Chapter 50 – Let’s Do the Same!

Vrooooom.

A motorcycle ran smoothly along the road. Every time it accelerated, the driver’s Sukajan fluttered.

The owner of the motorcycle was Se-min.

He had extorted the motorcycle from the Raiders he met in the parking lot after finishing the subjugation battle orientation a few days ago.

Of course, it was instead of a tuition fee.

A lesson to watch one’s words.

“This is nice.”

Se-min realized, while going through the gate chain incident not long ago, that mobility was also a virtue of a Raider. So he changed his means of transportation to a liter-class motorcycle.

Although he was running in accordance with the speed limit for now, in case of emergency, speeding toward the gate location was possible. Even now, he was moving to the raid site faster than usual.

Far off, Ju Won-ho of the combat support team was seen.

The gazes of the waiting Platinum Mark Raiders were fixed on him.

Se-min stopped the motorcycle and waved his hand to them.

The Raiders bowed their heads in greeting.

Three people, all of them looked older than Se-min. Their careers would also be long. But in the world of Raiders, skill was everything.

“Please take good care of today’s raid.”

Se-min said as he drew Lupus, which he carried on his back.

By this point, all of them were experts. Long words were not even necessary. They stood before the gate soon, after talking about how the weather was these days or that they lost money in stocks.

“Since Se-min is here too, let’s go comfortably.”

“Of course. If you go and have a cup of coffee, we will have it finished.”

“Hahaha.”

This monster was a Black-grade Judas, which was stronger than Platinum but weak to be called Black.

In the first place, the strength of monsters was a classification according to convenience, so it was not precise.

In the case of the Black Castle, it was eventually classified as a Black-grade. However, the actual recommended raid personnel was three or more Black Mark Raiders.

On the contrary, although Judas was a Black-grade, about five Platinum Mark Raiders could carry out the raid.

Right now, the power was excessive.

[We will count ten until the gate unfolds.]

The countdown ended and the gate opened.

Judas appeared with a few Zorgs.

“How long has it been since I saw Zorgs?”

The guys rushed in frantically like wild dogs. A Platinum Mark Raider stepped forward and roughly swung a sword. The guys were sliced up in an instant.

Se-min also kicked off the ground and rushed toward Judas.

Se-min felt the aura moving more freely following his will. After the battle with the Black Castle, he somehow felt like he understood the Tai Chi that Seol Mu-jin had spoken of.

Accepting the way of Tai Chi with the aura and body, not the head.

Judas swung a forepaw at Se-min.

Se-min used that force against it. After dodging the attack and digging inside, he thrust the sword. Then, the enemy’s body was caught. Lupus cleanly slit the guy’s flank.

Blood and entrails spilled out.

Se-min avoided the body fluids by circling behind Judas.

Judas’s body tilted.

Seeing that sight, a Raider whistled.

“You really go comfortably.”

It was a concise attack.

Running to meet, dodging the enemy’s attack, and cutting the flank with a counter.

If an ordinary person saw it, they would wonder if that was really a Black-grade monster.

Of course, the reality was not that simple. Just as a Baduk board after a game is finished looks similar, there were numerous battles of moves until that ordinary slash was completed.

Any ordinary Raider would have been defeated by Judas instead.

[The vital signs are weakening. You may finish it.]

The Raiders surrounded and attacked Judas’s vital spots respectively. The guy struggled under the attacks flying from all directions and soon breathed his last.

“Gas money earned.”

Se-min muttered while tapping Judas’s head.

As for fuel efficiency, the old scooter was the best.

The raid was finalized. For a Black-grade raid, everyone’s clothing was clean. Se-min greeted the Raiders.

“Then I will be going. You all worked hard.”

“Yes. Good work.”

“Goodbye.”

While everyone was parting, suddenly one Raider followed Se-min.

“Se-min.”

“Yes.”

“I’m asking just in case. You know that sword is a magic sword, right?”

Se-min looked at him.

“Do you know about this sword?”

“No. It is just that I felt an energy.”

“Are you a magician?”

“Hahaha. It’s not like that.”

He rummaged through his pocket and pulled something out of his wallet.

It was a black business card.

On it, in gold letters, ‘Magic Engineer Yu Ji-ah’ was written.

“My wife does that kind of work.”

In Europe, magic engineering had recently been receiving attention. Although it lacked the power to directly face monsters like martial arts, it could implement various powers by applying aura.

“She learned it in Europe, so her skills are sufficient. It is a rising field, so some people don’t believe in it, but please visit once, thinking of it as being deceived. That sword seems to be an old object, is that correct?”

“I heard so.”

“There might be magical power dwelling inside.”

Seol Mu-jin, the original owner and smuggler of Lupus, had said it was a magic sword discovered in the basement of a cathedral in Scotland.

Even when fighting the Black Castle, Lupus exerted an unknown power. It emitted light and left a wound on the Black Castle’s body as if a wolf had bitten and passed by.

“It happens that I was curious too, so it’s a connection.”

On the back of the business card, the trade name ‘Radagast’ specialized in magic engraving was displayed.

“The location will come up if you search on Mango Net. The shop name is on the back.”

Se-min nodded. The man shook his cell phone, saying he would tell his wife. The two exchanged greetings to see each other next time and parted.

Se-min thought about magic engraving.

With the emergence of aura, relics that exerted bizarre powers were excavated. When aura was injected, the inherent magic engineering was exerted.

One of the representative forms of magic engineering was Rune letters.

Since the precise principles of magic engineering could not be identified, the power was mimicked by duplicating existing patterns as they were. If a magical pattern was engraved on a relic, they would copy it.

However, no matter how much they copied the shape, the power was unstable. Although the magic of old relics had consistent effects, when they copied it, defects appeared somewhere.

Therefore, Raiders did not use magic engravings. This was because instability in fights of life and death directly led to danger. Magic engraving was still treated as a expensive toy.

Magic was the same.

A small number of magicians existed in foreign countries. However, in a similar situation as magic engraving, they were not classified as raid forces.

“Should I have tried learning magic?”

Although magic was slower in development compared to martial arts and its theory was not established, Se-min had the Transcendent Network. He could become the pioneer of modern magic.

“I should think about it.”

Se-min put Sister Iana’s introduction to magic post into his mental shopping cart.

Since he had no work right now, Se-min headed directly to Radagast.

***

Radagast was located on the first floor of an old building, and at first glance, it looked like a cafe.

“What.”

It was not at first glance, it was indeed a cafe.

It was a side business.

Se-min entered the cafe and presented the business card to the employee.

The employee called the president toward the inside. Soon, a woman wearing glasses with her hair tied back came out of the room and greeted Se-min.

It was Yu Ji-ah, the owner of the business card.

“Hello. I received a text from my husband earlier, but I didn’t know you would come right away.”

“Because I have nothing to do today.”

“My husband praised Se-min, saying that the raid was easy thanks to you.”

Only then did the employee realize it was Se-min and looked at him. The customers in the cafe also began to recognize him gradually.

“Please come inside.”

Se-min entered the staff room under her guidance.

Inside, there was a staircase going down to the basement again. He had thought of a scene with velvet curtains and a crystal ball on a small table, but the lighting was bright and crafting equipment including drills was lined up.

“I pursue scientific magic engineering, you see.”

She smiled and pulled out a chair for Se-min.

“I came because of this sword.”

Yu Ji-ah’s expression became strange from the moment Lupus came out of the scabbard, as if she smelled something.

Se-min put it on the table. Yu Ji-ah carefully stroked the surface of the sword.

“It’s a claymore. Celtic style…”

“From what I heard, it was excavated in the basement of Glasgow Cathedral in Scotland.”

“Ah, then you did report it, right?”

“No.”

Se-min lowered his voice.

“This is smuggled goods.”

“Pardon?”

“Please keep it a secret.”

“That is…”

“I will give you more reward.”

“Deal.”

She put on gloves and began to examine the sword in earnest.

As she focused on the work, she became quiet. Se-min stealthily stood up from his seat and examined the interior.

There were many strange items. There were masks, and things like rings, necklaces, and daggers were placed inside a glass showcase. An explanation showing that they were imitations copying real relics was visible. Se-min picked up a catalog.

Functions such as a fire rising when aura was injected, or calling a cool breeze were introduced.

But a warning note that a flame could erupt or a vortex could occur suddenly was also added.

As expected, it was unstable.

Se-min picked up a small piece of wood out for demonstration.

Meaningless Rune letters were engraved on the piece of wood. When Se-min injected aura, a faint light rose from the Rune letters and then faded.

And something floated before Se-min’s eyes.

“Be careful.”

“Pardon?”

It was a light sphere about the size of a grain of rice. It was not to the extent of being dazzling, but drifted in the air, scattering light faintly. It was like a flying insect.

“It’s strange… Argh!”

“You are out of luck. It attacks about once in three times, and you got hit.”

When it collided toward Se-min, a pain like being pinched arose. Se-min operated his aura to catch it and clutched the air, but it had already disappeared.

“Is this magic?”

“Yes. It’s basic.”

She called Se-min.

“Come over here.”

“Yes.”

Se-min sat in front of her. She swept the Rune letters of Lupus with her gloved hand.

“I’m not sure, but…”

“Yes.”

“This seems to be a sealing formula.”

“A sealing formula?”

“The function of this claymore is only sealing.”

“No way…”

Se-min had witnessed the power of Lupus once.

Se-min explained about it.

“That would be the power of the sealed entity, not the power of the sword. Since the name is Lupus, maybe even the soul of an ancient wolf is dwelling in it.”

“Like that thing earlier?”

“No. That is not something like a soul, but just created light. The pain upon moving and touching is also aura splashing. It imitated the engraving dwelling on the Lantern of Nouvelle discovered in Germany.”

Yu Ji-ah searched for something on her cell phone.

“Other than that, I don’t know well either. This is too ancient of a method and complex… May I take a picture and show it to my master?”

“Hmm…”

“Don’t worry. To do this job, smuggling is nothing. Stolen goods are piled up at my master’s house.”

“Then alright.”

“I’m sorry for not being of help.”

“No. Knowing that this is a seal is also a gain.”

Se-min put Lupus back into the scabbard.

Knowing the fact that something was sealed inside here, somehow his attitude in treating Lupus also changed.

It felt not just like a sword, but truly like his comrade-in-arms.

Indeed, it was a fateful encounter.

Who would have known that his claymore would break while fighting the Triad, and when he searched the surroundings, another claymore would be there?

Yu Ji-ah said she would receive the appraisal fee after her master’s reply arrived. Se-min nodded. He came out of the cafe and boarded the motorcycle.

“Lupus. I know you are in there.”

Se-min tried talking to Lupus carried on his back. Of course, there was no reaction.

“Oh? Aren’t you answering?”

Se-min chuckled.

It was at that moment.