Chapter 42: The Seeker’s Tenacity

Saria’s mother.

Kang Hong-yeon, the Guild Master of Arkineth, was a name no one in the Hunter industry could be unaware of.

“Magic, like science, can be proven.”

Science had continuously evolved as a field of study.

From ancient times to the modern era, history recorded science as a discipline built upon the discoveries of countless geniuses.

But magic had no such historical records.

The development of magic only began with the appearance of Awakened individuals, yet its foundation was flawed from the start.

Engravings granted not only abilities but also knowledge to those who awakened.

However, that knowledge was nothing more than fragmented pieces of history—tiny shards of understanding passed down randomly.

If you manipulate mana this way, you can create this type of magic circle.

If you use that magic circle, this type of spell is produced.

The knowledge related to magic that Awakened individuals received consisted of these small, disconnected fragments.

Yet, despite their fragmented nature, they were enough to use magic without issue.

Because of that, people never felt the need to study magic.

Just like how children who had never studied science could accept that the Earth was round without questioning it, people accepted mana and magic as miracles—things that simply existed.

Magic was never recognized as an academic discipline.

Modern society viewed magic as either a supernatural phenomenon or a practical skill, but never as something to be researched and studied.

“The fact that there was no real need to study it probably played a role.”

Like Aura, magic was a privilege exclusive to the Awakened.

For ordinary people, it was a meaningless skill. Meanwhile, as more individuals awakened, new magic naturally emerged, and techniques for interpreting spell-based engravings became advanced enough for even non-magic engravers to use magic.

So instead of dedicating time to studying magic, people simply waited.

With every new Awakened, magic would naturally advance and evolve in a better direction.

Rather than trying to integrate modern scientific knowledge, society let magic grow on its own.

There was no need to rush—just as science had progressed over time, magic would eventually evolve to even greater heights.

That was why people abandoned the idea of researching magic.

Except for one person.

The woman standing before him—Kang Hong-yeon.

Her engraving was known to everyone.

While many Hunters preferred to keep their engravings a secret, Kang Hong-yeon had revealed everything about hers to the entire world, determined to prove that her hypothesis was true.

Grade: SS-rank.

Effect: The ability to immerse oneself completely in the pursuit of knowledge.

Even though the effect sounded abstract, anyone familiar with Kang Hong-yeon understood its meaning immediately.

They also understood why her engraving was classified as a magic-type engraving—even before awakening, she had sought to prove that magic was not just a miracle, but a legitimate field of study.

A person who had devoted themselves to researching magic would, naturally, be able to wield it.

The moment her engraving was named “Madness,” it was clear—someone like her could never forgive herself for failing to master what she had immersed herself in.

That was why she had reached the position of an S-rank Hunter.

For most, it was an unreachable dream. But for Kang Hong-yeon, the title was merely a byproduct of her relentless pursuit.

“Even the Guild Master position… she only took it to meet more magic-users.”

“I didn’t expect to meet you for the first time in a place like this.”

“Same here. If I were going to meet you, I would have preferred it to be in my guild’s consultation room rather than a café at the Hunter Association.”

Her response came with a smile, but it still sent a slight chill down Si-woo’s spine.

Was that a joke?

Or was she being completely serious?

‘…She’s serious.’

And not just lightly serious.

It was pure, undiluted sincerity—100 percent.

As he recalled the offer he had received during his second meeting with Saria, curiosity sparked in his mind once again.

“Why is she so interested in me?”

If he had awakened a magic-type engraving, it would make sense.

If he had learned magic instead of swordsmanship and trained himself to wield it, he could at least understand her interest.

But right now, Si-woo didn’t know how to use magic.

He had no time for it—his entire focus was on enhancement and swordsmanship, the techniques taught to him by his mentor.

By all logic, there was no reason for Kang Hong-yeon to be interested in him.

“And yet, she still offered me a spot in Arkineth Guild—along with full, unconditional support.”

The terms of the contract flashed through his mind—so generous that they felt excessive, almost absurd.

In the end, Si-woo couldn’t suppress his curiosity any longer.

Looking directly at Kang Hong-yeon, who was staring at him just as intently, he finally asked:

“Why are you so determined to recruit me into Arkineth Guild?”

“To satisfy my personal curiosity.”

“From the fact that you managed to captivate my daughter alone, your charm ability is already far beyond that of other Hunters.”

“Do you think my charm ability is related to magic?”

“It’s just an uncertain hypothesis. But no, I don’t think so.”

Which makes it even more fascinating.

“I’ve created countless spells with my own hands. Among them, I even managed to replicate mental-status-altering magic.”

“So, there’s a charm spell too?”

“Of course. And I even succeeded in testing it.”

But it was incomplete.

“I thought I had grasped the mechanism of love. I’ve experienced love myself—fell in love, married my husband, and even had Ria, the embodiment of that love.”

Because of that, she believed she could manifest a charm spell. And in the end, Kang Hong-yeon succeeded.

“What do you think is the most important aspect of love?”

“Blind devotion, perhaps.”

“As expected from someone who’s suffered from obsessive love. You struck right at the heart of the matter.”

Si-woo shrugged.

It wasn’t exactly a memory he wanted to recall.

“My charm magic successfully made someone fall in love. An A-rank Hunter, who didn’t even speak the same language as me, fell for me at first sight.”

“But it didn’t make them completely blind to reason, did it?”

“Right. They weren’t truly devoted. When I told them to die for me, they fell to their knees and begged, saying they couldn’t.”

At that moment, Si-woo finally understood why Kang Hong-yeon was so determined to recruit him.

“You want to study my engraving. To perfect your charm magic, don’t you?”

“Not to create—but to prove.”

As she spoke, a surge of mana overflowed around her.

It wasn’t an ordinary surge—it was mana infused with determination, obsession, and madness, carrying the sheer weight of her insatiable curiosity.

The raw emotions clashed against the mana itself, creating an overwhelming presence.

“Ha… No matter how many times I feel it, I just can’t get used to it.”

Yoo Seo-ha, who had taken the full force of Kang Hong-yeon’s madness, shivered as she ran a hand over her forearm.

It was a fortunate thing that this surge of mana had been released inside the Hunter Association’s café.

From the employees to the customers, everyone here was Awakened.

Thud!!

Of course, that didn’t mean they were completely unaffected.

Had an ordinary person been caught in the blast, they would have passed out immediately. Since they were Awakened, they only fell to their knees.

“Oh dear, my apologies. I got a little too excited meeting you up close.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m used to it.”

All thanks to his mentor’s brutal training.

If she had been intentionally unleashing her killing intent, even Si-woo wouldn’t have walked away unscathed.

But since it was unconsciously released pressure, he could endure it without issue.

“Good to hear. It’s not just the charm ability—I’ve personally been interested in your engraving as well.”

Rip—!

The air tore apart.

Just like Saria, Kang Hong-yeon used subspace magic to pull out a single sheet of paper.

“Engraving Name: Symbol of Allure. Characteristics: Alters the user’s body with highly concentrated yang energy, changing their physiology, scent, and nature to resemble a mythical being—an Incubus.”

It had been a while since he heard his engraving assessment results.

She recited them word for word without a single mistake.

Si-woo gave a small nod.

“You’ve done your research.”

“For information at this level, Seo-ha, sitting right next to you, could have gotten it just as easily.”

“I doubt he even tried to keep it a secret in the first place.”

At Seo-ha’s remark, Si-woo nodded, though his expression was a bit sour as he turned back to Kang Hong-yeon.

“So, is there something… strange about my engraving?”

“Not strange, but unique.”

She slid the engraving report toward him and locked eyes with Si-woo.

Her gaze carried the same emotions he had seen in every woman affected by his charm.

“Until now, in all my years of studying engravings, not a single one has ever been based on a ‘demon.'”

A feeling that could only be described as obsession—or relentless determination.

Blind Devotion.