The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King

The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King

Episode 13: Magic and Security (1)

“Then, Your Majesty, I’ll wait here for you.”

Before entering the auditorium, Hyude bowed at the waist.

I intended to leave Hyude outside and planned to listen to the lecture while also serving as a bodyguard inside.

Some security guards looked at Hyude with suspicious eyes, but when I explained that it was my doing, they awkwardly let it go.

No, it seemed like they chose to remain silent even though they knew I was hiding something because I was an S-class hunter.

Such was the power of being S-class.

“Hooo.”

The inside was huge, but ordinary. It looked exactly like an expanded school auditorium.

With a capacity of about a thousand people, that says it all.

So, how much per person for this lecture? I heard it’s 3 million won.

That’s 3 billion won.

It’s worth taking the time to give a lecture.

“Ah, Mr. Lee Seo-jun, you’re here.”

One of the staff members found me and approached.

“Please sit wherever you’re comfortable, and if there’s an attack, protect Mr. Ahn Seo-jin as a priority. The other security will take care of the civilians.”

I suddenly wondered and asked,

“Is there a guarantee that there will be an attack?”

“It’s less a guarantee and more a high likelihood? Mr. Ahn Seo-jin has been attacked a few times recently…”

“And he’s still willing to give a lecture.”

“Well, yes, it’s ‘greed.’ If anything happens, you will have to pay double the penalty.”

Earning 3 billion won in one day is quite dazzling.

Doing nothing because there might be an attack wouldn’t do either.

===

“Anyway, I look forward to working with you today.”

“Sure.”

The staff member bowed and headed out.

I sat in the back row and waited for the lecture to begin. No one was sitting in my row due to the distance to the podium.

“…”

Just now, a man sat about five seats away from me.

When he took off the robe on his head, his clothes slightly slipped, and I noticed a tattoo on his wrist that read ‘Greed’.

“Spending 3 million won on a lecture and choosing to sit in the back…”

Though robes are worn by magicians as well, I couldn’t help but feel suspicious, so I used [Lezie’s Insight].

I’m not a ‘listener’, I’m here as a ‘bodyguard’, so I should do my job.

But upon closer examination, the man had no particular abilities and his current thought was ‘should have gone to the bathroom’.

“……?”

Our eyes met, and he averted his gaze to look straight ahead.

Just then, the auditorium lights went off. It was the signal for the lecture to begin.

I observed the man walking under the dim spotlight.

“Hello, aspiring magic hunters. My name is Ahn Seo-jin, the chief magician of the Illusion School.”

Cheers and applause filled the spacious auditorium.

Being a ‘chief magician’ is equivalent to being a team leader in a guild, so I had high expectations for his lecture.

“Let’s get right into the basics of magic.”

As the applause died down, Ahn Seo-jin continued his lecture.

“Magic, to use a math analogy, is like inserting the ‘magical power’ number into the ‘form’ equation. For example, for Fire Arrow, you insert the fire as the magical power into the form of an arrow.”

Indeed, it was an elegant lecture befitting a chief magician. The perfect analogy facilitated understanding.

The thought that the lecture was informative did not end there.

“Fire Arrow.”

Whoosh-

As a small flame in the shape of a bird soared into the sky, a faint rosy light pierced the darkness. The lecturer had actually demonstrated magic.

As soon as I witnessed the magic, I activated [Alter’s Understanding].

Snap!

A spark flew at the corner of my eye, and a window popped up.

[It’s a magic that hasn’t even taken shape, nothing special.

Such crude magic simply involves gathering Magi in the palm of your hand, converting it into a combustible material, and then quickly rubbing it against oxygen to ignite it.

Then, the combustible material supplied with heat will cause a chain reaction proportionate to its amount.]

Though it was in the same language, it felt like reading a document written in a foreign language.

However, amazingly, I was able to understand how to utilize magic.

Countless lines form a geometric structure to create a material. It was clearly fire and a sharp mineral.

I wanted to test this magic immediately, but for now, I focused on the lecture.

“Magic may seem difficult, but once you understand the nature and the form of magic, anyone can easily manifest it.”

Is that so?

The explanation in [Alter’s Understanding] was difficult, but after understanding it, it seemed easy to manifest.

Originally, Fire Arrow is basic enough that even aspirants might be able to do it.

I only saw magic from Alter, so I don’t really know the average level.

Well, I’ll find out soon enough.

I cleared my idle thoughts and focused my gaze on Ahn Seo-jin.

“Now, let’s practice the most basic magic, Energy Bolt.”

The word ‘practice’ ignited my long-dormant zeal for learning.

“Gather the magic power flowing through your body into your palm and then reconfigure that magic power to form an Energy Bolt.”

Ahn Seo-jin started with theory and extended his hand forward.

I tried just by hearing the theory, but, naturally, it didn’t work.

“Energy Bolt.”

As Ahn Seo-jin chanted, a blue spherical light formed on his palm. The things that looked like threads at first glance rotated in the shape of a circle.

I didn’t miss the opportunity and activated [Alter’s Understanding].

Suddenly, a vast amount of knowledge surged into my mind.

[Hmm, it’s not a magic suitable for increasing destructive power, but the structure is interesting.

First, gather Magic power at the fingertips and divide that Magic power into ‘alpha’ and ‘beta.’

Alpha forms a circular membrane at a ratio of 3.1415926535. The closer to that void, the more its power increases.

Quite an interesting pattern.

Then pump the remaining Beta randomly blown into that formed membrane. If you’ve done the Alpha stage precisely, the size will naturally inflate depending on the amount of Beta.

The magic just now had quite a margin of error in 3.141, so if a considerable amount of force is put in, it would not maintain its form and scatter.

So, this magic isn’t good for increasing destructive power. However, it’s a good magic for basic magical practice.

And if you add the following method, it will shoot out…]

Knowledge in characters flowed smoothly up my brainstem.

Neurons were stimulated, and imaginations unfolded.

Lines that were intricately entangled sprung to life.

Soon, they intertwined to form a perfect circle.

As countless energies rushed into the sample of Pi, a sphere in my darkened vision emitted a white light like a white dwarf star.

“…….”

It was definitely ‘magic,’ and it was the ‘Energy Bolt’ that Ahn Seo-jin had shown.

This time too, I had understood that magic just by witnessing it.

“And now, you can either shoot it according to your will, or keep it as it is and make it disappear.”

As Ahn Seo-jin clenched his hand, the sphere disappeared.

“Now, everyone, extend your hands towards me and try what you just learned. Having a target will help you visualize better.”

Really, if he’s a wizard of that caliber, he could block even a thousand Energy Bolts.

The 3 million won fee is worth it.

With that level of explanation and demonstration, several people here should be able to succeed.

I reached my hand out towards Ahn Seo-jin.

Since this is allowed, I’m planning to control my power to the extent shown by the lecturer.

“Now, gather the magic power flowing through your body in your hand, and imagine the shape. Energy Bolt.”

I slightly closed my eyes.

A vast amount of Magi was drawn up, and my palm diligently began to gather Magi.

I reconfigured the drawn Magi into Alpha and Beta, and Alpha formed a circular membrane based on Pi, and the remaining Beta was blown into that membrane.

“It’s okay to fail. You can do well next time. If you succeed, you can definitely become a magic hunter. Now, next.”

I opened my eyes and whispered softly.

“Energy Bolt.”

Kugugugu~!!

A seven-colored sphere the size of a marble formed in the palm of my hand like a fruit.

It was a success.

The reason it was a different color than Ahn Seo-jin must be because its magical properties were different. I didn’t mind it, as I had expected it to some degree.

However… the size was ten times different.

Just as I was about to erase it—

Thud!!

The black sphere shot out like a cannonball.

The Energy Bolt left my hand.

“Ah.”

The sphere moved ahead, shrouded in Ahn Seo-jin ‘s darkness.

None of the audience had manifested an Energy Bolt, and only mine had flown out.

Finally, it seemed that the small bean shot by the Demon King would become a massive calamity that would befall Ahn Seo-jin.

Then.

Patsutsutsutsu!

Suddenly, a cracking sound resonated in the middle.

It wasn’t Ahn Seo-jin’s ‘defense’. Someone’s ‘attack’ had collided with my Energy Bolt.

Fwoooosh!

It was neutralized instantly, vanishing into thin air without causing any damage.

I looked in the direction from which the ‘attack’ had come.

It wasn’t far. It started from the same line as me and collided at the same point.

It was that man.

“H-How did you block my attack?!”

The man looked at me, astonished.

…Truthfully, I hadn’t fired my Energy Bolt to block his attack.

Of course, I had sensed the moment the man launched his attack, but because I was focused on the magic, I hadn’t noticed any precursor.

It was just a ‘mistake’ due to my lack of skill with ‘magic’.

Nevertheless.

“Did you really think that would work?”

I said confidently.

As if I had anticipated it all along. As if I saw right through his schemes.

“W-What…!”

Whether it was a huge shock or not, the man’s face turned to horror.

Kugung~ Kugung

Then, I turned my head towards the loud noise coming from outside. At a glance, strange things were attacking the auditorium.

‘A real attack has come.’

A sudden attack.

It had been foreseen since the request came in.

However, because Hyude was outside, I was focused on the man in front of me.

The man, who had been dazed for a while, snapped back to reality.

“Ah, no! More importantly, how are you using that power? Are you also a member of the ‘Cult of Great Sin’ like me?”

“…Cult of Great Sin? What kind of cult is that?”

“W-What, you’re not a member of Cult of Great Sin but you possess such Magi…?”

The man looked perplexed.

Then, with a swing of his arm, he shook off his thoughts.

“No, never mind! The original plan may have gone awry, but I’m satisfied with the unexpected gains!”

The man’s aura became malicious, and his appearance began to transform.

His body grotesquely grew larger, causing his robe to burst.

Like shedding human skin, the man’s body swelled up in an instant.

A 5-meter body with red skin, and a horned, hideous face that couldn’t be recognized as human.

“I’ll take you from here.”

As the guy twisted his lips grotesquely, a sharp scream resonated.

And at that moment, my eyebrows furrowed with contempt.

If my eyes weren’t deceiving me, that guy was an ‘Adoniya’s demon.’

[Chaotic Mob] (In Progress)

Description: The unruly mob has begun to reveal itself to the world. If not stopped in advance, they will devour the Earth like bugs. And the fractures they create in the world will eventually become a massive calamity that will befall the Earth. Please deal with a member of this mob and thwart their objective.

Reward: Acquire [Absorption]. Gain 20 points in world causality.

(To be continued in the next episode)