The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King

The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King

Episode 44: Doppelganger (6)

Jang Do-hyun, the chief mage of the Mass School.

No, now Jang Do-hyun, who has become the head of the Mass School, walked along the corridor with senior mages. Since the chaotic ceremony yesterday, he lacked strength in his steps.

“So, the Mass School has come this time…”

“But is it going to disband like when Hwang Ki-bum died?”

“I don’t know. Unlike then, there are successors this time.”

The murmurs of mages from other schools could be heard.

“Still, it won’t stand as firm as before. It’s a big loss without a S-Rank hunter.”

“Well, even if Jang Do-hyun is close to Rank 5, he remains an A-Rank hunter.”

“Now it’s difficult to call the Mass School one of the top two schools in Korea.”

The senior mage, annoyed by this, ground his teeth.

“Those…! Chief Jang Do-hyun… No, Head Jang Do-hyun, I have something to say.”

“Go ahead. It’s not like you’re saying anything wrong. It’s all true.”

Jang Do-hyun, with a tired complexion, smiled bitterly.

During the time when Jang Min-tae was alive, the Mass School was called one of the top two schools in Korea, along with the Illusion School. However, when Jang Min-tae, the pillar of the Mass School and a Rank S hunter, disappeared, their status began to shake rapidly. Those who had recently joined left for other schools, and those who remained out of loyalty trembled with unease.

It was natural. When there are signs of a building collapsing and no one reacts, it’s ignorance.

‘Heavy….’

Reality was cold as if it were made of ice, and the leader’s crown was incredibly heavy.

It seemed like it would break and collapse at any moment.

‘But I have to endure it.’

The reason he could endure was only one.

The small favor that Lee Seo-jun had shown that day.

His voice was warm, his gaze serene, and his words revealed the reality.

It wasn’t just comforting; it awakened him to face reality and move forward.

‘Someday, like my father, I’ll cast splendid magic….’

The last magic of his father, vividly formed in Jang Do-hyun’s heart through the story Lee Seo-jun had told.

He couldn’t see it with his eyes or feel it with his senses, but that’s why he wished for it even more. That his magic, too, would someday shine brilliantly….

“Hey, it’s been a while, Senior Mage Jang Do-hyun, or should I say, Head Jang Do-hyun now?”

A familiar yet unfamiliar voice echoed when he shifted his gaze to that direction.

There, leaning against the wall, stood a man with a sly smile.

“…Ahn Seo-jin.”

As expected, it was Ahn Seo-jin, the chief mage of the Illusion School.

Keeping his gaze fixed on him, Jang Do-hyun spoke to the senior mages.

“You go first.”

“But….”

“Go on.”

“…Yes.”

The senior mages nodded slightly and left.

As they disappeared from the corridor, Ahn Seo-jin detached himself from the wall and spoke.

“So, does it hurt your stomach to see your rival get a rapid promotion? Seems like your skills have improved a lot since I last saw you.”

“A rival in your subject?…”

“…What?”

Ignoring the forced laughter, Ahn Seo-jin’s eyebrows twitched.

Looking at Ahn Seo-jin, he continued.

“Have you become pitifully thin while I wasn’t looking? Eat well. Oh, and do you even have money to eat, considering you had to pay fines for that lecture?”

“This guy….”

One corner of Ahn Seo-jin’s mouth twitched as if in a spasm.

Even after a few months, he hadn’t really changed. His eyes were endlessly greedy, and his attitude was arrogantly annoying.

After rolling his eyes for a while, Ahn Seo-jin burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! That’s how my friend Jang Do-hyun should be.”

“…Since when was I your friend?”

“Why are you saying that? We’ve been together since the academy, it’s been 13 years already, isn’t it?”

It was a persistent connection. Even if they tried to cut it off, they always ran into each other somewhere.

“If you’re just going to exchange awkward greetings, can I leave now? I have a lot to do unlike someone else.”

“Tsk, why are you in such a hurry? I came here to give my friend an opportunity.”

“…An opportunity?”

“Yeah, a chance that won’t come again.”

A sly smile crossed Ahn Seo-jin’s lips.

“Are you planning to stay there continuously?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Are you going to stay as the head of the school?”

“Of course.”

“Head of the school. Good. But, my friend, if you’re human, you should be able to read the flow of the times. Isn’t it better to be the tail of a dragon than the head of a snake, or even better, the horn of a dragon?”

His statement involuntarily furrowed my brows.

“Are you saying that the head of the Mass School is the head of a snake?”

“Exactly! Frankly, if it were in the past, maybe not, but now, after your father died?”

“…Shut your mouth.”

“Friend, let’s think rationally. After your S-Rank hunter father died, your school is now no different from any other school. No, considering that you have no experience as the head of the school, you might even fall behind.”

As much as he wanted to deny it, it was an undeniable fact. Unlike the two major schools, the heads of other schools were A-Rank hunters like him.

Of course, there were differences even within the A-Rank, but the same rank remained unchanged.

“But in contrast, how about our Illusion School? We survived this campaign, and our school head has some connection with Lee Seo-jun. He’s the one who invited Lee Seo-jun this time.”

“….”

“Do you know Lee Seo-jun too? That incredibly strong person. In front of him, even the association president groveled, and, in fact, I also have some connection with him. He once took charge of my security.”

I wanted to say, “I also have a connection with Lee Seo-jun…” but it felt dishonest.

For me, our brief encounter meant a lot, but for him, it was just a passing acquaintance.

“So, my friend. I’m giving you a chance now. Come under my command before your school collapses.”

“…I refuse.”

“Ha. You still haven’t realized reality. Well, maybe you’ll understand when you see that.”

Suddenly, Ahn Seo-jin turned to look elsewhere.

Following his gaze, I saw Ha Seong-woo and Lee Seo-jun standing still.

“Now do you understand? Who’s going to rise higher in the future.”

Ahn Seo-jin walked towards them with a pleasant smile.

“Wow! Mr. Lee Seo-jun, right? Do you happen to remember me? You watched over me during the previous magic lecture.”

Ahn Seo-jin stood proudly in front of them, as if this was where he belonged.

But I couldn’t stand there. I could only watch from a distance, as if observing from afar.

In the scene that seemed like it would scatter at any moment, Lee Seo-jun stared intently at Ahn Seo-jin.

And not long after, a lively smile appeared on Lee Seo-jun’s face.

“This is interesting.”

“…Yes?”

“A doppelganger comes directly to me.”

Everyone here was bewildered.

“Cough!”

Lee Seo-jun’s black arm pierced Ahn Seo-jin’s heart.

Ahn Seo-jin, with blood trickling from his mouth, looked at Lee Seo-jun with furrowed brows due to the pain.

“What in the world…”

Even to the perplexed question, Lee Seo-jun just smiled uprightly.

“Did you think you could deceive even me?”

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***

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I watched as the creature impaled on my chest was lifted towards me.

The same appearance as during the magic lecture, with the same magical power. Even the information seen through [Lezie’s Insight] matched. Whatever he had done, his current thoughts also reflected the ‘confused thoughts of Ahn Seo-jin’.

Ha Seong-woo, who was beside me, was astonished by the current scene.

“Le, Lee Seo-jun! W-What on earth have you done! That person is our chief mage!”

“Do you still see this guy as human?”

“S-So, is Ahn Seo-jin a doppelganger?”

“Yes.”

“D-Don’t be ridiculous! We have already confirmed the nature of the magical power among ourselves! The results showed that Ahn Seo-jin is not a doppelganger!”

“Do you find those guys amusing? You should know that they are not ordinary beings.”

“But that’s…!”

Ha Seong-woo stared at him with widened pupils. Ahn Seo-jin shouted like he was hemorrhaging.

“Head Ha Seong-woo! Quickly stop this guy! I’m going to die like this!!”

“But…!”

“You secretly hid living expenses behind the air conditioner, right?! You told me that three years ago!”

“Wh-What…?”

Ha Seong-woo was bewildered by personal information that an ordinary person wouldn’t know. Eventually, his eyes filled with suspicion met mine.

But that wasn’t the only thing. Illusion School mages had surrounded me at some point.

A splendid response, but they had misunderstood the situation.

Without releasing Ahn Seo-jin, I warned them.

“Stop the nonsense and stay still.”

They flinched at my low, chilling voice.

While they hesitated, I glanced at Ahn Seo-jin, bleeding red.

“Do you really see this guy as human? This guy who’s still talking with a pierced heart?”

“Th-Then, how is he still alive…?”

“Huh, he should’ve died long ago, especially with a pierced heart.”

Even if it were me, a pierced heart wouldn’t leave one unharmed, yet this guy, even though my hand pierced his heart, was still babbling away.

This meant he wasn’t human.

In addition, in the now expanding monocular vision, a reddish smoke was billowing.

“Can we stop the acting now? It’s all exposed.”

I used [Absorption] while my hand was still inserted. Originally, it was described as absorbing the magi of a ‘killed’ demon, but I could use it by making contact inside the body in this way.

As evidence,

“My… my power….”

Magi was being absorbed from this guy. It was a tiny amount compared to beings like vampires, but I needed as much magi as possible for my future plans.

The weakening guy strained to speak.

“How did you recognize me…!”

“I see everything with my eyes. This monocle.”

More precisely, everything visible through the monocle.

“Damn it…!”

The next moment, Ahn Seo-jin’s body twisted like clay, and the facade of a human gradually peeled away. The hand stuck in his heart had moved to his abdomen, and the torn eye sockets looked down at me.

Using his red arm, he pulled my hand out of his stomach and turned to run. Not very fast, indicating that this creature wasn’t specialized in physical combat. At best, it seemed to be an A-rank hunter.

Thud!

Without hesitation, I sprinted towards the ground. A moment later, I reached the demon.

With a swift move, I gripped the crimson mass.

“Die.”

Boom!

With a single swing, the demon’s head exploded, and the splattered droplets painted the wall. I used [Clean] to wipe away the blood. Jang Do-hyun, who was nearby, approached.

“So, this guy was a doppelganger… His behavior and speech were exactly the same.”

I was also surprised. I didn’t expect a doppelganger to be so sophisticated. Without this monocle, even I might have had difficulty finding him. In fact, the remaining doppelgangers out of the 72 were now 71.

As there seemed to be no progress on the Paisley siblings’ side, Ha Seong-woo, looking at the corpse, muttered in a dazed voice.

“Ahn Seo-jin was a real doppelganger… You really had a way to find out, Mr. Seo-jun.”

“Did you doubt it?”

“N-No! I just always think you’re amazing. Haha…”

He might have suspected for a moment, but I let it pass. Now that they would have realized my words were true.

Jang Do-hyun asked, “But then, where is the real Ahn Seo-jin?”

“Well, he might be somewhere on Earth, but I don’t think he’s alive.”

“That’s… true….”

“Can’t be sure….”

He was probably dead. There was no reason for demons to keep a troublesome human alive. Wait, maybe?

Suddenly, an idea came to me, and I gathered magi on my fingertips.

“Ahn Seo-jin.”

Swish!

Thinking of Ahn Seo-jin, I tried to slash through the air, but my hand bounced off as if hitting bulletproof glass. I thought using [Magic Path] might take me to where Ahn Seo-jin was, but it failed.

While experimenting with Lee Seo-yeon and Hyude, it was possible to go to the ‘target’, but it seemed that the memories of Ahn Seo-jin weren’t intense enough for the spell to work. Either he really died, or…

I turned to Ha Seong-woo, tongue-tied.

“Now, let’s attend the magic presentation.”

“What? With all that happened…?”

When Ha Seong-woo responded, I tilted my head.

“What does it have to do with anything? Holding onto this won’t change anything. Instead of wasting time on something meaningless, it’s better to focus on what needs to be done now. We haven’t explored the other side yet.”

If the gathering disperses without achieving even one of my purposes for coming here, it would be a failure. Maybe, with luck, I could find the hidden doppelganger among the attendees.

“Well, that makes sense…”

“Then, I’m going.”

If you can hide, try hiding.

I’ll find you anyway.

(To be continued in the next part)

Translatior Note: I’m Changing Demon Arts to Magic Path