Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Live at Least 50 More Years!
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Five days had passed since settling down in Uijeongbu.
At the crack of dawn, when the undead halted their movements...
I smiled as I gazed at the azure flames flickering before my eyes.
Not red flames, but blue ones.
This was the first step in altering the properties of the flames.
A spell that proved I had become proficient in the Phlogiston School.
"It's done. 4th Circle."
I had reached the 4th Circle in the Phlogiston School.
It had been less than two weeks since I started learning magic, and here I was, already proficient in an entire school.
Firepower Enthusiast's praises seemed to grow more embarrassingly affectionate with each passing day.
At first, she hated the idea of me being snatched away by others.
Now, she was bursting with pride and couldn't stop bragging about me.
Hey, if she likes me that much, I'm happy too.
She even sends pics of herself in pajamas to cheer me on sometimes.
What can I say? It's the mark of a true mentor.
She inspires passion in her disciple—that makes her a great teacher.
The earth magic I started learning from the dwarf gramps hit 2nd Circle yesterday.
Basic manipulation and shaping were possible, but maintaining it was a whole different beast.
I tried forming a dirt lid like a dome to cover the building and block the blizzards and winds, but it kept crumbling every time.
Dirt alone couldn't withstand the weight of the accumulating snow, and no matter how tightly I packed it, its own weight eventually brought it down.
'Maybe it'll be different once I can turn dirt into stone.'
According to the dwarf gramps, earth magic allows property changes past 5th Circle, letting you harden packed dirt into stone. Still a long way to go.
Workshop building is still a distant dream.
Calling me a monster with such high praise.
Combat magic had climbed to 3rd Circle before I knew it.
Turned out, the stuff from day one was just a beginner summary.
I thought I had to master it all, so I did. When I posted the proof video, Elf Hunter treated me like a freak.
Now he's trying to make me his lieutenant.
Rolling in the battlefield together... compared to the ice age, maybe that's... better?
'Nah. Is the battlefield better than the ice age? I hear they get supplies there. Booze and meat every day, apparently. But it's a dog-eat-dog life...'
Tough call.
Elf Hunter's world was a total mess from the elf-human war, so comparing it to here was impossible.
Elf Hunter said the max he could teach was up to 5th Circle.
Combat magic felt less like magic and more like martial arts from wuxia novels.
I heard Elf Hunter was a weapon master.
Swords, spears, bows, hammers, axes—anything he could grab, he wielded.
I didn't have a main weapon yet.
Bare-knuckle fighter seemed too risky no matter how I thought about it.
I was considering using the machete scavenged from those Yellow Dog guys' corpses as my primary.
I snapped pics of the three machetes and sent them to Elf Hunter.
With three, even if one breaks, two spares remain—perfect for a main weapon trial.
Harsh words, but the machete's utility was proven.
A solid swing with a critical hit could send foes straight to hell.
Elf Hunter took one look and highly recommended the machetes as top-tier.
Melee fights from now on: machetes it is.
'Morning classes are done.'
I wake at sunrise and take two-hour lessons.
Period 1: Firepower Enthusiast.
Period 2: Dwarf gramps lecture.
Period 3: Combat magic practice.
One full cycle ends around noon.
Then Potion Addict's class begins...
If there were ferns, I'd have boiled them all by now.
No ferns, no nothing—not even tree bark to strip.
Potion Addict said my knowledge level was already 3rd Circle equivalent.
But without stable alchemy materials, no further progress.
How do you make grass grow on frozen ground again?
Burn the soil with fire? Or sprinkle some fertilizer?
Potion Addict confidently dove into an elf-heavy thread and straight-up begged them to mentor me.
Predictably, the response was ice-cold.
The Sage Time Gallery elves didn't like me one bit.
Reason one: I was human, their most despised race.
Reason two: I was already Elf Hunter's disciple in combat magic.
Potion Addict was the weird one for trying to teach a guy like me.
To the elves, I was a thorn in their side, pure aggro bait.
Craziest bitch?
Wait, Potion Addict's a woman?
First I'd heard of that.
Her blunt tone made me picture a grizzled middle-aged elf dude.
Firepower Enthusiast and Human Lover screamed feminine from their speech, but Potion Addict? Shocker.
Elf comments flooded in suddenly.
Me living another 10 years before dying?
That's a blessing, right?
I took it as good wishes, but Potion Addict didn't.
Potion Addict's words dripped with raw fury.
She was angry for me.
No need to apologize.
I was touched enough that Potion Addict got angry for me.
Just a bit disappointed, that's all.
Nothing more.
If one path's blocked, find another.
Wait, really?
Come to think of it, Nature Lover never said no...
How heartwarming is this?
Just yesterday, she was bickering with Elf Hunter, and now she's volunteering to help me.
She'll help me live 50 more years.
Is this elf an angel?
I figured I'd die within 5 years, let alone 10.
Thanks to Nature Lover, immortality's looking likely.