Chapter 44
Ritual Interference (1)
That saying about “the morning air being refreshing” is completely wrong—
at least for Shin Woo, who had gone to bed late and had to wake up early.
“Yaaawn~”
He stood at the bus stop near his house, yawning as he watched passersby and buses roll by.
For such an early hour, there were more people than he expected.
“Everyone’s living such busy lives.”
If it were the old him, he might’ve felt admiration—or even jealousy.
But now, maybe because he’d been working hard himself lately,
he just felt a strange sense of camaraderie instead.
“So, Tae-ri said she’d already left… I wonder when she’ll get here.”
They had agreed to drive to Chilbo Mountain in Tae-ri’s car.
It was a van—big enough to fit all four of them comfortably.
He’d been a bit surprised that someone so small drove such a large vehicle,
but thinking about all the hunter gear she carried around, it made sense.
‘Actually, the surprising part was that she even had a driver’s license.’
Then again, considering she literally rides around on a broomstick,
maybe she just likes having something to ride.
Hunter vehicles required special licenses too, so if she bothered to get one,
she must really enjoy it.
“Could she secretly be a speed freak, despite her shy personality?”
It wasn’t impossible—people often try to overcome their weaknesses, after all.
Plenty of shy types end up addicted to adrenaline.
Still, picturing Tae-ri grinning maniacally while flooring a van was… something else.
“Ha, I’m still half-asleep. I’m thinking nonsense.”
Stretching, Shin Woo decided to take a quick look at the Magic Tower while waiting.
Since Tae-ri was picking up Oh Hana first, it would be a while before they arrived.
The tower itself looked normal enough from the outside.
“Let’s see, the magicians…”
[Magician A is viewing records in the “Research Lab.”]
A was still going through research records.
She’d recently leveled up several spells,
but most of them were ice and water-attribute—completely incompatible with her—
so it was taking her a while to sort through everything.
‘Judging by the remaining grimoires, she’ll probably finish before we reach Chilbo Mountain.’
Next, Magician B, who had gone out to explore a gate…
[Magician B is idly waiting in the Magic Tower.]
She had returned and was now spending time playing with Saengsaeng,
their familiar. It wasn’t that Shin Woo was giving B a break
or playing favorites with his “employees”—
it was just that the timing had to line up.
He needed both A and B present in the tower before summoning the next magician, C.
‘Originally, I was going to do some hunting first,
collect magic stones to block the Orc Lord’s curse,
and then summon C…’
But no matter how strong the two high-ranking hunters were,
charging into an orc stronghold and expecting safety was wishful thinking.
They needed a solid backup plan—
so he decided to skip the hunt, store mana instead, and summon C immediately.
Nothing strengthened his fighting force faster than another magician.
‘If A finishes soon, everything will line up perfectly.’
Ah, impeccable time management! Truly, he was the definition of preparedness.
“Haha… so where the hell is she?”
Rubbing his ear as he muttered to himself, Shin Woo grumbled about Tae-ri’s lateness.
And just as he said it—
“Oh?”
A black van pulled up in front of him. Tae-ri leaned out of the window and jerked her chin.
“Get in.”
“…You almost looked cool, but those sunglasses ruin it. Why the shades all of a sudden?”
“F-For sun protection! Hurry up before the bus gets here!”
“The next one won’t come for another five minutes.”
“Ughhh!”
While Shin Woo was dead serious about their mission, Tae-ri clearly was in vacation mode.
Not that he could tell her the real reason they were going to Chilbo Mountain.
If she knew about the orcs performing a ritual there, she’d never let it go.
“Put your bag in the trunk—but don’t throw it. If it breaks, you’ll go bankrupt.”
“Eek, got it.”
Inside the trunk were the two hunters’ neatly stacked gear.
Even on “vacation,” hunters had to be ready to mobilize at any time.
Monsters didn’t care about human schedules, after all.
“Alright.”
After loading his luggage, Shin Woo got into the back seat,
where Oh Hana greeted him with a bright smile.
“Good morning, Shin Woo!”
“Morning. Huh, you’re wearing sunglasses too?”
“Tae-ri unni gave them to me! Cute, right?”
“Wow, you look like a celebrity.”
“…I am a celebrity, actually.”
“Che. I was going to tease you, but you ruined it.”
“What are you, an elementary schooler?”
“Hey, ‘Elementary Schooler Hunter’ doesn’t sound so bad. I’d be the youngest ever!”
“Ugh. Driver, please start the car before I say something I’ll regret.”
Ignoring Tae-ri’s deadly glare, Shin Woo sank into his seat as the van rolled on.
They soon reached the witches’ salon to pick up Aileen,
and thankfully, the traffic wasn’t bad.
“There she is.”
“Kyaa!”
Aileen stood in front of her shop dressed like she was going on a spring picnic,
with a large black cat plushie perched atop her suitcase.
Tae-ri’s eyes went wide.
“S-Seth!”
“Is that thing famous or something?”
“Of course! Seth is Aileen’s familiar. He can even talk! That’s really rare!”
“Ohhh.”
“I was just thinking last night how I missed seeing him!”
“Thanks, nyang.”
“Kyaa!”
Tae-ri politely accepted the suitcase Seth handed her,
looking utterly starstruck—
as if she had just met a celebrity’s pet.
“Wait,” Shin Woo said, frowning.
“Didn’t I sense something inside your shop yesterday? I swear it felt like someone was there.”
“Really? I didn’t feel anything.”
“Come on, you think I wouldn’t recognize my cute Seth’s aura? You must’ve imagined it!”
“…Maybe.”
Still, Shin Woo couldn’t shake the feeling something was off.
As he tried to recall the scene from yesterday—
Tap tap.
Seth brushed past him, lightly tapping his waist.
“Don’t do it, nyang.”
“Huh?”
“…Consider that a warning, nyang.”
Seth gave him a pitying look before hopping into the car.
Shin Woo was left utterly confused.
He considered checking Seth’s status window,
but quickly thought better of it.
‘Better not. If Aileen catches me peeking again like last time, I’m dead.’
Sure enough, Aileen’s sharp gaze met his just then.
He gave her an innocent smile,
but judging by Seth’s pointed stare,
it didn’t help his case much.
“Ugh…”
Seth looked at him like he was a man who had already crossed a bridge of no return.
The drive to Chilbo Mountain, located in Goesan County, Chungcheongbuk-do,
took several hours.
They decided to stop at a rest area for lunch.
Since the two high-ranking hunters were minor celebrities,
they stayed in the car while Shin Woo went to buy food.
“Come on, Tae-ri, you could’ve gone yourself!”
“N-No, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because… I’m the driver!”
“Wow.”
She said it so shamelessly he was left speechless.
The other two were chatting away, completely ignoring him.
With a sigh, he packed up the food himself—
butter potatoes, rice-cake skewers, sweet-potato fries, coffee, and more.
Thankfully, telekinesis made carrying it all easy,
and the surprised looks from bystanders weren’t so bad either.
“Alright, let’s eat.”
“Thanks for the food!”
The simple meal in the car had a cheerful, road-trip vibe to it.
Between bites, the conversation turned lively—
and eventually, Shin Woo asked what he’d been wondering.
“By the way, Aileen, what exactly brings you to Chilbo Mountain?
Ah, if it’s personal, you don’t have to tell me!”
“Fufu, it’s nothing too secret. When you mentioned the Crimson Ebony Wood,
I thought it might make an interesting potion ingredient. Inspiration struck, you see.”
“O-Oh? Could I ask what kind of potion?”
“That’s a secret~”
“Hehe, then I guess I can’t pry~”
Tae-ri looked ready to sell her soul for Aileen’s approval.
Shin Woo chuckled—until Aileen suddenly turned her gaze toward him.
Ah, here it comes.
“I’m actually more curious why you’re looking for the Crimson Ebony Wood, Shin Woo.”
“Ah, me too!”
“Same here.”
Three sets of curious eyes.
Luckily, he’d anticipated this question long ago.
He calmly cast Mental Stability and Cold Mind before answering.
“I asked an artisan I know to craft some gear for me,
and he said raw, unprocessed Crimson Ebony Wood is the best material.
Told me to bring some if I could find it.”
“Aaah!”
“Huh? You know the guy, Hana?”
“Yeah! He’s super talented—but kind of an eccentric hermit.
He’s super picky about materials too.”
“Well, the best craftsmen are always a little stubborn.
B-But of course, Aileen, you’re an exception!”
“Fufu. Hardly. I can be pretty stubborn myself.”
“Right, nyaaa~”
“Shh.”
Seth got his head roughly patted into the seat for his interruption.
‘That should cover it,’ Shin Woo thought.
Even Hana, who actually knew Cheol-jin, didn’t question it.
“You could’ve just said that from the start, you know?
I nearly had a stroke trying to figure out your motives.”
She grumbled lightly, but there was no suspicion in her tone.
Cheol-jin’s reputation as an eccentric craftsman had conveniently saved him.
‘He really did grind up a whole demon horn for one of his projects…’
He even gifted Shin Woo an item before he’d officially passed the test—
the Mask of Perception Interference,
which made it slightly harder for others to notice the wearer.
Basically, a simple stealth item.
‘At the time I wondered why he gave it to me,
but he said I’d find a use for it someday.’
So Shin Woo had packed it for this trip, just in case.
‘Better safe than sorry.’
Though, hopefully, he wouldn’t need it.
Time passed—
“Ugh, we’re finally here!”
They stretched as they arrived at the base of Chilbo Mountain.
And at that exact moment, Shin Woo felt it.
‘Mana’s full.’
He also received the message:
[Magician A has finished viewing “Research Lab” records.]
Everything was ready.
Time to summon a new magician.
“Summoning Chamber Lv.1” – Summons a Low-Rank Magician
Required Mana: 300/300
Required Personnel: Tower Master 1/1, Two or more Low-Rank Magicians 2/2*
Aileen was busy choosing a hiking trail with the others—
only Seth remained nearby, yawning.
Perfect.
No one would notice.
Taking a deep breath, Shin Woo placed his mana-infused palm on the summoning circle.
A and B added their own mana, and—
Flash!
The circle spun wildly, bursting with light.
Having learned from experience, Shin Woo closed his eyes to avoid the glare.
When the light faded, he opened them to see the new arrival.
And when he caught sight of her hair, his eyes widened.
‘Brown!’
Or more precisely, a rich golden-brown that shimmered like autumn sunlight.
Her long hair flowed down her back,
and when she smiled faintly behind her wide sleeves,
her fox-like eyes and amber gaze were mesmerizing.
Magician C
Rank: Low
Spells: “Lightning Lv.1”, “Stone Shield Lv.1”
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Lightning and Earth.
A dual-attribute magician had just appeared in his tower.
