Episode 62: People Gather in Search of Hope (1)
Thirty minutes after the incident, Choi Byeong-ho visited the training ground.
“Really? A Class A Werewolf was killed by magic?”
“Yes.”
“How does that happen?” Choi Byeong-ho’s expression was smudged with surprise.
Moments earlier, Choi Byeong-ho, who received the training ground’s news, felt a lightning strike in his head. It’s startling to hear that an A-class monster was summoned, but it was presumed that the opponent who handled it was a wizard. He couldn’t believe the information he received, so he chose to see the aftermath for himself.
Captain of the guard (a reinforced warrior) Yun Gyeong-ho said, “When I arrived at the scene after receiving the emergency signal, it was over; all that remained were 140 Orc corpses and 1 Class A Werewolf. They were all charred as though burnt by fire magic. At first, we thought that the A-class Werewolf was the job of a reinforced warrior, but when we called the inspection team and checked the corpse, there was no evidence of being hit by an aura.”
“…Which means…?”
“Yes. A wizard must have done it.”
“Uh-huh…”
Choi Byeong-ho’s hand trembled. How could it be that a wizard hit the monster?
“A sixth circle mage must have appeared…”
It was the only explanation.
Class A monsters were not opponents likely to be defeated even if fifth Circle Wizards flocked to them. However, to have burned the outer skin of such a Werewolf, it would mean that the six-circle magic that the world’s wizards so desperately wanted was revealed. Greed came to mind in Choi’s expression. If Yun Gyeong-ho’s hypothesis was true, then it was an event that could turn the magic academia upside down.
“Where is the sixth Circle Wizard?”
“Their identity is yet to be found.”
“What?”
In that regard, Yun Gyeong-ho was also mystified.
When Yun Gyeong-ho arrived at the site, the first thing he did after grasping the situation was to check the system information.
“According to the system information, the user summoned 50 Class D Orcs, 90 Class C Orc Warriors, and 1 Class A Werewolf in an hour and 30 minutes. The processing time was not long, but extra time was required for mana recovery between battles. Incognito Mode was activated. User identity unknown.”
Yun Gyeong-ho’s gaze turned to the body. The A-class Werewolf itself provided decisive information. “It is assumed that the user has the master key, given that the A-class Werewolf was summoned.”
The master key was the only tool that could unlock the difficulty limit on the training ground. Class A monsters could never be summoned under normal circumstances. Only a few were deployed for special situations, and when summoning A-class monsters, a person with sufficient guard force and a master key is required. Normally, when a reinforced warrior proves the qualification of ‘Master,’ he summons an A-class monster.
“Have you had a problem with u.s?”
The U.S referred to Under the Seoul Forest. According to the dictionary definition, it was a place where animals were confined and raised.
Since an A-class Salamander burned all the trees in Seoul Forest, the entrances to the numerous dungeons sleeping under it were opened to the public. People spent a long time eradicating all the monsters in the dungeon, and building the Hunter Academy on top of it meant that they could use the dungeon that was not destroyed for training purposes.
It wasn’t possible from the start. For a century, people weren’t just relying on warriors. Scientists also conducted constant research and found a way to utilize the second generation of monsters. Monsters are also animals. They feed on energy, mate, and produce offspring. The training system’s basis was to gather babies together in a cage to form an artificial dungeon for training supplies.
During Suseongjeon training, Kim Moo-jin said that he had opened ‘Oak U.S.’
In other words, the passage of the gate connected to the orc cage was opened so that they were constantly summoned. If something went wrong with the U.S, it was possible that an A-class Werewolf locked up in a solitary cell had escaped alone.
“No. There was nothing wrong with the U.S.”
In that case, the conclusion was simplified. Who held a master key? One of them must have been the protagonist.
Choi Byeong-ho said, with an excited face, “I will entrust you with the full power of this investigation. Be sure to find the person involved in this incident.”
“Yes.”
Choi Byeong-ho wanted to confirm it.
* * *
There was a total of 5 wizards who had the key. The first three were professors, including the head of the department, Choi Byeong-ho, but the remaining two’s status was a bit vague.
‘Kang Min-hyuk.’
First, he put him on the list. He had a considerable reputation in the academy, but Kang Min-hyuk’s alibi was unclear at the time of the incident, and he had been recently absent from class. At first, Yun Geong-ho looked into Kang Min-hyuk’s possibility, but he concluded that Min-hyuk couldn’t possibly have been the wizard in question.
‘Kang Min-hyuk is a 3rd circle wizard. That alone is a tremendous pace of development, but even if you reach the level of the 4th circle, it is not enough to deal with A-class monsters. The traces left on the Werewolf corpse were clearly the power of six-circle magic that has, as of yet, only been dreamed of. Regardless of the alibi, Kang Min-hyuk can’t deal with A-class monsters.’
There was only one other candidate. A wizard who met all conditions had visited the academy recently.
“Yoo Jae-myeong, Archmage. Everything points to him.”
Yoo Jae-myeong was the best talent the department of magic had produced. He was a known genius even as a student and showed a remarkable growth pace, reaching the fifth circle at the age of thirty, after he had left the academy. He was chosen as an emeritus professor in the Department of Magic, and at the same time, he was given considerable powers – like a Master Key. He was still interacting with the academy.
He was now in his forties. Yoo Jae-myeong, who had stayed in the 5th circle for ten years, could be said to be the most influential person at that time.
Bang!
Yoo Jae-myong slammed his fist against the desk in the face of questioning. “It’s not me! I want to see the face of the guy you claim has conquered an A-class Werewolf. You know how much I seek the sixth Circle magic; how desperate it is for me to find it.” His eyes were filled with passion as he spoke.
Yun Gyeong-ho knew that Yoo Jae-myeong was eager to experience the sixth circle, but there was nobody else it could be. “…I don’t understand either. If you did it, there would be no reason to conceal it. Besides, the glory is too profound to be missed…but if it wasn’t you, then who?”
“Now it makes sense. So, is there anyone suspicious of me?”
“I’m sorry. We’ll keep you informed of any updates.”
Yoo Jae-myeong’s frustration was clear; he yearned to meet the wizard who had accomplished such extravagant feats. He showed a desperate desire for six-circle magic. If it was him, his denial was very impressive acting.
He was the only person who met the conditions. If even Yoo Jae-myeong wasn’t the protagonist, there was no person to be suspicious of.
“Why did you disappear after accomplishing such a great achievement?”
It made no sense. The master key was the crucial clue that should have made the investigation easy. But the inquiry didn’t progress as smoothly as Yun Gyeong-hu thought. After being investigated, Yoo Jae-myeong burst into anger, “Who the hell is it? Who defeated the Class A Werewolf?”
The news was great hope for him. It proved the existence of sixth circle magic. Yoo Jae-myeong had traveled the world to find it. His position as an emeritus professor built a bridge for active exchanges with other organizations, and he spent many years looking for clues to the magic of the Sixth Circle. However, nothing was found. With the help of Yoo Jae-myeong, the fifth Circle magic was created, but he wasn’t willing to stop there.
“It was definitely sixth-circle magic. It’s impossible to burn an A-class Werewolf to black with anything less.”
Guoak.
He clutched his heart, which was orbited by six rings. As people said, he was a genius, and he reached the sixth circle five years ago. There were six circles in the heart, but the fifth circle was the limit of known magic. It drove him to the brink of sanity. So, he had recently visited the Department of Magic to meet Min-hyuk Kang, who made the current magic academia buzz.
Kang Min-hyuk was his reason for visiting, but now he had a new reason to remain. He was determined to meet the man who had tapped into the power of the sixth circle.
“I’ll find him myself…”
Yun Gyeong-ho was entirely useless, but there was no time to lose waiting for his investigation to bear fruit. The clue was there. It was the master key. The first person he visited was Kang Min-hyuk. From him, he received an unexpected answer.
“I did it.”
“What?”
“You asked if I lost my master key or if I’d lent it out, but that’s not the case. It was me. I took care of the A-class Werewolf myself.”
The archmage felt as though the world had stopped turning for a moment. He had ruled out the possibility that Kang Min-hyuk, at 17 years old, had defeated the A-class Werewolf. He simply wanted to know if somebody else could have gotten hold of his key…the answer he received was completely unexpected.
“I understand your disbelief. It doesn’t make much sense, does it?”
Min-hyuk stepped back.
Hwaak.
Mana scattered in the air. As Kang Min-hyuk was in the casting process, Yoo Jae-myeong looked on blankly.
‘Explosion.’ It was ungraded magic. As the magical power gathered in front of Kang Min-hyuk, Yoo Jae-myeong opened his eyes.
“Well…well, I never…”
The strongly condensed mana created a force beyond the fifth circle. Yoo Jae-myeong had discerning eyes. Just by looking at the amount of mana and the overflowing power, it was possible to recognize at once that it was magic beyond the known limits.
“But…it’s not possible for you to have reached the sixth circle…”
“No. Not yet, but we have developed a brand of magic that can produce similar powers. Of course, I do know about sixth circle magic. The world that the Archmage Yoo Jae-myeong hopes for does exist.”
He wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t witnessed the explosion.
Kang Min-hyuk said, “Do you believe me now?”
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