You Must Be Happy With So Many Mo?ms (1)
You Must Be Happy With So Many Mo?ms (1)
By results alone, today was a failure.
I'd stubbornly clung to it for hours, but there were no visible gains.
'Wanting to be full from the first spoonful... is probably just greed.'
As I flew with the Wind Spirit's help, I replayed my failure in my head.
'Vitality energy... is hard to handle. Is it this hard for everyone else? Or is it actually easier for me because of Mana Affinity?'
Mana Affinity. Since I can easily handle not just mana but other attribute powers too, it seems like it should work for vitality energy.
Vitality energy is an ambiguous and insanely difficult power to control.
People who can even perceive and handle vitality energy are extremely rare in the first place. Even necromancers rarely perceive and manipulate it.
It's Taesan that's the weird one for supporting the perception and manipulation of such difficult vitality energy, self-healing through it, and even necromancy.
'Still, it feels like I'll get it if I keep at it...'
Manipulation is hard, but it's not impossible. And when I crumpled up some vitality energy and pushed it in, I think I felt a slight change.
The vitality energy that goes in is only the size of a millet seed, and even that leaks right back out immediately.
But in that moment, I felt a strange sensation.
Maybe it's like that feeling of your limbs being grabbed and stretched out when you hit a growth spurt?
Thinking about it that way, this method seems correct.
It's probably the same principle as building a two-story house with vitality energy as a resource, but the result being scaled down because there isn't enough raw material.
And vitality energy seems directly connected to my lifespan issue, too.
Either way, if I can just keep filling my body with vitality energy, I can solve a lot of problems.
Of course, it's not a fundamental solution—more like pouring water into a bottomless pot—but I have to at least try.
'Let's solve it before the Tower of Growth.'
The Tower Entry is soon.
The theme of the first Tower Entry was survival. The idea was to drop all the cadets onto the Tower's first floor and let them fight it out among themselves.
If things flow the same as the original, the theme of the second Tower Entry will be Contemplation.
Contemplation (觀照).
Roughly meaning to look upon the essence of a subject, the moment you enter the Tower of Growth, every cadet comes face-to-face with 'me.'
Then, like a cliché often seen in comics or games, you have to fight a duel against that reflected version of yourself.
Winning against the reflected self is the task for this Tower Entry.
'If I enter looking like this... I wonder if the copy will come out the same...'
My face crumpled on its own.
Picturing it, the scene was really pathetic.
Even if I use various means, at its core, it's just the sight of two tiny, stumpy kids flailing their limbs at each other...
I want to avoid that.
There's so much to do, but I really need to focus on restoring my body to its original state first.
The Wind Spirit carried me along.
We weren't flying too high—just floating a few meters up and moving fast.
- ...What's that?
- Your attempt to change the subject is pathetic. As if something over there could possibly be... What on earth is that?
That bizarre sight drew a flood of stares.
Honestly, seeing someone fly around isn't all that unusual.
Flight is possible with a decent mastery of magic. You can even see people in a hurry whoosh by fairly often.
But my case was a bit different. Not to toot my own horn, but my appearance was so peculiar it was perfectly primed to attract attention.
Hair turned white as snow.
A blue winged garment fluttering behind me like a flag.
And despite wearing a cadet uniform, a very, very small frame...
All of it combined made me the blatant target of everyone's focus.
Relieved that my prosthetic arm was at least covered by an arm sleeve and drew less attention, I entrusted my body to the wind.
My destination was the Old-Style Training Yard.
My master and Professor Liana would be waiting for me there.
Since course registration hasn't happened yet, I've had a lot of free time, but receiving instruction from my master and Professor Liana is the same as always.
And since they said they'd advise me on course registration, I planned to discuss that with them today.
"......"
"......"
'?'
When I arrived at the Old-Style Training Yard, there was a strange tension in the air.
My master and Professor Liana were frozen in slightly awkward poses, openly staring at each other.
The emotions in their eyes were truly complicated.
Their gazes clashed in midair, as if invisible forces were pushing against each other.
[Master?]
[Professor Liana?]
The necklace clicked. At the flat, synthetic voice, their strange war of nerves stopped.
Immediately, both pairs of eyes turned toward me.
"Ah... yes. You came quickly."
It was my master who spoke first.
Clearing her throat, she addressed me in a gentle tone.
The stiff, hardened expression melted away, and the sharp corners of her eyes softened into a graceful curve.
The anxiety that had been creeping up from a corner of my heart settled back down.
The Spirit Taxi, which had paused at the strange atmosphere, began to move again.
"But you don't look happy. What sort of thing did you go off and do... never mind."
My master abruptly shut her mouth. She narrowed her brows as if I were a headache, then swallowed the sigh that was about to escape.
"I'm afraid to ask, in case something else happened."
[I'm sorry...]
[I just came from testing an ability...]
At the look in her eyes—like she was seeing a troublesome child—I instinctively flinched.
I wanted to protest that look, but my guilty conscience pricked at me, and I couldn't bring myself to argue.
"Don't shrink away like that."
My master's face softened at my reaction as she reached out her hand.
I knew exactly what that gesture meant.
The Sky Wing Feather swayed gently.
Riding the wind, I was about to be pulled into her embrac—
"Why are you scolding the child?"
My body jolted to a stop at the other voice cutting in.
My master's face crumpled as she glanced sideways.
The owner of the voice, Professor Liana, shot back a sidelong glare at my master as if she were talking nonsense, then looked at me.
Her green eyes curved beautifully, filling with a smile.
Suddenly, the area around Professor Liana brightened.
Then, as she opened her arms wide, her voluptuous chest was fully revealed.
Her overflowing, gentle smile and that gesture combined to create a benevolent image, as if she would accept any act of clinging.
Even if I buried my face in her chest and whined right now, she'd probably pat my back and comfort me...
'...?'
A strange feeling came over me at that thought.
Burying my face in her chest and whining? I'd never done that with Professor Liana...
Wait, haven't I...?
The memory was strange. It seemed like I had... and also like I hadn't...
What is this?
[Familiarity]
[Friendliness]
[Attraction]
[Like]
Several emotions were kneaded together like dough, but it wasn't a bad feeling.
[Squishy]
In fact, it felt deeply missed...
"Disciple...?"
[Yeah?]
My master's voice reached my ears.
It trembled pitifully, colored with disbelief, and my body jolted to a stop.
Wondering what was wrong, I turned my head.
...My body stopped?
'Huh?'
I finally realized something was off.
My location had changed.
Before I knew it, I was moving toward Professor Liana, not my master.
I was flying over as if it were the most natural thing in the world, about to settle into Professor Liana's outstretched arms.
[Doubt]
[Familiarity]
There was no hesitation in the process. As if it were truly natural—as if that spot were my place...
'Huh?'
I tilted my head in confusion.
Even now, fully aware of it, I didn't feel much resistance. A coziness still wafted toward me, making me want to be held and fall asleep.
"Ah...! Spirit Affinity...!"
My master's eyes suddenly widened as she let out an exclamation and muttered.
'Ah...'
At that mutter, my confused head cleared.
Spirit Affinity. Professor Liana's unique ability. I already knew it affected me too, so had a similar effect been applied just now?
My master's body trembled. As if seized by fury, she pointed a finger at Professor Liana, the corners of her eyes raised.
"You... you underhanded wench...!"
"Underhanded? What exactly did I do for you to slander me like that?"
Professor Liana's eyes widened into circles. The area around her grew even brighter. The Sky Wing Feather swayed gently.
At that sight, my master's trembling intensified.
"If that blatant trickery isn't underhanded, what is?! Put those pheromones away right now!"
"Pheromones...? What do you mean? I didn't do anything. Could it be that you're feeling something and jumping to conclusions...?"
A quarrel broke out.
It was the pattern of my master snapping and Professor Liana smoothly deflecting.
The sight was oddly familiar. Thinking about it, I recalled frequently Observing Hong Yeon-hwa and Baek A-rin messing around just like this.
[Wait...]
[Just a moment...]
But that was that, and this was this.
I hurriedly inserted myself between them.
The quarrel cut off instantly.
Two pairs of eyes latched onto me.
Though I'd jumped in and stopped the quarrel, I hadn't thought about what to do next.
Flustered, I flailed my arms for a bit before cautiously checking their reactions and shaking my head.
[D-don't fight...]
The necklace clicked carefully.
Was it just my imagination? Lately, when I hear the necklace click, I feel like I can even infer what kind of emotion is behind it.
"......"
"......"
A moment later, my master and Professor Liana looked at each other with strange eyes.
After that, once they'd silently reached some agreement with their eyes, I was held in their arms in turns.
[What about training?]
That was it.
In between, I'd interlock fingers with my master and do a mana tug-of-war, or practice magic and spirit manifestation with Professor Liana, but physical training was left out.
"Were you planning to spar with a body like that?"
My master opened her eyes as if dumbfounded, fiddling with my right hand as she asked back.
[Yeah.]
"For the sake of whoever you'd face, please don't..."
Next to me, Professor Liana pressed my cheek with a strange look in her eyes. Her soft finger sank into my cheek.
[...?]
I couldn't do physical training or sparring. Instead, I was held close and thoroughly doted on, recharging the Heart Power I'd consumed.
.
.
.
After finishing a suitable amount of training, I stopped by a study room near the first-year campus grounds.
I didn't rent it alone; I gathered there with Hong Yeon-hwa, Baek A-rin, and Ellia.
Apparently, we were going to put our heads together and make our schedules.
Having just received advice from my master and Professor Liana, I planned to make my schedule with them too.
There's not much time, so I need to get it done. I already have some subjects in mind, so it should be quick.
"Don't try any tricks on my kid, you dog... ahem! You fox-like wench."
"Tricks? What are you talking about? What did I do for you to threaten me like this?"
The situation from earlier repeated itself.
Hong Yeon-hwa snarling, and Baek A-rin shrugging her shoulders, protesting her innocence.
Feeling a bit sour, I quietly slurped up some cold water.
* * *
[Unique Ability ｢Mana Affinity｣ is growing.]
...
[Vitality energy is being slightly restored.]
[Repelling external, foreign vitality energy.]
[Vitality energy is being expelled.]
[｢Curse of Beauty's Misfortune｣ responds.]
...
[Player Correction System: Affection]
Lee Ha-yul→Liana Bellus
●●●●●●●○○○(75▷76/100)
｢Affection｣ ｢Gratitude｣ ｢Kind Adult｣ ｢Squishy｣ ｢Warmth｣ ｢Voluptuous｣
...
Lee Ha-yul→Atra Clyde
●●●●●●●●○○(86▷87/100)
｢Master｣ ｢Expectation｣ ｢Sense of Stability｣ ｢Longing for Affection｣
...
[Artifact ｢Confession Necklace｣ detects changes in the user.]