Chapter 13. Im Sol
"Hello. I am Jae-Young Han, the instructor for your A-Class Mana Studies course."
An old professor, dressed in a white suit, stood at the podium. He looked as if he had spent his entire life locked away in a laboratory.
He was practically a skeleton. Was he perhaps a former necromancer?
"I assume no cadet here is unfamiliar with mana. You are the proud freshmen of Victoria Academy. I will proceed with the lecture under the assumption that you have the basic background knowledge."
That statement showed no consideration for someone like me, who entered without any prior knowledge. A true teacher should treat all students fairly, but it seems he is not that kind of educator.
"Let's skip the concept of mana and move on... Shall we discuss mana manipulation?"
As he spoke, mana began to gather in his left arm.
"Mana manipulation can be divided into two major categories. The first is reinforcement."
Wooong—
As the gathered mana reached a certain threshold, it became visible to others, forming a tangible shape around the skeleton professor's left hand.
"This is what we call the materialization of mana. It involves reinforcing and condensing formless mana to give it shape."
Boom!
The skeleton professor thrust his left fist into the steel prepared beside the podium. The steel bent effortlessly.
'Wow, he's fucking strong.'
This was the skill of a professor from Korea's top awakener academy.
Even if he were to return to the field, he wouldn't be lacking. That was the standard for a Victoria Academy professor.
"The second category is emission. It is often referred to as magic, but the term is broader than that."
As he finished speaking, a sphere of mana formed above his left hand.
"Right now, this is just a simple compressed ball of mana, but by adding various processes, it can become a spell."
A small magic circle appeared on the mana sphere in his hand, transforming into crackling electricity, ready to burst out at any moment.
Zap—
"This is magic manifestation using a magic circle. Simple spells often forgo a magic circle, but larger-scale or advanced magic usually require one."
He went on about the concept of magic circles, but it was too complicated, so I skimmed through it. It didn't really concern me anyway.
"Well, let's consider the basics covered and jump straight into advanced techniques."
Once again, the professor formed a mana sphere in his hand, but this time, it was far more compressed than before.
"Some cadets often ask, 'Professor, I'm not a mage, so why do I have to take this class?' That's a fair question. However, coating a sword with mana is called sword energy, and wrapping mana around a fist is called fist energy."
As he spoke, he wrapped the compressed mana sphere around his fist, demonstrating fist energy.
"Whether something becomes magic or simple reinforcement depends on how mana is processed. The fundamentals are the same. The mana manipulation you learn here will definitely be useful."
Mana dissipated from his hand, and ripples began spreading out from his feet as if droplets were falling onto the floor.
"This isn't exactly a spell, but it's commonly referred to as 'detection' in the field. It involves pressing mana against the ground and spreading it out to scan the surroundings. For a simple technique, it's extremely useful. Advanced detection can even locate hidden enemies behind walls or detect those using stealth. Although this technique may look simple..."
I tried to follow his complicated explanation, but none of it stuck.
I had no idea why mana calculations and formulas were necessary just to spread mana around.
"Try it out for yourselves. This will help you identify your weaknesses. I will provide individual guidance afterward. Give it a shot."
As soon as he finished speaking, the assistants waiting in the back began distributing peculiar-looking bracelets to the cadets.
"Is this the famous Victoria Mana Assistant?"
"Mana Assistant?"
"Yeah, apparently it makes mana manipulation much easier. Though, since it weakens attack power, it's useless in actual combat."
Thanks to Kim Younghan, who was sitting next to me, I understood what the bracelet was.
Just how much of this game's setting do I not know? Was it always this detailed?
"For now, try using detection without the Mana Assistant. Then, wear it and channel mana again—you'll get a sense of where your weaknesses are."
The professor described it as drawing mana up from within and spreading it outward.
Wooong—
As mana spread out, I could sense the outlines of the nearby cadets.
'Hmm, this is manageable.'
Since I could already use magic decently, it only made sense that detection would be easy too.
Looking around, I noticed the other students were struggling to get the hang of it.
Wooong—
I made eye contact with a female cadet.
Elise. The top French cadet.
Among all the students, only Elise and I successfully used detection on the first try.
Nam Daeun, the practical skills top scorer, seemed uninterested in the class, idly twirling a strand of her hair.
As a result, Elise and I ended up detecting each other's mana waves.
"..."
"..."
She narrowed her eyes at me as if displeased. With nothing to say, I simply looked away.
What did I do wrong? Is being handsome a crime worthy of life imprisonment?
"Some students succeeded, but most are still struggling. Put on the Mana Assistant and try again."
"Whoa, my mana feels much lighter!"
"Really?"
Beside me, Kim Younghan excitedly tested his mana control while wearing the bracelet.
I didn't think I needed it, but since they gave it to us, I might as well try. Maybe there's a difference.
As I brought the bracelet to my wrist, it wrapped around me on its own, filling my body with a strange sensation.
"Oh, this feels weird."
I tried channeling mana from my fingertips.
It was definitely... no, something felt off. It felt heavier instead. Was this defective?
I drew out more mana. Oddly enough, using the assistant made it even harder.
"Wait, is this thing broken—Ugh!"
Suddenly, an intense pain erupted inside me, making me groan.
Crash!
Unable to endure the pain, I fell off my chair.
Even as I writhed on the ground, clutching my chest, the pain didn't subside.
A nasty metallic taste spread in my mouth, and a nosebleed dripped onto the floor.
Cough, cough!
I covered my mouth as I coughed, only to see blood on my hand.
Fuck. What the hell is this?
"Hey! Are you okay? Professor! There's an accident here—"
Kim Younghan was shouting something next to me, but my vision blurred, making it hard to make out his words.
'What kind of bullshit is this...'
The pain hit without warning, making it impossible to stay conscious, but I could tell the cause.
The mana inside my body was in complete disarray. My mana circuits were twisted beyond recognition, making it nearly impossible to control mana properly.
Moreover, the pain intensified every time I tried to channel mana.
I didn't know the exact reason for the pain, but I instinctively understood that if I could restore my mana circuits, the agony would subside.
Of course, the process would be excruciating, but my consciousness was already fading. If this continued, I might actually die.
"Ugh...!"
I forced the stagnant mana to move. The mana that had once obeyed my will now resisted fiercely.
It was as if a ball of energy was bouncing around inside my body, smashing against my insides.
"Urk!"
Unable to withstand the dizziness and pain, I vomited a mixture of bile and blood.
Chunks of vomit splattered onto the floor. I dry-heaved several times until nothing was left, finally feeling a little better.
[Steadfast Willpower] always proved useful. Even as waves of pain crashed over me like a surgery without anesthesia, it kept me conscious.
I endured the now-familiar pain and attempted to regulate my mana.
I had to keep pulling back the runaway mana, carefully realigning my circuits and pathways. It required extreme concentration to control all the microcircuits in my body at once.
As I went through the process, my understanding of mana deepened, accelerating the restoration process.
"Huff... huff... ssshh. Haa..."
At last, I succeeded in regaining control over my mana. My body, which had felt on the verge of death, finally started to regain some vitality.
Although my internal state was still a mess, it wasn't getting any worse.
If I had been any slower, my life might have been in danger. Fortunately, I had survived.
I finally had the time to look around.
All the students and professors were standing, staring at me. Right in front of me stood Kim Younghan and Professor Im Sol.
"You... how..."
Professor Im Sol, wrapped in her robe, looked at me with wide eyes.
Her pupils were dilated beneath her hood, and her mouth hung open as if she was struggling to form words.
Why is Professor Im Sol here?
She was supposed to stay locked in her research lab when she wasn't teaching.
Either way, my head still hurt.
I wished someone would just hurry up and heal me.
"Uh... uh..."
"What?"
"H-how did you do that?!"
Professor Im Sol mumbled to herself, and when I responded, she suddenly shrieked.
"Keugh!"
Then, she grabbed me by the collar and started shaking me.
"How?! How did you do that?!"
"Ugh, wait a second. Please, just wait..."
"Professor Im Sol! Let go of him! He's still coughing up blood! Hey! Let go!"
Thankfully, the old professor beside her snapped out of it and pulled Im Sol away from me.
Cough. More blood spilled from my mouth. My head spun again.
"What? Gasp! Is that blood?! Hurry, get him to the emergency room! You're a professor! Do something!"
"The medical team is already here! Just let him go!"
"Ah, alright."
Only then did Professor Im Sol release me.
'What the hell is her deal...'
Im Sol.
A mage with innate magical talent. Not just in Korea, but one of the most respected individuals in the world.
She didn't have many direct interactions with the protagonist, but her eccentric personality and decadent, feline-like beauty made her a highly attractive character.
'Now that I see her in person, she's just a lunatic.'
She was always a bit unhinged in the game, but in reality, she was completely insane.
Bzzzt—
As expected of a game world, the so-called medical team arrived, their hands glowing with light as they approached me. Just being bathed in their light significantly reduced the pain. It was hard to believe, but this was my reality now.
Even now, my pain was diminishing in real time.
"Wow, this is amazing. Cough, cough."
"Hoyeon, are you okay? You're alive, right?"
"Yeah. Thanks for worrying about me."
Kim Younghan looked at me with concern, speaking softly. Having a friend really did make a difference.
"If my friend of two days suddenly died, I'd have nightmares."
"...."
As expected of an elite academy, the medical team finished their treatment swiftly and began packing up to leave.
"The damage to your mana circuits was severe, but you are fully healed now. There should be no lasting effects on your daily life."
"Thank you."
Since I was still lying down, the old professor thanked them on my behalf.
"The cause was probably that Mana Assistant device... It might be defective. It would be best to investigate it."
"Ahem. Hmm..."
As soon as the medic finished speaking, an awkward clearing of the throat was heard. Looking over, I saw Professor Im Sol blushing and fidgeting.
"Well, the thing is..."