Chapter 42

I had taken leave.

The Tower of Proof was scheduled on a weekday. Since I was going together with my direct superior, Yoo Se-byeol, there was no chance my request—approved by her—would be denied.

But the very next morning, I was summoned to Commander Ha Yeri’s office.

“Do you realize why you’ve been called here?”

A cup of tea sat before me, already gone cold—probably thanks to my prank last time.

I thought it over, then asked carefully,

“Is this about what happened on the bus this morning? When I stood behind you and timed my smartwatch so that just as you tapped your card it went, ‘Beep! Child boarding!’?”

“…That was you as well!?”

Ah—so that wasn’t the reason?

Her massive sword came slashing at me, deadly and precise. I bent double at the waist to dodge.

I had only been testing the improved Transparency Tentacle, wrapping it around myself for stealth. Apparently it had worked better than I expected. Even if she hadn’t been paying close attention, the fact that it fooled the eyes of an Upper Level Awakened, even for a moment, meant it would be useful in the Tower of Proof.

Ha Yeri sighed deeply, then downed her tea in one gulp.

“The reason I summoned you is because of what you wrote on your leave request.”

“You mean challenging the Tower of Proof? Is there some problem with that?”

“The Special Unit avoids direct conflict with other forces unless they’re criminal groups. One misstep could mean a loss of combat strength.”

“But Deputy Commander Yoo Se-byeol is going too.”

“Deputy Commander Yoo can handle herself. She’s lived as an Awakened since childhood.”

By contrast, I had no experience outside the Special Unit. Still, I’d heard there was no issue with entering the tower. Had the guidelines changed?

Unexpectedly, Ha Yeri hadn’t called me in to stop me. Quite the opposite.

“The tower is a battlefield. Even those you consider comrades can turn into enemies at any moment. I recommend you stay as alert as possible.”

“Are you… worried about me?”

“And this time, the competition will be fiercer than ever. They say it’s because of a special Gate among the rewards.”

“So you really did summon me out of concern. Unlike Deputy Commander Yoo, I’ve only ever worked in the Special Unit. I’ve no ties to guilds or anything else.”

Clack!

Her porcelain teacup hit the desk with enough force to shatter.

It looked like I’d struck a nerve.

Ignoring my comment, Ha Yeri instead named several guilds—some friendly to the Bureau, some not.

“Especially the guild Touch of Oblivion. Be careful around them. They’ll use any means necessary to get what they want.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And finally… rumor has it one of the Seven Immortals might participate. Be cautious.”

“One of the Seven? Which one?”

“…”

After the death of Ryeong-seon, the guild master of Wings of the Blue Sky—the guild where No Yeon-hwa once belonged—only six Transcendents remained in Korea.

The Sword Immortal wouldn’t come. The Commander of Division 1 was already one of the Seven, so he was excluded. Cheon-seon, master of the Red Tower and Cheon So-baek’s teacher, was too close to the organizers to join either.

So… she wasn’t going to tell me?

“…”

“Commander Ha Yeri?”

“You’ll find out soon enough anyway.”

At last, after the silence, Ha Yeri spoke quietly.

“White Immortal.”

The day of the Tower of Proof.

Yeouido was swarming with people, packed so tightly it looked like a sea of humanity.
Major guilds and Magic Tower officials, reporters covering the spectacle, and curious citizens who had come just to watch.

Not since the day I first came to Earth had I seen so many people gathered in one place.

“Hayan, what’s wrong? You’ve been fidgeting this whole time. Are you nervous?”

“No, I’m fine.”

I quickly shook my head at Yoo Se-byeol’s worried glance.

Inside my sleeve, there was no familiar warmth, no slick heaviness. Mala-nim was staying behind at the dorm with Alexei, busy absorbing the Star Scar.

The connection wasn’t completely severed, but after over ten years stuck together, the sudden distance left me restless and empty. I couldn’t help but wonder if Mala-nim was crying alone in our room right now.

Meanwhile, Yoo Se-byeol looked far more relaxed than usual, dressed casually instead of her Special Unit uniform. She even seemed to be enjoying herself.

“There really are a lot of people. Some guilds are even bringing whole parties to participate.”

“Now that I think about it, Deputy Commander, why did you decide to join?”

I asked while trying not to shrink under the dozens of drones hovering overhead, cameras trained on the crowd.

Though she didn’t flaunt it, Se-byeol’s family background was no less prestigious than Cheon So-baek’s. The Mount Cheonsan territory of The Old Gods’ Wound alone was beyond monetary value, and they possessed numerous Gates besides.

But she never showed off her wealth. The only time she spent lavishly was to provide financial support for injured agents. Fame didn’t interest her either—she normally declined most interviews outright. Which only made it more curious why she’d chosen to appear at an event watched by the entire nation.

At my question, Se-byeol fidgeted with her hands clasped over her chest, her voice trailing off.

“I-I’m clumsy at everything except swinging a sword, so I was told this would be a good chance to… naturally show off my charms. It’s not like I’m aiming for victory anyway.”

“Who told you that?”

“A-and if the cameras catch me, then people will clearly see you’re with me too!”

“And who exactly said that?”

“Ah, it’s starting! Let’s move up!”

The gates of the tower opened, and people began filing in. From the entrance, we could already see staff checking tickets, the footage streaming live to smartwatches everywhere.

The Tower staff paired up entrants and handed them something.

When it was our turn, they gave us a black band, like a rubber strap.

“What’s this?”

“It’s for the first mission. Please tie your legs together when you start.”

“A three-legged race, huh.”

“What’s that?”

“You’ve never done one at a school sports day?”

At her confused look, I dug up old childhood memories. Back when I’d attended elementary school inside Ground Zero, I remembered an event like that. Two people tied at the leg, shuffling forward awkwardly.

Except instead of a race across a field, here it was a death trap. The course was littered with pitfalls, arrow showers, seas of lava, and hills bristling with ice spikes—hazards that could kill you if you slipped once.

At least there were no slips of paper with ridiculous scavenger tasks like back then—things like “a left ring finger, freshly cut within the hour” or “a cactus soaked in monster blood.”
This time, it was simple: reach the finish line. Still, the danger level was closer to suicide than playground fun.

And all this was being broadcast live. Apparently, Seoul citizens weren’t lacking in dopamine reserves to survive the apocalypse.

— In just a moment, the first mission, “Three-Legged Race to Hell,” will begin! Contestants, please take your places at the starting line!
— Only the top 30% who reach the entrance to the second floor will advance! If the band tying your legs comes undone for any reason, you’ll be disqualified!
— All pairs must receive the release spell from staff at the finish line! Attempts to forcibly remove the band will trigger an explosion!

“This looks like magitech,” I muttered.

“It’s more sophisticated than I expected.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Once worn, it can’t be removed without official approval, and it has anti-theft tracking enchantments to monitor location in real time.”

“…Gulp.”

At that, Se-byeol stared at the band in her hand, hesitating with a troubled expression.

Her pupils trembled as she stared at the smooth inner lining of the black band.

Then she suddenly rose on her toes to check the size around my neck.

“Wait—was a three-legged race supposed to go around the neck?”

“I-I just want to check the size, that’s all! Just hold still for a second!”

“Deputy Commander?”

“Excuse me—are you Yoo Se-byeol, by any chance?”

Just as I stepped back from her strange behavior, a man I’d never seen before approached.

His hair was tied back, he wore a teal martial uniform, and a sword hung at his waist.
Anyone could tell he was a swordsman from The Old Gods’ Wound.

He bowed deeply and introduced himself at once.

“An honor to meet you. My name is Seol Si-heon.”

“Ah, yes.”

“I trained under Grandmaster Park Ji-geom, and currently serve as chief of staff for the 2nd Company of The Old Gods’ Wound. We’ve met once before at Central Hospital—do you recall?”

“Ah…”

Central Hospital?

I tilted my head in confusion, but Yoo Se-byeol’s face went pale.

“S-sorry? I don’t always remember every face I see.”

“No need to apologize. Still, I didn’t expect you to participate in the Tower of Proof. Had we known earlier, we would have gathered our best guild members to support you. Forgive the oversight.”

Yoo Se-byeol had spent years as part of the guild’s orbit, yet she’d never once asked anything of them.

On the contrary, they were the ones who kept offering her help because she was the Sword Immortal’s granddaughter.

It seemed today would be no different.

“N-no, it’s fine! I’m here as part of the Special Unit. I already have a partner for this mission.”

“I see… and this is?”

“Sae Hayan.”

“If you have ears, then you heard my introduction just now. If you cause her trouble, I won’t forgive it.”

“…”

“We’re short on time, so I’ll take my leave. Until next time, miss.”

Seol Si-heon’s cold gaze cut right past me, dismissing me entirely, before he returned to the other guild members wearing black bands.

I leaned close to Yoo Se-byeol and muttered in a low voice. A righteous protest against underhanded politics.

“Miss, that guy’s suspicious. He’s not like the other members of The Old Gods’ Wound. He’s definitely hiding something.”

“Wh-who are you calling ‘miss’!? I’m your superior officer! Don’t you start calling me that too!”

“I’m serious. I clearly saw his eyes linger on your hips for 0.8 seconds.”

“You’re looking right now yourself!”

“…”

That was purely for explanation purposes. And really, how could my ordinary magician’s eyes compare to a swordsman’s, who could perceive a single second like a full minute?

“Enough—just put this band on your ankle already.”

Whether it was embarrassment at being called “miss” or embarrassment at being talked about, Yoo Se-byeol’s face flushed bright red as she thrust the band toward me.

With loyal concern, I had warned her of Seol Si-heon’s intentions, but my words fell on deaf ears.

While I was still grumbling, a loud BOOM! echoed through the cavernous first floor of the Tower of Proof.

The first mission had begun.