Doing Good Deeds Will Bring Blessings¿

“Is this really the place?”

The system has found traces of a “soul core”.

Still, I stared dubiously at the map the system displayed. “This place… isn’t this where a dungeon is?”

What the system showed was a dungeon located in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, and this dungeon was what people call a “fixed-type” dungeon.

A fixed-type dungeon is one that doesn’t disappear even after the system’s clear conditions have been met, remaining in place and requiring periodic clearing.

A non-fixed dungeon, like the one I experienced last time, disappears after being cleared once.

And the dungeon in Incheon is a fixed-type dungeon…

“And it’s also famous as a garbage dump.”

It’s well known as the place where all kinds of trash from the metropolitan area get dumped. I’d just read an article related to that, so the timing was oddly fitting.

“Are you sure about this?”

Soul core detection successful.

The system requests assistance from User “Jeong Daon”.

The system seemed quite confident in its detection.

I fell into thought for a moment.

Magic, like any field of study, naturally requires a process of development. But in a world that hasn’t even met the necessary conditions for the appearance of the “Destroyer of Worlds”, something like a “soul core” is practically overtechnology. That’s why, until I introduced the very concept of a soul core, the system hadn’t even recognized that such an item could exist. However, once it became aware of it, searching for a soul core became possible.

I had expected that it would eventually start finding soul cores on its own, but…

Why does it have to be a dungeon used as a landfill?

In the case of the Truelight Sect, I can guess why they taught Lee Manbok how to create a soul core. Since they even know how to counter my unique magic, it’s only natural that I’d know that much about the enemy as well.

Passing on the method of creating a soul core to a group capable of human experimentation… was probably meant to advance their research further.

No matter how great an archmage I am, working alone means there are times when research hits a dead end. In those moments, sharing opinions with others or observing their research can spark inspiration, and if those others are a group capable of conducting extreme experiments, all the better, from their perspective.

But if the material for a soul core was found in a dungeon used as a garbage dump…

I can’t make sense of it at all.

For now, I opened “Dungeon 24,” the app operated by the government’s Hunter Management Agency. Dungeon 24 roughly archives information on fixed-type dungeons. Of course, it doesn’t share detailed clearing strategies; its purpose is to reassure the general public by regularly updating news about dungeons near residential areas. The app also lists the guild that primarily handles each dungeon’s clearing. That’s because in South Korea, dungeon clearing rights are basically auctioned off through a bidding system. When a dungeon offers good clear rewards or valuable items can be mined inside, fierce bidding wars between guilds can break out, but…

“It’s been left unclaimed several times.”

Well, considering it’s still being used as a dump, it seems there’s nothing worth obtaining from this dungeon.

The guild registered in the government app was a small one I’d never heard of.

"Yeongjongdo Shining... hmm."

The name sounded oddly cult-like, but even after searching, nothing noteworthy came up. Judging by the listing, a small guild with 15 members, it really did seem insignificant.

And yet it’s a C-rank dungeon.

It feels like a guild that works with the bare minimum number of people. Since it’s being used as a garbage dump, they probably receive government subsidies, maybe that’s what the guild operates on.

I asked the system once more. “Are you absolutely sure it’s here? Are there no other traces of a soul core?”

Other locations are currently being searched for.

At present, the only soul core within the searchable range exists at this location.

The system requests assistance from User “Jeong Daon”.

At the system’s persistent request, I let out a short sigh.

Honestly, even if it turns out to be a wild goose chase, it’s still worth checking once.

That’s because there was compensation involved.

The system offers “Level +5” as a reward.

Considering that my level had risen to 23 in the last dungeon, a five-level increase was quite encouraging. And more than anything, the biggest benefit was…

“Don’t forget the stat allocation tickets.”

The system agrees to stat allocation.

It was now a week into the new year. All the time I’d spent dragging things out with the system had paid off.

Normally, when a Hunter leveled up, they were free to distribute their stats however they wanted. In my case, though, it wasn’t so much that my level increased as it was that the limits on my abilities were being lifted. Until now, the system had been adjusting my stats on its own. As a result, useless stats for a mage—like HP or physical strength—had been going up for no good reason. If I gained five levels, I’d get at least thirty stat points, and I planned to dump all of them straight into mana.

Judging by my current stats, I was barely a low-tier mage who could only cast lower-tier, three-circle spells, so I desperately needed more mana. Of course, with my mana control, dominance, and the use of incantation magic, I could still produce bursts of destructive power…but I couldn’t rely on ultimate moves all the time.

It’s kind of pathetic to be this happy over something so small.

Considering how I couldn’t even use incantation magic during the recent Truelight Sect incident because my physical condition was so bad, I should probably just be grateful. Living as a human really is absurdly difficult.

Anyway, getting the quest is fine, but how am I supposed to enter that dungeon?

As I said before, dungeons are basically operated through clearing rights auctions, so unless you’re part of the guild that holds the rights to that dungeon, you can’t just walk in. Sneaking in is technically possible, but with my current stats, entering a C-rank dungeon alone would be extremely risky.

Hmm, in that case…

Maybe it’s time to pull out a card that was completely useless last time.

“You were free.”

Honestly, I thought there was a higher chance they’d ignore me, but Han Jaeyeong replied to my message almost immediately. They told me to come to the guild and talk in person.

Looks like their curiosity is eating them alive.

I figured as much. From the start, the reason Han Jaeyeong brought me into their guild was because they were curious about me as a person, so during the Truelight Sect incident, they probably intended to keep a close eye on what I was doing. But once I actually infiltrated the sect, everything ended before they even had time to intervene.

“So, why do you suddenly want to clear a dungeon like that?”

“Someone I met at the Truelight Sect gave me some information.” I couldn’t talk about the system, so I kept it vague. “It seems like the experiments that were going on in the Truelight Sect might also be happening inside that dungeon.” Since the information about soul cores came from Choi Miyeon and Lee Arin, it wasn’t exactly a lie.

Han Jaeyeong’s eyes widened. “Ah, the person who said she was going to police questioning? She didn’t look well. Is she healthier now?”

“How could she be?”

It had only been a week since the new year. We’d exchanged a few more messages in that time, and I’d heard she was still languishing in a hospital bed, barely well enough for proper police questioning. She’d already been in a “water-balloon” state to begin with, and the mental and physical shock had been severe. Practically speaking, just like Lee Arin, she was living on borrowed time.

At least it’s good that her level went up while controlling the desert whale.

Under normal circumstances, Choi Miyeon’s body, the vessel, would have already shattered, making it effectively impossible to level up. But in her case, thanks to my intervention, she managed to rack up an achievement. Controlling an A-rank monster was a significant feat, and as her level rose, her body, on the verge of collapse, was stabilized somewhat.

It wouldn’t make a huge difference, but it would help a little.

“Hm. An insider who betrayed the Truelight Sect, formed some kind of bond with Hunter Jeong Daon, and then shared information she didn’t even give to the prosecution… it’s not that strange, I suppose.” Han Jaeyeong frowned. “Still, why are you trying to look into this yourself instead of handing that information over to the Hunter Management Agency?”

From a common-sense perspective, that was a fair question. The Truelight Sect’s activities were currently under investigation by government agencies. If a new lead emerged, leaving it to the authorities might lead to better results than personal involvement. But that was before Lee Manbok ever uttered the words “Central Management Office.” I had no idea how deeply that agency might be involved, and I couldn’t just hand over this information carelessly…

Besides, I kind of want to observe this Han Jaeyeong person a bit more.

Han Jaeyeong’s mind worked fast, and personally I found them rather unpleasant…but—

They don’t seem like the type to cozy up to state power.

From my perspective, Han Jaeyeong had very clear personal interests and a personality that would never bend their own convictions. That alone, how intensely they fixated their curiosity on me, was evidence enough. In both good and bad ways, they had the temperament of a truth-seeking mage. Still, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down completely.

They accessed the intranet in the Gwanghwamun Office building last time

Even if they were an S-rank Hunter, it wasn’t as though just anyone could have an ID for a civil servants’ network. There was a chance they were connected to the Central Management Office. You can’t really judge a person by appearances alone, after all.

They also seem to be on fairly good terms with Yu Hanul. I can’t afford to get stabbed in the back.

That part mattered the most. On the surface, it was hard to tell whether they got along well or poorly, but the fact that Yu Hanul contacted Han Jaeyeong first regarding the Truelight Sect incident suggested the hero trusted them quite a bit. And from my standpoint, while I had no intention of cooperating with Yu Hanul, it would be troublesome if the hero got betrayed either. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my ally—if we’re going to eliminate the Enemy of Humanity, the hero is ultimately a card I’ll have to use, especially now, when I’m effectively leashed to the system.

So what if someone close to Yu Hanul turned out to be connected to the Enemy of Humanity, and the hero ended up dying an absurd, pointless death?

Of course, I'd rather hunt him down and kill him, even if it means killing him alone, but I can't afford to lose my most powerful asset. Sure, I’d still hunt that bastard down myself, but I can’t afford to lose my strongest card.

That’s why Han Jaeyeong needed to be vetted.

Ha. I wonder if the hero has any idea I’m doing all this behind the scenes for his sake. I ought to get a plaque of appreciation or something.

If we go look for the soul core together, I’ll get my answer.

And just in case Han Jaeyeong turned out to be an enemy, I’d already put a contingency plan in place.

If the system judges that a grave threat to humanity’s survival has emerged, it will allow synchronization between the abilities of User “Jeong Daon” and “Destroyer of Worlds”.

Usable only once.

The fact that it would even allow something like this showed just how much the system treasured the hero.

So all that remained was to pique Han Jaeyeong’s interest.

“I should be the one asking you that.”

And this, this was a demon’s specialty.

I shrugged. “Why do you think I’d hand something this interesting over to other mages?”

“Something interesting?”

“Yes. You’ve heard about the miracles Lee Manbok showed at the Truelight Sect, haven’t you?”

“Ah, you mean how he demonstrated various kinds of magic. That’s just a common scam—”

“What if it wasn’t a scam?”

As I said that, I placed a bracelet on the table. The bracelet I’d taken from Lee Manbok, shaped like a snake coiled around itself.

The moment Han Jaeyeong saw it, their eyes lit up. “Wh-what on earth is this…?!”

A mage of Han Jaeyeong’s caliber wouldn’t fail to recognize the value of this item. It was a dazzling feast of magic, filled with beautiful, intricate formulas; a masterpiece imbued with the essence of a grand mage.

“No, it doesn’t even require the wearer’s own mana. How on earth… I can tell it uses this chrysoberyl to draw in ambient mana to meet the cost, but—no, you compressed an attack magic circle of this magnitude down to this size? And made it so the user doesn’t even have to control it?”

Han Jaeyeong’s eyes shone as brilliantly as the item itself. Their fingers trembled slightly as they stroked the snake set with chrysoberyl. That reaction alone told me everything.

“Now imagine things like this being produced in the Truelight Sect’s laboratory.”

Han Jaeyeong’s head snapped up. Their eyes were filled with a hunger no mage could ignore.

“And you’d hand information like that over to someone else?”

“…Haaaah.” Han Jaeyeong let out a deep sigh. “I understand perfectly. If there’s even a chance there are more items like this… it would be a waste to hand it over to the government.”

“Right?”

“But then why tell me? There’s always the possibility I’d just silence you and keep the information to myself.”

“If you did that, you’d die by Yu Hanul’s hand.”

Yu Hanul was the hero the system cherished more than any other human. If I were to die at Han Jaeyeong’s hands at this point, that fact would be conveyed to Yu Hanul in the form of information, and Yu Hanul would never tolerate that kind of injustice.

Han Jaeyeong looked briefly startled by my words, then smiled. “You kept your distance last time, but you trust Hanul quite a lot. Are you the type who’s different on the inside?”

“Keeping my distance and trusting someone aren’t the same thing.”

As a demon who’d been killed by the hero in a past life, it was true that I wanted to keep my distance for the sake of my own survival, but…

“I trust Yu Hanul with my life’s worth.”