Chapter 5 – A Fake Better Than the Real Thing (２)

*

The moment he entered the dungeon, the air changed in an instant.

It was a crystal cave, the whole world unfurled in a blue glow.

A chill — cold enough to sting — radiating from the crystals brushed across Gijun’s skin.

‘I’m trembling.’

Part of it was nerves, but also the thrill of being back in a dungeon.

Even more so because he was with the Hwarang Guild.

‘I need to make a good impression.’

That thought crossed his mind, too.

If he performed well here, maybe — just maybe — he could end up working with the Hwarang Guild…

Of course, Gijun laughed bitterly and shook off that idea.

Because he knew it was nonsense.

‘How could I?’

He was the one who’d been kicked out even from a tiny, no-name guild.

There was no way he’d get to work with Hwarang, of all guilds.

‘Even this is an honor.’

He knew well that just getting to do this Raid with these Superhumans was a more-than-enough opportunity.

So he decided to give it his all, even if only for a moment.

Then.

“Oppa¹!”

Jiyun’s voice rang out.

Kihk! Kihkikiik!

Ahead, Crystal Goblins appeared.

There were a lot of them.

At a rough estimate, they numbered well over a hundred.

“I’m going to use Ice Dust, so please scatter it as wide as you can with Blow!”

“Okay.”

Gijun nodded.

Jiyun immediately cast Ice Dust.

The Mana in the air gathered ice crystals, forming a frigid mist.

Incredible speed.

In an instant, the air went hazy.

The ice crystals themselves were also exquisitely fine and delicate.

That was Jiyun for you.

Creating ice crystals this precise wasn’t something just anyone could do.

It meant you needed this level of skill just to join Hwarang.

‘Alright, then…’

Now it was Gijun’s turn.

He had to spread the ice crystals Jiyun had created far and wide.

Gijun cast Blow.

No — he tried to move his Mana to cast it.

But then—

Shiiiiiiing!

“…?!”

Before he could even move his mana, the wind-element-infused mana in Gijun’s palm rippled.

‘…Huh?’

Gijun flinched.

‘What… is this?’

Something was off.

Had he moved his mana?

Had he combined it with the element?

Feeling a strange unease, Gijun nevertheless guided the completed Blow into motion.

Swoooosh!

The Blow manifested, spreading the Ice Dust across a wider range.

Gijun channeled his mana, maximizing the Blow’s area of effect.

The Blow obeyed his intent perfectly.

A single Blow was enough to blanket every goblin that had appeared in an instant.

In that moment, every Superhuman’s gaze snapped to Gijun.

‘…?’

‘Huh…?’

‘He’s got some chops. As expected…’

The Hwarang Superhumans let out silent admiration.

They’d heard rumors of Gijun’s skill.

But seeing it in person was beyond what they’d imagined.

To squeeze this much efficiency out of a mere 1st-Circle spell like Blow?

‘He really is a wasted talent.’

Team Leader Park Yunseok.

He thought the same.

‘If it weren’t for his Mana Circle Formation Disorder… he might’ve already carved out an unrivaled position within our guild.’

He’d only shown them one Blow, but even that single spell clearly separated a mage’s caliber.

‘In raw talent alone, he’s several moves ahead of Miss Jiyun.’

That was sincere.

And a brutally honest assessment.

Of course, Jiyun couldn’t deny it either.

She knew Gijun’s talent better than anyone.

Regardless, the moment every Crystal Goblin’s shield was stripped, the Superhumans moved.

“Okay!”

“Move!”

The moment the goblins’ mana shields collapsed, Hwarang’s guild members surged forward.

Mopping up the rest took no time at all.

These bastards were only tricky because of those shields.

Once the shields were gone, the Superhumans here could cleave through five or six of them in a single strike.

After the first fight ended, Jiyun approached Gijun.

“Oppa. I think your skills have improved.”

Jiyun said.

Hearing that only made Gijun’s mind more tangled.

Wasn’t this proof that something had changed—that it wasn’t just his imagination?

‘What is this? What the hell’s going on?’

Not only had he not moved his mana, he hadn’t even combined it with an element.

Yet the spell had cast itself.

And the power felt even stronger.

It might be his imagination, but his instincts were telling him otherwise.

Something had changed.

‘…How?’

It was clear.

This wasn’t a delusion.

He couldn’t possibly fail to distinguish that.

‘…It’s too similar to a Skill.’

Right.

The Blow he’d just used felt less like a spell and more like a Skill activating.

It was exactly the sensation of Mana Handling kicking in.

‘…No way?’

Fragments flickered through his mind — scattered shards of memory, each one sharp and fleeting.

‘Desperate wish… the gift… the Tutorial NPC’s words…’

Then one final message surfaced, rising to the top of his thoughts.

[Stat synchronization complete.]

‘Nah, no way…?’

He knew it was absurd — couldn’t possibly be true.

But something was off.

Something was deeply wrong.

Gijun thought.

‘…Should I… try again?’

If what he suspected was actually happening…

What was he supposed to do then?

A tangled knot of emotion—part thrill, part joy, part something he couldn’t name—began to swell inside his chest.

A moment later, the crystal goblins reappeared.

There were far more of them this time.

“Oppa, I think we need to split this into two rounds!”

Jiyun shouted as she cast Ice Dust.

Then Gijun—

“…Blow…”

—mouthed the name.

He didn’t consciously move the Mana.

Yet the power gathered in his grip anyway, the wind Element churning.

“It’s real.”

This feels exactly like casting Fireball inside the game.

Gijun could tell that this wasn’t real magic—he had enough discernment for that.

Even though he hadn’t built a Circle, he understood magic better than most mages.

“My god.”

Something utterly unbelievable had happened.

Who would have thought he’d end up with in-game abilities?

The problem that had seemed impossible to solve was now cracking open—all because of a game!

“For real?”

Goosebumps crawled across his skin.

He had no clue how this was possible, but his heart felt like it might burst right out of his chest.

“No way!”

Using a Skill from a game—in real life?

No, it wasn’t just a Skill.

Something had changed in Gijun’s own body.

And at the same time, he finally felt it.

“Mana… it’s increased!”

Yes.

That was it exactly.

Didn’t that mean the game’s Stats were applying to the real-world Gijun, too?

Even so, he was still reeling with confusion.

Should he be thrilled—or not?

A jumble of emotions flickered through him.

“Let me try again.”

For Jun, the only thing Gijun needed to do now was use the Skill called Blow one more time.

Gijun made up his mind to cast Blow.

And at that moment—

Shwaaaah!

Mana gathered in his hand, and at the same time, the wind Element began to ripple.

Just by thinking, Mana pooled and combined with the Element, completing the Skill.

It was the exact same activation method as the Skill.

A method that was impossible in reality, something only possible in a game.

A chill ran down his spine.

This was real.

“…T-this… does this even make sense?”

Of course, it didn’t make sense.

And yet, it worked.

Something that truly defied all reason was happening in reality.

Gijun steadied his mind.

Right now, it was time to focus on the Raid.

He cast Blow, and he controlled Blow.

Once again, Gijun’s Blow spread wide, carrying Jiyun’s Ice Dust with it.

It actually works.

With his mind focused and his intent sharp, this attempt felt far more precise than the one before.

A powerful gust of wind swept through, spreading Jiyun’s Ice Dust across a wide area.

“Whoa, that’s no joke, is it?”

“What the hell? What was that?”

The Superhumans, now no longer just feeling it inwardly, began to exclaim out loud.

Crack! Crrrunch!

In an instant, nearly two hundred Goblins were frozen solid.

Hahaha…!

Gijun laughed.

He kept laughing.

Because the laughter burst out of him, unbidden.

Seeing this, even Gijun had no choice but to admit it.

An unbelievable thing had happened.

A dreamlike event had become reality.

He could grow stronger.

As his Mana Handling Proficiency increased,

as the Proficiency of his Skills rose and he acquired new ones…

I can keep getting stronger.

All those impossible abilities had truly fallen into Gijun’s hands.

A shiver ran down his spine.

He had no Circle,

and it was absurd that he could grow stronger with game skills, but this was the crystal-clear reality unfolding before his eyes.

Just then, Jiyun asked,

“Oppa, was that really Blow?”

As expected, Jiyun had clearly sensed it too.

That something had changed.

“Yeah, it was. But first… let’s get the job done, Jiyun.”

“Ah, okay.”

Gijun glossed over it for now.

He hadn’t even sorted out what to say himself yet.

He needed a little more time to think.

But one thing was certain.

Gijun could barely contain the surging emotion threatening to overwhelm him.

From this moment on, his life had changed.

Because Gijun felt it, deep and undeniable.

*

Park Yunseok.

He watched Gijun with a strange look in his eyes.

“So this is what they call a genius, is it?”

He’d already heard about it from Jiyun.

That Gijun was a legend at the Academy, constantly called a genius.

To think he’s showing this level of magic efficiency with just a single Circle.

It was truly astonishing talent.

Even though it was clearly a 1st-Circle spell, Blow, the amount and speed of the mana moving were far superior to normal.

The only explanation was that he had an innate, god-given talent in Mana Handling.

And didn’t they say he handles two attributes on top of that?

That level of magical talent, combined with the ability to manage two attributes.

That was a talent beyond measure.

If he didn’t have that disability… he might have become the Republic of Korea’s greatest mage — no, perhaps one of the finest in the entire world.

And even the combination of attributes is perfect.

A Fire-type mage was already top-tier in combat prowess.

It was a class welcomed by any guild.

Adding Wind to that was like putting wings on a tiger’s back.

Wasn’t the combination of Fire and Wind already a proven, time-tested optimal pairing?

“A talent like that, and he has Mana Circle Formation Disorder? What a waste. Such a damn shame.”

Park Yunseok worked his lip between his teeth.

*

The raid went smoothly—textbook execution. Clearing the dungeon took no time at all.

Which was only natural.

The people here weren’t the sort who should have been running a dungeon of this level in the first place.

They’d been pulled in as a rushed fill-in because the roster was short.

“Good work out there.”

“You too. Well done.”

The moment the raid ended, Gijun and Park Yunseok exchanged parting courtesies.

Gijun’s face was brighter than Yunseok had ever seen it.

Something about that hit Park Yunseok right in the chest.

A Superhuman who actually enjoys raiding for the pure joy of it.

These days, most Superhumans moved for one thing only: money.

There was practically nobody volunteering to manage dungeons below Level 3.

That’s why the government forced the big guilds to take the assignment.

If they didn’t, a dungeon rampage could spill over onto civilians.

Gijun’s smile was pure.

Not the kind of smile you’d expect from someone who’d just cleared a Level 3 dungeon with no big payout waiting for them.

I heard he got kicked out of his guild not long ago.

Knowing that, it was impossible not to feel that smile digging a little deeper than it should.

“I’ll have your settlement sent over by end of day. Hope we get to work together again.”

“Thank you. I hope so too.”

Park Yunseok gave a nod, then turned to Jiyun.

“Ms. Jiyun. Good work today. Since it was my suggestion to bring in Mr. Gijun, I’ll see to it that you get an incentive bonus.”

“Whoa! That’s the spirit! Oppa, let’s go get something good to eat today! My treat.”

Gijun smiled.

“Why would you pay? Today’s on me. Let’s go together.”

Thinking about it, it was thanks to Jiyun that he’d even started Real Spirit.

And she was the one who helped him realize he’d gained a new ability, wasn’t she?

Right now, Jiyun was as close to a lifesaver as Gijun had.

No exaggeration.

If there was anything he could do for her, he wanted to.

“Let’s get something expensive. My treat. I owe you.”

“What’s with the atmosphere?”

People around them grinned.

Jiyun snapped.

“Hey, what are you all on about!”

“Tsk tsk. Those were the days.”

“I was the same way back when I was single.”

“Ahh, I’m jealous.”

“Ugh, seriously. Oppa, let’s go already!”

With that, Jiyun and Gijun escaped the guild.

Watching them go, Park Yunseok sank into thought.

Baek Gijun….

The name filled his head, heavy with the sense that letting someone like that slip through their fingers would be a damn shame.

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

[Branch Manager Cha Miyeong]

His superior’s number.

1. Oppa — an affectionate term a younger woman uses for an older man she is close to; literally “older brother.”