ââ¦.â
Kang Yoo-sik looked at Tao Fei's suggestion quietly. For those who knew the value of Bagua, this proposal wouldnât be strange. However, Kang Yoo-sik rather felt his head settle down calmly.
âYou're giving this away right away?'
Even if it hadn't been liberated yet, the value of the Eight Trigrams was the most outstanding item among Tao Fei's possessions.
âI just want to hear what happened.â Kang Yoo-sikâs calm reply gave Tao Fei a slightly embarrassed expression.
âAh, itâs the most precious thing I've ever owned⦠Can't you show me what you're doing?"
âThat's why youâre so calm. If it was halfway good, I would have done the same.â
âHowever⦠Yes, that too.â
Nodding his head in satisfaction, Tao Fei took out a pledge from a drawer and held it forward. "If you sign here, I'll let you know what's going on."
Hearing Tao Fei's response, Kang Yoo-sik glanced over the contents of the pledge. âItâs just a non-disclosure clause.â
It was a simple pledge that required one to not divulge what happened here today. Kang Yoo-sik, who confirmed that there was no problem, readily signed the pledge and handed it over. Then he pulled out some scrolls and books half by one, and a hidden space appeared with a clicking sound.
âThatâs an enchantment too.â
It seemed to be of a higher quality than the previous scroll in that no trace of magical power was felt until it started working. While Kang Yoo-sik was wondering who the enchanter who gifted those items was, Tao Fei put down a document in front of him.
It was a document with confidentiality phrases firmly embedded in it. Kang Yoo-sik looked down at it and made a slightly puzzled expression. âCan I give you something like this?â
"It does not matter. After all, it is only a skeleton.â
âThenâ¦.â
Hearing Tao Fei's story, Kang Yoo-sik handed over the documents and looked at the table of contents.
[Lion Purification]
âPurification of the deadâ¦.â
Judging by the name, it felt like it was targeting undead monsters. Kang Yoo-sik, who had a slight sense of something, flipped through the documents as they were and skimmed through the contents.
As Kang Yoo-sik expected, the document contained research on undead-related technologies, but as Tao Fei said, only the skeleton had been built. âIt's not about using light and flame, which are opposites, but focusing on unlocking the structure that sustains lifeâ¦.â
An inefficient way to simply use against the undead. Upon seeing it, Kang Yoo-sik immediately realized what the real purpose of this technology was. Not undead as monsters, but truly immortal beings. In other words, it was a technique to deal with âimmortality!â
âNow I understand why he was like that in his last years before returning.â
Tao Fei, who was severely injured in an ambush by an assassin in the Black Forest, was bedridden and died at the end of a struggle.
âHmm. how to do this⦠â
Kang Yoo-sik, who was contemplating how to solve the conversation, opened his mouth after looking through the documents to the last page. âI have a question for you.â
"What?â
âThis technique. You werenât targeting the undead, were you?â Tao Fei shook his head in admiration inwardly at Kang Yoo-sikâs appearance, which perfectly penetrated his purpose with only his skeleton.
âI can't say that.â
âMaybe I canât help you?â
âThe moment you hear this, you too become deeply entangled. Even though I need your help, I don't want to drag you there.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Kang Yoo-sik looked at Tao Feiâs determined answer with a slightly unexpected expression. If it had been him, he would have pulled it in deeply and eaten it properly, even if it was a waste of mine. âIs it because of the debt relationship in front of you?â
Kang Yoo-sik pondered what to do when he opened his mouth to Tao Fei, who refused to tell her no matter what. "All right. I don't know what it is, but can I help you complete this technique?"
âWill you help?â
âI heard they give me something like that, but I have to try it. onlyâ¦.â
âOnly?"
âI will receive the item after the magic method is completed.â
Tao Fei looked at Kang Yoo-sikâs condition with a surprised expression. âIs that true?â
In other words, he was able to receive the Eight Trigrams without having to complete the technique unconditionally, but Kang Yoo-sik put restrictions on himself. âThe price is too high to throw out a few words of advice and take it. And it doesn't suit my personality.â
âYouâ¦.â
âI donât really know how helpful I can be⦠â¦
This was good, but if one was a loyal person, sometimes it was better to put it off. It was because such people gave more than 100 in return because they were grateful for the work that was enough even if they were to give 100.
ââ¦Thanks."
[Debtor âTao Feiâs debt increases.]
[Debtor âTao Feiâs debt grade rises to C grade. Collection list will be added.] Rise from D to C grade
He rose from the D grade to the C grade. It was not bad considering that he was coaxed with just a word without anything, but compared to Kang Yoo-sik's expectations, it was a little less than what he expected.
âI have to be a B-class to talk about it.â
Through Lion Purification, he had known that Tao Fei was in a position to oppose the Heavenly Army, but he couldnât trust it completely. That was why Kang Yoo-sik was thinking of carefully speaking out when the debt rating rose to a certain extent, but it was a little lacking.
âHow do I fill thisâ¦.â
While Kang Yoo-sik was rolling his head at a grade that he found lacking, Tao Fei cleared his throat. He then opened his mouth. âHmm. Well, I decided to help anyway, so I'll show you the research records so far.â
âAh. Isnât that all?â
âIt is just a plan. It took years of investment, but I couldnât have made it that much.â
Standing up, Tao Fei opened a hidden space in the wall this time and took a thick stack of papers from there. âThatâs quite a lot.â
âIâve been researching for decades, and this should be enough. This is also an excellent one, I picked and selected and compressed it.â
It was quite impactful to see Tao Fei feeling proud of the research paper he handed over. And most of all, what was surprising was that the technique derived from the study of Lion Purification was the Nullification Technique that Tao Lan had demonstrated at the Round Academy. âIf the derivation is good enough, the finished product must be amazingâ¦.â
Perhaps the immortal counter could be used in many ways. Kang Yoo-sik, who saw various possibilities, quickly scanned the documents using Percivalâs computing power. And after chewing through all of its potential and contents, he nodded in conviction. "This. I should change the 80%.â
ââ¦What?" Seeing Tao Fei asking back with a blank expression, Kang Yoo-sik began to scan the documents one by one based on the information he had just seen.
âThis is a misalignment between the target effect and the structure of the spell. This study was slightly miscalculated from the beginning. And this cannot be linked to any other outcome.â
As Kang Yoo-sik sorted the documents by type, Tao Fei looked at him with an indescribable expression. If it was normal, they would have said that they said it carelessly without reading it properly.
âNo⦠⦠Anyway, I just skimmed through itâ¦â
Did it make sense that all the results of their research accumulated over decades are judged? The moment Tao Fei was about to say something. Kang Yoo-sik, who was sorting through the documents, calmly opened his mouth. âOld man. You know that the evaluation of technology changes with the times, right?â
âUh, huh? That's right.â
âThen, how do you think the magic academia is now?â
"That's what you need to changeâ¦.â Tao Fei's eyes widened as he answered naturally, and he nodded as he looked at Kang Yoo-sikâs finished sorting.
"Yeah. It's a good study, but in most cases, when the core of magic is reflected, the efficiency decreases, and the spell ends up not working.â
âEven soâ¦.â
How could the core of magic, which was still poorly understood, be applied so quickly to such a complex research product? The moment when Tao Fei's eyes were about to twist at something that seemed impossible in a short period of timeâ¦
âKuhm.â Kang Yoo-sik coughed in order to draw attention to himself. âThis was not planned⦠And⦠If you need an elder, I can teach you the know-how of the magic core.â
âI-really?â
"Sure. Still, this is a really important know-how for me⦠You know?â
Kang Yoo-sik smiled and looked at Tao Fei. âYou owe me.â
* * *
One week later. A tense atmosphere flowed in the Blue Dragon's training ground, and a hideous atmosphere lingered on the students' side of Cheonmuâs side. To be exact, the students of the same academy were also standing slightly apart with a reluctant expressions on their faces, and a particular three gathered in one place exuded a vicious aura.
ââ¦.â Liang Jin sat with his arms crossed with a sullen face. The students around them began to whisper.
âItâs Bao Linsen, but I never thought they would also bring out Sai Yanâ¦.â
"I still think thatâs too harsh."
Basically, since Gyosim-dong was used to enact simple discipline, students did not view it negatively. However, there were cases in which students who were sentenced to more than one year in Gyosim-dong were negatively regarded as problematic children, and Sai Yan was one of their biggest representatives.
She proved to be strangely creepy even though she was simply sitting and breathing. Such was a priest of Zhao Xinku, the current lord of the Cheonmu Palace, and a promising prospect who had attracted great attention as a next-generation S-class hunter. However, before he graduated, he caused a big incident and was sentenced to 20 years in Gyosim-dong, and as a result, he was still serving 10 years later.
âYeah. The gaze is more brutal than when I came out⦠Have you really done anything wrong in the past?â Bao Linsen asked curiously at the gazes around him, and Liang Jin and Sai Yan ignored them as if they hadn't heard a thing.
At that stiff response, Bao Linsen slightly frowned and grumbled. âI have two brick walls beside me. Ugh. Even if there was a guild with really good conditions, I'd just leaveâ¦.â
Bao Linsen muttered dissatisfiedly, crossed his arms, and looked away, and his pupils looked nervous but curious. âCan Sung-jin beat those three?â
âNo matter how hard it seemsâ¦.â
The students knew for sure that these three were not lacking even when compared to active A-class hunters, and they were the ones who have received or received attention as next-generation S-class hunters. In terms of skills, they were among the best prospects in China, but how could Seongjin's exchange team, which had no famous players except for Kang Yoo-sik, win?
Liang Jin looked towards the entrance. âThere is no possibility of losing.â
Although cadets Kang Yoo-sik and Kim Jin-hyeok did not participate in the last friendly match, there was no possibility that the result would change just because the two participated. Not to mention Kang Yoo-sik, who did not use magic, would be a stumbling block.
âAnd above all, if youâre Sai Yanâ¦â
âIt's just that I don't know what kind of sudden action I'm going to take⦠.â
According to the teacher, Sai Yan had a tendency to cling when she met strong opponents. The past incident was also because of that, and it was put in Gyosim-dong so that it would not leak to other places.
âStill, in order to attract Sai Yanâs interest, you must be stronger than Master Min. There won't be a big problem.'
When Liang Jin was getting ready after organizing his thoughtsâ¦
Quaang! The door to the arena opened wide with a harsh sound. Six figures appeared. Excluding Han Moo-jin, the lead teacher, Lao Chang of Kwon, and Ba Yun-fa of the Blue Dragon, Seong-jin had three students.
There were Kang Yoo-sik and Lee Byung-ho, and Kim Jin-hyuk, who did not participate last time. Seeing this, Liang Jin's eyes widened. âWhat is thatâ¦!â
The momentum of all three was formidable, but it was Lee Byung-hoâs change that surprised Liang Jin. Lee Byung-ho, who had been defeated by Bao Linsen in Dalian last time. Now his momentum, which was only 8 stars at best, had grown explosively enough to encompass 10 stars!
âA substitute? No, but there's no way the Blue Dragon master would miss thatâ¦.â
Did he really grow so much in a week? How did that make sense? When Liang Jin was embarrassed by the appearance of cheating time, Kang Yoo-sik glanced around the inside of the venue.
âHuh⦠⦠Did you even bring Sai Yan?â
He expected it to be a scratch to win, but he never imagined that it would come out with such a jackpot. âI never thought I would see that guy here. I really like that China is overflowing with talented people.â