The First Spark of Magic

The next day. My days are longer than anyone else's. I wake up faster than the rest, and I close my eyes the latest. Thwack- thwack-! Even before the sun had risen, I had soaped and rinsed hundreds of garments. The only saving grace ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was that thanks to the talent I’d purchased in advance, it didn't take all that long.

Even menial chores triggered challenges. Aside from the physical conditioning with the Dwarf Instructor, all I’d done since entering the Academy was wash dishes and do laundry. At this point, I wondered if I’d been admitted as a student or a janitor. "Ughhh!" The sorrow of the penniless. I had to at least clear these challenges to get stronger.

The atmosphere at the Academy was generally free. You could attend the classes you wanted at the times you wanted. To move to the next class, or to graduate, all you had to do was pass the Academy's exams. In a way, it was efficient. If your skills were guaranteed, there was no need to waste time.

"Why are you following me?"

"Ah, well, it just sort of happened..."

I had chosen the library. Classes were important, but I had to solve this damn language barrier first. Plus, I needed to hide from the Dwarf Instructor I’d met yesterday.

"Are you going to read all of those?"

"Yeah, I have to finish them before lunch."

I had picked out books that filled both my hands. It was more than I’d read in my entire life. Swish- I took a seat and began studying the languages of this other world in earnest. Learning Talent. Just by reading it once, all the content was burned into my brain. Language was a matter of memorization. Just by memorizing, I was already halfway there. Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, and so on. Even if the languages differed by race, the basic roots were similar. There were only slight variations. Only humans had a disadvantageous language structure.

"There are so many."

Dragons, Demons, Beastmen—races you didn't even see in the city. Trying to learn their languages all at once made my head burn. I was confident in my ability to sit still, but with so much knowledge pouring in at once, my brain was starting to overload.

"What are you doing?"

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠glanced at Lumi. She’d followed me to the library, but she was just sitting there blankly, as if she had nothing to do.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm just a little nervous because of the upcoming exam..."

The exam. The step to move to the next class. I’d heard that you had to pass the quarterly exams to advance. The fact that Lumi had been stuck in the lowest class for a year meant she hadn't been getting good results on those exams.

"What kind of exam is it?"

I became curious about the content of the test.

"We have to conquer a tower, but I'm quite timid... Oh, it's not a real tower, of course."

Well, for participants and residents alike, the ultimate goal was to conquer the Tower. The difference, however, was the presence of ability. Unlike participants who came to this world with their own unique skills, residents had to conquer the Tower using only their racial traits.

"Are you confident, Suhyun?"

I had experienced it a few times already. Of course, those were towers ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠made for tutorials and testing.

"No, I'm scared too."

That was half-true. When I faced a Troll King several times my size, I’d frozen for a moment.

"If it's not too much trouble, would you like to take the exam with me?"

"Huh?"

It was an unexpected proposal. Was it even possible to take it together?

"Our Academy allows us to find a partner and take the exam together. Of course, the difficulty increases, but doing it together is a bit more..."

She twisted her body, looking embarrassed as her words trailed off.

"The exam..."

Based on my experience so far, and as Ariel had said, I expected to pass the Academy's exam without much trouble.

"Sure."

Lumi looked at me with wide eyes at my answer.

"Really?"

Lumi’s brown eyes shone through the gaps in her fingers as she covered her face.

"There's no harm in joining forces."

The reason was simple. To prepare for any unforeseen situation. If I ended up in a situation where magic was required, I’d be disqualified for sure. Besides, the mention of increased difficulty piqued my interest. Ariel had recommended the Academy so I could gain as much experience as possible. Not just the friction between races, but to handle various situations. And I felt a bit guilty about stealing her mana last night.

"But I have a favor to ask of you, too."

It was the result of being glued to the library all day, excluding meal times. I’d devoured every book on the languages of each race. My eyes felt like they were going to pop out, but it was worth it.

"Can you show me?"

And as soon as we returned to the underground dormitory, Lumi and I picked one of the many empty rooms and went inside.

"Yes!"

In the dark room, Lumi spread out her small ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠palms. She closed her eyes for a moment, appearing to concentrate. Whoosh- A small spark formed above her palm. The spark, dancing freely on Lumi’s palm, began to grow larger as time passed. It was amazing. She had created fire with mana alone. And this was the most basic of basic magic.

"That's fascinating."

Unlike Lumi’s shy expression, I couldn't hide my complicated feelings. One of the weaknesses of humans: magic. Being unable to use magic in this other world was fatal. Moreover, this was a competitive game. Considering the possibility of clashing with other participants, magic was not a choice, but a necessity.

"This little one's name is Suri."

The spark gradually took shape, and before long, it resembled a bird.

"You can do things like this too. Can it move?"

Lumi nodded slightly and raised her hand high, tossing Suri. Flap- As Suri circled the room in the air, sparks fell from its body.

"It's bright."

The sparks that fell from Suri’s body illuminated the room. Like signposts, the sparks formed a long trail behind Suri.

"So it can be used like this, too."

The uses for magic were endless. Not just for killing directly, but for lighting up dark towers or finding traps. After seeing that with my own eyes, I became even more greedy.

"This is all I can show you right now."

Lumi, her face flushed red, finished her magic demonstration as she called Suri back.

"Mana..."

It had been a delusion that I could control mana on my own. Without the help of Ariel and Lumi, I couldn't even properly feel the mana.

"Can you help me just one more time?"

I felt bad because it seemed like I was stealing Lumi’s mana every time I asked for help, but...

"Yes! Could you hold out your hand?"

Lumi readily agreed. Slide- Lumi’s palm overlapped with mine. This time, calm mana flowed in not from my heart, but from my palm.

"Can you imagine the magic you just saw?"

I thought of Lumi’s magic. The beginning wasn't grand. A very small spark. Whoosh- I felt a hot sensation at my fingertips, and soon, a small spark revealed itself. Even though I was borrowing Lumi’s mana, the spark moved according to my will.

"So this is what it feels like."

As I trapped Lumi’s mana in my palm and let it flow out little by little, the spark began to take shape. Lumi’s bird. The bird I imagined was larger and more magnificent than that...

WHOOSH-!!

The mana gathered in my palm was sucked out in an instant. At the same time, the small spark flew toward the ceiling, out of my control. And it transformed into the shape of the bird I had only imagined in my head.

"A phoenix?"

The room was instantly engulfed in heat. The creature spread its two wings wide and stared at me. Sparks fell from its long, trailing tail, scorching the floor. It was the size of an eagle, exactly the shape I had imagined. However, it was completely out of my control.

"It's too big!"

The entire room was covered in flames just from the flapping of its wings. Lumi realized the severity of the situation and pulled her hand away, but the creature had already swallowed enough mana.

"H-hurry, you have to get rid of it!"

"I want to, but..."

I didn't know how. That it would grow this big, or that it would slip out of my control—it was all unexpected.

Was it because my first magic had succeeded? I was surprised, but only for a moment. Dealing with that thing filling the room was the priority. "Is there no way?" Lumi’s already pale face had turned even whiter.

"Water, I need water!"

Just as I was thinking that no ordinary amount would be enough to put out the fire of that thing filling my vision, Lumi grabbed my hand.

"You have to summon water!"

Lumi urged me in a desperate voice. At that moment, an item from a certain game flashed through my mind. A water balloon. An item that binds the feet of other players for a while if you hit them. Using the mana I’d gathered from Lumi as the material, I imagined the appearance of that game item. Though there was no balloon, the water gathered on my palm began to swell roundly, turning into the size of a watermelon.

"So this is possible, too."

"There's no time for that!"

The constant urging. I aimed at the creature floating in the air and threw the water. This time, I did it carefully so as not to lose control. The moment the spherical water, which had flown slowly, touched the creature, its form collapsed, scattering water in all directions.

Swoosh-!

Fortunately, it was enough water to extinguish the creature. The problem was... it was enough to soak our ankles.

"..."

Lumi and I stood there for a long time, soaked in water. Because the events that had unfolded in just a few minutes didn't feel like reality.

"Pfft!"

After a deep silence, laughter erupted. It was Lumi. She began to laugh for a long time, the loudest I’d ever heard her.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Ah, no. It’s just that this situation is so funny."

I carefully examined Lumi’s face; she was laughing as if she were genuinely enjoying herself.

"Sorry, I didn't know it would turn out like this."

I had underestimated magic too much. Not only did I borrow mana, but I couldn't even control a single spark. It was a mistake. The delusion that if I just had mana, I could use magic whenever I wanted. "I'll clean this up. You go back to your room for now."