The Regressed Extra Becomes a Genius Chapter 17

The Mana Training Room Late at Night

Tonight, like every other night, I wrapped up my two-hour mana training session and opened my eyes.

[Your mana has increased by 0.02.]

[You gained an additional 0.03 mana thanks to the Blessing of Nature.]

[Training efficiency for Blessing of Nature has increased by 12%.]

“Whew.”

Seeing the same messages every day, they no longer evoked any particular emotion. I dismissed the notification and stood up.

Ugh, I’m so tired. I just want to get back and rest.

I stretched briefly and headed toward the exit of the mana training room. However, just as I was about to step out, a dazzling white light suddenly emanated from my body.

“What the…?”

The light faded as quickly as it had appeared, and a new message popped up.

[Your Blessing of Nature trait has been upgraded to Grade 2.]

[The active effect of Blessing of Nature has been unlocked.]

[You can now use Heart of Nature.]

…The active effect is unlocked?


━━
[Blessing of Nature (A)] [Grade: 2 (0%)]

[Passive Effects]

Blessing of Nature
Gain additional mana during training. The bonus increases up to 160% depending on the surrounding environment.

Rest of Nature
Mana recovery speed increases by 60%.

[Active Effect]

Heart of Nature
Increases mana recovery speed by 1000% for one minute.
Cooldown: 24 hours
━━

Back in my dormitory, I lay on my bed and reviewed the updated trait details.

Unlocking the Heart of Nature ability was a game-changer, allowing me to boost my mana recovery rate by a staggering 1000% for a full minute.

“Heh, just what I needed. Perfect timing.”

Closing the trait window, I began pondering my next steps.

“Hm.”

The upcoming weekend offered my first-ever 48-hour stretch of free time. I couldn’t afford to squander it on mere relaxation. This was an opportunity to accomplish feats unattainable within the confines of the academy.

“Should I deal with the demon incident tomorrow?”

I already knew the location of the demon’s appearance. The emergence of Demon Jang Han was a pivotal event in the original story.

But meddling in the main storyline without planning made me uneasy. What if my interference drastically altered future developments?

‘Still, in the original timeline, Lee Seo-jun died because I stayed on the sidelines…’

Even if I didn’t intervene directly, observing the situation from afar wouldn’t hurt.

‘Yeah, just watching from a distance shouldn’t change much.’

The last thing I wanted was to let complacency lead to another disaster, like it had before. If things got out of hand, I could always provide long-range support and earn some contribution points.

Speaking of which… I’d need money to venture outside during the weekend. How much do I even have?

“Probably not much.”

I remembered checking my balance once before and feeling utterly dejected. With low expectations, I accessed my account.

[Kim Sun-woo]
[Account Balance: 30,200 won] *20 USD*

“…”

Total assets: 30,000 won.

I’d braced myself for disappointment, but this was dismal.

“…What can you even do with 30,000 won?”

Just using public transportation over the weekend would eat up most of it. Life within the academy was financially carefree, but the outside world demanded money for everything.

“So, where do I get some cash?”

Lying flat on my bed, I brainstormed.

‘Should I exchange points for money?’

…No, that’s inefficient. Besides, my points were far too valuable to waste on such a trivial need. Money could always be earned if I had enough time.

“So, that means I’ll have to earn it myself.”

When it came to making money as a mage, there were two primary avenues.

The first was dungeon exploration. By defeating monsters and collecting magic stones or rare items, one could rake in substantial profits. However, there was a significant drawback: finding a dungeon was no easy feat.

But for me, that wasn’t an issue.

Knowing the future and being familiar with the novel’s details, I was aware of several hidden dungeon locations.

‘…Still, that’s not feasible right now.’

My limited mana reserves made solo dungeon runs too risky. The dungeons I knew of were all relatively high in difficulty. Tackling them early was asking for trouble.

That left the second option: climbing towers.

Towers offered fixed levels of difficulty, making low-level ones accessible even to someone like me.

But this, too, came with a hitch: only licensed professional mages could enter.

To obtain a license, one needed to be of legal age—a condition I didn’t meet as a minor.

“Ah, the scholarship…”

The 50 million won scholarship I’d been offered earlier came to mind. With that money, I could’ve invested or done something to grow it further.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue, feeling bitter, but then an idea struck me.

Wait, if the issue with towers is the lack of a license, why not just create a new identity?

“Wow, how did I not think of this before?”

I immediately activated the Outsider’s Privilege.

[Entering the Points Shop.]

[Search function activated.]

[Searching for: Identity.]

…There it is.

Ding!

━━
▶ [Special] Create New Profile (???)
━━

“Is this it?”

I selected the option.

━━
[Create New Profile (???)]

Category: Special
Description: Create a secondary identity with customizable details.

Cost: 10,000 points (Limit: 2 purchases)
━━

This is perfect!

A fully customizable secondary identity. With this, I could fabricate an adult profile and register as a professional mage.

Although the price was steep, the potential benefits far outweighed the cost.

[Purchased Create New Profile (???) for 10,000 points.]
[Initializing profile setup.]

[Please enter the profile details.]
[Enter name.]

“Alright.”

Let’s set this up.

On Saturday morning, I woke up early. With a packed schedule ahead, I quickly headed to the dormitory cafeteria.

Since I had no money on hand, breakfast at school was a must.

Perhaps because it was the weekend, the dormitory cafeteria was quieter and more calm compared to weekdays.

I noticed a few other students here and there, dressed in casual clothes instead of uniforms due to the holiday.

The sight felt fresh—likely because it had been a while since I’d seen such a scene.

I filled my tray with food and sat at an empty table. I could feel glances darting my way.

“Hey, isn’t that guy kind of trending lately?”

“Yeah, I heard he turned down an offer to join the support department on special talent grounds just yesterday.”

With only 450 students in the entire school, rumors spread fast—almost unnaturally so.

I couldn’t understand why everyone was so interested in others’ business here.

As I began eating, I sensed someone approaching.

Looking up, I saw Yoo Ara, wearing a white hoodie, sitting diagonally across from me.

If you’re going to sit near me, why not sit directly across? What’s with the awkward angle?

“Morning.”

“Morning.”

Her greeting caught me off guard, but I responded in kind.

Like the other students, she wasn’t wearing a uniform today.

She had thrown on a gray sweatshirt with the hood up, suggesting she had rolled out of bed and come straight down.

Despite the casual look, her beauty shone effortlessly.

Actually, the natural vibe made her seem more approachable, contrasting with her usually composed demeanor.

Yoo Ara glanced at me briefly and spoke.

“Still not switching your specialty?”

“Yeah.”

So that’s why she sat there—curiosity.

It made sense.

Among the second years, only Lee Seo-jun and Yoo Ara held the special talent scholarship.

School-wide, there were only four recipients, including first-year Choi Seo-yoon and third-year Kim Chang-hyun.

With rumors of a fifth recipient—me—potentially emerging, it was natural for her to be curious.

“You might not know this, but the special talent scholarship isn’t just about the money. There are a lot of other perks, too.”

After that, she popped a bite of food into her mouth.

Oddly enough, no sound came from her chewing—it was completely silent.

Mesmerized, I found myself staring until she noticed and met my gaze.

“…What are you looking at?”

“Nothing, just… how you eat. It’s fascinating.”

“What’s fascinating about it?”

Yoo Ara narrowed her eyes slightly.

“How can you chew so quietly?”

“I hate loud chewing, so I’ve trained myself to eat quietly. Is that a compliment?”

“Of course, it is.”

She smiled faintly at that.

“Anyway, think about it carefully. I don’t know why they suggested the support department to you, but being considered for the special talent scholarship means you have potential in that field.”

For someone who usually didn’t enjoy talking, her unsolicited advice surprised me.

I felt a bit moved, though mischief stirred within me.

“But are you okay with that?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“If I really have talent in the support field, you might get bumped down to third place.”

“What?”

Her astonished look was priceless.

A moment later, she burst out laughing.

“You’re hilarious.”

“Why? Having second thoughts?”

“Nope. Go ahead if you can. A little competition sounds exciting.”

She flashed a confident grin—classic Yoo Ara.


Later, I took the bus to downtown Seoul.

Using a gate was faster, but the bus was cheaper, which mattered since my funds were low.

In the heart of Seoul stood the “Tower of Trials,” a colossal structure that pierced the sky.

This world had several mysterious towers scattered across cities, but we’ll dive into those another time.

“…It’s as imposing as ever.”

I stood there, gazing up at the tower in awe.

Before the tower’s entrance, professional mages equipped with various gear prepared to ascend.

Staff from the Mage Association checked mage credentials at the gate.

Yesterday, I had used points to create a new profile and acquire a “Mage License.”

Today, I wasn’t “18-year-old Sunwoo Kim from the Academy.”

( TL : You might already know this, but in Korea the legal age for most of the things is 19 except consent which is 16 )

I was “25-year-old, C-Class Mage Jinwoo Kim.”

Of course, it was risky to falsify my identity, so I disguised myself:
round glasses, a cheap fake mustache, and neatly combed-back hair for a “mature” look.

In this world, forging a mage identity was a serious crime.

If anyone found out I was a student, I’d be in deep trouble.

Still, I straightened up, suppressing my nerves.

“Good morning! Hard at work even on the weekend, I see,” I greeted the staff, deepening my voice.

The employee smiled politely.

“Good morning. Are you here to climb the Tower of Trials?”

Relieved they weren’t suspicious, I let out a chuckle.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then, may I see your mage license?”

I handed over the license I’d obtained through the points shop.

The staff scanned it with their device.

[25 years old, C-Class Mage Jinwoo Kim confirmed.]

Phew.

The verification passed without a hitch.

The staff then compared the license photo to my face.

This was the critical moment.

Sweat beaded on my brow, but I maintained my composure.

The photo depicted me with the same glasses and mustache I wore now.

There shouldn’t be any reason for suspicion.

…Hopefully.

The staff scrutinized the license, then glanced at me and smiled.

“Mr. Jinwoo Kim? That mustache suits you wonderfully.”

“Ah, thank you. I’m not particularly fond of it, but it grows quickly these days. Perks of getting older, haha.”

Why was I talking so much? Nerves, probably.

The staff chuckled, then commented,

“You look really young, though. Without the mustache, I’d believe you were a teenager.”

“…Is that so? Haha.”

“Yes, almost like a high schooler trying to sneak past an ID check.”

“…”

The staff turned back to the license, grinning.

“You really do look young. How do you manage to look this youthful?”

Comments

  1. ayin Avatar
    ayin

    he shouldve gone all in

    a monocle, tophat, big suspicious trench coat, fake mustache

  2. Hunkhon Avatar
    Hunkhon

    Bro just wasted his points🥀

  3. SwordGodYasushi Avatar
    SwordGodYasushi

    “Very little stress” would be a good answer.

  4. Wyrm_Groundskeeper Avatar
    Wyrm_Groundskeeper

    Oh god lmfao, he’s been had! OH NO!!!

    I love MC Fails so much when it’s something like this.

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