Chapter 16 (Continued)

 

Lee Se-Ah was aware of the practical use of the Lightning Rod.

 

Despite being a rare magical tool, the Lightning Rod’s cost-effectiveness was inferior to mass-produced magic grenades.

 

The Lightning Rod’s magic discharge range was generally about 2 meters.

 

Whether it was fully charged or not, it was usually around 2 meters. This could be considered a narrow range.

 

The more refined, pure, and concentrated the magic, the wider the attack radius becomes. It might be possible to expand the attack range to a meaningful level.

 

However, this was an innate quality, so it was pointless to discuss it.

 

If Woo-jin had such extraordinary magic, he would already be aiming for the 5th or 6th rank or higher.

 

Of course, it was an obvious fact that a Lightning Rod, which can store a large amount of magic, could exert more power than a magic grenade.

 

But considering how expensive, rare, and large it was, Se-Ah thought that a magic grenade, which fits in one hand and is easy to throw, would be more practical.

 

Zzzt!

 

A teal current surged through the Lightning Rod.

 

Soon, the energy condensed.

 

“!!”

 

Boom!!!

 

With an ear-splitting roar, the teal lightning magic expanded intensely.

 

Startled, Woo-jin quickly turned and shielded Se-Ah.

 

The powerful lightning magic burst in all directions.

 

Bolts of lightning cut through the air sharply, striking distant trees like whips. Crack! The high-temperature energy struck instantly.

 

The lightning area expanded circularly from the Lightning Rod’s point. The speed gradually increased.

 

Crack!

 

The destructive teal lightning heated the air.

 

The expanding lightning area gradually faded and finally merged into the air. The explosive reflection of lightning from the Lightning Rod also subsided instantly.

 

Pffft! The trees around the clearing, hit by the lightning, were charred black like coal.

 

The trees couldn’t stand anymore and collapsed into ashes.

 

Thud.

 

The sound stopped.

 

The pouring rain stabilized the air.

 

“Are you hurt?”

 

Woo-jin asked calmly, looking down at Se-Ah, who was crouching.

 

“….”

 

Se-Ah looked at Woo-jin with a dazed expression, then let out a dry laugh.

 

“Fortunately, no.”

 

Se-Ah stood up and looked around.

 

“Wow….”

 

Se-Ah let out an exclamation, her voice tinged with a wry laugh.

 

The surrounding scenery had transformed into a scene of devastation. The spring rain hadn’t yet extinguished the fires on the trees.

 

It was an unbelievable sight.

 

Zzt!

 

Teal currents of electricity still flowed like an afterglow through the Lightning Rod.

 

Woo-jin and Se-Ah stared at it in silence.

 

“It seems practical enough, but….”

 

Woo-jin couldn’t continue his sentence.

 

‘What am I supposed to do about all this…?’

 

Looking around, he felt utterly overwhelmed.

 

Meanwhile, Se-Ah’s eyebrow twitched.

 

“Practicality, huh….”

 

Is this really the time to be considering practicality?

 

This wasn’t the power of the Lightning Rod that Se-Ah knew.

 

It had far surpassed any ordinary level.

 

How refined must the magic be?

 

How dense must the magic be?

 

How powerful must the magic be for the Lightning Rod to display such immense power?

 

This wasn’t the realm of a genius. It was a realm beyond even that. With such exceptional magic, it was inevitable that the efficiency, power, and everything related to magic would be on a completely different level.

 

She understood why Woo-jin, despite being at the 4th rank, could hold his own against those in the 5th rank. However, it still didn’t make sense that someone with this much magic was only at the 4th rank.

 

That alone was a startling mystery.

 

Yet, Woo-jin was casually mentioning ‘practicality.’

 

Se-Ah couldn’t believe it.

 

“Senior.”

 

“What?”

 

“Do you know the typical power level of a Lightning Rod?”

 

“Isn’t this normal? It’s a rare magical tool.”

 

Se-Ah swallowed her breath at the unexpected answer.

 

Could it be that he’s been living his life considering such things normal…?

 

This situation was clearly not ordinary.

 

“…Are you saying this isn’t normal?”

 

Reconsidering Se-Ah’s question, Woo-jin cautiously asked.

 

Se-Ah nodded.

 

“Not really.”

 

“Hmm…. Thanks for letting me know.”

 

Woo-jin, lost in thought, went to retrieve the Lightning Rod.

 

“Ah. Senior, it’s still raining…!”

 

“Don’t come. You might get electrocuted.”

 

Se-Ah hesitated as she was about to cover Woo-jin with the umbrella.

 

The rain was pouring.

 

Approaching the Lightning Rod could result in electrocution.

 

Woo-jin pulled the Lightning Rod out of the ground and admired it. The rod still crackled menacingly with teal electricity.

 

‘…This is awesome.’

 

The Lightning Rod’s power had far exceeded Woo-jin’s expectations.

 

Initially, he thought it was because of the high rarity of the magical tool.

 

But if what Se-Ah said was true, it must have been due to his own magic.

 

It seemed that the effects of his years of training in magic techniques from a young age were now manifesting through the Lightning Rod.

 

Knowing that the time he invested hadn’t been wasted filled him with satisfaction.

 

Nodding contentedly, Woo-jin secured the Lightning Rod to his belt. One side held a collapsible baton, and the other, the Lightning Rod.

 

Then, a red umbrella was held over his head.

 

“Senior, you’ll really catch a cold.”

 

Woo-jin turned to look at Se-Ah.

 

“…Junior, want some tteokbokki?”

 

“Wow~, is this hush money?”

 

Se-Ah laughed slyly, glancing around at the destruction.

 

Woo-jin coughed and then continued calmly.

 

“Of course not. Since we met anyway, it’s my duty as a senior to treat you. A junior covering me with an umbrella and worrying about me catching a cold, how can any senior not be moved?”

 

His words flowed smoothly.

 

“If that’s the case, I’ll gladly accept.”

 

Se-Ah smiled warmly.

 

That night.

 

After making thorough preparations, Woo-jin returned to clean up the mess left by testing the Lightning Rod.

 

“Huh?”

 

Surprisingly, it had already been cleaned up.

 

Later, Woo-jin would learn from the neighbors that people dressed in black had come and gone, equipped with various tools.

 

* * *

 

─ “Senior, if you stay like that, you’ll catch a cold.”

 

“Cough! Cough!”

 

He caught one. A severe flu, no less.

 

“Oh, this is killing me….”

 

Bzzzt.

 

[ Vice-Leader Oh Baek-seo ]

 

Even though his smartphone was vibrating, Woo-jin couldn’t move due to his high fever.

 

The vibration continued for a while before stopping, and two missed calls appeared on the screen.