That night.
Kim Seo-jun quietly called out to his father, who was about to go to bed.
Saying he had something to discuss, Kim Seo-jun brought his father into his room and abruptly pulled out two magic stones.
“Both of these are magic stones from the Elite Wolves. No one knows yet that even a green stone came out.”
Kim Seo-jun slyly passed off the green stone he’d gotten from the 57th rift as if he’d just acquired it now.
“A green stone came out of that monster too? Huh… To think another stone two grades higher would drop. It must have been a much stronger specimen than we thought. Good. If you absorb that, your magic power will instantly rise to E-grade.”
Kim Joo-hyuk didn’t question his son’s explanation much, and was about to give both stones to him.
“No. You should take them, Father. Or, if you want, sell them and use the money for the family.”
“What? What kind of nonsense is that? You should use them. And selling them? Absolutely not.”
“If you don’t take them, I’ll just go ahead and sell them.”
Kim Seo-jun was determined to give the stones to his father no matter what.
If his father absorbed both, he’d get that much closer to B-grade magic, and their family would be that much safer.
Kim Joo-hyuk frowned and thought for a moment before reluctantly taking the stones.
But in the end, he only took the orange stone.
“I’ll just take this one. I’m only accepting it because I’m afraid you really might sell it off. Magic stones are meant to be used, not sold.”
“Take the green stone, too.”
“I can’t accept that as well. If you keep being stubborn, I won’t even take the orange one.”
Kim Joo-hyuk’s stubbornness was no joke.
It really looked like he’d give the orange stone back, so Kim Seo-jun couldn’t push any further.
“Sigh… Fine. But you have to at least take that one.”
“I will. But, Seo-jun.”
Kim Joo-hyuk called out to Seo-jun in a subtle tone.
“Yes, Father?”
“That reporter, Yoon Ji-hee—how did you know she was a Hunter? She’s been a journalist for years, and she seems to have gone to great lengths to hide that fact.”
That was a question Kim Joo-hyuk had every right to ask.
Even the Hunter who was her classmate at the Academy hadn’t originally known, and only recognized her after seeing her on video through the tablet.
In truth, while his father was conducting the interview, Kim Seo-jun had used the clairvoyant ability of Mind’s Eye to scan the stats of everyone in the living room.
He’d done it absentmindedly, but the result was surprising.
The reporter who kept picking fights with his father had some extraordinary stats.
[66 / Normal]
Her magic power was higher than his father’s.
But she was working as a reporter?
Finding it odd, Kim Seo-jun immediately used Professor Shim Jae-deok’s ID to access the Rift Management Bureau’s intranet and searched for Yoon Ji-hee.
And he found out that her name was indeed registered as a Hunter.
But Kim Seo-jun couldn’t tell his father exactly how he’d found out.
“I found out while video-calling other Hunters on the tablet. She was so rude, I asked who she was, and it turned out one of them knew the reporter.”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
He still seemed a bit suspicious, but decided not to press his son any further.
“Uh… Father, when you take that magic stone, don’t just swallow it carelessly—be sure to circulate your energy while absorbing it. The effect will be much better that way.”
“Really? All right. Anyway, you worked hard today. I’ll transfer the proceeds from the monster carcass settlement to your account.”
Kim Joo-hyuk, regardless of their relationship, didn’t want to pocket the money from monsters his son had dealt with.
Just receiving the reward for participating in the rift closure operation was enough for him.
“I’m fine, so how about giving it to Mom instead?”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. I’m already nineteen, and I feel bad enough relying on you and Mom. It’s good if I can help out the family, even if just a little.”
“Hahaha. All right, then. I’ll send a big deposit to Madam Baek as you say. Your mom will grin from ear to ear when she gets it.”
“You can take a little for your emergency fund, too. I won’t say a word.”
Kim Seo-jun winked at his father.
“Ahem. What would I need an emergency fund for… It’s late. Get some sleep.”
“Okay. You sleep well too, Father.”
Just before leaving, Kim Joo-hyuk couldn’t resist ruffling his son’s hair.
Left alone, Kim Seo-jun looked down at the green magic stone in his hand, pondering what to do with it.
If I use this and operate Solar Divine Art, both my magic power and inner strength should increase by 15, right?
But if he sold it instead of using it, he’d pocket a hefty sum.
To use, or to sell.
The answer came easily.
His father’s words—“Magic stones are meant to be used, not sold.”—still echoed in his ears.
Kim Seo-jun sat cross-legged and swallowed the stone without hesitation.
He guided the warm energy sliding down his throat into his meridians using Solar Divine Art, circulating it throughout his body.
Perhaps because it was a green stone, the energy circulation finished in just five minutes.
He could feel powerful energy coursing through him, just as before.
[Kim Seo-jun]
Magic Power: 110 / Inner Strength: 92
Mysteries: Unleashing Power to Shake the World (15%) / Solar Divine Art (13%) / Telekinetic Barrier (2%) / Sura Lightning Strike (2%) / Mind’s Eye (2%)
Checking his condition, he saw both his magic power and inner strength had increased by 15, just as he expected.
And the proficiency of Unleashing Power to Shake the World and Solar Divine Art had each risen by 1%.
Kim Seo-jun was pretty pleased with the fact that his magic power had now surpassed B-grade.
Let’s reach A-grade in two months!
To reach A-grade, his magic power needed to exceed 200.
That would take six green stones, or five blue ones.
With Mind’s Eye, I can spot monsters carrying stones, so I’ll just sneak into a wave and snag them.
Of course, he wasn’t going to join officially.
There were plenty of Hunters who hid their faces; if he got a helmet or a mask, no one would notice.
Besides, Kim Seo-jun even had a Cloaking Mask, so he could gather magic stones without being seen by others as much as he liked.
Ha… Since when did I start hoping for rifts to open?
Kim Seo-jun laughed wryly at his own thoughts.
*****
Two days later, Friday arrived.
In the meantime, Kim Seo-jun had become something of a celebrity at school.
Although footage of Joo Gwang-sik’s heroics at the Jung-san Station rift aired on TV, it was nothing compared to the buzz around Kim Seo-jun.
The media attributed everything to the mysteries of Kim Joo-hyuk, Seo-jun’s father, and seemed more intent on praising him than Seo-jun.
Even so, as a student at the Hunter Academy who had directly fought monsters, Seo-jun couldn’t help but draw everyone’s attention.
Any time a student crossed paths with Kim Seo-jun in the academy, they’d give him a thumbs-up.
They’d all seen his heroics on the news.
Especially the final scene, where he took down the elite monster, was breathtaking.
Splitting the fireball shot by the elite monster with his sword, shoving the blade into its mouth, then reflecting the flames back and charring it pitch-black—it was like a scene from a movie.
Not to mention, Kim Seo-jun was already good-looking with a model-like figure.
He’d been ostracized before for being shy, weak, and always looking gloomy, but now everything had changed.
People constantly gathered around Kim Seo-jun.
But Joo Gwang-sik, the short-tempered student, always stuck to Seo-jun’s side, so others just hovered nearby without daring to approach.
“Hey, Kim Seo-jun. Is it true your magic power is F-grade?”
Joo Gwang-sik fired off a question as soon as morning classes ended.
Though his left arm was wrapped tightly in bandages, he didn’t seem to have any trouble moving it.
“If my magic power is 6, then yeah, that’s F-grade.”
“Ha! But that Elite Wolves you took down, didn’t it have E-grade magic power? How does someone with 6 magic take down a monster like that?”
“Just because my magic power’s weak doesn’t mean my Mysteries are trash.”
Kim Seo-jun brushed him off.
“You’re saying it was all thanks to Mysteries? Come on, that doesn’t make sense. Ho-seong said it himself. No matter how great your Mystery is, if your magic power doesn’t back it up, it’s useless. Low magic power means the strength and duration of your Mystery are garbage, too.”
“Well… It depends on the situation.”
Joo Gwang-sik frowned at the outdated catchphrase.
“Come on, show a little sincerity when your friend asks.”
“Ah, whatever. Let’s just go eat.”
Not wanting to talk any more, Kim Seo-jun tried to leave the classroom.
At that moment, he felt a strange gaze from the entrance.
He turned his head and saw a woman standing there blankly.
Reporter Yoon Ji-hee?
The reporter who’d been publicly humiliated and ran off just two days ago had suddenly appeared.
When she caught Kim Seo-jun’s eye, she beamed brightly.
“Kim Seo-jun, could I have a moment of your time?”
“I’m busy.”
When Seo-jun bluntly refused, Yoon Ji-hee chuckled.
“If you won’t, there’s nothing I can do. Guess I’ll just have to look for Kim Joo-hyuk or Baek Yeon-ji instead.”
She turned away as if it was nothing.
“Wait.”
Kim Seo-jun called out to stop her.
When she mentioned his father and mother, his face changed dramatically.
She hadn’t made any direct threats, but her expression and tone oozed enough malice.
Kim Seo-jun decided to handle her himself, rather than let her mess with his parents.
“I’ll spare some time. Let’s go.”
He told Joo Gwang-sik to go ahead and left the building with Yoon Ji-hee.
Outside, there was a lawn and a single bench beneath a tree with lush leaves.
Kim Seo-jun sat there next to Yoon Ji-hee.
“If you have something to say, make it quick.”
He spoke without even looking at her.
Yoon Ji-hee didn’t show the slightest change in expression despite his cold attitude.
“I’m curious about a few things. Thanks to you, I got disciplined at the station and now my Hunter subsidy is about to be cut off for no good reason. So you’d better answer my questions properly.”
A threat, delivered with a bright smile.
Kim Seo-jun wondered what she was planning with this kind of intimidation.
But something felt strange.
He’d been deliberately avoiding her gaze, but suddenly he found himself wanting to look at her face.
Her voice sounded beautiful, almost heavenly, and his once-cool heart began to stir.
This is…
Kim Seo-jun felt a strong sense that some unknown force was trying to take over his mind.
Had he not practiced Solar Divine Art, he might have lost control before even noticing it—such was the strength of the force.
Kim Seo-jun activated Solar Divine Art.
A fiery surge of inner power from his dantian roared through his head, instantly driving out the force that tried to influence his mind.
He whipped his head around to glare at Yoon Ji-hee.
Golden, glowing eyes.
Yoon Ji-hee was using a Mystery at that very moment.
Meeting his gaze, she flashed an even more enchanting smile.
“Now, tell me the truth. Go Han-seok, who was in your class. You were the one who took him down, weren’t you, Kim Seo-jun?”
Her voice was so gentle it could melt even frozen ice.
Kim Seo-jun instantly recognized that her voice was imbued with a hypnotic effect.
A Hunter with a Mystery capable of mental manipulation?
Yoon Ji-hee’s Hunter grade was CB.
With C-grade magic power, and a mind-type Mystery, how many people could withstand her?
Only now did Kim Seo-jun understand how she’d managed to hide her Hunter status all this time.
“Yes. I was the one who beat him.”
Feigning as if he’d fallen for her Mystery, Kim Seo-jun replied with a dazed expression.
With people like this, it was best to pretend to be tricked and then strike when the time was right.
“Heh. I knew it. Then you must also know that Go Han-seok was planning to participate in the 57th rift raid, right?”
“A raid…? Was that going on?”
Playing dumb with a blank face, Kim Seo-jun answered.
Yoon Ji-hee’s expression twisted in annoyance.
“Think carefully. Professor Shim Jae-deok tried to take you to that raid instead of Go Han-seok, right? You did participate, didn’t you? Isn’t that so?”
“Oh, Professor Shim? He talked about evaluation scores and invited me somewhere, but I couldn’t go. It was a three-day trip and my parents didn’t let me.”
“What? Is that true?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
Yoon Ji-hee looked flustered by his reply.
She’d been nearly certain.
She thought Go Han-seok was supposed to attend the raid but couldn’t because of an injury from his sparring with Kim Seo-jun, so Kim Seo-jun had taken his place.
To her, Kim Seo-jun’s abilities seemed far beyond what was publicly known.
She believed his performance at the Jung-san Station rift couldn’t be explained by just Kim Joo-hyuk’s Mystery.
She suspected he’d joined the 57th rift raid, engineered something there, and was responsible for the deaths of the Lee Hyung-mo brothers.
She even suspected that the unseen Mystery-user who’d gotten in and out of the freezer truck and Shin Woo-jin’s car was Kim Seo-jun.
That’s why she’d come to the academy, determined to expose Kim Seo-jun as a murderer and get her revenge for her humiliation.
But now, she realized she’d been mistaken.
Her Mystery, Mental Pressure, had both hypnotic and truth-detection effects; even if you knew, you couldn’t resist.
So whatever Kim Seo-jun was saying now had to be the truth.
“Kim Seo-jun. Then, on the day of the 57th rift raid, where were you and what were you doing?”
“I just stayed home. Played some games that are popular these days. Oh, and my mom made soft tofu stew that day—it was absolutely delicious…”
As Kim Seo-jun rambled on about unrelated details, Yoon Ji-hee realized she’d hit a dead end.
Still, just in case, she threw out one last question.
“Maybe you don’t know, but this noona has connections among police and high-level government officials. If I have you investigated, everything will come out—what you did that weekend, whether you were really at home. If you lie, you’ll be in big trouble. You and your parents won’t be able to live in peace. You know as well as I do, making someone disappear isn’t hard. Now, I’ll ask one more time. Are you absolutely sure you had nothing to do with the 57th rift raid?”
She didn’t hesitate to threaten him with stronger Mental Pressure through her words.
If the answer remained the same even under these conditions, then Kim Seo-jun was truly uninvolved in the raid.
“Yes. I have no idea about any of it.”
Rage boiled up inside Kim Seo-jun, but he forced himself to answer calmly.
How dare she… How dare she bring up my parents with that filthy mouth?
He’d planned to feed her false information and avoid further entanglement, but changed his mind in that moment.
“Haa… I see. All right, then. I’ll be going. See you around.”
Seeing she’d gotten nothing out of her Mystery, Yoon Ji-hee left in disappointment.
Left alone, Kim Seo-jun quietly watched her walk away.
She’s not someone who’ll give up this easily.
He sensed she would keep lurking around, trying to dig up something.
And on top of that, Yoon Ji-hee had made the worst mistake of all by dragging his parents into this.
Kim Seo-jun could clearly picture the way Yoon Ji-hee must have run her journalism—using her hypnotic Mystery and powerful connections to bully and threaten people, reaping unfair benefits.
I’ll make sure you regret everything you’ve done.
With that resolve, Kim Seo-jun immediately made a phone call.
“Ah, yes, it’s me, Kim Seo-jun. Sorry to call you so suddenly. Yes, I’m doing well. But… I have a favor to ask.”
He spoke at length with the person on the other end.
His last words in the call were these.
“…Yes. I mean it. If you’re willing to ruin someone else’s life, you’d better be ready to put your own on the line, too.”