The Forum ended.

It concluded with an unusually quiet closing ceremony for the Castle.

Yachts flocked towards the Island. They were the transportation to take the participants back.

Kim Songcheol also boarded a Yacht with Kim Myeongju and Cha Sehyeon.

Peter was gone. Perhaps because his identity was revealed, he simply vanished.

Instead, another person appeared nonchalantly and moved their luggage.

Soon, the Yacht departed. The sight of dozens of Yachts crossing the sea was quite a grand Official Position.

“It ended more quietly than I expected, didn’t it?”

Kim Songcheol, sitting on the Yacht’s deck seat, asked. Kim Myeongju sat beside him.

“It was quieter than I expected.”

Since the Forum was over, he was also enjoying a brief rest.

As proof, he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts.

What’s quiet about it? It was incredibly loud.

Cha Sehyeon, who was next to him, irritably brushed the hair from her face.

The wind blew fiercely, scattering her pink hair wildly.

Just a little bit of explosion shooting?

Not to mention that. Do you know how many foes I blocked?

Really? I didn’t know.

Of course you wouldn’t know, big brother. How could anyone approach and talk when I’m standing right there, watching them intently? I didn’t let a single one through.

Haha, but do you know you were breached once?

Breached? When was I?

Peter.

Peter?

Yes, you saw it too. You were talking. When you were on the beach behind the resort.

No, who is Peter? What nonsense are you talking about? Did you dream it?

Cha Sehyeon frowned deeply and glared at Kim Songcheol.

You don’t know…?

Kim Songcheol tilted his head. No matter how he looked at it, Cha Sehyeon didn’t seem to be joking.

Kim Songcheol subtly glanced at Kim Myeongju.

You don’t know Peter?

Who is Peter? Is it like a new meme?

What meme… There’s no such meme.

Cha Sehyeon, the only one in her twenties, sharply turned her head as if she didn’t want to talk anymore.

Kim Songcheol was speechless. Kim Myeongju also genuinely seemed not to know.

‘What is this?’

Kim Songcheol was thrown into confusion.

It was utterly baffling.

You forgot Peter…?

He could only murmur like an extra who alone remembers the protagonist in a Worldline where the protagonist saved the world and then died.

Meanwhile, the yacht diligently cut through the sea.

The main island was not far.

The three people quickly arrived at the main island.

They got off the yacht, took the waiting car, and arrived at the airport.

They immediately went through immigration and boarded the plane.

Kim Songcheol sat in the same seat he had on the way there. After tidying up his seat, he looked out the window.

His face was lost in thought.

He had worn that expression continuously since earlier.

But who exactly is Peter…?

Kim Myeongju tried to start the conversation again.

No, it’s nothing. It’s not something I should talk about. And there’s no need to worry.

Kim Songcheol waved his hand.

I don’t know what happened, but even Cha Sehyeon lost her memory. One of the strongest Mages on Earth was attacked for no apparent reason.

Would telling them make a difference?

It wouldn’t.

Definitely.

“But did you have any success? You seemed to be talking to some other Hunters.”

As Kim Songcheol changed the subject, Kim Myeongju also grinned and chimed in.

“There were a few Hunters I got along well with. I think we’ll have another meeting soon. If they come to Korea, it will be thanks to Mr. Kim Songcheol.”

“Is that so? I’ll have to practice my Magic diligently.”

“You’re stating the obvious.”

Cha Sehyeon interjected. She had been lying with her eyes closed, pretending not to listen, but she had heard everything.

She slowly opened her eyes and sat up.

“Brother, you didn’t train much in Guam, did you?”

“No. I intentionally didn’t.”

“In-ten-tion-ally? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Ah… I was trying to time it right. I have to enter a Dungeon as soon as I get back, and I was worried something might go wrong.”

It was because of what happened the last time he entered a Dungeon with Team 25A.

He remembered struggling because the Dungeon’s difficulty had changed strangely.

“Really?”

“Anyway, I think I’ll reach 4th Circle with just a little push after the Dungeon, so don’t worry and just sleep.”

Kim Songcheol pressed Cha Sehyeon’s forehead, forcing her to lie back in her seat.

“Ugh, get off me.”

Of course, Cha Sehyeon slapped his hand away.

Anyway, as she went down, Kim Myeongju’s sparkling eyes were visible.

“Is it already 4th Circle?”

“Yes. The new training method is very effective.”

“…That’s fast.”

Kim Myeongju stroked his chin once.

Kim Songcheol’s growth rate had always been fast.

Even if the speed at which he filled his naturally large Circle was slow, it was nothing compared to an ordinary Mage.

It was arguably the part that made Kim Songcheol somewhat human-like.

However, after learning the new training method, his growth rate had soared.

Moreover, there was little difference between going from 2nd Circle to 3rd Circle and going from 3rd Circle to 4th Circle.

“Just keep doing that. You’re doing very well.”

Cha Sehyeon nodded while lying down. If you were to list the people most satisfied with Kim Songcheol’s growth, Cha Sehyeon would undoubtedly be first.

In contrast, Kim Myeongju quietly nodded his head.

‘Graduation is already just around the corner.’

Reaching 4th Circle means graduation.

It goes without saying.

He is, of course, the fastest graduate.

But that wasn’t important.

Many things would change.

It wasn’t for nothing that the Training Institute Graduation was set at 4th Circle, and graduating meant officially becoming a Republic of Korea Hunter.

***

Kim Songcheol returned to his Dormitory and stood before his current Official Position.

The plan was clear in his head.

First, he would unpack the luggage in his Suitcase, clean his house, and take a shower.

After that, with a clear mind, he would study the Magic Magic Formula.

It was nothing difficult, and he had no doubt it would come to pass exactly as planned.

Beep beep beep.

He entered the password and opened his current Gateway.

He lifted the Suitcase, entered the main room, and laid the Suitcase down.

Opening the Suitcase revealed neatly organized clothes.

There was no laundry.

This was because he had used the laundry service the entire time he was at the Resort.

“Shall I start by organizing my clothes…”

He took only his underwear and socks and went into the Small Room where the wardrobe was, but then…

‘…?’

Kim Songcheol stopped dead in his tracks at the door.

There was a Book table in the Small Room.

It was where Kim Songcheol studied Magic.

It should have been empty except for his Magic books.

But…

There was a large box placed on it.

It was a pink box.

Neatly tied with a red ribbon.

‘…Could it be an Explosion bomb?’

Kim Songcheol suspected the box’s true nature.

There was no one who would send him a gift.

Even if someone did send him a gift, there was no reason for it to be inside his house.

He imagined the scene of the surroundings being devastated the moment he opened the box.

‘Have I watched too many movies…?’

Kim Songcheol stood blankly, holding his underwear and socks in both hands, staring at the box.

It looked like a box containing a Christmas present for a 9-year-old girl.

It would fit perfectly under a Christmas tree.

If it was an Explosion bomb, he didn’t want to believe that someone would package it in such a box.

“For now, shall I play along with the prank…”

Kim Songcheol waved his finger in the air. Suddenly, defensive barriers swiftly appeared before him.

It was a 3rd Circle defensive Magic Shield.

Several transparent shields of the color Rupture blocked Kim Songcheol’s path.

Kim Songcheol flicked his finger again. Then, the paper bag on top of the box floated up.

It was the Third Circle Magic Telekinesis he had learned a while ago.

It was a magic he had put off because its usefulness was limited, but he was glad he had learned it.

As Kim Songcheol flicked his finger once more, the bag opened in mid-air, and the letter paper inside slid out.

The letter paper then flew towards Kim Songcheol.

“Hmm.”

The letter paper slowly unfolded.

[Good children deserve presents, don’t they? See you again soon. With love, Peter.]

It was Korean written in messy handwriting. The final greeting seemed like a direct translation from English.

…Peter?

That was also when the shield was deactivated. If it was Peter, there was no need to be careful. He wouldn’t be able to block it anyway.

Kim Songcheol simply walked over, threw his socks and underwear onto the bookshelf, and pulled the red string to unwrap the package.

Then he opened the box lid. Inside were a few antique books.

Kim Songcheol first took out all the books and placed them on the bookshelf.

He just shoved the unpleasant box to the floor.

There were five books in total.

Each one was quite thick.

There were no titles.

The numbers 1 to 5 were written on them.

The covers were made of an unknown leather.

…What is this?

Kim Songcheol first pulled up a chair and sat down, then opened the first book.

Naturally, the contents were written in Korean.

Kim Songcheol continued to read the book.

Before he even finished the first page, he flinched in surprise and checked the book’s cover again.

Of course, nothing was written on it except for the numbers.

‘This…?’

Kim Songcheol straightened his posture. He pushed his hips deep into the chair he had been casually sitting on and straightened his back.

If his prediction was correct, this was truly a gift.

[Second-tier Circle Theory]

Although there was no title written, he could vaguely guess what it was.

Kim Songcheol immersed himself in the magic book.

As he read one page, he felt one mage, and as he read two pages, he felt two mages.

This was not the result of a single mage’s efforts.

Someone dedicated their life to taking one step, and then someone who took over the baton took another step.

Step by step, like that.

It was a history of reaching a distant place that seemed utterly unreachable.

Kim Songcheol recalled the Great Sage of the past who developed the Mana Training Method.

After developing the Mana Training method, he left these words at the end of his book.

‘This time, I intend to research Circle Magic itself and leave another mark.’

Kim Songcheol could feel his presence in this book.

He doesn’t know if he truly held an official position.

However, the many mages infused in this book must have all been similar to him.

Beings who approached the unknown realm. And who eventually stepped into it.

They often say,

Swordsmanship is patience, and Magic is expansion.

They expanded Magic this far.

It was a place Kim Songcheol could not even imagine.

No matter how excellent Kim Songcheol is, he cannot surpass the years accumulated in this book.

Perhaps there was a mage even more outstanding than Kim Songcheol.

Nevertheless, he humbly became one with the book.

Kim Songcheol solemnly stepped into the territory they had expanded.

‘Oneness.’

They called it Oneness.

It refers to a single Circle. However, it was not translated as ‘Circle’ (round circle).

Circles developed by dividing into many, but ultimately return to one.

Just as humans first created the Circle.

That is the essence of the ‘2nd-tier Circle theory’.

Kim Songcheol began to fully take in the unfamiliar, mysterious, unknown land with his eyes.