The Authority Barrier

"Hah... hah... just a little more!"

Kim Isol's mana had finally reached B-class. In an instant I dragged it all the way up to B-10.

Her insides clenched and fluttered around me as if seized by spasms.

And again!

I punched straight through her mana ceiling a second time.

"Hwaaagh... a-ah, no more... I can't... khh... I-I can't hold it... hyaaaaang—!"

"Nngh!"

I couldn't hold it either.

Psshuk! Psshhush!

I finally gave in and flooded her completely.

Kim Isol's legs shook like aspen leaves; she couldn't stay upright and collapsed onto the living-room floor.

Ah—there was still one more left. She was at S-rank now! And I hadn't even lasted...

I laid a hand on her sweat-slick back as she lay gasping face-down. Her racing heartbeat thudded up through my palm. Sweat poured off her like rain.

"Hah... hah... a-are you all right? Hoo, haah..."

"Hhk... hoo... haah... m-my body feels... weird... mana's overflowing but... I can't put any strength into anything..."

Looks like this was her limit for now.

Fine. I scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom.

Her mana sat at A-1; I'd raise it slowly after she woke. Synchronization with her had already hit 100 percent. Three rounds in a row was plenty—she'd only had her first time a month ago.

She was on the list now. Finally one more slot filled.

Only three simultaneous links allowed—I'd have to choose the next target carefully. Or... just make a bunch and swap them in and out as needed? Everything past slot four was locked. Authority problem again?

Current Authority Level: 3. That meant Level 4 and higher were possible somehow—I just had no idea how. Even with two synchronization targets nothing had changed.

I laid Kim Isol gently on the bed and wiped her down. Her breathing was still ragged; she looked exhausted, so I left her to sleep. I was drained myself and needed rest. Sleep, wake up, either go another round in the morning or just push her mana higher. I couldn't skip morning classes—missing the afternoon ones already risked early graduation. Hong Eunyoung was picking me up at seven, so time was tight. Whatever. It would work out.

We fell asleep naked, arms locked around each other under the covers. The sweet scent rising from her whole body pulled me under deeper than I expected.

And then morning arrived.

Dawn. 7 a.m. Hong Eunyoung would be here any minute. I needed to get dressed and go, but—

"Mmm..."

Kim Isol showed no sign of opening her eyes. I wanted to let her sleep, but I couldn't. She had to go to the company today and cancel her contract. She could sleep in a little longer, sure, but I had my own schedule.

Without waking her I started raising her mana.

A-2, A-3, A-4...

In moments she was reborn as one of the handful of powerhouses in all of South Korea. She still hadn't opened her eyes, yet her body was clearly heating up—breasts swollen full, nipples tight, the cleft between her legs already slick. Sunlight slipping through the curtains painted her skin. Keep her mouth shut and she looked like a goddess.

"Kim Isol."

"Nnngh... haah... mmm..."

Still no intention of waking. Whatever dream she was having, she rolled onto her side and let out a tiny, almost inaudible moan of pleasure.

"Hyaaang..."

Even after last night my cock stood straight up the second morning hit. I held back. Today was going to be long; if I started now I'd want to sleep through the entire morning.

Her mana hit A-10. Same level as mine and Senior An's. Excluding Transcendents, she was now the strongest in the country.

But this wasn't the end. This was where the real work began.

"YES."

"What? There's still one potential left!"

The sudden message left me stunned and furious. I hadn't seen this coming at all. What the hell was the problem?

The answer appeared right in front of my eyes.

"......"

Authority again.

"Fucking hell."

What a shit situation. I thought I was about to grab S-rank mana and instead I slammed into a wall. Until Authority rose, I couldn't push ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠anyone past the Transcendents?

What if Park Yuri decided to kill me right now? Everything was getting tangled. That bitch was military, so she probably wouldn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do anything that crazy, but the other Transcendents were unknowns. Word of my ability had already spread far enough to reach their ears. I should have been more careful.

The only real option left was to fuck a Transcendent. Hitting 100 percent sync would take multiple rounds, and Park Yuri looked impossible. Hunting down some other female Transcendent to seduce wasn't realistic either. I could strip their mana and threaten them, but the risk was huge when they were stronger than me. Raising Authority might actually be faster—if I only knew how.

Why was it always just me stuck like this? First they give me zero mana, then they hand me an ability and I think I'm grateful, and now they mess with me like this. Petty fucking gods. Bastards.

I stared blankly down at Kim Isol's naked body, speechless. It wasn't like the relationship brought zero benefits. She was a close-range dealer; her mana quality would be different. Moving my body would feel smoother. I'd get access to sword-user skills. But raw mana? No change. Senior An and this girl both sat at A-10. I didn't feel stronger at all.

Bzzzt—

While I was still sitting there dazed, my phone buzzed. Hong Eunyoung waiting outside.

"Damn it... how the hell am I supposed to raise Authority..."

I pulled on clothes and slipped out. I'd left Isol a message; once she woke she'd check it and handle her own business.

Outside the hotel I found Hong Eunyoung with the car idling at the entrance.

"Hm? You don't look great. Last night not good?"

"No, it was good."

"Then why the face?"

"Something came up. Let's just go."

"Ah... breakfast—"

"Skip it. No appetite."

Authority wasn't going to jump overnight, and bedding a Transcendent was a long shot. That left one path.

Fuck it. I'd have to grind with my own body.

"You can adjust the academy schedule, right?"

"Yes... A-class is usually flexible. But to graduate you still have to complete every required course..."

"I know."

"Then why... are you skipping morning classes?"

"No. Opposite."

"Opposite?"

"From now on I'm taking double the classes."

"What?"

"After archery I want close-combat weapons training too—sword, spear, fencing, everything. Adjust it. Cut theory down to half if you can. Minimum is enough; it's already in my head."

If mana wouldn't move, I'd remodel the body itself. Fuck the gods or whatever they were—let's see who wins. Time for the old-fashioned way of getting strong.

One, ten, a hundred, a thousand...

Fucking 170 million?

The repair bill for the privacy room I'd smashed in that business building yesterday had arrived. Next time I catch that bastard Na Ilpyo, I won't let him walk away.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I was pissed all day. Everything had been rolling smoothly until that asshole showed up and everything started twisting. Honestly I was in the mood to take it out on the first person who crossed me. I needed a punching bag.

After afternoon classes I met the parents who hadn't shown up yesterday and squeezed more money out of them. They were far more friendly than the earlier ones. Reason: the rumor that my mana had hit A-10 had spread everywhere.

"I'm amazed. Do you think my son will ever have mana as great as yours, Mr. Kang Junghyeok?"

"Mm... the talent's there. Depends on effort."

Talent my ass. Potential 4. Even if he worked himself to death, C-class would be the ceiling. Your precious son.

"I'll transfer the funds right away."

"Haha... thank you."

My account was sitting at nearly 25 billion. Money was the only thing that soothed me right now.

Once the parent meetings ended I headed back to the training grounds—the sword hall this time. Holding a blade felt more natural than archery. Probably all those dojos I'd bounced between in school. Standing still and loosing arrows was easier, sure, but for burning off stress this was clearly better.

When I tired I recovered. When I got hurt I healed. I poured energy into endless drills without rest. The more sweat poured off me, the more the stress seemed to drain away. Was this what they called a trance? I couldn't hear a single sound around me—yet I wasn't zoning out or getting careless.

I felt the presence approaching and immediately thrust the sword.

"Kyaa! W-what are you doing...!"

"Ah, senior. When did you get here?"

I lowered the blade. She held out a towel; I took it and wiped the sweat. One towel wasn't nearly enough—my whole body was soaked—so I just cleaned my face.

"What are you even doing... You finished archery early and left, so why are you here?"

"Starting today I'm learning sword, spear, fencing—every weapon style."

"What? Why?"

"To get stronger."

"You're already strong enough. The rumor's everywhere—your mana is top of the academy."

"Same as yours, senior."

"What, planning to beat me?"

"Nah... no. My ability's out now. People have started coming after me. You should be careful too—looks like they're digging into my background."

"Then that's really serious. Where were you yesterday? I called at night and you never picked up. I was worried. Was it because of that?"

"Something like that."

I'd met Kim Isol as a preventive measure to get stronger, so it wasn't a total lie.

Senior An's face filled with concern.

"Who's after you? Scary people? Transcendents?"

"No. Don't worry—I handled it. But stronger ones... like you said, Transcendents might come for me, so I'm getting ready."

"Hmm... yeah. Better than just sitting and waiting. So be careful. Don't go flashing everything without thinking."

"Had to make money somehow. Need to start the company fast."

"And after that?"

"Huh?"

"Once the company is up, then what? Having a company doesn't mean those people will stop attacking you."

"Get even stronger. Strong enough to protect myself and my people. And make a mountain of money while I'm at it, of course."

"Alright... I get it. I'll be careful too, so don't push yourself too hard."

"Yes. And senior, retake the mana test. Being known as strong is safer. If word gets out that the two highest mana holders in the academy are on the same side, no one will dare touch us."

"You're quick to share. You only got tested yesterday."

"Just thought of it now."

This was an outdoor training ground; the sun was sinking past the sea. Watching the red sunset, all kinds of thoughts drifted through my head. Better weapon skills wouldn't suddenly let me fight a Transcendent. A few days of hard training wouldn't make me leap levels either. Maybe everything I was doing was just thrashing around to shake off the anxiety.

"Hoo..."

But when I thought back to the past, the worries I had now almost felt ridiculous. The me who had zero mana. Compared to that, I was a completely different person. Life itself was night and day. And the money sitting in my account? I couldn't get careless, but I also shouldn't worry too much. No one was actively hunting me right this second.

I would simply carry out the plans I'd already made, one careful step at a time.