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Instant Death, Time-Stop Word Mage Chapter 28

###

 

 

 

First day at the guild.

Aden and Kang Hyun, both dressed in suits, stood together.
Yoo Chae-young glanced at them and nodded approvingly.

 

“You both look great.”
“Seems like the dress code is pretty strict.”
“The basic is a suit, but full combat gear works too.”

 

By “full combat gear,” she meant armor or robes.

 

“So it’s either clean and professional or fully showing off as an Awakened?”
“Exactly.”
“I like it! Seeing guild Awakened in suits always looked so cool!”
“That’s precisely the reaction we’re aiming for.”

 

Being Awakened made one an object of admiration.

The guild clearly cared about its image.

 

“These are special combat suits. Crafted by a master from Thea, each stitch handmade.”
“Wow! They’re so comfortable and flexible!”
“Take good care of it; it’s incredibly expensive.”

 

The suits did feel remarkably suitable for combat.
Now it was time to assign their mentors.

Aden and I were separated.

 

 

“This is Lucien Marchand, who will be your mentor, Kang Hyun.”
“Hello, hello! Nice to meet you, mister!”

 

Lucien greeted him cheerfully.

 

“You can just call me ‘Mar’, nice and easy.”

 

Her voice was unusually pleasant.

 

“Mar is a quarter harpy from Thea, just like Aden.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”

 

Being a quarter harpy meant only a fourth of her blood was harpy, which explained why she didn’t exhibit much of their traits—aside from her striking blue hair and melodic voice.

 

But Lucien?

 

‘Where have I heard that name before?’

 

The name felt familiar, like it was from his past life.

 

“Oh, so this is the guy Chae-young picked, huh?”
“…Don’t spout nonsense. Mar may look casual, but he’s a C-rank ace.”
“Hey, hey, what do you mean by ‘may look casual’?”

 

C-rank put her in the top 10% of Awakened.

The numbers dwindled dramatically at higher ranks.

 

‘Impressive.’

 

After saying goodbye to Yoo Chae-young, Kang Hyun was left alone with Mar.

 

“Let’s go, let’s go! I’ll show you around the headquarters.”

 

Walking behind Mar, Kang Hyun noticed her petite frame, typical for a harpy.

 

“So, did you hear about the perks? Like the salary?”
“Yes.”

 

The salary was an impressive 200 million won.

 

Even as a beginner at E-rank, it was high.

 

Being a freelance mercenary, however, meant the figure was still on the low end.

 

“Hey, let’s drop the formalities! Come on, mister!”
“Can I smack you instead?”
“Wow, the first thing you say after dropping formalities is rebellion? Moving too fast, huh!”

 

Her chatter was like a chirping bird at dawn, perched on an outdoor air conditioner.

Yet, her voice was pleasant enough to make it tolerable.

 

“So, here’s the infirmary! You’ll visit here often.”
“Small for a hospital.”
“Well, it’s just the emergency room. The real deal is the partnered university hospital nearby. It’s free for us. Same with check-ups.”
“Hmm, for an ER, this is big.”
“Right? These days, emergency rooms are overwhelmed. But this one’s exclusively for us…”

 

Just then, patients were rushed in—more than ten of them.

 

“Oh…”

 

Mar’s cheerful demeanor briefly stiffened.

She stopped a passerby to ask.

 

“Hey, what’s going on?”
“Ah, Mar… It’s a dungeon anomaly. Our guild got hit too.”
“Oh…!”

 

Nearby guilds had been reporting similar incidents lately, though Seonghwa had remained unaffected until now.

 

“This is the second time for our guild alone.”
“What?”

 

Mar peeked into the infirmary. Aside from the newly arrived patients, the place was empty.

 

“Was it a wipeout?”
“No, they all survived.”
“Wow…! That’s a relief! But how?”
“That’s the strange part.”

 

The person looked around cautiously before continuing.

 

“…This is just a rumor I overheard from the higher-ups.”
“What is it, what is it?”
“Apparently, the dungeon anomaly they all survived was rated A.”
“What!?”

 

How was that possible?

Who could have done it?

 

“We’ll probably hear about it soon. They’ll want to publicize it widely.”

 

Kang Hyun, hands clasped behind his back, listened silently.

 

The guild member who was chatting for a while left.

 

“Wow…. I’ve heard a series of surprising stories.”

 

Kang Hyun pondered.

He wasn’t sure how much Yoo Chae-young had downplayed in her report.

 

He’d wait to align his story.

 

‘If the news is going to spread, it’ll do so on its own.’

 

The headquarters tour continued.

 

“And, and, there are more perks—mental health counseling for Awakened, curse check-ups, all kinds of insurance, family care…”
“Too much to list.”
“Exactly! I could go on forever!”

 

These were just the auxiliary benefits, not the essential supports.

 

“By the way, is it true you’re a parachute hire?”

 

It hit hard.

 

“Right? Right?”
“Wow, you’re cool. But can you not mimic my tone?”
“What matters is skill. You’re not exactly snarky either, for someone who seems impressed.”
“Exactly, exactly. Like you said, skill proves everything.”

 

At first, Kang Hyun thought Mar was just a chatterbox, but it seemed she wasn’t one to get swept up by rumors.

 

“Do you really have no complaints?”
“No, no, I was annoyed at first. But you’re Chae-young’s pick, right?”
“Chae-young? Oh, you mean Yoo Chae-young, the team leader.”

 

They seemed pretty close.

 

“She has a great eye for people. I was her pick when I joined too! I might not trust parachutes, but I do trust her judgment.”
“Is that so?”
“Since she chose you, you’ll prove yourself soon enough.”

 

Mar didn’t seem like the kind of person who’d be exhausting to be around.

 

“You know, mister, I think you’re a decent guy.”
“Based on what? We just met.”
“Awakened people tend to be weird. It’s a relief to meet someone normal for a change!”

 

There was a certain edge to Mar’s words, though they sounded light-hearted.

 

“Not sure about that. People usually find me exhausting to be around.”

 

Whether as Kyle or Kang Hyun, his life had always been turbulent.

 

“Doesn’t seem like you have a bad personality.”
“Based on what?”
“You haven’t gotten mad at me for being informal.”
“Hmm…”

 

He was simply used to it.

 

‘Must be the mercenary life.’

 

Who uses honorifics when you’re a mercenary?

In his line of work, showing weakness could get you swindled—or worse.

 

“Think whatever you want.”

 

As the headquarters tour neared its end, Mar brought up something intriguing.

 

“Once you rack up achievements and gain more authority, there are lots of benefits.”
“For example?”
“Support for treasure, special mission assignments, access to an information network…”
“Information?”
“Yeah, yeah. Interested?”
“There’s a guild I’d like to look into.”

 

It was the fifth-ranked guild in Korea, Palan.
Kang Hyun had a history with them, particularly their executive, Oh Hyuk-jun, who was involved with demons.

 

“Whoa, looking to switch already? Jumping ship?”
“It’s personal.”
“You’re no fun, mister. Just kidding.”

 

This guild might have the information he needed about that man.

 

###

 

Aden’s mentor, A C+-rank Awakened named An Seong-min, couldn’t hide his excitement.

 

‘An A-rank prodigy as my mentee?!’

 

A superstar rookie starting at A-rank.
The chance to build a connection with someone like that was beyond valuable.

 

‘With someone like this in my network, the opportunities are endless!’

 

Seong-min, driven by ambition and desire for recognition, showered Aden with praise.

 

“Wow, you catch on so quickly! As expected of an A-rank!”

 

Aden gave a sheepish smile.

 

‘…Is that really true?’

 

The excessive compliments and friendliness made her uncomfortable.

 

‘Mentors usually have a more grounded personality, don’t they?’

The mentors she had encountered before certainly had been.

 

As they entered the break room, they came across Kang Hyun and Mar.

 

“Done with your tour?”
“Oh! Is that Aden? Hi, hi!”

 

The break room, as expected of a large guild, was spacious and bustling with people during lunch.

 

The mention of Aden’s name immediately drew the attention of many guild members.

 

Aden, also pleased to see her master, was about to greet him.
But then—

 

An Seong-min locked eyes with Kang Hyun.

 

“You…!”
“Huh?”

 

The memories came rushing back to Seong-min.

 

“You scammer…!”

 

It was him, the scammer from the <Magic Academy>, the one who had humiliated him by declaring he lacked talent.

 

“Who?”

“What?! You don’t remember me?”
“Should I?”

“Huh!”

 

The audacity!

 

How dare he act so nonchalant?

 

“Wait a second…”

 

If this guy was with Mar, that could only mean one thing.

 

“You scamming bastard! You’re the parachute.”

 

His unfiltered accusation rang out, instantly captivating the room.

 

“So that’s the guy?”
“Damn, Seong-min’s not holding back!”
“You think they’ll fight?”
“Seong-min! Show the parachute how we do things!”

 

As expected of a group of combat-oriented individuals, the crowd was brimming with energy.

There were some murmurs of concern, but they were quickly drowned out by the rising tension.

 

Kang Hyun assessed the situation in a heartbeat.

 

The guild clearly despised nepotism, and the atmosphere reflected that disdain.

 

‘This just got troublesome.’

 

He’d be spending considerable time here.

Letting this fester wouldn’t do.

 

He should handle it here.

As soon as he left it alone, the atmosphere naturally became heated.

 

“Teach him a lesson!”
“A parachute and a scammer? No way we let this slide!”
“But what did he actually do?”

“I don’t know! But they say he’s a scammer!”
“Then we have to teach him!”

 

Even in a large organization like this, the chaos continued—until a rational voice interrupted.

 

“Wait! Are you all insane?! Violence between Awakened, or even tolerating it, is a serious crime!”
“Oh, come on, senior! Why ruin the fun? It’s all part of tradition!”
“Yeah, just ‘The Rod of Love’—nothing more!”

 

The Rod of Love.

A euphemism for an outdated and toxic initiation rite within Seonghwa.
A ritual where new recruits were “taught their place” through violence disguised as education.

 

Aden, who had been quietly observing, turned red with rage.

 

‘These bastards…!’

 

They were mocking her master.

If Aden stepped in, the matter would be resolved immediately.

After all, no one would risk clashing seriously with an A-rank rising star.

 

Kang Hyun knew this too, so he subtly lowered his mask and mouthed.

 

‘Stay put.’

 

“…!”

 

Aden caught on.
Her anger subsided as she remembered how explosive her master’s methods could be.

 

‘Bastards.’

 

Just wait and see.

She remembered all their faces.

But then, an unexpected person spoke up.

 

“Excuse me, excuse me~!”

 

A sweet, high-pitched voice that immediately drew attention.

It was Mar.

 

“You know, tradition is great and all, but the Rod of Love only applies to those within five ranks of each other~.”

 

An Seong-min was C+ rank, while Kang Hyun was E.

The rank difference clearly exceeded five.

Even more important than tradition was the fact that Mar, a respected ace, had spoken.

 

“And by the way, this newbie is my mentee, okay?”

 

The crowd froze.
Her mentee?

 

“Anyone who has a problem can come talk to me first!”

 

Just as every organization has its flaws, it also has its internal politics.

Lucien Marchand, the daughter of a count from Thea, carried significant weight.

No one in the room wanted to get on her bad side.

 

“…”

“…”

 

The tension started to dissipate.
But for Seong-min, the flames of frustration burned hotter.

 

‘Mar, why are you…?!’

 

Why are you protecting him?

You should protect me, your colleague!

 

It was a petty thought.
But Seong-min, secretly infatuated with his peer, couldn’t understand why she wasn’t siding with him.

 

Still, pushing further now would only make him look pathetic.

 

As the situation seemed ready to conclude, Kang Hyun stepped forward.

 

“Just let them do it.”

“…Mentor?”
“Master, I appreciate you stepping in, but…”

 

Kang Hyun was, after all, a former mercenary.

 

“They say I’ve done something wrong.”

 

He understood the importance of asserting his position early to avoid future headaches.

 

“I should clear up any misunderstandings.”

 

And so, the stage was set.

 

###

 

The defensive magic was set up on the lounge wall.
Spectators pressed themselves against the walls.
Only Kang Hyun and An Seong-min stood facing each other.

 

‘I’ll let you walk out of here on your own, you con artist.’

 

Not only had he gone around deceiving people, but he also had the audacity to parachute his way into Seonghwa?

 

‘I failed the final interview here how many times?’

 

I struggled so hard I ended up coughing up blood!

And a parachute?

Such a rotten practice must be eradicated at all costs.

 

The crowd murmured, excitement buzzing in the air.
Everyone was eagerly anticipating what was about to unfold.

 

“Is it a misunderstanding?”
“You’ll know when you see it. Whether he’s a fraud or not.”
“What the heck does that academy teach for people to call him a fraud?”
“Hey, share some of that amazing teaching with us, oh mighty parachute guy!”

 

Their so-called “comments” were nothing but sarcasm.
It was clearly a prelude to a one-sided beating and ridicule.
After all, this was a duel between an E-rank and a C+.

 

But Kang Hyun found it intriguing.

 

“Alright, sounds good.”

 

These days, people were truly something else.
Their attitudes toward combat, training, and strength were completely twisted.

 

‘Regardless of their flaws, this is the organization I’ll be a part of for now.’

 

And they were allies in the fight against the Black World Tree.
Even if their mindset annoyed him, it was better to fix what could be fixed.

 

An Seong-min was C+ rank.
Kang Hyun was E- rank.

By their standards, this was a match that couldn’t be won.

 

But it was time to teach them the first lesson: stats aren’t everything.

 

“Listen closely, too.”
“Yes!”

 

Aden responded loudly, brimming with energy.
An Seong-min began casting his magic.

 

‘It’d be a problem if he ends up crippled.’

 

Still, holding back too much would damage his pride.

He decided on the highest level magic he could manage.

A 4th Circle spell, <Stone Henge>.

 

‘I’ll just reduce the output.’

 

A magic circle floated in the air.

 

“Oh… Seong-min can use 4th Circle magic now?”
“That guy’s no joke. He’s a C+ rank, one of the aces.”

 

However, An Seong-min’s casting took an eternity.
It was nothing like Aden’s swift execution.

 

“Disciple.”

“Yes!”

 

The spectators looked puzzled.
Disciple? Didn’t Aden just respond a moment ago?

 

“When a formula is that unstable, it’s easily disrupted by external factors.”
“I’ll remember that!”

 

Kang Hyun retrieved a mana stone from his inventory.
It was no bigger than a fingernail.

 

“Watch.”

 

He cast a 1st Circle spell on the mana stone.

 

“<Charge>”

 

A fundamental spell.
Everyone present, even non-mages, knew it.

Its purpose was simply to store mana in a target.

He added another spell.

 

“<Burst>”

 

Also basic, a 1st Circle explosion spell.
Its power was so weak, like a popper, that no one bothered using it.

 

The spectators watched, confused.
What was he trying to do with that?

An Seong-min shared their thoughts.

 

Just as an E- rank couldn’t beat a C+ rank,
what could a 1st Circle spell do against a 4th Circle spell?

 

“Kids these days are weak in direct combat. Like you.”
“I’ll work on it!”

 

In Thea, you had bandits and demons.

 

Traveling even between villages kept you on edge.

 

But on modern Earth?
Especially mages?

 

They only fought in dungeons, comfortably positioned at the rear of their teams, clicking away at their spells.

Magic was merely a tool for exterminating dungeon monsters.
No one thought deeply beyond increasing its power.

 

“That’s why they overlook these minor details.”

 

The mana stone, now imbued with <Charge> and <Burst>.

 

He flicked it with his thumb.

 

It flew into the magic circle, then stopped mid-air in its center, defying expectations.

 

An Seong-min froze in shock.

 

“Huh?”

 

What was that?
Why did the mana stone stop there?

 

Then, <Burst> activated.

 

The mana stone made a light pop, but the aftermath was anything but light.

 

The <Charge> stored within surged, disrupting the magic.
The magic circle shattered.

CRACK!

 

“…!”

 

A 1st Circle spell had effortlessly destroyed a 4th Circle spell.
It was an unthinkable feat under conventional wisdom.

 

An Seong-min was flung backward by the shockwave, crashing into the wall.
Mana from his disrupted spell backfired, wreaking havoc inside his body.

 

“A-Aagh!”

 

The spectators, An Seong-min, even Mar, all stared wide-eyed.

 

The unexpected scene had overturned their expectations entirely.

It wasn’t the E- rank lying on the floor—
it was the C+ rank.

 

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Instant Death, Time-Stop Word Mage

Instant Death, Time-Stop Word Mage

Instant Death, Time-Stop Word Mage, 즉사, 시간정지 언령사
Score 7
Status: Ongoing Type: , , , , , , Author: Released: 2024 Native Language: Korean
I was reincarnated. My vocal cord nodules are healed. "Stop." I accidentally stopped the entire city. "Die." I killed the boss monster.

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