Chapter 2376 – 2376. Modern Magic War
The next day.
It was past lunchtime when I finally went to headquarters. Given my position, no one rushed me to come in.
When I entered my temporary office, the morning shift was already there, sitting at the desk and organizing documents. Last night, they looked like they were covered in blood, but now they seemed perfectly fine, without a single scar.
“You’ve arrived. After turning Korea upside down, you leisurely come to work in the afternoon… I envy your nonchalance and power.”
“If you’re so envious, you can become a commander too. But what’s with all this trash piled up on my desk?”
“It’s not trash, it’s transfer requests from other anti-demon unit members.”
“They want to come to the 8th Unit? Why all of a sudden?”
“You really don’t know, do you? The atmosphere within the Order Bureau is strange because of you, Commander.”
“So, why?”
“It’s because you killed the Sage of Lemegeton. Lemegeton is the worst harrier organization that has overthrown European countries. Half of the members in headquarters are afraid of Lemegeton’s retaliation, and the other half are in awe of you, Commander.”
“Is that why the transfer requests have increased?”
“It’s not just an internal matter within the Order Bureau. The news of the Sage’s death has spread through the media. The citizens are currently anxious. Turning Lemegeton into an enemy… it means Korea could be in danger. Some media outlets are openly criticizing you, Commander.”
“Even if I hadn’t killed that guy, Lemegeton was already targeting Korea. The drug factory is proof of that.”
“That’s true, but… the fear that the name Lemegeton brings is too great. Those citizens with assets are preparing to immigrate to the US or Japan. Even if you just go online, most of the talk is about Lemegeton.”
“As long as they don’t bother me, I don’t care.”
“Even if the media is being extreme, it won’t lead to any troublesome situations. The Order Bureau is a national institution, after all. Pressure will be put on the media. And you, Commander, haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Of course not.”
I did kill a few gangster punks who were picking a fight in the early morning and dumped them in the Pacific Ocean, but… it was a perfect crime with no bodies found, so there was no worry of being caught. Even if I were suspected of a crime, I could just deny it if they didn’t have any evidence.
I checked the documents.
‘The 8th Unit will be small and elite. Too many people are noisy and hard to manage.’
After checking the documents, I threw them all away. The members who submitted transfer requests were extras whose names and faces I had never seen. I would have accepted a transfer if they were at least supporting characters.
“You’re not going to accept any more members? It might be good to have even an administrative staff member.”
“I don’t accept just anyone.”
“Understood, Commander. The commander of the 3rd Unit has formally requested a duel with you.”
“The 3rd Unit commander hasn’t learned his lesson from the no-show last time?”
“Commander, you must accept this time. Since you killed the Sage, all eyes are on you. Everyone in the unit wants to see your skills. In other words, this isn’t just a simple duel, it’s a chance to prove the 8th Unit’s worth.”
“If I refuse, rumors will spread that the 8th Unit is cowardly. Fine. I’ll crush that brat from the 3rd Unit once and for all.”
It was unlikely, but if I lost the duel, I could lose my independent operation rights. Not by the director, but by the protests of other guys.
“It seems the 6th Unit is interested in your recovery potions.”
“The 6th Unit’s recovery magic should be better than recovery potions.”
“Due to their nature, the 6th Unit has a small number of members, and because of their high importance, most of them are in the rear. If the members carry recovery potions, the burden on the 6th Unit will be reduced, and the overall combat power of the members will increase.”
“Ah, I see. That’s not a bad plan.”
Recovery potions.
I could easily get them in the real world. I had enough money, and Ha Seung-hee, the third-generation chaebol of Sejin Group, who was involved in hunter-related businesses, was my connection.
‘Even if the top-tier ones that cost 1 billion won each are difficult, I can easily get the high-tier ones. I already have quite a few.’
Recovery potions were also easy to obtain in the [White Ring] and [God’s Atlantis] worlds. They were relatively common items in fictional worlds.
‘I should provide potions to the Order Bureau.’
Potions could be bought with money. It was a waste, but if the level of the Order Bureau increased with just one potion, it would ultimately make my job easier.
“I’ll provide the potions. But they’re not free. Make that clear.”
“Since the effects are certain, we can get several million won per potion.”
“Just several million won?”
“…Since the 6th Unit exists, the recovery potions won’t go up to tens of millions of won.”
“What about mana potions? Potions that restore magic power.”
“Those would go up to tens of millions of won.”
“You negotiate that.”
“Me? I’m not good at negotiating. You, Commander, should step in directly to get more benefits.”
“If I were going to get benefits, I wouldn’t have even thought about providing them to the Order Bureau. If I sold them to the rich, I could get at least 100 million won each. Don’t you think?”
“Understood. Then, instead of money, I’ll try to secure as many rights for the 8th Unit as possible. The 6th Unit will become our ally.”
It’s said that where people gather, politics arise.
The Order Bureau was no exception.
The 6th Unit was in charge of the recovery of injured members, so even though their numbers were small, their voice was strong.
‘If I maintain a good relationship with the 6th Unit, I can avoid being politically isolated.’
Basically, it meant less hassle.
“Commander, the headquarters unit has issued an order. They want us to investigate a suspicious abandoned building. There are rumors that harriers are hiding in this building.”
“……”
Although I had independent operation rights, I couldn’t just refuse orders from headquarters. The 8th Unit was still an anti-demon unit under the Order Bureau.
“If you don’t like it, I’ll refuse. We can use Lemegeton as an excuse. Or I can go alone. There’s no need for you to move personally for such a task.”
“No, I’ll go myself. You stay and train.”
If it was an abandoned building, it was probably the one from the original story. It was time to get new members.
• • •
The duel arena of the 3rd Anti-Demon Unit of the Order Bureau.
There, the director of the Order Bureau, Park Hyun-woong, along with the commanders of each unit, gathered to watch the duel arena. Of course, they weren’t the only ones watching the duel arena. The members of each unit were also watching from outside the barrier of the duel arena.
At the center of the duel arena, a man and a woman were facing each other.
Yoo Min-ha, the commander of the 3rd Unit, whose growth stopped at the age of 8 due to a magic surge.
Sung Yoo-jin, the commander of the 8th Unit, who recently killed the Sage of Lemegeton and became the center of attention.
This duel was also a place for Sung Yoo-jin to prove his strength. Even though he killed the Sage, few had actually witnessed his power. If Sung Yoo-jin failed to prove his strength as the commander of the 8th Unit, the dissatisfaction of the other members would surely erupt. Sung Yoo-jin had appeared too much like a parachute hire.
“1st Unit Commander, I didn’t expect you to come.”
Park Hyun-woong spoke to the man next to him. Hwang Seung-min, the commander of the 1st Unit, a man in his 30s wearing a white suit, smiled and said,
“Everyone except the 5th and 7th Units, who have missions, has come. It’s a chance to see the skills of the famous 8th Unit Commander, how could I miss it? I made time to come and watch.”
Other commanders also gathered. Park Hyun-woong couldn’t speak to all of them. The duel had already begun.
The start was the charge of the 3rd Unit Commander, Yoo Min-ha. She used time magic to increase her speed and approached in an instant.
However, Sung Yoo-jin teleported into the air and then waved his hand towards Yoo Min-ha. A large amount of flames rose from the floor of the training ground, burning fiercely.
Yoo Min-ha punched the ground, creating a shockwave that extinguished the flames.
“He can also use teleportation magic. Seeing it in person, it’s unbelievably amazing. Just how far does his magical talent go…”
Park Hyun-woong’s admiration was received by Lee Sook-ja, the commander of the 6th Unit. She, in her 60s this year, had a doctor’s coat draped over her shoulders and looked at Sung Yoo-jin with interest.
“I heard he makes potions with magic. He’s a very versatile friend. Especially the mana potions, they’re so rare that I’m at a loss as to how to handle them.”
“Let’s worry about that later.”
At the center of the duel arena, a close-quarters battle between the two magicians began. Surprisingly, Sung Yoo-jin didn’t avoid it and allowed close combat.
Park Hyun-woong judged that Sung Yoo-jin was arrogant. The 3rd Unit Commander, Yoo Min-ha, was the strongest in close combat within the Order Bureau.
Yoo Min-ha’s overwhelming magic power increased her physical abilities by several levels, and a time distortion field spread around her within a 1-meter radius, slowing down the enemy’s attacks and speeding up her own abilities.
However, his prediction was wrong. Sung Yoo-jin overwhelmed Yoo Min-ha in close combat. He didn’t use magic. He was simply overwhelming her with his martial arts skills.
“Haha. That’s my brother! I felt it when he fought the Sage, but… his combat sense is unbelievably high. It’s like he’s experienced thousands of battles.”
Park Son, the commander of the 4th Unit, who was treated as an oddball within the Order Bureau, laughed and praised him.
Wham!
Sung Yoo-jin’s fist landed on Yoo Min-ha’s torso. Yoo Min-ha coughed up blood and flew backward. She struggled to get up from the ground.
‘That wasn’t just a punch. He infused magic into it and shook her insides? It’s like the technique called Fajin in Chinese martial arts.’
As the distance widened, Sung Yoo-jin flicked his fingers and used magic.
Dozens of wind blades shredded Yoo Min-ha’s body. They were reinforced with magic, so they didn’t cut deep enough to show bone, but… small cuts gathered and blood dripped.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
Yoo Min-ha roared and expanded the time distortion field to the entire duel arena. But it was already too late. Her surroundings were already filled with water like a swimming pool.
Trapped in the water, she glared at Sung Yoo-jin, who was standing on the water, and reached out her hand.
“Stop. That’s enough. The winner is the 8th Unit Commander.”
The commander of the 2nd Unit said, pushing up his glasses with his middle finger, looking somewhat dissatisfied.
“Director, if the 3rd Unit Commander had used Ars Magna, the result would have been different.”
“Using Ars Magna means killing each other. And since we already forbade the two of them from using Ars Magna beforehand, it’s right to end it here.”
“…If that’s the case, then it’s right to end it here. I’ll be going now. In my personal opinion, the 8th Unit Commander is too cruel and dangerous. If the anti-demon unit collapses from within… the 8th Unit Commander will be at the center of it.”
The commander of the 2nd Unit left. Park Hyun-woong stroked his chin with a thoughtful expression.
