Episode 410. Secret Magic Society (3)

The next afternoon.

After finishing our meal, I was taking a walk with Im Sol.

Since the conference was over and there was nothing else to do, we usually spent time having meals, going for walks, or replenishing Im Sol’s sugar levels.

We still hadn’t heard back from Arthur.

I heard he needed more time.

He’s probably torturing someone or doing whatever it takes to extract information.

Since we couldn’t stay in America indefinitely, Im Sol and I decided the deadline was tomorrow.

If nothing happens by tomorrow, we have to return to Korea.

I have many people waiting for me, and Im Sol has things she needs to handle too.

‘Judging by the vibe, I don’t think they’ll be able to dig up any information by tomorrow.’

That means the only time I’ll have alone with Im Sol is today.

This is the perfect time to indulge my selfish desires.

I spoke to Im Sol, who was walking beside me.

“Shall we go see the sea today?”

“The sea? All of a sudden?”

“We don’t have much time left for a date just between the two of us.”

“Hmm. Do you really want to go that badly?”

“Yes. Definitely. Absolutely.”

Eating meals or walking the streets with Im Sol was fine, but I wanted to go somewhere with a bit more atmosphere.

I hadn’t been to the sea even once since possessing a body in this world.

Especially, I hadn’t gotten to walk on the night sea with a girl.

‘Maybe if it were Sol, I could persuade her well enough for some fellatio on the quiet night sea.’

Surprisingly, Im Sol might actually permit something like that.

I continued speaking, looking forward to the sea.

“If you stare blankly at the sea, your head will feel refreshed too.”

“Mul-meong?”

“Sol-ssi, you don’t know what mul-meong is?”

“… Sol-ssi? What on earth is mul-meong?”

Im Sol asked, tilting her head.

“It’s called mul-meong when you stare blankly at water.”

“Don’t lie.”

“It’s true. Staring blankly at water is mul-meong. Staring blankly at fire is bul-meong.”

“I’m worried my disciple might have heatstroke.”

Im Sol placed her hand on my forehead, looking worried.

Well, that was my reaction when I first heard it too.

What is mul-meong, anyway? Mul-meong.

“Sol-nim. Anyway, let’s go for mul-meong later.”

“Okay. But won’t you stop using those weird titles?”

“Tch. Fine. Sol noona.”

Sol noona didn’t quite roll off the tongue, so I tried a few things, but nothing felt right.

For now, I’ll settle for noona.

It would be better to just subdue Im Sol as soon as possible.

Then I could comfortably call her Sol.

Im Sol, walking beside me, looked at the cafe ahead and said.

“I was thinking of stopping by a cafe, want a drink?”

“Sure. I’ll have the Claire Rose Latte, please.”

“I wondered who actually drank that, but here you are.”

“It’s an addictive taste once you get used to it.”

I learned about the Claire Rose Latte thanks to Moon Surin.

At first, I drank it to adapt, but before I knew it, I was seeking out only this.

With its sweet rose scent, refreshing mint flavor, and even a hint of spice, ordinary drinks just couldn’t satisfy me anymore.

“Okay. Then I guess I’ll give it a try too.”

Im Sol nodded and headed towards the cafe a block ahead, while I stretched and watched her back.

‘I wonder if Surin noona is doing okay.’

Speaking of Claire Rose Latte, it reminds me again.

I should go see her as soon as I get back to Korea.

Thump-

“Hm?”

A sudden, strange shift in the atmosphere.

I stopped my thoughts and turned my head to check behind me.

‘What is it?’

Of course, there was no one around. But my combat sense had just activated.

It meant there was a threat I hadn’t noticed.

“… Is it over there?”

I looked towards the dark alleyway.

It looked harmless from the outside, but it was the only suspicious place.

“Should I check it out when Sol gets back…?”

Still, just in case, maybe I should run a mana detection.

I carefully raised my mana and approached the alley entrance.

*

On the streets of New York, where the fervor of the magic conference had yet to cool.

Hiding inside a shabby building, the demons monitored Im Sol and Lee Hoyeon via CCTV while conversing.

To monitor the two powerful magic users, they needed to maintain a safe distance.

“Will it really be okay? They say the magic that guy announced is a secret technique against magic users. And of all times, the timing overlaps with the conference, so the team members are all magic users.”

“Don’t worry. I confirmed Target Beta demonstrating the magic with my own eyes. Naturally, I know its weakness too.”

“Ooooh…! As expected of you, Xeros-nim!”

Xeros, an executive of Pandemic commanding the operation, smiled smugly.

He needed to share the information he possessed with these foolish underlings.

“When the domain deploys, there’s a visual effect like an expanding soap bubble. It doesn’t make sense for such tremendous magic to have no precursor.”

“I see…! That means if we’re careful about that domain…”

“Right. Our advantage is the ability to ambush. We must attack before the domain deploys. Make sure the assault team gets the message.”

“Yes! Understood!”

“The two of them won’t stay together continuously. The moment they separate, we execute the plan.”

Led by Xeros, the demons continued their conversation while confirming the movements of the two.

And a moment later.

“- The target pair has separated! Alpha entered the cafe, and Beta is waiting alone.”

“Roger. Team Alpha heads towards Target Alpha. And the remaining demons will strike Beta under my command.”

Xeros quickly issued the order, then jumped down from the building and ran towards the target location.

‘They’re willingly walking right into it.’

The moment they separated was crucial.

We planned to strike even if there were many civilians, but if they stand alone like that, the job becomes much easier.

Xeros headed towards a nearby building rooftop, close to where his target, Lee Hoyeon, was standing.

As Xeros watched the target standing blankly, about to issue the attack order, he felt a strange sensation.

Team Beta had already formed a formation around Lee Hoyeon.

If he just gave the attack order, they would unleash a magic bombardment on Lee Hoyeon.

‘What was that chill just now…?’

However, his intuition, honed by many battles as a demon, was screaming.

This operation was dangerous.

The element of uncertainty must be eliminated.

Even if the opponent was just a student, he trusted his instincts.

“- Xeros-nim. Beta is near the alley. Shall we attack?”

“… Wait a moment. I’ll join you.”

Xeros decided to withdraw the plan and join Team Beta.

While three S-class demons were assigned to the genius mage Im Sol, Team Beta had no S-class demons besides himself.

“‘We need to handle this decisively.'”

Xeros jumped off the rooftop, concealed himself, and joined Team Beta.

Lee Hoyeon, with baffling confidence, was walking directly into the alleyway.

The moment he perfectly entered his range.

Xeros drew a magic circle and said.

“Now, attack!”

Vwoom-

Fwaaang-

Magic cast simultaneously by the group of demons.

Its power was beyond imagination, and Lee Hoyeon’s body was instantly engulfed in smoke.

‘So the unease was just my imagination.’

Just as Xeros was feeling relieved by that firepower.

Kkrrreeeeak-

Mana exploded from where Lee Hoyeon had been, and the magic spells used by Team Beta tore through the air, returning in reverse.

Power and speed impossible to react to.

An overwhelming tidal wave of mana engulfed Team Beta and burned Xeros’ entire body.

“N-Nnnnngh!”

More than half the demons evaporated the moment they were hit by the magic.

The sheer power was difficult for even the executive Xeros to withstand.

“Kkuh…!”

But he was an S-class demon with vast experience.

He grimaced in pain but managed to stay upright.

“What is this…”

Crack- Crackle-

Restoring his body with his demonic vitality, he looked around with a bewildered expression.

The surrounding buildings were half-destroyed, and the alleyway where Team Beta had hidden was cleanly wiped out, as if erased with an eraser.

He couldn’t even understand why it happened, so Xeros couldn’t help but be flustered.

“… The mana concentration is too dense.”

An abnormally high concentration of mana.

This was a characteristic of the domain expansion announced by Aiden and Lee Hoyeon.

“No way…”

Xeros swallowed hard at the unseen presence of Lee Hoyeon.

Thump. Thump.

And he trembled as he saw Lee Hoyeon approaching.

Blue mana spheres floated around him. And a cold mana that seemed to erode his body.

Finally, even Lee Hoyeon’s bored-looking face.

Xeros unconsciously felt fear towards the student.

“H-how could this happen? The characteristics of domain expansion were clearly…”

“That’s why you should have investigated more diligently, you bastards. We were having a nice time, and you attacked when I went to the cafe for a moment?”

Lee Hoyeon walked towards Xeros with an annoyed expression.

I put useless effects into Sky Piercing Palace to screw over Aiden, and it causes misunderstandings like this.

“Kkuh… You don’t have time to stand around like this. Three S-class demons are assigned to Im Sol!”

“… Three S-class demons?”

“Y-yes. Your teacher is in danger. If you don’t go support her right now…”

Xeros spoke to Lee Hoyeon, clinging to the hope that he might survive.

Creak- Creak-

Even at this moment, he was recovering his body with his demonic resilience.

If he could buy just a little more time, he might be able to continue the fight.

However, Lee Hoyeon calmly brushed the dust off his head.

“Sorry, but you’d probably need double-digit S-class demons to defeat that person. And are you done regenerating? Get up?”

“… What are you thinking.”

Xeros got to his feet.

He was injured, but even a fallen hero is still formidable.

He was an executive of Pandemic, responsible for the Wizard Association.

He didn’t believe he would lose if they fought properly.

Xeros raised his mana, burning with hostility.

“No, I need an opponent. And you… happen to be a magic user?”

Lee Hoyeon gave a sly smile.

Just when I needed an opponent, and a magic user at that, even better.

*

Crackle- Crackle-

Thud!

“Kkyaaaah…!”

“I-impossible. Three S-class demons were assigned… Keuhup!”

Im Sol looked at the demons lying on the floor and turned her head.

Two cups of Claire Rose Latte were held in her hands.

It was a bit annoying that they attacked the moment she came out of the cafe, but fortunately, she managed to protect the drinks.

“I need to go to Hoyeon.”

Im Sol quickly moved.

If she was attacked, Lee Hoyeon must have been attacked too.

She thought he was probably safe, but you never know.

Returning to where Lee Hoyeon was with a slight sense of unease, Im Sol doubted her own eyes.

“N-Nnnngh….”

“Get up. Hey. Get up.”

“Please stop… I’ll do anything you say. Pandemic’s information or the Wizard Association’s intel…”

“No, get up and use some magic. There’s still a lot I haven’t tried.”

“Kkeok….”

……

The man, seemingly a demon, was sobbing while lying prone, and my disciple was kicking his side with a delinquent expression.

Lee Hoyeon frowned at the demon who wouldn’t get up, then turned his head upon sensing a presence.

“Ah, Sol noona, you’re here? As expected, you’re unharmed. I believed in you.”

“… What are you doing?”

Im Sol asked, looking at Lee Hoyeon’s pleased expression.

What could possibly make him look so refreshed.

“It’s been a while since real combat, so I was just testing some things.”

“P-please, Mage Im Sol, save me. This devil…”

“This bastard… Who told you to speak to our Sol?”

“S-sorry. Aaaah!”

……

Lee Hoyeon started hitting the demon again, and Im Sol closed her eyes watching him.

‘My disciple must have heatstroke.’

I should have realized when he started talking about that weird mul-meong thing.

Slurp- Slurp-

Im Sol took a sip of the Claire Rose Latte and frowned.

“… It doesn’t taste good.”

The sweet rose scent is followed by a cool mint flavor that fills the mouth, finishing with a stinging spiciness.

Seriously, why does Hoyeon drink this?

“See. You can get up. So… um, what was your name? Now that I think about it, I never asked.”

“Ah, aah-ah…”

“Huh? Is it broken? That’s a bit disappointing.”

Lee Hoyeon crouched down, poking Xeros’ side to check his condition, while Im Sol sat on a nearby bench, waiting for Lee Hoyeon to finish.