Chapter 75: Now It's Awkward

“Gwaaaah!”

Yu Gihun vomited, his eyes rolling back in his head.

It had taken only about three seconds to deliver the blow to his abdomen.

That was more than enough time.

Thud.

I released his wrist, and the unconscious Yu Gihun collapsed face-first into his own vomit, twitching weakly.

The jumpsuit around his chest and back was completely torn, exposing his bare skin.

It was only because I hadn’t activated the Dragon Spirit Iron Wire that it wasn’t worse. If I had used Fist Energy Forging Gang, I might have punched a hole straight through his stomach.

“Haa… shit.”

A sigh drifted over from the side.

I turned to see Choi Jinho cradling his head in one hand, letting out a low sigh.

I grinned. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“He deserved that beating,” Choi Jinho snapped curtly.

This was unexpected. Even though Yu Gihun was a troublemaker, he was still a member of our guild. I naturally assumed Choi Jinho would defend him.

Instead of tending to the sprawled-out Yu Gihun, Choi Jinho turned to the Bicheon Guild members, who were nervously swallowing as they stared at the scene.

“Lee Taejun is no longer one of us,” Choi declared. “He’s not even the porter who used to carry our luggage anymore. So if any of you get sentimental and act up, you’ll end up just like him. Got it?”

”…”

“I said, do you understand?” Choi repeated, his voice sharp and intimidating.

Startled, the Bicheon Guild members nodded hastily.

“Y-yes, we understand!”

“Drag him away and get him emergency treatment.”

Four or five Bicheon Guild members reluctantly dragged Yu Gihun away, sneaking glances at me as they did so.

With only the two of us left, Choi remarked, “Seeing you here, I guess the dungeon was on the verge of a Dimensional Shift.”

“Exactly. The Dungeon Break escalated remarkably fast. The Mana Gauge shot up to level 1.5.”

Level 1.5…

Just as I’d suspected, the outside world must be in complete chaos.

“Sorry, Alliance Headquarters officials. I was just trying to restore one item, and I ended up making you work overtime.”

Choi Jinho muttered, gazing down at the corpses of the house-sized Swarm Lord and the Void Spiders sprawled across the slope below. “Well, with monsters like that running rampant, it’s no surprise.”

I didn’t reply, simply scratching my head. Silence fell between us again.

You said it.

Even though not a single monster remained, we were still trapped. The Dimensional Gate wouldn’t open until the dungeon’s Mana Gauge stabilized. Being stuck here for now was one thing, but…

Why is he still lingering around?

I couldn’t figure out why he was standing so close to me. Eventually, tired of the awkward silence, I broke the ice.

“Aren’t you going to ask?”

“Ask what?”

“Whatever.”

Choi Jinho paused briefly before answering. “Those monsters down there are ones I’ve never seen before, but since they’re already dead, we can analyze them later. As for why my Mana Gauge surged to the 1.5-star level… I can probably guess, given the state of this dungeon.”

“Hmm.”

“I do have some specific questions, but… whatever. You probably wouldn’t answer anyway.”

Even though our relationship had soured, Choi Jinho had been my comrade for seven years.

For someone like me, who had always been stuck in place, to suddenly experience such absurd growth in just two months…

He must be just as curious as Lee Seonah, if not more so.

A moment later, Choi Jinho quietly spoke. “Lee Taejun, I think I might have misjudged you…”

But Choi Jinho’s words were cut short.

Whoosh.

With a resonant hum, a Dimensional Gate suddenly materialized before me.

Perfect timing. I was about to get goosebumps from the awkwardness.

I casually placed one foot inside the gate, fixing Choi Jinho with a steady gaze.

The guy, his words hanging mid-air, paused for a moment before shaking his head.

“Go ahead. I need to check on Gihun-hyung’s condition.”

Well, if you insist, I won’t refuse.

I hurried to step through, but hesitated briefly and turned back to Choi Jinho.

“Hey, just to be clear, I acted in self-defense, okay?”

”…Got it.”

Even though my action cam had recorded everything perfectly, it never hurt to be absolutely sure.

With that, I fully stepped through the Dimensional Gate.

As the Dimensional Shift occurred, Manager Mi’s chat window buzzed.

“You seem even more excited than I am?”

Come to think of it, Manager Mi had been by my side ever since we entered the dungeon.

Though I still don’t know if that thing even has eyelids.

Regardless, it must be pretty tired.

“Still, you can’t be as exhausted as I am.”

Manager Mi only had to monitor things, while I’d spent two days straight battling waves of Void Spiders. My whole body ached, my Mana Gauge was nearly empty, and I was in terrible shape. I was only putting on a brave face because we’d run into Bicheon Guild Members.

Should I stop by the sauna on the way home?

Yeah, a hot bowl of gukbap at the sauna would wash away all this fatigue.

Then I could just head straight home and collapse on my bed.

I’ll deal with everything else later.

But my sweet daydream was short-lived.

A blinding light suddenly flooded my vision, signaling the near completion of the Dimensional Shift.

“Whoa, he’s coming through! The Dimensional Gate is resonating!”

“Is it really Lee Taejun, just like Alliance Headquarters predicted?”

“Lee Taejun… It’s him! Focus all cameras this way, quick!”

“Hold on! Our Gangwon Branch’s on-site investigation takes priority!”

Even though my ears felt muffled, as if filled with water, the surrounding commotion still pierced through.

In an instant, countless figures swarmed around me.

The camera flashes, the shouts of Alliance Headquarters officials, and the clamor of reporters assaulted my senses.

The chat window surged with messages, accompanied by an emoji radiating palpable gloom.

I could only reply with a wry smile.

“Hunter Lee Taejun, this is Reporter Ju Hyunmin from Hunter Today. Just one quick question…”

“Hey, no cutting in line! Taejun-ssi, NBC News…”

Reporters swarmed, flashbulbs popping as they jostled to shove microphones into my face. Alliance Headquarters officials and Hunters milled about awkwardly amidst the chaos.

I closed my eyes tightly and nodded inwardly.

Well, alright.

Considering we turned the whole country upside down just to fix one Item, this wasn’t so bad.

“Heh, quite the formidable one.”

The Dimensional Shift space resembled a black hole, a void where dimensions shifted and collided.

In the pitch-black darkness, Ellikroid grinned faintly.

The aftermath of this “direct trade” had been considerable.

His once-robust arm muscles had withered pitifully from the immense Mana expenditure.

The erector spinae muscles that had supported his shattered spine had suffered the same fate.

Now, Ellikroid could barely stand upright.

The financial toll had been substantial as well.

The 5,000 Coins he’d received from Taejun barely covered a tenth of what he’d spent on the Dimensional Shift.

Yet, despite all this…

“It was a satisfying journey,” Ellikroid murmured contentedly.

Even his most promising disciples, whom he himself had nurtured to the 10th Circle, would have been impressed.

No magician in the entire continent, or indeed, across all dimensions, had ever managed to fully grasp the mechanisms behind Ellikroid’s scrolls.

Yet Taejun, in just two months, had mastered Fireball to the point of wielding it with effortless precision.

But that wasn’t all.

Artifacts that would normally require considerable effort to control…

He wielded them freely from the moment he equipped them, felling a Swarm Lord with a single strike.

This convinced Ellikroid:

If Taejun continues to grow at this pace…

He would soon surpass Ellikroid himself.

It’s rare to encounter someone with both Martial Talent and Intellectual Talent.

Thus, Ellikroid believed he had gained far more than he had lost in this “trade.”

Just meeting such a rare entity, one that might exist in only a handful of all dimensions, was reward enough.

“Heh, but this aching body is still unavoidable.”

His dwelling was nestled within the hollow of a colossal ancient tree.

He longed for his griffin-feather bed.

And right on cue, a brilliant light shimmered in the distance, signaling the final stages of the Dimensional Shift.

But the moment he stepped into the dazzling light…

“Hmm.”

Ellikroid narrowed his eyes.

His chaotic abode remained unchanged, still littered with scrolls, books, magical items, and flasks.

Except for one thing.

”…I don’t recall inviting you here, Chairman Francis.”

He had a visitor.

Dressed in a wide-brimmed hat and a jet-black robe, he held a staff topped with a crystal orb. Though he appeared to be the same age as Ellikroid, this man was actually an old comrade from their days at the Ma Tower.

“Long time no see, Ellikroid von Grid,” he said.

“What brings the Chairman of the Magic Tower Academic Society to this humble place?” Ellikroid asked in a monotone voice.

The Chairman of the Magic Tower Academic Society—the master of the Ma Tower, where only the continent’s most revered magicians gathered—replied with earnest eyes, “If I had the time, I’d ask how you’ve been, or at least what you did to end up in this state. But time is short, so I’ll cut to the chase.”

He uttered a single, fervent plea: “Come back to the Ma Tower.”

“Hmph, and here you are, begging me to return, after you all unanimously voted to expel me for supposedly dishonoring the Ma Tower,” Ellikroid scoffed.

“You know I opposed your expulsion to the very end,” Francis replied.

”…”

“I’m begging you. Come back, if not for the Society, then for my sake. Every single member has agreed to your reinstatement. Not a single one dissented.”

Beneath Ellikroid’s drooping eyebrows, his eyes fixed intently on Francis.

“Something must have happened,” he said.

After a brief silence, the Chairman of the Magic Tower Academic Society quietly replied, “An unidentified plague has struck the Ma Tower. Over half the Society has already been infected.”

“What kind of plague is it?” Ellikroid asked.

“It’s… difficult to explain,” Francis replied, his face hardening into a grim mask.

The Chairman of the Magic Tower Academic Society, a master of knowledge across all dimensions, offered a single, terse reply:

“It’s difficult to explain.”

“What are the symptoms?” Ellikroid asked.

“A manic frenzy similar to Mana Schizophrenia, yet distinct. And as a precursor…”

Francis, about to elaborate, lowered his head with a sorrowful expression. “No, let’s discuss this on the way.”

Lost in thought, a notification suddenly chimed:

A thank-you note.

And an expression of hope for a reunion.

Ellikroid raised his hand to reply, then lowered it again.

Not yet.

This isn’t the time to rashly promise a reunion.

“Let’s go,” he said.

Whoosh.

A faint whisper of wind.

In an instant, only a faint residue of mana remained where the two Archmages had stood.

“They haven’t read it yet,” I muttered, staring at the Parsley Market window floating before me—the chat window where I’d conversed with GeniusArkMage1004.

“I just want to know if they arrived safely.”

Immediately after exiting the dungeon, I’d sent them a fairly lengthy farewell message, including wishes for a future reunion.

But no new messages or chat notifications had arrived.

Ellikroid hadn’t replied.

Even now, after returning to my studio apartment in Macheon, taking a long nap, and waking up…

Vibration! Vibration!

Instead, my smartphone kept buzzing with notifications from other sources.

I closed the Market window and pulled out my phone.