Chapter 60

“Ahahaha! Hic! S-so you really said, ‘I’ll go to Busan for everyone!’—all proud like that? Because it was an urgent situation? Pffft!”

“Please be quiet, Commander Cheon So-baek.”

“You’re seriously trying to kill me from laughing, aren’t you? Hic, cough! Ah, it went down the wrong pipe. Damn, I should’ve been there to see it myself…!”

She was laughing way too hard.

Cheon So-baek couldn’t stop giggling as she stuffed clothes into a huge suitcase.

Since Moon Ah-rin, the master of Tartaruga, couldn’t be sent to Busan, the Bureau had decided to dispatch someone even stronger than her—a high-ranking Awakened of Upper Level—to handle things instead.

The problem was, there wasn’t a single one like that available in Seoul at the moment.

Other than the Commander-in-Chief and Ha Yeri, the only one left was Cheon So-baek, who had just finished preparing the mass production plans for the Magical Siege Turret.

Maybe it was the result of staying up for days straight, but when she finally answered Ha Yeri’s call after several rings, she sounded half-asleep and completely uninterested.

That changed the moment she heard she’d be going alone with me. Her attitude flipped instantly, and she volunteered on the spot.

As for me… I was starting to regret it.

It wasn’t just that I’d added another black mark to my personal record—it was that the illusion of a “top-secret, dangerous, classified mission” had vanished. And now I had to face the infamous psychopath murderer himself.

Someone who specifically targeted the elderly and other Awakened. What kind of twisted human being does that?

I’d never even properly held a sword in my life. If I came face-to-face with someone like that, I might just faint on the spot.

But what could I do now? I’d already said I was going.

So I decided to tag along with Cheon So-baek—partly to show Mala-nim the sights of Busan, partly to live up to my own big mouth.

That’s why I’d come to the lab for the second time today—to brief Cheon So-baek, who hadn’t attended the earlier meeting, on the details.

But instead of listening seriously, she seemed fixated only on my final embarrassment.

“Sunscreen, check~ Swimsuit, check~”

“We’re not going there for vacation, miss.”

“I’ve been so stressed lately, you know? When else would I get a chance to spend time alone with you?”

Her suitcase was so full it looked ready to burst.

A bright, summery smile spread across Cheon So-baek’s face, as if we were heading off to some seaside resort.

After finishing her packing, she began preparing the spell for spatial transfer and teased me with a grin.

“Can’t wait to see me in a swimsuit, right?”

“Now that you mention it, it’s been a while since I swam too. Maybe I should pack one myself?”

“…”

“Commander?”

“You—ugh, you’re always so unfair! Whatever, we’re leaving. Don’t move.”

For someone usually so outspoken, she somehow froze up every time I threw her own words back at her.

Even so, she really was an impressive mage.

Her concentration slipped for just a second, but the spatial transfer coordinates—our destination at the Seohae Floodgate—remained perfectly stable.

If only I didn’t have to worry about people watching me, I could probably pull that off too.

This time, though, I’d have to be extra careful not to reveal my identity—with an Upper Level mage accompanying us, I couldn’t afford a single mistake.

I adjusted Patel’s mask in my coat to make sure it wouldn’t slip, then followed Cheon So-baek to where the Union’s envoys were waiting.

Seo Chae-rin and Lee Do-hwan stood by a moored boat at the dock, already preparing to depart.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Flawless Heaven. I’m Negotiator Lee Do-hwan.”

“So you’re the disciple of the Heavenly Immortal?”

“Nice to meet you all. I’ve heard the situation—shall we head out right away?”

Everyone else had fancy titles or epithets, and here I was—the only one just using my name. Tragic.

Still, if I performed well on this mission, maybe I’d earn a cool title of my own someday, like Moon Ah-rin did.

As the boat sliced through the waves, only the engine’s growl broke the silence.

Cheon So-baek must’ve been exhausted; the moment we set off, she cast a silencing spell on her ears, leaned against me, and fell asleep.

Since the other two assumed I was merely her assistant, they didn’t bother starting conversation either.

The quiet was suffocating, so I walked over to Lee Do-hwan and asked about something that had been nagging me since the meeting.

Thankfully, he wasn’t nearly as prickly as Seo Chae-rin.

“Um, about that ‘Pact’ you mentioned earlier—what exactly is it?”

“You’re a first-year in the Special Unit, right? Then it’s understandable you wouldn’t know. The Pact is a kind of divine blessing that covers the entire Busan area.”

“A blessing?”

“Yes. Long ago, when Busan was on the verge of total destruction, the Dragon Immortal personally cast it.”

The Dragon Immortal—on e of the Seven Immortals, once leader of a small guild called Wings of Purgatory—had vanished years ago without a trace.

A Transcendent-level Awakened had placed a blessing on an entire city?

Was it magic? Or an ability?

As I wondered about the details, Seo Chae-rin, who was steering the boat, spoke up disinterestedly.

“It’s made of Dragon Words—three absolute laws. The Dragon Immortal was a Word-Spirit user, just like Yeon-hwa.”

“The first two rules are what we mentioned earlier: the Pact of Non-Aggression and the Pact of Protection. They forbid internal conflict and prevent Gates from forming within the city. Essentially, it’s a massive barrier.”

“If members can’t fight each other…”

“Yes. That’s exactly why we requested your help.”

Right now, Busan was being terrorized by a murderer who dared to defy the Pact.

Because of the Pact of Non-Aggression, the Union couldn’t attack him—or even properly track him.

With every passing day, the casualties grew, and the city had descended into paralyzing fear.

To catch the killer, they had no choice but to rely on outsiders like us.

“So that’s why you called for Agent No Yeon-hwa.”

“Yes. To prevent this kind of situation from happening again, we need to figure out how the Pact was nullified. Since she’s a Word-Spirit user, we thought she might be able to uncover the method.”

“And you just volunteered without even knowing that? Seriously unbelievable.”

Seo Chae-rin, who called Yeon-hwa “unnie,” clearly trusted and admired her deeply.

Apparently, when I’d mentioned Yeon-hwa’s name during the meeting earlier, Seo Chae-rin’s surprise was because Yeon-hwa had once talked about me when she’d come to Busan.

She always gave me five-star reviews after missions, but never once had she verbally praised me. Knowing her personality, I could already imagine exactly what kind of “comments” she might’ve made about me.

Still, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to change her impression completely.

Then I realized there was one question I hadn’t asked yet.

“Now that I think about it, you said there were three Pacts, right? What’s the last one?”

“Well…”

The moment I brought up the final Pact, both of their expressions hardened.

The Dragon Immortal’s blessing had been created for those abandoned by the government—meant as a contingency for when Busan faced total collapse.

The Pacts were designed to prevent internal conflicts from weakening the city’s forces and to protect it from outside invasion. But of course, they couldn’t ignore the possibility of an absolute worst-case scenario.

“The Pact of Mutual Annihilation.”

That was the third one.

“When Busan can no longer stand—if over half of its citizens approve—the entire city will be annihilated.”

A final Word-Spirit cast for the city’s last moment of choice.

“Yawn… what a good nap. Are we there yet?”

“Yes, we’re just tying the ropes now.”

After nearly twenty hours at sea, Cheon So-baek finally stirred awake from her long sleep.

We had docked at a small port somewhere in Busan.

If there was any small victory during the voyage, it was that I’d somehow managed to get along quite well with Seo Chae-rin.

She’d been wary of me at first, but my peerless social skills worked their magic as always.

“So—so this is really the eraser dust she used?”

“Of course. We studied together for her promotion exam, and I collected it bit by bit. Look closely—you can even see her fingerprint marks on the rubber casing. She always rolled it with her left index finger.”

“Let me have it! No, wait, I’ll buy it!”

“Buy it? Forget the thought! Please, take it as a gift. Here, I’ll even seal it in a plastic bag so the wind doesn’t blow it away.”

“…You’re actually a pretty decent guy, huh!?”

“If you promise to protect me from that brutal murderer, I’ll give you something even more amazing before we leave. Would you, perhaps, like to hear No Yeon-hwa’s nasal voice recording?”

Sure, she hadn’t given permission—but she always worried whenever I came back injured, so I figured she’d forgive me this once.

On the way out of the West Sea, a few leftover tentacle corpses had picked up our scent and attacked, but thanks to Seo Chae-rin’s expert steering, we escaped unharmed.

Persistent bastards. Even after all this time, they were still lurking beneath the waves, sharpening their knives for revenge.

I silently vowed that when I returned to Seoul in glory, I’d drag back another oil tanker just to make up for it.

The sky had already darkened, and the sea breeze carried a faint smell of fish that tickled my nose.

After checking into the hotel and grabbing a quick dinner, we finally met with Busan’s investigation team.

After exchanging brief greetings with the investigation team, we received the case file on the culprit.

Even though the Pact of Non-Aggression prevented them from attacking or pursuing the murderer, the Bureau had still gathered plenty of information.

Male. Tall, thin build. Always wore a black robe and mask—identity unknown. But one thing was certain: he was an Awakened who could use both abilities and magic.

“His abilities are speed enhancement and physical reinforcement. Based on witness reports, he’s confirmed to use at least Second-Rank Black Magic.”

“You even tracked his movements and crime times well. But… why’s he hiding like this?”

Within Busan’s boundaries, the man was practically untouchable.

He could walk the streets and massacre civilians at will, and yet he still chose to act carefully—only at night or in the early hours before dawn.

I’d fought monsters inside Gates before, but this was my first time dealing with a human criminal. I couldn’t get a read on him at all.

Cheon So-baek, who’d been with the Special Unit long enough to have experience with cases like this, answered for me.

“He’s being cautious because he doesn’t know what kind of Awakened might be nearby. For example, even if I were bound by the Pact as a Busan citizen, I could still find a way to kill him.”

“How?”

“Simple. I just throw him outside Busan’s borders. Once he’s out of range, the Pact’s binding disappears.”

Ah, I see.

She meant to literally remove him from the protected area using spatial magic—like the transfer spell we’d used to get here.

Given time, Cheon So-baek could easily cast Fourth-Rank or higher White Magic. The murderer wouldn’t even have a chance to resist.

But on the flip side, it also meant that even someone as strong as her didn’t dare break the Pact head-on. She’d rather drag the target outside its range than try to undo it directly.

While I was mulling that over, Cheon So-baek suddenly pulled something from her pocket and began stacking it carefully on the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“Catching the killer.”

It looked like pieces of reddish brick—just like the ones scattered along Gangbuk’s streets where we’d once gone out together.

Apparently, she was constructing a miniature Magic Tower.

In the corner of our hotel room, she finished stacking the brick-like stones, stretched her arms overhead, and grinned at me.

“Wanna make it a bet?”

“A bet?”

“Yeah. Let’s see who finds the killer first. Loser grants the winner one wish. How about that?”

Oh? Was that a challenge?

The ruthless Apostle of the Outer God never backed down from a true duel.

And as it happened, I already had a wish in mind.

“If I win, get me a chance to lecture at the Red Tower.”

“Ugh, you were serious about that?”

“Of course. I’m confident I can cultivate excellent students.”

“I don’t buy it, but fine. Let’s make it official. Hmm… then what should I ask for if I win…”

She frowned, pretending to think deeply, then suddenly broke into a mischievous smile.

“Oh! I know. How about you prank Deputy Commander Yoo Se-byeol—tell her you like her so much you’re transferring to Division 4 because of her?”

The match hadn’t even started yet, but it already felt like I was standing on the guillotine, waiting for my execution.