Supernova (1)
Lee Sera lay on her bed, clutching a rabbit doll to her chest. At 11 years old, she'd be a child actor if she went into acting. Singing was out, so no idols or singers for her.
Maybe just modeling after all...? she thought. Leveraging her fame for ad gigs or starting a YouTube channel, living off the money she'd earned so far—it wouldn't be so bad.
As those thoughts swirled, Lee Sera got up from the bed and sat in a chair. In her hand was a massive smartphone.
Three weeks since she'd cut herself off from the internet. Ever since that day she'd plummeted alongside Yoo Eunha, she'd kept her distance. Searching her own name would just bring a flood of hate anyway.
"Ahh~ Yoo Eunha's got it so good~"
Not stuck with half-baked talent like hers, where you had to sacrifice your future just to claim first place. No need to force a level-up to pay off her parents' debts. No walking this bitter, shadowy path like she was.
Lee Sera bowed her head as those thoughts crept in.
"That's not it..."
She knew it better than anyone. This was the path she'd chosen, and these were the consequences. She could endure it, overcome it, no problem.
Just...
Lee Sera gave a wry smile, gazing at the purple veins visible through her translucent skin. She was truly envious of being able to keep using magic. Jealous of still feeling the flow of ether. Envious of having the power to protect the world.
Clenching her fists tight, she leaned back in the chair. Her body was shedding ether in real time. Her mental core no longer pulsed like it used to. Soon enough, she'd be an ordinary person. Just another shooting star streaking past a corner of history, gone without a trace.
Lee Sera set down her phone and picked up her practice notebook. She wanted to head to the training grounds. This would probably be her final farewell performance, so she wanted to give it her all until the very end.
*
I sat alone in the empty house, letting out a sigh. With even Tae-hyun off to America to look for Monica, the place felt eerily hollow.
Shasha and Jang-gil, the two boys, shot me displeased glares while grudgingly wearing aprons.
"Overlord... I'm a guardian, not a maid."
"Doesn't matter—they both start with the same syllable."
At my words, Shasha threw a fit.
"You punk! How dare you treat this great Arc like—!"
The two of them yelled their heads off, but they were just black-haired and white-haired boys in pink aprons, nothing more.
"Know why black-and-white mages are trending these days? You two are like black-and-white maids..."
"Hey! Overlord!"
At their firm resistance, I pouted.
"Fine, take 'em off then. Honestly, I didn't bring you here for chores. Just felt lonely."
Shasha paused and approached, still in the apron.
"Overlord, you sounding like some grandma who needs company?"
I shrugged at his words.
"Not wrong. With Monica and Tae-hyun gone, the house is too quiet. Gets me down."
As my gloomy mood showed, they scratched their cheeks awkwardly.
"Then just go to Star Sea."
"......"
I furrowed my brow at that.
"Don't you know the Abyss rejects humans? What if I lose control to madness? Then what?"
"Eh, we could seal you for a millennium or something...?"
I grimaced at their utter lack of humanity.
"Such barbarians."
"Well, that's..."
The TV was showing the first day of the ranking war finals.
"Ah, today's the day—the ranking war finals."
"Yeah, six days straight."
I fiddled with my phone and said,
"I'm only watching Lee Sera and Hong Ji-yeon's matches."
"They're subpar."
Jang-gil clutched his stomach laughing at my words.
"Not bragging—it's true. The 1st Army isn't even showing up. And the so-called 2nd Army? Nothing special."
Shasha shrugged at my words.
"So today's match is Lee Sera vs. Cheolhyeol?"
"Yeah."
I narrowed my eyes at the photo of Monica and me on the TV stand, then got up and turned the frame around. Jang-gil shook his head watching me.
"Shut it."
I lay on the sofa and watched Cheolhyeol and Lee Sera take the arena stage. As soon as I unmuted, the caster's voice boomed.
I gripped Jang-gil's arm tight, watching the anxious-looking Lee Sera.
I forced Jang-gil's face toward the TV.
"See it, Jang-gil?"
"Are your eyes buttonholes? No ether or mental core flow from Lee Sera at all."
Jang-gil smacked his lips. At Lee Sera's unstable stance, her mental core—supposed to brim with ether—only trembled faintly.
"...Something's off."
Jang-gil smirked knowingly.
"Augmentation method?"
As I furrowed my brow, Jang-gil launched into an explanation.
*
This was an airplane adrift without power. A car with a burning engine. Or a cooling star.
The Iron Blood Lord hurled a massive cannonball at the standing Lee Sera.
4th Level Projectile Magic
Hand Cannon
A cannonball crudely launched from his grip. Yet the sonic boom breaking the sound barrier told a different story—its power far surpassed a standard 4th level.
As the round shot flew at Lee Sera, her survival magic shattered. Not even a direct hit, just a glancing blow, and that was the result.
Lee Sera's 4th level survival magic, Satellis Tutela, crumbled into sparkling dust.
It breaks that easily, Cheolhyeol thought, clicking his tongue inwardly.
Dark flames flickered in Lee Sera's eyes. No mere passion or resolve—this was something deeper.
She's come out today as her last stand, huh.
Cheolhyeol knew her coach, Yi Sang-yeop, well. Their pro careers had overlapped when he was still a rookie, and he was a senior from the same tower.
He still couldn't forget Yi Sang-yeop's sobs.
'I'm so sorry. It's agony destroying a kid with such brilliance, all for some vested interest.'
Whatever the interests, whatever the reason for ruining her—Cheolhyeol couldn't comprehend it. But from her condition, he could guess her training.
She used the ether augmentation method.
A way to massively boost the amount of ether one could handle, skipping fine control techniques. In theory, more ether meant higher-level spells, and sheer volume covered sloppy control.
It seemed all upside at first—hailed as revolutionary when discovered, lots of research poured in.
The catch? It didn't hold past 5th level, so it fell out of favor. Once there, the piled-up ether went uncontrollable, collapsing under its own weight. Like a star imploding from gravity it couldn't overcome.
She's right on the verge of collapse.
Cheolhyeol narrowed his eyes at her unstable mental core.
4th Level Projectile Magic
Hand Cannon
A reflexive 4th level spell in response to his magic. Fitting her moniker Supernova—flawless, awe-inspiring casting.
4th Level Survival Magic
Satellis Tutela
Her magic shattered pathetically again, but Lee Sera showed no surprise.
What a talented kid she was...
For the first time, fury toward Yi Sang-yeop surged in Cheolhyeol.
Projectile magic of the same level gets blocked by survival magic. An unwritten rule. That's why control or special types exist.
Yet Lee Sera wasn't shocked her projectile pierced survival magic—she countered perfectly.
Meaning she wasn't relying on matchups alone. She was reading her opponent's ether in real time, calculating power output.
A feat even Cheolhyeol couldn't match.
Ha...
He pitied her from the bottom of his heart.
2nd Level Projectile Magic
Star Halo - !
Cheolhyeol dodged her incoming spell and cast a simple time-buying one.
3rd Level Control Magic
Steel Rain
Too clever a kid to fade like this. Why, Sang-yeop sunbae...
It left a bitter taste. He'd checked and summoned her, but not expecting such a tragic confirmation.
Lee Sera, barely blocking his 3rd level with 4th level magic, was panting raggedly. Her fingertips were already purple, her face pale as blank paper.
Why the hell?
He wanted to demand answers right then. Why? What vested interest outweighed one mage's brilliant future?
Cheolhyeol sighed, a mix of emotions, and prepared his final spell. His own eulogy for a mage's end.
A brief ether pulse. Nothing stirred around him.
But Lee Sera's head drooped, and she collapsed.
That was the finale of the mage who'd led Korea's junior scene for five years.
The audience who'd watched that first match was deathly silent, unable to believe it.
*
Right after the finals match ended, Cheolhyeol headed home to gear up. He wanted answers from Yi Sang-yeop sunbae.
"......"
After a moment's hesitation, he swept ether cartridges from his safe. His instincts screamed someone would die today.