Chapter 11: Mana Cube (1)

The next day, Jaehyun was guided by Park Sungjae to the practice arena of the Yeonhwa Guild. Upon entering, the emblem of the Yeonhwa Guild caught his eye – an engraved lotus pattern and a large oak tree etched into the wall.

The secret training ground, located underground within the general sparring hall.

According to Park Sungjae, this place had been specifically built as a state-of-the-art facility for the training of Yoo Seongeun and other high-ranking raiders.

In simpler terms, it was an extremely private location within the guild, rarely accessed by its members.

Jaehyun already had an inkling as to why Yoo Seongeun had called him to such a place.

‘She must’ve seen my Awakener profile and is intent on pulling me into the guild by any means necessary. A 97% magical aptitude is an unprecedented figure indeed. It would be hard to find anyone with such talent even if we looked across the entire world.’

Before his regression, Jaehyun had received numerous love calls from raiding academies due to his high magical compatibility.

Even so, Jaehyun became a raiding warrior of the martial arts faction, which didn’t match his aptitude, for one simple reason – his indecisive nature from the past.

His friends and even TV shows made light of the magical arts raiders while glorifying those from the martial faction, so he saw no need to pursue the path of magic.

‘NBC… Go bankrupt.’

As a result, Jaehyun’s life became tangled as he joined the martial arts faction, becoming a D-rank raider traveling from bottom to bottom, abandoning the promising path of a mage.

‘If I even think about those days…’

The thought still made him bristle with anger.

He couldn’t honestly say that watching as the martial arts raiders slowly declined and the magic arts raiders rose didn’t make him envious.

As Jaehyun was organizing his thoughts and descending the central staircase of the training ground, a familiar voice caught his attention.

“You’ve arrived.”

Jaehyun lowered his head towards the source of the voice.

“Hello, Guild Master. We meet again.”

A familiar face appeared on the opposite stairway.

It was Yoo Seongeun, the Guild Master of Yeonhwa, greeting Jaehyun.

“How did you find the contract terms? I think it’s a proposal worth considering positively.”

“Yes, the conditions were certainly astounding.”

Jaehyun couldn’t help but nod in agreement to Yoo Seongeun’s question.

The contract offer from the Yeonhwa Guild he had received earlier was truly unbelievable.

An increase in living allowance from 5 million won to 10 million won per month, on top of unlimited access to guild equipment up to class B freely provided, with no charges even in case of destruction. Plus, profit-sharing with the guild in an 8:2 ratio based on contribution during dungeon raids.

The contract was one-sidedly favorable to Jaehyun.

‘For a typical raider’s dungeon raid settlements, the ratio is around 60:40. Such contracts aren’t easy to receive. They are usually proposed to raiders of at least A rank.’

For Jaehyun, the offer was utterly advantageous.

Not just any guild, but an exclusive contract with the renowned Yeonhwa Guild.

Signing the contract was clearly good for his growth, and most importantly, it’s incredibly hard for an individual raider to secure dungeon raid permissions on their own.

‘I’ll have to join a guild sooner or later anyway.’

Furthermore, the Yeonhwa Guild holds a monopoly on nearly 50 percent of the top dungeons nationwide.

This made it evident that Yeonhwa was the optimal place for Jaehyun’s growth.

‘No matter how high my natural aptitude is, without proper guidance, a raider’s growth stagnates. From that perspective, Yeonhwa’s offer is of the highest caliber. It’s not something to be missed… However.’

A slow smile began to spread across Jaehyun’s face.

Noticing the change in his expression, Yoo Seongeun focused on what Jaehyun was about to say next.

“As I’ve already mentioned to Manager Park Sungjae, I have one condition before signing the contract.”

“Of course, that’s expected. You’re a smart kid.”

“I assume you’ve already gone through my profile.”

Ordinarily, viewing the aptitude of a raider aspirant, a cadet, is off-limits to anyone except the educational institution with the individual’s consent.

However, Yoo Seongeun was none other than Yeonhwa’s Guild Master.

Jaehyun figured it wouldn’t be difficult for her to have looked into a mere Awakener cadet’s background.

Yoo Seongeun’s smile broadened as if anticipating Jaehyun’s words.

He glanced between Yoo Seongeun and Park Sungjae then continued.

“As I’ve said. It hasn’t even been a month since I switched my path from the martial arts faction to the magic arts. Therefore, I’m still inexperienced with magic. So my condition is…”

Waiting in the background, Park Sungjae nervously swallowed, observing Jaehyun.

‘He truly is exceptional. He doesn’t flinch in front of the Guild Master. Impressive indeed.’

The gaze of both Yoo Seongeun and Park Sungjae briefly intersected.

What proposal was Jaehyun about to make to Yoo Seongeun?

They scrutinized his face closely, intently listening to his continued voice.

The corner of Jaehyun’s mouth twitched, and then he blurted out something both of them hadn’t anticipated at all.

“I want Guild Master Yoo Seongeun to personally teach me magic.”

Jaehyun said with as much nonchalance as he could muster.

Plans for the next steps were already in place in his head.

Park Sungjae’s perturbed expression and Yoo Seongeun’s intrigued face were imprinted clearly onto Jaehyun’s pupils.

‘The best card is played when its effect will be maximized.’

This had been the skill that allowed Jaehyun to survive the past seven years as a raider.

* * *

Park Sungjae looked at Jaehyun with wide-eyed disbelief.

‘Asking the representative of the Yeonhwa Guild to personally teach him magic… Where does he get such audacity from?’

Ranked number one in the nation.

Yoo Seongeun, a global top-tier guild master, had no need to take on a disciple as she was still an active raider, not retired.

Yet Jaehyun was unflinchingly certain in his gaze.

As if to say, ‘You cannot refuse this offer.’

Jaehyun drove the point home.

“If you accept this proposal, I will enter preliminary negotiations with Yeonhwa Guild.”

Yoo Seongeun smiled lightly in response to Jaehyun’s bold statement.

“What an interesting offer.”

Their eyes met for a brief moment.

The outcome of the negotiation was already clear.

There was no room for compromise.

Soon, Yoo Seongeun nodded in acceptance.

“Alright. I’ll accept your offer. Besides, I want to see your abilities for myself.”

“I still have much to learn. I believe you will help me a lot.”

“Sure. Of course. But before that.”

Curiosity sparked in Yoo Seongeun’s eyes. She crossed her arms and asserted.

“I’d like to test out your talent. Is that okay?”

Jaehyun momentarily fell silent.

‘As expected. Yeonhwa must also want to confirm my talents for sure.’

Merely the displayed ability of 《Sacrifice》, which he had mimicked on a previous occasion, was enough to qualify Jaehyun for Yeonhwa’s membership.

But the 97 percent magical aptitude stated on his profile was especially off the charts.

‘It’s only natural they want to check.’

Yoo Seongeun bit her lip lightly, greed filling her eyes.

Park Sungjae, noticing her expression, couldn’t help but sweat.

‘That look on the Guild Master’s face… I better brace myself this time around.’

Despite the tense atmosphere, Jaehyun remained leisurely, as if he had anticipated everything unfolding before him.

He slowly moved his lips.

“Alright. You want to test my abilities?”

“Correct.”

“What should I do? Should I perform an Awakener’s aptitude test right here and now?”

Yoo Seongeun waved off the suggestion with a chuckle.

“No. All that is just a plaything of machines. I want to see not just your innate talent, but also the skills you possess right now.”

Just as Jaehyun did. Yoo Seongeun, too, seemed to have foreseen all events with a smug smile. She clapped her hands softly.

Thump, thump, thump…

At the same time, a massive, cubic structure began to rise from the ground of the training ground, emitting a blue light filled with mana into the shape of a rectangle.

Yoo Seongeun looked at it and chuckled lightly.

“The Mana Cube. From now on, you have to break this.”

Jaehyun’s brow furrowed.

‘…Break the Mana Cube?’

His lips straightened into a line.

A habit that slipped out whenever he found himself in an unsettling situation.

Cold sweat began to trickle through his tightly clenched fists.

“The Mana Cube… seriously?”

“Why not? I think it’s perfect. If your talent is worth the preliminary negotiation rights with Yeonhwa, isn’t the least you can do to pass this test?”

Yoo Seongeun was all smiles, but the intention behind it was indeed daunting.

‘…Trying to crush my spirit before we begin, huh?’

For the first time, Jaehyun’s normally composed expression slightly faltered.

Usually, Mana Cubes are used by B-grade or higher magical arts raiders to assess their mana sensitivity.

As a mage still lacking in various areas, such a test was undoubtedly burdensome for Jaehyun.

‘Only about 7 percent of all magical Awakeners can destroy a Mana Cube and emerge from it. Can I really do it?’

Jaehyun chuckled awkwardly.

“It sounds like you’re trying to dampen my spirit, doesn’t it?”

Yoo Seongeun shrugged with feigned innocence.

“Why would I? Even if you fail, it won’t affect our preliminary negotiations. Conditions won’t change either. I, Yoo Seongeun, the representative of Yeonhwa Guild, guarantee it.”

A shadow fell over Jaehyun’s face.

Even though he was blessed with natural talent as a magician, breaking the Cube was a different challenge.

Even those who have been mages for over a decade often failed to break it.

It was natural for Jaehyun to be worried about whether he could succeed.

After a moment’s hesitation, Jaehyun made his decision.

‘I have no choice. It’s not good to back down here.’

He nodded firmly, determination etched on his face.

Showing any hesitant self-doubt here, especially in proving his qualifications, would put him at a disadvantage in future negotiations with the Yeonhwa Guild.

Even if he failed, he had no choice but to move forward.

Yoo Seongeun turned her head sharply with a satisfied expression.

“Then, Sungjae oppa, please prepare.”

“…Are you serious? Miss Representative, the Mana Cube is a device difficult to break even for current magical arts raiders. To expect such a feat from still a child like Min Jaehyun…”

“Our boy here, does he look ordinary to you? He’s worth a try.”

Yoo Seongeun’s expression was utterly serious.

Faced with her firm statement, Park Sungjae reluctantly approached the Mana Cube and switched it on.

Vvvvvvvm…

The Mana Cube buzzed as if furious. The cyan mana emitted an intimidating clash from within.

Jaehyun swallowed hard, gazing at the Cube.

‘The Mana Cube… I’ve seen it on TV before regressing… but witnessing it in person, the magic is even more astonishing. To think I must enter such dense mana turbulence.’

“Shall we begin? I expect good results. Do your best.”

“Well, we shall see how it turns out with the results, won’t we?”

Tssk tssk…!

The clamor emanating from the Cube.

Jaehyun, clenching his fists, stood in front of the Cube.

He let out a long breath he’d been holding, then plunged himself into the Cube.

A green effect spiraled around his body before swallowing him whole.

Park Sungjae let out a soft sigh, watching as he was sucked into the Cube.

“Ah… This is okay, right? Honestly, I’m worried. I understand the Representative’s interest, but… he’s still a child.”

“He can do it.”

“Really? How do you know…?”

To Park Sungjae’s concerned question, Yoo Seongeun replied with a sunny smile.

“It’s a hunch.”

“Huh?!”

Watching Park Sungjae’s perplexed face, Yoo Seongeun chuckled as if amused.

She murmured softly to the vibrating Mana Cube.

“Now, how quickly will you break the Cube and come out?”