12 ◈
“Let’s wrap up today’s field practice here. Head over to the infirmary quickly.”
After finishing the field practice, I, Cheon Woo-jin, and Eun Ga-ye moved straight to the infirmary.
Not only were we injured from capturing the hexa-, but also exposed to its venom.
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“Ugh, feeling dizzy.”
Eun Ga-ye groaned as she took weak steps.
Her complexion, having faced the hexa-‘s magic head-on, was turning a deep red.
Although the unicorn’s leather shielded us from the hexa-‘s magic to some extent, it couldn’t completely block the faintly flowing venom.
“Cheon Woo-jin, you look fine?”
“I have a bit of resistance in this area.”
This guy has no shortage of confidence.
As I shook my head, grimacing, and grasped it with my hands.
“Ow, my head hurts.”
Perhaps due to exhausting my mental strength too quickly in the rain, my head was still throbbing.
I should take it easy next time. Before worrying about being a Hwangma or whatever, I might end up dead first.
As I grasped my head, Cheon Woo-jin looked at me as if surprised.
“Anyway, isn’t it amazing that Haesol was a Hwangma user?”
Due to my suppression of the hexa-‘s magic, Eun Ga-ye and Cheon Woo-jin had completely misunderstood me as a Hwangma user.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t me, but the ability held by Icarus’ ring, but since I was the ring’s owner, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
Moreover, ‘Hwangma’ is a rare attribute even in Eternity, so Cheon Woo-jin and Eun Ga-ye were constantly amazed by the fact that I was a Hwangma user.
Engaging in various small talk, we entered the infirmary and immediately received the antidote.
By the way, Eternity’s infirmary was called an infirmary in name only; it was a ward equipped with facilities comparable to a decent university hospital.
After finishing the treatment and coming out, a meeting with Ha Jin-woo awaited us.
It felt more like checking our well-being than a meeting.
“Fortunately, none of you were seriously injured. If you ever go into a dungeon again, make sure to tell me beforehand.”
“Yes.”
“Alright, you can go.”
Ha Jin-woo seemed surprised that we had captured the hexa-, but he didn’t make an issue out of entering the dungeon. In fact, he subtly hinted at quietly covering it up.
Well, if he made a fuss about us entering the dungeon, Instructor Ha Jin-woo would have had to take responsibility as well.
‘Thanks for covering it up.’
After such a meeting that wasn’t really a meeting, we returned to the classroom to find the results of our practice session displayed on the blackboard.
【1st Place Lee Haesol 143 Points】
——–
“It seems hexagons are worth 100 points.”
Since each demon was worth one point, and the hexagon was my share of finding the dungeon, it was only natural for me to rank first. Below that, each rank was assigned.
【2nd Place Cheon Woojin 58 Points】
【3rd Place Nicolai 52 Points】
【4th Place Eungaye 46 Points】
【5th Place Amelia 38 Points】
.
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.
.
.
The results were as expected. However, there were some discontent faces.
“…I could have caught it if I had seen the demon.”
Nicolai’s words slipped out.
Having spent the whole day in the field, hunting demons tirelessly, while some managed to find a dungeon, catch demons, and come out, it seemed like it was a bitter pill for him.
That’s the only thought he could cling to since he didn’t spot the hexagon.
After fighting tooth and nail, to hear someone who spent the day catching small fry in the field say such things…
“Catch my foot, did you catch the hexagon?”
“If you caught it, I could have caught it too.”
“You didn’t catch it.”
“…”
Nicolai grumbled, but surprisingly, perhaps due to wounded pride, he readily admitted his defeat.
“Finding the dungeon must be your ability. I lost this time.”
“A bet?”
“Say what you want.”
“It feels refreshing and good.”
With a sly grin, I demanded the ingredients to neutralize the poison from the hexagon’s horn, as originally planned.
Things like a lightning-struck sapling or a flower nourished by the blood of a convict; even to me, they were conscienceless items that might make one wonder if they could be obtained.
However, Nicolai seemed to think it was nothing special, even going as far as to bet on other aspects.
“That’s quite a lot.”
“Are there more left?”
“…”
As I listed the remaining ingredients, Nicolai, who had fallen silent, gave me a puzzled look.
“It’s quite a bit, but even for ‘Ovollenga,’ it might not be obtainable. Well, maybe not.”
“…”
“Can’t get them?”
“No. If I ask my father, I can easily obtain that much.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Next time······”
“I got it, I got it. You’re not an easy one.”
“Hmm.”
Nikolai pretended to be displeased. Even so, everything about him seemed relaxed.
Though he might not excel in other aspects, manipulating beads was something he was really good at.
***
The first class the next day was ‘Magic Training’.
“Welcome, I am Kim Joo-hyuk, a magician affiliated with the Association, who will be in charge of Magic Training.”
As the man in a white robe smiled gently, the novices murmured in awe.
“Wow, isn’t that the 5th Circle emblem on his buckle?”
“Indeed, from Eternity. It’s quite something for someone like him to be an instructor.”
On Kim Joo-hyuk’s robe, a brooch with a wand and a book crossing was attached to his chest.
It was a mark of a certified 5th Circle magician from the Association. Being from the 5th Circle onwards meant belonging to the ranks of high-ranking magicians, not easily seen.
‘That human may be at the brink.’
Kim Joo-hyuk was officially in the 5th Circle, but in reality, he was more of a 4th Circle magician.
Moreover, he was considered a lower-tier magician even within the 4th Circle.
In other words, Kim Joo-hyuk was a typical example of ‘foam’ that would collapse with a slight touch, filled with despicable jealousy when seeing novices better than himself.
He might seem pitiful like this, but that’s how villains are originally.
Kim Joo-hyuk was a villain who would eventually fall into darkness by the end of the semester, threatening the novices.
‘For now, things seem fine.’
As the novices admired the aura of a high-ranking magician, Kim Joo-hyuk’s lips curled up.
“Each of you gathered here has different specialties. Magician, Summoner, Swordsman, Archer······ Various skills.”
The specialties mentioned by Kim Joo-hyuk were the most basic ones.
Since gifts varied greatly, the skills were equally diverse.
Just looking at my Gravity Sword or Silver Arrow, it was clear how unique these skills were.
“However, all these skills have one thing in common. Do you know what it is?”
“Magic.”
At a novice’s words, Kim Joo-hyuk nodded.
“Since everyone’s innate magic nature and tendencies are different, it’s not entirely accurate to call magic a common trait. Rather, it can be seen as a commonality in ‘utilizing’ magic.”
“······.”
Isn’t that just how it is?
Kim Joo-hyuk, who cleverly packaged nonsense in a plausible way, seemed to smile with ill fortune.
“Today, we will briefly learn to utilize that magic. The method is very simple.”
Kim Joo-hyuk pointed to the beaker on the desk.
“All you need to do is succeed in moving the water in the beaker with magic.”
“Isn’t moving water easy?”
The novices looked puzzled. At that moment, one novice who touched his own beaker exclaimed in surprise.
“What? What’s this? The water isn’t moving?”
“Hey, it’s true.”
Latecomers who infused magic into the beaker displayed a perplexed expression. Kim Joo-hyuk, who was enjoying their reactions, spoke up.
“This is specially processed magic water. The flow of magic must be stable for it to move.”
Snap!
With his words, Kim Joo-hyuk flicked his finger, and the water in the beaker in front of him swiftly spiraled.
However, the piece of paper placed over the beaker remained still, indicating Kim Joo-hyuk’s precise control of magic.
“By applying magic in a complex manner, one can induce a variety of phenomena.”
Instantly, two separate spirals began rotating in different directions within the swirling beaker, captivating the onlookers.
Kim Joo-hyuk, observing the fascinated students, smirked.
“Alright, today let’s focus on moving just one spiral.”
***
“Ugh, I can’t do this.”
Eun-ga-ye set down her beaker. The water inside it was halfway spilled out.
Rather than spiraling, the water was bubbling and even spurting like lava.
It wasn’t intentional; she had been so focused that it led to this outcome.
I knew the reason all too well.
“Trying to control what can’t be controlled results in that mess.”
Eun-ga-ye’s magic itself was violent in nature, evidenced by the bubbling water.
It was a clear sign that she was far from being able to control it properly.
Rather than forcing control, it was more fitting to let it flow naturally, but Eun-ga-ye had yet to realize this.
It was because in Eternity, magic was a tool to be controlled, not an entity to be compliant with.
Seeing Eun-ga-ye’s futile attempts, I couldn’t help but intervene.
“Ease up a bit.”
“What? Can you do it?”
“Of course.”
I smirked and gazed at the beaker. Thinking of the swirling motion, energy surged within me. Eun-ga-ye’s eyes widened as she saw the rotating spiral in her vision.
“How did you do that?”
“Well.”
“Want to die?”
“Joking. Just ease up a bit.”
In truth, moving the magic water for me was like walking on solid ground.
Unlike the challenging magic control, the energy was as easy to move as my hands and feet, posing no real difficulty.
It was as easy as picking up food with your hands rather than chopsticks.
So while others struggled with their beakers, I seemed to be at ease alone.
Kim Joo-hyuk, who was gleefully watching others’ struggles, casually provoked me.
“Hey, aren’t students supposed to practice?”
“I’ve done it all.”
“Controlling magic doesn’t end with just one try. Consistent practice is crucial.”
Seemingly amused by the situation, Kim Joo-hyuk grinned slyly.
“With that attitude, you won’t be able to create the two spirals I made.”
“Did you make it?”
“Of course not… right?”
“I made it.”
As I handed him the beaker, Kim Joo-hyuk’s eyes widened.
“…”
What he saw was not just what Kim Joo-hyuk had shown, but two swirling whirlpools that were even more intense. Kim Joo-hyuk, who was momentarily speechless, stared blankly at the whirlpool and forced a smile.
“The whirlpool visible on the surface seems convincing. But the actual flow of magic is rough. It’s hard to sustain for long like this…”
Ah, pitiful. How pitiful.
***
After the first-hour magic training class, the second hour involved physical measurements.
And as expected, my physical condition was horrendous in terms of Eternity.
▶ Player Lee Haesol
[Stamina: 1.5(+2)]
[Strength: 0.8(+0.5)]
[Agility: 2.8(+1.3)]
[Endurance: 1(+1)]
[Dexterity: 3]
I keenly felt it again, a truly pathetic set of stats. With this body, undergoing the insane physical measurements of Eternity would have been a perfect death wish.
But, of course, it had to be in descending order, so I was the very first in line.
“Haesol, bench press. Now.”
“Yes.”
At the command of the PE instructor holding the measuring device, I lay beneath the equipment like a sacrificial cow.
“I see. Let’s start with a light 200kg.”
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…Excuse me?
200? Lightly? Has this person lost their mind…