Late Monday Night.
After finishing overtime work, Han Se-yeon returned home.
She threw her clothes aside carelessly and flopped onto the sofa. Having worked straight through the weekend without a break, exhaustion had built up, leaving her drained.
Silence filled the room.
Suddenly feeling lonely, Han Se-yeon turned on the television to break the stillness.
Beep.
— “Assignments are a battle against myself. I never give up.”
A voice flowed from the television. The tone sounded awkward, as if the speaker were reading from a script.
However, Han Se-yeon paid no attention, lying back on the sofa and closing her eyes.
— “Is there a secret to your success?”
— “A secret? Hmm… not really. I just keep exploring. The process can be lonely at times, though…”
…The loneliness of the process. That was something she could relate to.
The lonely battle to claim the Han family estate.
How long would she have to endure this solitude?
— “You have to overcome it. The world is unforgiving.”
“…Why does he talk like that?”
Curious about who was speaking, Han Se-yeon opened her eyes and turned her head toward the TV.
On the screen, a male student in a school uniform was studying.
“A student, huh?”
Judging by the school, it was the Korea Mage Academy—an elite institution where only about 150 students were admitted each year.
“From the way he talks, you’d think he’s lived through everything.”
Still, he probably had his own struggles.
As she absentmindedly watched the television, something about the boy’s face seemed oddly familiar.
His eyes… nose… mouth… physique…
Who was he?
As she pondered, the program ended.
— “To be continued in episode 4.”
The preview followed.
Unfortunately, the boy’s face wasn’t clearly visible.
“…Maybe I’m imagining things?”
Dismissing the thought, Han Se-yeon turned off the TV.
Silence returned to the room.
She lay there for a while before getting up to wash.
Just then, her smartphone rang with a call alert.
The caller was her personal assistant, whom she had asked to find a house in Seoul.
— “To be continued in episode 4.”
The third episode of the documentary had come to an end.
Perhaps due to my recent third-place ranking in the final exams, the episode had been hastily edited to focus more on practical skills than theory.
The preview was the same.
It was clear that they were using my newfound popularity to boost viewership, and the thought made me chuckle.
[42,560 people have taken an interest in you.]
[You’ve earned 20,000 points as a reward.]
“Oh?”
Forty thousand?
The response was far hotter than before.
I remember episode 2 having only around ten thousand viewers. That means the numbers had nearly quadrupled.
I never expected placing third in the finals to have this much impact.
I glanced at my vibrating smart student notebook.
[Hey, Kim Sunwoo. Everything’s fine, but your way of speaking is seriously cringe. How long are you gonna keep this up? It’s unbearable.]
[This persona… seriously, it’s just not it.]
“…”
The reactions from people who knew me well weren’t much different from last time.
Why were they overreacting so much?
None of the viewer comments on the public board even mentioned my speech style.
“Tsk.”
Just then—
[A character, ‘Lily Rose,’ finds your broadcasting persona baffling.]
[You’ve earned 1,000 points as a reward.]
“…Huh?”
I was slightly surprised by the unexpected message.
Lily Rose?
She watched the documentary?
Well, I suppose it’s possible.
She did wait outside my hotel just to meet me last time.
But still, watching a Korean documentary all the way from abroad?
That’s some dedication.
I would meet Lily Rose again someday.
In the original story and even before my regression, she had come to Korea a few times after being defeated by Lee Seo-jun.
“Hmm!”
I got up from my seat.
I was feeling restless—maybe I should go for a light workout.
Just then, my smart student notebook rang.
It was Han Se-yeon.
“Hello?”
— “Ah, sorry for calling so late. Are you available to talk?”
“Yes, it’s fine. What’s the matter?”
— “I found the house you requested.”
Oh.
She found one already?
Given the location, the magical training facilities, and all the other conditions, time must have been tight.
As expected, she worked fast.
I was glad I asked her.
— “You can move in this Friday. I’ll send you the address.”
“You did great. That was faster than I expected.”
— “No problem. But… there’s something else I need to mention.”
Her tone was unusually cautious for Han Se-yeon.
What was it?
“What is it?”
— “Your next-door neighbor might be a problem.”
“My neighbour?”
— “Yeah, apparently, they’re extremely sensitive to noise. They really hate disturbances.”
…A neighbour, huh?
That was something I hadn’t considered at all.
But it didn’t really matter.
I wasn’t planning to spend much time at home anyway.
Besides, I wasn’t the type to make a lot of noise.
“You don’t need to worry about that. I’m very quiet at home.”
— “That’s a relief. I actually tried looking for another place, but given the conditions you wanted, there was nothing available within two weeks.”
This was good enough for me.
She had saved me the hassle, and I gained extra time.
— “Still, you might want to be careful. It seems like previous tenants left because of the neighbour.”
How Bad Could the Problem Be?
I found it odd, but since I tend to keep to myself at home, I decided not to worry about it.
“If it’s an issue with the neighbours, you really don’t need to be concerned. As long as they don’t pick a fight for no reason.”
—”Hmm. Alright. Then, I’ll see you on the move-in day, Friday.”
“Yep.”
Wednesday.
With final exams over, the school had a more relaxed atmosphere. Meanwhile, the after-school special class began.
Today’s special class involved two-person magic duels. Like regular sparring matches, students would give each other feedback on areas needing improvement afterward. Since the special class consisted of top-ranking students, the duels were on a completely different level compared to regular classes.
Especially Lee Seo-jun.
After losing his partner Jang Ye, Lee Seo-jun was set to duel against the special class instructor, Park Jungwan. Many special class students were peeking through the gaps of the individual duel room to watch their match.
“Wow. This is the first time I’ve seen Seo-jun fight seriously. I can’t even follow his movements with my eyes.”
Choi Seo-yoon muttered in amazement while watching the duel.
I glanced at them briefly before turning to Choi Seo-yoon.
“Forget about them. Let’s focus on our own duel.”
Practical combat plays a crucial role in growth, especially for teenagers who lack real battle experience. In this world, experience and knowledge matter more than the sheer amount of magic power one possesses.
No matter how high your magic rank is, if you lack experience and technique, it’s all meaningless.
Since Choi Seo-yoon needed to become a strong ally for Lee Seo-jun’s survival, I had to do my best to help her grow.
“Yes! Should we start right away?”
Choi Seo-yoon turned her gaze toward me.
“Yeah. But let’s move to a proper spot first.”
To prevent magic from affecting others, duels had to be conducted in designated individual duel rooms.
We entered the duel room. After stretching lightly, Choi Seo-yoon looked at me with anticipation.
“Ooh, I’m excited. I’ve always wanted to spar with you.”
“You? The top-ranked student wants to spar with someone ranked 60th?”
I teased, and she let out a small laugh.
“Stop pretending to be weak. You placed third in the finals this time! Even with powerhouses like Lily Rose in the mix.”
“Hmm, yeah. My final exam results were pretty decent.”
First place in theory and third place in practical exams. My best ranking so far.
I was already looking forward to seeing where I’d place overall.
Choi Seo-yoon stared at me intently.
“Can I go all out, then?”
“Do you want me to die?”
If it were anyone else, maybe. But if Choi Seo-yoon went full power, I wouldn’t be able to hold out.
If I had Mana Elixirs or Nature’s Heart, I could probably handle it, but in my normal state, I was severely lacking in mana.
“Ah, you’re pretending to be weak again!”
Choi Seo-yoon frowned, raising her voice.
“Stop talking nonsense and come at me.”
“…Alright. Then, I’ll go at 70% power. That okay?”
“70 is too much. Make it 55.”
Hearing my response, she grinned.
“Then let’s settle on 60. Here I go!”
She immediately gathered her magic. The air chilled as a spear of ice materialized midair.
The spear shot toward me at high speed.
Shwooosh!
I swiftly reinforced my body with mana and dodged.
Even at just 60%, it felt completely different from when I sparred against Yoon Hayoung.
Much faster. Much sharper.
The moment I evaded, I dashed toward Choi Seo-yoon. She quickly froze the ground beneath us to hinder my movement.
Not bad.
Ice-covered floors naturally reduce mobility.
However—
That doesn’t mean I can’t move on them.
Mages are trained to adapt to such conditions.
“Hah!”
I pushed off the ground, jumping forward.
As soon as I closed the distance, she swung another ice spear at me.
Whoosh!
I ducked low, narrowly dodging the attack.
Though Choi Seo-yoon specialized in manifestation-type magic, her physical abilities were also formidable.
After dodging, I gathered mana in both arms and reached out to push her back.
But at that moment—
A towering ice pillar shot up from right beneath me.
“Ugh!”
I barely managed to lean back and avoid the strike.
That was close.
I immediately jumped backward to create distance.
“…Impressive.”
I couldn’t help but be impressed.
She might only be a first-year, but a rank 1 is a rank 1 for a reason.
Her combat style showcased the best of an ice-element mage.
Terrain manipulation, hardened magic formations, and fluid transformations mid-battle.
I knew she was strong in practical combat, but experiencing it firsthand exceeded my expectations.
That last ice pillar attack?
That was pro-level magic.
A regular student would have been caught completely off guard.
Just as I was silently admiring her magic—
Choi Seo-yoon suddenly shouted in frustration.
“Wait, what?! How did you dodge that?! That was my finishing move!”
After a brief five-minute duel, we sat side by side, catching our breath.
“I should give you some feedback, but honestly, you fought so well that I don’t think there’s anything for me to say. But… were you deliberately focusing on reinforcement magic instead of manifestation?”
Choi Seo-yoon hugged her knees as she turned to face me.
“Yeah. Most manifestation mages struggle when pressured with reinforcement techniques. But you handled it well. Nicely done.”
She really did.
Unlike Yoo Ara, who crushed opponents with overwhelming mana, Choi Seo-yoon’s combat style was stylish and refined.
Since she was a manifestation-type mage like me, I felt a strong urge to praise her.
Hearing my words, she smiled happily.
“Hehe. But seriously, are you sure you’re a manifestation-type mage? You fought like a reinforcement user the entire time!”
“Who knows?”
“What kind of response is that? I’m the top-ranked student, you know!”
She laughed playfully.
“Hmm. Anyway, the holidays are coming up soon. Do you have any plans?”
With only a week left until break, the question was timely.
“I have a rough plan.”
“Are you going on vacation?”
“…Not exactly. I’m not that free. What about you?”
At my question, Choi Seo-yoon made a gloomy face.
“I’ll probably be stuck at home for special training. I just want to relax during break…”
“Hmm.”
I nodded. That was expected.
“…Good luck with that.”
“Oh, right! Did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“The special class continues during the break!”
“I know.”
This had caused quite a bit of controversy among students.
“They say skipping the break sessions might affect our second-semester placement. Isn’t that too much?”
“Well, it’s decided already. We’ll just have to attend. At least we only have to show up once.”
“True. But students who live far away from campus are pretty upset.”
I felt bad for them, but it wasn’t my problem.
Speaking of which—
Thinking about the second semester brought certain incidents to mind.
If I wanted to get involved in those events, I had to attend the break sessions.
I started mentally preparing for what was to come.
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