Kids Naturally Grow Fast (1)
Kids Naturally Grow Fast (1)
The date for the mentoring session I had arranged with Lee Ji-yeon arrived.
We agreed to meet at a modest café.
Long ago I never understood why people insisted on meeting at cafés, but once I started making plans myself, I realized nothing was more convenient.
Cool in the summer, warm in the winter. Plenty of seating, and if you got hungry or thirsty you could simply order food or something to drink.
Finding a café was never difficult, so meeting there first before heading elsewhere was easy.
- jingle-jingle
The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, cool air washed over me like a wave.
It was summer now, so air conditioners were blasting everywhere. Outside was definitely a bit muggy.
I savored the coolness, walking steadily inward as gazes fixed on me.
The seat Lee Ji-yeon had chosen was by the window on the café's first floor, where the sunlight streamed in.
If we were going to stay for a long time we'd have taken a private room, but since we planned to leave right after meeting, we settled on the first floor for convenience.
I hopped up and sat down across from Lee Ji-yeon.
Lee Ji-yeon, who had been resting her chin on her hand while watching the scenery outside, turned her head.
Green eyes looked at me.
"You're early. Good morning, Junior."
Her eyes widened slightly. She seemed a little flustered, then gave me a faint wave.
[Yes]
[Hello, Senior]
I bowed my head slightly and observed Lee Ji-yeon through Observation.
This time she looked much better. At the very least, she was nothing like the half-dead state she'd been in last time.
Now her complexion was more along the lines of someone simply tired.
She seemed to have shaken off some of the guilt she felt toward me as well, because her attitude was fairly normal.
Of course, observing her closely revealed her gauging my mood or flinching oddly, but it was well within the range of letting it slide.
Given my complete lack of the social skills needed to revive a wilted Lee Ji-yeon, I welcomed the change.
"Junior, did something happen? You look unwell..."
I'd been inwardly nodding while observing Lee Ji-yeon's complexion.
A visibly confused Lee Ji-yeon looked my own complexion over and tossed the worry right back at me.
Did something happen?
She'd be able to tell something had happened just from the word "unicorn" that people were murmuring around me right now.
But what Lee Ji-yeon was probably asking about was the state of my complexion... how my skin gleamed like milk while at the same time holding a shadowy undertone.
Why indeed...
The corner of my mouth twitched. A strange sensation prickled on my forehead.
The Homogenization that had manifested in an utterly unintentional direction after I'd prodded it out of curiosity.
The thing that had surged up from within and devoured my reason before I could even try to get it under control.
Memories I'd tried to bury... no, illusions, raised their heads.
A panoramic flickering of recollections followed.
Laughing foolishly and clinging, whining like a child, demanding attention with no restraint, searching for some damned cow... an absurdly spoiled brat's behavior... vulgar words and actions...
The lukewarm looks from the people around me who had stared openly...
The urge to hang myself rose up.
...
[No]
[I'm fine]
[Nothing happened]
[Nothing]
[Just nothing]
[Really]
"Ah, yes... understood."
After witnessing my vehement denial and my face shifting colors like a flashing traffic light, Lee Ji-yeon nodded with a slightly awkward expression.
As if she'd grasped my unspoken feelings, she didn't press the topic further.
I was very satisfied.
I'd been teased relentlessly since this morning.
I never wanted these memories brought up again...
Muttering darkly, I pulled out the thermos I'd brought from home this morning, opened the cap, and tilted it to my mouth.
Pure white milk filled my mouth.
Maybe because it was cold, it went down easily.
.
.
.
Siyoram's haphazard educational policy extended to the Mentoring System too.
Seniors and juniors were told to handle the matching process themselves.
The academy didn't even act as an intermediary. That meant students often took on the mediating role through their own communities or gatherings.
Because of that, first- and second-year cadets spent this period busily running around scouting out mentors and mentees. That explained why the café earlier had been fairly crowded.
Those who'd found a partner were probably discussing schedules or already doing mentoring like us, while those who hadn't were still roaming around searching for one.
First-years looked for outstanding seniors who could teach them well and from whom they could gain a lot.
Second-years looked for juniors who would follow their teaching well and from whom they could also gain something in return.
People roamed around, roughly seeking out a match, and submitted nominations.
Once both sides accepted, they were officially registered as each other's mentor and mentee.
There wasn't a set curriculum. No conditions regarding what you had to study.
If you wanted to learn martial arts, you studied martial arts. If you wanted to learn magic, you studied magic.
Summoning, metalsmithing, alchemy, and other skills were also fine.
You simply studied whatever both sides wanted to teach and learn.
As long as you diligently wrote up and submitted the progress and results reports, the credits were handed out generously.
In a sense, it was a great system that practically gave you credits just for showing up.
"You want to study Taesan?"
I did.
Taesan was a core ability that would help extend my lifespan and strengthen my body.
Among the people around me, the only one who manifested Taesan was Lee Ji-yeon, and the one who handled it best was also Lee Ji-yeon.
With a person like that as my mentoring partner, it would be foolish to pass up the chance to study Taesan.
"Taesan, huh..."
At my question, Lee Ji-yeon let out a contemplative hum.
[Would it be impolite?]
[I'm not asking for family secrets]
[I'm just curious about the fundamental operation of Taesan]
Taesan was a unique ability passed down from its progenitor.
Over those long years, the ability had been vigorously explored, and a vast amount of data and records had accumulated.
That made it easier for later descendants to learn and train, but it also meant that leaks had exposed countermeasures and weaknesses.
Of course the Three Great Families' unique abilities were so overpowered that even if you knew their weaknesses you had no choice but to take the hits... but still, the leaks could never be pleasant.
"No, no. It's not an imposition. It's just..."
Lee Ji-yeon shook her head in denial, then glanced down at me.
Her eyes as she looked my way were extremely complicated. They called to mind a vortex where a maelstrom of emotions and thoughts swirled.
"...Alright. I understand. The basic operating principles are common knowledge, after all."
[Really?]
[Thank you]
A pleased expression bloomed on my face as I expressed my thanks. The manipulation of vitality energy was included in the basic operational method anyway, so I planned to ask for a demonstration focused mainly on that.
At the change in my expression, Lee Ji-yeon gave a slight flinch, then raised one finger and added a condition.
"In exchange, please show me your Calamity Flame as well."
[Yes]
[Understood]
That was a request well within expectations. Taesan and Calamity Flame were both unique abilities of the Three Great Families, so there would be something to gain from demonstrating them to each other as an exchange.
.
.
.
Strike while the iron is hot, as they say—now that we'd settled on a plan, Lee Ji-yeon and I rented a nearby training area.
"Junior, how much do you know about Taesan?"
Lee Ji-yeon asked, tapping the dirt floor with the tip of her foot.
We'd come to an outdoor training ground to allow a smooth demonstration of Taesan.
Of course, with Taesan, being indoors wouldn't have posed any problem at all, but it could easily lead to damaged facilities, so we came outside.
[I've heard the basics]
"Then I'll provide a demonstration alongside a supplementary explanation."
With those words, Lee Ji-yeon's mana stirred.
The core near her heart pulsed.
With each pulse, mana of an attribute best described as earth energy gushed from the core.
The innate talent residing within Lee Ji-yeon swelled in force.
The surging earth energy formed a mountain range that stretched past the horizon, a towering, enormous mountain whose peak seemed to pierce the clouds in the sky.
"Phew... initial activation is about here, I think? Can you feel it with your detection ability?"
Lee Ji-yeon, letting out a deep breath, glanced over at me as she spoke.
[Yes]
[I can feel it clearly]
I nodded. Even before the activation began, I'd already been observing Lee Ji-yeon in minute detail through the Authority of Observation.
On top of that, I had honed my senses razor-sharp and projected them onto her.
Thanks to that, I could feel the activation process of Taesan in fine detail.
"Taesan can largely be divided into three abilities."
Lee Ji-yeon began her explanation.
"Physical ability amplification, earth domination, and life force manipulation. First, physical amplification is... probably too common to even need an explanation, right? If I had to compare, its nature is a bit different from Calamity Flame."
Lee Ji-yeon flicked a finger. Immediately, a fist-sized rock popped out of the ground at her feet. She picked it up and held it tight.
"Taesan's physical amplification specializes in defense and endurance. Most attacks won't even leave a scratch, and even if you're wounded, your natural healing power fixes it right up. Mana consumption is extremely low too, so you can maintain it for a long time."
Crunch... her fingers sank into the rock as if crushing tofu.
"Calamity Flame's advantage is its instantaneous output. In a split-second shock, Calamity Flame holds the edge... ah, now that I think about it, this isn't an explanation meant for a Calamity Flame manifestor."
[I'm listening carefully]
"Glad to hear it."
Lee Ji-yeon shrugged with an awkward look.
"Next is earth manipulation."
Rumble... Right beside us, a mass of dirt suddenly surged upward. It rippled like a slime, then gradually took shape.
Hair tied back short, a slender face, and the curved figure trailing beneath it.
A dirt mound that had taken on Lee Ji-yeon's form.
"That's roughly the idea. An attribute ability that controls and manipulates what's contained within the earth."
Lee Ji-yeon tapped the shoulder of the earthen figure mimicking her.
The earthen copy, which had even reproduced her clothing, lacked color but its external details were nearly identical to Lee Ji-yeon's.
"As an attribute ability, generation is also possible."
She roughly crushed the stone and raised one hand.
Mana gathered there, then transformed into fine soil. When she clenched her fist, dirt cascaded through her fingers.
"Of course, in most cases it isn't permanent, and the efficiency is poor. Especially when operating over a wide area, it's better to draw from the ground."
Earth manipulation.
This was the most iconic ability people first thought of when they heard Taesan.
"Lastly, life force manipulation..."
And finally, the segment I'd been waiting for.
I gathered my focus even more and listened intently to Lee Ji-yeon's explanation.
At the shift in my attitude, Lee Ji-yeon glanced warily at my expression.
"This one is a bit difficult to explain. It's not that I don't want to explain it to you, Junior. I just don't have an adequate way to..."
[I didn't think that, so don't worry]
"Okay... thank you."
At my answer, Lee Ji-yeon looked a little burdened, but replied with an inscrutable expression.
"To be honest, the necromancy side also relies on life force manipulation. It works on the concept of perceiving vitality, using the earth as a medium to command and control undead... hmm..."
Lee Ji-yeon fell into troubled thought, letting out low hums.
She'd said it was awkward, but she looked like she was genuinely trying to explain it in an easy-to-understand way.
'She's teaching me really diligently.'
Maybe it was because she was such a fundamentally kind person, but she was putting in the effort to explain things in detail that could've been glossed over.
The explanation up to now had been really precise and easy to follow. She'd even told me about important elements she didn't need to reveal, allowing me to accumulate some knowledge that would help when I operated Taesan.
Still, my handling of Taesan was clumsy.
For Calamity Flame, I'd imitated it first, then explored all kinds of historical records from the Calamity Flame Family and received guidance, so I could handle it skillfully.
For Azure Sea, I didn't have much knowledge, but I'd had experience receiving what was nearly one-on-one tutoring from Baek A-rin, and I was gradually expanding my handling of it centered around the advice Baek A-rin occasionally tossed my way.
If I kept accumulating information on Taesan from Lee Ji-yeon like this, someday I'd be able to handle Taesan skillfully too.
"Junior, there is one method..."
[What method?]
"Um..."
Lee Ji-yeon hesitated. She looked like someone whose conscience was pricking her, and then she glanced at my reaction carefully before speaking.
"So... a method of holding hands and infusing mana and vitality. This is how I learned in the family too. Before you've perceived vitality once, it's the type of thing that's hard to understand no matter how you try to explain it."
'That's true.'
I hadn't known much about life force myself until I'd perceived vitality through Taesan.
I'd vaguely felt like something important was vanishing from my body... but I hadn't realized it was vitality.
"Of course, it's a bit danger—"
[Here]
I nodded and held out my hand.
Of course, right now I could already perceive vitality. But it would be awkward to state that outright, so I played along with Lee Ji-yeon's words.
I was planning to take the chance to observe the operation method of vitality as well.
"Uh..."
[?]
Lee Ji-yeon blinked as if flustered.
I glanced at my arm. It was a normal arm, not the prosthetic. Why was she reacting like that?
Lee Ji-yeon looked at my outstretched hand as if she found it extremely troubling.
After a moment, Lee Ji-yeon steeled her expression as though bracing herself and spoke.
"...Junior, you shouldn't hold your hand out to people so easily."
I was suddenly scolded.
[Baffling]
I was dumbfounded. She was the one who'd asked me to.
"Interfering with someone else's body using mana is an incredibly dangerous thing."
Maybe my expression had slipped. Lee Ji-yeon flinched slightly but continued.
"If the mana you take in were to explode inside your body, your circuits and core could be reduced to mush. If you're lucky, you'd be half-crippled. The slightest mistake could mean instant death."
[Are you planning to kill me?]
"No? I would absolutely never do that, but in the case of other people..."
[I trust you, Senior]
The words that had been continuing calmly fell silent. Lee Ji-yeon's eyes blinked in a daze. Her expression showed she hadn't expected to hear that at all.
"...What exactly do you trust about me? I haven't known you for long, Junior."
[We fought together in China too]
[You're a good person]
My inner thoughts weren't limited to just that.
It was true that I thought the Lee Ji-yeon I had actually met was genuinely a good person, but my knowledge of the original work was also part of the evidence.
Of course, there remained the possibility that she might stab me in the back at a crucial moment, the way Baek A-rin had.
But I had prepared for such a backstabbing scenario as well.
And while it might sound arrogant, even if Lee Ji-yeon inserted mana into my body and tried something underhanded, I could suppress it instantly.
As long as I possessed Mana Affinity, I could overwhelmingly crush her in basic mana control.
Even last time, I had been able to show that to some degree in my spar with Master.
Though of course, if Master brought out White Night and responded in earnest, I'd be flattened in no time.
Either way, a spoonful of that small confidence, a bit of knowledge from the original, a few spoonfuls of Lee Ji-yeon's character that I'd grasped by meeting her in reality...
I conveyed all of it roughly like that through the necklace.
"That... ahem! Thank you, for trusting me."
Lee Ji-yeon, who had been blinking repeatedly, gave a startled flinch. Right after, as if checking my reaction, she coughed dryly and carefully extended her hand.
"Then... shall we hold hands? I'll infuse vitality from outside and circulate it through you. Try to heighten your senses and perceive it."
[Yes]
Lee Ji-yeon and I clasped hands.
Actually, due to the size difference, it would be more accurate to say my hand was held.
Soon, I felt vitality burrowing into my body.
* * *
Lee Ji-yeon quietly opened her shut eyes. Light entered the dark of her vision.
Immediately, a small, pure-white child came into view. It was Lee Ha-yul, holding hands with her and making an effort to perceive vitality.
He was perfectly still. He might have twitched a little, but aside from the rise and fall of his breathing, he remained motionless as a wooden statue.
A process intended to make someone perceive vitality... in all honesty, it was a pointless act.
Stimulating someone by forcing vitality and mana into their body essentially never resulted in them perceiving vitality.
If it worked that way, she'd have gone around making all sorts of people perceive vitality.
This method was originally one used within the Taesan family, meant for Taesan manifestors.
Because Taesan had the perception of vitality attached as a basic function, stimulating them for a while would allow them to perceive vitality quickly.
Doing it to anyone else was effectively a waste of effort.
- Traces of Taesan were found at the epicenter where the Twin-headed Poison Dragon was annihilated. That's the testimony of the dispatched Lee Seon. Considering his abilities, it's unlikely to be nonsense.
For anyone else, it's a futile act.
- That Special Admission Cadet... Lee Ha-yul created that epicenter. Traces of Taesan were found there. Do you understand what that means?
For a manifestor of Taesan... for a beginner who hasn't manifested it for long, it would be helpful.
Lee Ji-yeon stared at Lee Ha-yul with strange eyes.
- [I trust you, Senior]
'......'
Lee Ji-yeon's eyes as she gazed at Lee Ha-yul were tinged with guilt.
The very fact that she was conscious of the pale, soft feeling of Lee Ha-yul's hand made her feel guilty...
'No, first, vitality...'
Lee Ji-yeon shook her head from side to side to clear her thoughts. Guilt or not, first she'd infuse vitality bit by bit and stimulate his senses.
If he really did possess Taesan, there might be some results.
To insert vitality, she first needed to perceive Lee Ha-yul's vitality... ...?
'...What is this?'
Lee Ji-yeon's mouth fell open blankly. The information she felt from their joined hands was strange.
To insert vitality into Lee Ha-yul, she perceived his vitality. Another person's vitality wasn't something easily perceived or interfered with.
That was why it had taken a little time, and she could only now peer inside.
'There's none.'
None. It was utterly empty. The primordial energy that a living being ought to hold was dried up.
No, there was a more fitting expression.
His vitality was so exhausted that it was hitting rock bottom.
As if he could die at any moment without anyone knowing...
'......'
Lee Ji-yeon's face went pale.