Magic is Convenient
"Hah... hah... ugh..."
I groaned, clutching my head as if it might split open from the pain, and dragged myself up from my seat. "Isn't this injection-style education a bit too much...?"
As always, I cursed the damn someone who had hammered this knowledge straight into my brain, then started sorting through the new info flooding my head.
Sure enough, I'd gone through my 2nd Job Change in-game, and the moment I logged out, it synced right up with real-life me.
'Fire Arrow... Aqua Arrow... I don't need crap like that...'
Having quietly resolved to live low-key, I was dividing the skills into those that'd help in reality and those that wouldn't.
'...Oh? Quite a few, huh?'
I grabbed a notebook from the bookshelf and jotted down the ones that seemed useful in real life.
• Elemental Expert (Passive Skill) — Increases the number of attributes you can handle.
'This boosts versatility, so it'll be useful somehow.'
• Mana Control II (Passive Skill) — Slightly increases efficiency of all mana-using skills. You can wrap mana around specific body parts to enhance their performance.
I experimented by wrapping mana around my eyes. The world started slowing down just a bit. 'This is good? Useful in games too...'
• Witch's Aura II (Passive Skill) — Makes your body scent more alluring. Increases charm.
I sniffed my wrist. No special smell since it's my own body. 'If it doesn't stink, that's a win... In-game, it's just for charm boosts.'
• Mana Shield — Creates a shield that blocks damage proportional to the user's magic power. Can't block mental attacks, but usable on others.
'Definitely useful. Good for preventing disasters.'
• Heal — Consumes mana proportional to injury severity to heal physical wounds on contact. Provides pain relief during treatment. Can't heal mental trauma.
'This is great. Hope I don't need it often.'
• Clean — Cleans a designated area or target within range.
"...This is it."
Skimming through, I'd skipped a bunch, but several truly handy—no, really good—skills stood out.
Just how much hassle had I dealt with washing this woman's body? Thinking about the 20 minutes it took just to shampoo and dry my hair made this skill a goddamn revelation.
I immediately cast it on myself. "Clean."
White mana swept over my body, leaving me feeling utterly refreshed. I grinned ear to ear.
"This... this is what magic's all about...!"
After that, I tidied my entire room with a single finger snap. Hands down, the most practical spell I'd gotten so far.
'Hmm...'
I lay on my bed, lost in serious thought.
'Even the 2nd Job Change felt like my head was gonna explode... What happens at 3rd or 4th? Am I just gonna drop dead from shock?'
Yeah. The knowledge sync from this 2nd change was double that of the 1st—way more for my brain to process.
'But the payoff's worth it.'
Ten minutes of agony in exchange for saving 30 minutes a day on showers? Fair trade, I'd say.
"Still hurts like hell, though."
I nodded to myself, pondering countermeasures for a while.
Ding-dong—'...? Who's coming? Oh, right.'
Probably the 1.1 million won mic I'd ordered two days ago. Sure enough, my phone buzzed with a text.
I bolted from bed the second I saw it and flung open the front door.
The delivery guy waiting for the elevator locked eyes with me—and just stared blankly, saying nothing.
"...Haha, uh, have a safe trip..."
I gave an awkward smile, snatched the package, and shut the door.
I unpacked the neatly wrapped mic, snapped a photo with my phone, and sent it to let them know I was broadcast-ready.
-Noel: (mic photo)
-Noel: Mic's here.
-Serinsel: Whoa! Faster than expected?
-Serinsel: @Sareah
-Noel: Yeah... Was supposed to arrive Friday, but came a day early.
-Sareah: Nice. So, you free this Saturday?
-Noel: Yeah. Works for me.
-Sareah: Got it. I'll schedule the broadcast for Saturday afternoon!
-Noel: Oh, before that—anyone free to help with mic setup? Like encoding.
-Serinsel: I'll do it! Got time right now.
'This damn group chat—why does the name keep changing?'
Two minutes waiting for reads... three... Yeah, 7 PM was prime gaming time.
'Guess they're all busy.'
Serinsel, who'd always shown interest in me despite maining burly male chars (she was a woman IRL), replied first.
Everyone else seemed tied up, so I figured I'd ask her.
Min Se-rin, 24-year-old woman. She clutched her pounding heart, tense with excitement.
She'd be the first to hear Noel's real voice—something no one knew.
Always admiring Noel's physical prowess in-game, she was naturally curious about the person behind it. As a diehard gamer herself, she could proudly claim that title.
Season 1's sole max-level first-job changer. First to solo all legion bosses and the Demon King. Those feats alone proved what an elite gamer Noel was—and she idolized her as a fellow player.
Didn't matter what Noel looked like IRL or if they were unemployed.
She hopped into her capsule, fired up Incode, and called Noel.
No mic meant no "mic muted" indicator—just silence. The usual.
"Hi, Noel-nim!"
Se-rin spoke; Noel typed. Standard start.
"D-Did you assemble it per the manual?"
"Then that cable—plug it into the back of the main unit..."
She explained step-by-step, super clearly: where cables went, noise reduction, app settings.
Finally, basic setup complete—and rustling came through Noel's mic.
"Uh... testing, one-two? Can you hear me?"
Se-rin froze at the unexpectedly calm, feminine voice.
"...Huh?"
A dumb noise escaped her lips.
Thanks to Serinsel's easy, thorough guide, even a tech noob like me finished setup in 30 minutes.
I checked the cables under the desk one last time, sat back down, and tested the mic.
"Uh... testing, one-two? Can you hear me?"
"...Huh?"
Must've been my imagination hearing something dumb.
'Oh, right... She thought I was a guy.'
I'd prepped an excuse, so I brushed it off casually. "Sorry for the deception till now. Y'know how weirdos swarm if you're a girl gamer."
Solid reason, even if I do say so. Lost World had players of all genders, but pervy dudes were everywhere.
"N-No, it's fine! T-That makes sense..."
Serinsel sounded flustered. Fair—after 3-4 years thinking I was a dude, plot twist.
Meanwhile, Min Se-rin was thinking something else entirely from what I'd guessed.
'W-Wow... That voice is amazing...'
Noel's soft, velvety tone tickled her ears, more than enough to shock her.
She'd imagined a generic guy voice—instead, a serene, gentle feminine one.
"Never dreamed you'd be a girl..."
"Haha... Sorry for hiding it. Kept meaning to say, but timing..."
Then, lightning struck—Se-rin had a brilliant idea.
"Hey, wanna surprise the others and reveal it on broadcast day? They won't show it, but everyone's been curious about you."
Surprise reveal on stream? Sounded fun—me going "Surprise, I'm a girl!" would make for great reactions.
I'm not super prankish, but her idea was solid.
"Sure, sounds good. Let's do that."
"Hehe... Thanks! They'll freak!"
"Appreciate the setup help. Hit me up later if you want anything in return."
Se-rin brainstormed: 'Optimal leveling spots? Boss tips?'
She tabled it for now. "Hehe... Won't say no! Gonna rest now?"
"Yeah... Hit 31 today, so chill and sleep."
"Eek... 31? You did 2nd Job too?? I'm still 28..."
"Haha, yep. Witch is surprisingly decent."
"Ooh, got it! See you on stream in two days!"
"Yeah. Rest up, Serinsel."
Beep—
Call ended. Se-rin vowed to cash in that favor for leveling secrets.
...But what she'd actually ask for in the end? No one knew.
"Phew... Setup done. Just level up till broadcast day and mentally prep."
She lay in bed, humming along to music.
'You always know, you're gonna be the best in the end. You're the one who worked hard until the end~'
Singing an old high school fave, she scrolled her phone till 1 AM and crashed.
She grinded Lost World till Friday night, hitting level 38.
And finally, broadcast Saturday arrived.