Chapter 7: 1st Circle Mage Kim Song-cheol (1)

Presidential Office.

Seo Jae-gwang, the President of the Republic of Korea, sat behind a massive desk.

Standing politely before him were Choi Jong-mun, the Minister of the Ministry of Interior and Safety, and Kim Myung-joo, the Director of the Special Tactics Training Center.

“It would be best to keep the embargo in place for now,” President Seo Jae-gwang said.

As expected, the embargo was regarding Kim Song-cheol.

The Training Academy was not a place completely cut off from society.

All trainees had smartphones and communicated smoothly with their families and friends.

In that process, information about the Training Academy was bound to leak, and rumors about Kim Song-cheol were already beginning to spread.

“A 31-year-old trainee is the perfect subject for an article, and if you add his outstanding magic skills to that…” President Seo Jae-gwang massaged his temples as if he were already tired.

Every country on Earth was thirsty for skilled Hunters.

The emergence of a hero-like Hunter was something everyone wanted, so the reaction would be intense once articles about Kim Song-cheol began to appear.

“But Mr. President, we can’t hide him forever, can we?”

On the contrary, Choi Jong-mun seemed to want to go public with Kim Song-cheol.

“We still have to wait and see. Just because his Mana Affinity is high doesn’t necessarily mean his magic skills will be outstanding, does it?”

The President expressed his refusal in a calm tone.

“In most cases, they are proportional.”

“If we break the news and he ends up underperforming, it’ll be a net loss. It’s not good for public sentiment either. For now, proceed as discussed.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Choi Jong-mun offered a dissenting opinion once, but he backed down the second time.

Originally, Choi Jong-mun had secured the position of Minister of the Ministry of Interior and Safety with the President’s backing.

It was unthinkable for him to go against those words.

Choi Jong-mun and Kim Myung-joo bowed deeply before leaving the Presidential Office.

“It’s only a matter of time anyway. He’s being far too cautious,” Choi Jong-mun spat out after walking down the hallway for a while.

“It’s only been a week since he entered. It is a bit early.”

“They say you can know the whole from a part. He’s a guy who graduated from a prestigious university and worked as an Accountant, yet his Mana Affinity is that high. What does that mean? Doesn’t it mean he’s a great talent?”

“…I believe he has sufficient potential.”

“It’s such a shame. Regardless… make sure you raise him well. Since things have turned out this way, we have to grow him into someone huge so that when we finally let the news break, the impact is explosive.”

Kim Myung-joo only nodded his head instead of answering.

Hearing Choi Jong-mun speak, it seemed he was more interested in Kim Song-cheol’s political utility than the safety of the Republic of Korea.

He knew that as a politician, it was impossible not to consider such things.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable.

*Ding.*

At that moment, Kim Myung-joo’s phone rang.

When Kim Myung-joo took a quick look, Choi Jong-mun nodded as if telling him to answer it.

Kim Myung-joo answered the call.

“Hello? Instructor Seo I-tae?”

[D-Director, Trainee Kim Song-cheol was supposed to create his Circle today, but the Circle won’t form. I don’t know what’s happening. I wasn’t even supposed to be the one in charge of this…! I have to find a way. What should I do?]

“Calm down first and tell me. He couldn’t create a Circle?”

[Yes, yes! He was supposed to create it today… the amount of Mana was sufficient.]

Kim Myung-joo had also learned Magic.

Although he stopped at the 1st Circle due to a lack of talent and time, he naturally understood the general mechanism.

“So, in Instructor Seo I-tae’s judgment, all the conditions were met, but the Circle wasn’t created?”

[Yes, that’s right. What do I do? I never imagined such a thing would happen…]

Seo I-tae sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

It felt like he could hear the sound of her wiping them away.

“I understand for now, so calm down and look over the theory regarding Circles once more. I’ll try to find something on my end.”

[Sniff… Yes, then I’ll look at the theory first.]

Kim Myung-joo ended the call like that.

As soon as he put his phone away, Choi Jong-mun immediately stepped closer.

“What’s going on? He can’t create a Circle? Is this about Kim Song-cheol?”

“That… yes, it is. According to the Instructor, she doesn’t know the reason.”

“What? You mean he’s already a wash-out?”

“I don’t know. The magic theory we possess is only a part of it, and Mr. Kim Song-cheol is such a unique case…”

“Damn it, I even reported it to the President… Resolve it somehow. If necessary, I’ll even provide ‘Point support.'”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. I’m prepared for at least that much.”

“Yes, I understand.”

***

Kim Myung-joo parted ways with Choi Jong-mun and headed to an officetel in Seoul.

‘She never answers the phone.’

He kept calling, but after ringing several times, it went to voicemail repeatedly.

It was difficult to get a single phone call through to the best Mage in the Republic of Korea, Cha Se-hyeon.

He had already checked her schedule.

Cha Se-hyeon was definitely in Korea, not in a Dungeon.

Kim Myung-joo parked his car and went up to Cha Se-hyeon’s officetel.

He pressed the bell three times, but there was no response.

He pounded on the door, but still, no reaction.

“Is she not home?”

He had come in a hurry, but he didn’t know if she was home or not.

There was even the possibility she was sleeping and couldn’t hear him.

*Ding.*

As he raised his fist to knock again, his phone rang.

Checking the screen, there was a text from Cha Se-hyeon.

[What is it?]

Kim Myung-joo called immediately.

Fortunately, this time Cha Se-hyeon picked up right away.

[Why do you keep calling?]

Cha Se-hyeon’s voice was hard to hear.

It was because it was almost buried under the sound of loud music.

‘Where on earth is she?’

It was 11:00 AM.

Where could one hear music this loud at this hour?

Kim Myung-joo brought up his business first.

“I have something to ask.”

[What?]

“I have something to ask!”

[What is it?]

“One of the trainees can’t create a Circle! The Mana amount is sufficient and the rotation speed is coming out enough!”

[A Circle?]

“Yes, a Circle!”

[…]

Suddenly, Cha Se-hyeon’s voice cut off.

He couldn’t tell why her reply was delayed.

Only the thumping sound of the music could be heard.

[Ah, stop… yapping… and just… say it.]

Cha Se-hyeon’s voice could be heard vaguely through the music.

[He can’t create a Circle?]

Cha Se-hyeon returned to the call.

The sound of a ‘whoosh’ like someone exhaling could be heard.

“Yes, the Circle. You heard a lot while communicating with the Arcadia side, right? Is there a way?”

[Circle Activation isn’t a big deal anyway. Mana amount and rotation speed are everything.]

“I’m telling you it’s not working even though those are met!”

[There’s no such case.]

“Don’t be like that, just come and check…”

[Wow, you’re ordering me around? Just answering your call is special treatment.]

“Yes, I’m sorry about that. Is there anything you can guess might be the cause?”

[Geez, you’re really annoying me. Is there something you didn’t tell me? There’s no way it just wouldn’t form.]

The music coming from the phone gradually got quieter.

It seemed she was moving to a quiet place.

“His Mana Affinity is high, very high.”

[Ah… then that might be it. You know Belset? The Mage from Nordillia.]

The music almost faded away, and Cha Se-hyeon’s voice could be heard clearly.

“Oh, that 9th Circle Mage?”

[That Belset had a hard time raising Circles. I didn’t hear the details, but it seems it’s because he was born with a huge mana pool. Then the amount of Mana required when raising a Circle is higher than other people. It’s the same for Circle Activation.]

“Ah, so he needs a lot more Mana compared to others?”

[In my opinion, that’s the only thing. If his Mana Affinity is high, he should have some level of control, right?]

“That’s right.”

Kim Myung-joo recalled the stick stuck in the ceiling.

If anything, his control was overflowing.

[If you exclude the Mana amount, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to make a Circle. No, wait, old man. If you’re calling me, it means you’re putting a lot of effort into this guy, right?]

“Well… I suppose?”

[Then please raise him well and let me go. I’m going crazy, seriously. No, fuck, I’m holding back for the sake of the people, but until when do I have to keep gathering Points for everyone? Does this only end when I die?]

“I’ll try to do something about that. Please just bear with it a little longer. I’m sorry.”

[I really don’t ask for much. Try to raise someone at least to a level similar to mine. I’m going fucking crazy thinking that if I don’t enter a Dungeon, the Gate will burst!]

Currently, Cha Se-hyeon was responsible for more than half of the Points earned by the Republic of Korea.

For several years, she had been earning Points while risking her life and losing colleagues.

Although Cha Se-hyeon was known as a nearly psychotic personality, she never stopped gathering Points.

Even after the Ulsan Incident broke out, she increased her schedule.

That was why no one in the Republic of Korea could say anything, no matter how much of a tantrum she threw.

Kim Myung-joo did his best to soothe Cha Se-hyeon and then hung up, rubbing his eyes which had suddenly become fatigued.

‘I’m sorry. Please wait just a bit longer.’

Cha Se-hyeon was the first trainee Kim Myung-joo had raised since taking office as the Director.

He remembered what kind of person she used to be.

Looking at her now, he only felt sorry.

Kim Myung-joo called Seo I-tae again in front of the officetel door.

It was time to share the news.

“I found a way.”

***

“Let’s gather more Mana.”

Seo I-tae advised Kim Song-cheol.

Her tone was calm and certain, inspiring confidence.

There was no trace of the person who had been whining to Kim Myung-joo.

“Ah, I see.”

Thanks to that, Kim Song-cheol was easily convinced He even thought, ‘The Instructor really is different.’

Kim Song-cheol believed Seo I-tae’s words implicitly and began to gather Mana.

Excluding class time, he invested most of his time into gathering Mana.

Even he was surprised by his own passion.

‘Have I ever worked this hard on something?’

Kim Song-cheol had never done anything that persistently.

For the most part, he had just breezed through.

Still, the results were good.

Perhaps that was why he had been even more lax.

But this was different.

It was pulling Kim Song-cheol strongly.

It was as if it were saying, ‘This was your original path.’

As much as he invested his time, Kim Song-cheol’s Mana grew rapidly.

By the time a week had passed, his Mana had grown five times larger than at the beginning.

It was because he gradually became used to the Breathing Method and his body adapted further to Mana.

“I think it’s okay to try once more now.”

Seo I-tae, who checked Kim Song-cheol’s Mana amount every day, said.

It had increased fivefold within a week.

That speed was quite astonishing.

He could have gathered more, but she couldn’t ignore the side effects of Mana gathering beyond the required amount.

“Alright, let’s start. Close your eyes.”

Following Seo I-tae’s guidance, Kim Song-cheol closed his eyes and drew Mana out from his heart.

A mass of Mana, much heavier than before, smoothly emerged.

Next was rotation. The Mana mass circled around his heart and then stretched out.

The speed increased steadily. Before he knew it, the head and tail met, forming a circle.

*Vrooooom!*

The sound of rotation echoed fiercely.

Since the amount of Mana had increased, the sound was even more magnificent.

“Increase the rotation speed just a little more.”

At Seo I-tae’s instruction, Kim Song-cheol lightly increased the speed.

He still had strength left.

He could have rotated it twice as fast.

“A little more.”

It was when Kim Song-cheol raised the speed slightly more.

*Kiiiiiiiing!*

A high-pitched noise continued for a long time, and the moment it cut off, a Circle expanded greatly and emerged from Kim Song-cheol’s body.

However, it rotates at a distance of about 50 cm around the body.

In other words, the diameter would be about 1 meter.

However, Kim Song-cheol’s Circle was different.

It expanded instantly until its diameter was nearly 10 meters.

It was large enough to cover half the classroom.

A brilliantly glowing blue Circle rotated around Kim Song-cheol.

The clarity and brightness of the color were incomparable to any other Circle.

‘This is…’

Seo I-tae was shocked. It was her first time seeing such a large Circle.

At the same time, she understood.

To create such a massive Circle, that much more Mana was required.

She could clearly see the reason why Kim Song-cheol couldn’t create the Circle initially.

“…Let’s contract it.”

Seo I-tae suppressed her surprise and spoke calmly. Kim Song-cheol slowly reduced the size of the Circle.

5 meters, 1 meter.

The Circle disappeared into Kim Song-cheol’s body.

But Kim Song-cheol could feel it clearly.

The presence of the Circle rotating around his heart.

The power contained within the Circle.

The stabilized Circle took its place firmly around his heart.

Kim Song-cheol felt a seamless perfection, as if the pieces of a puzzle had fit perfectly together.

Now, there was no longer any need to rotate the Circle intentionally.

The Circle rotated on its own.

It wouldn’t stop rotating until Kim Song-cheol died.

Circle Activation complete.

The 1st Circle Mage, Kim Song-cheol, slowly opened his eyes.