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Chapter 127

“Okay, now...”

“Come with me for a second.”

Stopping him from saying anything, Luize grabbed Se-Hoon’s wrist and pulled him into a nearby, secluded alley. She then looked at him with her arms crossed.

“What\'s all this being a staff member at the expo about? And don\'t you even think about giving me some half-baked excuse!”

With how well Luize knew Se-Hoon, his reasoning for participating in the expo was definitely not just to steal some technology from big companies. She could sense there was something more, so she narrowed her eyes and stared down Se-Hoon, who had fallen into deep thought.

Where should I start...?

It was a bit awkward to explain the Ten Evils or Watchers to others, but since Luize was already entangled with Dawn, Se-Hoon deemed that it should be okay to be more open with her.

Thus he made up his mind and began to explain step by step, starting with the incident with the Black Arms.

And after Luize had listened to it all, she was utterly flabbergasted.

“They\'re really planning to attack here?”

“I don’t have any concrete evidence yet, but the timing is just too perfect to be a coincidence."

“Hmm...”

As Luize thought deeply about Se-Hoon’s story, she suddenly thought up one crucial fact so she asked, “But wouldn\'t it be fine as long as the Chairman is around?”

The reason Babel was safe from external attacks was not just because of the advanced technology and the presence of high-ranking heroes—it was the existence of the Chairman of Babel: the Emperor of Ascension Ludwig.

So could someone really launch a surprise attack on Babel, with Ludwig present, without any forewarning? That doubt was the main driver behind her question.

Yet, Se-Hoon easily responded, “That’s true if he were here. But what if he\'s not?”

“That\'s...”

“It’s true that the Chairman and the other Perfect Ones are strong, but they\'re not omnipotent. They may be hard to kill, but it’s still possible to hinder and delay them in a fight.”

It had never been a matter of finding a way of getting around the Perfect Ones; it just depended on whether one dared to take the risk.

We can\'t rely too much on the Perfect Ones.

Humanity believed that the war was in their hands due to the Perfect Ones, they had felt protected. However, over time, the Demon Force thoroughly analyzed each and every ability of the Perfect Ones and, led by the Six Harbingers of Destruction, killed them off one by one.

The end result had been mutual destruction, but considering the Demon Force’s goal was the extinction of humanity, it was essentially a defeat.

“That does... seem true. There wouldn’t be any injured students inside Babel if the Chairman were omnipotent after all,” said Luize, touching the choker covering the scar on her neck.

Thinking about the severity of the situation, she asked, “So, are we handling this on our own? If what you said comes true, the situation sounds way too big for just the two of us to take care of.”

It would be an attack on Babel by those who far exceeded the status of ordinary criminals, a potential attack by the Ten Evils and Watchers. Imagining Babel engulfed in flames, Luize frowned.

“The likelihood of such a major event happening is low. If that were their plan, they wouldn\'t have snuck in quietly like this,” denied Se-Hoon, shaking his head.

Given the nature of the Ten Evils and Watchers, the upcoming event would likely just serve as a warning. Without the Six Harbingers of Destruction, it was unlikely they\'d wage a full-scale war against the Perfect Ones.

As one of the last defenders of humanity in the war against the demons before the regression, Se-Hoon was absolutely certain. However, he couldn\'t explain such things in detail, so he illustrated the situation indirectly.

“And as I mentioned earlier, this is all just a suspicion for now. We can address it more thoroughly once we verify things at the expo.”

“Hmm... Okay.”

Luize nodded calmly at his explanation. If it had been anyone else, she might have thought they were being too optimistic, but she trusted Se-Hoon. After all, he had always managed to achieve the best possible outcomes during the numerous incidents and accidents.

But how does this guy even know about all of this...?

Even if the Ten Evils were somewhat known, Watchers were a completely secretive group, still unrevealed to the public. So how could Se-Hoon, who was born into an ordinary family like hers, know so much about them?

She mulled over the questions that flooded her mind, but it was only for a moment.

It doesn’t really matter anyway.

If Se-Hoon kept his promises to her and didn’t betray her, then it didn’t matter what secrets he harbored.

“So, what are we going to do until we get invited to the expo?” Luize asked, having cast away all of her questions about Se-Hoon.

Regardless, it seemed wise to prepare in advance, given that something would likely happen at the expo.

Se-Hoon pondered for a moment before responding, “Have you ever controlled anything with Incantation Magic?”

“Control? No, I haven\'t tried control spells yet.”

Having come from the Department of Elements, Luize had naturally only practiced elemental magic up to now.

Nodding, Se-Hoon took out his White Light Dagger.

“Perfect. Watch closely.”

He picked up an empty drink can from the alley and tossed it into the air above him.

Whoosh!

The can soared upward and then began to fall. As it descended, he placed the White Light Dagger on his palm.

“Auto Intercept.”

The incantation seeped deeply inside the dagger.

Thunk!

Without warning, the dagger shot up and pierced through the falling drink can, embedding itself in the wall.

The sight of the dagger moving on its own without Se-Hoon providing any additional incantations stunned Luize.

“Autonomous magic...?”

In principle, the more control the caster had over the spell, the more exponentially difficult it became to cast it.

For instance, if one designed a mana barrier to block attacks, it would simply block all incoming attacks, but if one specified it to block fire, it would become more ambiguous. Any approaching complex offensive spell that combined both fire and wind would confuse the barrier, potentially making it not recognize the attack as containing fire and thus letting it pass.

That’s why the spell formulas for autonomous magic are said to be incredibly complex...

The formulas for autonomous magic had to be laid out in detail to prevent such errors, in terms of precision and the quantity of conditions. Naturally, that would make any formula extremely complex, thus making autonomous magic formulas as secretive as secret arts.

However, Se-Hoon had easily executed it with a single incantation.

Well, if it’s just for automating interception... Thinking that if it was merely for attacking anything that approached, Luize believed the spell formula shouldn’t be that complicated.

However, Se-Hoon read Luize and her thoughts, so he calmly said. “Try punching me.”

“W-what?”

“Just do it.”

Luize glanced at the White Light Dagger embedded in the wall, then steeled herself and punched Se-Hoon in the stomach with all her might.

Smack!

“Ugh!”

Luize pulled her hand back in shock, feeling as if she had punched a rock. At the same time, her gaze moved to the place where the dagger was stuck in the wall.

“It didn\'t move?”

If the dagger was automated to intercept incoming objects, it should have reacted to her attack. However, the dagger remained stuck in the same spot on the wall.

Seeing Luize’s confusion, Se-Hoon calmly explained, “As I mentioned before, Incantation Magic is fundamentally different from conventional magic. The difficulty level of magic you know doesn\'t apply here.”

“So... you’re saying that Incantation Magic is specialized for autonomous magic?”

“More like it makes it easier to cast.”

Se-Hoon pulled the dagger from the wall and looked at Luize.

“Let\'s use this dagger as an example. Why did it pierce the drink instantly but not respond to your punch?”

“Hmm...”

Various reasons, like the distance to the object, the material of the object, or projectile type, came to mind, but she dismissed them all.

If there were such conditions, he wouldn’t have asked in the first place.

Conditions that were difficult with conventional magic but easily set with Incantation Magic—pondering it from that route, she looked at her still-tingling fist.

“Because it wasn’t considered a threat?”

“Exactly. Well more precisely, I made it assumed that it didn’t matter if your punch landed or not.”

“But how could such a condition be set with just that short incantation...?”

Even if Incantation Magic operated differently than conventional magic, was that really possible?

Seeing her still apparent confusion, Se-Hoon continued his explanation, “Don\'t overthink it. Only think about the incantation and the synesthetic mindscape used as your proxy.”

“...Ah!”

With that explanation, Luize finally understood the secret behind the Incantation Inscription that Se-Hoon had shown earlier.

So my standards for the effect to trigger are engraved into the synesthetic mindscape.

Just as one instinctively associated fire with heat, similar instinctive thoughts were embedded in Incantation Magic. As a result, when something that appeared hot approached the caster, the automated magic spell constructed from the incantation would naturally react.

“Of course, it’s not without its drawbacks. Regular magic relies strictly on its formula, ensuring no errors. But Incantation Magic can vary greatly depending on the user.”

If the caster had a thorough understanding of the nature of the incoming attack, they would be able to react quickly. However, if they were unfamiliar with it, their response would be slower.

In other words, while the effectiveness of conventional autonomous magic depended on the detailedness of its formula, the effectiveness of autonomous magic cast with Incantation Magic depended greatly on the caster’s breadth of combat experience.

“Hmm. So, if I set it to attack the enemy, it might go and target someone I normally dislike?”

“Something like that.”

Given her deep-seated animosity due to past events, Luize\'s autonomous magic could manifest unpredictably. For her to properly utilize autonomous magic, she would need a high degree of self-awareness.

“I guess I need to be careful with it then.”

“Exactly. That\'s why you should practice establishing clear criteria to avoid any mishaps when using it. Also, the more combat experience you gain, the quicker your responses will be, so try to engage in lots of sparring.”

“Sparring, huh... that\'s convenient. The professors mentioned they were bringing in a bunch of alumni for the coming practice sessions.”

“Ah, right. The Department of Martial Magic is under Aqar Quf.”

Aqar Quf had prepared special classes that invited active-duty heroes in order for its students to gain practical combat experience. But it also presented an opportunity for the Ten Evils or Watchers to infiltrate Babel, so Se-Hoon decided that those invited needed to be thoroughly checked.

How should I probe them, though...?

There had to be a simpler way than just attending the classes. As Se-Hoon mused over it, an idea suddenly came to mind.

“Wait a moment.”

Se-Hoon took out his phone and made a call. A few rings later, the person on the other end picked up.

—Kasar here.

Hearing Kasar, the Department of Swordsmanship lead professor and the next dean of Aqar Quf, pick up, Se-Hoon quickly got to the purpose of his call.

“Are you aware of the special class being held in Aqar Quf in the following weeks?”

—Of course. That old man, Luke, is trying to make something of his last years by calling in all of the alumni. Why are you bringing up this matter?

“Professor Ma Kwang-Soo mentioned that I could participate, so I was just curious about how it would be conducted.”

—Really? Did that drunkard really say that...

Kasar trailed off, seemingly contemplating something. A moment later, his voice could be heard through the phone again.

—We haven’t decided on the details yet. If it proceeds as planned, each department will be handling its students separately.

“Then—”

—How do you want it changed?

Kasar’s abrupt question that cut him off surprised Se-Hoon.

“Pardon? What do you mean...?”

—It’s not like you called just to ask about the event format. You must have something in mind, right? I\'m going on a trip next week, so I\'ll handle it this week.

His tone suggested he already had an inkling of, if not a full understanding, of Se-Hoon\'s intentions. Relaxing a bit, Se-Hoon explained his idea for the event format.

—Hmm... not bad. That certainly would be more efficient.

“Can we proceed with that, then?”

—Of course. That old man Luke is just a figurehead now anyway.

With this year being his last, Luke had essentially lost his authority. Kasar\'s confident reply made Se-Hoon smile.

“Thank you.”

—No worries. But what are you planning on doing?

To Kasar’s curious question, Se-Hoon, with absolute confidence, replied, “I\'m going to do some advertising.”

***

In the conference room of the main building of Borsippa, the lead professors of each department had gathered, and the staff member in charge took the microphone and announced the next item on the agenda.

“The next item is the participation of honor student Lee Se-Hoon for the upcoming exhibition.”

A heavy silence fell in the conference room following the announcement.

In a situation where no one could easily open their mouth, the lead professors naturally turned their gazes toward two individuals.

“...”

“...”

One was Eun-Ha, who was sitting expressionlessly at the head of the table, and the other was Michael Barmuth, who was sitting at the left diagonal seat without any change in expression.

The lead professors, acknowledging that there was a difference of opinion between the Dean and the Vice Dean regarding this year’s honor student, didn\'t know which side to lean toward.

There were talks before about when Ryu Eun-Ha might step down... but now, because of that Lee Se-Hoon guy, she might stay in that position for at least another four years.

The Barmuths aren\'t what they used to be after the recent incident.... It\'s time to reconsider our stance.

Even though Michael was once considered the most promising candidate for the dean position, they had very recently seen his position greatly shaken. Thus, the professors became extremely cautious with their reactions.

These ungrateful bastards...

However, while Michael didn’t like the fact that the professors were being so cautious after gaining everything they could from him, there was nothing he could do. Reminding himself that he had to wait for the right moment, he slowly opened his mouth.

“I don’t think there should be any problems with that. He’s already forged several pieces of Hero equipment, and if he\'s requesting this directly, it should mean that he\'s confident enough to take responsibility for it.”

Michael’s gaze, which had been carefully observing the professors, paused on In-Cheol and then settled on Eun-Ha.

“Regardless of what the outcome may be, that is.”

Despite his pointed remark, Eun-Ha didn’t even look at him.

“What do the others think?”

At her question, the professors glanced at each other and answered one by one.

“I think... it should be fine.”

“He\'s distinguished himself among the honor students, so giving him an opportunity only seems fair.”

The professors, who were all sensitive to the power dynamics within the administration, quickly expressed their agreement. Those who were indifferent to such matters also agreed without much objection, since they were all curious about what kind of work Se-Hoon would submit.

“Then, onto the next item on the agenda...”

Creek-

The conference room door quietly opened, and a staff member quickly walked in and approached Eun-Ha.

“Dean, we have a message from Dean Luke.”

Luke Baker, the Dean of Aqar Quf, was once an S-rank hero. He had retired due to old age and injuries, living as an educator at Babel ever since.

Yet Eun-Ha felt puzzled by his sudden contact.

What’s the matter all of a sudden?

She hadn\'t had much interaction with him, either personally or professionally, so she looked at the staff member with a sense of curiosity.

“I\'ll step out for a moment.”

Pausing the meeting, Eun-Ha stepped outside and took the phone the staff member was holding.

“This is Dean Ryu speaking.”

—Dean Ryu, what on earth are you doing!?

Assaulted by Luke’s irate shout booming from the speakers, Eun-Ha moved the phone away and calmly responded, “Can you be a bit more specific on what you’re saying?”

—It\'s about that first-year honor student you\'ve been pushing lately! That student is causing a ruckus in Aqar Quf right now!

“...Are you referring to Lee Se-Hoon?”

—Yes!

His exclamation only made Eun-Ha more puzzled.

While she knew Se-Hoon had a rough side, she was certain that he wasn’t someone who would cause a ruckus without reason. Thus, she couldn’t help but wonder what he was causing over at Aqar Quf.

At that moment, another staff member came running up to her, handing her his phone.

“Dean, you need to see this...”

The phone was displaying footage of a training ground. On it, a young man wielding two short spears was fiercely battling a middle-aged man armed with a long spear. The fight was clearly intense just by the looks of it.

「Grr...!」

Eventually, the middle-aged man was relentlessly pushed back by the fierce flames bursting from the young man’s spears, and soon a dark red flash exploded on the screen.

Clang!

The middle-aged man’s spear\'s blade floated in the air before falling to the ground. While the middle-aged man looked at it in dismay, the young man facing him slowly began to speak.

「You have decent skills, but it\'s unfortunate. If... if...」

The young man bit his lip, stumbling over his words as something seemed to surge within him. When the people around the training ground focused their gaze on him, a shout came from below.

「Get on with it!」

The young man, frowning at the shout, sighed deeply and clearly said his obviously prepared lines.

「If it weren\'t for the weapons Lee Se-Hoon made for me... I might have lost.」

The video captured the look of dismay on the face of the young man—Sung-Ha—before the camera panned to the other side, revealing Se-Hoon grinning widely.

Still trying to grasp the baffling situation, Eun-Ha’s attention was suddenly caught by the video\'s title: Hero Brawl Challenge #12.

“...Hero Brawl Challenge?”

It seemed Se-Hoon was leading the other students in duels against active-duty heroes and defeating them.

Unable to guess the purpose behind it, or more like not wanting to believe the purpose behind it, Eun-Ha watched the video conclude with an expression that was growing increasingly perplexed.

「You speak well!」

The video focused on the energetically exclaiming Se-Hoon, who seemed to be having the time of his life.