Whoosh-
Yoon Si-hoo easily caught the undulating fireball.
He then created a whirlwind with his Karman Vortex magic, blowing all the heat away.
They say seasoned wizards can gauge their opponents’ abilities just from the aura they handle subconsciously.
Yoon Si-hoo wasn’t at that level yet, but at least he was sure of one thing.
‘Compared to Name, this attack is way too light.’
Even though it was the same fire magic, the temperature and power were entirely different.
So, Yoon Si-hoo felt no threat from the opponent who was using magic that was child’s play.
After several of their spells returned without results, the boy from Altair Academy gritted his teeth and charged at Si-hoo.
As if everything moved in slow motion,
[Why can’t I knock you down?]
Si-hoo suddenly recalled a question he had asked Name before.
It was a sigh he had let out in frustration while learning about grappling theory from her.
[Don’t doubt yourself. You’re doing great as far as I can see.]
This was not the answer Yoon Si-hoo wanted.
But as if to prove it, he dodged the boy’s movements, skillfully avoiding punches and grabbing the clothing precisely.
“Huh?”
He tucked one arm deep under his armpit, knelt down, and curled up in a clean throw that lacked any hesitation.
“Woooooooah!”
That was when loud cheers erupted from the audience.
The deafening cheers took away all his distractions.
Si-hoo immediately mounted the boy who had been thrown to the ground, clenching his fist tightly.
He infused as much mana as he could into the Light Transmutation Circle Inscriber he wore like a glove.
[Transmutation: Liquid Helium]
[Casting: Rapid Cooling]
The magic he practiced hundreds of times with Name over the past three months unfolded.
Every time he swung his fist, sharp ice thorns formed on the gloves, ruthlessly pounding against the boy’s aura barrier.
Crackle-!
This isn’t enough.
Recalling the time he faced NoName, just as he was about to raise his fist again, Yoon Si-hoo’s arm suddenly halted in mid-air.
The chill penetrating his core jolted him back to reality.
The boy from Altair was already trembling, cupping his head with both hands.
The outcome had already been decided.
‘I really hit someone…!’
It might not have been much different from practice, but the weight of real combat was undeniable.
Yoon Si-hoo, clutching his racing heart, stood at the center of the training arena, greeting the students and teachers as indicated by the referee.
Unfortunately, he had no time to notice the contrasting expressions of joy and sadness on the academy principals’ faces.
Yoon Si-hoo dashed to the waiting room as if escaping.
‘Honestly, I think I did well?’
He emerged from the dim corridor, excitedly wondering what kind of praise his friends would give him.
Lee Ha-ru and Kim Han-gyeol would likely act as if winning was a given.
‘I hope Yuna compliments me too.’
As always, he didn’t expect a single word of praise from NoName.
With those mixed thoughts, he burst into the waiting room for the 2nd Grade Elementary Division.
“Hey, guys! I won the rehearsal match… huh?”
There were no applause or cheers.
Instead, the complete indifference left Si-hoo in shock.
Wondering if it was a prank, he called out to the kids huddled in the corner.
“Hey? Is that Si-hoo?”
“Yoon Si-hoo, where have you been? We searched for you everywhere.”
“No, I went to rehearse… to duel…”
“Rehearsal? Ahhh! Is it already that time? Oops, I’m sorry…! I totally forgot to watch the match!”
“What?”
At the children’s apologies, Si-hoo slumped, his shoulders drooping.
Kim Han-gyeol patted his back, encouraging him, but his heartache wouldn’t heal.
Instead, Yuna took Si-hoo’s hand and led him toward the television.
With that small gesture, his sulking heart melted away, and he couldn’t help but feel silly.
“Right now, Name is on TV!”
“I was on the broadcast too…”
“Hey, hey! I said I’m sorry. Are you mad?”
“Okay.”
Since Yuna was the one to bring it up, he refrained from adding anything more.
Curious about what the kids were so captivated by, Si-hoo turned towards the television.
[Hmmm… Hah!]
[Wait, is that acting? Is it really okay, NoName contestant?]
[Yes, yes. Since it’s all created by magic, I have no sensation at all. Want to give it a try?]
[Haha… No, thank you. Eating this might cause problems in many ways.]
[Anyway, we’ve included various fun features like this, but for details, please check our website. A portion of the profits will be used for developing Multiple Sclerosis treatments. We really want to thank KBS for allowing this one-minute ad break.]
“What’s that… a horn?”
“Yeah… it’s a horn. Isn’t that super cool?”
Caught in shock and confusion, Si-hoo blinked several times.
A black horn protruded from above her head.
Name closed her eyes, lightly infused her aura into it, and it heated up to a bright red, as if it were a branding iron.
Smoke wafted from the marshmallows stuck at the tips of both horns, turning them a crispy brown.
Name calmly picked a marshmallow and popped it into her mouth.
Her face, gazing at the camera, looked utterly relaxed.
Si-hoo decided to admit it.
NoName was truly someone you couldn’t predict.
*
[The KBS Broadcasting and Communications Review Board has issued a ‘Caution’ regarding the PPL Legal Sanction for the ‘Seoul Regional Academy Interschool Competition Rehearsal’.]
[An 8-year-old major shareholder startup? What kind of company is ‘Bio-Akashic’?]
[The unique magic ‘Adella’ has already been used more than 100,000 times in Japan alone. What kind of magic is NoName’s body-modified ‘Demon King’s Horn (tentative name)?]
[‘Katsuhata Financial Group’ invests ¥500 million in the drug development bio venture ‘Bio-Akashic’.]
Sanction from the Communications Review Committee?
More like a textbook case of noise marketing.
Moreover, they can present the merits of contributing to the development of treatments for incurable diseases to viewers, so KBS wouldn’t mind at all.
With the timing of the Katsuhata Sect investment coinciding perfectly, the new startup could gain unmatched recognition in no time.
“Our Room Leader seems truly remarkable. Does she have some ability to foresee the future?”
Feeling a bit uncomfortable with the excessive praise, I quietly sipped my coffee.
It was rare to hear someone use the word ‘Room Leader’ even in real life.
It was a term used in Twish, after all.
“Where should I start my story, Mr. Lee Hyun-seo?”
“It feels so odd to be called Executive Director, someone like me… Can you just call me by my nickname?”
“Excuse me? In a place like this?”
What could possibly be wrong with that? The man shrugged nonchalantly.
“Hmm…”
I pondered as I fiddled with the business card he handed me.
[DuoWorld Innovation Strategy Division Executive Director Lee Hyun-seo]
Lee Hyun-seo was the Executive Director of a well-known fintech company that consistently ranked in the top ten in sales in the country.
But the issue was his age.
No matter how advanced South Korea’s plastic surgery technology was, he appeared to be in his late twenties at most.
‘I thought he was a fraud when I first heard he was an executive…’
DuoWorld had transitioned from an owner-managed system to a professional management system only eight years ago, which gave me a clue.
After looking up the stock status of DuoWorld and figuring out the complex ownership structure, I could finally nod.
This man is the real owner of DuoWorld.
“Well then, I hope you’ll consider our investment favorably, Nyangster Call.”
The big shot of our broadcast.
A passionate fan of Adella.
“Sure! I came to support you offline, NoName.”
After the recent months of almost disappearing from broadcasts, someone suddenly showed up with money.
“Haha…”
I let out an awkward laugh but quickly regained my composure. After all, he was an important investor for our company, which was lacking funds.
“I was so relieved to see that Katsuhata Group only invested a measly ¥5 billion. Honestly, I was thinking how fortunate that was. If I had known you were the one who started it, I would have rushed over to invest first.”
“Let me slowly explain our business item first.”
“Haha, yes!”
This man seemed ready to invest without even hearing the explanation.
I had no idea what he was believing in to trust me so blindly.
For now, I seriously explained the business goals and direction of our company alongside the PPT Baek Ho-chan had given me.
“It’s often introduced as a bio venture, but while developing the Multiple Sclerosis treatment is part of our business item, it’s only a fraction. Of course, don’t misunderstand this; it’s just that our business direction is different, but we report a 99% probability of the treatment passing phase 3… What’s up?”
I asked Lee Hyun-seo as he chuckled.
“Haha, no, it’s just that calling something like a new drug a business item is interesting to me.”
“Is that so? I apologize if my word choice was inappropriate.”
“Oh no, no! Not at all! It’s just adorable. I’ll listen seriously now.”
I realized management doesn’t match me.
I ended up going out with a painstaking planning request just because the investment meeting needed to be conducted through me, not Baek Ho-chan, the representative director.
If he sneaked out on me after making me go through trouble like this, I’d have to throw him out or throw a brick at him on a dark road.
After finishing the update on developing the Multiple Sclerosis treatment, it was time to move on to the Demon King’s Horn.
The unique magic ‘Demon King’s Horn’ was a magic that recreated the horns of demons when I lost my own in a crisis during my past life.
It was merely a structural ‘recreation,’ and the magic itself was as empty as a tin can.
So, infusing the horns with abilities was our company’s responsibility.
“In essence, if the horns are the smartphone, the various abilities of the horns can be compared to applications.”
“Applications?”
“Yes, to be precise, we plan to launch various editions. For example, the light transmutation magic I previously used on the Katsuhata heir only has the purification function.”
“Hmm… so are there no other functions?”
“Well, that’s up for discussion with our staff. If you watched the rehearsal broadcast, you’d know we can also implement a function that converts mana into thermal energy. The utilization possibilities are endless.”
“I think this Demon King’s Horn leans more towards entertainment-related magic rather than combat magic.”
“Exactly. Most 3 Circle magic is like that. Honestly, you can think of it as a disposable toy.”
It’d be a mistake to think of demons as a militant race.
They were merely humans with horns on their heads and slightly less family love.
Just as we naturally use both hands, demons also use their horns naturally in daily life as additional organs.
“We usually draw magic circles with our hands. Since hands are the most sensitive organ when handling mana. But what if we had one more organ like hands?”
“Then anyone could double-cast or triple-cast.”
“Bingo. That’s it. We plan to release an advanced version of the Demon King’s Horn for professionals, which would be 5 Circle. It’d be quite useful in industrial sites, wouldn’t it?”
After all, I had no intention of fitting every function into the Demon King’s Horn.
Since the horn, like the Aura Heart, is deep and can be endlessly explored if one gets too into handling it.
But if we could use one spell for one function?
While safety is essential, it would allow our company to monopolize hardware that is unique in this world.
“How much would you like to invest?”
I can confidently say that this is the best time for Bio-Akashic to get in at an exceptional price.
