Chapter 75

“So, you’ve been putting in extra effort behind the scenes without anyone knowing, right?”

“…….”

“I heard during the Northern Line Restoration meeting that you were helping Commander Cheon So-baek in the Red Magic Tower lab, making turrets. If you had told me sooner, I would’ve exempted you from training. So why keep it hidden?”

“Oh, I was told to keep it a secret…”

What was going on here?

Had my identity been exposed?

Surprisingly, what Kang Ha-neul asked about was the secret behind how I got so strong so fast.

A newcomer who had joined only six months ago but had already reached Middle Level at lightning speed.

Along the way, I maintained a top-tier mission success rate, participated in classified operations, and, most importantly, had the commanders’ recognition.

They’d visit me regularly, and even during the last party, they had just let me go without fuss. Now it seemed like they assumed I had been diligently working hard somewhere out of sight.

But in truth, the only real improvement since joining the Special Unit was my tongue and massage skills used for licking feet.

Since there was nothing of substance I could advise someone trained in martial arts, I had no choice but to dodge the question.

“And what exactly are you planning to do with that information? Even if I did become much stronger than when I first joined, I’m still a mage.”

“That doesn’t matter. What matters to me is that you’re growing faster than the others.”

“Why?”

“Because I realized I’m not getting any stronger at this rate.”

I see. A slump, huh?

Kang Ha-neul was in his second year.

Considering he had been in another guild before joining the Special Unit, it had been a long time since he had reached Middle Level as an awakened.

His younger sibling, Kang Nabi, was considered the second strongest among the newcomers this year after No Yeon-hwa, and the eldest, Kang Cho-won, spoke for himself.

He was the commander of the Archduke Extermination Unit, after all.

Meanwhile, Kang Ha-neul had been a disciplinary officer in Division 3 for years with no notable achievements.

Sometimes he attended executive meetings to assist Yoo Se-byeol, but only because she insisted on keeping her position as squad leader.

Earlier this year, he had dueled Alexei, who had just joined, and lost.

It was a disgraceful defeat, resulting in hospitalization due to separated bones and flesh.

I’d heard someone had impersonated an ID in the Special Unit’s Bamboo Forest, causing the incident, but if he ever caught them, he wouldn’t let it slide.

“I’m willing to try anything possible. I’m not the only one thinking this way.”

Come to think of it, Alexei hadn’t been in the dorm much lately either.

It wasn’t like he was on a business trip as before.

The training ground atmosphere had changed as well.

At some point, the wooden swords in the armory disappeared, replaced entirely by real swords.

Those who used to practice casually while chatting now trained only in live combat, or they came swinging swords still stained with blood.

Today, it was just the two of us, but the floor bore traces of many others having passed through.

“You wouldn’t understand. How traumatizing it was for them to be toyed with by that black mage… Some even seriously considered retiring.”

“Ah, I see. But it was just a matter of facing the wrong opponent, wasn’t it? Patel is said to have skills comparable to the Archduke Extermination Unit.”

“No matter who the opponent is, there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again. Last time, Deputy Commander Yoo Se-byeol saved us, but we can’t rely on such luck twice; it’s better to die than risk it.”

It seemed everyone had painfully realized their own weakness from the last incident.

In fact, ever since meeting the team inside the gate, I had thought they needed to raise their skill levels.

Against the Archduke Extermination Unit, the Special Unit—especially Division 3 while the commander was absent—was overwhelmingly underpowered.

But I never imagined I’d be the trigger for that.

I hesitated for a moment, then said to Kang Ha-neul,

“Mind if I take a moment to think? Just a little while.”

“Do as you like. I’ll be training here anyway.”

Carrying a trash bag, I entered the supply room in the corner of the training hall and looked into my sleeve.

I carefully pulled out Mala-nim who had been gnawing on the Norkel figurine and asked,

“What do you think, Mala-nim? Should I try it this time?”

『Fear not?』

Even I didn’t know any special method to raise one’s ability level that was still being researched worldwide.

But there was one shortcut I had thought of recently.

“There’s a method I came up with after being corrupted by No Yeon-hwa’s Word-Spirit. Using Mala-nim’s Star Scar, I could forcibly raise the ability level of Division 3 members to all become Upper Level…”

『FEAR NOT!!!』

Gah!!!

‘Don’t spout nonsense!’ Mala-nim said, refusing to engage at all.

It seemed she had no intention of creating any apostles besides me.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected much.

All I did was use the Star Scar to increase the number of Mala-nim’s tentacles, which didn’t apply to other awakened ones’ powers.

Even if it were possible to temporarily raise their abilities, the effects of doing so were unpredictable.

Besides, revealing one’s identity would be a prerequisite, so this could only be considered as an absolute last resort.

It seemed there was no immediate help I could count on.

I had no choice but to approach him during training and politely decline.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I’d be much help to you or the others.”

“Is that so? Alright, then. Go ahead.”

“Yes, sir.”

Surprisingly, he let me go without any fuss.

Cheon So-baek, the disciple of the Heavenly Immortal, and Yoo Se-byeol, the granddaughter of the Sword Immortal.

Kang Ha-neul, too, came from one of South Korea’s top families, just like those two.

Whether it was the family’s secret techniques or the taboos of black magic, even if I knew a way to grow several times faster than others, he probably understood there was no reason to scold me for keeping the secret.

Anyway, after safely returning to the dorm, I spent the next week immersed in a busy routine.

I repaired the broken Norkel figurine.

I visited the Cult of the Void to check whether Flauros was adapting well.

And just in time, I bought coffee for the workers repairing the broken elevator and quietly moved the buttons to a place Commander Ha Yeri couldn’t reach.

One afternoon, when I wanted to start the day with a glass of wine made by Yoo Se-byeol stomping grapes with her feet, a broadcast echoed throughout the Administration building.

—Agent Hayan, report to my office immediately.

—I repeat. Do not go anywhere else and report to my office immediately.

“Hayan, Commander Ha Yeri is summoning you.”

“I know.”

“It’s unusual to send this over a broadcast instead of your smartwatch.”

“It seems the inevitable has finally come. I’m ready.”

I got out of bed and neatly fixed my hair.

I had known this day would come from the start.

Commander Ha Yeri, tired of me teasing her about her height, had finally drawn her sword.

But even if my head ended up on the guillotine, I had not regretted a single choice I’d made until now.

“Going, brother?”

“Yes, it’s been fun, brother. I entrust you with my Dream Demon figurine and my Divine Monster Battle account. If you invest sixteen hours a day, including daily quests and assignments, you can maintain my current ranking.”

“I’ll try, but what about your younger sister?”

“I’m not sure, Alexei, but in South Korea, there’s a custom where if the older brother dies, the younger sister is buried alongside him. After asking her, she tearfully agreed to it.”

“That’s a sad thing. Understood.”

Click, click!!

Mala-nim protested harshly, as if to say she had never agreed to any of this.

But as long as she lived in my sleeve, we were together even in death.

So, after neatly arranging the bedding one last time, I headed to Ha Yeri’s office.

But when I knocked and opened the door with a solemn heart…

“To stand up a lady… how heartless of you.”

The one who greeted me first was not the woman whose height’s hundreds, tens, and ones digits added up to a mere eight.

“Baek-seon-nim?”

“I told you—it’s Llruyeh.”

“What brings you here?”

“I obviously came to find you. Didn’t you get my message?”

Message?

…Don’t tell me she means that weird text I got a few days ago?

It was so short I couldn’t tell what it was about, and since the sender wasn’t listed, I assumed it was spam and deleted it.

As I stood there awkwardly, Ha Yeri, who had been drinking tea beside us, spoke up.

“Next time you plan to meet a Special Unit agent during work hours, please schedule an appointment in advance.”

“I understand. Thank you for the consideration.”

Llruyeh nodded politely.

Judging from the situation, she must’ve come all the way here because she didn’t get a reply from me.

And since she was a Transcendent Realm awakened and the guild master of a high‑rank guild, Ha Yeri had no choice but to receive her personally.

Now I understood why she’d called me through the building broadcast instead of my smartwatch.

She must’ve worried I’d muted notifications because of the Commander‑in‑Chief’s announcements.

When we were about to start talking in earnest, Ha Yeri pushed her chair back and stood.

“Then I’ll give you two privacy. Please talk comfortably.”

“You’re leaving?”

“I have no right to interfere in a private meeting between an agent and a civilian. Especially as an officer of the Special Unit.”

Her tone was professionally neutral, but the look she sent my way was anything but pleasant.

Her gaze contained a very condensed message:

‘Why is Baek-seon here to see you?’

‘Did you cause trouble somewhere again?’

‘Why did you move the elevator buttons?’

‘I heard you were just discharged—are you planning to get your knees shattered next?’

I could practically hear it all.

Of course, I already had a general idea why Llruyeh wanted to meet me.

It was about the prize from the last Tower of Proof—the Gate called Necropolis, which we’d agreed to conquer together and split ownership of.

Seems like, just as she said, she’d successfully bought it at the auction.

“Wait a moment, um… Commander Ha Yeri.”

“What is it?”

I stopped her just as she was about to leave, because a certain someone came to mind: Kang Ha-neul.

Technically this was a personal deal between me and Llruyeh, but I had a simple reason for calling Ha Yeri back.

Necropolis was also known by another name: The Eternal Mausoleum.

It was the massive tomb where the subordinates of Gamigin, the Rank 4 Archduke, lay asleep.

“Could you listen in with us?”

“…Me?”

“We may need to mobilize Special Unit personnel.”

Originally, Llruyeh and I were just going to wipe the place clean in one go and turn it into a playground for tentacles.

But an even better idea had come to mind.

We could use this opportunity to deploy all of Division 3 to clear a Special‑grade Gate.