Latest Chapters

    • by Cristae — 344 A Blessing Upon You (3) A rough surface, bumpy as if bubbles had risen beneath it. Thin limbs, as if dried twigs had been cut and stuck together, twitching hands, and the blue thread of magic connecting those hands to the torso. I could only stare in stunned silence, unable even to think of cutting the magic as I had with the monsters we’d captured underground. And as always, it was Kim Chaemin who gathered his thoughts and put them into action faster. With vines, Kim Chaemin tore off the…
    • by Cristae — 341 Roses in the Sea (2) The waves crashed. The sea stretched endlessly toward the star-filled sky. Perhaps because of that sky, it was easy to perceive the dungeon as an infinite space. It was only natural that people would attempt to explore it. An ecosystem, plants, and animals—later called monsters—unlike anything found on Earth. It wasn’t hard to understand why some people found a kind of romance in such a place. Staring up at that starry sky, it was easy to fall into such…
    • by Cristae — 336 Smuggling Reports: 125(4) “They really are real police.” Hong Seok-young said this abruptly. “…I didn’t say otherwise.” “You look like you want to say something.” “……” Surprisingly, Hong Seok-young watched me for a reaction. …Why? Did I do something wrong? “I’m telling you, they’re real police.” “I never said they weren’t.” Hong Seok-young closed his mouth. After that, he didn’t speak again. We walked quietly down the corridor.…
    • by Cristae — 503 Universe (3) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠‘Listen carefully, Hijae.’ For the first time in a long while, I found myself recalling an old memory. ‘If you ever find yourself in a situation where nothing works…’ It was one of those nonsensical things my father used to say when we climbed the hill behind our…
    • by Cristae — 404 Admission Review (2) Six days ago. The faculty was thrown into confusion over the new student candidate, Abel Kim—Kim Abel. “Didn’t you see it in Marseille? The bad blood between magicians and hunters? When the magicians were fidgeting because they couldn’t get close to Michel, the hunters were looking at them with utter contempt!” Kim Chaemin insisted, relying on what he had seen and heard in Marseille. “I’m not saying we can trust them completely! But there’s not enough…
    • by Cristae — 351 Kitchen Garden and Greenhouse (1) Until just before I came to the past, I preferred to make plans for the future. I had dreams, vague though they were, of retiring at a certain age and living out my days in some quiet, warm country. At that time, I even thought I might sponsor a promising young director and contribute to the film industry. I saved up money for that purpose, too. With my father around, I never truly worried about money, but I won’t deny that watching my bank balance steadily…
    • by Cristae — 259 Strategy Meeting (1) At last, Han Tae-kyung had lost his mind. That was the only way I could see it. Where had it gone wrong? Was it calling Han Tae-kyung here to stand guard? Leaving him alone at the gate? But then, Han Tae-kyung had always been strange… Still, I’d believed that, at least when it came to dungeons, he wouldn’t do anything reckless. It seemed it was time to revise that assessment. “No, just listen to what I’m saying.” Han Tae-kyung waved his hands wildly,…
    • by Cristae — 455 The World Is Peaceful (2) “As expected of Mr. Han,” Kim Chaemin said, her tone genuinely cheerful. “We couldn’t have done it without him.” Coming from the mouth of a grand magician, that was about the highest praise one could receive. Considering the towering pride of magicians as a race, it was practically an admission of her own limitations—even if it was just a polite compliment. But the magicians I knew weren’t the type to make such courteous remarks out of mere…
    • by Cristae — 388 Clue (3) Sometimes… no, honestly, quite often, I find myself wondering how my life ended up like this. It’s both in a bad sense and a good one. It’s not healthy to assign meaning to every step you take in life. But you can still look back on the road you’ve traveled, can’t you? To figure out whether you’ve lived well, or if you’ve failed as a human being. In that regard, I have no shame. I don’t think my life has been without crises, but all things considered, I’d say…
    • by Cristae — Chapter 65: Feeling That My Territory Is Now Terrifyingly Strong If Qi Yu remembered correctly, he’d actually enjoyed a fifty percent discount. Which meant that the real price of that elemental array had to be doubled. Qi Yu took a deep breath and set the elemental array aside for now. He turned his attention first to the magic scrolls. Both the magic potion and the parchment cost 1 gold coin per sheet. Qi Yu bought 200 of each, spending 400 gold coins. A basic magic scroll could…
    • by Cristae — Chapter 147: A Blessing from the Little Sprite Drawing on the rumors he’d heard from Leslie and his son, Qi Yu spoke simply: “The Forest of Stars is a land of magic. Long, long ago, in ancient tales, it was once the home of the elves.” The Duke and Duchess both glanced at him in unison. Qi Yu shook his head. “Not me—I haven’t seen… any other elves in the forest yet.” A lie, really—he wasn’t an elf, and there wasn’t a single elf in the Forest of Stars. “In the Forest…
    • by Cristae — Chapter 84: Points Shop, Tier 3 Shelter Blueprint Mage Association Shop. Qi Yu opened the shop and found the two skills that had tempted him before: the cultivation method and the martial technique . The two together required 150,000 gold coins. Qi Yu was about to make the purchase, but paused and decided to search for magic arrays first. Basic Temperature Control Array: 10,000 gold coins. Basic Defense Array: 20,000 gold coins. Basic Repair Array: 20,000 gold coins. … There…
    • by Cristae — 554 (Hunter Academy Side Story 21) A Father’s Heart_2 Woo Hee-jae took the news with less visible emotion than even Hong Seok-young had expected. It was almost embarrassing for Hong Seok-young, who had braced himself for a difficult conversation. “So… are you all right?” “What’s there not to be all right about?” Woo Hee-jae ran his fingertips over the business card inside its plastic sleeve, as if he might be able to read the memories it held. “I’m not Woo I-rok, not…
    • by Cristae — Chapter 150: I Want to Talk to Teacher Aegnor Qi Yu and Dan Xingyu weren’t wrong. That display of intimidation had indeed deterred anyone from making further moves against them, but covert surveillance was far from over. From the moment they left the duke’s mansion, every word they spoke, every action they took, was under the watchful eyes of others. With their identities as “an elf and a dragon knight from legendary lands,” whatever the two of them did, no one seemed to find it…
    • by Cristae — Chapter 109: The Power of Ice and Snow’s Origin Qi Yu was startled. This monster could speak! This was the first talking mutant creature he had encountered since entering the survival game. In his previous life, in the apocalypse, he had seen countless mutant monsters and plants, but not a single one had spoken human language. Once a monster could speak, its terror increased exponentially. He turned to look at Tessa and saw, as expected, fear in her eyes. Sensing Qi Yu’s questioning…
    • by Cristae — 493 Aerial Aquarium (5) He still wanted to blame his guild member for not simply trying to initiate a normal conversation, but, as troublesome as that guild member was, he had to admit the method was effective. So effective, in fact, that Hong Seok-young began to worry the monster might attack. Even a beast possessed the instinct to protect its young. But... “………….” “&#^%#$” “………….” “!$%^%%)$~#” Predictions always missed the mark. Hong…
    • by Cristae — 350 Interference (3) One must live with a positive outlook. What’s the point of worrying over what’s already happened? I always say this: instead of dwelling on the past, you should deal with what’s right in front of you, one thing at a time. This is no different. What’s done is done. Unless something truly bizarre happens and someone travels back in time, there’s no way to change what has already occurred. So, what should one do? First, let’s try to think positively. Kim…
    • by Cristae — 343 A Blessing Upon You (2) The scent of roses was so thick it stung my nose. The moment we emerged from underground, the sight before us made me dizzy for an instant. Hong Seokyeong seemed equally stunned, rendered speechless for a moment. “…What happened here?” If even Hong Seokyeong was saying that, it spoke volumes. Compared to the oppressive force we’d felt passing through the dungeon gate, the dungeon itself had been peaceful. The star-filled sky was almost romantic. The…
    • by Cristae — 318 The Duty of a Younger Sibling (3) —It’s, it’s getting closer? What do I do?! Woo Irok’s voice was clearly flustered, but it was still steady. He hadn’t panicked yet. This wasn’t an extremely dangerous situation. All the more reason for me to keep my head. Still clutching my phone, I headed for the director’s office. Damn it, Imi-seon was already nowhere to be seen in the hallway. How long could she have been gone? She’s quick on her feet. “Woo Irok. Where are you right…
    • by Cristae — 315 New Family (2) There was something I hadn’t told Kang Taewoo. Patrick Kang, the father of Jonathan and Sophia who lived in Hawaii, had lost not only his wife but also his son Jonathan and daughter Sophia in the accident two years ago. And then, half a year ago, he passed away himself after a long illness. Hong Seokyoung’s father- and mother-in-law, regardless of their missing son, mourned the death of their relative. When Hong Seokyoung contacted them about the two children, they…
    Note