to laugh?"
Grinding his teeth, Shin Jihan snapped back.
"You swore up and down that failure was impossible—and now this? Are you mocking me?"
"Haha, I truly have no excuse."
The man's grin widened.
"I'll return the full commission fee as promised, of course. And the cleanup will be handled neatly as well."
He smiled thinly.
"You can rest assured, our VVIP client's information will never leak."
Even with only his mouth visible beneath the hood, the aura he exuded was enough to chill the blood.A cold shiver ran down Shin Jihan's spine.
"Leng Smith won't live past dawn."
The dead tell no tales.Leng Smith would soon be silenced to erase every trace.
"Leng Smith… That idiot installed the IL Chip and the Berserker system in that kid, Baek Sahyuk. And he had another IL Chip on Hayul. What's your plan for those?"
"You don't have to worry about Baek Sahyuk. His mind's been completely wiped by mental manipulation."
"Do you take me for a fool? Mental manipulation isn't perfect."
If Baek Sahyuk's mind control were to break, information could leak.Even if he didn't know much, any trace connecting Shin Jihan and Leng Smith had to be erased.
"Ah, that won't be an issue either. Though I'm not sure whether to call it good luck or bad…"
The man shrugged casually.
"Baek Sahyuk is already brain-dead."
"…Brain-dead?"
"Yes. Apparently, after hearing about Leng Smith's arrest, he launched a solo attack on Shin Hayul. Because of the side effects, he's now a complete ruin."
"He attacked Hayul alone? What about Hayul?"
"Hmm… I heard his injuries weren't light, but not critical either."
"…What?"
Shin Jihan's eyes widened.
"Are you saying Hayul defeated Baek Sahyuk? Even when Baek Sahyuk was enhanced by the IL Chip and Berserker system?"
If that were true, Shin Hayul's power would already be at the 4th-Circle level—meaning he'd been concealing his true capabilities.
"Ah, no, that's not it."
The man's reply pulled Jihan from his thoughts.
"During Baek Sahyuk's attack, Shin Hayul was under the protection of Kim Seokhyun. Most likely, he's the one who took Baek Sahyuk down."
"Kim Seokhyun?"
"Yes. I couldn't observe directly—his eyes blocked all scrying—but I'm quite certain."
Shin Jihan's eyes narrowed.
"Do you know how long Kim Seokhyun's been following Hayul?"
"Well… I only saw him after Hayul parted ways with you, so I'm not sure before that."
"…I see."
Jihan's expression darkened.
'So Father assigned Kim Seokhyun to guard Hayul… of all people.'
Kim Seokhyun—captain of Shin Inhyuk's personal unit, "The Shadows."A specialist in stealth operations—search, infiltration, and protection magic.One of Shin Inhyuk's most trusted men.
'Looks like I'll have to keep my hands off Hayul for at least two months.'
As long as Kim Seokhyun was guarding him,any move against Hayul risked a severe backlash.Best to lie low for now.
"Well, whatever the case, Baek Sahyuk's already brain-dead. That's a relief."
"Yes."
"Then all that remains is the IL Chip Hayul's carrying."
A sharp gleam returned to Shin Jihan's eyes.
"How do you plan to handle that? It'll be difficult to approach Hayul with Kim Seokhyun by his side."
"That's nothing to worry about. The IL Chip we gave Hayul had a built-in self-destruction code. By now, it's already disintegrated—scattered into the air."
"…You're thorough, at least."
Shin Jihan sounded faintly impressed.
"I told you, didn't I? The Black Magic Tower always prioritizes client confidentiality above all else. Preparations like this are only natural."
The man smiled faintly again.
"Is there anything else that concerns you, Mr. Shin Jihan?"
"…No."
"In that case, I'll take my leave. I have to take care of Leng Smith before dawn."
"I'll leave it to you."
"Of course."
The man's figure began to fade away—dissolving like mist as the sun rises.
"We at the Black Magic Tower eagerly await your next commission, Mr. Shin Jihan."
And with that, the man vanished like a mirage.
"…Tch."
Left alone, Shin Jihan clicked his tongue in irritation.
The smug executive from the Black Magic Tower had been infuriating—but the one who truly made his blood boil was Shin Hayul.
"That lucky bastard."
He scowled, thinking of Hayul, who had narrowly escaped disaster.
Friday.
From early morning, the entire country was in uproar.
[Breaking News! Leng Smith Found Dead!][They Failed Again—The Black Magic Tower's Perfect Cover-Up!][How Did the Black Magic Tower Manage to Eliminate Leng Smith Under Such Tight Security?]
According to reports, Leng Smith had died en route to transfer—his heart suddenly and inexplicably crushed, without any sign of struggle.
Even though mage guards were stationed around him,no one noticed how he was killed.
That's how flawless the assassination was.
"I expected it, but I didn't think they'd break through that easily."
The Black Magic Tower despised information leaks more than anything.They never left alive any member who posed the slightest risk of exposure.
Every member of the Tower ever captured had died mysteriously before interrogation.
So it was only natural to expect Leng Smith's death.
'But how on earth do they destroy only the heart so cleanly?'
It had to be dark magic—but the precision was uncanny.
'Judging from the fact that only Black Magic Tower members die that way, there must be a prerequisite—some kind of embedded trigger.'
Perhaps an explosive spell sealed into the heart beforehand,detonated remotely by a mana signal.
'Perfect for purging traitors, too.'
Considering the Tower's inhuman practices,implanting bombs in their members' hearts wouldn't even faze them.
'As for Baek Sahyuk… still nothing.'
No mention of him anywhere.Ordinarily, his attack would've made headlines alongside Leng Smith's death.
'Looks like Father reached an agreement with the Baek family.'
He probably said: "We'll bury Baek Sahyuk's incident—but you'll pay an appropriate price."
And Baek Mansik, the Baek patriarch, must have had no choice but to agree.
That's why no article mentioned Baek Sahyuk's rampage.
Buzz—
Right on cue, a message arrived from Father.
[Negotiations with the Baek family are complete.][In exchange for keeping the incident quiet, we've acquired 43% of their mana-stone mining rights.]
"Wow."
Mana-stone extraction—the Baek family's main source of revenue.Gaining 43% of those rights meant half their financial lifeline was now gone.
"I thought we'd get maybe thirty percent at best…"
Father never failed to exceed expectations.
To take forty-three percent—that was ruthless brilliance.
[Well done. Thanks to you, we'll have no shortage of funding for our overseas ventures.][I'll see to your reward as soon as I return.][Think about what you'd like.]
Three consecutive messages—a rare occurrence.
It meant he was in an exceptionally good mood.
[Understood. I'll give it some thought.]
And with that reply, the exchange ended.
'Everything turned out perfectly.'
Truly, everything had fallen into place.
He had escaped the Black Magic Tower's trap.Owed a debt from the Blue Magic Tower through the incident.Gained the right to freely artifactize the Element Mana Light.Earned massive profit from the Baek Sahyuk affair.And achieved the state of Resonance itself.
The benefits were immeasurable.
'And now, thanks to all this, Brother Jihan won't be able to interfere with me for at least two months.'
That was the biggest victory of all.
Having failed once already, Jihan wouldn't dare move again so soon.And now that he knew Uncle Seokhyun was guarding me,he wouldn't risk making a move anyway.
Shin Jihan wasn't foolish enough to court danger.To avoid any potential backlash, he'd keep his head down.
'In other words, until the Academy Olympiad, no one can interfere with me.'
No interruptions. No obstacles.
That, too, was a tremendous advantage.
'Now all that's left is to push my skills to their limit and win the gold medal.'
The Academy Olympiad.The mark of the most outstanding student mage in the world.Not even Kim Kangin had managed to claim the gold.
If I could seize that medal,my standing within the family would soar.
New allies would emerge.And from there, I could begin my bid for heir to the family head in earnest.
'Perfect.'
I was still basking in my own satisfaction when—
Whumm… whumm… whumm!
Mana trembled around my body.
"Perfect timing."
The twelve-hour penalty of Resonance had ended.My circles began spinning once more.
I immediately rose from my seat and stepped out of the room.
'My injuries healed overnight, and my circles are functioning again…'
Time to return to the dormitory.
Once there, I needed to activate the magic array on page 210 of Idred's Tome—the one leading to the Second Trial.
"The 3rd Circle…!"
It was right within reach.