Hajin P.o.v
[Updating in progress... 79%]
Currently, it was 9 A.M., Saturday.
Clearly, my laptop was still dead. It only went up by 79% in a whole day. I wondered what amazing new features it would get. On the other hand, I was dying of anxiety as I waited.
I was staring at the laptop's update percentage when my smartwatch rang.
[Brokerage account for Kim Hajin has opened.]
"Oh, it's done!"
I was also concerned about this. It would have been easy if I were an adult, but I was still a minor. Just like in the previous world, a minor couldn't open a brokerage account without a guardian's agreement. If I weren't a cadet at Cube, it would have been impossible to open a brokerage account.
Now that I had an account, I immediately began to work.
[Guild — Packhorse Master]
Since I wasn't knowledgeable about complicated things like short stock selling, short stock buying, and price fluctuation, I simply bought as much as I could.
[17,647 stocks of 'Packhorse Master' guild purchased.]
It didn't take long.
But since it felt a bit weird to just leave, I looked up a stock-related forum board.
[Gathering of people who enjoy the stock exchange.]
With 930,000 members, this was the biggest forum for stock-related topics.
I searched for Packhorse Master.
[List of new guilds.]
[Guilds newly listed]
[Guild market is hard nowadays ㅜㅜ None of the new guilds look promising...]
None of the posts were specifically about Packhorse Master, only mentioning it briefly.
"Well, what did I expect from an online forum...?"
Information is money in this world, not to mention stock trading. Even the existence of a website can be uncovered through money. Thus, expert brokers didn't even bother to look at free online forums.
Information guilds had their own intranets where one could buy information; and those who wished to lay low would use something like the Violet Banquet...
"Oh, right."
Speaking of secret...
Chameleon Troupe.
First revealed halfway through the story, the Chameleon Troupe was the most powerful gang hidden in my novel, whose members would play an important part until the late stages of the novel.
They were a gang of criminals, but they also rejected Djinns. And in this world, Djinns were the absolute evil. If I could at least become friends with its leader, I might be able to transform them into a supporting role...
Just when I was thinking such things...
"Uk!"
Completely out of the blue, an intense pain emerged in my left upper arm. Like a heated knife carved into my flesh. The pain then spread across my body. I clutched my chest, got down on one knee and endured.
Blood spurted out from my arm, hitting my shirt. I hurriedly pulled up my sleeve. A strange scar was being drawn on my upper arm.
"The hell..."
It was an incomprehensible scar and pain. I clenched my teeth and put my hand over the scar gushing with blood. At the same time, a tsunami of information flooded into my brain.
[This Stigma is one of the authorities of the Creator. It contains magic power.]
[One streak of Stigma will be inscribed each time your total acquired SP reaches a certain level, which is when your 'fame' increases by a level.]
[You can freely use the magic power stored inside Stigma, which will slowly regenerate over 24 hours even if depleted.]
[An external magic source had been detected. Therefore, a connection is established with Stigma. You can also use the external source as a substitute magic power for Stigma.]
"...Ah."
An indescribable throbbing pain rang out in my head and arm. But even in the wave of such paralyzing pain, I could clearly see the laptop screen.
[Update List]
▷'Book of Truth' has been added to the Gift, 「Observation and Reading」
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Saturday noon, Seoul.
The weekend sky was clear and blue. The early spring weather was chilly, but still had a bit of warmth to it. But I was unable to enjoy this beautiful day to myself, as I was summoned to go to Seoul's 'Association Tower'.
It was to receive commendation for subjugating the Djinn in the recent incident.
...Really, couldn't they just come to give it themselves?
The conferment ceremony took place in a garden in the Association Tower, and many people were already gathered by the time I arrived. However, the conferment ceremony seemed nowhere close to starting. Kim Suho, Chae Nayun, and I were forced into a ceremony rehearsal because we would receive our commendations from a dignitary, but the dignitary himself was late and we were forced to wait.
Because Chae Nayun was next to me, it felt like I was sitting on needles.
"...Haaam."
"Happy?"
Once. I yawned once because I was bored. But Chae Nayun, who was looking for an excuse to pick a fight, finally shot back at me. I retorted briefly.
"What?"
"You've had a smirk for a while."
"..."
It was unfair that she could look so pretty while making such remarks.
I planned to stay silent at first, but I suddenly remembered the reason I was here.
"You didn't forget, did you?"
"Forget what?"
Each of her words was covered in thorns. I spoke as I stared into her eyes.
"That I saved you."
"..."
She still looked angry, but she lashed out like a tiger.
"You didn't save me, it was a team effort."
"Stop, both of you."
After a momentary contemplation, Chae Nayun opened her mouth to strike back, when Kim Suho cut in.
"W-What?"
"Chae Nayun, switch seats with me."
For the record, our seats were ordered: Kim Suho, Chae Nayun, and then me.
Shiki hasn't arrived yet. Maybe he had other plans and ditched the event.
"And if I refuse?"
"Hurry."
"No, why, I don't want to..."
Seeing them getting all touchy didn't feel too good.
Thankfully, their obscene(?) scuffle quickly ended, and Kim Suho replaced the seat next to me.
Kim Suho looked at me and let out a dry cough.
"Thank you for back then."
"...What?"
I was struck dumb with amazement. I wanted to be left alone, so why was he still talking to me?
"Back at the museum, if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have won."
"No, you would have won even without me."
If I weren't there back then, Kim Suho might have awakened an even higher-dimensional power. The main characters always became strong through hardships and dangers.
"....No."
"Am I late?" Shiki finally came.
"No. You're just in time."
With that single line, Kim Suho turned his gaze back.
At that moment, an extraordinary undulation of magic power rang out.
The 'dignitary' had finally arrived.
"H-He's here. Everyone get ready!"
He was today's commendation conferrer, the Master rank Hero titled 'Wolf of Valhalla'.
His shoulder-length hair was curved up slightly, and he had a well-trimmed beard uncommon for an Eastern man. The regality given off by his extraordinary appearance wasn't limited to an invisible feeling. As though a wind was blowing, each of his steps caused a thin undulation of magic power. His raw power had already reached a realm where even he couldn't fully control it.
"...Huu."
"These fuckers telling me what to do..." He murmured quietly.
—Now, the conferment ceremony will begin.
The host announced the start of the ceremony.
—The commendation will be conferred by the rank 37 Master rank Hero, Sir Yoo Sihyuk.
Kim Suho, Chae Nayun, I, and Shiki walked up to the podium. Shiki didn't rehearse with us so he just followed behind.
Yoo Sihyuk smirked as soon as he saw Kim Suho.
"Are you Kim Suho?"
"Yes."
"Mm. I can see why those guys want you."
Intense interest was reflected in Yoo Sihyuk's eyes. With an unusual kindness, Yoo Sihyuk advised Kim Suho.
"Don't join the Association. It might even be better to join the Vast Expanse and become a hunter. Being a Hero is nothing but a baggage of responsibility and no fun."
"...Still, a Hero fits my personality best."
Kim Suho revealed a clear refusal with a smile. In response, the corner of Yoo Sihyuk's mouth twisted up.
"You're a boring guy. Fine... And you, it's been a while, eh?"
This time, it was Chae Nayun. When her eyes met his, she made a bitter expression.
"...It's been a while."
"Your father told me to take care of you, but I don't plan on doing that."
"I... Master—"
"I'm not your master. A bow user like you thinks you can call me Master? Do you want to die?"
At his open reproach, Chae Nayun only stuck out her mouth in a pout. Seeing her reduced to such a pathetic state, I struggled to hold in my laughter.
"...And who are you?"
"I am cadet Kim Hajin."
"Intriguing... You have a strange way to hide your mana. And your magic power doesn't match your physique at all. Are you sure you're not a magician?"
"No sir. I'm just an ordinary cadet."
"Tch. Same as the brat huh. Forget it."
It was Shiki's turn and...
"Now who the hell are you?"
"I don't get what you're saying, sir."
"You get what I meant. How the hell did you get under the radar all this time?"
"I don't know what you meant, Mr.Yoo Sihyuk."
"Hoh..."
As the two continued to exchange their thoughts, the air in the hall became heavily tense.
Their pressure burst out, like two hurricanes crashing into one another, ready to shred anything close by. Neither broke their stare, nor did their smiles fade.
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The ceremony continued as the host stepped in and reminded Yoo Sihyuk of his job, or at least he tried.
"By risking his life to subjugate a Djinn, he has shown himself to be a model citizen... This commendation proves his excellent service for the good of society and his exemplary behavior which would motivate others. Cadet Kim Suho."
Yoo Sihyuk handed Kim Suho the commendation certificate without adding any needless commentary. Kim Suho then took the certificate with honor and dignity.
"Chae Nayun, same as above."
"Kim Hajin, same as above."
"Tatsuya Shiki, same as above."
"The conferment ceremony is now over."
With the host's announcement, the conferment ceremony came to an end. One hour and thirty minutes of rehearsal and one hour of waiting had been reduced to just five minutes. It was so quick that I didn't even have time to feel wronged.
"Oh, by the way..."
Yoo Sihyuk, who was about to leave the garden, suddenly stopped as though he remembered something.
"The reward for the Djinn subjugation is 15 million won. I almost forgot to tell you."
The moment I heard that, I felt grateful for everything. To the Cube associate who forced me out of bed this morning, the one-hour thirty-minute rehearsal, and even the man who was late by an hour.
"Good luck. We'll meet again if chance allows it."
Yoo Sihyuk then left with a bored smile.
We saw him off with our eyes, then came down from the podium. Before we could even touch the ground, guild associates flocked towards us.
However, they were only interested in Kim Suho and Chae Nayun. No one approached Shiki or me.
They most likely thought we were only lucky to have been with them at the time of the incident.
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Shiki and I ran away to a nearby coffee shop.
Shiki was here as well, said that something interesting would happen, so he came along to watch.
After ordering our drink, I sat down and turned on my laptop.
The reason was simple. I had not checked the laptop's new functionality yet. I didn't have the time. Yesterday, I fainted at the pain that came with the update's completion, and when I woke up, I was dragged to the conferment ceremony.
[Updated Features]
▷'Book of Truth' has been added to the Gift, 「Observation and Reading」
▷Internet has been added to the laptop.
▷Stigma.
There were three new features. The first thing that caught my attention was the second addition.
'Internet has been added to the laptop.'
It caught my attention because it was too ordinary. After all, I could use my smartwatch to access the internet.
But it was unlikely for the laptop's feature to be so ordinary.
I opened the internet on my laptop.
"...Aha."
I immediately understood when I saw the 'internet'. The internet window had rows of dull texts, but they were all too familiar.
It contained a massive number of websites, even those that are locked behind a paywall. It was a hacking tool in a way.
Among the numerous websites, a specific name caught my attention.
===
▷Violet Banquet
*Website for trading undisclosed information, weapons, bounties, and commissions.
*SP needed for obtaining an ID: 200
===
Violet Banquet.
It's essentially the international website and the black market of this world, providing information, trades, bounties, commissions, and a lot more.
Hero wasn't called a true Hero unless one had a Violet Banquet membership.
Naturally, one needed to pay an enormous sum to become a member of Violet Banquet, but I only needed 200 SP to obtain an ID.
"Ah, there you are."
It was at that moment that a charming voice and scent flowed towards me. Just by hearing the voice, I could tell who it was.
I saw Shiki grinning on the other side of the table. He knew she was coming. He must have seen her the moment after we left.
I immediately straightened my back and focused on the movement behind me.
It was Yun Seung-Ah.
"You know me, right?"
Her eyes formed an arc as she stared at me.
"You don't?"
"No, I know."
"That's a relief. I was surprised because you suddenly disappeared. There was something I wanted to give you."
[Guild, Creator's Sacred Grace, vice-leader Yun Seung-Ah.]
While I sat speechless looking at the business card, Yun Seung-Ah continued.
"There's a lot I want to talk about, but unfortunately, I don't have enough time. I spent too long looking for you, Hajin cadet-nim.
And you as well, Shiki cadet-nim."
Yun Seung-Ah turned her attention to Shiki. He shrugged it off saying.
"Oh, don't mind me. You can discuss all you want with Hajin here.
Here, I'll leave you two alone. If you want to contact me, you can ask him."
Shiki picked up his drink, proceeded to walk out the door, leaving the two of us behind.
'Damn teacher. I'll remember this.' Meanwhile...
Shiki P.o.v
"Man, watching his speechless expression in the first row is fun. Too bad I already knew how it would go with Third Magic, but nonetheless still entertaining."
Unlike other True Magic, which would drain my mental strength whenever I use them, I have complete control over Heaven's Feel;
This allows me to see my own future whenever I want. Even though I'd rarely use it since it would make things boring unless it was an emergency.
"Anyway, tomorrow is Sunday so I should have some time to have another lesson. Let's book a private training room for tomorrow."
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3 p.m. Sunday. Cube private training room.
Here I am, sitting patiently waiting for a certain 'author' to arrive. I messaged him yesterday after I went home and told him to come here at 14:50 to train.
Only my other student, Rachel, is here with me. I only briefly told her about the lesson an hour ago, yet she still had better etiquette than her senior and arrived on time.
"Sorry, Rachel. I should have given him an earlier time to come."
"No, it's fine. He must have something urgent."
"But still. Leaving a girl hanging isn't a good trait for a man."
"Forget about it. He will come eventually. First, let's talk about your own direction."
"My own... direction?"
"Yes, every magi has their own direction, their specialty. It's tied to their origin and element that we discovered a few days ago."
Rachel just looked at me with a blank face.
"It means that we will discuss your growth as a magi and a hero."
"Yes, Mr.Shiki." She exclaimed in excitement, although her expression hadn't changed.
"Like i said, just call me Shiki or teacher."
"Yes, teacher."
"Now sit down. Last time we found your element and talked about one of its uses. But we haven't talked about your origin yet."
"Yes, my origin is spirit, right? What does it mean, teacher?"
"Let me explain...
All humans have three essential elements: 'Body', 'Mind', and 'Soul'.
'Body' is self-explanatory, 'Mind' is where one's ego is formed. And 'Soul' is the 'blueprint' of the body. 'Body' and 'Mind' are unrelated but Soul is."
"Why is Soul related to my origin, teacher?"
"Because 'Soul' is made of spiritron or spirit particles. It is the 'true essence' of the 'Soul'; without it, there's no 'Soul'.
Having Spirit as your origin means that your magecraft can affect your and others' 'Soul's."
"Oooh..."
"There's still more to your origin that I have yet to say."
"Can I ask what they are?"
"I'll tell you in the future; but first, look who decided to show up. You're late."
"Sorry about that, teach. I have a minor business to attend."
"It's fine. You're here anyway. Have you finished reading the grimoire?"
"Yes, I did. It's very useful for a gunner like me."
"Grim..oire?"
"It's a magic spellbook that allows you to learn a spell or magecraft written inside."
"A magic spellbook?"
Rachel couldn't believe what she heard. Only a few people would know of its existence; finding one is even harder.
"What did it write about?"
"It's Runecraft. It won't help you much as a close-range fighter. But for him, it's a perfect arsenal." I answered.
"Oh..."
"Don't worry. Everyone is different. You don't have to follow others to become better. Being true to yourself is enough."
"Yes, I understand."
"Good, now everyone is here. We'll get started with our main objective today, Reinforcement. A necessity spell for any magi, range or close quarters."
"Listen closely.
In simple terms, Reinforcement allows you to enhance the essence of an object by pouring mana into said object. The more mana input, the better the enhancement is."
"Whoaaaa..." Hajin gaped his jaw.
"The spell sounds amazing. It can give you a big advantage over your opponent."
Rachel commented in awe.
"Now you know what it is, I will give you an example of Reinforcement."
I then took out a small paper note. I can achieve two purposes with the note.
One, I can show the spell works and what to watch out for.
Two, it will demonstrate one of the utilities of this spell.
"Watch closely." I said.
As I steady my breathing, I begin circulating my mana. As I direct my magic power to my hand, countless streaks of light start forming into a matrix that bloom into the paper.
"This is one of the indications of Reinforcement. Take a look."
I showed the yellow paper to the students. To say they were speechless would be correct.
"The keys to success here are precision and consistency.
You have to pour the right amount of mana at a time; too little and it will barely have any effect; too much and the object will break apart.
Also, if your mana flow to the object is cut off, the effect will diminish slowly."
"Now, to demonstrate its effect."
I pull out an apple taken from the cafeteria and proceed to pin it with the edge of the note.
*Crunch*
The note cut deeply into the fruit without any resistant. I kept pushing the paper into it and...
*Snap*
Tha apple was split into two.
" "Amazing..." "
Rachel and Hajin were amazed by how a flimsy note could be capable of cutting an apple in half.
"It can also do other things, like hardening, increasing its flexibility, or more.
With that being said, this required a high level of control. Which is why I had you practice on mana control between these few lessons."
"I see"
"Now, to practice reinforcement, I want you to try to infuse a piece of paper with your own magic power. Try to make it more sturdy first before moving on.
If you fail and tear it apart, then try again. We have plenty of books to use."
" "Yes, teacher." " Hajin and Rachel exclaimed.
As Shiki handed a book to each of them. They started ripping off a few pieces to practice.
Hajin, with 'Reading and Observation' and his newly acquired 'Stigma', was able to get a grasp on the spell quickly after a few attempts.
On the contrary, Rachel's progress was slower despite having better control of magic. Nonetheless, she was able to cast the spell for a period of time after tearing a dozen pages.
Satisfied with their result, I told them to train further in their free time and ended the lesson.
I went
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When I woke up, it was Monday morning. In a daze, I thought back to what had happened the past week. Sparing, Hunting, glaring at a high-level hero, and teaching magecraft...
Mentally, it was tiring but much more fun than just sitting somewhere and watching from the side.
I washed up, grabbed a quick breakfast, and left for class.
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I was waiting for class to start when...
"Oh, you're here, loser?"
Some kid struck Hajin's head. His loudness caught everyone's attention immediately.
'Bullying? That brat had been gathering a lot of hostilities. What the hell had he done?' I thought, watching it unfold from the corner.
"What? You mad?"
"Hey guys, the exam results are out for Phenomenon Realm Analysis."
At that moment, Yi Yeonghan walked in with an armful of large scrolls.
Cube still had a traditional custom. The results of every written exam, whether small or big, were posted publicly on large posters.
Yi Yeonghan put up the posters while other cadets groaned.
The result was as such.
Rank 1. Kim Hajin
Rank 2. Rachel
...
Rank 56. Shiki
...
'Not bad, enough not to attract a lot of hassle... I mean attention.
Also, my disciples are really smart. No wonder they can crack the spell without much difficulty.'
A sound similar to a chopstick snapping in half rang out. I snuck a peek to my left.
Two halves of a pen rolled on the table. Next to them was the presumed owner of the pen, Rachel, who was staring at the exam results in a daze.
Her mouth was half-open, as though she was greatly shocked.
I walked toward my frozen student.
"Are you ok?"
She turned to me and said.
"Yes, I'm fine. I just... I just..."
But before she could say anything else, I cut in.
"It's s ok, being second means you have flaws, it also means you can grow further, your teacher promised that."
I said nothing more and went back to my seat.
I couldn't let my students lose confidence in their path over something trivial. Their achievement and growth are things any teacher wants to witness. If they can even surpass me, then I would happily help them.
With that in mind, as soon as class ended, I called my student to train.
Hajin politely refused, saying that he had to upgrade his arsenal.
Rachel also declined, wanting to focus on her theory more.
With both of my students absent, I decided to go back to my dorm and figure out what to do with all the materials I grinded last week.
The first thing that came to my mind was turning them into Mystic Codes for my disciples. Having one would solidify our master-disciple relationship.
"Cadets are only allowed to carry training equipment, so gifting weapons is an out, as well as clothing. Anything heavy is also eliminated as both of them are lightweight combatants.
In that case, an accessory is a good choice. Something like a necklace would serve them well."
I headed back to my dorm and started working on my gifts. The Mystic Codes will be handed down as a reward for their progress. It would take some time before it can be delivered to them.
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