I Am The Anti-Mage - Chapter 158: Doubtful But It's True

“If no one wants to ask the question, I’ll be the first then. Does Ji-woo really have no Mana?”

In-ah was the first to open her mouth after Dal-soo allowed them to ask.

“I do not know.”

In-ah raised one eyebrow. She didn’t expect it to get answered so quickly and simply. But, she knew how serious Dal-soo was by those words. They were in an important discussion and had no time for jokes.

“Does it have something to do with Ji-woo’s power? You’re the only one who’s ever fought face-to-face with him of all the people here. Can you tell me more about this?”

Ji-soo was about to ask a question. But she stopped when she heard what Chairman Yu said. She immediately looked at Dal-soo, wanting to listen to the story too.

Dal-soo sighed first. “I did fight with Ji-woo, and the result was that I lost badly.”

“How badly injured were you after that fight!?” Ask In-ah. She knew that Dal-soo once fought Ji-woo when she overheard at the Demigod guild headquarters. But, she didn’t know the details.

“Worst.”

In-ah is surprised to hear the answer. ‘Didn’t he say he truly lost but was not beaten so badly by Ji-woo? Why say it is the worst? Did he have internal injuries?’

However, Dal-soo swiftly straightened out his words.

“Bad in another sense. We hunters are used to using Mana to perform magic spells. But, at that moment, all of my magic got rendered useless by Ji-woo. No matter what kind of magic I used, they were all put off by him. To be precise, he dispelled the magic as if there had been no magic from the start.

“My Blue Thread Magic isn’t working as well as it should either.

“That’s not magic against magic. The magic disappears out of nowhere without any trace. Not only that, Ji-woo’s physical strength is far above ours. His power and speed can’t get matched at all.

“I feel like I’m being toyed with by him. He doesn’t even sweat a bit when subduing me like that.”

Dal-soo then looked at the four S-rank hunters with a look of horror on his face. “I can tell from you that you still don’t believe it and underestimate him. Because the fight with the Shadow guild hunters only lasted for a moment. Without any indication of who was the victor and who was more powerful.

“But, I, as a person who has fought Ji-woo, really don’t recommend you pick a fight with him, especially a deathmatch unless you are tired of living.

“Do you remember the aura that got released at yesterday’s event? It’s still pretty weak. I’ve experienced it at close range, and it was terrible. It’s like I’m back to being an ordinary human even though I’m used to Mana. I can’t exert any strength. Mana can’t get used. It is like they are alive and refuse their master’s request.

“I’m not saying this to scare you. This is so that we don’t lose the existing S-rank hunters for acting foolishly by instigating Ji-woo.

“He’s an unruly person. However, he’s not as bad as you think based on his attitude, as long as we don’t get into trouble with him. Everything will be fine.”

Of course, there were still those who doubted Dal-soo’s words. No matter how true someone said, it was not easy to believe, especially if they haven’t experienced it firsthand.

But, Dal-soo didn’t have time to bother and take care of that. The important thing was that he had already said what had to be said. The rest depends on the fate of each.

“Senior Oh, do you know what happened today?” Jo-hyun asked.

“Sorry, I didn’t know about that.”

Ji-soo rubbed her chin and said, “So, there’s a chance he can be as strong as you say without Mana, right? Is he on par with an Apex-rank? I know we did an evaluation earlier. But that result is completely useless. I want your opinion, who has known Ji-woo longer than anyone else here.”

“Yeah. That’s possible. So far, I’ve never seen him perform magic. So, one can assume he’s powerful without Mana. However, to declare Ji-woo to have no Mana at all is difficult. That’s because many factors have to get considered in drawing such a conclusion.

“As for Apex-ranked matters. I can’t be sure of saying that. But, for the time being, just assume he’s an Apex-ranked hunter. That’s because, as far as I know, 10 S-rank hunters won’t be enough to match Ji-woo’s strength. ”

Ji-soo sighed as she closed her eyes. “And the last. Is he a threat to the hunters? The Guilds? Or the human race? Can we confirm that Ji-woo has nothing to do with those Portal Gate creatures?!” she asked after opening her eyes and looking at Dal-soo.

In-ah, Jo-hyun, and Chairman Yu also agree with Ji-soo’s question. In addition, there was nothing they could get anymore because, in the end, the person got asked was not the intended person. Whether Ji-woo’s case was very strong or not, it was up to each of them to take Dal-soo’s words as truth or not.

“He’s not a threat to us. All he wants is the safety of his family. Nothing to do with hunters, guilds, humanity, or even Portal Gate creatures.”

“So, Senior Oh means, he doesn’t care about the safety of mankind?”

“Right, Jo-hyun~ah. But he’s not a bad person. He only puts his interests first.”

“He…, selfish!?”

“Maybe not,” Dal-soo replied. He also initially felt Ji-woo was a selfish person. But, when one thought about it, that was untrue. Ji-woo had several times helped him even though his family was in danger before.

That alone showed Ji-woo still had empathy even though he had an attitude of indifference towards others.

In the end, In-ah, Ji-soo, and Jo-hyun say their goodbyes. They have their own business, and Ji-woo’s problems could get put aside first.

Chairman Yu spoke to Dal-soo as he watched the three S-rank hunters exit the building.

“You know, I did something a little outrageous to the hunters and reporters before. I told them that I would put anyone on a blacklist if they interfered with Ji-woo’s activities.”

“That is the best.”

Chairman Yu was silent for a moment at Dal-soo’s words. He then also agreed with that.

“You’re right. Considering the dozens of hunters who died before, I think Ji-woo is serious about killing them if they come to his house.

“Honestly, I feel uneasy about his presence. It’s different from you who thought he would be a secret reinforcement for our country when the Red Gate disaster struck.”

Dal-soo swiftly replied to the statement. “Ji-woo has ten tier-3 Portal Gates. Right? It would definitely be troublesome dealing with ownership matters with the Hunters Association side.”

“Well, that’s true. So, what do you want to say?”

“What if Ji-woo is given conditions? If he can close those ten tier-3 Portal Gates within three days. Then the ownership issue will get dropped.”

Chairman Yu frowned. “You’re not joking, are you!? He’s all alone! How could he close ten Portal Gates in three days?!”

“Hyung, trust me. It will answer some of your questions and will calm you down a bit later.” Dal-soo answered while narrowing his eyes.

Chairman Yu had no other choice. He took a deep breath and said.

“Fine! I’ll have Chief Yoon tell Ji-woo about it. However, I’ll be there myself to see how he closes the Portal Gates.”

“Of course. I’ll be there with you too, Hyung.”

“Tsk! Whatever!”

Dal-soo smiled gently as Chairman Yu left, returning to the upstairs room, muttering in annoyance. He also had to go home because the affairs of the tier-5 Portal Gate needed to get carefully prepared.

Meanwhile, Ji-woo felt that peace had returned to his life after taking the bus to do his activities. He didn’t know what Chairman Yu would use to subdue the hunters and reporters. The important thing was that he wasn’t swarmed by those flies anymore. It also meant that Elijah and Ji-won could go home earlier than Ji-woo expected.

On the other hand, Dong-hyun and Yu-jin were already at the foot of the mountains used for training, standing, and waiting for Ji-woo.

“You’ve been here for long?”

“Ah. Not really, Hyung.” Dong-hyun answered while bowing.

“Then shall we start now?”

“What do you mean? Now?” Asked Yu-jin, who was surprised by Ji-woo’s attitude of asking for direct sparring without further ado.

“There’s no reason to delay. You guys are already getting used to sensing Mana and using it. So, the matters of magic spells and other similar things are in your hands. What you lack is combat experience. And by sparring with me. I’m sure you guys will get used to what is called combat, particularly later if you have to deal with Portal Gate creatures, who are much stronger than the White Wolves.

“Put on your magic gear and weapons. Try to land a wound on me. Or maybe try to make my face look up at the sky or kiss the ground.”

“Hyung, are you sure about that!? It’s a little dangerous if we have to use our magic weapons.”

Yu-jin didn’t say anything or react the same as Dong-hyun. She instead went straight to the spot she put her bag earlier. She then put on her hunting gear. It started with magic armor and magic weapons.

Dong-hyun was confused by what Yu-jin was doing.. But, in the end, he also did what Yu-jin did.