The unblinking stare pierced straight through him.
“……!”
The Jeongmyeong Guildmaster, recalling how he had nearly lost an arm trying to lecture eighteen-year-old Tae Woon, hastily lowered his eyes.
Completely unaware of what had just happened behind him, Kim Sibaek pulled out the reagent he had received from Lee Hangyeol. Though he had no Mana, could not wield magic, and knew little about the subject, he still had something to rely on.
“Lord Biendeoé.”
[Death and Beauty proudly spreads its wings, telling you to trust in her.]
Biendeoé, usually dismissed by most as nothing more than an “ugly pet bird,” descended onto the table. Kim Sibaek borrowed a spare sheet of paper and a pen from the briefing materials Gwak Yoonsang had brought.
Clutching the pen with its claw, Biendeoé began sketching shapes onto the paper. No one dared to interrupt, but most silently thought to themselves, “We are already pressed for time, why waste it on this?” Yet, as the drawing progressed, their eyes slowly widened.
Despite the inevitable wobbliness of a bird drawing with a pen, the image coming together was unmistakably a magic circle.
[Death and Beauty tilts its beak upward, haughtily urging everyone to bow before divine majesty.]
Magic was not part of Biendeoé’s divine domain. However, like a curious child, it delighted in roaming the human world in its Incarnate Body. Its Pope—who served as both worshipper and caretaker—had a keen hobby in magicology. Although not a mage himself, the Pope was a well-respected scholar in the field.
“So, our young god has taken an interest in this old man’s hobby.”
With a wrinkled smile, the Pope would lecture his god like a grandfather sharing bedtime stories. Although magic was not Biendeoé’s realm and it could not fully grasp the intricacies, it had learned enough to read intermediate-level magicology books.
The magic circle Biendeoé was now drawing had originally been devised decades ago by Naslueik to rapidly accelerate the growth of Gett’s fruit within the Oasis. Over the years, it had been refined and perfected, making it just as effective when used in reverse to suppress growth.
“Ah, ah…!”
The Deputy Guildmaster of Sky High, the only mage present, pushed up his glasses in growing excitement.
“This is insane. The formula definitely stems from plant-type beast growth delay formulas, but the way the equations are structured and summed up—no, this goes way beyond anything I ever imagined…”
Muttering frantically to himself, he suddenly shouted as Biendeoé completed the magic circle.
“C-can I try implementing this magic circle?”
“Go ahead.”
Since Kim Sibaek could not implement it himself, he had been thinking of calling Lee Hangyeol to do it anyway. Visibly thrilled, the Deputy Guildmaster infused Mana into the reagent Lee Hangyeol had prepared and scattered it into the air. The reagent floated hesitantly, as if searching for its path, then finally locked onto the magic circle Biendeoé had drawn before falling back into the empty vial.
To those unfamiliar with magic, nothing appeared to change, but the Deputy Guildmaster’s eyes gleamed dangerously.
“Who the hell designed this spell?! You said you are from overseas—which country, which region? Wait, was it you? And what is that bird?! Why is a bird drawing a magic circle? Is it some kind of magical construct?!”
“Chief Gwak.”
Startled, Gwak Yoonsang quickly stepped forward, blocking the Deputy Guildmaster like a stern contractor protecting a valuable client, prompted by Tae Woon’s icy, boss-like tone.
“This is classified.”
“Ah, come on, Chief Gwak! You are seriously doing this to me?!”
“Do I know you? Anyway, Hunter Kim Sibaek, how long can you delay the fruit’s ripening?”
[Death and Beauty spreads its wings and perches proudly atop your head.]
After doing little on Earth other than eating, sleeping, killing one Portal Keeper, and repeating the cycle, Biendeoé now looked thoroughly pleased to be of actual use. Basking in the awestruck gazes of the humans, it haughtily settled on Kim Sibaek’s head.
[Sudden Quest]
[Defeat the Giantvine (0/1)]
[Reward upon completion: Time extension for the second quest]
[Time remaining: 10 hours 39 minutes]
Kim Sibaek glanced at the system window before answering.
“I only know what I have heard secondhand, so I cannot say for certain. But it should hold for around ten hours.”
“Then let us aim to clear this within the next nine hours, just to be safe.”
“If the fruit bursts, the aftermath will be far worse.”
“Which is exactly why we will clear it before that happens!”
The meeting wrapped up as they shared the magic circle with the mages present and ensured enough reagent was prepared to affect even the massively grown Giantvine.
Just then, Gwak Yoonsang’s expression stiffened slightly as a new report came through his earpiece.
“A fourth Eid Portal has been confirmed near the site. As discussed earlier, Jeongmyeong Guild’s standby team has just entered to engage.”
Standing at the back of the room, Kim Sibaek clicked his tongue quietly. Tae Woon leaned in close, whispering right by his ear.
“Why?”
The soft, intimate whisper, which would have meant little under normal circumstances, sent a strange shiver through Kim Sibaek’s nerves. He instinctively curled his fingers inward.
“It is becoming painfully clear that the Eid Portals are turning into a serious problem.”
“True. In a situation like this, people’s minds can easily start to crack, or spiral into full-blown panic.”
This phenomenon had never existed on Mak Slechth. For a brief moment, the thought flickered in Kim Sibaek’s mind—Could the destruction of Earth be linked to the Eid Portals? But he shook his head, driving the thought away. Now was not the time for speculation. He had to focus on what was right in front of him.
[Time remaining: 10 hours 11 minutes]
The countdown continued, every second ticking away.
“The strike force will be split into two teams, with Seven Guild and Tobazishu Hussars each leading one.”
“Hey, how many times do I have to tell you not to shorten my guild’s name like that?”
“Very well. Guildmasters, which area will you each take? The Management Center or the Manastone Exchange?”
Justyna gave a casual shrug, indifferent. Tae Woon lightly tapped Kim Sibaek on the back of the hand.
“Hyung, where should we go?”
“Huh? I get to choose?”
“I am scared of both…”
Her voice was so small and timid that a few people instinctively rubbed their ears, wondering if they had misheard. Kim Sibaek chose the Manastone Exchange, where survivors had already been confirmed. If any unexpected danger arose, he was the one most capable of saving them.
Since there had only been a small amount of Lee Hangyeol’s test reagent, they scrambled to gather similar drugs to supplement it. While the briefing continued, summoned mages worked themselves ragged, squeezing out every last drop of Mana to produce enough reagent for the Giantvine before finally collapsing from exhaustion.
The reagent was modified so it could be attached to cavalry lances for long-range throws.
“Oh, my turn already?”
Tossing off her guild jacket, Justyna stretched and grabbed hold of the lance. The shaft was over five meters long—far thicker and heavier than a regular spear.
“Here we go!”
She inhaled deeply, pulling her arm all the way back. Thick ropes of muscle bulged and writhed under her skin like coiled cables. As she activated her ability, even the air around her vibrated with a low hum.
“Pierce!”
TOO-KWAKAKAKAK!
The lance screeched as it tore through the air, launching straight at the beast like a cannon shot. It closed the distance—several dozen meters—in an instant, without losing any momentum. The Giantvine, sensing the threat, flailed its tendrils to intercept, but the lance ripped through them all, driving deep into the core at the crown of its massive body. Even though it had been thrown by hand, the impact sounded like a massive multi-vehicle pileup.
Taking advantage of the Giantvine’s momentary distraction, a magically amplified broadcast echoed through the area.
—“A rescue team led by Guildmaster Tae Woon of 7777 Guild is about to enter. All survivors, please remain calm and evacuate quietly. The Giantvine is highly sensitive to sound. Guildmaster Tae Woon of 7777 Guild…”
The message was meant to keep panicked survivors from falling prey to the Eid Portal’s parasitic influence. Leading with Tae Woon’s name was intentional—his reputation inspired trust.
Then, a Hunter monitoring the Giantvine’s demonic energy shouted.
“The reagent is working! The Mana concentration in the fruit clusters is stabilizing!”
“Ugh… I am getting too old for this. No way I could pull that off a second time.”
Amidst the cheers, Justyna collapsed to the ground. Her right arm—twisted unnaturally from throwing the lance—was broken. Even her shoulder joint had been pulled out of alignment; she would not be able to use that arm for at least a month. Yet, sweating from pain, she still managed to joke.
“Well, this old lady’s going to get patched up. I’ll leave the rest to you young folks…”
One of her Tobazishu Hussars guildmates rushed over to help her up.
“May I take a look at your injury?”
Kim Sibaek approached, politely asking before placing his hand on her shoulder. A soft glow gathered beneath his palm, swirling into a sphere of light. Then, with a faint, breathless cry, something released like a loosened thread.
“…Huh?”
Justyna blinked and stared down at her shoulder.
The injury was completely gone.
