The lackey seed clearly displeased with the idea of Woo Chaerin joining us. His glare at was anything but friendly.
"...Fine. For Lady Jegal’s sake, I’ll overlook this."
Overlook? Who asked for his permission? Who Chaerin decides to sit with is her choice, not his.
"Thank you, Huangbo Sohyeop. Now, if you’ll excuse , I have matters to discuss with my friends."
"...Hmph."
With that, Woo Chaerin’s soft dismissal sent Huangbo grumbling back to his group, though he kept throwing dirty looks as he left. I returned the favor with an unimpressed glare of my own. Eyeing soone who’s clearly spoken for—if Yuna, the goddess of pure devotion, had seen this, that guy’s head would’ve been taphorically shaved clean off.
As soon as he was out of earshot, both Oh Hye-in and I spoke at the sa ti.
"Chaerin-unni, should I teach him a lesson if he keeps bothering you?"
"Doctor, want to deal with him if he keeps trying to approach?"
"...It’s fine, Hye-in. And it’s fine, uh... Creator? Or Administrator? Honestly, I’m not sure what to call you."
"‘Mima’ works. Or whatever else you feel like calling ."
“Mima,” short for "Mad Wizard," had beco more of a na than just a title.
"So, what’s going on here?"
"I don’t fully understand either. I was working as usual when a blinding light consud everything, and then I fell into this world. I assu it’s tied to sothing happening to the Goddess... or the Sub-Administrator."
"And you don’t have any backstory or objective ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) info about this world?"
"Nope. I wish I did. I’ve been struggling to adapt here since I’m unfamiliar with these Chinese-style settings. My surna even got changed to Jegal suddenly."
It seed Woo Chaerin didn’t know the first thing about martial arts stories either.
Her presence made things even more complicated. Not two, but three sessions seed to have been mashed together. And, like Oh Hye-in, Chaerin had no information about the floor’s objective.
Was Abraham’s case a one-off?
Probably not. Chaerin had been spawned as a mber of the Jegal family. If she had been assigned a role as an NPC, she should have received the necessary information to fulfill that role.
Alternatively, it could be that the backstory or objective wasn’t missing but simply inaccessible. That was worth investigating.
"Doctor, give your hand. I need to read your inner data."
"...?"
After a mont’s hesitation, Woo Chaerin rolled up her sleeve and extended her smooth arm. She seed sowhat awkward, as we didn’t have much of a rapport compared to her familiarity with Oh Hye-in, who had spent considerable ti chatting with her in Stellar Explosion.
Next to , Hye-in jabbed my shoulder and asked, "Didn’t you say you don’t have magic, Boss?"
"That’s where you co in. From now on, you’re my magic battery."
"Okay."
Hye-in placed her hand on the back of my neck, channeling Pure Energy into . Nice—finally so magic. Carefully, I converted and manipulated the magic to start reading Chaerin’s data.
Chaerin’s initial hesitation faded quickly, replaced by the curious gaze of a researcher. Her eyes glead as she observed my control.
"...How are you guiding magic so precisely without any devices? It’s almost as if it’s asured down to the milliter. And right now, are you breaking down information with magic—?"
"I’ll explain later. Quiet now."
As I delved deeper, I bypassed her core data and uncovered the supplental information attached later. She had been assigned the identity of Jegal Chaerin, the third daughter of the Jegal family, known for her outstanding intellect and kind heart.
I also found minor details about other characters within the Orthodox faction. Many of them carried suspicious tags.
And then—
[ACCESS FORBIDDEN UNTIL ACT 2 BEGINS].
"...?"
I hit a wall. The data was as solid as concrete, completely encrypted, and repelled my magic. The warning ssage was ominous. Act 2?
Was this like Stellar Explosion, with distinct narrative acts?
I prepared to dig deeper, trying to break through the encryption to access the restricted information, when—
THUD! THUD!
The enraged Huangbo lackey stomped toward us, unsheathing his broadsword. His fury was like that of a wild boar on fire, a savage and reckless charge.
"You scoundrel! How dare you lay your filthy hands on Lady Jegal’s wrist?! Remove them imdiately!"
"Oh, for heaven’s sake."
Chaerin’s expression sharpened, and she warned him sternly, "Huangbo Sohyeop, stay out of this. This is a matter between trusted friends."
"Impossible! A virtuous lady like Lady Jegal would never allow another man to touch her so casually. You must have bewitched her with so vile sorcery!"
"...Huangbo Sohyeop, stop being irrational. I am perfectly rational right now. If anyone should be checked for enchantnt, it’s you—"
"Fear not, my lady! I shall vanquish this villain and free you from his spell!"
This was the stuff of cliché illustrations. I sighed, rising from my seat to look Huangbo up and down, as well as the crowd watching this unfold. Huangbo wasn’t the real issue here.
The Orthodox faction mbers were just standing by, watching. None of them intervened to stop Huangbo from bullying others. This felt like the archetype of a “corrupt and rotten Orthodox faction.”
That raised doubts about whether the Orthodox faction was truly the protagonist’s side. Perhaps I should seek out soone from the Demonic faction instead...
Clearing my throat, I raised my voice.
"Listen here, Huangbo Sohyeop. I am an engineer well-versed in formations and chanisms, and I’ve been close friends with Lady Jegal since childhood. I was rely demonstrating a superior technique to her. What exactly is the problem here?"
"Hah! Why should I believe anything you say?"
"And what evidence do you have to support your judgnt? If Lady Jegal were truly under a spell, shouldn’t you be seeking help from a Taoist master instead of making baseless accusations? There’s even a Taoist from the Wudang Sect sitting right over there."
"A long tongue like yours only confirms your villainy!"
This son of a—
My patience was wearing thin. Even if this situation was a trope, dealing with soone who wouldn’t listen was frustrating.
Seeing that none of the observing Orthodox mbers intended to step in, I decided to up the ante.
"You’re acting like a spoiled child. Very well, draw your sword, Huangbo Sohyeop. I’ll teach you so humility in one move."
"Ha! So you reveal your true nature at last! Lady Jegal, watch closely as I punish this fiend with my Thunderbolt Blade Technique! Prepare yourself for the first form—"
BANG!
I drew my pistol and fired at his thigh, the shot ringing out like thunder. The force sent Huangbo tumbling to the ground, clutching his leg in agony.
"AAARGH!"
"This is my first form: Humility. I still have 29 bullets left in the chamber, aning I can teach you proper manners all the way up to the 30th form."
"Magic! It’s sorcery! Sorcery!"
"Indeed, a bullet traveling at 1,200 feet per second has a certain magical resonance, doesn’t it? Judging by your mouth, you might need the second form: Obedience."
Even the most stubborn fool would understand after six rounds of lead therapy.
As I reloaded and aid at him again, the murmurs in the room grew louder. The Orthodox faction mbers hesitated, unsure whether to intervene. Beside , Hye-in whispered worriedly.
"Boss, are you sure this is okay? There’s a lot of them. I can’t take on that many, and running away is gonna be as tough as eating a level-3 spicy hotpot."
"Relax. I’m drawing soone out."
"Who?"
The leader.
Analyzing the information I’d extracted from Chaerin, I realized sothing crucial: this story was a reflection of Yuna’s past, and it revolved around twelve sacrificial children.
In the previous floor, they were lifeless puppets. Here, they were more vibrant. Both the leader of the Orthodox faction and Huangbo were tagged as part of those sacrificial children.
These characters would inevitably draw into the main story. I had to provoke them to make that happen—staying passive as a powerless human wouldn’t get anywhere.
Sure enough, my bait worked.
A man with a virtuous and commanding presence stepped forward, parting the crowd to shield Huangbo.
"I don’t know which sect you hail from, but I offer my apologies."
Beside , Chaerin whispered, "That’s the faction leader, Administrator."
The man, apparently hearing her, continued, "Yes, I am Dokgo Mo, leader of the Orthodox Alliance. Your skill with hidden weapons has already determined the outco here. However, I ask for your forgiveness in the na of the Orthodox faction’s dignity."
"Fine. Take him away. I have no intention of causing more trouble for Lady Jegal or her faction."
"Thank you for your generosity. Remove him."
Two warriors dragged Huangbo away. Once he was out of sight, the leader turned to and offered a proposition.
"Lady Jegal’s family is a pillar of the Orthodox Alliance. If you’re close to her, then we’re allies. Please, join us for the exploration of Cheonma Chong. I’ll ensure you’re generously compensated."
Finally, the main quest was revealed:
"Deep within Cheonma Chong lies the ‘Golden Key,’ a treasure capable of saving lives. We must secure it at all costs."
_____________________
Both the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions were after Cheonma Chong. Specifically, the "Golden Key" rumored to be hidden deep within it. While no one could precisely explain its power, there was plenty of vague talk about erasing pain and salvation.
Joining the main storyline was a step forward, but now I needed combat power. Remaining in a state where I couldn’t use magic only heightened the risk and difficulty.
Fortunately, we had the perfect specialists gathered here—those capable of bypassing magic restrictions through technology.
"So, Boss, you want to use my transformation device to make a magic stone...?"
"And I’m supposed to create a suit with a built-in magic engine?"
"Exactly. Don’t worry about operational difficulty or calculations—I’ll handle all that. Just focus on efficiency."
And so, we cobbled together the Prototype Suit Mk. 1. We etched magic circuits into the lining of my robe and mounted a magic engine on the back.
Vrrrmmmm—
With the engine humming, magic coursed through my body. While it was too coarse for using spells, it easily enhanced my physical capabilities. With this, I could take down most adversaries.
Now, there was just one issue left.
Chaerin could gather information on the Orthodox faction, and Hye-in had access to Unorthodox sources. However, we knew next to nothing about the Demonic faction—their purpose, their goals, or even their nature. It was crucial to obtain information about them.
We purchased intelligence from organizations like Hao Clan, but all we got were useless tidbits about how they "suddenly appeared." Nothing substantial.
Thus, I decided to take a risk and establish direct contact. They seed suspicious, but I couldn’t jump to conclusions, especially since one of our NPCs might be aligned with them.
"Hye-in, what did the Unorthodox informant say?"
"They ntioned soone called Sura Blood Ghost Rakshasa Baekcheonma is staying on the top floor of this inn. Apparently, they're a high-ranking figure in the Demonic faction."
"Wait... so this Rakshasa Baekcheonma and Sura Blood Ghost are all staying here together?"
"No, it’s one person. Sura Blood Ghost Rakshasa Baekcheonma is their full title."
"A title with nine syllables?"
The ridiculous string of nas suggested soone with a flair for the dramatic. If that were the case, flattery and stroking their ego might be an effective way to extract information.
I paid the inn staff a hefty sum and sent a fan letter along with a formal request for an audience with this Sura-whatever-their-na-was. If that failed, I was prepared to sneak in, but to my surprise, they readily agreed to et.
Reaching the top floor, I stood before a sliding paper door. From beyond it, a sultry woman’s voice drifted out.
"So, you wished to et ... How amusing. From what I hear, you are acquainted with the Jegal family’s daughter and travel with the Unorthodox’s Strange Hero. You care little for the divide between Orthodox and Unorthodox factions, and now, you seem interested in the Demonic faction as well?"
"Yes, that’s correct."
"I, too, find you intriguing. Open the door. I shall graciously allow you to gaze upon the visage of Sura Blood Ghost Rakshasa Baekcheonma."
Her tone was dripping with arrogance.
Still, it was preferable to dealing with soone like Huangbo. That guy needed bullets to communicate, while this one might just need so entertaining flattery.
Licking my lips in preparation for so elaborate speech, I readied myself as the sliding door creaked open, revealing...
A woman lounging in a nearly indecent outfit, reclining lazily while smoking from a long pipe. She looked up, her gaze eting mine—and then she froze, as if she’d turned to stone.
I, too, froze in the middle of my ingratiating posture, hands half-clasped in a groveling gesture.
"...Dad?"
"...Aisha?"
It was my daughter—the one I’d left behind in the Tower of Magic—who had sohow climbed the Tower faster than .
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