The Novel's Extra: Scrapped

That night an email was sent out to all Cube cadet's that were on sight that day.

Apparently there had been an explosion so strong that it had removed three third year classrooms as well as taking out a part of Cubes landscape entirely.

No traces were left and there wasn't a single casualty except for a third year by the name of Yoo Ah-Ra. Her body was not found but she was caught on camera going to the area that had been bombed.

All Cube cadets were ruled out early in the investigation as they had exited Cube either before or shortly after the incident.

Another piece of evidence to support this fact was that all cameras inside the portal station had been temporarily disabled at 11:50 pm, long after all Cadet's had exited the site.

Apparently after the first bombing there was a second one, appearing to have originated from the first year dorm's elevator. 

This caused an extension in the already long break. Which means cadet's now had an unprecedented 2 weeks without a single class.

'Those two spells took me weeks of work and I planned to use them in emergency situations… I think using them to get my revenge was much more satisfying.'

Minori consoled himself while drawing up another few spells on his booklet.

He was currently seated in a cramped one room apartment that Hajin had asked him to come visit. The place was filled with trash and smelled like smoke but it was better than the slums.

Across from him was a stern looking Hajin who had come to the location after hunting in Wonju.

"So… that wasn't you right?"

He looked annoyed.

"All I did was leave a little earlier than I needed to. Plus, I made two distractions to avoid detection."

"You're not even denying- sigh… never mind." I raised his hand and massaged his temples.

'He definitely got his revenge. Even though I thought he cooled down he still throws a fit when things don't go his way… a fit very damaging to the plot! He even used me to fabricate evidence.'

Kim Hajin could feel his head aching.

"It's fine… but you definitely need to pay me back for this." Hajin let [Acting] take the wheel and began negotiations.

His collaborator sat leisurely, brushing off a stack of papers.

"That seems fair. What do you need?" Minori looked as though he had expected the question.

'So… what should I ask for? He's untrustworthy but has his own pride. In this situation he should be ready to hear me out but may walk out the moment he finds it not useful enough… this guy… I think I should just play it safe.'

Kim Hajin thought of what to ask for as he folded his arms.

He thought of how to use this bastard to the full potential just like Minori would use him.

'...Minori Nii, the (yet to be) youngest 9 star mage. And possibly the second 10 star mage to ever exist… I think… he's probably my best bet to teach Evandel Magic in the future…'

"If… in the future, I take in a promising mage. I want you to teach her."

Minori's eyes widened in surprise at the request.

'Wait what? Me? Teaching someone magic?... No, I probably could teach magic, especially since theory in magic is my best subject…but he said 'her' which means he already has someone in mind.'

'So why not let me teach 'her' now? Are there circumstances? Or… is he waiting for me to meet his standards? Does this guy think he's better than me… I can't sense any threads of magic on him though. No, going off of the pure mana I saw in the tournament, he's a master at hiding his skill.'

The misunderstanding raged on within his mind before Minori smiled.

"That's a bit much for just disabling some cameras and giving me a place for 2 weeks isn't it? I know you have something to sweeten the pot a bit."

Kim Hajin pumped his fist within his mind as Minori wasn't opposed to his offer. He did indeed also have something to sweeten the pot after all.

With a laid back smile, Kim Hajin spoke.

"Of course. I'm sure you are well aware of the Truth Agency."

Minori nodded.

"Well… I have a way to get answers and bypass the queue. So if you have any pressing inquiries just mention my name to the people at the Truth Agency."

'My acting was good. I made it sound as though I was a close friend to them. So? How is it? I know you can see the value of the Truth Agency with your gift!'

Kim Hajins thoughts raced but his face was calm and confident.

"..."

Minori remained silent while staring at Hajin blankly.

It was only then that Hajin realized there was a possibility Minori wouldn't believe him.

"...Sure."

Thankfully the pale eye'd boy had taken pity on him.

"But I want to add one condition. I want you to cast this spell."

He held up a piece of paper, torn from his little notebook and held out.

"All you have to do is channel magic power into it."

As if to show him it was a safe spell, Minori demonstrated it. The magic circle dyed white as lightning crackled and popped before powering off.

Hajin grabbed the paper and raised his eyebrow before tilting his head.

"Just…cast a simple spell? Yeah. I can do that. But you'll go through with our deal if I do this right?"

Minori replied with a smile as he focused on the paper.

'Well… there isn't anything suspicious with that… he probably wants to get a look at [Stigma]. That's fine. Having him as a supporting character means the stronger the better.'

No longer hesitating, Hajin channelled magic power from his wrist into the paper.

The circle on the paper burst into white light before exploding in a fuzzy mass of steam.

—Fwoosh

"Cough- cough, you asshole."

Kim Hajin coughed at the surprise sauna he was subjected to before looking at his aggressor finding him smiling like a cheshire.

Kim Hajin was about to say something.

"Did you like it? It's a dual use magic spell where if a certain value of mana is exceeded within the given time it triggers a completely different spell."

His voice was filled with amusement while his mind analyzed the tattoo and mana he saw.

'The strands were thick, unbelievably so. But a single one was able to trigger the second spell… that's unrealistic. The potency is around master rank and the tattoo on his wrist. There's a second cross, made of the same type of rune. It's getting clearer but I still can exactly decipher it.'

Kim Hajin grimaced as he realized just how…strange this partnership will be.

"Alright, I'll teach whoever you have in mind." He chuckled before dispelling the steam with a light breeze.

"Keep in mind I'm still being targeted by the Evil Society as of now."

Kim Hajin nodded.

"We'll take care of them at some point. For now, just focus on learning more spells."

Minori smiled.

'He said 'we'. That's funny. Especially since he plans to use me until he can't… though I guess I'm doing the same.'

"Alright then. It'll be good working with you, Hajin. Don't let me down."

"Same goes for you, asshole."

Hajin's [Acting] failed to keep in his own victorious smirk.

…

A week into the break and I've picked up a couple things while living with my fellow cadet.

I'll start with things that aren't too related to him.

Due to Hajin's weird tattoo I've gained some inspiration into mana efficiency once again. Given the time I have I should be able to reconstruct the paper in a month and finish the research in a year.

I've begun to interpret another rune. I'm not sure what it means just yet but with Hajin's tattoo as reference I should be able to decipher it sooner rather than later.

Now onto the things I've learned about Hajin.

Although he seems like a serious person who keeps his secrets close, he's a lot more… underwhelming. Unlike the strong who have a different air around them, when I look at Hajin I feel like I'm looking at a civilian.

Hajin, although very wary of me, seems to view me as an ally rather than an asset. He's smart and I think that can be of use.

He seems to be as proficient at hunting low level monsters as much as he is at trading stocks. Which means very. I'm not sure whether or not it's intuition or just god tier luck but every time he invests my instincts tell me to do the same. Especially this… Packhorse master guild.

He is suspiciously supportive of my plan to head to the wizard tower and get a star rating. It seems he's confident in my skills… could it be that intuition again?

Lastly is his skills. He's good at shooting to the point he hasn't missed. His eyes are so good he can allegedly see a thousand miles. His weapon has incredibly strange properties and last of all I don't believe I could beat him in a fight.

In conclusion, Hajin is an incredibly strong asset with many connections and uses. If possible I should remain friendly but if they get in my way the fastest way to dispose of him would be a head on confrontation with someone faster than he can shoot at.

In other words, I need a subordinate skilled in hand to hand combat. My physical abilities seem to have plateaued to the point I wouldn't be able to keep up with Kim Suho in swordsmanship given a few more months.

Thankfully my magic skill only continues to grow.

So my current list of goals are to: Get ranked at the magic tower. Get money. Avoid the Evil Societies attacks. And if possible get a strong subordinate in case Hajin turns on me.

'What a diverse list…'