The Magic Tower incident shook the entire world, not just South Korea.
The fact that such nonsensical experiments had been conducted spread everywhere.
Many countries expressed interest in the experiments targeting hero-class individuals; among them, China publicly criticized the fact that their national hero had become a test subject and pressured Korea to hand over Wang Sun.
The fact that the test subject was being kept alive after the experiment rather than as a corpse was seen as the reason China was so desperate to retrieve Wang Sun; as several countries continued international criticism saying such chimeras should be destroyed, the whole world was curious about the South Korean government’s response.
However, as the government remained silent even after several days, many questions began to arise.
Among them, human rights committees decrying human rights violations and the International Mage Association began to apply pressure to destroy the records and facilities where unethical experiments were carried out.
But the important point was that since people knew these organizations moved for the benefit of specific nations, they began responding as if to say “let the dogs bark,” causing the international atmosphere to boil over.
Statements even went as far as saying South Korea should be pressured with military force through strong countermeasures; the level of pressure from China, at the center of it, increased daily, leading to a tense situation where a massive number of Awakeners were deployed near the border.
“What if a war breaks out?”
It wasn’t that An So-mi’s anxiety was incomprehensible.
The current trauma regarding war was that severe.
It reached a level where people said the entire nation was experiencing collective PTSD while being swept up in war anxiety.
Conversely, however, starting a war was not easy.
Ironically, it was because the number of high-level Awakeners in China and the number of high-level Awakeners in Korea were roughly equal.
While China had an overwhelmingly larger number of ordinary Awakeners, the same was not true for high-level ones.
Korea was a country with such an immense number of high-level Awakeners that people even said the heavens had helped.
That was why they stabilized the Great Cataclysm the fastest and even won great victories against two nations during the war.
However, a war of attrition was unavoidable, so in the end, both countries were in a similar plight, but the reason China could not move easily was revealed here.
It was the absence of black mages.
At the end of the war, Korea carried out operations toward thoroughly crushing China’s black mages, and currently, there was not a single Awakener among China’s black mages who corresponded to the 7th Circle.
Lower-ranking black mages could be reborn as high-level ones at any time, but in that time, we would be able to produce even more high-level black mages.
Furthermore, this matter did not apply only to China.
Since Japan’s absence of black mages was also serious, we were cited as the primary reason Korea could remain safe in many ways.
“When the time comes that they can handle it, a war will break out. But there is a clear reason why they are only talking louder this time.”
“What is it?”
An So-mi tilted her head, looking puzzled.
“It’s because of us. Currently, there are ten 7th Circle black mages in the country, and there are over thirty in the 6th Circle. Aren’t they all working hard to reach the 7th Circle?”
Moreover, both 7th Circle Beginners and Users were progressing toward becoming Masters.
The fact that there were currently four 7th Circle Masters was also a reason China and Japan could not move easily.
A Master-class expert was someone two or three Users and Beginners could barely face.
The difference in boundaries could not be ignored.
‘I’ve grasped the threshold of the 8th Circle…. It will be a matter of time.’
I thought the biggest problem for moving toward the 8th Circle was the total amount of mana.
Generally, the difference in mana between the 6th and 7th Circles was seen as about tenfold. And the difference in mana between 7th Circle Beginners, Users, and Masters also widened by double each.
In the end, it was estimated that ten times the mana amount of a Beginner would be needed to become an 8th Circle.
‘The amount of mana I absorbed far exceeds the portion of a 7th Circle Master. Thus, my total mana volume has reached a level capable of reaching the 8th Circle. However, the reason I can’t rise immediately is probably due to the fact that the mana is not entirely mine.’
It was being absorbed little by little. I was confident I could absorb it all in about three or four months at the longest.
Because of that, I felt no urgency, but I was curious. I wondered what kind of miracles I could perform once I was reborn into the 8th Circle….
There was only one 9th Circle mage in the entire world.
They were known to be Scottish, and because detailed information was controlled by the state, little was known.
However, there was not a single person among black mages who had reached the 8th Circle.
One of the primary reasons cited was that while ordinary mages could raise their boundary by drawing mana from the atmosphere, black mages had to draw and accumulate mana from things that were dead.
Otherwise, it was a case of seeking out Undead Gates, but even this was effectively impossible for a black mage to choose and find under the ‘bidding’ system.
Even if one luckily stumbled into an Undead Dungeon, if the influence of the Core was too strong, the mana emitted when the undead died would be absorbed by the Core.
Therefore, growth became extremely difficult.
“The news is a mess and the atmosphere is restless…. but this feeling of a full wallet is nice….”
An So-mi shifted her gaze to Go Yu-jin’s calm tone as she checked her account just then.
“You said one-third came in, right?”
As scheduled, the government had concluded that they would deposit one-third of the amount I requested every quarter.
Consequently, the amount Go Yu-jin received was a little over 200 billion won, after deducting various fees.
In fact, I thought perhaps they were taking too much in taxes, but in reality, Go Yu-jin felt even that was like free money, so she tried to yield it all to me instead.
But since I had also received money, I flatly refused and proposed we use it for company operations, and we were currently in the state of having posted a recruitment notice for black mages.
“Give! Me! A bonus! Too! A lot!”
In fact, An So-mi had also suffered quite a bit. However, because too many high-level black mages had stepped forward, it was difficult to say she had produced prominent results.
“I’ll give it to you, so don’t worry. I’ll check your one-year contribution at the end of the year and take care of you.”
I found it fascinating every time I saw the two of them using honorifics in public settings.
This was because they were friends before they were colleagues. Thus, since it was a company run by a small number of people, they could have continued their relationship somewhat casually, but it felt a bit special.
“But you two, did you discuss using honorifics in public settings in advance?”
“You’re asking that quite early, aren’t you?”
“I just became curious now.”
“Fufu, this is all an act for mutual respect. Imagine if a CEO and an employee casually used informal speech just because they were friends in a public space like a company. What would people around us think of us then?”
“It would look light. The company image would become low-grade, wouldn’t it?”
“Correct. So I proposed it. The CEO is quite dull when it comes to this sort of thing. The company image has to be good for us to make more money, so shouldn’t we manage it?”
I clicked my tongue at An So-mi’s words, which eventually boiled down to money.
“Why are you clicking your tongue?”
“Because I think you really are money-obsessed.”
“Ha, am I the only one talking about money, money? Seong-chan, money follows every result for you too!”
She wasn’t wrong. So I proudly admitted it.
“I am money-obsessed. I admit it. Happy?”
“Augh! How frustrating! Wow, how do I calm this anger?”
Go Yu-jin covered her mouth and laughed at the conversation between An So-mi and me, and while An So-mi told her not to laugh at that sight, that was as far as it went.
Afterward, serious content continued to flow from the news, but we only expected it to eventually blow over.
‘The absorption of mana is steadily coming to an end. But it’s almost problematic how well it listens to me.’
It was mana that had assimilated and merged with my own mana.
It felt like a power that was scheduled to come to me from the beginning, merging so submissively. Furthermore, when various types of mana merge, the result inevitably becomes murky, but the problem was that it felt strange because the absorbed mana was so identical to my own that there was no sense of heterogeneity at all.
However, in a situation where all the mana was being absorbed, I felt certain that I could challenge the 8th Circle after gauging the rapidly increased mana volume.
Was that why?
I had thought about waiting a bit longer to challenge it after finishing the absorption perfectly, but along with the thought that it felt right to do it now, I began to rotate the circles in my body sequentially.
Then, I stabilized the mana that naturally whirled around and increased in volume, and after observing the trajectory of the seven rotating circles, I drew mana into the position that felt appropriate for the eighth circle to be situated.
As I gauged the naturally emitted mana being absorbed into my body and a faint ring beginning to form, I started to shape it; I guided the flow so that all circles could be naturally linked, and formed the faintly created ring as if adding layers of mana to make it gradually thicker.
And confirming that it was becoming stable at a certain thickness, I accelerated the circles, and in the process of the rotations accumulating, my entire body began to itch and then sting.
‘Is my skin peeling?’
It was the molting process one undergoes once when rising from the 6th to the 7th Circle.
It wasn’t to the level of the physical body being reconstructed, but it was a change where adjustments were made to become an optimal body for mana operation.
But it seemed this change would be a bit different.
The stinging suddenly began to change into a heavy pain, and a terrible agony followed, enough to make a scream escape naturally, along with the sensation of every bone in my body twisting.
However, I could endure such pain as I was accustomed to it, and I came to clearly realize how ignorantly I had used magic until now, through the feeling of patterning the powerful mana inside my body.
And I endured by focusing my consciousness on the gradually increasing pain, and as that process deepened, a feeling that my consciousness might fly away and countless thoughts filled my head.
It didn’t take long to realize that this was, in fact, enlightenment, and eventually, by the time all thoughts were organized, I couldn’t help but marvel as I confirmed the eighth circle that sat loftily in my heart, revealing its presence.
‘As expected…. Was mana volume the problem?’
I was certain that this was the decisive reason I had been unable to reach the 8th Circle.
And while thinking that other 7th Circle Masters might also be reborn into the next stage if such mana replenishment were possible, on the other hand, I realized that there was no way other than an individual growing their own mana unless they were in a situation where they could receive mana like I did, and I smacked my lips in regret.
It was when I slowly opened my eyes.
My gaze met that of a woman standing in front of me, and she cautiously questioned me while looking at me.
“It’s…. all over, right?”
As if she had been watching over the process of attaining enlightenment, Go Yu-jin waited for my answer with a quite exhausted face, and it was when I said yes and stood up.
I hurriedly approached and supported Go Yu-jin, who collapsed and let out a deep sigh, and she spoke while blushing.
“You, you should… put on some clothes first.”
Only then did I realize that my body was unburdened and I clicked my tongue.
“I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional.”
