Enduring The Inconvenience

The entire world began to be dyed red by Red Gates.

They had begun acting in earnest.

It was clear that they had already secured enough materials to create Red Gates through Britain and France, and though it had been for a short period, it also seemed clear that they had produced tools capable of creating Red Gates through an enormous amount of human sacrifice in China.

In reality, the statistics China conveyed to the world said that tens of millions or more of China’s population had been sacrificed by Saturn and the Church of Ruin in a short time. But people were busy pointing fingers at them, as if they had no interest in China’s misfortune.

Red Gates. This was a phenomenon that could not be viewed favorably, and since the fact that they would become Yellow Gates and turn into tools for summoning apostles if they were not dealt with within a certain period had already become known to the whole world, people had no choice but to tremble in anxiety.

Then, one piece of news arrived from the Netherlands.

It was news that the Sea Sun Brigade had finally gathered in one place.

They called in many reporters, and Ben Smith appeared at that official event and made a formal declaration to the Church of Ruin.

“Our Sea Sun Brigade has contributed to the peace of the world. However, the Church of Ruin has openly ruined our efforts and achievements, and even turned countless countries into wastelands, causing extreme damage that cannot be described in words. Therefore, we hereby announce that we can no longer stand by and watch, and declare that we define the Church of Ruin as an absolute evil that will harm humanity and include it among our targets for subjugation. As our first mission, we will proceed with the subjugation of Beral.”

The declaration that began like that shocked the entire world, and people cheered, saying that the countless miracles the Sea Sun Brigade had performed until now were finally being directed toward the group that had pushed the world toward destruction.

At that, Ben Smith concluded his speech with a declaration that shocked everyone.

“Therefore, as of this moment, our Sea Sun Brigade will recruit new members, actively accept and embrace countless strong individuals from all over the world, and be reborn as a guardian group that protects world peace. We ask for your great support and interest.”

The method of joining the Sea Sun Brigade had been possible only through a recommendation from a member of the Sea Sun Brigade.

However, in this speech, they had declared that they would hold an official selection. With this, the fact that the Sea Sun Brigade was trying to expand its size was made public, and they made people recognize that they intended to widely announce their value to the world by eliminating the Church of Ruin in France and Britain and subjugating Beral for that purpose.

The whole world heated up, and it became an opportunity for hidden strong individuals who coveted honor more than wealth and glory to reveal themselves one after another.

“Isn’t it a shame?”

At Go Yu-jin’s question, I shook my head.

“The Sea Sun Brigade is not very attractive to me. In the end, its field of activity would be the entire world, not Korea.”

“So you are saying you would have joined if it had been limited to Korea?”

“Who knows? If it had been a group limited to Korea, the Sea Sun Brigade’s reputation would not have been the same as it is now, would it?”

Go Yu-jin laughed at my answer.

“In the end, it sounds like you are saying you won’t do it.”

“Correct. When what I have to protect is here, there is no reason to deliberately wander far away, is there?”

After hearing my words, Go Yu-jin leaned into my arms and spoke.

“I am not someone who needs to be protected. I am also a master-class Awakener.”

The current Go Yu-jin could be said to be in a state where she was looking a little higher even among the master-class.

However, in order to produce that degree of strength, various buffs had to be stacked. But since it had become known through the recent battle against Saturn that she could also receive the buff of the god of darkness, she had created an absurd phenomenon where a total of three buffs were stacked.

Since a “golem” was also a magic tool, we had speculated that perhaps it was possible for various buffs to overlap on it.

At that, I asked casually.

“I think it would be good for you to use the Keltium Golem as your main force. You are going to keep carrying it around, right?”

“My Sub-space cost gets so full that it feels kind of stifling.”

Go Yu-jin’s amount of mana was not particularly great.

For a 7th Circle black mage user, it could be said that her amount of mana had only just left the beginner level. In order to supplement that, it seemed she would have to wear several mana-capacity-increasing relics, so I opened my Sub-space and took out a few rings.

“I’m thinking of modifying these. Will you wear them?”

“They’re uncomfortable. If it’s something you give me, one meaningful thing is enough.”

Since I did not misunderstand what she meant, I nodded. Then I put the relics back into my Sub-space and spoke.

“It will take quite some time to find an item that can also hold meaning.”

Go Yu-jin covered her mouth and laughed. That sight was simply lovely.

Afterward, Go Yu-jin went to handle company work, and I went my own way because I had business at the Black Magic Academy.

The reason I was visiting the Black Magic Academy today was because it was the opening day with the first class.

They said they had accepted a little over three thousand black mages between the 1st and 4th Circles and formed a curriculum.

The professors in charge of each student consisted of 6th Circle mages and masters, and they had said that the masters put their heads together and created the educational assignments after discussing for a long time what kind of learning would be good and what magic and formula calculation methods should be taught.

Even so, it had been something achieved in a short period, but since it was important that they could at least try something, I was planning to observe and look over it together. In the middle of the first class being held, I went to the teaching room and blended in among the many observers.

‘Is Baek Da-gyeong in charge of the first class?’

There were four master-class professors.

Han Sang-gil, Gong Tae-jin, Tae Young-su, and Baek Da-gyeong were each in charge of destruction, summoning, support, and curses, and now a class related to curses was being held.

“The mistake many black mages most often make is setting a fixed standard for curse magic.”

Baek Da-gyeong stirred up mana and drew various formulas in the air. As I observed the forms of magic she handled, she began making several variations and proceeded to explain.

“It is already well known that the magic language and formulas we use differ from person to person. However, there is also a common denominator. Magic language is fixed, and the values of formulas are also uniform. There are only differences in how each person handles the magic language and formulas used in calculation.”

“If that is the case, does that not mean they are ultimately all different spells?”

“That is a good question. But there is one interesting point.”

At the question asking what that was, Baek Da-gyeong began creating similar magic circles.

She drew magic language in a way completely different from what she had done until now, and the formulas also differed from the previous development method.

When four kinds of magic circles were drawn in the air like that, everyone was surprised, because she was casting four spells simultaneously.

Even double casting was difficult for low-circle mages. So the sight of four spells being cast simultaneously before their eyes must have been no different from a feat of strength show.

“The characteristics of these four magic circles are all different. However, one thing is certain. They all cast the ‘Paralyze’ curse.”

Only then did the classroom stir, and since most of the observers were also black mages, their eyes shone as they began guessing what Baek Da-gyeong was saying.

At that moment, Baek Da-gyeong sent her gaze toward me and grinned.

“Today is the first day, but perhaps because it is also a meaningful day for all of you, a truly special guest has come.”

‘Don’t tell me she’s going to point me out?’

I made a sullen expression, and sure enough.

Baek Da-gyeong pointed at me and spoke.

“Master Geum Seong-chan is observing.”

Everyone’s gazes turned toward me at once, and as I calmly received them and raised my hand in greeting, Baek Da-gyeong spoke.

“Master Geum Seong-chan will explain well what my teaching means. Pay attention!”

Baek Da-gyeong’s action as she smiled brightly was absurd, but since everyone’s attention was focused on me, I had no choice but to open my mouth.

“Nice to meet you. I am Geum Seong-chan.”

Applause poured out.

The moment I lightly snapped my fingers, the “Silence” curse descended over the entire classroom. Looking at the people who were surprised by it, I alone opened my mouth.

“I do not intend to take questions, so please listen carefully. To explain simply what Professor Baek Da-gyeong was talking about, you can think of it by comparing it to the math you worked hard to learn during your school days. Depending on what formula you use to obtain the answer, there is a difference in speed. However, we are people who must not think only about ‘speed.’ There are many things to consider here.”

Then I talked about the parts I knew.

“Depending on the magic language, the amount of power it can contain is different. There are languages and formulas that are easy to calculate, while some contain many meanings and can be interpreted in various ways. Those four spells right now contain that exactly as it is. However, if we look only at the conclusion, they are magic circles that complete a single spell.”

I paused for a moment to catch my breath and released Silence. However, the inside of the lecture room remained quiet, so I continued speaking.

“There is no correct answer in magic, but countless applications are essential, and the magic language and formulas you must choose will differ depending on the situation and the environment. So what Professor Baek Da-gyeong wants is probably for you not to standardize your own method of magic. You will need to study many different things, but that will later help you climb to a higher realm.”

These were people standing at the starting point right now. There might be some among them who already knew this principle, but there was a great difference between knowing something and making it one’s own.

Baek Da-gyeong was someone who had made all those methods “her own” so that she could perform them at similar speeds.

Perhaps this too would be conveyed later through education. For now, it would be enough to convey only the intent within the range Baek Da-gyeong wanted.

“Applause!”

At that moment, along with Baek Da-gyeong’s shout, both students and observers began clapping. In response, I roughly raised my hand in acknowledgment, and when she said we should continue the class, she opened her mouth again.

“What Master Geum Seong-chan said can be called the most basic mindset. In the end, we are people who must prepare for countless variables.”

Baek Da-gyeong’s lecture that followed contained deep knowledge, and the lecture continued with many things that would be quite helpful even to the observers.

‘She paid quite a lot of attention to the qualitative aspects. Maybe it feels even more like that because it is the first lecture. It is annoying, but this is something I started, so helping this much was probably enough.’

I moved my feet and left the lecture room. Then, after passing through several lectures being held simultaneously, including Han Sang-gil’s, I could be satisfied with the overall flow and quality.