The Age of Mana Civilization (2)
“…And with the appearance of the Gates in our world, we inevitably came to live in the era of ‘Mana Civilization.’”
Cha Seong Hyeon was a chaired professor at Korea University, the most prestigious university in the Republic of Korea.
Already long recognized as the highest authority in magi-engineering in the country, his lectures were always popular.
Since magi-engineering had recently become the most sought-after discipline of any field, not only at Korea University but at every university, the department of magi-engineering consistently held the highest competition rates.
Naturally, the Department of Magi-Engineering at Korea University was where the nation’s brightest minds gathered.
And yet, Cha Seong Hyeon was discussing the very basics of basics.
He emphasized fundamentals so strongly because most people were under the illusion that magi-engineering would grant humanity a fantastical power comparable to awakened abilities.
“But in reality, Mana Civilization is something permitted only to those we commonly call mana users. In other words, users. You must not misunderstand this. The magi-engineering we are researching is not a discipline for the non-awakened.”
Cha Seong Hyeon was in the midst of shattering the freshmen’s fantasies.
He believed that the beginning of magi-engineering was precisely this: breaking that illusion.
“No matter how exceptional an item is created through magi-engineering, the ones who will ultimately make the best use of it will be mana users… that is, users. We must acknowledge that.”
It was a clear fact.
In truth, most items developed through magi-engineering were made for users.
“So remember this well. Magi-engineering does not primarily exist to make humanity’s lives more comfortable… It exists, above all, to confront the clearly defined ‘enemy’ known as the Gate.”
Cha Seong Hyeon concluded with complete clarity.
Of course, there might be those who held different opinions. But at least, this was his view.
When the lecture ended, Cha Seong Hyeon went straight to his laboratory.
Then he resumed the work he had been occupied with recently.
While analyzing a case he had received from the Director, he uncovered many intriguing details.
The most astonishing among them was that a user called ‘AbsoluteSafetyFirst’ was unmistakably using firearms… specifically, anti-materiel sniper rifles.
After making his initial report to the Director, Cha Seong Hyeon continued his analysis and ultimately concluded that AbsoluteSafetyFirst had used a combination of two anti-materiel sniper rifles.
The Barrett M82 and the Maadi Griffin.
Even more curious was the fact that there appeared to be a Korean individual who had purchased both of these anti-materiel rifles on the Market.
A report had come up from the investigative team of the Management Bureau.
Through it, Cha Seong Hyeon realized that everything was connected.
At this point, it was no longer suspicion, but certainty.
Though he did not know the method, ‘AbsoluteSafetyFirst’ was capable of using gunpowder-based weapons within a mana field.
That was the conclusion.
Which left only one task: finding AbsoluteSafetyFirst.
The first thing Cha Seong Hyeon did was crack into the Market IDs. Having considerable skill in computer programming, he accessed the administrator account for the Market held by the Korean Management Bureau and traced the purchaser of the Barrett M82 and the Maadi Griffin.
However, the tracking was far from easy.
The buyer had erased every trace that could be followed and even disposed of the account entirely.
Everything had been handled so thoroughly that past purchase records alone could not reveal the purchaser.
So Cha Seong Hyeon devised another method.
He would scatter bait throughout the Market and wait for the buyer to resurface.
He listed ammunition used for the Barrett M82 and the Maadi Griffin, as well as various anti-materiel sniper rifles, and waited…no matter how long it took, for Absolute Safety First to submit a purchase request.
And if the user did submit one, Cha Seong-hyeon intended to trace him in real time before he could erase his tracks and identify his true identity.
It was an excellent plan.
Under normal circumstances, it would have worked without fail.
Of course… under normal circumstances… it would have.
***
After coming out of a refreshing shower, Seon Yul shook his damp hair with a satisfied expression and opened his laptop.
Naturally, the place where he had showered was the ‘small bathroom with a bathtub and toilet’ he had recently purchased from the Decoration Shop.
He had been considering solving the bathroom issue for a long time, so although it felt a bit wasteful, he spent 2 kg of intermediate-grade magic stones (approximately 200 million won) to purchase it.
If he had his way, he would also have bought the Infinite Trash Bin or the single-person kitchen. But those were expensive, and this was the time to conserve magic stones, so he restrained himself again and again.
“This alone makes things so much more comfortable.”
Leaning against the headboard of his bed with his laptop open on his knees, Seon Yul browsed the internet.
Since Absolute Space had expanded and gained various additional features, he had truly begun to think he would not mind living there for the rest of his life without ever going anywhere else.
Socially, Seon Yul had never been particularly inclined to begin with, so he rarely felt loneliness.
The only inconvenience was that he could not freely order delivery food or parcels. But even that had been solved to some extent since he had obtained an additional entrance and could retrieve things whenever necessary.
“Ah… come to think of it, I should read some of those emails.”
Of course, it wasn’t because he intended to join any organization. However, even if he did not join one, some level of interaction was necessary.
He now required increasingly larger amounts of intermediate-grade magic stones, so living entirely self-sufficiently would become difficult.
Moreover, it wasn’t as if he did not need cash at all, and properly disposing of various spoils would clearly require reliable trading partners.
For these reasons, he could not cut off all connections.
“Wow, that’s a lot.”
All sorts of emails filled his inbox.
His ID being exposed during the recent raid event had been decisive.
Since skilled users were always welcomed in this world, Seon Yul, or rather, AbsoluteSafetyFirst, who had perfectly proven his capabilities during the raid event, naturally attracted enormous attention.
By far, the place that had sent the most emails was the Republic of Korea Gate Management Bureau.
“Hmm… A special management program that guarantees my identity will never be revealed and offers all kinds of benefits?”
They had analyzed his tendencies more sharply than he expected.
“The very claim that it will never be exposed is flawed. Where in the world is there such a thing as a secret? Once even one person knows, eventually everyone will know.”
Seon Yul believed that a secret could only be kept if he alone knew it. He would never fall for persuasion like this.
“What’s this? Just a gift?”
A considerable number of senders had attached gifts to their emails. But Seon Yul did not accept those either.
There was no knowing what tricks might have been embedded, and none of the items looked particularly appealing, so he returned them all.
“Not much substance in these emails.”
Large corporations mentioned salary offers and headhunting proposals, while guilds spoke of know-how and promised that joining them would allow him to farm higher-grade Gates.
The repertoire was almost identical.
Delete. Delete. Delete.
Seon Yul erased all the meaningless emails.
It seemed that any future interaction would require much more careful consideration.
***
Among awakened abilities, the most common category was enhancement-type abilities.
Within that, physical enhancement types were the most prevalent, and most enhancement-type users possessed awakened abilities of B-grade or lower.
Strength Enhancement (B), Muscle Reinforcement (C), Explosive Power (B), Ironbone (C), and so on, countless other enhancement-type awakened abilities existed.
Interestingly enough, because enhancement-type users were so common, they also operated in the widest range of roles and fields.
Jang Jun Hyeok, a Soldier-class user climbing the stairs of a one-room building at that very moment, was also an enhancement-type ability holder.
He had awakened three years earlier and served for two years in the Management Bureau’s Strike Force, widely known as the early-stage growth course for users.
Even after North Korea collapsed, South Korea still maintained conscription, so military service had to be completed at least once.
Thus, he had simultaneously completed his service in the Strike Force while steadily raising his early levels.
His awakened ability was Power Arms (C), and due to its grade, no matter how hard he worked, Soldier-class was his limit.
Jun Hyeok understood that well, so after reaching approximately level 30, the entry level of Soldier-class, through his Strike Force service, he immediately discharged.
After discharge, he promptly joined one of South Korea’s top three conglomerates, Woosung, through a special user recruitment program, and was currently working on Woosung’s User Team 5.
The average user lived a life much like Jun-hyeok’s.
Awakened, but not extraordinarily so.
A life like that. And yet Jun-hyeok was fully satisfied.
“I still turned out successful… but what the hell is Yul planning, living like that?”
The one-room apartment Jun Hyeok had come to visit belonged to Seon Yul.
They were cousins of the same age.
After Seon Yul’s parents passed away, the reason he had managed to live a relatively stable life was thanks to Lee Hyun Ah… Jun Hyeok’s mother and Seon Yul’s aunt.
She carefully looked after Seon Yul, who had been orphaned, always making sure he could live well on his own.
Originally, she had intended to take him in and raise him herself, but young Seon Yul had refused.
Even at a young age, Seon Yul was someone who clearly expressed his will, and in the end, Lee Hyun Ah respected his wishes and helped him live independently.
Since then, she had continued looking after him to this very day. The reason Jun Hyeok had come to see Seon Yul today was that his mother was worried that she had not been able to reach him.
So, on the weekend, he sent Seon Yul a KakaoTalk message and headed straight to the apartment.
Bang, bang, bang.
Jun Hyeok knocked on the door.
“Hey, open up. I know you’re home!”
Before he could finish speaking, Seon Yul’s door opened.
And standing inside was Seon Yul, looking neat and composed.
“I texted you not to come.”
Seon Yul had been watching YouTube on his laptop inside Absolute Space, but after receiving Jun Hyeok’s message, he reluctantly returned to his apartment.
“I told my mom I didn’t need to check either. But my mom… well, your aunt. Iinsisted that I see with my own eyes that you’re alive and well.”
“Aunt’s doing okay?”
“Doing just fine. I’ve been pretending to be a good son lately.”
“What’s with ‘pretending’? Are you doing well at work? You said it was Woosung Group?”
“Working hard. Ugh… honestly, it feels tougher than my time in the Strike Force.”
“A lot of work?”
“A lot of work. And since they pay a lot, they also send me on all sorts of dangerous jobs.”
“Ah… that must be hard.”
“Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself. I heard you quit your convenience store job?”
“Yeah. That’s how it turned out.”
“Quit because you found something else?”
“For now… I’m just resting.”
“Sure. Rest if you want to rest. My mom’s been nagging me to look for a job for you.”
“Forget it. I don’t need one.”
“I know. You think I don’t know you? You’re absolutely not the type to get a job like that. But my mom still worries about you.”
“That’s just how Aunt is.”
“So… just do it for her.”
“What? Oh, the café?”
“Yeah, my mom wants to pass the café she’s running over to you. Just take it over. Run it your way. Stay quietly in a coffee shop and make coffee.”
“Why would I take it over? It’s a café that’s doing well. You’d really be okay with me taking it?”
“Please. This body’s destined to become a Ranker and achieve big success. I have no interest in some little café.”
“Bullshit.”
Seon Yul smirked.
Among all people, Jun Hyeok was perhaps the one he was closest to.
“Anyway, answer your phone once in a while. My mom worries.”
“Okay. I will. And you… Be careful. If it’s too dangerous, just refuse.”
“Do you think that works for company employees? Don’t worry about me. You’re the one who should be careful. Gate occurrences have been increasing a lot lately. Don’t wander into dangerous places… just stay home.”
“I’m always at home.”
“Yeah, that’s true. Alright, I’m going.”
Jun Hyeok stood up to leave.
Watching him, Seon Yul briefly considered telling him about his awakening.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
“It’s better if he doesn’t know.”
Sometimes, knowing something became a crime or a problem in itself. So Seon Yul said nothing to Jun Hyeok.
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