Chapter 1: A Different Beginning (3)
At Jin-woo’s words, she tried to say something but ended up letting out a long sigh and silently took out books from the library. Since Lee Jin-woo had bought everything from basic to advanced textbooks for the sake of showing off, the scope of the questions was very wide. And difficult.
However…
Swoosh swoosh!
Jin-woo wrote down the answers without any hindrance.
‘What the…?’
She brought a different question.
‘How can he even solve this…?’
He had no trouble drawing magic circles and solved advanced magic equations in an extremely concise manner. Harmu was so taken aback by Jin-woo’s solutions that she was slightly dazed.
She had no choice but to acknowledge it.
That arrogant brat who was only 15 years old.
Whenever it started, he was a genius.
Was he playing with her? Why did he hire her for such a high price?
Such thoughts crossed her mind. He didn’t do anything that seemed like he had ulterior motives. If there had been any suspicious signs, she wouldn’t have let it slide.
Harmu hid her disturbed feelings and maintained a poker face.
“…All the answers are correct.”
“Anything else?”
“It won’t be easy this time.”
Harmu became determined.
She felt like she wouldn’t be able to sleep without defeating that arrogant brat.
Harmu presented a question she had personally devised.
It was her graduation thesis when she graduated from Seoul Magic University, an affiliate of the Magic Association. Just graduating from the Magic University was a huge qualification in itself. That’s how difficult it was to graduate, and the final hurdle was the graduation thesis.
She optimized the ‘Mana Synthesis Calculation Formula through Mana Synchronization’ in her own way and presented it. She raised the success rate from 54% to 66%, but due to side effects, it was not recognized by the academic community. However, it was occasionally referenced as a guide for other derivation methods.
[Assuming you cast a 7th-grade fire attribute magic ‘Continuous Ignition’ and combine it with a link formula to lower-grade magic, find the range of magic that can be manifested with 16MP. However, 16MP is completely pure mana.]
The solution method was free.
The moment Jin-woo saw it, he recognized what should generally be used.
Jin-woo looked at her.
She gave a slight fake cough as if presenting such a question was a bit awkward.
Jin-woo picked up the pen.
Her magical knowledge was considerable. Jin-woo, who had faced her, knew it best.
‘Shall I throw in some bait?’
He drew a circle and added a few calculation formulas next to it. The answer was quickly derived. It was a synthesis formula using a new challenge in magic engineering that would appear 20 years later.
Of course, the one who proved that challenge was none other than Jin-woo. He solved it while killing time in the destroyed world, and at some point, it was solved.
“This is…? It’s not a mana synthesis formula, is it? But…”
Her eyes became dazed.
She immediately picked up the pen and started solving it on the spot. It was at an incredibly fast pace, filling up four A4 sheets of paper and still writing.
‘Impressive.’
Jin-woo looked at Harmu with a satisfied gaze.
Even in the world facing destruction, mages with such quick understanding were rare. That’s why they all died.
He had once served as a professor at the Magic Graduate School, where he kidnapped talented students and brought them to the Magic Association.
She was also a desirable talent.
Harmu naturally failed to prove the formula Jin-woo had written.
However, the result was remarkably accurate. If it could be properly implemented, the success rate might increase up to 90%. Of course, mages who could properly use this would be scarce.
“How can this… This can’t be…”
“How is it? Do you feel a bit of my sincerity now?”
“Young master, did you prove this formula? Can you do it? No, you need to present it… Present it to the academic community!”
Jin-woo grinned. Harmu flinched and suppressed her excitement. But it was too late.
She let out a deep sigh and put down the pen.
“…I lost.”
“Surprisingly, you admit defeat cleanly.”
“Because magic engineering doesn’t lie.”
“That’s right.”
Jin-woo nodded and smiled.
Looking at him, her eyes wavered. He still had a boyish appearance. She thought she could see right through him, but she was wrong.
She felt her vision going dark.
She had lost the means to fight back.
“What do you intend to demand from me?”
“10 billion won is not a cheap price, right?”
“…Yes.”
10 billion won was a huge sum of money.
And there were so many things that could be done with it.
It could even buy a bottle of the highest-grade premium mana water.
Screech!
Jin-woo rose from his seat.
Harmu flinched and clenched her hands tightly.
“Are you good at driving?”
“…I’m decent enough.”
“Then let’s go.”
Jin-woo walked past her with a light step.
Harmu slightly bowed her head and let out a deep sigh. She had a feeling that many incidents would occur.
* * *
In the underground garage of the mansion, several vehicles were lined up. They were expensive enough to be called a road-top apartment.
‘I wondered when he bought them…’
He had been a lifelong pedestrian. Every time he purchased a car, it would get wrecked in less than a month. The unpaid loans from his past life flashed before his eyes. Of course, the world was destroyed, so he didn’t have to pay them back.
But was that fortunate?
There were also electric vehicles. Before the world was destroyed, mana batteries using magic stones were on the verge of commercialization. It was a considerably difficult technology, but its efficiency was tremendous.
The raw material cost was low, and the engine output was remarkable. Above all, the best thing was that if left alone, it would quickly recharge on its own.
The foundation of that mana battery technology was Jin-woo’s thesis.
‘I thought I was handling some money…’
He had invested in Ilshin Automotive and lost money, barely surviving with the mana battery, but then the world was destroyed.
In the past, it would have been extremely frustrating, but not anymore.
“Which one should we take? Since you’re driving, you pick.”
“You mean me?”
When Jin-woo nodded, she slightly frowned and chose a green sports car. Did she choose it because she liked green? Or was it because it looked the most expensive?
Maybe it was both.
Getting in the car, Harmu grabbed the steering wheel. She ran a finger across the steering wheel and smiled slightly.
“Where are we going?”
“Just start driving.”
The car smoothly exited the garage and entered the road.
Harmu’s driving skill was top-notch. Elves were mostly weak with machines, but since she was a half-elf, there was no such appearance.
“The weather is nice.”
The weather was indeed nice. The Han River, shimmering with a blue hue, was refreshing just to look at. The reason the Han River water was so clean was probably due to the World Tree Elden far away.
The World Tree, the size of a small high-rise building, not only protected Seoul but also made the environment clean. The yellow dust blowing in from the west disappeared entirely when it reached the vicinity of Seoul.
‘Controlling even the climate…’
The only one who could control the World Tree was the Elven Queen. It was not an ability. It was because of the mana and artifacts possessed by the Elven Queen.
That’s why large corporations were frantically trying to establish connections. The Ilshin Group was no exception.
“Let’s go near the Magic Association Headquarters.”
“Understood.”
They drove smoothly along the road and headed to the center of Seoul.
Turning on the radio, a sweet ballad flowed out.
It was a new song by an elf called the nation’s little sister. Yeah, it was released around this time and topped the Billboard chart for 10 consecutive weeks.
“It’s much more pleasant to listen to than orc hip-hop. She deserves to be called the nation’s little sister.”
“Nation’s little sister? Ha, how old is she to be called the nation’s little sister?”
“…She can’t be that old.”
“Well, even when I die of old age, she’ll still be the nation’s little sister.”
“That’s a discriminatory remark against species.”
It was truly remarkable.
She really was the nation’s little sister until the world was destroyed.
“The song is good though. The song.”
When Jin-woo said that while shaking his head, Harmu only glanced at him.
They arrived near the Magic Association Headquarters.
Jin-woo looked at the majestic building of the Magic Association Headquarters across the street. The white exterior was spotless and clean. It exuded a mysteriously different atmosphere from the other buildings around it.
There were also many tourists taking pictures.
It had as much symbolism as the Vatican’s Papal Palace.
“The Magic Association Headquarters, a place where only the elite work.”
Pride could be read in Harmu’s expression.
She was a former member of the Magic Association. According to what he heard, she had a bright future ahead of her while following the elite course in her own way.
“Why did you come here…”
“Ah! Team Leader?”
“Long time no see!”
People flocked to Harmu’s side. They seemed to be working at the Magic Association.
There were also magic technicians in uniform. Although they could only handle low-level magic, those who did specialized work in the field of magic were collectively called magic technicians.
They usually held a 9th-grade mage license.
Judging by the uniform, he seemed to be in a relatively high position.
Jin-woo stepped back a little and looked at her.
Harmu had a somewhat troubled expression.
“How have you been?”
“We were worried when you suddenly quit.”
“Did you transfer to another place?”
She seemed to have a wide network.
They asked about her well-being very actively, but Harmu took a few steps back with an awkward smile.
“What are you asking?”
A man in uniform looked at Harmu and sneered.
“Seeing you wandering around at this hour, it’s obvious you’re unemployed.”
“…”
“It’s a typical story for an incompetent mage to fail to adapt to society and become homeless. Right? Harmu Delcrai?”
Harmu just glared at him without saying a word.
‘I remember now.’
Jin-woo recalled who that mage was.
A discarded magic technician who was fired for taking bribes. He secretly manufactured and sold drugs, which became a significant problem.
‘Was it Red Beast?’
Red Beast Mafia.
It was the worst mafia organization that had established itself in the back alleys of Seoul. He was a discarded magic technician who manufactured drugs under Red Beast and was exterminated.
His eyes were gouged out, and his tongue was cut off.
Jin-woo slightly stepped back and stood next to the car.
Lightly touching it and flowing mana,
Beep beep!
A loud warning sound came from the vehicle.
Not only Harmu but also the Magic Association employees and the discarded magic technician’s gazes were drawn to Jin-woo. Harmu tilted her head and took out the key to turn off the alarm.
“Ah! I apologize. This car is so fascinating. I lightly touched it and… Haha. I’m really sorry.”
When Jin-woo bowed his head to Harmu and said that, Harmu blinked.
“Oh, oh! Is this the Team Leader’s car?”
“Ah… That’s…”
“This is crazy. Wh-where did you get employed?”
Jin-woo smiled slightly at Harmu.
The discarded magic technician’s face began to rot.
“Ahem… I got a job at Ilshin.”
“Oh, a large corporation!”
“Well… The Magic Association is good too, but it’s too hard for low-ranking employees like us.”
“You’ve succeeded!”
Saying she works at the Ilshin Group wasn’t a lie.
Fortunately, Harmu was quite perceptive. Jin-woo left her a text message to wait and have fun, then slipped away and walked the streets.
“Big mackerel sale!”
A Nekomata woman shouted in front of a sushi restaurant while holding a big mackerel.
Apart from the cat ears, tail, and slightly smaller build, there was no significant difference from humans. When her eyes met Jin-woo’s, she grinned and held up the big mackerel.
There were numerous famous restaurants near the Magic Association Headquarters. Restaurants owned by beastmen with sensitive taste buds were mostly delicious.
Beastmen were the most numerous after orcs. They could be seen frequently in the city.
‘It’s peaceful.’
There were no fireballs raining down, the earth wasn’t boiling, and there were no corpses or skeletons crawling around.
Just looking at the cityscape was healing. He just wanted to spend time happily while spending money to his heart’s content. He had the money and the ability to do so.
A boy from the werewolf tribe racing with a child on a bicycle could be seen.
“I won!”
“Wow!”
The werewolf boy won, and the children gathered around, laughing and chatting.
“Phew…”
Jin-woo’s eyes calmly settled.
‘Let’s struggle one more time.’
That was familiar.
It was one of his specialties, after all.
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