Chapter 7

The Returning Archmage Is a Max-Level Player Chapter 7

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Having decided on a direction, Kim Dohyun moved without rest.

The first place he stopped by was the Awakened Association located in the heart of Yeouido.

The reason was simple.

Awakened registration. And selling Mana Cores.

Thanks to having researched everything thoroughly beforehand, the entire process from registration to selling went smoothly.

Even afterward, Kim Dohyun did not stop moving.

With the 300,000 won from selling one Mana Core, he bought the daily necessities he needed and even shopped for ingredients for dinner.

Discharge. Clearing the tutorial. Visiting the Awakened Association. Even grocery shopping.

It had truly been a day without a moment’s rest, but his work was not yet finished.

After returning home, Kim Dohyun neatly lined up nine Mana Cores on the floor.

“Phew...”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

His consciousness sank into his body.

The orbit revolving around his heart. The System’s Circle revolving within it.

He drew the orbit’s gravitational force up to his fingertips.

Whiiiing-

Fine cracks began to spread across the Mana Core resting on his palm.

The crystalline structure began to unravel.

The mana condensed within loosened like threads and seeped into Kim Dohyun’s body through his fingertips.

The orbit accepted that mana.

Slowly. Without letting even a single trace escape.

When the first Mana Core had become a completely empty shell, Kim Dohyun did not stop and reached for the second.

The third. The fourth.

Each time a Mana Core lost its color, the mana flowing along the orbit grew another layer thicker.

It was an exhausting and difficult task.

Because he had to unravel the crystalline structure while simultaneously maintaining the orbit’s gravitational force.

But the results were undeniable.

It was the moment the ninth Mana Core became an empty shell.

Ding-!

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

-The special stat ‘Mana’ increases by (0.3).

0.1 per three Mana Cores.

The efficiency was incredible.

Of course, this efficiency would not continue forever.

The higher the Circle, the amount of mana required increased exponentially.

It was the same principle as one’s steps growing heavier the closer one came to the summit of a mountain.

But it did not matter.

‘I’ve already walked this path before.’

The first time was difficult. From the second time onward, it became easier.

There was nothing to worry about.

Moreover, he had already reached what could be considered his first objective.

Ding-!!

-The combined value of the stat ‘Mana’ has met the required threshold.

-As the qualification requirements have been met, the Babel System grants user ‘Kim Dohyun’ a 2nd Circle.

Thump! Thump!

His heart beat heavily.

At the same time, a deep vibration spread from the center of his chest.

It was on a completely different level from the 1st Circle.

Wooooooong-!!

Mana from the atmosphere surged toward him like waves.

The amount of mana pouring in through his mouth and nose. Through every pore across his body, was incomparable to when he had formed the 1st Circle.

Around his heart. Beside the existing Circle, new mana began taking shape.

‘...It really is astonishing.’

He had felt it with the 1st Circle as well, but the level of completion was high.

Density, structure, efficiency. None of them were lacking.

To grant a Circle of this quality without any conditions.

He could sense neither goodwill nor malice.

It was literally a ‘System.’

Something that executed because it had been programmed to. Nothing more and nothing less.

‘It’s worth researching.’

The curiosity that could be called the foundation of a mage stirred within him.

Why did it exist? What objective did it have?

Once he regained his strength, it was certainly something worth investigating.

‘If it happens to be hiding some impure purpose.’

He would make absolutely certain it did not get its way.

Just as Kim Dohyun was making that silent vow.

Wooooong-!!

The mana around his heart surged violently once.

The 2nd Circle was complete.

The newly born Circle settled beside the existing Circle and was drawn into the orbit.

A second satellite.

A mass of mana larger and denser than the first satellite began revolving along the orbit.

Two satellites revolved side by side around his heart.

Their gravitational forces intersected, stabilizing the mana flow throughout the entire orbit another level further.

Ding-!!

-2nd Circle creation complete.

-The special stat ‘Mana’ increases by +3.5.

A full 3.5.

Compared to the +1 from the 1st Circle, it was an increase of more than three times as much.

Considering how dramatically its size and density had increased, it was a natural result.

‘8.6.’

That was his current Mana stat.

It was tremendous growth for a single day, but he was not entirely satisfied.

He decided to be a little greedier.

Now that he had reached the 2nd Circle, the range of magic he could use had expanded.

He consecutively cast five basic spells corresponding to E-rank.

‘Heal, Power, Haste, Shield, Grip.’

Ding-!

-Perfect execution confirmed. The ranks of the used skills have increased to E+!

-Excellent mana control!

-As a special reward, the stat ‘Mana’ increases by 0.3.

-You have reached the reward limit for perfect execution of E-rank skills (3 times).

-No further special rewards will be granted for using skills of the same grade.

Only three out of the five counted.

‘The limit actually went down.’

He could understand why.

‘Because it isn’t difficult.’

Unlike when he had been at the 1st Circle, his understanding of magic had deepened considerably, making perfect casting much easier.

Moreover, because the 2nd Circle had higher density and stored far more mana, although it was displayed as 0.3, the actual amount of mana was on the same level as when he had previously gained 0.5.

He had grown tremendously in an instant, but Kim Dohyun’s expression was not good.

‘Still not enough.’

The growth of Arcanum Cosmos.

He did not have enough mana to form the second ring around the orbit.

‘Going by the System’s numbers... at least 10.’

That was twice the requirement of an ordinary 2nd Circle.

It was only natural.

The orbit of Arcanum Cosmos was fundamentally different from the System Circles in both density and quantity.

Its efficiency was overwhelmingly superior, but the amount of mana it demanded was correspondingly immense.

Most importantly, what distinguished it was that from the second ring onward, he would become capable of using unique magic. Magic exclusive to Arcanum Cosmos.

It was impossible not to want it, but unfortunately, there was no way to achieve it immediately.

Still, he did not become impatient.

‘It’s only a matter of time anyway.’

Even at the latest, he could achieve it within a month.

Considering that when he had first arrived on the Rodinia Continent, it had taken him around a month just to form an ordinary Circle, and only a 1st Circle at that, this was an incredible speed.

“Just reaching the 2nd Circle right away is already plenty of growth.”

The number of spells he could use had increased dramatically, and his mana control had become another level more precise.

Meaning he could freely adjust the heat and control exactly how thoroughly food was cooked.

“I can finally make a proper meal.”

Kim Dohyun was a gourmet.

Even on the battlefields of the Rodinia Continent, he had refused to compromise when it came to taste.

Of course, he had not left it to others.

He cooked personally for his own satisfaction, and in the process had even developed spells that could be used for cooking.

And so.

There was no way the food he had eaten after returning to Earth could satisfy him.

If it had not been for his mother’s food that his younger sister brought him, he might not have endured the dull and exhausting hospital stay.

If only to repay that.

“Should I show off my skills for the first time in a while?”

Kim Dohyun confidently headed toward the kitchen.

Various ingredients, including the beef he had bought on the way home, were sitting atop the narrow sink.

They were not top quality because of his limited budget, but their freshness was fairly good.

“I’ll make you absolutely delicious.”

Kim Dohyun rolled up his sleeves as faint magical power bloomed from his fingertips.

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“No way!”

At 7 p.m. The reactions of the family members who returned home were all the same.

Kim Haeun in particular was staring at the dining table with an expression of disbelief.

“Oppa made all this?”

On the table was appetizingly grilled beef.

Steaming egg soup.

Beside them were neatly arranged side dishes, including glossy fish cake stir-fried in soy sauce seasoning and colorful sausage and vegetable stir-fry.

“You’re looking at it with your own two eyes and still can’t believe it?”

“Of course it’s hard to believe. Don’t you remember the charcoal meat you used to make?”

Another dark memory surfaced.

The disaster where he had burned not only the meat but even the frying pan. The memory was far too vivid.

But this time, he had no intention of backing down.

“...Are you planning to skip dinner?”

“No, sir. Dear elder brother. It seems my memories were manipulated.”

After lightly suppressing Kim Haeun, Kim Dohyun shifted his gaze toward his parents.

“Try some. Especially the beef. It should be really good.”

Kim Dohyun picked up a well-grilled piece of beef with his chopsticks and placed it on top of his parents’ bowls of rice.

“I’ll enjoy it.”

“Thank you.”

The moment Kim Taesu and Yoon Seoyoung put the beef into their mouths.

Both of their eyes widened simultaneously.

“...It’s delicious.”

Kim Taesu’s voice was sincere.

“When did our son learn to cook like this?”

At Yoon Seoyoung’s question, Kim Dohyun answered lightly.

“I learned it in a dream.”

Not once, but twice.

His cooking skills, and even his personality.

Too many things had changed to explain everything with a single dream.

Noticing that something was strange, Yoon Seoyoung set down her chopsticks and cautiously spoke.

“It seems it wasn’t just a simple dream...?”

“Yes.”

Kim Dohyun slowly nodded.

There were things he had hidden behind his smiling face.

He decided there was no longer any need to hide them.

No, he did not want to hide them.

“Actually, I’m a Returnee.”

The air around the dining table seemed to freeze.

His parents’ eyes shook, and Kim Haeun openly raised her voice in shock.

“What!? You weren’t just an Awakened, but a Returnee?”

Awakened.

It was a general term for those classified as superhumans in modern society, but there were more detailed classifications within it.

Ordinary Awakened. Returnees who had experienced another world and returned. Reincarnators born while retaining memories of a previous life.

They were all grouped together as ‘Awakened,’ but they were completely different existences.

Moreover, Kim Dohyun was different even from an ordinary Returnee.

Ordinarily, Returnees completely disappeared from Earth before suddenly reappearing one day.

But Kim Dohyun had been lying unconscious in a hospital room.

His body had remained on Earth, while only his consciousness had been drawn to the Rodinia Continent.

It could probably be considered an error caused by forcibly tearing through space-time and returning to the past.

“My return was a little unusual.”

Kim Dohyun answered in his usual confident tone, but Kim Taesu’s expression was not bright.

“...I’m sorry.”

Kim Taesu’s voice sank low.

Kim Dohyun immediately waved his hands.

“Why are you apologizing, Father? I was dragged away suddenly. There was nothing anyone could do about it.”

He could not honestly say it had not been difficult.

A brutal war that lasted fifty years.

During it, his life had hung in the balance, and there had been times when he experienced pain more horrible than death.

But all of it had been unavoidable.

Being dragged to the Rodinia Continent in the first place had been beyond his control.

He understood that intellectually.

But a parent’s heart was different.

“When you were lonely and struggling, I should have been beside you to support you... As your father, I have no excuse.”

“I was being punished. Because I was immature.”

“Don’t say that.”

Kim Taesu’s voice was firm.

“Dohyun. To me, you have always been a son I’m proud of.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

“You endured things we can hardly even imagine, and you still returned this confidently.”

It was the greatest expression his father, who was poor at showing emotion, could manage.

“I’m so grateful and proud that you came back like this.”

Kim Dohyun did not want to cry because he wanted his family to always live happily with smiles on their faces.

But.

‘I was acknowledged.’

As someone called an Archmage, praise and reverence had been almost natural.

But this was different.

It was praise from his father, whom he had always respected and had once regarded as someone as lofty as the sky.

Along with the sensation of something hot surging up from deep within his chest, tears naturally welled in his eyes.

“No. I’m the one who should be grateful. That you’re healthy. That you’re all still safe.”

He had tried to remain as calm as possible, but in truth, he had been afraid.

Afraid that because of the error in time, something irreversible might have happened to his family.

Or.

What if, because he had become a burden, his family had abandoned him?

But his family had not given up for three years.

When he was immature, he would have thought that was only natural, but after everything he had experienced on the Rodinia Continent, he knew better.

Nothing in this world was guaranteed.

There were people who turned their backs even on family.

But his family had not.

Even though he had been unable to help them at all.

Even though there had been no guarantee he would ever return.

Because they were family, they had endured silently and waited for him.

“Thank you. From now on, I’ll make sure to repay you properly.”

“Repay us? Just coming back safely is more than enough. You’ve been through so much.”

Following Kim Taesu’s words, Yoon Seoyoung spoke gently.

“Welcome back.”

Lastly, Kim Haeun spoke briefly.

“Welcome home.”

They were insignificant greetings.

Only three words each.

And yet the emotions that had settled deep within his chest surged upward.

Words he had longed to hear for fifty years.

The place he had wanted to return to.

The precious family he had never forgotten even once.

Everything was here.

“...I’m back.”

As Kim Dohyun smiled brightly even while shedding tears, the eyes of his family members also turned red.