Colt disappeared after dropping Kim Song-cheol off at his room.
Kim Song-cheol looked down at his feet and sighed.
It was because the sand stuck to his feet was rolling around on the floor.
It was only after washing his feet and wiping the floor that Kim Song-cheol could lie back down on his bed.
The appearance of Colt Vangard wasn’t that big of an issue.
From someone else’s perspective, it might have been news-worthy, but for Kim Song-cheol, the words Colt had left behind were more memorable.
Higher magic systems.
Colt Vangard had clearly mentioned higher magic systems.
In fact, Circle Magic is a fairly high-level magic system among all magic systems.
The magic systems are divided into a total of seven tiers.
Among them, Arcadia Circle Magic corresponded to the 3rd Tier, and in terms of price, it was at the top of the 3rd Tier magic systems.
In the same rank, there are a few Black Magic lineages and Contract Magic.
Below that, there are relatively lower-level Circle Magic and Origin Magic, and even further down, one reaches Primitive Magic.
The Republic of Korea’s choice of Arcadia Circle Magic was the result of tireless meetings and research.
Since they had to choose a system that could exert the maximum effect by looking at the name of the magic system, a brief explanation, and the price.
And the rationality of that choice was proven by the fact that many countries chose Circle Magic.
Then, what kind of magic system would be higher than Circle Magic?
Once you go up to the 2nd Tier, magic systems that seem to contain the essence of theory appear.
In 2nd Tier Circle Magic, the Magic Circle changes to three dimensions, and in the case of something like Contract Magic, the unique unpredictability of Contract Magic is significantly reduced.
It feels like the limit of 3rd Tier magic development.
One might think it would have been better to choose 2nd Tier magic even if it cost a few more Points, but that wasn’t the case.
First of all, it wasn’t just a matter of paying “a few more Points,” and the difficulty gap between 2nd Tier and 3rd Tier magic was quite large.
Research results showed that if the 2nd Tier was chosen, the number of Mages in the Republic of Korea would have dwindled to between five and ten.
It was a level where they couldn’t even supply Points properly.
In such a situation, the 1st Tier Magic System wasn’t even a major consideration.
It wasn’t a subject of research at all, and the descriptions were so vague that they couldn’t be properly understood.
For example, the description of one of the 1st Tier Magic Systems is as follows:
‘Let the remaining afterimage speak the truth, and the vanished light open the path.
On that path, the one already chosen is walking…’
Sentences like this were listed.
How could one interpret this?
Naturally, it was impossible to interpret.
The required Points were so high that it was impossible to even purchase the introductory book.
But now, Kim Song-cheol was sensing it instinctively.
Only by obtaining a 1st Tier Magic System would he be able to explain the phenomenon occurring only to him.
Colt Vangard had also called it a higher magic system, but he was definitely referring to the 1st Tier Magic System.
‘1st Tier Magic System…’
Kim Song-cheol didn’t just give up.
Instead, he made a plan.
Ultimately, it was a matter of Points.
If he gathered enough Points, he could buy it.
If he gathered enough Points to even wipe out the Gates, the state would not be able to ignore Kim Song-cheol’s opinion.
Didn’t Colt Vangard say it too?
That even a powerful nation like the United States couldn’t do anything to him.
For the first time, Kim Song-cheol thought about wanting to become stronger.
And because of that thought, he couldn’t sleep well that night.
A bit contrary to last night’s resolve, Kim Song-cheol was led by his mother’s hand into an apartment complex.
It was an apartment much older than the one where Kim Song-cheol’s parents resided.
“Is Mi-young’s aunt’s brother-in-law really here…?”
Kim Song-cheol muttered, looking at the appearance of the apartment.
From what he had heard on the way here, Mi-young’s aunt’s brother-in-law was a fairly famous fortune teller, to the point where it was difficult to visit without a reservation.
Thinking about that, one couldn’t help but think about his income, but this was an apartment that didn’t match the income of the famous fortune tellers Kim Song-cheol knew at all.
“I told you he’s here.”
His mother pulled Kim Song-cheol’s arm and entered the old elevator.
“Didn’t he make a lot of money?
If he’s that famous?”
“They say the energy of the site is good here.
He said he won’t move on purpose.”
“Ah.”
It was a very convincing reason.
After all, wasn’t his profession a fortune teller?
The elevator stopped on the 12th floor.
The doors opened, and two entrance doors were visible on either side.
Above the left entrance, he saw the words ‘Yong-in Philosophy Hall.’
It was handwriting written directly with ink on old traditional paper.
Ding-dong.
When they pressed the doorbell of the house, a middle-aged woman soon opened the door.
She was Mi-young’s aunt’s husband’s sister.
“Oh, hello.”
His mother greeted her very warmly.
The sister of Mi-young’s aunt’s husband also welcomed them cordially.
When they entered the house, rows of chairs were lined up starting from the living room.
Normally, customers would have to sit and wait, but it was completely empty.
This was because today was the day the philosophy hall was closed.
In other words, a special session was being conducted through his mother’s personal connections.
Since there were no other customers anyway, Kim Song-cheol and his mother were immediately guided to a small room.
In the small room sat a man with an ordinary appearance.
The bookshelves filling the four walls of the room were packed with mysterious books.
“Hello.”
Kim Song-cheol first bowed his head and sat down in front of the desk.
Small talk passed between his mother and Mun Hui-jong.
Kim Song-cheol sat awkwardly and then lowered his gaze.
In a corner of the desk, he saw a business card holder.
His real name was written there.
‘Mun Hui-jong.
His name was Mun Hui-jong.’
“What is your birth date and time?”
When Mun Hui-jong asked, Kim Song-cheol answered as precisely as he could.
“Hmm…”
Mun Hui-jong scribbled something in a notebook for a long time.
Then at some point, he smirked and looked at Kim Song-cheol over his glasses.
Kim Song-cheol felt a strange sensation from that gaze.
A feeling similar to when he first felt Mana.
However, it was definitely not a Mana reaction.
“There’s no need to even look at this fellow’s fortune.”
Mun Hui-jong said, putting down his pen entirely.
“Pardon?
What do you mean by that?”
His mother asked.
“It’s the destiny of a president.
If there’s something higher than a president, he could be that too.”
Mun Hui-jong asserted this and added an explanation.
“Destiny must reflect the changes in the world.
In the past, if someone had a ‘peach blossom’ curse, it was viewed negatively, but these days, if you’re a celebrity, that’s it.
This ‘president’ thing is a president by my standards, but for example, if he were to do something like be a YouTuber, he’d have 100 million subscribers.
There are YouTubers like that, right?
Then that person could be called a president too.”
“But he’s an Accountant by profession?”
“The path to public office has already been cut and his Dae-un has arrived, and he’s an Accountant?”
Once again, Mun Hui-jong’s eyes flashed.
But soon he lowered his gaze, scribbled something on paper, and spoke.
“There is academia within the destiny itself.
Other amateurs might just bury it in the general flow, but I value the presence of academia in such a position greatly.
What I mean is, he has the destiny to become a president through academia.
Since there is academia, he became an Accountant, but he is absolutely not the type of person to remain a mere Accountant…”
“An Accountant is also a good job.”
“The destiny is even better.”
Mun Hui-jong dismissed his mother’s counterargument at once and looked at Kim Song-cheol intently.
Taking that gaze calmly, Kim Song-cheol chewed on the words ‘becoming a president through academia.’
It wasn’t that he particularly believed in fortunetelling, but it was still quite a bothersome remark.
Then Mun Hui-jong suddenly spoke.
“By any chance, did you receive any proposals this year?
It would be great if you grab that.
The academia perfectly matches the Dae-un.”
“….I haven’t.”
“You must have, but you’re not talking.”
Mun Hui-jong shook his head with great conviction, and at that, his mother snapped her head toward Kim Song-cheol.
But Kim Song-cheol had no choice but to shrug his shoulders as if he knew nothing.
The fortune reading ended sooner than expected.
Everything was going to be good, leave it to the son, and so on, so there wasn’t much more to explain.
As things were wrapping up, his mother finally threw out one last question.
It was the main reason she had come to see the fortune.
“What about marriage…?”
“Marriage?”
For the first time, a look of difficulty appeared on Mun Hui-jong’s face.
“The luck for marriage isn’t very strong…”
He scribbled something in his notebook again and spoke.
“There’s a slight nibble in his late 30s, and if he misses that, it comes at age 52.
If he misses even that, even I can’t guarantee anything.”
“Pardon?
That late…?”
His mother, who had been in a great mood, slumped like a puppy hit with cold water.
Since the purpose of coming here in the first place was to find out about his marriage luck, it was only natural.
“…Do I have no luck with girlfriends either?”
Kim Song-cheol ended up asking the question despite himself.
It was because his trust had unknowingly increased after seeing the performance Mun Hui-jong had shown earlier.
“Overall, your luck with women is less than others.
You have to accept that.
It’s a destiny to do great things, so having too much luck with women would only be a headache.”
Mun Hui-jong spoke as if it were a good thing, but for some reason, a bitter taste lingered in Kim Song-cheol’s mouth.
Kim Myung-joo was standing in front of the dormitory like a mother waiting for a son who went to war.
He waited awkwardly for about 10 minutes while receiving greetings from the passing Trainees.
Finally, the car he had been waiting for entered the front of the dormitory.
The car stopped, and Kim Song-cheol got out of the passenger seat.
Kim Song-cheol, who had gone out, had returned.
“You’ve arrived?”
When Kim Myung-joo slipped up behind him, Kim Song-cheol turned around with a start.
It was because he hadn’t noticed the presence while lost in other thoughts.
“Ah…
Yes, I’m back.”
“I didn’t mean to startle you, I’m sorry, haha.”
“No.
But did you come to meet another Trainee?”
Kim Song-cheol asked as he closed the car door.
The car that dropped him off moved smoothly toward the parking lot.
“No, well…
I was just taking a walk.”
Kim Myung-joo couldn’t bring himself to say he was waiting for Kim Song-cheol, so he made up a clumsy excuse.
“Ah…
I see.”
“By the way, you don’t look very well.
Did something happen while you were out?”
Kim Myung-joo asked in a subtle tone.
He had moved somewhere with a high-level mage via Teleport and then returned.
Surely there would be no bigger event than that.
He was sure Kim Song-cheol would open up about it.
“Ah, there was something.”
“What is it?”
“I had my fortune read.”
“Pardon?”
“My fortune.
It says I have no luck with women.”
“Ah…
That is a problem.”
Kim Myung-joo’s energy drained away, but he managed to react.
If he hadn’t trained his mental strength while serving as the Training Academy Director for a long time, there would have been a long, awkward silence.
“Ah, something else happened too.”
But when Kim Song-cheol changed the subject, Kim Myung-joo’s eyes sparkled.
“What is it?”
“I met Colt Vangard.”
“Pardon?”
Kim Myung-joo intentionally acted surprised.
If it were known that he knew Colt Vangard had visited, it would be proof that he was monitoring Kim Song-cheol.
That was a truth he didn’t want to reveal as the Training Academy Director.
“He came to see me at night.”
“At night?
Why did he come?”
“It seemed like he just came to see my face.
He did deliver a proposal from the United States, but Colt Vangard strangely didn’t seem to have any intention of taking me.”
“What kind of proposal did the United States…?”
“They said they’d give me a lot of money.”
“Are you perhaps swayed…?”
“I don’t move for money.”
“Then…?”
“If I had to say, Points?”
“Why is that…?”
“I’ve become interested in the 1st Tier Magic System.”
“Ah, is that so?”
At those words, Kim Myung-joo felt relieved.
Currently, the only country capable of purchasing even an introductory book for a 1st Tier Magic System is the United Kingdom.
But the United Kingdom does not need Kim Song-cheol.
This is because another hero exists there.
“May I take that to mean you intend to earn Points directly in the Republic of Korea to purchase it?”
“Wouldn’t that probably be the fastest way?”
“Haha, that might be so.
But why did you suddenly become interested in the 1st Tier Magic System?”
“It’s nothing grand.
Just curiosity.
I’m a Mage, aren’t I?”
Kim Song-cheol replied with a smirk.
It might have been the first time he openly referred to himself as a Mage.