Chapter 15

The Returning Archmage Is a Max-Level Player Chapter 15

The commotion came to an end.

There were no problems regarding the handover of the villains or the handling of Kang Cheolmin, thanks to the testimony of Jung Taeho’s party.

Their testimony matched the circumstances at the scene exactly, and the Association branch managing the border region also processed the incident quickly.

Everything was wrapped up neatly.

However, Kim Dohyun’s physical condition was not completely fine.

There were aftereffects from the fight.

‘Opening my Domain in my current state really was too much.’

Since he had forcibly opened Arcanum Cosmos using the mana stored in Mana Cores, aftereffects remained.

Of course, they were not severe.

He was still in good enough condition to handle ordinary hunting.

But if he pushed himself again here, he could suffer minor internal injuries.

‘If I rest for about two days, I should recover completely.’

He had originally planned to spend that time farming in the hunting ground.

But there was no longer any reason to continue wandering around the hunting ground.

“All the bounties placed on Kang Cheolmin and the other villains should have been deposited. Would you like to check?”

No sooner had the Association branch employee finished speaking than a deposit notification appeared on his registration ID.

26 million won.

Of that, 24 million won had been the bounty on Kang Cheolmin. Considering his three Awakened murders and his standing as a D+ rank, the amount was understandable.

The remaining two million won was the bounty on the villains who followed Kang Cheolmin. Five hundred thousand won each. It was the standard amount placed on low-rank underlings.

He had already earned an enormous amount of money, but the bounty was not the only thing he gained from eliminating the villains this time.

The equipment the villains had possessed.

In the case of items without an owner, ownership was transferred to him entirely.

It could be considered a benefit awarded for contributing to public safety when an Awakened subdued villains.

Thanks to that, the scale of the rewards he could receive increased significantly.

The Rusted Otherworldly Sword was worth three million won.

The Dagger of the Fugitive was a magic item with the excellent ability Blink enchanted into it, but it had only two uses remaining.

Despite the heavy depreciation, the Association branch bought it for six million won.

In fact, the total amount he received this time came to 35 million won.

It was the amount he had originally intended to earn through farming.

He had earned in a single day what he might not have made even after roaming the hunting ground for three days.

It was an enormous achievement, but that was not the end of it.

‘I never thought he’d be carrying something like this.’

[Belt of Transfer]

Grade: Rare / Usage Restriction: Mana 8 or higher.

Transfers the effect of a cast spell to the surroundings.

Its power decreases with each transfer.

Only spells below a certain rank can be transferred.

Perhaps Kang Cheolmin’s claim that he had killed a D+ rank mage had not been mere boasting, because he had left behind another magic item in addition to the dagger.

If it had been any other kind of magic item, Kim Dohyun would have sold it immediately.

But the Belt of Transfer was different.

It was directly related to magic, and its efficiency was fairly good as well.

There was no reason to sell it immediately.

‘The more tools I have, the more options I have.’

For a mage, options directly translated into the chance of victory.

In that sense, the ‘Belt of Transfer’ could be called the best item among the gains he had made this time.

‘Nice.’

He had secured funds to purchase Mana Cores and even obtained a new magic item.

The remaining task was clear.

Raise his Mana stat to 10 and complete the second ring.

Then enter Babel’s 2nd Floor.

‘Before that.’

The faces of his family flashed through Kim Dohyun’s mind.

His mother getting up before dawn to head to the restaurant.

His father never once showing how exhausted he was.

Haeun, unable to receive proper support.

‘Even after setting aside the cost of buying Mana Cores, I still have money left over.’

It was enough to prepare gifts for his family.

Of course, he had no intention of overspending.

He planned to buy things that were both necessary and that they would like.

‘Come to think of it... it really has been a long time since I gave them gifts like this.’

As far as he remembered, the last time had been Parents’ Day when he was a student.

Regardless of price or money, a gift carried one’s feelings, yet he had not even thought about giving one.

‘I really was clumsy.’

He felt embarrassed by his past self.

But all of that was in the past, and now he was different.

‘Like this. One thing at a time. I’ll change things.’

While planning for the future and imagining a happy life with his family, Kim Dohyun continued walking when Jung Taeho, who had been waiting nearby, carefully approached.

“Did you receive the settlement?”

“Thanks to you, it was resolved easily. Thank you.”

“We’re the ones who should be thanking you. You saved our lives.”

Seo Minjun, who had followed behind, added.

“We’d like to give you at least something in return. We don’t have much, but are you really not going to accept anything?”

“I’m really fine.”

It was not an empty courtesy.

Jung Taeho’s party had not even mentioned their own share of the reward money.

Instead, they were trying to repay him now, even if it meant paying out of their own pockets.

He could fully understand their desire to help their benefactor.

That was precisely why he had to refuse.

“Think of it as repaying me and use the money to get the equipment you need. Growing stronger even one day sooner is the way you can repay me.”

They had only spent one day together, so he could not know them exactly.

But at the very least, they were not evil people.

He could tell they were not the kind of Awakened who would turn a blind eye to injustice happening in front of them.

‘You can’t cover the sky with one hand.’

Public safety in South Korea was not particularly good right now.

But if Awakened like Jung Taeho’s party continued to grow stronger.

They would make no small contribution to improving the unstable public safety.

‘Evil is obvious and boring, but goodwill is infinitely diverse.’

And when such goodwill accumulated, it became a force capable of changing the world.

That was the conviction he had held as an Archmage and the path he had walked as a hero.

“I wouldn’t exactly call it a replacement, but if you ever encounter people in danger, please don’t turn away from them.”

At Kim Dohyun’s words, a strange light entered the eyes of Jung Taeho’s party.

“We’ll remember that.”

“We’ll definitely carry on your intentions, Dohyun.”

“I understand what you mean too. I’ll make sure to keep that promise.”

As though they had agreed beforehand, all three nodded at once and reaffirmed their resolve.

Their gazes were filled with gratitude and respect.

It was somewhat burdensome.

Still, it did not feel bad.

If anything, it felt good, and a faint smile was spreading across Kim Dohyun’s lips.

“You’ve all worked hard. If we meet again someday, let’s greet each other with a smile.”

“Yes! We’ll definitely meet again!”

Leaving Jung Taeho’s party behind as they bowed deeply, Kim Dohyun walked away.

It had been a brief connection, but it was not a bad encounter.

____________

Late at night.

It had long since passed the hour when civil servants normally went home, but the lights in the Strategic Analysis Division were still on.

They had been working overtime for several days straight.

Some might have called it excessive obsession, but it absolutely was not.

Because after persistent effort, they had achieved results of their own.

“Is this true?”

At Choi Doyoung’s question, the man sitting across from him nodded.

“It was reported this afternoon, but I personally finished cross-checking it as well.”

Yoo Minseok.

A man already designated to become the next team leader of the Strategic Analysis Division.

That also meant the information he verified could be trusted.

Which was why Choi Doyoung’s brow furrowed even deeper.

“The Fugitive. Kang Cheolmin.”

Three Awakened murders. Two counts of assault and abduction. A villain with more than five serious crimes to his name.

He had recently become one of their greatest headaches, to the point that he had been mentioned several times even in executive meetings.

More precisely, because of his troublesome Blink ability, the Operations Support Team had been preparing to personally move out and subjugate him.

And that villain had been subdued.

Although they had been unable to recover the corpse, clear testimony and evidence remained.

“The Dagger of the Fugitive.”

The magic item that had caused Kang Cheolmin to be called the ‘Fugitive.’

It was a rare item enchanted with Blink, still had two uses remaining, and possessed an excellent ability.

Unless he was dead, there was no way Kang Cheolmin would willingly hand over that dagger.

“On top of that, it has also been confirmed that the Awakened in question possesses the Belt of Transfer that Kang Cheolmin had looted.”

Every piece of information pointed toward Kang Cheolmin’s death.

Choi Doyoung thought the same.

But it was not easy to accept.

“A party with a maximum rank of F+?”

That was a rank that would have difficulty handling even the Iron Claw villains who had operated alongside Kang Cheolmin, much less Kang Cheolmin himself.

Then only one possibility remained.

Among those who had been active in the border region this time, there was someone whose strength fell outside the norm.

Choi Doyoung’s gaze fixed on one point in the report.

“Kim Dohyun.”

He was already someone the Strategic Analysis Division had registered and been monitoring as a candidate for the anonymous ranker.

But from the moment Kang Cheolmin was eliminated, their perspective inevitably had to change.

“This is just my personal opinion, but dismissing it as mere luck feels somewhat excessive...”

Yoo Minseok started to speak, then stopped, but Choi Doyoung nodded in agreement.

Anyone would have no choice but to think the same way.

“That’s right. It’s more reasonable to assume he’s intentionally hiding his identity.”

The anonymous Awakened had currently cleared only the 1st Floor.

Even giving them the most favorable estimate, they would be around D-rank.

That was not enough to fight Kang Cheolmin and win.

The direction of their reasoning had no choice but to change.

“Which means the information we investigated was wrong.”

According to the records, Kim Dohyun had been in a coma, but they had not personally verified it.

It meant he had deliberately manipulated the records.

There had to be information he needed to hide, and there was only one kind of person who would do something like that.

“Villain.”

Choi Doyoung’s eyes lowered coldly.

“It seems likely that this clash with Kang Cheolmin itself was actually a territorial dispute between villains.”

It was flawless reasoning.

“Let’s transfer the Kim Dohyun matter from our Strategic Analysis Division to the Operations Support Team.”

Choi Doyoung was about to close the report, but Yoo Minseok hurriedly continued.

“You’re right, but that isn’t what I was trying to say.”

“Then what?”

“I was going to say that there is also a possibility that the strength of the man named Kim Dohyun, whom we suspect of being the anonymous Awakened, is simply outside our existing standards altogether.”

“What?”

“He took first place in both the tutorial and the 1st Floor. There has never been an Awakened with records like that before. I don’t think we should classify him within ordinary standards.”

Choi Doyoung’s expression twisted in discomfort.

“Minseok. It’s good that you’re following my habit of keeping possibilities open, but this is too much.”

“Could you give me a chance?”

“What exactly do you want?”

“I’ll go meet him personally.”

“Do you really have to?”

“If I meet him face-to-face, I may be able to secure evidence on the spot that he’s a villain. Depending on the situation, I might even be able to arrest him there.”

It was still a poor judgment in terms of cost and benefit.

In the first place, ‘arrest’ was not the work of the Strategic Analysis Division.

That was why, if it had been anyone else, Choi Doyoung would have scolded them and sent them back.

But this was Yoo Minseok.

The man designated to become the next head of the Strategic Analysis Division.

A man who had only ever walked a road of success until now.

‘Experiencing failure once might be useful too.’

To lead a team, one needed a variety of experiences, and a good opportunity had arrived at just the right time.

“All right. Do whatever you want.”

“Thank you.”

The conversation had ended, but Yoo Minseok did not get up from his seat.

Seeing that, Choi Doyoung gave him a sideways glance.

“Do you have something else?”

“I’m asking just in case...”

Yoo Minseok cautiously continued.

“What if. Just what if Kim Dohyun really is the anonymous Awakened and not a villain. And what if his strength truly exceeds our expectations? What should I do then?”

Choi Doyoung’s eyes narrowed.

A brief silence passed.

Eventually, the answer that left Choi Doyoung’s mouth was simple.

“Beg. On your knees.”

“Me?”

“No. That alone wouldn’t be enough.”

He was someone who could literally change the world.

There was no way they could secure a person like that with the courtesy of a single employee.

“Me. No, every executive, including the Association President, would have to step forward.”

There would certainly be that much value in it.

But that was still only a hypothesis.

Choi Doyoung’s expression hardened.

“Enough nonsense. Go do your work.”

An order to leave.

Yoo Minseok quietly bowed his head and rose from his seat.

“Yes. I’ll be going now.”

The door closed.

Left alone, Choi Doyoung leaned back against his chair and stared at the ceiling.

‘Kim Dohyun.’

Choi Doyoung’s expression hardened as he mulled over the name for a moment.

“No way...”

What if. Truly, what if.

If the anonymous Awakened was Kim Dohyun.

If he was not a villain, but a genuinely extraordinary powerhouse.

If the person who had swept first place in both the tutorial and the 1st Floor was an Awakened affiliated with South Korea.

The political battle over the Awakened support budget would become meaningless.

Both the opposition and the ruling party alike would line up.

The international situation would change as well.

Japan, which always looked down on Korea, would lower its head.

China’s attitude, which used the quota as leverage to apply pressure, would have no choice but to change.

Perhaps even the United States might demand that Korea share him under the pretext of alliance.

It was an era in which the existence of a single Awakened could change the status of a nation.

To put it crudely, Japan would be shocked, China would be thrown into an uproar, and the United States would be left restless.

That was the kind of country Korea would become.

Of course, as he kept reminding himself, it was merely a hypothesis.

“I think working overtime nonstop has scrambled my brain. I’m sitting here having ridiculous fantasies.”

Choi Doyoung lightly erased the hypotheses that had surfaced in his mind by shaking his head and focused on his original work.

____________

It was a rare, honey-sweet rest.

Since recuperation was the main purpose, it was not much different from his ordinary daily life.

All he did was serve dinner to his family and leisurely talk with them.

But even that alone made him tremendously happy.

He had even prepared modest gifts for his family with money he had earned himself.

A handheld massager for his father, comfortable work shoes for his mother.

And for his younger sister, new skates and a new bag, things that had always bothered him.

Everyone had truly loved them.

Of course, in the case of his younger sister, Kim Haeun, she had said with an expressionless face, “The old ones were fine.”

But he saw her take out the new skates several times to inspect them.

Still, he could not be satisfied with only this.

Rather, this was only the beginning.

‘Shall I begin?’

After his family left for work, he was alone in the living room.

Fifty-four Mana Cores were neatly arranged on the floor.

He had purchased them in advance when he stopped by the Association branch to collect the bounty.

17.82 million won including tax.

Previously, that would have nearly emptied his balance.

But this time was different.

He still had roughly ten million won in spare funds remaining.

He could finally breathe a little easier.

But it was not enough to be satisfied.

He did not even know the exact amount of the family’s debt, and it was insufficient to repay his family for everything they had endured.

In the end, his current breathing room was only a ‘starting point.’

‘I need to earn more.’

No. More precisely, he needed to grow stronger faster.

Money was ultimately a byproduct of strength. If he became stronger, it would naturally follow.

“Phew...”

With his eyes closed, Kim Dohyun steadied his breathing as mana extended from his fingertips.

The Mana Cores on the floor all began to glow at once.

One, two.

The mana condensed within the crystals loosened and was drawn into Kim Dohyun’s body.

The orbit around his heart surged.

The Mana Cores that lost their light crumbled like dust, and the remaining Mana Cores lost their light one after another.

Until the final one.

Crackle-

All fifty-four Mana Cores had been absorbed.

At the same time, the familiar notification rang in his ears.

Ding-!!

-Mana absorption from an external mana source has been confirmed.

-The special stat ‘Mana’ increases by (0.9).

‘10.’

Target achieved.

A smile spread across Kim Dohyun’s lips as he finished preparing to engrave the second ring onto the orbit of Arcanum Cosmos.