Reader Mage 75-That Is Ominous

“Yes. We’re on our way. He’s fine. You’re welco.” Kang Do-Won ended his call then, refocusing his attention completely on the road. At least for a few seconds. “That was your headmaster,” he said a short mont later.

“I see…” rlin replied dryly, his head resting on the side window of the car as he gazed at the people walking down the sidewalks, the bright lights of the streets, and how lively everything seed, making him realize how listless he felt deep down. Maybe talking about what was bothering him would help. He really couldn’t keep feeling this way. “I have sothing to say,” he began.

Kang Do-Won glanced his way. “Is it important?”

“Depends on what you consider as important,” rlin replied. “It’s sothing I left out of the report.”

Kang Do-Won was silent. “All right. What is it?”

rlin was surprised that he was not instantly scolded for leaving sothing out of a report. But, even if he had, he wouldn’t have felt sorry. He had left it out because he was trying not to involve Janeth in his problems, and ntioning it would only have made her curious, which would then cause her to prod him for answers, and, well, involve herself.

She had her own problems to deal with.

He was confused, though, about if he should tell Nora or not. But it seed he would have to leave that for later. If she did not kill him for not telling her that he’d scheduled a date with Janeth first.

His plan had been for it to be a surprise—him and Janeth dating. But everything had co crashing down. The classic case of if sothing could go wrong, then it would go wrong.

“The Dungeon portal…I think soone opened it,” rlin began. “I know this might seem like a reach from , considering I’m a Deficient Mage and can’t sense the exact fluctuation of mana in an area. But the way that portal sprung to life was weird.”

“You’re right. Not even considering that the Consortium did not pick up on the mana fluctuation in the area too, it takes at least thirty minutes to an hour before a Dungeon Break occurs. So your line of reasoning isn’t weird,” replied Kang Do-Won imdiately. “However, that doesn’t an that soone was the cause of the portal’s sudden appearance. First of all, Dungeon Breaks have been occurring extrely frequently for a while now, so this could have just co about as one of the results of the abnormality the Dungeons have been showing. Secondly, it’s unheard of for anyone to be able to gather so much mana that it’s enough to open a portal. The simple result of that would be the person exploding.” He paused. “But you’re well an anomaly already, so I won’t put the possibility of such a person existing past anyone. However, I’ll need sothing far more tangible to latch onto than a simple guess. Is there another reason why you think the portal was activated by soone?”

rlin took a deep breath and exhaled as he recalled how his body had frozen when the mysterious lady had crept up behind him and uttered those uncanny words of hers. He wouldn’t lie, he was afraid.

“Soone else was there.”

Those words of his caused Kang Do-Won to take a longer glance his way than should be required of soone handling the wheels of a car.

“Soone else?” he asked.

“A lady,” rlin explained. “I didn’t see her face, but as soon as the Ice Wyverns lost their minds, she ca up behind . She said…” rlin turned away from the window and towards Kang Do-Won… “My presence ruined everything.”

The Consortium Mage frowned, though just slightly. He was not as shocked as rlin had thought he would be. rlin boiled that down to the difference in years between both of them. After all, Mages in their twenties and above had lived through the Cataclysm. There was barely anything that could frighten them as much as that.

“I see…” Kang Do-Won said a mont later. “That is ominous. Was that all she said?”

rlin shook his head with a sigh and leaned back on his seat. “No. There was more. She said she was going to tell soone about —I have no idea who that is. Also that I shouldn’t disappoint ‘them’, and we were going to et again.”

Kang Do-Won nodded. “And I take it all this is what is bothering you?”

“It’s only normal that it should, right?” rlin said. “Basically, soone that’s powerful enough to open Dungeon portals is stalking .” He glanced at his palms. “And it’s because of my anti-magic, I’m sure.”

After all, what else could soone want from a Deficient Mage like him?

“There’s no need to be frightened,” assured Kang Do-Won. “As long as you’re within Prestige Academy, no one can get to you. Just go on with your school life as you should, and I’ll handle the rest. Whoever this person is, it’s obvious that they aren’t our friend. And there’s only one group in the world who isn’t the friend of Mages.”

“And they are?” rlin asked, curious.

“People you shouldn’t concern yourself with,” Kang Do-Won shut that conversation down swiftly. “Like I said, just go on with your school life like nothing happened. I will take care of the rest.”

rlin wasn’t fine with that answer, as he was deeply involved with whatever this group was. It was only right that he knew who they were and why they were stalking him; but he didn’t want to be pushy so he backed down. If the professionals told him to stay out of it, then he would stay out of it. At least, until they deed him worthy enough to be deserving of the information.

And, to be honest, whatever that group was, he had a feeling nestling at the back of his mind that they were linked directly to the return of the Cataclysm. He was not at the point where he could bear the weight that ca with knowing anything about them.

rlin was t with a rather fascinating sight when he got back to Prestige Academy. Everyone—and he ant, everyone—was outside. It did not take a genius to realize why; after all, most of them had their phones in their hands.

They all saw the video, huh? He sighed deeply, unenthusiastically taking in the varieties of gazes being thrown his way. He’d have thought the professors would have shooed the students in, but they had been too worried to concern themselves with sothing as nial as students not being in their dorms.

And then he saw Nora. She was not too far, but she had that sa look she’d had when he’d been battered beyond belief during the physical assessnt—which, of course, paled in comparison to what he’d gone through this ti.

He had really ssed up, hadn’t he? And if there was any doubt that he really had, Chima and Hakyun’s expression, when he found their gazes, did well to dispel any.

“Thank you for the help, Do-Won ssi,” Headmaster Im Ilseong bowed slightly. “I’m in your debt.”

“There’s no need for that, headmaster,” Kang Do-Won replied. “It’s the Consortium’s duty to see to the needs of budding Mages just the sa as the Academy.”

“Still, it’s only right to offer my thanks.”

“Then I will accept it.”

Headmaster Im Ilseong straightened, nodded, and turned to rlin. Again, he did not look furious. rlin was beginning to wonder what exactly could get under the man’s skin if even his student staring down death couldn’t.

“Are you all right, rlin?” the headmaster asked, visibly concerned.

rlin wasn’t, but he really wasn’t keen on spending another second in the ward. The sll of drugs and the rest of its peers reminded him of his parents’ occupation and how it distanced them from him and his sister. And, right now, he already had one too many mood dampeners running rampant in his head.

He sighed.

“Besides my clothes being all ssed up, I’m good,” rlin replied to the headmaster with the shadow of a smile.

Headmaster Im Ilseong nodded. “If that is the case, then…” The headmaster took a pause, a weighty feeling bearing down on rlin accordingly. “rlin Tyrrell, for your careless act of remaining away from the Academy for longer than was assigned to you, I deduct twenty cohort points from Cohort Spearhead.”

rlin’s posture stiffened in an instant, his eyes widening as a flurry of gasps poured out from the students around, and murmurs took to the atmosphere quickly.

He must not have heard correctly.

“What do you an points are deducted from my cohort because of my tardiness?” rlin mouthed, his brows furrowed and his hands outstretched. “You know what happened. You saw it didn’t you? All of you did. I didn’t stay out late because I felt like it.” Headmaster Im Ilseong remained silent. “Say sothing! Why are you punishing when I didn’t commit any cri?” His voice rose in pitch with every second. He was truly getting angry.

“rlin…” Professor Jung, dressed in her night robes, stepped forward as a ans to calm him down, it seed. But her words were slamd shut in her lips by Headmaster Im Ilseong’s raised finger.

“It doesn’t matter what happened,” Headmaster Im Ilseong resud. “You’re being punished for lateness as it is stated in the Academy’s rules. That is all.”

rlin scoffed and shook his head. “I can’t believe this. So what exactly are you trying to teach here? Next ti, when I’m in a position to help people in need, I should just abandon them because I have sowhere else to be? I only did what was common sense, for goodness sake!” Headmaster Im Ilseong remained silent, his face not giving off any clue as to what he was thinking. rlin paused, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. He hated this. And he couldn’t hold himself back any longer. “Piss off.”

“rlin!” Professor Jung roared.

He clicked his tongue. “I’m going to my room. Thank you for the ride, Mr. Do-Won.”

“You’re welco.”

rlin dipped his hand into his pockets and it was then that he finally recalled he had sothing known as a phone. He brought it out and his mood was further soured when he saw the web cracks spread out all over its screen. He squeezed his hand and dipped it back into his pocket.

“Absolute shitty day,” he groused as he lowered his head and walked away, gazes burning into the back of his head from every angle.