At the crack of dawn. Perhaps because it was still early morning, a chill lingered in the room. Feeling the cold, Jegal Haesol let out a soft groan and slowly opened her eyes.
Her sleepy eyes stayed half-closed for a moment, but then her expression suddenly sharpened, as if all drowsiness had vanished. She glanced sideways, sensing an indescribably subtle sensation creeping over her entire body.
“Hmm~ Good morning. Definitely not comparable to the User Academy. The bed’s so soft and cozy.”
She stretched lightly and spoke, but no reply came.
Jegal Haesol sat up abruptly. With a flick of her hand, the window slid open on its own, letting in a cool breeze. As her long hair fluttered in the wind, she was about to lower her outstretched arm when she suddenly stopped.
Lowering her gaze, she noticed a steaming teacup resting near the left side of her neck.
But she didn’t reach out carelessly. Unlike the warm sensation on her left side, a cool chill lingered near her right neck.
A hand? A blade? Or just the air itself?
Puzzled, Jegal Haesol sighed deeply.
“This is too much. Is this clan always this exclusive?”
“In the early days, it wasn’t like this at all.”
At last, a voice—mature and feminine—reached her ears. At that moment, Jegal Haesol summoned her magic and activated her teleportation ability.
A surge of deep blue magical energy spread, and the Jegal Haesol who had been on the bed vanished without a trace. One second later, the space by the window warped slightly, and she reappeared there. Then it happened.
“Interesting ability.”
For the first time, Jegal Haesol’s face stiffened. Despite teleporting, nothing had changed. The warm steam and the cool chill still hovered around her neck.
How?
As if reading her thoughts, a languid voice whispered into her ear.
“Everyone has a shadow.”
Shadow. The moment she heard that word, Jegal Haesol immediately realized who was standing behind her.
A cold yet gentle touch softly embraced her shoulder. At the same time, the teacup was lifted to her lips.
“Drink. You said the tea tasted good yesterday, didn’t you?”
A shiver ran down her spine, and she swallowed hard. Like a child, she accepted the tea and drank as it was offered.
“Very intriguing. No wonder he’s interested. A fresh trainee sensing my presence and using teleportation?”
He?
Taking a sip of the hot, delicious tea, Jegal Haesol blinked rapidly.
“Where on earth did someone like you come from? Who are you?”
“…”
The shadow’s voice continued.
“Name… Jegal Haesol. Age… 29. Gender… female. Height about 168 cm, weight estimated around 48 kg. And features…”
“Long, pretty legs.”
“Hmm? Well, she is pretty, I admit.”
“Of course. And a natural 65C bust. How’s that? Jealous?”
The shadow chuckled weakly.
“Not really? I’m a 70F.”
“…What?”
“Sometimes even a G cup during my period. Oh, and I’m real too.”
“P-please, don’t lie.”
Jegal Haesol turned away with a look that said “That’s impossible.” Then, right behind her, she met a pair of eyes staring down at her.
The moment those ash-gray eyes flashed, Jegal Haesol instinctively widened her eyes.
『User Go Yeonju’s unique ability, “Eyes of Seduction,” activated.』
『User Jegal Haesol’s unique ability, “Wisdom’s Gaze That Looks Down Upon the Sky,” responds.』
『Result: “Wisdom’s Gaze That Looks Down Upon the Sky” ranks 4 levels higher than “Eyes of Seduction.”』
『User Go Yeonju’s “Eyes of Seduction” has been seen through!』
“Huh?”
Caught off guard, Go Yeonju reflexively covered her eyes and took a few steps back.
Jegal Haesol calmly stared back. Of course, she couldn’t help but notice Go Yeonju’s impressively ample—bordering on explosive—chest.
When Jegal Haesol bit her lip in frustration, Go Yeonju, having quickly regained her composure, rubbed her eyes and gave a wry smile.
“Good grief. Now you can see through me too? How are you so much like him in everything?”
“Him?”
“Who else? The clan lord we’ll be serving together from now on.”
“Hmm.”
Only then did Jegal Haesol fully understand. She recalled their first meeting at the Easter Egg event. Though she now claimed to have seen through him, back then, it was she who had been seen through. She had tried to play it cool, but the shock was indescribable.
Nodding slightly, Jegal Haesol spoke quietly.
“By the way, this clan’s initiation ceremony is pretty unique, isn’t it?”
“Oh my. You’re not planning to tattle, are you?”
“Oh no. I’m going to tell everyone at today’s meeting. I can’t stand the pressure.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t say such scary things. I just came to wake you up this morning. I even brought the tea myself.”
Now that she mentioned it, Jegal Haesol realized the teacup was in her hand. When had she gotten it? Was she possessed by a ghost? She doubted herself for a moment.
“Anyway, it’s all good, but please don’t give him too much trouble. He’s already got enough headaches.”
With that, Go Yeonju spun around as if she had nothing more to do, waving slowly.
“Ah, welcome to the Mercenary Guild. Let’s get along well.”
She slipped out the door.
A moment later.
Standing there in a daze, Jegal Haesol slowly raised the cup and took a sip. Then, placing her hand calmly over her chest, she gazed quietly at the door Go Yeonju had just exited through. Softly, she spoke.
“I’m jealous.”
The next day.
After breakfast, I headed straight to the fourth floor. As announced yesterday, there was a meeting scheduled. It wasn’t about anything urgent—mostly just summaries and reports—but it was a necessary step to set the direction moving forward.
Of course, the new clan members had to be formally introduced. Oh, and the returning member needed to be officially announced too. Looks like there was more to do than I thought.
Sitting at the head of the table, I watched as clan members filed in one by one. At some point, I saw Jegal Haesol quietly step in, looking around uncertainly for a seat. Hanna smiled kindly and guided her to a spot.
Noticing my gaze, Jegal Haesol turned to look at me.
Our eyes met. Surely she’d flash me a bright smile again.
But I was wrong. Instead of smiling, she snorted and abruptly turned her head away.
—Huh. Interesting kid.
Just as I wondered why she acted that way, a voice inside me—Hwajeong’s—spoke.
I muttered quietly to myself.
“Interesting?”
—Yeah. The one who just turned her head away. Who is she?
“She’s a user who joined recently. Walked in on her own two feet yesterday.”
—A recent user, huh… I don’t really sense the world’s energy from her. But how can she have the Wisdom’s Gaze That Looks Down Upon the Sky?
A strange sense of unease crept over me. Come to think of it, has Hwajeong ever shown interest in any other user besides me?
But I quickly accepted it. After all, it was Jegal Haesol. Maybe there was something special about her.
“Wisdom’s Gaze That Looks Down Upon the Sky? What’s that?”
—Originally, it’s an ability only dragons can master. It’s the minimum qualification to understand the principles of magic and reach its source.
Principles and source? I tilted my head.
“That sounds complicated.”
—Well, explaining it would take forever. The important thing is, it’s a unique power of dragons. But once in a thousand years, a human with that talent is born.
“So you’re saying Jegal Haesol is that once-in-a-thousand-years talent?”
—Jegal Haesol? Yeah… you could say that. But it’s strange. Users like you can never have the Wisdom’s Gaze That Looks Down Upon the Sky. Maybe the Ever-Burning Light of Wisdom, but not this.
“Why can’t users have it?”
—Because you’re users. You’re born with a mana circuit, so you learn magic through attributes. But the residents here are different. Though things are a mess now, in the distant past, becoming a mage required harsh training and discipline. Remember what that perverted mage said before?
Perverted mage?
Mavolo de Ailraith. I remember.
“We build up mana through grueling effort from childhood, read until our heads explode, and practice spells until our fingers break. So for you to use abilities after such half-baked training…”
At that moment, a chill ran down my spine. So, Je Gal Haesol can grow through attributes, yet also has the qualifications to grasp the principles and reach the source of magic?
Just then—
“Clan Lord, the meeting preparations are complete.”
Jo Seung-woo’s quiet voice snapped me back to reality. Looking around, I realized over sixty clan members had turned to face me simultaneously.
After scanning them one by one, I spoke softly.
“Then, let’s begin the meeting.”
Crackle.
In the pitch-black room, the sound of fire flickering broke the silence, soon followed by a faint glow appearing as a pinpoint of light. Judging by its size, someone had lit a cigarette just moments ago.
“…This is maddening. Have I been too complacent?”
At first glance, the man seemed ordinary. But when the demon took a deep drag, the cigarette instantly burned down to the filter’s edge. Ash fell in a cascade, scattering smoke into the air. Then, the demon spoke in a low voice.
“Hmm. This is dangerous.”
He crossed his hands and looked up at the ceiling, now filled with darkness, continuing.
“No, not just dangerous—extremely dangerous. Don’t you agree?”
It was as if he expected someone else in the room to respond. But no answer came. Only a heavy silence lingered.
Whether out of habit or indifference, the demon clenched his hands tightly and rose from his chair. The sound of crumpling paper followed, as if he’d been holding something.
“Belial. We need to summon the Seven Great Demons once more. You’re in charge of delivering the message. And make sure Astaroth and Baal attend—no exceptions. Immediately.”
“…They’re unlikely to come. Especially Lord Astaroth.”
For the first time, a voice echoed from the ceiling. Deep and metallic, it was far from pleasant.
The demon, about to leave, stopped abruptly. Calmly, he looked up and spoke.
“Relay this: it’s a message from the Grand Order.”
After a brief pause, a response came.
“Grand Order…? No way.”
“Yes. A prophecy has been issued. Chaos is erupting.”
“Is it urgent?”
“Very.”
The voice, once steady, now faltered. Grand Order. Prophecy. What could it mean?
“Yes. Soon, a new substitute queen will appear, and four queens will take their place beside the king. After the war, the primary condition for a multi-front defeat has finally been met.”
“That can’t be!”
“But it’s true. Now it’s a matter of retreat or continuation. This meeting will decide between those two paths. We have no choice but to gather. There’s no time.”
“…!”
Moments later, a shadowy figure dropped from the void. Bowing almost crouch-like toward the demon, it spoke in a humble tone.
“…All is according to Satan’s will.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Made it safely before midnight today!
Writing what I want to write really takes the pressure off—no more of that same old feeling from yesterday. Haha.
Some readers have asked how the understanding of abilities works, so I hope today’s explanation about circuits clears that up. Of course, the rank indicating the level of an ability matters, but the rank of the ability itself—its grade, if you will—is the most important factor. Once you consider that, you’ll get a sense of just how ridiculously powerful the Third Eye is.
I’m really enjoying the twists lately. Well, they’re not exactly twists, but you know what I mean—those moments that make readers think, “Ah, so that’s how it is,” before the story takes an unexpected turn. :) Hehehe. (?)
P.S. Thanks so much to everyone who resonated with Kim Yuhyun’s words last time. That was the best comment I’ve received in a while. :D