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Chapter 27: I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt. I’ll be gentle.
There are those who are sensitive to changes in the world.
Not to things like the economy, inflation, global warming, or political winds—none of those mundane worldly changes.
This is a story closer to the mystical.
For instance, when a ‘Hero’ from another world crosses over.
It appears there was some sort of loss during the crossing, but it was something that could be observed.
After all, it’s just a single existence added to a planet with billions of people.
But if that one existence is a hero capable of splitting stars and the goddess who protects him...
If it's a being powerful enough to obliterate any and all evil, then it’s a whole different story.
Those who sensed his presence—even faintly—either trembled in fear or desperately tried to win him over as an ally.
Half a year passed.
The Academy of Supernatural Abilities board finally pinpointed the approximate time and location of the great causality that had arrived.
One particular mystic order even managed to identify the individual outright.
And the moment the academy semester began, the person appeared right in front of them.
Cheon Juyeon, top of the Combat Division at Seoul Academy of Supernatural Abilities and next in line to lead the Yeongnak First School, gazed absentmindedly out the window at the pillar of light moving in the distance.
Other students, watching the same light in real-time, squealed and whispered, “Kyaa~!” and “He’s seriously god-tier handsome,” clearly thinking the day would pass without incident.
Juyeon was quietly relieved.
As a dark mage sensitive to divine energy and someone born with the ‘Spiritual Eye,’ there was no way she wouldn’t notice.
The overwhelming power of that man.
* * *
—There’s something dangerous at school. So don’t touch it.
—…Excuse me?
—Just watch. If you mess with it and it goes off, we’re all dead. So don’t touch it, ever.
It might sound crazy out of nowhere, but dark mages are generally pretty cowardly.
They’re well aware of their negative image, especially compared to elemental mages.
Honestly, it’s because dark mages in the past were often involved in human sacrifices, grave robbing, and tomb desecration.
Not all dark mages are evil, but there’s always at least one in every war doing shady stuff, so the image stuck.
It’s a wildly skewed stereotype, sure...
But when every major war from WWI to WWIII featured at least one dark mage, it’s hard to shake the feeling that they’re all partly to blame.
Not that they did anything, of course.
Even as they protest, there’s a quiet understanding deep down about the inherent risks of dark magic.
Once they cross the line, dark mages tend to grow exponentially stronger in an instant.
It’s always one of them.
One who seeks power at a critical moment, crosses that line, and triggers everyone else to shout, “There go the damn dark mages again!”—only to get smacked down hard.
Of course, the times have changed.
With all of humanity now enjoying the benefits of magitech, civilization has advanced.
These days, thanks to social media, necromancers who command entire armies on their own are surprisingly popular.
Still, there was a time when dark mages were heavily persecuted.
They may be basking in a golden age now, but those memories of judgment still linger faintly.
Not from being punished themselves—but from seeing others punished and getting PTSD from it.
Like a citizen screaming and resisting as an American cop stops them for questioning.
They flail in fear, on instinct.
Even an S-rank hunter, or a dark mage speculated to be SS-rank, couldn’t compare to someone whose mana wasn't just leaking but forming visible pillars of light.
So Cheon Juyeon gave up all her original plans the moment she entered the academy.
She wasn’t planning anything shady like sacrificing the whole school or drawing magic circles all over campus.
She just wanted to gather influence by charming her classmates and rising as the next sect leader—a perfectly wholesome ambition.
No way she'd be punished too harshly for that, right?
Still, she decided to lay low.
‘No need to stick your hand out when there’s a tiger walking by.’
Thanks to the man radiating light pillars, she found herself living a quiet school life instead of the popular queen bee she was destined to be.
As long as that man didn’t cause trouble, everything would be fine.
Yes, best not to get involved.
And so, Cheon Juyeon kept her head down more than ever before.
But unlike her, there were always others somewhere, harboring foolish intentions.
* * *
[The goddess smiles brightly and says, “Have a good day at school.”]
Ever since offering the golden belt as tribute, the goddess had been acting strangely.
Like, strangely nicer.
Even though she was coming with me to school anyway, she still told me to have a good day like she was staying behind.
‘…Didn’t we offer tributes regularly in the other world too?’
Over the years, I’ve offered the heart of an ancient dragon over a thousand years old...
Miraculous herbs that could restore divine health...
Even the golem from the Iron Ruins that the dwarven elder of the hero party had lusted after.
Tributes even I found hard to part with—yet none got a reaction like this golden belt.
‘Maybe... this was her actual taste?’
Well, she is a goddess, after all.
Maybe she prefers accessories over sentient AI robots that stir a man’s heart.
If only she’d said something earlier, I’d have catered to her tastes from the start.
But I’ve lived long enough to know:
When she’s this happy, there’s no point in ruining the mood with needless talk.
Better to just bring an even better gift next time instead of another belt.
Thinking this, I prepared for school—quietly, making sure even the goddess couldn’t hear my thoughts.
"Hello! Good morning."
"Yes, it's a good morning today too."
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As usual, I stopped by the convenience store and bought a sandwich I liked.
Not wanting to draw unnecessary attention, I reduced my presence and took small bites of the sandwich as I walked to the shuttle bus stop.
By the time I reached the trash bin next to the stop, I naturally tossed the sandwich wrapper and, returning my presence to normal, sat down.
This has been my unchanging routine for the past month.
Lately, I’ve gotten used to my classes at school and even found a dungeon-running party for weekends,
but nothing sticks to the body like the morning routine I go through every day.
Based on the big data from my experience, the shuttle usually arrives about two or three minutes later.
It should have been like that—
Screeeech—
But for some reason, the shuttle bus arrived early today.
It was kind of surprising, but it also felt weirdly good—like perfect timing.
I got on with that feeling, though I noticed the driver was someone I’d never seen before.
Maybe it’s a new hire who’s running a tighter schedule?
With that thought, I headed to the back seat and sat down, but strangely, the other students were all unfamiliar faces too.
Hmm.
Where did all my silent, unspoken commuting buddies go?
[The goddess tilts her head in confusion.]
Feeling the same confusion, I tilted my head along with the goddess and looked out the window.
At first, the bus route seemed the same as usual,
but at some point, it began to change little by little,
until eventually, we were driving through a neighborhood I didn’t recognize at all.
“…Oh.”
What’s going on?
This doesn’t feel normal.
At this point, a thought occurred to me:
“Did I get on the wrong bus?”
* * *
Most criminal organizations want one thing, clear as day:
Money.
And if they can have power too, even better.
Most perverted criminals also tend to like the same thing:
Good-looking men.
If not that, then well-built men.
And if the criminal happens to be a twisted dark mage capable of human experimentation?
They love individuals with high magical aptitude and excellent physical abilities.
By sheer coincidence, the organization known as Black Chronicle happened to be full of such perverse dark mages.
They had wealth, liked handsome and capable men, and especially those with no strong background or ties.
"The kid even caught the eye of a professor—are we sure it's okay to touch him?"
"Hey, it’s still better than snatching someone from a noble house or a promising mage tower student."
"…Yeah, that’s true."
"And just because a professor likes him doesn’t mean they’ll chase us to the ends of the earth."
"Hmm, wouldn’t it be a waste to just toss away a face like that?"
"He’ll sell for a good price."
"If not, I wouldn’t mind purchasing him myself."
A dark mage who specialized in making masks out of handsome men’s faces tapped on the photo of the boy, raising one corner of his mouth.
The other dark mages, though their expressions hardened, nodded in agreement.
"Either way, there’ll be demand."
"For a kidnapping target with no known ties, he’ll fetch a good amount."
"Then it’s settled, right? We’re kidnapping this boy named Shin Yuseong…"
* * *
I was going to get off at a mid-point stop,
but the shuttle bus just wouldn’t stop.
Ah, right—it’s a shuttle.
Of course.
I briefly thought about going up to the driver and asking if he could stop for a moment,
but as a hardcore introvert, I decided to just wait patiently for the next stop.
“Well, it’ll stop eventually.”
And sure enough, it did stop—just as I’d hoped.
In front of a completely unfamiliar abandoned factory.
“Don’t cry, sweetie.”
“I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt too much.”
[The goddess blinks in disbelief.]
What is this?
I rubbed my chin, trying to process the situation.
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