The boring theoretical lessons of the morning finally came to an end, making way for the specialized skill training session. Everyone seemed excited at the prospect of practical training.
For this class, each student headed to the training grounds designated for their particular specialty. Being in the manifestation category, I went to the manifestation magic training ground.
When I arrived, I noticed many students already practicing magic. Among them were several unfamiliar faces, likely from Class B and Class C. Specialized skill training combined students from all three classes—A, B, and C.
“I’ve been waiting for this day.”
“Same here. I’ve always wanted to learn directly from Instructor Lee Hee-young.”
Lee Hee-young, the second-year manifestation magic instructor, sat elegantly in her chair, wearing round glasses. Even someone like me, who disliked glasses, had to admit that they added an intellectual charm to her appearance.
I cautiously approached her, aiming to make a good impression and earn some attitude points. Naturally, I was also hoping to gain a few bonus points.
“Good morning.”
At my greeting, she smiled warmly.
“Ah, you’re Kim Sunwoo, right?”
It was likely our first meeting, yet she called my name with a sense of familiarity.
She hadn’t glanced at my name tag, so how did she know my name?
As if reading my mind, she explained,
“I remember you from the evaluation test. You left an impression.”
“Ah.”
It was true that I stood out during the test.
Nodding in acknowledgment, I heard her continue,
“Of course, when I say ‘impression,’ I mean it as a compliment unrelated to your test scores.”
“Huh?”
I couldn’t quite grasp her meaning, and she smiled at my confusion.
“Nothing, never mind. Go ahead and start practicing.”
The manifestation magic training ground was structured like a long shooting range.
Instructor Lee Hee-young walked down the line, observing students as they practiced. Her teaching style involved providing one-on-one feedback to each student.
“You’re focusing too much on control and neglecting output. Put a bit more force into your mana and release it faster.”
“The implementation is off. It needs perfect symmetry, or it’ll veer off unpredictably. Focus on mastering the fundamentals first.”
“Your output is too slow.”
“Yours too. You can’t just focus on control at the expense of speed.”
Despite her detailed guidance, I could sense her frustration.
While these students had natural mana potential, very few of them knew how to harness it properly.
Then, her eyes landed on me.
— Whoosh!
A brilliant white mana orb shot forward with precision, striking the target’s head dead center.
It demonstrated remarkable control over mana release and manipulation.
“Well, now, that’s impressive,” she thought, her interest piqued.
The stark contrast to my performance during the evaluation test surprised her. Back then, I had struggled with output and control due to my overemphasis on implementation.
At the time, she assumed I’d focused solely on implementation training, neglecting other areas. After all, handling compressed manifestation techniques at my age wasn’t common.
Yet, here I was, now demonstrating flawless control, releasing and manipulating mana with precision while using minimal energy. It was as though I were an entirely different person.
“…It’s no easy feat for someone his age to identify and address their weaknesses,” she thought.
— Bang!
A deafening noise rumbled through the ground, drawing everyone’s attention.
Turning toward the source, she saw Yoo Ara unleashing an enormous mana orb with explosive force.
Several students gawked at her magic in awe, their jaws practically on the floor.
Watching Yoo Ara, Lee Hee-young thought,
“She’s a real monster.”
Her magic was a spectacle—overwhelmingly powerful, daringly executed, and almost reckless in its grandeur. For an 18-year-old, such mastery was beyond belief.
However, her magic lacked finesse, resembling a child wildly firing an expensive gun.
In contrast, my magic was the opposite of Yoo Ara’s.
If Yoo Ara’s magic was akin to missiles bombarding a target indiscriminately, mine was a precise handgun aimed with care.
While missiles had raw destructive power, a handgun had its own unique advantages in certain scenarios.
Similarly, my magic had a distinctiveness: precision and control.
I demonstrated exceptional balance in mana usage—perfectly implementing, releasing, and controlling it as if I were a professional mage. It was hard to believe I had only recently switched from the enhancement category to manifestation.
“Kim Sun-woo, your control is quite remarkable. Both your output and manipulation are flawless.”
“Thank you for your kind words,” I replied, bowing politely.
Lee Hee-young smiled at my response.
“He’s adorable,” she thought.
Rumors among the faculty about Kim Sunwoo being diligent and well-mannered now seemed entirely true.
But she also recalled the recent controversy over a maliciously edited video of him.
“Who would do such a thing to such a polite student?”
Clearly, the perpetrator must have been consumed by jealousy.
“Is it true that you specialized in enhancement magic until last year?” she asked, voicing her curiosity.
“…Yes, that’s correct,” I replied cautiously.
“So you’ve only recently started practicing manifestation magic?”
“Well… yes, that’s right.”
Her eyes studied me intently, waiting for further elaboration.
“It’s no wonder you experienced mana depletion during the evaluation,” she murmured, piecing things together.
Despite my background in enhancement magic, I had quickly adapted to the complexities of manifestation magic.
Compression techniques, precise manipulation, and efficient energy usage—none of it seemed possible with just innate talent.
“…Could this really all be due to raw talent?” she wondered.
“Alright, that concludes today’s specialty training class. Great work, everyone,” announced Lee Hee-young. With her words, all students stopped their practice. The long, grueling afternoon manifestation magic class was finally over.
“This is so relieving.”
“Now this is what a class should feel like.”
“I just want to crash on my bed now.”
The students stretched, exchanged farewells, and began exiting the training hall. Next to me, Yoo Ahra was packing up after unleashing one last burst of magic.
I figured it was time to leave as well. As I moved to exit, I heard Lee Hee-young call my name.
“Kim Sunwoo?”
“Yes?”
“You did well today. How’s your training going lately?”
“Oh, I’ve been keeping up with it whenever I can.”
“And mana cultivation? Are you practicing that regularly too?”
She smiled brightly as she looked at me. I could tell why she was asking.
She must have noticed the glaring disparity between the skill I demonstrated and my severely lacking mana reserves.
“Yes, I’ve been working on it.”
“That’s good. But Sunwoo, you really need to address your low mana reserves as soon as possible. Everything else about your technique is solid.”
As expected from someone with A-grade mage credentials, she pinpointed my issue with ease.
“You’re right. There’s no shortcut with mana cultivation; consistency is key.”
“Exactly. And you strike me as someone diligent enough to do it well.”
Hee-young paused briefly, then suddenly said, “Ah, hold on a moment,” as she turned to open a desk drawer.
“Where did I put it?” she murmured, rummaging around before finally finding what she was looking for. She stood up and handed me something.
“Here, take this.”
She offered me a small bracelet made of three intertwined red beads.
“This is an item I crafted for practice. It helps with mana breathing and maintaining condition.”
“Huh?”
Items imbued with special effects are typically worth at least half a million won(400 USD). And she was just giving one to me? For free?
“Are you sure it’s okay for me to take this?”
“Of course, don’t worry about it. It’s just an F-grade practice item I made myself, so the cost was minimal.”
Hearing that eased my hesitation. Refusing it now would feel awkward.
I quickly accepted the bracelet before she could change her mind.
As I wore it, I felt a faint yet noticeable revitalization in my body.
“Thank you so much. It’s already making a difference.”
“Don’t expect miracles. These are usually for kids who haven’t formed a stable mana core yet. But in your case, I think it could still be useful.”
“I’ll make good use of it.”
Hee-young smiled in satisfaction and let out a soft laugh.
“Alright, class is over. You should get going now.”
6:00 PM.
The day’s classes were finally over, and the dorms buzzed with activity as students prepared to head back. I, too, was packing up my things when someone called out to me.
“Sunwoo.”
I turned to see Lee Seo-jun standing behind me. What did he want now?
I looked at him, puzzled.
“Nothing serious,” he said casually. “Just wanted to let you know the team is set.”
Ah, right. Tomorrow was dungeon exploration day.
“Have you submitted the team list yet?”
“Yeah, just handed it in.”
“Who else is on the team?”
“Shin Jihyuk, Yoon Hayoung, and Jung Jintae.”
Shin Jihyuk, Yoon Hayoung, Jung Jintae…
Out of those, only Yoon Hayoung was a notable character in the original storyline. The other two didn’t ring any bells. Probably minor characters.
What was his selection criterion?
“I don’t really remember them. Who are they again?”
“Eh, you might not know them. They’re not exactly the flashy types like you.”
Seo-jun grinned as he joked, but I ignored him and asked what really mattered.
“Where do they rank?”
“43rd, 82nd, and 122nd.”
“What?”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. Was he serious? This team seemed way too weak. Including me, there were three low-ranking members in the group. Even for Seo-jun, this lineup seemed reckless.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yeah. Why? Is there a problem?”
“Of course, there is. Think about Yoo Ara’s team. She picked two lower-ranked members but balanced it out with some skilled ones. With this lineup, we’re bound to fall behind in dungeon clearing speed.”
Seojun smirked confidently.
“It’s fine. I’ve thought it through. There’s always a margin for unexpected variables.”
“Unexpected variables?”
“Yeah. Like you not living up to my expectations.”
“…What?”
What was that supposed to mean?
“Wait, are you seriously betting on me just because I didn’t totally bomb the last test?”
“Exactly. That’s what I’m counting on.”
“…”
I couldn’t deny I wasn’t the weakest, but my limited mana reserves meant I wasn’t fit for prolonged combat. In a dungeon, where endurance was crucial, I might as well be dead weight.
“I can’t fight for long. My mana won’t last.”
“I know. I saw it during the test.”
“Then why are you so confident?”
“You only need to fight when it really matters.”
What kind of logic was that?
Still, he sounded convinced, so I sighed and gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“Fine. You’re the team leader, so it’s your call.”
“It’ll work out. Everyone on the team has decent fundamentals.”
“…Okay.”
Seo-jun seemed utterly self-assured.
In my past life, I might have trusted him completely. But now? I couldn’t bring myself to have that same blind faith.
Not after what had happened the last time I’d relied on him.
Something about this just didn’t sit right.
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