Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Cosplaying as a Prodigy
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Training in freezing magic, a skill I deliberately picked up instead of my maker skills, wasn't just about raising proficiency.
If that were the case, it'd be better to just summon Instructor Clone again.
My goal was to figure out how to bloom ice flowers and breathe out cold air that froze everything but my own body.
I wanted to build the fundamentals of this freezing magic from the ground up.
'Well, leaving everything to the clone is an option too.'
But clearing a game is always like that.
Just like rock-paper-scissors, sometimes you need rock or paper, not just scissors.
To survive the rifts that would spawn later, I had to build up my own skills as an essential foundation.
"And it's not like I can just coast through the upcoming straggler exam anyway."
During exams, there's always a moment where you have to show off your skills in front of the examiner.
A minimum attack.
Or minimal self-defense.
Shoot an ice spike.
Freeze the ground to make it slippery.
It might not even reach Instructor Cheon Da-eun's toes, but for a maker's demonstration, it'd be just enough.
Freezing magic training was essential! Though what comes next, I have no clue...
"Hoo..."
I took a deep breath, drew up the mana I'd sent back to its origin, then released it, repeating the process.
Maintaining focus was way harder than I'd thought.
The mana I was trying to keep at my fingertips kept surging wildly, and after just a few tries, my hands were numb from the cold.
There was even a close call where my focus slipped and the mana nearly backlashed.
"Damn, not easy after all."
Was it unrealistic to expect to master a skill in a single day just because I learned it?
I was grunting and wrestling with the ice shards for a while when—
Screeech.
The back door of the training hall creaked open, and a single streak of red sunset light stretched long into the room.
Who is it? Instructor?
But when I turned, an unexpected figure stood there.
The moment I saw his face, I scowled without thinking.
An unwelcome acquaintance.
"What, Kang Ihyeon, it's you?"
"Park Jinseong?"
"Renting out the whole training hall? Lucky bastard. Training going well?"
"...Yeah."
"Good to hear! Man, when you left the Swordsmanship Sect, it felt like you were gonna drop out altogether, but seeing you find another path makes me feel better for you."
The Academy Swordsmanship Sect.
It was a few months ago.
Unable to find answers in maker skills, I'd knocked on the Swordsmanship Sect's door.
Academy warrior trainees pick after-school sects based on their skill types, and the Swordsmanship Sect was one of them. Park Jinseong was a guy who'd joined around the same time as me.
'Now I'm in the straggler program getting remedial lessons from Instructor Cheon Da-eun, though.'
His intentions were obvious.
He was probably mocking me, like, "The guy who flunked out of the Swordsmanship Sect is flailing around now?"
He'd always been that type. Living off his own superiority, climbing over others.
"Hey, hey, come on in! Use this spot. This guy's my classmate."
"Hi. Long time no see?"
"...Pardon the intrusion. I'm Han Yujeong, enrolling next semester."
Looking closer, it seemed he hadn't come all this way just to mess with me.
Two female students emerged from behind Park Jinseong.
One was Lee Soo-yeon, with flashy blonde hair cascading to her shoulders—total popular girl vibe.
An Academy classmate who often hung with the delinquents.
She gave a casual eye-nod like she couldn't care less and plopped down on a chair in the corner of the training hall.
And the other one...
'Surprising. Didn't expect her this soon. And in this way.'
Red skirt, white blouse, neat long hair—Han Yujeong, a junior trainee.
Her sleepy, half-lidded eyes and the rapier at her waist were striking.
I knew her for one reason.
In the early story of Dominant Evil, Han Yujeong enters via special admission as a promising swordsmanship prospect and becomes a key ally to the protagonist.
Park Jinseong slapped my shoulder with exaggerated laughter.
"Ahh, our sect's prized junior prospect. I was showing her around early."
"I see."
"Training halls are all booked up, so we were wondering where to go, and here you are using it alone. You're not gonna be petty and hog it in front of our junior, right?"
"......"
'No way a training hall is fully booked on a holiday.'
Obvious lie, this guy.
Clearly scheming to make me look small in front of the junior.
But I hadn't rented out this huge hall for myself, and there was no need to stir up trouble. Especially not with Han Yujeong, who knew nothing yet—I didn't want to start off on the wrong foot. She was someone I needed to impress going forward.
"Use it as you like. I was wrapping up anyway."
I gathered my gloves and odds and ends, preparing to leave the training hall.
But Park Jinseong blocked my path. A smug grin plastered his face.
"Come on, where you rushing off to? Since we're here, show our junior what an Academy warrior trainee can do, yeah?"
"...What do you want me to show? I'm not in swordsmanship anymore."
"So what? Experience is seeing all kinds of skill types."
Park Jinseong snatched a practice wooden sword from the basket in the corner and twirled it showily.
Lee Soo-yeon giggled from the side.
"Heehee, Park Jinseong, you look like a total extra villain. Hey, if you're not gonna fight, just bail. No point in getting hurt over pride—your loss."
"......"
Meanwhile, Han Yujeong glanced uncertainly between them and me before bowing her head.
Ha. True to the game world, this clichéd event.
I kept thinking it, but it was getting tiresome.
My fragile pride had been tossed months ago amid failures, but considering my relationship with Han Yujeong, I couldn't just turn tail.
I let out a short sigh and carefully slipped on my gloves.
"...A light showcase should be fine."
"Showcase?"
"A demo of my prototype."
"Oh yeah, you were a maker originally, right? That prototype—the weird gloves?"
Lee Soo-yeon chimed in, eyes wide with interest.
Park Jinseong slung the wooden sword over his shoulder and shrugged.
"Sure, whatever. A straggler's prototype. Let's see it. Don't embarrass yourself in front of our precious junior?"
'Embarrassment.'
His desired picture was clear.
Me fumbling with some shoddy maker item.
'If it was gonna be like that, I wouldn't have started, asshole.'
I had no intention of fighting.
Clashing wooden swords with him now gained me nothing. Better to thoroughly show off as a 'maker hunter' instead.
Especially in front of Han Yujeong, who'd shine in a few months.
I took a deep breath. Awakened the faint sensation of freezing magic in my body and let it flow to my hands.
Then stopped it.
Condense it at the fingertips. The very tips.
Park Jinseong gripped his wooden sword and lowered into stance. He looked ready to charge any second.
"Here I go!"
With his shout, Park Jinseong kicked off the ground and rushed me. I focused all my gathered mana into the crude gloves on my palms!
'Make it slippery!'
Power from mana.
Form from imagination.
Imitating something? I'm good at that.
Instructor Cheon Da-eun's overwhelming wave of cold.
If I could recreate even a fraction here, that'd be enough.
I squeezed every drop of my meager mana and exhaled it in one burst!
Craaaack—!
With a sudden chill, the ground between me and Park Jinseong froze with a loud racket.
But it wasn't the smooth ice I'd imagined.
Like a raging wave frozen mid-crash, jagged, uneven ice shards protruded hideously.
'Ugh!'
I lacked the proficiency to finely control the mana release.
But the power? Pouring everything in made it decently impressive.
With a comical yelp, he tumbled across the bumpy ice.
"Urk! What the—ice? You, how...?"
"Eh? What is that? Did Kang Ihyeon really do that?"
"...Impressive."
"What?"
At Han Yujeong's soft murmur, Park Jinseong fumed and tried to stand on the ice, but the uneven surface made it tough. He kept slipping and flailing.
"Hey! Kang Ihyeon! Shit, you... when did you learn this?!"
"Well, it's still a bit rough."
The glove's palm had a hole torn through from the strain, but I hid my hand behind my back.
Honestly, even I was surprised. Didn't expect such a convincing result.
Seeing that thug's face alone eased some pent-up frustration.
Lee Soo-yeon, who'd been sitting quietly, approached and squatted beside the floundering Park Jinseong.
"Jinseong, why not call it here? I don't wanna piss off the maker hunter anymore."
"You too? If we keep going, I'll win for sure!"
"Yeah, sure. But you saw that thing."
"Ugh...!"
"You played along with the kid stuff. I did my part?"
Park Jinseong finally stood on shaky legs.
Still glaring at me, but his eyes held bewilderment instead of mockery or disdain.
He opened his mouth a few times, then turned away.
"Sigh, he's at it again. What a temper."
Lee Soo-yeon shook her head pityingly and followed. She flashed me a grin and a wink.
I... see... you... la... ter.
Her lip movements were clear.
"Come on, our cute Yujeong, lemme introduce you somewhere else!"
"...Yes, Senior."
Han Yujeong followed them too. Right before exiting, she glanced back and gave me a light nod.
Not bad for a first meeting, I guess.
I let out a long sigh and slumped to the floor. My legs felt like jelly.
"Haa, exhausting."
Short as it was, focusing every nerve left my body aching.
This body just lacks mana. Can't even use a Lv.1 spell properly...
And the only mana capacity boost I got was today's 'Growth Spurt' skill.
Well, still.
"Did I grow a little...?"
Growth, for a guy who'd only eaten shit for months.
My lips twitched upward.
Lost in thought, staring blankly at the ceiling—
Thud.
My vision darkened as something cold touched my forehead.
"Huh?"
Startled, I touched it—a cold, damp towel like an ice pack.
And there, by my head, stood Instructor Cheon Da-eun.
"Instructor?"