Kim Song-cheol was sitting at his desk, reading the 2nd-Tier Circle Theory. He was already on the second volume.
The core of the second volume was ‘Projection.’ One could only completely claim a circle as their own after completing the five-step process: Starting — Projection — Concentration — Confirmation — Fixation.
To explain it broadly, Starting was exactly what it sounded like: the initial activation. It was the first time one generated a circle.
The intermediate stages consisting of Projection, Concentration, and Confirmation were essentially a stabilization process.
He had already seen the results of a circle that only had Starting. It was embarrassing to even use the word ‘maintenance,’ as it had never been maintained.
It was generated and then immediately vanished. Kim Song-cheol had simply taken advantage of that split second to use his magic.
‘It feels more like philosophy than magic…’
Song-cheol rubbed his stinging eyes and set the book down for a moment. His shoulders and neck were stiff.
He had been immersed in theory for nearly three hours without moving. It was only natural for his muscles to complain.
Song-cheol massaged the back of his neck and stretched his head from side to side.
“Projection, huh…”
Projection was the process of aligning the thoughts of the owner with the circle. A circle was deeply connected not only to the owner’s consciousness but also to their subconscious.
It was a structure that was impossible to maintain without tuning their respective wavelengths. To put it simply, it could be called a ‘synchro process.’
Song-cheol closed the final page of the second volume. Since he had been reading while managing his condition, it felt like it had taken nearly one week.
No matter how many pages it had, he had never encountered a book with such slow progress.
Song-cheol felt a bit frustrated, but there was one thing he failed to realize.
Aside from the reading speed, the fact that he understood it immediately was a massive talent in itself.
Song-cheol lived in a different world than ordinary mages. This was because the world is defined by the observer.
Although they handled the same mana, the mana Kim Song-cheol felt was different from the mana ordinary mages felt.
Although they used the same magic, the magic Song-cheol felt was different from the magic ordinary mages felt.
If one had to distinguish it, it was as if Song-cheol lived in a higher world.
The 2nd-Tier Circle Theory was a theory written based on that higher world. If someone did not belong to that world, they would first have to learn what kind of world it was.
However, Song-cheol was a native of that world, so he had no need for separate study.
“Heave-ho…”
It was just as Song-cheol stood up to stretch properly.
*Ding-dong.*
The doorbell rang. Song-cheol got up and went to the living room.
He saw Kim Myung-joo’s face on the intercom screen. As soon as he opened the front door, Myung-joo greeted him.
“How are you?”
Kim Myung-joo offered a greeting with a bright, smiling face.
“Ah, yes. Please, come in.”
Song-cheol guided him to the living room sofa.
After placing a glass of a suitable beverage on the side table for each of them, the two sat across from each other.
“I apologize for visiting while you are busy, but…”
“No, not at all.”
Song-cheol waved his hand. He wasn’t particularly busy.
He hadn’t even entered a dungeon for one week anyway. After going through that ordeal, entering again would be nothing short of a suicidal act.
“That is a relief, then. I thought it was about time to start preparing for your graduation.”
Kim Myung-joo moistened his throat with the drink and then casually threw out a question.
“When do you think the 4th Circle will be…?”
“I think it will be possible within a few days. About three?”
“There really isn’t much time left.”
“Ah, actually, I had something to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“The… press conference or whatever it is they do. You do those, right?”
“It is not quite a press conference, but ha-ha.”
Kim Myung-joo laughed awkwardly.
After graduating from the Training Academy and becoming an official Hunter, there was a ceremony to introduce the individual to the public.
It wasn’t much. One would appear on a broadcast to be introduced, answer a few questions, and express their determination to work hard in the future.
It could be called a tradition of the Republic of Korea’s Hunter industry, and it was a process that every Training Academy graduate went through.
“Could I not do that?” Song-cheol carefully expressed his refusal.
“Is there a special reason…?”
“Several reasons.”
Song-cheol had watched Cha Se-hyeon from the sidelines. Besides the burden of having to protect the Republic of Korea, she received quite a bit of stress from the media.
Since they were Hunters protecting the nation, malicious articles weren’t written, but having one’s name brought up in any way was not a good thing.
Furthermore, if he held a press conference, his parents would find out.
Since things had already turned out this way, Song-cheol intended to keep his mouth shut and hide it for as long as he could.
“Hmm… I do not think that is a matter for me to decide. I will look into that part a bit more.”
Kim Myung-joo carefully took a step back. In reality, it was a matter beyond his authority.
Kim Myung-joo was the Director. The moment Song-cheol graduated, he would technically be out of his hands.
“I’d prefer to go in a direction where I don’t do it if possible. If Minister Choi Jong-mun gives his permission, I won’t have to, right?”
“I suppose… Yes, that is true, but…”
Myung-joo trailed off. Minister of Interior and Safety Choi Jong-mun was someone who considered public perception very important. Being a politician, he moved politically.
There was no telling what he would think.
“Since we have time, I will speak to him about that part gradually. More importantly, I would like to discuss the ‘graduation gift.'”
Kim Myung-joo changed the subject. A graduation gift. It was a topic that brought a smile to one’s face just hearing it.
When Hunters graduated from the Training Academy, they were given an item.
Just as a poor household would still provide a school uniform when their eldest went to high school, they were handed an item.
“I have prepared a list this time as well.”
Kim Myung-joo took a file out of his bag and held it out. Upon opening the file, he saw a neatly organized list of items.
Song-cheol calmly examined them. They consisted of much better items than the list he had received previously.
If he had to categorize them, they were divided into offense, defense, and utility.
In the offense category, there were items that increased magic ability; in defense, there were magic items that temporarily hardened the skin or provided equivalent effects; and in utility, there were items related to increased physical strength or movement speed.
“Hmm…”
What caught Song-cheol’s eye was the offensive side. Defense or utility could mostly be covered by magic anyway.
Since the Magic Revolution, magic in the Republic of Korea had reached an overflowing level.
Even Song-cheol had not been able to master all the 1st Circle magic in his possession.
“Mmm…”
Although he had a general idea, Song-cheol could not readily pick one.
“Is there a problem?”
Kim Myung-joo asked.
“There’s something I’m worried about. Do you have any items in stock? Specifically for increasing magic ability.”
“Hmm… We do have a few inexpensive items.”
Items were also a field of research. There were places in Korea that researched items, and that laboratory held several items in its possession.
“In that case, could I try them out?”
“It is possible.”
And so, Song-cheol and Kim Myung-joo headed to the laboratory. Myung-joo left Song-cheol in the lobby and went inside.
After waiting for a short while, Kim Myung-joo soon came out with several items. Three items were placed on a tray covered in velvet.
One was a wand embedded with a large crystal, one was a bracelet set with jewels, and the last was a pair of gloves with a magic circle drawn on them.
Kim Myung-joo and Song-cheol sat on plastic chairs in the lobby. The tray was placed between them.
“In order, they are a Drive Part Reinforcement Formula, a Mana Control Assist, and an Action Part Reinforcement Formula.”
After listening to the explanation, Song-cheol first picked up the wand. Holding it in one hand, he tried using a spell.
A magic circle appeared and then vanished without anything happening. There was no need to actually complete the spell, as the purpose was to test the item.
“Hmm.”
Song-cheol nodded and used the other items one by one.
“How is it?”
Myung-joo asked.
“They have no effect,” Song-cheol shrugged.
“Pardon?”
“Well… all the magic I use right now already has its power increased to the limit of the formula. The drive reinforcement and mana control have no effect at all, and while the action reinforcement seems to make the casting speed a tiny bit faster… there’s a slight delay in the item’s activation, so it actually makes it slower.”
It was a split second. But if he said it became slower because of that, it meant the increase was truly negligible.
The activation delay was nothing more than a fraction of a second.
“Ah, I see…”
Items below a certain level had a limited scope of influence, making them meaningless to Song-cheol.
Because he was already at the ceiling, there was no room to raise it further. This would not change even if he were presented with the items on the list.
“…Then I will submit a suggestion regarding this as well. If we use more points, there will be plenty of usable items.”
Kim Myung-joo packed the items with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“Well… I don’t mind not receiving one.”
Song-cheol had a vague suspicion. He knew that an item capable of being magically helpful to him would be incredibly expensive.
“No, everyone else receives one, so we must give you one. Ha-ha.”
However, if one simply paid a lot of points, there were more than enough items to buy.
Even if they weren’t necessarily magically helpful items, there were countless types of items available.
There were bound to be some that Song-cheol would find sufficiently interesting.
***
Kim Myung-joo steeled himself and entered a certain traditional Korean restaurant.
It was a dinner meeting with Choi Jong-mun, the Minister of Interior and Safety. Of course, it wasn’t just for a meal.
Kim Myung-joo intended to persuade Choi Jong-mun at this meeting.
The press conference and the graduation gift. These were the two items on the agenda.
Both required the permission of the Minister of Interior and Safety, who oversaw the Hunters.
Kim Myung-joo was guided by an employee to a room. Looking down, he saw a pair of shoes.
Choi Jong-mun had arrived earlier than the appointment time and was waiting.
‘He’s already here.’
Kim Myung-joo adjusted his tie, gripped his briefcase containing the prepared materials tightly, and opened the door.
Choi Jong-mun, who had been looking at his phone with his glasses perched on his head, snapped his head around.
“You’re here?”
“How are you?”
After a deep bow, Kim Myung-joo entered the room and carefully closed the door.
“Sit.”
Choi Jong-mun pointed to the seat in front of him. Kim Myung-joo set his bag down beside him and took a seat.
“The weather has been quite hot lately, hasn’t it?”
Choi Jong-mun started with mundane conversation.
“Yes, it is at a point where it’s difficult to get work done without an air conditioner. Ha-ha.”
“Even with all the talk about the climate crisis, it all went quiet once the Gates opened. These days, nobody talks about saving energy.”
“Yes, that is just the social atmosphere.”
“It means we don’t know when we might die.”
Choi Jong-mun took a sip of water and continued.
“Right, so what’s the occasion that you’re treating me to dinner?”
“Well…”
As if he had been waiting, Kim Myung-joo pulled a file from his briefcase and offered it politely.
“These are the media reports related to Cha Se-hyeon and a portion of Hunter Cha Se-hyeon’s psychological test results.”
“Cha Se-hyeon?”
Choi Jong-mun tilted his head and flipped through the documents.
“Yes. It is evidence that being exposed to the media can have a negative impact on a Hunter. Therefore, I believe it would be best not to hold a departure ceremony for Trainee Kim Song-cheol’s graduation this time.”
The departure ceremony was, as expected, that press conference.
Choi Jong-mun, who had been leafing through the materials, snapped the file shut before Kim Myung-joo could even finish speaking.
He adjusted his glasses and moistened his mouth with water again.
Choi Jong-mun remained silent, and Myung-joo only stared at his mouth. Eventually, Choi Jong-mun spoke.
“…He says he doesn’t want to do it?”
“…Yes,” Kim Myung-joo answered quietly.
“Then he shouldn’t have to…”
“And…”
As soon as Kim Myung-joo pulled out another file.
“Is there something else…?”
Choi Jong-mun asked with a look of near resignation.
“These are the item points to be awarded for the departure…”
“Give it to him…”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t you know the upper limit better than I do? Just match it and give it to him.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes.”
The ‘Old Wolf’ of Yeouido, Choi Jong-mun, was nowhere to be seen. He could not help but bow before Kim Song-cheol’s might.
“Oh, and if he says it’s okay, just attach him to a suitable D-rank team and send him in. It’ll serve as a field trip, and with five people, it’ll be safer.”
“With five people?”
“Yes. If he says no, don’t force him. Think of how many points he’s already earned for us…”
“Yes, then I will try to convey that message.”
Although teams usually entered in groups of four, there was actually no limit on the number of people for a D-rank Dungeon.
Ten, 100 — any number of people could enter as they pleased.