Chapter 200: A Cliché?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 200: A Cliché?
Quite some time had passed since I returned to Earth.
Of course, it had only been two or three hours, but that was more than enough time for Noel to pant on top of me until she passed out.
“Maaaster…”
Cradling Noel as she muttered in her sleep, I stared into the empty air.
[Would you like to decide on a sub-class?]
[Martial Artist (武人)]
[Y/N]
It was about time I made a decision.
Mulling it over any longer wouldn't change anything.
I could have chosen Swordsman to get some auxiliary skills or buffs related to swordsmanship, which I needed right away, but I decided to make a more long-term choice.
‘If I really need time to train, I can just keep doing matches.’
There was no reason for me to be impatient.
[Y]
[Sub-class ‘Martial Artist (武人)’ will be created.]
[Skill ‘Formless Body (無相肢體)’ will be created.]
[The reconstruction of your body will now begin.]
“Keuk?!”
The moment the screen filled my vision, an unknown, excruciating pain washed over me.
Crack, crunch—
It felt like every bone in my body was being shattered.
It was worse than any pain I’d felt from being stabbed or slashed by a sword.
“Aaaargh…!!”
“M-M-Master?!”
My scream startled Noel awake.
But I didn’t have the luxury of even glancing at her.
I reflexively tried to summon my magic power, but the pain showed no signs of subsiding, and my vision only grew blurrier.
I had no idea what was happening, but one thing was certain.
‘…If I pass out now, I’ll die.’
The agony was so intense I couldn't even cast a simple spell, but the thought that I must not lose consciousness rang like an alarm bell in my head, a primal instinct.
“M-Master! W-what do I do?! Should I call an ambulance?!”
Grit. I bit my tongue hard, forcing myself to stay awake.
I could feel my body changing. It was a strange sensation, as if I was becoming a completely different person.
Broken bones were healing at a rapid rate. Torn muscles were regenerating in the blink of an eye.
Ignoring the cold sweat that poured down like rain, I closed my eyes.
I realized that to endure this, I needed to focus not on my magic power, but on my ki.
As the Vajra Ki circulated throughout my body, the waves of agony came even faster.
“Hnngh…!!”
But it was actually a good thing.
The unknown transformation of my body was proceeding at a much faster pace. I could feel it was almost over.
[62% complete.]
[79% complete.]
[84% complete.]
[96% complete.]
·
·
·
[Reconstruction of the body is complete.]
[You have successfully acquired ‘Formless Body (無相肢體)’.]
[Formless Body (無相肢體)
Grade: Epic
You will obtain a Formless (無相) Body.
You will acquire a strong physique and bones.
Your latent talent will blossom.
You will awaken to the five senses that connect heaven and earth.]
As a new screen filled my vision, all the pain vanished as if it had been a lie.
Thud. I collapsed onto the bed.
“H-Hello?! Is this 119! Someone collapsed here… The address? Uh… um… it’s a pretty tall building, and I can see a really big building far away… Ah! It’s Seoul! What? No! This isn’t a prank call… Huh?! Master!”
I grabbed the arm of Noel, who was busy arguing with the emergency dispatcher. I didn't have the strength to tell her I was okay.
Instead, I weakly pointed toward the table.
“Ah!”
Noel finally got off the bed and brought over the bottle of holy water from the table.
I’d taken it out to check how much holy water and how many potions I had left. I never thought I’d end up using it like this.
With Noel’s help, I drank the holy water. Only then did I feel a sense of relief.
“Hoo…”
“Master, are you okay…?”
I stroked the head of Noel, whose eyes were trembling with anxiety.
“…It’s nothing.”
Actually, it was a very big deal.
One wrong move and I could have died.
‘This crazy app. Shouldn’t it warn me before something like this happens?’
I was lucky I chose my class at home. If this had happened in the middle of a battle, I would have been dead for sure.
I wanted to leave a 5,500-character complaint with customer service, but this insane app didn’t have anything like that.
Ting—
Regardless, a new screen appeared before my eyes.
As expected, there was no apology for the customer who had just had a near-death experience.
[The probability of items related to the sub-class ‘Martial Artist’ appearing in the Shop will increase.]
[With two classes decided, the 2nd Class Advancement is now unlocked.]
[You may proceed with the 2nd Class Advancement upon meeting the conditions.]
“Second class advancement…?”
It was a little absurd, but I understood.
This was an app that gave you coins for killing magical beasts. It wasn't that strange for a keyword like "second class advancement" to pop up now.
Just as I was about to check the conditions for advancement…
“…Master.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“…You smell.”
“Smell?”
Sniff, sniff. Only then did I realize a foul stench was coming from my body. On top of that, the mattress was covered in something sticky.
I instinctively knew it was the impurities that had been flushed out of my body.
‘Is this what they meant by reconstruction of the body?’
I closed my eyes for a moment and observed myself. A lot had definitely changed.
Crrk—
Just by clenching my fist, I could tell my grip strength had doubled. And that wasn't all. My body’s durability had improved, and all my senses had become sharper.
I wanted to test a few things out, but Noel’s eviction notice banished me to the bathroom.
In the end, I had to take two showers before I was finally allowed to sleep beside her.
*
My original plan was to meet with Iris briefly and then start a new match.
But contrary to my plans, I ended up spending much more time in that world than I’d expected.
I wasn't particularly tired, but it meant I had more to think about and organize.
I decided to take a short break and spend some time on Earth.
‘Well, it’s not like I’m in a rush to start a match.’
Today was Monday, the day I was scheduled to meet the Tower Lord as per our contract.
I was getting ready to head to the Magic Tower, but a problem arose.
“Noel.”
“Hmph…”
Since this morning, Noel had refused to get off my lap.
Whenever I tried to move her, she would just hug me tighter and resist with all her strength.
After struggling with her for nearly ten minutes, I half gave up.
How is she so strong?
“Master, did you know?”
“…Know what?”
“I think you’ve gotten a little more handsome. You looked normal before I went to sleep… or was it just dark so I saw wrong?”
Ignoring Noel’s muttering, I looked at the mirror in the living room.
‘More handsome?’
My features did seem a little more defined and my shoulders a bit broader than before, but I couldn't really tell.
Was this also a side effect of what happened yesterday?
“This is bad… What if other bitches start flocking to you…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ah!”
I grabbed the waist of the rabbit in heat who was trying to make me late on a Monday and lifted her straight up. I’d caught her off guard, so it worked.
The moment she was off my lap, Noel started to struggle.
“Let me go!”
“Alright.”
I calmly set her down on the sofa. She shot me a pouting glare.
“I’ll be back before 6, so wait patiently.”
“Six o’clock?!”
If I were just attending classes, I’d be done quickly, but my appointment with the Tower Lord meant I would be a little late.
“I’m a rabbit! Rabbits die of loneliness, you know!”
“Yeah, right.”
“I want to go with you!”
“You think that’s possible?”
Leaving the wailing Noel behind, I hurried out of the house.
On my way to the Magic Tower in a taxi, I called up the screen that was sitting in the corner of my vision.
[Mage 2nd Class Advancement Conditions]
[Achieve 5th Circle]
[Martial Artist 2nd Class Advancement Conditions]
[Achieve the Transcendent Realm]
The conditions were straightforward. They looked simple on the surface, but they weren't something I could achieve right now.
I dismissed the screen and turned my head to look out the window.
In the distance, the Magic Tower was coming into view.
*
Classes at the Magic Tower were still just so-so. That was the problem with hiding the fact that I was a 4th Circle mage and taking classes with 1st Circle kids.
For now, I had no choice but to treat the classes as a review session.
Even then, most of it went in one ear and out the other.
Time passed, and soon it was break time. Pretending to look out the window, I focused my mind.
The Vajra Ki in my dantian began to circulate.
‘Is this the Formless Body?’
Even with a light circulation of ki, I could feel the difference.
It was so clear that the flaws in the martial forms I had performed so far came to mind vividly.
And that wasn't all. I felt like I knew what I had to do next and how I should train.
It even felt like a waste of time to be here.
I would benefit so much more if I went to train instead.
‘…No, my main focus is, and always will be, magic.’
I shook my head, clearing away the distracting thoughts.
This was just an illusion caused by the new skill I’d acquired. I’d felt something similar when I first started learning magic.
Forcing myself to get a grip, I tried to focus on controlling my power, which was proving strangely difficult. Just then…
“Um… Hyun-woo.”
A few girls from my class approached me.
If I remembered correctly, from the left, they were Choi Yujin, Kim Hwajeong, and Lee Minjeong.
“What’s up?”
They were the prettiest girls after Han Seoah, so their faces had naturally stuck in my memory.
“Do you… have time after school?” Choi Yujin asked, finally managing to speak after a moment of hesitation.
“If you’re free, let’s all hang out after class. I made a reservation at a nice place, and they said we can add one more person.”
“We’re going to a magic tool shop, too. Could you come with us?”
The other two followed Choi Yujin’s lead. I could hear a faint tremor in their voices.
It was the first time I’d ever received an invitation like this, so I was momentarily flustered.
“I have plans, so I don’t think I can make it.”
It would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed.
But I had an appointment with the Tower Lord after class, and Noel would throw a fit if I was too late, so I had no choice but to refuse.
“Sorry.”
“N-No, it’s okay. Just let us know if you’re free next time, okay?”
Choi Yujin returned to her seat, not bothering to hide her disappointment. The other two did the same.
Class started again shortly after, but I couldn't get what just happened out of my head.
‘Is today some special occasion?’
It wasn't April Fool's Day.
I knew there was a shortage of men at the Magic Tower, but I never expected them to be this forward.
Suddenly, I remembered what Noel had said this morning.
But I hadn't noticed any significant change when I looked in the mirror, so I decided to dismiss it as Noel’s usual lip service.
“That’s all for today’s lecture.”
The moment class ended, I left the classroom.
I had some time before my next class, so I planned to go to the Grand Library and borrow some books on spatial magic.
Iris would be happy if I brought them to her.
I couldn't go last week because I didn't have an access card, but I had received a text this morning saying my card had been issued.
As I walked down the hallway toward the library, I felt gazes pouring down on me.
“Is that the guy who got in through special admission?”
“Is he really the same age as the guys in our class? Look at his shoulders…”
“Doesn’t he look different from his photo? I thought he had a sharper look.”
“Right? I’m not the only one who thought that, am I?”
“…He might be my type.”
It wasn't unusual, given the skewed gender ratio at the Magic Tower. It had been like this last week, too.
But there were noticeably more people paying attention to me than last week.
I moved toward a less crowded area to escape the stares and attention.
Of course, it wasn't that the girls made me uncomfortable.
It was because my senses had been overly sharp since this morning. They were so sensitive that my body reacted to even the slightest glance from others.
Like a wild animal that instinctively flees at the mere presence of a person.
‘I should probably use magic to dull my senses for now.’
It would be a bit uncomfortable, but it was the better option in my current state.
Wrapping my entire body in a transparent barrier certainly helped. But it also felt a little stuffy.
Like having one arm and one leg in a cast.
‘I won’t be like this for long, so I’ll just have to bear with it for now.’
I sighed and was about to turn the corner at the end of the hall when…
Thump—
“Ah!”
I bumped into someone.
I was fine, but the girl fell right on her butt.
“Ouch…”
I can't believe this happened right after I dulled my senses.
“I’m sorry. I was lost in thought.”
I extended a hand to the girl on the floor.
“Where in the world is your head…!”
The girl raised her voice, annoyed.
But it was only for a moment. A look of bewilderment flashed across her gray eyes as they met mine.
Just then, a breeze from the hallway window rustled her brown hair.
‘…What are you doing here?’
The person I had bumped into was Han Seoah, the Tower Lord’s one and only younger sister.
