Senior Lee Ha-yul
Senior Lee Ha-yul
The mentoring partner had to be confirmed this week.
Of course, I'd already decided, so I quickly sent the application to the Siyoram main office.
A reply arrived not long after confirming it. The report file template was attached too.
So instead of wasting a week, I decided to start mentoring practice right away, beginning today.
"Junior Disciple, Junior Disciple, Junior Disciple."
In the park near the first-year study area, I was slouched on a bench, wiggling my feet, when Senior Daera approached from afar.
In one hand she held a drink with ice floating in it.
- You came?
"Yeah, I'm here. Ah, why are you trying to stand up?"
I'd half-risen from the bench. Senior Daera gently pushed my shoulder to sit me back down, then plopped down next to me.
"Anyway, Ha-sol will be here soon, let's just sit for a bit... I'm way too full right now."
- Did you enjoy your lunch?
"Yeah, the problem is I enjoyed it too much... At this rate, I might turn into a pig."
Senior Daera patted her stomach.
Despite her exaggeration, it was a slim and smooth stomach.
"Huh..."
When I poked her belly with my finger, it twitched. I could feel firm, toned abs beneath her clothes.
- You're a superhuman, so it should be hard to gain weight.
"...Nah, if you let your guard down just because you're a superhuman, you could really blow up. This is all because your cooking is way too delicious, Junior Disciple."
- Now you're blaming me...?
My expression stiffened at the unexpected blame-shifting. Senior Daera chuckled and draped an arm over my shoulder. She pressed my face against her ample chest.
"It's a compliment, that's what it means. Thanks for packing the lunch, Junior Disciple. Aren't you thirsty? Want a sip of something cold?"
- I'll drink enough to become a pig.
I pouted and put the straw in my mouth. The cool liquid wet my mouth as I sucked, and I swallowed a gulp.
"Eh? Have more. Want an ice cube?"
- It's fine. That was enough.
"Then I'm glad."
Senior Daera shrugged and put the straw back in her mouth.
Just as Senior Daera's drink, which she had been sipping sparingly, was almost empty, a cool breeze blew in.
"Ha-yul, sorry to keep you waiting... yo."
"Huh?"
The person who came with the wind was, of course, Lee Ha-sol. Senior Daera, who had been teasing my cheek, tilted her head.
"You said you'd go ahead, but you went to change clothes?"
Unlike Senior Daera in her cadet uniform, Lee Ha-sol was dressed casually.
A white blouse that exposed her shoulders and tight jeans. She held a plastic cup of coffee in her hand.
"...Yes, I sweat a little, so I changed."
"Huh? The cadet uniform has cleaning magic attached, so isn't it fine?"
"The feeling is different."
Lee Ha-sol nodded. She looked at me and Senior Daera with a touch of displeasure, then quickly sat down beside me.
A cool wind tickled my face.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ha-yul. If you're thirsty, I can give you an ice cube—"
"Ah, he just took a sip from my drink."
"...Then that's good."
Lee Ha-sol and Senior Daera talked with me sandwiched between them.
- So soft...
But every time they turned toward me, their chests pressed against my face. It got even worse when they leaned in.
I think I picked the wrong spot.
.
.
.
Mentoring practice lasts for one semester.
There are no special rules.
Cadets are free to find and decide on partners themselves. There's no restriction on what you can learn through mentoring practice.
Literally, you just teach and learn at your own discretion.
The only real rule is that you have to diligently write and submit reports.
Even that isn't strict, so it's not bothersome. It's a good system that generously awards credits to cadets.
"So what are we even learning?"
Senior Daera, who'd flopped onto the grass, asked. She was propping herself up with both arms and swinging her feet, looking very comfortable.
Beside her was Lee Ha-sol.
Unlike Daera, she knelt neatly and stared straight at me.
Being with the free-spirited Senior Daera made the contrast especially stark.
When I turned my head toward her, Lee Ha-sol smiled gently. A gust of wind stirred beside her.
- Fwoosh...
The wind playfully swept through my bangs. I shook my head lightly at the ticklish sensation and continued my telepathic message.
- Unique ability training, of course.
A superhuman's combat strength is largely determined by their unique ability.
Naturally, the fastest way for a superhuman to grow is to develop their innate talent.
- Because basic abilities are developed through other lectures too. You've already built up plenty, so there's nothing more to do.
"Yeah, that's true."
It goes without saying for Senior Daera, who survived the Reverse Side.
The same goes for Lee Ha-sol.
Though her basic abilities are lower than Senior Daera's, she's been growing smoothly by balancing lectures and training.
What I can help with the most is the growth of their unique abilities.
'Unique abilities are inherently difficult to develop.'
Of course, similar types share common training methods.
But that's only when it comes to increasing raw output or control. Once you delve deeper, it becomes problematic in many ways.
From that point on, it's pioneering into the unknown.
You don't know where the destination is. You have to advance without knowing what's beneath your feet or what's right in front of you.
Is it the wrong path? You can't even tell. You can only distinguish a wrong path after finding a better one.
'That's why inherited-type unique abilities had such an advantage.'
A very few unique abilities are passed down through bloodline.
Calamity Flame, Azure Sea, and Taesan are representative examples.
The unique abilities of those Three Great Families have long histories.
The footprints left by many manifestors are vast materials in themselves. It means there exist systematic operating methods that have been analyzed and refined over generations.
In contrast, Heavenly Thunder and Gale have no history.
They are unique abilities independently manifested by Senior Daera and Lee Ha-sol.
There is no history or information accumulated by predecessors. With no path paved by anyone, they had to pioneer the unknown step by step on their own.
[But at least for Heavenly Thunder, there is high-quality information.]
The 8th Iteration manifested Heavenly Thunder.
It's not data accumulated over a long time, but I can confidently say that the 8th Iteration's Heavenly Thunder reached its extreme.
I quickly absorbed that information as a crash course and passed it on to Senior Daera.
"You're talking about this, right? I wondered where you got something like this, Junior Disciple. A-rin mentioned it... hmm..."
Senior Daera, who'd been tapping the book she'd set aside, fell silent. Her eyes rolled around, gauging my reaction.
I tilted my head.
- What's wrong?
"I think it's a sensitive subject. Sorry."
- Why worry about something like that?
"No, it's not something you can just brush off..."
Senior Daera muttered with a bitter expression.
It certainly wasn't a light matter to talk about casually, but I'd gotten permission from the person involved, so what was the harm?
I chuckled and pointed to the book containing the Heavenly Thunder application methods.
- Then study it diligently, and later, grant me one request.
"Ah, so now you want me to write a blank check?"
- Isn't the book worth that much?
A book packed with application methods for a unique ability you haven't even reached yet, and examples of expansion abilities.
Even more, the experience imbued in the book is that of the 8th Iteration, who honed Heavenly Thunder to the extreme.
Under normal circumstances, it would be a treasure you couldn't obtain no matter the price.
- To begin with, I gave it to you so you'd learn it well and help me.
"Tch, when you put it that way, I've got nothing to say."
Senior Daera, who'd been pouting, cracked a smile.
"But even without this, I owe you way too much, Junior Disciple. So much that I could never repay it in a lifetime, and I'd follow any order you gave."
- I've received a lot of help too, so let's just call it even.
I smiled slightly and raised both hands.
Unique abilities are hard to grow. It's also hard for others to help them grow.
Since it's someone else's innate talent, how can you provide great help with your own different innate talent?
Mana Affinity Expansion Ability
Homogenization - Heavenly Thunder
Homogenization - Gale
Of course, my situation is a bit different.
- Wooong!
The mana released from both hands became colored by my innate talent. The manifested Heavenly Thunder and Gale coiled around my hands and swelled.
- Like this, I'll assist you from the side. Let's aim to manifest a few expansion abilities.
"...Wow, this is seriously crazy."
"......"
Senior Daera, with her mouth agape, gave a hollow laugh.
Her reaction had been really funny when I demonstrated it last time, and she seems just as amazed now.
"I won't be surprised anymore. Because I know you're a dragon, Junior Disciple."
- That was just a brief transformation...
"How does a human transform into a dragon?"
- Right now I'm a fairy, you know.
"How does a fairy transform into a dragon?"
- ...Well?
They kept pressing me, so it was hard to answer.
I dodged the question and turned to Lee Ha-sol, observing her as she stared at the Gale blooming in my hand with a mysterious expression.
- ...Lee Ha-sol? What's wrong?
"No, I just realized the answer to an old question."
- Is that so...? I'm glad you found your answer. Anyway, let's train together like this from now on.
Of course, as a sophomore, I'm in the teaching position, but there's still a lot for me to learn.
'I need to quickly bloom Heavenly Thunder and Gale as innate talents too.'
Through the manifestation of White Night, I learned how important experience with expansion abilities is.
The more Senior Daera and Lee Ha-sol develop their unique abilities and achieve expansion abilities, the easier it will be for me to manifest them.
I had wanted them to get stronger anyway.
'Those towers...'
The unconquered tower in the African Demon Realm is a lightning-attribute tower.
The unconquered tower discovered in the Reverse Side is a wind-attribute tower.
When someone conquers them, if they lack the qualifications and aptitude, they'll receive a wish ticket created by the tower's surplus power, and that'll be the end of it.
If they are qualified.
They'll become the tower's master.
'Same for the other towers.'
The Tower of Bitter Cold.
I half-crippled that Tower Master. If I invade later and kill him, the position of Tower Master will become vacant.
The Tower of the Dead.
The Tower Master is already dead. Only about half of the tower remains in Taesan territory, but the climb itself should be possible.
The Tower of Purgatory.
I'll kill the Tower Master of Purgatory too. Naturally, after that, the Tower Master position will be vacant.
'Hmm...'
I don't know if it'll go according to plan, but if it does, it'll be good for me and the people around me.
Finishing my brief thoughts, I gave a small nod.
- Then let's start the class.
"Ehh, class right from the first day? Boo."
"Right. Don't we have more time to just chat?"
- Huh?
I blinked at the unexpected reaction. I'd assumed they'd respond enthusiastically and get motivated.
Flustered, I looked at them and could read the mischief on their faces.
It was just a joke after all.
I was about to pout, but then a thought struck me and I seriously clenched my fist.
- Ahem, what kind of talk is that to your senior?
"What?"
"Huh?"
Their eyes widened.
- I'm trying to bestow precious teachings on you, and this is how you react? Do you know how many people out there would love to receive my teachings!
"That's right. I saw people writing emails to you like love letters."
...That's just making me feel guilty.
- Ahem, anyway! I'm trying to help you with all my might, so that kind of reaction isn't allowed!
"...Unpaid, at that..."
Lee Ha-sol, who'd been listening to my telepathic message, tilted her head. Then she suddenly let out an exclamation, grinned, and came trotting over to me.
Soon, wind and warmth approached my cheek.
- Chu
"Senior, I'm looking forward to training with you."
Lee Ha-sol, who'd given me a peck on the cheek, smiled brightly.
Her clear light-green eyes curved gently.
Heat spread from where her lips had touched. Even the cool wind couldn't cool it down.
- ...Shall we start class soon?
I'd started a prank for nothing and couldn't even break even.
Dodging the giggling Lee Ha-sol and Senior Daera's displeased gaze, I roused my mana.
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