The Taker and the Taken (7)
The Taker and the Taken (7)
What kind of ability does Lee Si-woo actually possess?
It was the hottest topic among the students.
"First, let's list Lee Si-woo's strengths."
"His brain is incredibly good. And his technique is even better than his brain. According to the people involved, his technique doesn't lose out even when compared to a High Rank."
"......He's the same age as us, but he's compared to a High Rank? That's insane."
"Actually, it was said that Lee Si-woo hadn't awakened, but I thought that was regarding his technique."
"I thought it was knowledge or brain enhancement."
I thought about Lee Si-woo. A technique reaching the High Rank. A brain that could become the best in South Korea.
To be honest, it doesn't make sense. Technique is something that improves the more you use it. Yet, a boy of the same age as me possesses a technique reaching the High Rank.
That's why many people thought Lee Si-woo was actually hiding the fact that he had awakened, and that the ability he awakened was technique.
Then one day, Lee Si-woo suddenly changed.
Just by looking, his appearance had blossomed. He must have obtained an ability related to his physique.
"...Wasn't it related to his physique rather than that?"
"Honestly speaking, his physical ability has become several times stronger than when he entered school."
"Did he take an elixir?"
"An elixir that could change him that much would easily cost hundreds of billions. If such an elixir existed, a war would have probably broken out."
"That's true.......Still, one thing is certain: it's definitely not related to the mental category."
At someone's words, everyone nodded.
"Honestly, I thought it was an ability related to his physique. Until yesterday."
"He was really flying around. He uses Sword Control and even magic?"
"To be honest, I thought it was an ability related to technique."
"Me too."
"Isn't that telekinesis?"
"Didn't you see that duel? That's not just some telekinesis."
Creating and controlling clones of swords was only possible with Sword Control.
"In short, Lee Si-woo's technique is comparable to a High Rank, his brain is even better than that, he uses magic, and he even uses Sword Control."
"...Isn't that it? The ability to copy unique abilities."
Someone said. The classroom went quiet at those words.
Many students nodded at that opinion.
He has the ability to copy unique abilities.
He was one of the people called heroes. One of the 13 heroes who saved the world along with the Regressor.
Public opinion began to solidify. Lee Si-woo's ability is the ability to copy unique abilities.
His physical ability must have also been borrowed from someone else's unique ability.
As famous as that ability is, everyone also knows the drawbacks that ability has.
"And All Creation is extremely vulnerable to the mental category."
"The mental power is drained by the number of unique abilities copied......was it?"
"To be precise, it's not copying, it's borrowing. Depending on the number and quality of the abilities, it holds mental power and mana as collateral, and after getting the opponent's consent, you borrow and use it. The opponent gains mental power and magic power."
"Ah! I'm absolutely terrible with mental stuff!"
"Don't worry. He's already playing in the heavenly realm."
Groans began to erupt here and there.
Still, it was understandable. That's why he's so successful with an ability like that.
Deureureuk.
The door opened. The students' gazes shifted to the back door. Skin that seemed to glow. Hair that looked alluring. An absurd beauty that would make even decent actors look like squids if they stood near him. Lee Si-woo appeared.
The female students looked at Lee Si-woo with dazed eyes.
"......Actually, doesn't he also have an ability related to his appearance or charming people?"
At someone's muttering, the students nodded.
It was the moment I was about to enter the classroom. The kids were talking about me.
I quietly pricked up my ears, and as expected, they were misunderstanding my ability.
'Actually, it is an ability related to the mental category, though.'
There was no need to say it. It was what I aimed for, anyway. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have beaten Han Jong-woo so spectacularly yesterday. I revealed my traits as much as possible. I used magic and Sword Control so they wouldn't get confused.
That way, it'll be easier for me to operate in the future.
As the scenario continues to progress, Demon-humans with mental-type abilities become incredibly annoying. There are traitors to humanity in the political world who are brainwashed by them or succumb to the pleasure they provide.
The easiest way might be to just whack them all, but the most certain way is to whack the mental-type Demon-humans before they can unleash their brainwashing abilities.
'Up to three guys.'
If I can just whack three of them, it will be a very satisfying result.
Deureureuk.
I opened the door. I felt the gazes focused on me for a moment. Ignoring them, I sat in my seat.
"Are you going to rest today?"
Im Na-yeon looked at me from the seat next to me and said. I answered Im Na-yeon's question in a weak voice.
"Yeah. I pushed myself a bit too hard yesterday."
At my words, the other kids were nodding.
"The matches aren't even over yet, right? They say we're facing monsters tomorrow, so you should recover your condition."
"That's right. As expected of Si-woo."
Im Na-yeon clapped her hands and agreed.
No, isn't this a matter of course?
When I was thinking that, the girls around us also agreed. I was about to say something, but I held back. Even before this, they were busy agreeing with everything I said, but thanks to the blossomed appearance after awakening the Yin-Yang Body, it became even worse.
To exaggerate a little, the way the girls accept my words is like believers accepting the Bible.
Anyway, today is a day off.
I'm going to rest well today.
Without doing anything. Even though we came to school, today is just a light briefing for about an hour like a closing ceremony in high school, and the rest of the events will proceed. And analyzing the students' tendencies and summoning the most disadvantageous monster to fight is tomorrow's schedule.
"And everyone, when you go outside the Academy, please conduct yourselves with dignity and act with confidence. Because before you are high school students, you are the future heroes representing South Korea."
Song Rahui, who came out in place of Kang Hannam, spoke from the podium.
After Song Rahui's words ended, it was time to leave school.
I pondered over what to eat for lunch. Usually, I would order something around 30,000 won, but today is different.
I ordered 150,000 won worth of food from a nearby restaurant. What should I do today? Should I play the games I've been putting off? Novels were good, and manga was good too. This world was a world inside a game, but it reflected the real world, so there was plenty to read.
Top Management, which has finished, The War where Yu Hyuk is a woman, etc., there was plenty to read.
What's the big deal about sex? This is sex. I hummed a tune and was about to head outside to the [Dormitory].
"Come to think of it, Na-yeon-ah... is that rumor true?"
"That rumor?"
A girl who I only knew by face talked to Im Na-yeon. Im Na-yeon tilted her head and asked. It was that conversational style again.
"Yeah. The rumor floating around among students these days... the rumor that Si-woo is dating Na-yeon."
"Wasn't it Jia?"
"I heard it was Jia, too."
The girls turned their heads toward me as if they wanted an answer from me. Before I could even say, "It's neither of you......."
Im Na-yeon's face turned red.
"N, no. M, me and Si, Si-woo, da, da, dating......"
Im Na-yeon denied it, but to anyone's eyes, it was the face of a girl in love.
And about three hours later.
Before I knew it, a rumor even spread that I was engaged to Im Na-yeon and was planning to hold a wedding soon.
......What the hell.
Pink hair fluttered.
She stopped walking and quietly looked to one side.
Kim Harin shifted her gaze far away. She looked at a girl who was looking at a boy with a bright smile and eyes dripping with honey.
Im Na-yeon.
Kim Harin hated Im Na-yeon.
She hated her for growing up seeing only good things and hearing only good things. It was just ugly jealousy. She realized that, but Kim Harin does not loathe herself. She projects that loathing onto Im Na-yeon.
'Interesting.'
She turned her gaze. She looked at Lee Si-woo. A boy who is the most handsome in the world if you only count beauty.
And the boy Im Na-yeon likes. That raised that boy's value even more.
'Would you still be able to smile like that if Lee Si-woo liked me?'
An imagination arose. Lee Si-woo following her around because he likes her. And Im Na-yeon watching that. Just the imagination made her body tremble with pleasure. If that happened, she would get attention she didn't need, but......it's gradually becoming irrelevant.
Watching their duel yesterday, she was certain.
There are very few people in the entire first year who can stop her.
She turned on her phone.
Fake hypnosis app.
Even in a normal state, it had an effect on Lee Si-woo. Originally, Kim Harin hesitated to use this. It was because Lee Si-woo's growth rate was too steep. If the body grows, the mind grows along with it.
'But his ability was revealed in the duel yesterday.'
A trait that borrows all sorts of unique abilities.
It was a very widely known trait. And the drawbacks are also widely known.
'Every time he borrows an ability, it holds the user's maximum mental power and mana as collateral.'
Greedy Trade.
It was an ability related to a kind of trade.
The user who has it is an ability that pays mental power and mana to borrow abilities. Depending on the borrowed ability, it pays mental power and mana, and makes it possible to use that ability.
If he releases it, he gets his mental power and mana back. There are other minor restrictions, but compared to the return, it was a truly trivial level.
'And he will compensate for it sooner or later.'
Lee Si-woo was that kind of existence. She hadn't seen him much, but......the boy named Lee Si-woo knew an strangely large amount of things.
Kim Harin put on a mask.
She threw away the mask of acting like a timid personality at the Hero Academy and wrote a different mask.
She acts like a girl who is timid but lively in front of the person she likes.
She took out lipstick. A color that matches her pink eyes and hair. It was a color she particularly liked.
And she stood in front of Lee Si-woo, who was walking weakly. She had a smile on her lips and moist eyes.
"Hi, Si-woo."