The lights in Archeon Genetics' Central Monitoring Room never went out, even at dawn.
Data collected from across Magiterra—such as mana waveforms, contamination levels, and output volumes—floated across dozens of hologram windows.
Right then, one of them flashed red.
[Abnormal High-Output Mana Emission Detected]
The researcher on duty froze, his hands pausing over the screen.
At first, he thought it was a system error.
He could hardly be blamed, considering the detected location was the Surface Level.
Moreover, it wasn't within the corporate management sector, but the Eastern Outer Circulation District's Graverock Block.
The researcher immediately brought up another screen, cross-referencing the waveform and calculating the estimated output.
At that, his face drained of all color.
"Team Leader."
A brief call followed, and within minutes, the atmosphere inside the monitoring room shifted.
Archeon Genetics' Night Analysis Team moved in unison.
One researcher checked the City Stabilization Bureau's public network, while another combed through the inter-corporate backchannel incident report network. The rest pulled up the unregistered mana emission records detected in the Underground Level a few days ago.
Two waveforms were laid side by side on the screen.
One was a high-output mana explosion that occurred on the Underground Level.
The other was the mana emission that had just erupted in the Surface Level's Graverock Block.
Their forms and output methods differed.
If one was closer to a brief, violent burst, the other was dispersed across multiple formula branches.
But.
The core unique waveform was observed radiating in a strikingly similar manner.
The Night Analysis Team Leader made his decision before even finishing the report.
"Escalate this to the Representative."
"Right now, sir?"
"If not now, when? After it disappears again? Do you want to get fired like the others?!"
At those words, the employee who asked shut his mouth instantly and opened the emergency reporting channel.
..
..
The top floor of Archeon Genetics.
The Representative's Office.
Leah Valencroft had not yet clocked out.
To be precise, the concept of leaving work held little meaning for her anyway.
On one side of the office stood a sleep capsule, and on the other, a personal research terminal.
She never bothered commuting from outside the building, considering even that time a waste.
Wearing a long white coat, Leah was flipping through holographic data.
It was clinical trial data on Archeon's next-generation circuit adaptation rates.
Just then, a red notification flashed on the office wall.
[Emergency Report: Unregistered High-Output Mana Emission]
Leah's fingers paused.
"Connect."
At her command, the screen flickered open immediately, displaying the face of the Night Analysis Team Leader.
He bowed his head with a tense expression.
- Representative. Just a moment ago, an abnormal high-output mana emission was detected in the Eastern Outer Circulation District on the Surface Level.
Leah's brow rose slightly.
"The Surface Level?"
- Yes. It is presumed to be the Graverock Block.
She fell into thought for a moment.
Graverock.
To her—no, even to the corporation—that district held little significance.
An unstable outer circulation district.
A filthy sector where illegal residents, low-tier gangs, unlicensed clinics, and trash on the verge of disposal all intermingled.
That was precisely the extent of her impression.
But that was not what mattered right now.
"The waveform?"
- We cross-referenced it with the unregistered mana emission detected on the Underground Level a few days ago.
As the Team Leader brought up the data, two waveforms overlapped.
- The forms differ. Back then, it was close to a single explosive output, whereas this time, it is dispersed across multiple formulas. However...
He swallowed hard in visible tension before continuing his report.
- The similarity rate of the unique waveform is remarkably high.
Leah's eyes scanned the screen attached to the report data.
"..."
She stayed silent for a few seconds before murmuring softly.
"On the Surface Level this time, huh."
The mana emission that occurred on the Underground Level a few days ago.
At first, she had not ruled out the possibility of an accident.
Because the Underground Level served as a venue for corporate secret disposals, covert operations, and experiments, there were countless plausible theories.
But this result was different.
Once on the Underground Level, and once more on the Surface Level.
Different locations, different circumstances, yet the observed unique waveforms were similar.
In that case, it could hardly be considered a simple accident.
'It moved.'
Leah began analyzing all the data values in her mind.
The point of origin had shifted.
In other words, the cause wasn't an accident in a fixed facility, but...
A person.
Or a mobile entity equivalent to one.
Staring at the waveform on the screen, she spoke slowly.
"What happened on the Underground Level wasn't some massive explosion accident after all."
Leah continued her deduction.
"It's more accurate to view it as a Magician."
As those words fell, the air in the office grew slightly heavier.
A Magician.
In Magiterra, that word usually... no, practically meant an ACU user.
Yet this waveform had a critical anomaly.
There were almost none of the traces that should inevitably remain after an output routed through an ACU.
Because it was such an absurd phenomenon, Leah found herself all the more intrigued.
She leaned forward slightly.
"How many?"
- Unconfirmed.
"Not even whether it's one person or several?"
- Yes. The emission point narrows down to a single location, but we cannot entirely rule out the possibility of multiple individuals sharing the same waveform.
"The reason for the high-output emission?"
- Unknown. However, there is a possibility that a large-scale clash occurred within the Graverock Block. Part of the local communications network was damaged, and the low-cost surveillance grid was temporarily knocked offline.
Leah tapped her desk lightly with her finger.
Tap, tap.
"Any information acquired from the Magiterra City Stabilization Bureau?"
The Team Leader answered her question immediately.
- None.
"None?"
- There are no official incident reports, nor any dispatch records for high-rank ACU users. We checked the City Stabilization Bureau's public network, outsourced security network, and emergency dispatch network, but found no records corresponding to that output.
Leah's eyes narrowed.
High-output magic was unleashed on Magiterra's Surface Level, yet the City Stabilization Bureau had no record of it.
What did it mean when there were no official dispatch logs or corporate security records?
Either someone erased the records, or whoever made a move leaves no traces behind.
Leah's intuition pointed toward the latter.
"Cross-check against the list of corporate-affiliated high-rank users."
- Already done.
The Team Leader rapidly flipped through the files.
- There are no waveform matches with registered users from Seraph, Gardin, Novatron, Helix, Bastion, or any other top corporations. Even lowering the similarity threshold yields no meaningful results.
"An unofficial user, then?"
- Verifying that will take time. However, if it were a 6th-rank or higher ACU, it should link back to HCAB records.
"I suppose so."
The corners of Leah's lips crept upward.
Anyone belonging to a corporation wouldn't operate like this.
Especially not a high-rank user.
After all, this city was a concrete jungle where showing even a sliver of weakness meant being devoured.
A corporation unleashing this level of high-rank output on the Surface Level without procedure?
And without reporting a single thing to the City Stabilization Bureau?
It made no sense.
Because every single pretext like that would inevitably become bullets aimed back at them by rival corporations.
Therefore.
'It is highly likely they are not affiliated with any corporation.'
An unregistered high-output Magician.
"How amusing."
The Team Leader couldn't utter a word in response to Leah's intrigued remark.
She rose slowly from her seat.
"I wonder if they're useful talent."
The holographic waveform cast a blue glow over her face.
"Better yet if they turn out to be someone to my liking."
Cold sweat beaded on the back of the Team Leader's neck.
When Leah snapped her fingers, a new command window popped open.
"Put the Field Response Team on standby."
- Pardon?
"Prepare for rapid dispatch right now."
Leah picked up the black gloves hanging nearby.
"I'm heading to the site as well."
Consternation was written clearly across the Team Leader's face.
- You mean in person, Representative?
"Is there a problem?"
- It's a hazardous zone. Graverock has a low security rating, and a high-output magic emission was just detected there. It would be better to send a scout team and an Investigation Team first...
Leah pulled on her gloves slowly.
"I can only be satisfied when I see things like this with my own eyes."
Her voice was calm.
"Keep the Security Team to a minimum formation. Don't draw attention. It will be annoying if we get caught in the Bureau's surveillance grid."
- Understood.
"Keep monitoring the City Stabilization Bureau's public channel, and watch THC's unofficial alerts. Report immediately if Seraph makes a move."
- Understood.
Leah looked at the waveform one last time.
Her eyes glinted.
"Using high-output magic, yet there's no record of registration, huh."
Leah chuckled softly.
"I do hope you entertain me."
***
I didn't know exactly why I had done that.
It just felt like something I had to do.
That was all.
Why did I feel that merely taking down Toph wasn't enough?
Ending up using high-output magic once again, that is.
There had been no need to go that far.
No, holding back would have been the right choice.
Even so, I felt compelled to show Rio something.
A very long time ago.
My hometown was burned off the map by the magic of demons, and my parents lost their lives as well.
Ever since that day, I hated demons and magic.
Just hearing the word "magic" made my stomach churn.
And I thought all Magicians were the same.
Then, my master appeared before me.
His name was Theorn, an old Magician from the kingdom's northern frontier.
He had told me this:
- Magic itself possesses no will. Yet, that doesn't mean it can simply be called a tool. Strictly speaking, it is something a bit closer than that.
- Look at that water. Water flows toward the lowest ground. But where it passes depends on its path. It goes around stones, seeps into the soil, and carves through cracks.
- Magic can be the very power that crushes someone down. On the other hand, it can also become a lantern lit in the dark. It can even be a fire that warms someone's frozen hands.
Back then, I didn't understand the true meaning behind what he was trying to say. In fact, his words only infuriated me, making me lash out in anger.
- The demons stole your parents and your home. You must believe that alone is far too much to have lost.
- But you see... if they make you hate magic as well, they will have stolen yet another future from you.
Yet now, for some reason, I felt as though I roughly understood what Master was trying to tell me.
..
..
"..."
Kael stood in place for a long while.
The distribution center had fallen silent before he knew it, and the boss of Black Ring, who had held the Graverock Block in his grip, moved no more.
Kael looked down at his fingertips.
They were still trembling faintly.
It was the aftermath of shattering Pale's 6th-rank ACU.
From deep within his body, a searing pain welled up, as if his circuits were burning away.
A delayed wave of exhaustion washed over him. His shoulders grew heavy, and sensation dulled at his fingertips. Every breath sent a sharp ache radiating from his ribs.
Even so, it wasn't enough to make him collapse.
Besides, he still had things left to do, so he couldn't afford to break down just from this.
Kael walked over to Toph's corpse.
It was to retrieve the High-Rank ACU embedded in the nape of Toph's neck.
Now that he had consumed Pale's, he needed a High-Rank ACU to replace it.
Kael knelt beside Toph's body, and soon his eyes narrowed.
"..."
It was strange.
From outward appearances alone, it was distinct from an ordinary ACU.
To put it simply, Pale's ACU was clean and sophisticated.
Toph's, however, was not.
The ACU at the nape dug deep inside his body along the spine. Parts of the circuits were exposed over his skin, while others were wired directly into a metal spine.
Not only that, Cyberware was embedded all over his body.
Alongside illegal amplifier devices that would never be attached to a proper, standardized product.
Kael inspected the circuits near Toph's nape with his fingertips.
'This isn't an ordinary ACU.'
Kael looked at Toph's face.
Even in death, his contorted expression remained.
Kael recalled one of the rumors circulating in the streets.
They said a rank was determined from birth and never changed until death.
From innate aptitude to the synchronization rate the brain could endure, down to the output the body could withstand.
Implanting an ACU in this world entailed such complex factors.
Naturally, then, there would be those unable to accept such a fate.
They would undergo illegal modifications and graft on Cyberware to attain a higher rank.
Though it meant living their entire lives pumped full of drugs, such things were meaningless to those who had already lost their minds.
As modifications piled on repeatedly, the body broke first, followed by the mind.
Such people were called Chrome Freaks.
People whose personalities had been devoured by ACUs and Cyberware.
Kael muttered under his breath.
"So this is a Chrome Freak."
Since Toph's ACU was unusable even at a glance, Kael pulled his hand back.
Looking around, he saw that most of the Black Ring members had already fled.
A few were still watching from a distance, gauging the situation, but none dared approach. Toph was dead. That fact alone meant Black Ring would collapse before long.
Kael walked over toward Rio.
Rio was staring blankly at him from his wheelchair.
His face showed he had yet to recover from what he had just witnessed.
"Are you alright?"
At Kael's question, Rio belatedly snapped back to his senses.
"Y-Yes..."
When Kael moved behind the wheelchair and took hold of the handles, Rio cautiously looked up.
"Hyung..."
"What is it?"
"What about Toph...?"
"He's dead."
At those words, Rio fell silent.
He looked as if he didn't know what kind of expression to make.
Rio was still a child, so his feelings were entirely understandable.
Thus, without another word, Kael pushed Rio's wheelchair and left the distribution center.
The night air outside was cold.
..
..
Mira and Nia were waiting outside the Last Round.
Nia had been standing by the door looking on the verge of tears, but rushed over the moment she saw Rio.
"Rio!"
She dropped to her knees before the wheelchair.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Does anything hurt?"
Rio looked at Nia with a dazed expression.
Then, his eyes gradually reddened.
"Noona..."
As Nia embraced Rio, her small shoulders trembled.
"Thank goodness... What a relief..."
For a long time, Rio couldn't say a word, merely clinging tightly to Nia's clothes.
Mira looked at Kael.
Her gaze swept over his shoulders, the backs of his hands, and his torn clothes.
"You..."
"I'm fine."
"Fine? Do I need to hold up a mirror so you can see what kind of mess you're in?!"
"No."
"Haaah..."
Mira gritted her teeth before letting out a sigh.
"What about Toph?"
Kael replied tersely.
"It's over."
Those words were enough.
Mira's eyes wavered momentarily.
Anyone from the Graverock Block couldn't fail to understand the weight of those words.
Still holding Rio, Nia looked up at Kael.
Her eyes were wet with tears.
"..."
Kael raised a hand before she could speak.
"Later."
At that, Nia pressed her lips together.
Fatigue was laced in his voice.
"Right now, I need to get some sleep."
Reaching the third floor with exhausted footsteps, he opened the door and stepped inside.
The room was still mostly bare.
A bed, a small table, and a box storing ACUs and tools.
That was all.
Kael pulled off his mask and tossed it onto the table.
The damp fabric hit the table with a dull thud.
His body felt heavy.
The Magic Circuit he had forcibly torn open still seemed to throb.
He couldn't quite tell whether what he had done was the best course of action.
His knuckles ached.
As he slowly sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress creaked.
Toph's final moments came to mind.
A Chrome Freak.
Those who turned their bodies into machines and subjected themselves to illicit procedures and drugs just to forcibly boost their rank.
An ACU from someone like that was unusable.
If handled improperly, it could even contaminate Kael's own Magic Circuit.
Though he felt it was a slight waste, leaving it behind was the right decision.
After all, the end result of someone who ruined his body by lusting after unusable power had been right before his eyes.
Kael exhaled softly.
'Not that burning through Pale's ACU doesn't sting, either.'
He had effectively used an entire piece of expensive experimental material as kindling.
In return, he had saved a child, killed the boss of a district, and even set off fireworks with magic.
They were actions that could hardly be seen as rational decisions.
Kael smirked.
"What would Master have said if he saw this?"
He probably would have whacked him on the head with his staff first.
Then he would have said something like this:
Asking if he was giving magic lessons to a kid in the middle of battle.
And after falling silent for a moment, he might have eventually told him he did well.
Because that was just the kind of person Master was.
As Kael looked at the mask resting on the table, Rio's eyes came to mind.
A familiar look in his eyes.
It resembled how he had looked in the past when he first witnessed his master's magic.
Back then, Kael had refused to admit it.
That the tiny light was beautiful.
That the warm fire wasn't just terrifying.
That the gentle wind was different from the ashes of his hometown.
He hadn't wanted to admit it.
Because if he admitted it, the hatred for magic he had clung to felt like it would waver.
And Rio would likely be the same.
Even so, a small crack might have opened.
That was enough.
Kael lay back and closed his eyes.
His consciousness soon sank into darkness.
..
..
The next day.
The first thing Kael felt upon opening his eyes was pain.
He slowly pushed himself up and caught his breath for a moment.
Yet, struck by an unfamiliar sensation unlike his usual state, he focused his mind and peered inward.
"..."
In his Magic Circuit, which had been shut for so long... he could see the faintest flow of mana.