Chapter 276

Flap—

Shin Si Hoo easily caught the flickering fireball.

Then he created a vortex with the Karman Vortex spell and blew away all the heat.

It is said that highly skilled sorcerers can gauge an opponent’s abilities just from the aura they unconsciously wield.

Shin Si Hoo was not at that level yet, but he was at least certain of one thing.

‘Compared to Name, this attack is so lightweight.’

Even though they were both fire-type magic, the temperature and power were entirely different.

As a result, Si Hoo felt no threat from his opponent’s childish display of magic.

When the spells failed multiple times, the boy from Altear Academy clenched his teeth and charged at Si Hoo.

At that moment, when every action felt like it was in slow motion,

[Why can’t I knock you down?]

Si Hoo suddenly remembered the question he had previously asked Name.

It was a sigh he had let out in exasperation while learning about grappling theory from her.

[Don’t doubt yourself. From my perspective, you’re doing just fine.]

That wasn’t the answer Si Hoo wanted, though.

But as if to prove it, Si Hoo dodged the boy’s movement and managed to grab the collar accurately.

“Urgh?”

He deeply tucked one arm between his armpit, then knelt down and curled his body. It was a clean throw without a hint of hesitation.

““Waaaaaaa!””

It was from that moment that loud cheers erupted from the spectators.

The cheering numbed his head and cleared away all distractions.

Si Hoo immediately took the opportunity to climb on top of the boy, who had been thrown to the ground, and clenched his fist tightly.

He poured as much mana as he could into the glove-like mana crafting device he was wearing.

[Crafting: Liquid Helium]

[Casting: Rapid Cooling]

The spell he had practiced hundreds of times over the past three months with Name unfolded.

Each time he swung his fist, sharp ice spikes formed on the glove, mercilessly striking against the boy’s aura shield.

Crack crackle—!

This wasn’t enough.

Recalling his fight against Noname, Si Hoo raised his fist again, but then his arm abruptly came to a stop in mid-air.

The cold chill that pierced through him struck him into immediate clarity.

The boy from Altear, now trembling and holding his head with both hands, was clearly in distress.

The outcome had already been decided.

‘I really hit someone…!’

It might not have been much different from what he did in practice, but he couldn’t overlook the gravity of the real situation.

Shin Si Hoo squeezed his racing heart and stood in the center of the training hall as guided by the referee to greet the students and teachers.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the luxury to see the mixed expressions of the academy principals.

Shin Si Hoo dashed away toward the waiting room as if fleeing.

‘Honestly, I think I did quite well?’

He exited the dim hallway with a flutter of excitement, wondering what kind of compliments his friends would give him.

Given Iharu’s and Kim Gyeol’s personalities, they would probably act as if winning was a matter of course.

‘I hope Yuna compliments me too.’

As always, he didn’t expect any praise from Noname.

Lost in those complicated thoughts, Si Hoo swung open the door to the second-grade waiting room.

“Guys! I won the rehearsal match… huh?”

There were no applause or cheers.

Instead, he was met with absolute indifference, which left Si Hoo dazed.

Thinking it might be a prank, he called the children crowded in the corner.

“Oh? Si Hoo is here?”

“Shin Si Hoo, where have you been? We looked everywhere for you.”

“No, I went for the rehearsal… the match…”

“Rehearsal? Ah! Is it already that time? Oh no, I completely forgot and didn’t see the match!”

“What?”

Si Hoo drooped his shoulders in disappointment at the children’s apologies.

Though Kim Gyeol patted his back to cheer him up, the wound in his heart wouldn’t heal.

Instead, Yuna personally took Si Hoo’s hand and led him in front of the television.

That small touch melted his sulking heart, which he found amusing to think about.

“Right now, Name is on TV!”

“I was also on the broadcast…”

“Ugh, ugh! I’m sorry! Please don’t be angry!”

“Okay.”

Since it was Yuna who brought it up, he decided not to push further.

Curious about what the kids found so fascinating, Si Hoo turned his gaze to the television.

[Hmmm… Ha!]

[Is that a horn? Is that really okay, Noname participant?]

[Yes, yes. Since it was created using magic from the start, there’s no sensation whatsoever. Would you like to try some?]

[Ahaha… No, I’ll pass. Eating this could lead to problems in many ways.]

[Anyway, we’ve added various interesting features like this, so please check our website for more details. A portion of the profits will be used for developing multiple sclerosis treatments. We sincerely thank KBS for allowing us this minute-long ad break.]

“What is that… a horn?”

“Yeah… it’s a horn. Isn’t it amazing…?”

Dazed and confused, Si Hoo blinked several times.

On top of her head jutted out a black horn.

Name closed her eyes and lightly infused her aura, heating it up to a glowing red like a branding iron.

As marshmallows nestled at the tips of the horns began to puff white smoke, they were toasted brown on the outside.

With an extremely calm expression, Name picked up the marshmallow and popped it into her mouth.

Her face gazing at the camera looked truly unfazed.

Si Hoo was ready to admit it.

Noname was truly an unpredictable person.

***

[Broadcasting Standards Commission KBS ‘Seoul Academy vs. Academy Rehearsal’ decided to issue a ‘caution’ regulatory penalty.]

[An 8-year-old is the majority shareholder in a startup? What kind of company is ‘BioAkashic’ anyway?]

[The unique magic ‘Adele’ has already been used over 100,000 times in Japan. What magic is Noname’s showcased bodily transformation ‘Demon Lord’s Horn (tentative title)’?]

[‘Katsuhata Financial Group’ invests 500 million yen in the new drug development biotech venture ‘BioAkashic’.]

The regulatory measures from the Broadcasting Communications Standards Commission?

On the contrary, it’s perfect for noise marketing.

Moreover, it provides KBS with a compelling narrative for viewers, contributing to the development of treatment solutions for hard-to-treat diseases, making it a win-win deal.

With the timely news of investment from the Katsuhata School, the new startup could gain unprecedented fame in a short time.

“Our manager seems truly amazing. Does he have some sort of foresight power?”

Hearing such flattery made me quietly sip my coffee.

It was rare to see anyone use the term “manager” in reality.

After all, it was a term used in Twish.

“So, where should we begin discussing the details, Executive Lee Hyun Seo?”

“It feels weird to be called executive. Can I just be addressed by my nickname?”

“Huh? In a place like this?”

As if there was no issue, the man casually shrugged his shoulders.

“Hmm…”

I fiddled with the business card he had handed me while contemplating.

[Two World Innovation Strategy Division Executive Lee Hyun Seo]

Lee Hyun Seo was the executive director of a well-known fintech company that always ranked within the top ten in sales in the country.

However, the issue was his age.

No matter how advanced South Korea’s plastic surgery technology was, he looked no older than late twenties.

“I thought you were a con artist at first just because you were called an executive…”

It became a hint that Two World operated under owner management rather than professional management until eight years ago.

After looking up Two World’s stock status disclosure and understanding its complex governance structure, I finally nodded.

This person is the actual owner of Two World.

“Well then, I hope you consider our investment proposal positively, Njangsterol.”

He was one of the major financial backers of our broadcast.

An ardent fan of Adella.

“Yes! I came to offer offline sponsorship, Noname!”

After months of hardly being visible on the broadcast, someone suddenly appeared with money.

“Haha…”

He forced a laugh but quickly composed himself. After all, he was a precious investor for our cash-strapped company.

“The Katsuhata Group only invested a measly 5 billion. I felt so relieved after seeing that news. Had I known you were starting up, I would have rushed to invest first.”

“Let me first explain the business items in order.”

“Haha, of course!”

This person seemed eager to invest without even hearing the explanation.

I wondered what he believed in so blindly.

I seriously informed him about the company’s business goals and plans with the PPT that Baek Ho Chan had provided.

“While ‘BioAkashic’ has been introduced as a biotech venture to the public, the treatment for multiple sclerosis is just one part of our business items. But don’t get me wrong; the direction of our business differs significantly, and the internal chance that the drug will pass clinical phase III is above 99%… What’s wrong?”

I asked Lee Hyun Seo, who was chuckling.

“Haha, no. It just struck me as funny to refer to something as a business item when it’s a new drug.”

“Is that so? I apologize if my word choice was inappropriate.”

“No, no! It’s just charming. I’ll listen seriously again.”

Once again, it was clear that management wasn’t my strong suit.

The investor meetings were supposed to be conducted through me rather than the CEO Baek Ho Chan, which made me come out here and fill out a cumbersome outing plan.

If they tried to back out after putting me through so much trouble, I’d consider throwing bricks at their head on the way home.

After finishing the explanation of the development status of treatments for multiple sclerosis, we now moved on to the Demon Lord’s Horn.

The unique magic ‘Demon Lord’s Horn’ was a spell I created in my prior life when I had lost a horn in a critical situation, a reproduction of the horns from the Mazak.

It was merely a structural ‘reproduction’ and, as magic, it was as good as an empty can.

So, it was our company’s responsibility to imbue the horn with abilities.

“In summary, if the horn is like a smartphone, then each of its abilities can be compared to applications.”

“Applications?”

“Yes, to be precise, you can expect to release several different editions. For example, the simple casting magic I previously used on the heir of Katsuhata incorporated only the ‘purification’ function.”

“Hmmm… then, are there no other functions?”

“That’s something I’ll need to discuss with our staff. As you saw in the rehearsal broadcast, we can implement the function of converting mana into thermal energy. The possibilities for application are endless.”

“I think this Demon Lord’s Horn is more of a fun-oriented magic than a combat type.”

“Yes, that’s correct. Most circle-three magics are like that. You might as well think of it as just a disposable toy.”

It was a misconception to think of Mazak as a warrior race.

They were simply humans with horns on their heads and a slightly lesser familial bond.

While we naturally used our hands, the Mazak also utilized their horns naturally in daily life like an organ.

“We usually draw magic circles with our hands because they are the most sensitive organs when handling mana. But what if we had another organ similar to our hands attached to our bodies?”

“Then anyone could double-cast, triple-cast.”

“Bingo. That’s exactly it. We plan to release an evolved Demon Lord’s Horn with a five-circle rating for professionals. Wouldn’t it be incredibly useful in industrial settings?”

After all, I did not intend to include every function in the Demon Lord’s Horn.

The horn, being an organ as profound as the Aura Heart, could leave one endlessly absorbed in its handling.

But what if we used just one magic for one function?

Safety is safety, but it would allow our company to monopolize a one-of-a-kind piece of hardware in this world.

“How much will you invest?”

I can confidently say that now is the best time for BioAkashic to invest.