(MC POV)
The next morning when I wake up, it was the greatest thing in my second life so far. I had clear my first gate although the monster break the fourth wall. Then for the first time I used the magic spell I learn and trained everyday put in good use.
Furthermore, the nightmares are now gone when I put magic circle in this apartment neighborhood.
"Morning Clark."
I passed the library where I saw him playing chess in the computer. Hold on, I look back to make sure of it. How did it pass that annoying captcha? Anyway, I went to the kitchen and start cooking a breakfast, while doing so I turn on the TV.
The unknown hunter had not just prevent the dungeon break all by himself but also helping the evacuation, heal the injured, and most shocking for us that he could revive people from death-
Never mind, I turn it off again.
Breakfast done, now let's check what I got yesterday.
[Player Status]
Name: Takakura Ken
Level: 14
Class: Mage
Title: The Prodigy (+20 Mind, +20 Luck)
MP: 1470/1470
HP: 1876/1876
Fatigue: 0
[Stats]
Strength: 21
Agility: 22
Vitality: 34
Sense: 40
Mind: 43 (+20)
Intelligence: 92 (+13)
Faith: 263
Luck: 23 (+20)
[Stat Points: 0]
[Achievement Points: 300]
[Equipped Items]
None
My level is now 14. This is my stats without buff from magical items. I have notice that I still had no idea how long I'm going last because my opponent is unintelligence golem.
Next one is I got extra 100 AP after defeating the boss.
[Skills:]
[Programming: Intermediate] [Master Artist] [Construction Master] [Multilingual]
[Passive Abilities]
[Holy Aura: Max] [Divine Protection: Max]
[Magic Spells]
[Phalanx: Basic Defense; Lv. 2] [Phalanx: Projectile; Lv. 2] [Phalanx: Dome; Lv. 1] [Phalanx: Sphere; Lv. 1] [Acceleration: Lv. 2] [Zoltraak: Lv. 1] [Jilwer: Lv. 1] [Create Water: Lv. 1] [Nature Beauty: Lv. 1]
[Holy Spells]
[Heal: Lv. 2] [Turn Undead: Lv. 1] [Exorcism: Lv. 1] [Break Spell: Lv. 1] [Resurrection: Lv. 2] [Holy Magic Circle: Lv. 1] [Magic Seal: Lv. 1] [Purification: Lv. 1] [Recovery: Lv. 2]
[Support Magic]
[Blessing: Lv. 2] [Powered: Lv. 1] [Haste: Lv. 1] [Protection: Lv. 1] [Resistance: Lv. 1] [Versatile Entertainment: Lv. 1] [Eyes of Providence: Lv. 1] [Enhanced Vision: Lv. 1] [Clean: Lv.1]
[Equipped Items]
None
[Inventory]
x5 Grimoires
Guardian Mask
Harry Potter's Wand
Stone Golem magic core
Icha-Icha Paradise
So many spells had leveled up.
I didn't know what kind improvement is that meant.
Strangely though, I'm sure that I didn't wore any magic items.
+13 next to my intelligence stat that came out of nowhere. Where did it come from?
[Followers: 13]
The what? My face like what the fuck is that number? Of course, I already knew what is that mean, but to think the number is that low! I'm speechless. I revive like 60 people and this is it?!
Nevertheless, so I finally has it. Honestly I didn't know what to do. Acting like god? Hm... nah. Surely, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't self proclaim god damn that's too pathetic.
---
(3rd POV)
Korean Hunters Association
The chairman of the Korean Hunters Association, Go Gunhee, watched last night's live news. His trusted subordinate, Woo Jin-chul, stood beside his desk.
"Did you investigate it thoroughly?"
"Yes, sir. I had doctors from our hospital check them and there are no abnormalities or any signs that they were under magic control. Five of them are D-rank awakeners and they did not lose their powers after they died. Some of them even continued to go to their jobs this morning. What do you think, sir?"
"What do you think, Mister Jin-chul?"
"My opinion is that we should keep him in this country no matter what."
"That question depends on whether he is Korean. Even then, our S-rank hunters went to America for more money."
Woo Jin-chul grew nervous.
"I thought there would still be a limit to what even an S-rank could pull off."
Go Gunhee then reached for a file in his desk. "This person is also a Mage class. Double awakening is rare, but two classes are a different story. Now I wonder how strong this man is. Have you found this person's identity?"
"No, sir. Unfortunately, we have not found anything that leads to his identity."
Go Gunhee finished reading the report and leaned back in his chair.
He could be S-rank or above, because normally a healer would not be able to revive a person's life. On top of that, he brought back many innocent people after healing hundreds and dealing with the dungeon break.
The reason he was so fixated on him was that he needed to find a strong successor. Furthermore, the public would most likely support this man becoming the next chairman of the Hunters Association.
"At this time, we have a request from a major guild and from multiple countries, including the United States, asking about the Guardian's identity."
"Guardian?"
Woo Jin-chul coughed slightly. "That is his popular name on the internet, sir."
"Oh… pardon this old man. For now, I want more supervision so we can prevent this from happening again. We might even find this person again. You may go now."
Woo Jin-chul bowed slightly, then left the office.
"Pardon me, Mister Chairman. You have an important guest!"
Go Gunhee frowned until a figure wearing a golden mask entered his office.
---
To think the man he was trying to find actually came on his own.
Sitting in front of him was a man around six feet tall, with black hair, dressed in a suit, and wearing the exact same mask design he saw in the report.
But anyone could be mimicking him at this point. He still had a doubt.
Meanwhile, Ken was once again amazed by the power of slime. Thanks to it, he could appear taller than his actual height. Clark could also change its appearance, and the jacket suit he wore was in fact the Cloak of Levitation. With Aqua's magic, he could alter his voice however he wanted. Right now, he was truly anonymous.
"I am Go Gunhee. I am grateful on behalf of the association and the people of Korea that you were able to prevent disaster and save many innocent lives last night."
Ken nodded. "I accept. I hope you do not mind that I wear this mask and keep my personal identity."
"Of course. Please do whatever you are comfortable with. But before I hear what you wish to speak about, may I ask you something?"
Ken gave a simple nod.
"By any chance, are you Korean?"
"You could say so."
"Then let me be even more direct. I would like to offer you something before you consider joining major guilds or even going to other countries."
"Other countries?"
"That is right. Consider your value right now. You are even more valuable than an S-rank hunter. If they gain your interest, they will never need to fear losing their own S-rank hunters in the future as long as Guardian-ssi is with them. That is why I would like to offer you first the position of the seat behind me."
Go Gunhee smiled, although he began to tense up. He could not tell what this person was thinking behind his mask.
"If it is a question of money, if you stay in this country, I believed every major guild and every conglomerate that runs this nation will support you no matter what. I am even willing to step down if you wish to take the position right away."
Go Gunhee was not an average S-rank. He was the first to create the foundation for hunters in South Korea and had established a position of such power that even the Prime Minister could not meet him without an appointment. The reason why he acted this desperate was because he need to make this person stay no matter what.
Go Gunhee narrowed his eyes. With the Guardian here. Even a large country like the United States would consider helping them clear the S-rank dungeon in Jeju Island simply to build a good relationship with the person in front of him.
Even national authority hunters could still die, and this man could revive them.
Life could not be compared to a blank check.
The world had been racing to bring him in since last night, and it was Go Gunhee's luck that he came here instead.
The man's silence made both Go Gunhee and Woo Jin-chul even more nervous.
"No. I have come to bargain."
A blunt rejection that almost pushed them into despair. Bargain? Even so, there was still hope for Go Gunhee. He had to hear whatever it was.
"Of course. I will do the best I can within my power."
The truth became even more curious.
"Forty D-rank gates, thirty C-rank, fifteen B-rank, ten A-rank gates, and the permit to enter the gates alone."
What is this place? A restaurant? Go Gunhee did not expect such a request, and he laughed loudly.
"Is there a problem?"
"Of course not. In fact, you could have more than that. As for the permit, you do not have to worry about it either."
But something stuck in Go Gunhee's chest, more like a question. Was that really all?
"Since I refused the chairman position, I could just heal your body as compensation."
Go Gunhee let out a soft laugh, impressed. "I never told anyone except Chief Woo Jin-chul behind me about my condition. The truth is, you do not need to repay me for such a request."
"I insist. I promise that you will be able to break loose in the dungeon later."
Go Gunhee laughed again. He had never felt his heart beat so fast. "If you insist, there is no reason to refuse."
"Then please provide me with the forty D-rank gates in Seoul. By next week, give me at least a B-rank gate for the chairman's treatment."
He was curious why he needed so many low-ranking gates and then a B-rank gate for the treatment.
"A B-rank gate. Of course. But I think it is still nothing compared to my health. No matter how I think about it, your requests are too low."
Ken leaned forward. "Then I would like a permit to clear the gate in Jeju Island."
Go Gunhee frowned, golden energy starting to rise from his body. "Do not be ridiculous. Unless you are a national authority hunter, you cannot raid Jeju Island."
"It seems you are misunderstanding, chairman. Eventually, you will understand why I am asking for a permit to raid Jeju Island."
"What do you mean?"
"Because my value as a hunter isn't determined by the fact that I am a healer."
"You're saying..."
"Yes."
Go Gunhee was about to speak, but the words would not come. The ability to revive a soul was not his strongest card then what?
"I'm a mage."
---
In the living room, the large windows beside me showed a beautiful city at night. However, I could not enjoy the view because I was preparing the spell I needed to cure old man Go Gunhee.
"Alright…"
I finished the grimoire. Right now, I was holding a monster magic core. I had taken it from the golem boss and thought it would be useful for my little experiment.
"Fel. I barely played Warcraft and only watched the movie a little. To summarize, Fel energy could be used as aura, curses, fear, turning someone into a demon, and its main abilities are draining life and transferring corrupted energy to another. A double-edged sword that makes the user stronger while corrupting them. The opposite of Aqua's powers."
In short, this was different from ordinary mana. I wondered what would happen if I used this power.
"It is said the owner of the grimoire does not need a pact with demons first. Alright then…"
With the monster core in my hand, my aura suddenly turned into a sinister green glow, pulling everything from inside the core.
Crack!
The core shattered as I drained it completely.
[Ding!]
[Fel energy detected entering the body]
[Divine Protection activated]
[Demonic energy purified from contaminated mana]
[All energy successfully cleansed]
[Ding!]
[Your mana is exceeding what your body can store]
[+1 mana will be decreased every 1 second]
As I expected, when I absorbed the Fel energy, it was purified as soon as it entered my body.
Aqua was no longer a useless goddess, I thought.
[MP: 1519/1470]
A D-rank boss was equal to about 50 mana, or maybe the quality was reduced because I only got its core. On top of that, I would lose 1 mana every second because my mana exceeded the maximum capacity.
Regardless, I succeeded in casting the spell.
[Ding!]
You have mastered
[Fel]
Origin: Warcraft
Type: Spell
Tier: SR
Mana Cost: None
Description: A demonic spell that drains life and converts it into corrupted energy. However, the user may lose their senses and become a demon.
[You have leveled up]
---
The next day.
Ken went to the gate that had been promised to him.
Walking in simple clothes and the guardian mask, he moved through the crowd. No one seemed to recognize him, because now he noticed that whenever he passed a group of hunters, every mage in their party wore a mask that looked somewhat similar to his. He had started a new trend.
After a while, he arrived at the abandoned hospital where a man in armor had been waiting for him.
"Mister Guardian, you've come early."
"Just you alone? Sorry for taking all the remaining D-rank gates."
"Yes. No, the fact that you are willing to take low-ranking gates is helping us a lot. It is better than having a dungeon break."
"Alright then, let's go."
Suddenly his hoodie turned into a long cloak, and everything looked similar to what he wore that night.
'I have never heard of anything like this before. What kind of artifacts are these?'
Woo Jin-chul could not blink as he saw it happen.
The two stepped into the gate and were soon greeted by a pack of lizards.
"Mister Woo. Do not help me unless it is necessary."
"Yes."
Woo Jin-chul remembered that he had defeated a D-rank gate alone, so he did not mind.
"They are Poisonous Lizards. Please be careful of their breath."
Then Woo Jin-chul remembered.
Dangerous? What was he talking about? The man in front of him might be the best healer in the world.
"I see."
A magic circle appeared in front of Ken and fired a beam made of mana.
[Zoltraak]
The beam hit the lizard's head. Woo Jin-chul expected the spell to end, but as soon as it passed the head, it curved and continued toward the other lizards. With a tiny wand in his hand, Ken seemed able to control it like a conductor.
'What control…'
It doesn't take long for him to kill the magic beasts.
Soon they advanced and found a large door cast in steel. When they stepped inside, a giant lizard was waiting. It did not take long for it to release a burst of poison from its mouth.
"Sir! Do not inhale the poison!"
Woo Jin-chul covered his mouth.
"Do not worry, the poison will not be able to penetrate the shield."
The poison was stopped by a dome-like barrier. As he spoke, he waved his wand and created four magic circles. Energy gathered on each magic circle before it shot forward. A barrage of cannon fire struck the boss and killed it instantly.
[You have killed the boss]
[You have leveled up]
He overwhelmed the lizard with nonstop strikes, and Woo Jin-chul couldn't keep track of how many there were. He could even defend against the boss with a strong barrier while casting his spell to counter. Just where was his limit? The question was clear on Woo Jin-chul's face.
"Let us go to the next gate, Mister Woo."
That day, they, no, he cleared nine D-rank gates alone, and later he managed to raid more than fifty D-rank gates in a week.
The day after he finished the raids with the Guardian, Woo Jin-chul reported everything to Go Gunhee.
"That is how things have been in the past week, sir. I think he wasn't bluffing when he said he was a strong mage."
"Ho…"
Go Gunhee could only smile. It took hours even for an A-rank hunter to clear a C-rank gate, yet he had closed nine D-rank gates in a single day without rest. The only reason he stopped was because Woo Jin-chul was with him and the distance between gates was far.
"Chairman, about tomorrow's raid. It is settled that we will raid an A-rank gate. But do you think it will be dangerous for only the three of us?"
What Woo Jin-chul said was that anything could happen inside a dungeon, so it would be safer to bring more hunters in, and he was not wrong.
"That is why I asked him if I could bring one more person with me. Of course, I assured him that the hunter would be the most trustworthy person I could bring."
But Go Gunhee cared only about what kind of power he would witness from him tomorrow.