I Became a Disaster-Class Sorcery Genius

Emotionless Iron-Blood (1)

"This should be everything I needed to grab."

Kim Dojun pulled out the items he'd snatched after smashing up the black market, grinning from ear to ear, and finally picked up the sorcery pouch among them.

'Did I finally get it?'

A pouch just about the size of his palm.

However, it was no ordinary leather pouch. In the Sorcery Killing Technique, this very item acted as an inventory, making it impossible for Kim Dojun to suppress his satisfaction.

'It does have a limit of about 100 liters, but an inventory is always right.'

Above all, just the fact that he didn't have to lug things around awkwardly made it incredibly useful. He nodded several times, fully pleased, and set the sorcery pouch down.

'This one, too, was a good pickup.'

His gaze then turned to another computer tower placed next to where his desktop used to be.

Unlike his usual white desktop, this was a black one.

It was, in other words, an untraceable computer.

'I have no idea how they make something like this, nor do I know the principle—'

He didn't care for such absurd, convoluted explanations.

What mattered to him was that this PC he'd gotten from the black market could never be traced from the outside.

'Now I can finally enter that place, too.'

With a grin, Kim Dojun looked at the website displayed on the monitor.

The Pantheon—well, to be precise, not just the Pantheon, but a site used by almost all figures from the underworld.

Demon Realm of Tiger's Dread (寅畏魔境).

If Sorcery Institute was a place where inside information about the Sorcery Institute circulated, Demon Realm of Tiger's Dread was an anonymous community site that included info from inside the Pantheon, where criminals worldwide shared information and offered various conveniences to its users.

Currently, this place was—

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BEST 10

To my fellow Demon Realmers, I'll share the story about the destruction of the Outer District's Twisted Evil. (223)

I was in the black market when the Scorpion Mask guy showed up, haha, anyone want to hear? Come on in~ (72)

Looks like the Boss of Twisted Evil is super pissed~ Don't you think so, everyone? (223)

I heard the Boss of Twisted Evil is searching for the Scorpion Mask dude in a fit of anger—can anyone confirm? (113)

Honestly, I'm really liking the Scorpion Mask guy, haha, what does everyone think? (77)

Guys, don't go to the Pantheon right now ㅠㅠ I went and got beaten up by the Boss of Twisted Evil ㅠㅠ (877)
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Thanks to the incident Kim Dojun caused earlier today, the place was absolutely on fire.

Most of the best posts in Demon Realm of Tiger's Dread were rumors about what he'd done, or stories about how furious the Boss of Twisted Evil seemed because of it.

Thanks to the scorpion mask he wore when infiltrating the Pantheon, he was now being talked about under the nickname Scorpion Mask in the legend of the "madman who provoked the Boss of Twisted Evil."

Kim Dojun skimmed the best posts, saw what the Boss of Twisted Evil was doing in response, and smirked.

'You can never trust information from an anonymous community 100%, so it's best to assume at least 30% is lies.'

Even taking that into account, it was clear how angry the Boss of Twisted Evil was.

'Not only did they send people from the inner zone, not just the middle one, to capture Scorpion Mask, they invested a fortune in the information guild to uncover my real identity...'

Of course, it wasn't like he hadn't expected this scenario.

'The Boss of Twisted Evil's group instills fear by relentlessly hunting down anyone who harms them, using that terror as fuel to grow within the Pantheon.'

So, obviously, letting Scorpion Mask go unpunished was never on the table for them.

If they just let things slide after being assaulted like this, it would be as good as denying the Boss of Twisted Evil's very nature.

'But it's not that I'm worried.'

Still, Kim Dojun had zero concerns about being targeted by the Boss of Twisted Evil.

'Either way, they'll end up as maglignant spirit pawns one day, so I'm bound to confront them. There's nothing bad about knocking them down ahead of time.'

It was obvious that if left alone, that group would only get in his way later, especially when he tried to escape.

'Better to take them out before they become more annoying as pawns... Besides, there's a spiritual tool I need to get as soon as possible, anyway.'

Normally, he wouldn't be able to get his hands on the spiritual tool until around the game's mid-point, after taking down the Boss of Twisted Evil. So, he started forming a plan to whittle them down from the outside while staring at the enlarged Demon Realm of Tiger's Dread website.

'Now that I have an untraceable PC, I can finally enter Demon Realm of Tiger's Dread too. Getting info from the underworld will be easier than ever... though this way of writing is pretty unappealing.'

Clicking his tongue, he read through the oddly formal tone everyone used on Demon Realm of Tiger's Dread.

'Pretty sure it's a site rule that profanity leads to a ban, so the community ended up with this weird atmosphere, if I recall right?'

He chuckled remembering the setting.

'Murderers using formal polite speech online, while everyone at the Sorcery Institute—who've never killed anyone—has utter chaos and curses everywhere.'

With that, he logged out of the site and started installing several programs.

'It's not like I brought the PC just for Demon Realm of Tiger's Dread.'

After shutting down the computer—

"All right, now that the work is done... time to prepare to tackle the fourth maglignant spirit candidate."

He grinned, mumbling to himself.

####

Five days later, after the weekend was over and the weekdays began anew—

Kim Dojun was receiving lessons on sorcery from Shin Se-yeon, just as they'd agreed, after her training was finished.

"... So, the basics of sorcery are about moving your spiritual power, but as you know, at first it's better to use a hand seal than to just try moving spiritual power directly. If you form a hand seal, it's a bit easier to concentrate your spiritual power."

"I see."

"Once you've got the hand seal down and really start moving your spiritual power, there are different routes. With regular sorcery, you follow fixed acupoints, but advanced sorcery involves using paths you create yourself—"

"I see."

"With sorcery formations, the structure's different depending on how you use them. There are charge-type arrays that use no spiritual power when activating, and there are quick-cast types that you have to inject spiritual power each time... Beyond the basics, once you get into real sorcery, there are formations with strict limitations but huge effects."

"I've perfectly understood."

—Though in fact, he'd understood almost nothing of what Shin Se-yeon said.

'This isn't easy.'

He looked at Shin Se-yeon, who spoke rapidly without pause, and realized something with complete clarity.

'I'm just not cut out for studying.'

Not just bad with books—he was horrifically bad.

'Maybe this really isn't for me.'

He was seriously considering giving up on his studies and switching to his new plan: collecting companions.

Shin Se-yeon, meanwhile, was watching Kim Dojun while explaining the basics of sorcery he'd requested.

"...."

In truth, she knew full well he wasn't focused on the lesson.

How could she not, when he just answered and spaced out?

Even so, Shin Se-yeon kept going.

Because she knew—

Kim Dojun had never really needed these lessons in the first place.

In fact, she suspected he'd only asked for them to be around her...!

Realizing this, she briefly flashed a sly, victorious smile, but suppressed it and looked back at Kim Dojun.

"...."

Kim Dojun was silent, staring off into space, lost in thought.

But Shin Se-yeon felt sure she knew what he was thinking.

'... He must just want to spend more time talking to me...!'

Feeling certain she'd seen through his feelings, Shin Se-yeon basked in triumph again, but at the same time, had no intention of encouraging him.

'Well, his antics are kind of cute, but... right now I don't have time for romance.'

Shin Se-yeon's goal was to topple—and kill—her father.

With such an enormous task ahead, there was no way she could spare attention for anything else until her revenge was complete.

'Sorry, but I can't return your feelings....'

She gazed at Kim Dojun with a faintly regretful expression.

But, completely oblivious to her internal drama, Kim Dojun stayed lost in his own head a while longer.

When their first lesson ended—

"Hey. Forget the lessons."

Kim Dojun, now sure of where his talents did not lie, made up his mind to stop.

"Lend me your card."

"Card?"

"Yeah. Credit card."

"Why?"

"I need it. I did save your life, so let me borrow it just this once."

He'd decided to procure supplies for attacking the fourth boss.

Shin Se-yeon looked at him a bit oddly, then—

"Hm...."

—flashed a look of triumph, as if she'd figured something out, and pulled out her card.

"... Well, okay. Here, since you saved my life."

She smiled knowingly.

'Why is she smiling when I'm taking her money? Has she lost it?'

Utterly at a loss as to why she kept smiling, Kim Dojun nevertheless succeeded in getting the credit card.

####

'Time to check again today.'

After scoring Shin Se-yeon's card, Kim Dojun returned to the dorms looking satisfied and immediately booted up his PC to check Demon Realm of Tiger's Dread.

'I have to keep tabs on what the Boss of Twisted Evil is up to, and see if the Salvation Society sub-plot has begun.'

Just like with the rampaging spirits incident, there would be a post on Demon Realm of Tiger's Dread before the Salvation Society arc truly began.

'Originally, I figured I'd just lay low and slowly take down the Salvation Society at my own pace, once I was no longer their target.'

But, since he'd concluded that studying wouldn't help anymore, he kept thinking about a very useful spiritual tool he could get from the Salvation Society.

So, he'd decided to simply raid their hideout as soon as the plot began.

'If I have to deal with them anyway, better to do it fast.'

On the third day of checking up on both the Boss of Twisted Evil and the Salvation Society—

Kim Dojun found a certain post.

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Free Board – Korea
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Title: I heard an illegal boat landed on the East Sea yesterday, anybody know where it came from?
Posted by: anonymous

I heard an unmarked boat landed on the East Sea yesterday, does anyone know where it came from?

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6 comments.

anonymous1: No idea?
ㄴanonymous1: I thought about it for a sec and I really don't know. Who even sends unmarked boats to the East Sea? That's a huge risk ㅠㅠ
ㄴanonymous: Right? But I'm looking into it because apparently it really landed yesterday.
ㄴanonymous1: Maybe scavengers?
ㄴanonymous2: Could be. Maybe they came to hit Korea for a quick job ^^ But why are you curious?
ㄴanonymous: Personal business, haha.
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A post heralding the start of the Salvation Society arc.

'Nice.'

Smiling at the post, Kim Dojun opened his notebook to the section on Sorcery Killing Technique lore and began planning the timing for the Salvation Society raid.

Having set his sights, he smiled as he pictured the spiritual tool he'd obtain for toppling the Salvation Society.

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