Then Suddenly, a Unicorn Appeared (2)
Then Suddenly, a Unicorn Appeared (2)
[Trending!][A Unicorn Bursts into Monster Taming and Response Class and Runs Off Biting a Special Admission Cadet] [563]
[Author: Red Summer1]
...
Summary.
During practice, a unicorn suddenly crashed through the ceiling.
After a brief staring contest between the Special Admission Cadet and the unicorn, the unicorn bit the cadet and ran off.
The Calamity Flame and Changhae heirs chased after it in shock.
...
-Red Summer2: ?
└Red Summer2: You crazy bastard
-Blue Spring1: Senior, get a grip
-Orange Autumn1: Is it evaluation period already? I'm suffering too. Hang in there
└Red Summer3: It's the first week of the second semester, senior...
└Orange Autumn1: That can't be right. This is so hard and grueling. It's only the first week? That's nonsense
└Orange Autumn2: Wow, the translation works great lol
-Red Summer3: This angle is way too sharp though
└Red Summer1 (Author): No, I'm telling you, it's for real. Ask anyone, there are tons of people here right now
└Red Summer3: The part about the unicorn biting him is kind of sus though
└Orange Autumn3: Gasp
└Red Summer4: Hands off the hologram!
-Red Summer5: Sung-hyun, stop writing nonsense and go train
└Red Summer6: That's not me, you son of a bitch
└Red Summer5: It really is here
└Red Summer5: I said stop writing nonsense and go train
└Red Summer6: Are you crazy
-Red Summer7: Is this for real?
└Blue Winter1: I'm the unicorn, and yes, this is for real
└Blue Spring2: Senior, aren't you graduating class? Aren't you busy?
└Blue Winter1: Now I'm getting flak for being idle on the community board too
'Already spread, huh...'
I swiped the hologram away, feeling a bit miffed. Scrolling through the free board, it was packed with posts about me.
Siyoram has a dedicated community of its own. It comes as an app on the smartwatch—the same one I was issued when I enrolled. The app was already installed.
I hadn't used it much. Back then... right around when I first started. Those were days full of doubts about my special admission, so I kept getting mentioned everywhere even while I tried to keep my head down. There was so much of it that I was too scared to look it up, so I just forgot about it and went on with my life.
I suddenly remembered it and checked once—only to find stories about the unicorn already spreading.
'A unicorn...'
A unicorn... I think it's one of the most famous mythical species known to the public, along with dragons. And it's an incredibly rare individual to encounter.
'Sigh.'
I let out a deep sigh and got up.
- Prrr?
The baby unicorn leaning against me looked up, as if asking where I was going. Nearby, the other unicorn—the one that had brought me here—also turned its gaze this way.
That wasn't all. Unicorns lying in the grass and stepping daintily around were all staring intently at me.
'...That's a lot.'
It doesn't feel that way because dozens of them are clustered together, but outside, merely catching sight of one is considered a stroke of incredible luck...
I quietly slipped out of the nest. It was roughly made of grass and twigs, but it wasn't too uncomfortable.
- Prrr...
The baby unicorn bit my sleeve and pulled.
I had no choice but to swipe through the air. Space split open sideways, and colorful spirits poured out in a flurry.
[Play with these guys.]
I figured it was the perfect natural environment, so I released the spirits. Their sense of self is faint, but they like nature, so I let them out often.
The baby unicorn was instantly buried in a bright, multicolored light cluster. It didn't seem to mind, exhaling a puff of air and rubbing its body against the spirits as it played.
Leaving the baby unicorn alone, I poked around the surroundings.
The unicorn breeding ground... It really had very few traces of human activity. The marks on the ground were, at most, from a small number of visitors who dropped by briefly, maybe once every month or two.
There was no real need to wander around, since I had already swept the entire breeding ground with Observation.
Still, I walked slowly—partly for a leisurely stroll and partly to circulate my mana.
As I hobbled along on these short, stubby legs, a few unicorns nearby stealthily followed me.
- Prrr...
I stopped. The unicorns tagging along behind me stopped too.
I focused my mind. I visualized grasping the threads of will that kept tapping at my head. The emotions and thoughts of the unicorns came through—tangled masses of abstract will, not complex or precise, but gradually harmonized and interpreted.
Worry and concern... Where are you going... You might get hurt...
'Ridiculous.'
I tilted my head crookedly. Now I'm getting those sorts of looks from... a unicorn, of all things.
- Prrr...
[Ah.]
[Stop pushing...]
They even started nudging my back toward the nest with their heads, little by little. I resisted because I was dumbfounded, but overwhelmed by sheer numbers, I was eventually pushed back.
In the end, I returned to the nest within ten minutes.
'......'
- Prrr
The baby unicorn, which had been surrounded by spirits, let out a little cry as if welcoming me.
.
.
.
[Uwaaah.]
[Ticklish.]
Suddenly, my waist jolted. A ticklish sensation traveled up from my outstretched legs. The baby unicorn had abruptly plopped its head onto my leg and was nuzzling against it.
[Heavy.]
I reached out and tapped the unicorn's head with my finger.
- Prrr
[I said it ticklesss...]
Even if it's a baby, this is still a unicorn. And I'm a human who, right now, isn't exactly in a normal-sized body.
Thanks to that, my leg was completely squashed underneath it. It didn't hurt, but it was a bit suffocating. When I scratched its head to signal it to move, it just let out a deep puff of air and shook its head as if to say no.
I made a strange expression.
The symbolism of the unicorn is widely known: purity, innocence, chastity.
As if to prove it, the very energy unicorns possess is so pure and clean that impurities are hard to find. And maybe it's some kind of unique ability, but it's a fascinating creature that assesses other beings and arbitrarily ranks them to decide how to treat them. The assessment criteria are, naturally, the unicorn's symbolic traits.
'Purity, innocence... and chastity?'
My expression grew even more bitter.
Chastity... There are several factors, but the commonly known concept of chastity implies something a bit indecent. But can that even be applied? As far as I know, unicorns are supposed to like women. Or am I mistaken?
'I don't know...'
I shook my head from side to side and got back to what I was doing. I sent a message to those around me telling them not to worry.
As for the ongoing lecture... they'll probably count it as attendance. Honestly, after going through an incident like this, if it isn't counted, I'm fully intending to protest.
Without escaping right away, I planted my butt down for a bit.
In a way, this is a good thing. After all, it's rare to be able to study a unicorn this closely without having to rely solely on the Authority of Observation.
.
.
.
A little time passed.
I awakened my senses, thoroughly detected the unicorn's energy, and collected every bit of information about it with the Authority of Observation.
Simultaneously, I employed Homogenization—operating Taesan to draw in the surrounding vitality energy and hold it within my body.
My body shifted. The empty places inside felt full and stuffed. A sensation traveled through my limbs as if someone was pulling and stretching them.
'Seems like it should work around now...'
It feels like if I just pull a little more, I'll grow taller in one go... but I can't cross a certain line, so it doesn't stretch out.
Vitality energy operation through Taesan. Maybe my hard work practicing alone is finally paying off—there are gradual changes—but no definite result yet.
I've been secretly observing Lee Ji-yeon's training to gather information on the side, but... this alone isn't enough.
'I guess I do have to ask directly for a demonstration just on vitality operation.'
I've already set a schedule. Starting next week, I'll begin mentoring sessions with Lee Ji-yeon. We'll probably meet once a week... maybe twice at most. That's the plan.
We could meet more often if we coordinate our schedules, but since we have to write a report each time, once is just right.
'If I say I'm curious, she'll probably show me.'
For now, we're in a mentor relationship. If I ask out of curiosity, she'll demonstrate it. And besides, aren't I officially affiliated with the Calamity Flame family anyway?
The Calamity Flame and Taesan families are bound as the Three Great Families and have interacted a lot. When I visited the Calamity Flame family last time, there were a few people presumed to be from Taesan as well.
We all know what's going on with each other, so there'd be no reason to hide it. Since I'm not asking for a demonstration of some special expansion ability, she'll probably be willing to indulge this much.
I had a lot to think about.
Observation, mana detection, Taesan manifested through Homogenization, and the operation of vitality energy. Adding complex worries on top of that, my head started throbbing for the first time in a while.
Lately I've always been held in someone's arms, so my headaches were fewer, but being alone again made my head hurt.
While I was pressing and rubbing my glabella, I sensed something strange. Come to think of it, the baby unicorn that had been nuzzling so much had gone quiet.
I directed my Observation at it.
Before I knew it, the baby unicorn had fallen asleep using my leg as a pillow. No wonder it wasn't moving. With its eyes shut tight, it was breathing very evenly. Life was a bed of roses for that little one.
My dumbfounded feeling was probably written all over my face. I instinctively reached out and poked at its horn.
There was no reaction. Even though its precious horn was being touched, the baby unicorn was sound asleep in dreamland without so much as a twitch.
The horn is a very important part for a unicorn. A unicorn's horn never falls off until death. That's how solid it is and how firmly it's rooted. Normally, this is a species that would have headbutted anyone the second they tried to touch it...
Why does it trust me so much? With a strange expression on my face, I kept poking its horn repeatedly.
If we're talking about what symbolizes a unicorn, it's this horn, no matter what anyone says. In other words, a unicorn's horn is the body part that represents its Innate Talent.
'For the twin-headed poison dragon, it was its head.'
The twin-headed poison dragon I killed before—that guy was missing one head, which held the Innate Talent of disease. Because of that, it couldn't use its disease abilities. If it had become an undead with both heads attached... it would have been a 3rd-Rank monster, just like when it was alive.
'Innate Talent...'
The distinctiveness that differentiates one individual from another. The trait that particularly stands out and is embodied as a single ability. In other words, a Unique Ability.
Suddenly, I became curious. I stealthily reached out and felt around the baby unicorn's horn.
I confined the range of my Observation solely to the horn. Countless high-density data points flooded in. I honed my senses sharply to interpret the energy transmitted through my palm.
I collected the data. I mobilized Observation and Mana Affinity without hesitation. My head felt heavy. The data piled up excessively in an instant.
I harmonized it. I buried what was unnecessary and brought out what was needed. I compared the needed parts to make even more useful information.
Gradually, a record accumulated. It was a Source Record.
Based on this, altering it to fit me and then imitating it—that is Homogenization.
Curiosity.
Can I imitate the function of this horn, which counts as a body part?
'Homogenization—'
- Crrrk!
'—?'
A strange sound rang out. It didn't come from far away. From somewhere very close... It came from me.
- Crrrrk...!
The sound echoed continuously. A strange sensation spread through me—the bizarre feeling of bone growing and skin being pushed aside. A vibration rang out from deep inside my body.
- Prrr?!
The baby unicorn sleeping on my leg had its eyes wide open before I knew it and was looking up at me. The other unicorns also sharply turned their heads this way, staring intently at me... at my forehead.
'...My forehead?'
I turned my Observation inward, into my body.
Something is trying to grow inside my forehead.
[?]
Countless question marks floated above my head.
* * *
[Unique Ability ｢Mana Affinity｣ is growing.]
[Manifesting Unique Ability ｢Mana Affinity｣.]
[Manifesting Expansion Ability ｢Homogenization｣.]
...
[Player Correction System: Pioneering Progress]
[Quest ｢Unicorn Sighting｣ Achieved]
[Quest ｢Unicorn Friendliness｣ Achieved]
[Quest ｢Unicorn Taming｣ Achieved]
[Acquiring Points.]
...
[The Tower Master of Harmonization's eyes sparkle.]
[The Tower Master of Growth shoots a look to be quiet.]
[The Tower Master of Harmonization averts her gaze.]
...
[Player Correction System: Measurement]
▶Mental State
...
｢Purity｣
｢Innocence｣
｢Chastity｣
...
▶Title
...
｢The Child Kidnapped by a Unicorn｣