Baek Yu-Seol's plan was as follows:
He anticipated that the Persona Gates proliferating in the Waning Moon Plains would not stop at just 20; the number could exceed 100.
Thus, his strategy was to intentionally avoid the Core Gate while targeting the Satellite Gates, as the smaller Persona Gates were called, to accumulate as much EXP as possible.
This world wasn't a game.
In reality, training diligently, gaining enlightenment, and becoming stronger were the most reliable paths to growth. Yet, practical experience could not be disregarded either.
The combination of practical experience and the systematic accumulation of strength - similar to gaining EXP as a player - was an undeniable advantage.
However, his plan slightly deviated when Jeliel decided to join him.
Accompanying someone like Jeliel, whose physical endurance wasn't particularly high, slowed down the schedule somewhat.
"Are you tired?"
"...I'll be fine if I rest for a bit."
Clearing a single Persona Gate took only six hours, but even that seemed to take a toll on Jeliel. After exiting the Gate back into reality, she hurried back to the tent and sat on the edge of her bed.
It seemed she wanted to lie down immediately but refrained because she was conscious of Baek Yu-Seol's gaze.
"I'm tired too. I've been working nonstop for days before coming here. I'll rest over there, so take your time. A researcher will come to report once the next Gate is found."
Baek Yu-Seol emphasized that he wouldn't disturb her, then stepped out of the tent. Only after that did he sense Jeliel finally drifting into sleep.
Even though the tent was magically reinforced, its thin material couldn't block Baek Yu-Seol's heightened senses.
'Alright, I guess I'll…'
Initially, he had planned to let Jeliel rest while heading off alone to clear the next Gate. However, he decided to change his plan.
He had wanted to test the insights he gained from training with Scarlet in the Gates, but the situation hadn't allowed it.
'It feels different.'
Baek Yu-Seol recalled his fight with Scarlet. It was as though he was sprinting atop mana itself, the sensation surreal and distinct.
The mana seemed almost tangible, no longer a mere barrier but something he could step on, grasp, or wield. It felt within his reach, as if he could seize it and swing it as he wished.
"Hmm."
Baek Yu-Seol, who had been quietly meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide. A faint, white brilliance flickered in his eyes before vanishing just as quickly.
Enlightenment was never easy to come by. This moment of feeling like he was on the verge of understanding something but not quite grasping it was particularly frustrating for him.
'Sigh. It's not going to happen all at once.'
He glanced at the clock and realized, much to his shock, that two hours had passed in what felt like an instant.
"Crazy."
How had time flown by so quickly?
While it was proof that he had been deeply immersed in his meditation, every second was precious in this moment, and the lost time only made him feel more anxious.
There was still a bit of time left before Jeliel would wake up. He decided to handle one more Persona Gate on his own and stood up, only to see the tent flap lift as Jeliel emerged with a slightly grumpy expression.
"Huh? What, you're already awake?"
Jeliel looked at Baek Yu-Seol with wide eyes before speaking.
"… Weren't you already gone?"
"Gone where?"
"To the Gate."
"Nope."
She tilted her head and asked again.
"Why? Isn't time important?"
"Uh, well…"
Baek Yu-Seol had told Jeliel earlier that their goal was to clear as many Gates as possible. By that logic, it would have made sense for him to leave and handle one on his own while she was still asleep.
Instead, he had inefficiently and, perhaps foolishly, sat outside the tent waiting for her to wake up.
"Just… because."
His vague answer earned him a long, searching stare from Jeliel, who then abruptly turned her head away and began walking.
"Let's go."
"Oh, uh, yeah… Sure."
Baek Yu-Seol quickly got up and followed behind her, scratching the back of his head.
By any logical measure, Jeliel was at least ten years younger than him in real-world age, yet he couldn't fathom what went on in her head.
'What did I do wrong this time?'
If he asked, she'd probably answer. But he didn't want to ask. It felt like a blow to his pride to ask about something so trivial.
"Ahem."
Clearing his throat unnecessarily, Baek Yu-Seol casually walked up beside Jeliel and spoke.
"But you only slept for two hours… your body's fine?"
At that, Jeliel raised an eyebrow as if the question was absurd.
"Two hours a day is more than enough sleep. Is there anyone who wouldn't be fine with that?"
Her words seemed to reflect a completely different concept of normal, and Baek Yu-Seol quickly summoned the knowledge from his Sentient Spec to double-check his assumptions.
'Did I misunderstand something?'
Maybe elves or dwarves could naturally function with less sleep than humans. It was possible, right?
[Most races, including humans, require similar amounts of sleep on average. However, sleep patterns may vary by region, and certain beastfolk possess unique traits regarding sleep…]
Nope. Nothing like that.
So, elves weren't biologically wired to need less sleep than humans.
In other words…
Jeliel was just an outlier.
"Huh…"
"Sleeping more than three hours a day is a waste of life," Jeliel said, her tone matter-of-fact. "Do you know how much you can accomplish with all that extra time?"
Baek Yu-Seol clamped his mouth shut, stunned into silence.
All this time, he'd thought he was working himself to the bone… but apparently, he wasn't.
'I mean, I get six hours of sleep a night…'
And even the other geniuses, like Eisel and Hong Bi-Yeon, probably slept at least four hours on average.
But Jeliel had apparently cut her sleep even further to excel at everything she did… whether managing her business empire or advancing her magical prowess.
Did he really need to cut back even more on sleep to keep up?
'The two-hour sleep method… could I do it too?'
The very thought gave Baek Yu-Seol chills, and he instinctively shook his head.
That's absolutely impossible.
Sleeping for only two hours a day while perfectly accomplishing everyday tasks is something only truly exceptional geniuses with extraordinary mental strength can achieve.
***
Northern Region, Arctic Iceberg Mountain.
Ice Spirit Plateau Fortress.
Grand Duke Selphram, the protector of the north, had recently begun to show an unusual and unprecedented pattern of actions.
He had started conquering the Arctic Iceberg Mountain, a region that had been designated a forbidden zone for centuries, a place where no one dared to step foot.
Everyone said it was impossible. Even the greatest heroes of the past had failed to accomplish such a feat.
But, astonishingly enough—
The Grand Duke Selphram's advance was relentless. He was systematically purging the area of monsters, purifying it, and turning it into a human domain. Once safety was fully secured in one section, he would proceed to the next, gradually reclaiming the forbidden zone for humanity.
"Wow! Is that the infamous Grand Duke Selphram?"
Atop a peak that soared higher than the clouds stood the Second Dark Tower.
The sky around the tower was always tinged with a crimson hue, and even blizzards failed to reach it. Massive wyverns patrolled the air, keeping intruders at bay, making the tower inaccessible to any outsiders.
This place had once belonged to Maran Kaltz, a class 9 black mage, but it now stood ownerless. The former master had vanished without a trace.
Now, two dark mages stood at the tower, staring down at Grand Duke Selphram from afar, their purpose seemingly unclear.
"Azmik, there's a smell."
A black being resembling a dwarf, Kalivan, wrinkled his nose as he spoke. Azmik, chewing on her nails, casually responded by tearing her hand away from her mouth.
"Ah, sorry about that. My nails have been itchy lately."
Her nails were stained a vivid crimson, but it wasn't nail polish. Anyone could tell - just from the scent - that it was the blood of a mage.
"Haah... Who would have thought Maran Kaltz would disappear? So, what do you plan to do now?"
"Who knows? Honestly, isn't it better that Maran Kaltz vanished? That guy was a close aide to the Dark Mage Cult Leader."
"Even though we serve different masters, he was one of the most powerful dark mages. ...And as a dark mage, he was a revered figure who mastered Divine Moon Magic."
"Heh, what's so impressive about magic? I can't trust anyone who depends on that stuff. Sure, Maran Kaltz was a master of Divine Moon Magic, but wasn't it all thanks to Dark Magic? What I want is pure Divine Moon Magic."
"That would be ideal, but it's impossible, isn't it?"
"Hmph, you're right. You can't learn Divine Moon Magic without first learning traditional magic. But it shouldn't be like that… Divine Moon Magic learned through regular magic is muddy and tainted… it's not truly Divine Moon."
That statement was shocking enough to shake the very foundation of the magic world.
To say that learning traditional magic prevents one from truly mastering Divine Moon Magic...
No mage in the world had ever realized such a thing.
Only a Dark Mage, unbound by traditional magic, could uncover such an astonishing truth.
Azmik, crouched on the ground, idly picked her ear with her long finger before suddenly springing to her feet.
"Well, let's go back and report, shall we? If we tell them the Dark Mage Cult Leader is missing, Dark Knight will be delighted."
"Seems like a plan."
The two Dark Mages stood up, preparing to leave, when a black raven appeared, soaring through the air.
It was undoubtedly a messenger sent from their headquarters. If Maran Kaltz had still been around, the shadowy raven wouldn't have been able to reach this place. But with no master in the tower, the bird's arrival had been easy.
— Azmik, can you hear me?
"Oh... Who might you be?"
—- The previous contact has died, so I'm temporarily filling the position. You haven't submitted a location report in over a week… where are you now?
"Aha! We're at the Second Dark Tower right now. We came to see if we could use it as a strategic base, but it's useless. Thought it might at least help with the Persona Gates, but…"
— Hmm... Are you heading back to report?
"Looks like it."
Originally, a focused Dark Mage would have told them to return. However, perhaps because he was temporarily in the position, the messenger seemed uninterested in keeping them on task.
—Tsk. If I were you, I wouldn't return just yet.
"Why?"
—- Because the Dark Knight is furious.
"What...?"
The Dark Knight was known for his cold and lofty demeanor. His face was always hidden behind a helmet adorned with strange horns, and no one had ever seen him lose his composure, let alone express anger.
"Why would he be mad?"
— Recently, there's been a strange rumor circulating. They're saying the Dark Knight secretly allied with a human mage…
"What?!"
It was an unbelievable claim.
The Dark Knight was one of the Dark Mage most infamous for his hatred of humans.
Azmik, having closely observed him for years, knew how absurd such a rumor was.
"Who are they saying he allied with?"
—- A human named Baek Yu-Seol...
"Oh, that brat...?"
Azmik instantly recalled the time she had attempted to assassinate Baek Yu-Seol on the train, only to fail miserably and leave in embarrassment.
"You're kidding. Him?"
— So you know him?
"Of course, I know him. He's an annoying brat."
— Perfect, then. Instead of heading back and risking the Dark Knight's wrath, you might as well take care of Baek Yu-Seol before returning.
Click!
"Wait, wait, wait...!"
The connection abruptly ended as the raven flew away, leaving Azmik visibly shaken.
"No, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening!"
Her complexion turned pale as her hands trembled.
Assassinate Baek Yu-Seol.
Even just thinking about it made her uneasy.
She had tried it once before. At the time, Baek Yu-Seol's abilities were relatively weak, but through cunning and clever tactics, he had managed to escape unscathed from Azmik and Kalivan's grasp.
What if she were to hunt Baek Yu-Seol again now? She might be able to tear him apart.
But… how strong is Baek Yu-Seol now?
Though she hadn't faced him again since then, the rumors alone spoke volumes.
"He's known as the Dark Mage Slayer, who hunts down Dark Mages specifically!"
The stories were chilling: he deliberately lured multiple risk level 7 Dark Mages, tore them apart, and then reportedly roasted their bodies over an open flame, sprinkling salt on them for seasoning.
A man more brutal than the Dark Mages themselves, that insane Dark Mage Slayer… And now, they expected her to hunt him and return triumphant?
"This is completely ridiculous!"
Azmik shouted in frustration, but the echo failed to carry in the sky-high peaks, too distant and desolate for sound to bounce back.