Episode 02
The Archmage Who Works Part-Time
“Become my disciple. I will raise you into the strongest mage in all humanity—no, in the entire universe.”
Every time Seongjun became aware of the fact that he couldn’t use magic, his master’s voice echoed in his ears like a hallucination.
He let out a deep sigh.
Even if it was the result of his own choice, the thought—“What would have happened if I had refused her offer back then…?”—never left his mind.
Seongjun pulled his Awakened Registration Card out of his pocket.
Engraved on it was the Taegeuk emblem symbolizing the Republic of Korea, along with the words:
「Republic of Korea Awakened No. 0001 – Ma Seongjun」
‘Number one, my ass.’
Officially, Seongjun was the first registered Awakened in Korea—and the only mage in all of humanity capable of using magic.
The problem was…
The level of magic he could use was laughable at best.
At most, he could block the smell of fermented soybean paste leaking out of a plastic bag, or produce a faint light like a dying flashlight.
The issue was the lack of mana.
Unlike the world his master came from, Earth had almost no mana—the essential resource required to use magic.
Because of that, not only Seongjun, but even his master—who had once been a supreme mage in her own world—had become nothing more than an ordinary human.
And the moment the Korean government realized that neither of them could use their abilities…
They revoked all promised support.
And threw both Seongjun and his master, Minah, out of the facility.
A master who had no understanding of modern society.
And a boy who was only seventeen at the time.
But Seongjun didn’t give up.
Even if the mana density of his world was too low to activate even the simplest spell, the theory of magic his master had taught him was endlessly fascinating.
That day, standing before the locked iron gates of the training facility, Minah looked completely lost.
Seongjun spoke first.
“We just got kicked out…”
“So it seems…”
“Do you have anywhere to go?”
“…No.”
“…Then come with me for now. Standing here won’t solve anything.”
The place Seongjun brought her to was an abandoned taekwondo gym in the countryside.
The only inheritance left to him by his late uncle.
Once filled with the lively shouts of children, it had long since become nothing more than a dusty, desolate ruin.
“…This place is?”
“My uncle left it to me. I tried selling it, but no one wanted it.”
Seongjun flicked the light switch a few times, then sighed.
“First, we’ll need to sort out electricity and water…”
And so began their strange life together.
While Seongjun worked part-time during the day to earn money, Minah organized magical theories.
At night, Seongjun studied what she had prepared, often staying up until dawn.
As he struggled to learn magic he couldn’t even use…
The world outside began to change at an unbelievable pace.
***
Pioneers
Seven superhumans who crossed dimensions to Earth—including Seongjun’s master, Shin Minah.
They had followed a massive monster that appeared in the middle of New York.
They called themselves beings from another world.
And they brought a warning:
A great disaster would soon befall Earth.
They claimed to be guardians who came to prevent humanity from suffering the same fate as their own species.
They would grant humans powers—creating “Awakened”—and prepare them for the monsters that would come through dimensional gates.
It sounded absurd.
But humanity had no choice but to believe them.
Because those very beings had already slain a colossal monster before their eyes.
Governments across the world moved immediately.
They named these visitors “Pioneers.”
And began forming systems to cultivate Awakened.
- “The White House announces a contract with weapons expert Sepasto Relim.”
- “China signs agreement with ‘Fist King’ Drenox.”
- “EU recruits three Pioneers for the UK, France, and Italy.”
- “Japan successfully contracts ‘Pandora of Thousand Forms.’”
Six of the seven Pioneers were taken.
The last one remained.
And after fierce competition…
South Korea secured the final Pioneer.
The Archmage, Minas Trias — known in Korea as Shin Minah.
A white-haired girl who looked like a child.
Under government protection, she arrived in Korea and immediately began selecting a disciple.
Her condition?
“I will only teach one student.”
Because magic was too complex.
Ordinary people couldn’t master it even in a lifetime.
The government tried to persuade her for four days.
They failed.
One week later, a nationwide test was conducted.
From kindergarteners to high school students.
One question:
“Find the path through the maze.”
The problem had no solution.
Every path led to a dead end.
Students began offering creative answers instead:
- Fold the paper so start and end meet
- Go outside the maze
- Bend the maze into a cone
Among hundreds of thousands of answers…
Minah picked just one.
“This child. Bring me this one.”
That was how Seongjun became her disciple.
***
Later—
Minah looked at the paper in Seongjun’s hand.
“You’re looking at it again. Regretting your answer?”
“No. I’m glad I got it right.”
His answer had been absurd.
He crossed out the original endpoint and drew a new one elsewhere.
“The answer is here.”
He ignored the problem entirely.
And created his own.
“I once asked you why you ignored the given answer,” Minah said.
“I said I didn’t know.”
“And I said the same to my master.”
She smiled faintly.
“Magic has no correct answer.”
“If 100 is needed to cast a spell…”
“The incantation holds 10.”
“The magic circuit holds 50.”
“The manual holds negative 20.”
“That ‘great mage’ was you, wasn’t it?”
“You really do know me well.”
She gently patted his head.
Despite her childlike appearance, Seongjun never once doubted that she had lived far longer than him.
He stood up.
“Heading to work again?”
“Gotta earn magic stones. And your fried chicken.”
“Good boy.”
“Then teach me a new spell.”
“You’ve already mastered all twelve schools—in theory.”
Dimension. Mystery. Elemental. Summoning. Necromancy. Illusion. Mind. Life. Transmutation. Protection. Fate. Foresight.
“If I teach you something new… it’ll have to be something entirely original.”
“…I thought you had something hidden.”
“Had. You already squeezed me dry. Now go.”
***
“Seongjun, you here? Got a job—bit unusual.”
The delivery office he worked at handled special requests.
Danger zones.
Impossible locations.
Including…
inside Gates.
Seongjun was the only courier authorized to enter them.
“How many orders?”
“One. But… extra conditions.”
The boss pulled out a giant Shiba Inu costume.
“…What is this?”
“Birthday party. Inside a Gate.”
Seongjun stared.
‘Are they insane…?’
The location?
A D-rank Gate.
Inside Lotte World.
“Can you do it?”
“It’s stabilized. Should be fine.”
“You can keep the magic stones.”
“Deal.”
He picked up the costume with a sigh.
“A birthday party… inside a Gate. Must be nice.”
Then he read the additional request.
“Sing a birthday song. +2 magic stones.”
His lips curled.
To others, it was nothing.
To him—
It was everything.
Seongjun started his motorcycle, humming a familiar tune.
On his way to pick up the first item:
The birthday cake.
