The black sedan sped away from the hospital, leaving the city center behind. The buildings grew fewer, replaced by lush greenery and towering security walls that lined the road.
Woojin gripped the cold metal case of the S-Rank Mana Gun in his lap. His heart was still racing from the encounter at the hospital.
"Young Master..." Woojin broke the silence, his voice small. "Where are we going? You mentioned a dungeon earlier, but this road leads to the private districts."
Han-wool didn't look up from his tablet.
"Plans have changed. We aren't going to the dungeon yet."
"Then where?"
"My home," Han-wool replied casually. "The Kim Family Manor."
Woojin choked on his own saliva. "The... the Sword Saint's residence? Me? A jagged stone rolling into a palace of diamonds?"
"Stop degrading yourself," Han-wool said sharply. "If you are going to work for me, you need to shed that loser mentality. Besides, you can't enter a dungeon in your current state."
Han-wool pointed at the gun case.
"That gun is the 'Star Piercer'. It doesn't use gunpowder; it uses your mana to condense a bullet. With your current F-Rank mana capacity, you'd fire one shot and pass out from exhaustion. You'd be dead weight."
Woojin looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't apologize. Fix it."
Han-wool reached into the mini-fridge console of the car and pulled out a small glass vial. It glowed with a radiant, deep blue luminescence, swirling like a captured galaxy.
"Here." He tossed it to Woojin.
Woojin caught it. The bottle felt warm. "What is this?"
"Elixir of the Deep Blue," Han-wool said nonchalantly. "It's an S-Rank Mana Consumable. Market price is roughly 200 million won."
"200... million?!" Woojin's hands trembled so hard he almost dropped it. "That's more than my debt! You're giving this to me?"
"Drink it. Every drop."
"But—"
"I told you, it's an investment. If you faint after one shot, you are useless to me. Drink."
Woojin gulped. He uncorked the vial and tipped it back.
It tasted like liquid ice, freezing his throat before exploding into a firestorm in his stomach.
"Gah!" Woojin grabbed his chest, curling forward.
[System Alert]
[You have consumed an S-Rank Elixir.]
[Mana Circuits are expanding forcibly.]
[Pain Level: High.]
"Breathe," Han-wool commanded. "Don't fight the pain. Let the mana circulate. Imagine it filling your veins, widening the rivers."
Woojin gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face. He felt like his blood was boiling, but slowly, the pain receded, replaced by a sensation of limitless power. He felt... full.
[Assimilation Complete.]
[Mana Stat has increased by +21.]
"Twenty-one..." Woojin gasped, staring at his hands. The air around him felt different. Clearer. "My mana increased by 21 points. That's... that's equal to jumping from F-Rank to D-Rank instantly!"
"Good," Han-wool nodded. "Now you have enough fuel. Let's teach you how to drive."
Kim Manor – Mana Training Building.
The car pulled up to the massive steel facility. Logan opened the door, and the two boys stepped out.
"Logan, set up the simulator," Han-wool ordered as they walked inside. "Target practice mode. Level 1 speed. Moving targets."
"Understood, Young Master."
Inside the training hall, the holographic projector hummed to life. Blue discs began to float in the air, drifting lazily across the room.
"Open the case, Woojin."
Woojin placed the case on a table and lifted the heavy Star Piercer. It was matte black, engraved with blue runes that pulsed in sync with his new heartbeat.
"It's heavy," Woojin muttered.
"It's made of Adamantium alloy," Han-wool explained. "Now, aim at that disc."
Woojin raised the gun. He closed one eye, lining up the iron sights with the floating blue disc.
Click.
He pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.
"It... it's jammed?" Woojin asked.
"It's not jammed, you idiot," Han-wool sighed, walking over. "I told you. It's a Mana Gun. The trigger is just a switch. The bullet comes from you."
Han-wool tapped Woojin's temple.
"The skill «Good Eyes». Use it."
"But that just helps me see far..."
"Wrong," Han-wool interrupted, his voice stern. "Stop thinking of it as a telescope.
Think of it as an analyzer. Push your mana into your optic nerves. Don't look at the target's shape. Look for its existence."
Woojin took a deep breath. He remembered the feeling in the car.
Focus.
He channeled his newfound mana into his eyes. His irises glowed with a faint, reddish hue.
Vwoom.
The world slowed down. The dust motes floating in the air became visible. The holographic disc wasn't just a blue circle anymore; he could see the grid of mana constructing it.
And there, in the dead center of the disc, was a tiny, glowing red dot.
"I see it," Woojin whispered. "The red dot."
"That is the Virtual Point," Han-wool's voice echoed in the silent room. "That is the flaw in its existence. If you hit that, the object breaks."
"Now," Han-wool continued. "Don't pull the trigger with your finger. Pull it with your intent. Push your mana into the grip of the gun. Visualize a line connecting the barrel to that red dot."
Woojin gripped the handle tight. He imagined his mana flowing out of his arm, into the Adamantium, condensing in the chamber. The blue runes on the gun flared to life, emitting a high-pitched whine.
Wooooong.
The barrel glowed.
"Connect the line," Han-wool coached.
"Eye. Barrel. Target. One line."
Woojin's hand shook. The mana was turbulent. It was hard to control.
"Calm down. The Sniper doesn't hunt with rage. He hunts with silence."
Woojin exhaled. Silence.
He stopped fighting the recoil. He let the mana flow naturally. The line in his mind snapped into place.
The barrel of the gun aligned perfectly with the red dot in his vision.
BANG!
A streak of azure light tore through the air. It was faster than sound.
Shatter.
The holographic disc didn't just break; it evaporated. The mana bullet pierced the center point and obliterated the construct entirely.
[Target Destroyed.]
Woojin stood there, stunned, smoke curling from the barrel of the gun. The recoil had kicked his arm back, but he barely felt it.
"I... I did it," Woojin stammered. A smile broke across his face. "I hit it!"
"You hit a slow-moving target," Han-wool said, crossing his arms. But there was a hint of approval in his eyes. "But your form was decent."
Han-wool walked over and adjusted Woojin's stance.
"Your class, Sniper, has the potential to kill enemies kilometers away. But to do that, you need to master two things: Mana Control to feed the gun, and Perception to find the dot."
Han-wool looked at the console.
"Logan. Increase speed to Level 3. Multiple targets."
"Yes, Young Master."
Ten more discs appeared, zipping around the room erratically.
"You aren't leaving this room until you can hit ten out of ten without missing," Han-wool ordered. "You have the mana now. You have the gun. Show me you have the talent."
Woojin looked at the flying targets. Before today, he would have given up. He would have said it was impossible for an F-Rank.
But he felt the mana coursing through him.
He felt the weight of the S-Rank weapon.
And he remembered the face of his mother sleeping in the VIP room.
His eyes glowed red again.
"Yes, Young Master."
Woojin raised the gun.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Three shots. Three hits.
Han-wool watched from the back, leaning against the wall.
He learns fast, Han-wool thought. With the S-Rank potion and the gun, he's already effectively a C-Rank Hunter in terms of damage output. By the time Amartya wakes up... he'll be a monster.
"Keep going!" Han-wool shouted. "Don't lose the dot!"
"Yes!"
The sound of mana gunfire echoed through the manor, the first beat of the war drums Han-wool was preparing to play.