Lim Sol (2)
"No, you're supposed to make it reasonably complicated. What the hell is this even supposed to be?"
The old artifact craftsman had offered to modify a mana assist device for my training, so I'd handed one over. What came back was a bomb that could go off at any second.
I'd spent a solid week locked in and studying the thing, and I still had no idea how anyone was supposed to use it. If I couldn't use it, other mages wouldn't even be able to touch it — and he'd had the gall to call this a training tool. Had the old man finally gone senile? I genuinely could not understand it.
"Huh? Where'd it go?"
Last night I'd decided there was no point leaving something that dangerous lying around if I couldn't even use it for training, so I'd set it on my office desk to dispose of it. One day later, it was gone.
"Ah, shit. This is why I should actually clean up once in a while."
Bookshelves packed every wall that didn't have a door. Papers and research notes lay scattered across the floor, along with the little scraps I'd scribbled on whenever a magical insight struck me.
With a whoosh, I sketched a simple magic circle and set it to work. The books stacked on the floor drifted back to their shelves. The papers and documents folded themselves into neat piles and settled onto the desk. The scraps of paper found their own way into the trash.
"Okay, seriously. Where is it?"
Modified or not, this was no ordinary object. The old man had inverted the spell formulas engraved into the mana assist device, dropping its mana sensitivity to rock bottom, then rigged it so that drawing mana through it would slam a reactive shock through the interior. On top of that, he'd given it a mana-repelling property that would overload the wearer's body.
The synergy had turned out far better than expected — so much so that when I'd actually tried to train with it, all I'd gotten for my trouble was internal injuries. I'd pulled it out intending to scrap it, gotten distracted by another project, and come back to find it gone.
"It's around here somewhere. I never took it outside."
I knew exactly how dangerous the thing was, so I wasn't stupid enough to carry it out of the office. It had to be stuffed somewhere hard to reach — under a bookshelf, most likely.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Professor? Are you in?"
"Yeah~ Come in."
The teaching assistant who helped with my research stepped inside and blinked in surprise.
"Whoa. What's the occasion? You actually cleaned? You always said the room researched better in its natural state."
"I need to find something. Have you seen a bracelet that looks like a mana assist device?"
"Oh — if you mean the one that was on your desk, I put it back in the practice-equipment case."
"...What?"
"I figured you'd forget about it once you got absorbed in your research anyway, and the first-years have a practical today, so I went ahead and put it away. Pretty helpful, right?"
"You little— wait. There's a practical today?"
"Yes? They should be in the middle of it right now. Why, what's wrong?"
I uncrossed my legs, shot to my feet, shoved the dazed assistant aside, and bolted for the mana research building.
"Professor! Where are you going?! You have paperwork! Are you running away again?!"
"Ugh, that clueless brat."
The mana research building wasn't far. Running would be faster than setting up a teleportation circle.
A standard mana assist device and the modified training version looked nearly identical. Anyone paying close attention might notice something slightly off — but professors and assistants had no reason to scrutinize a mana assist device, and the students would be seeing one for the first time. They'd never know the difference.
If a student so much as put that modified bracelet on... I didn't want to think about what could happen. Hospitalized with damaged mana circuits? That would be the lucky outcome. Permanent inability to use mana — or death — was far more likely.
I couldn't even blame the assistant. I'd been written up more than once for borrowing artifacts for research and then forgetting to return them. In the end, leaving a dangerous object lying around like junk was entirely my fault.
Please. Please let nothing have happened.
I burst through the entrance of the mana research building. Fortunately, the first-years' classroom was on the ground floor — right in front of me.
I threw the door open hard enough to nearly take it off its hinges.
I'd barged in through the front of a class in session, so I should have been looking at a roomful of students' faces. Instead, every last one of them was packed against the far wall.
"What's going on?"
"Lee Ho-yeon just collapsed out of nowhere. Damn it, I can't even see with this many people."
Lee Ho-yeon?
The student I'd made a note of after the last mage-specialty class.
He'd have been better off with no talent at all!
If he had just enough talent to fight a mana backlash and ended up permanently crippled for it, he'd be far worse off than if he'd simply passed out without understanding a thing. At least then there'd be a chance of emergency treatment afterward.
"Excuse me! Coming through!"
"Hey, what the— wait... Professor Lim Sol?"
I shoved through the crowd and found a male student collapsed on the floor.
The first thing that hit me was his face. I'd seen him in the last class, but looking at him again was like seeing him for the first time. I'd met plenty of handsome men in my life. Next to this one, every last one of them was a squid.
The second thing I noticed was that that handsome face was twisting and changing by the second, a groan leaking from between his teeth.
He's still conscious?
On the outside he looked like a man about to cough up blood and die. On the inside, a desperate battle was raging to pin down mana gone completely feral. And the level of that struggle was absurdly high. I'd never seen a mana-control method like it.
His mana control... something about it feels off.
It was nothing like any established technique. Not passive, not bound to a formula — as if he were handling mana actively, instinctively...
Huh?
A sensation flickered through my chest, light as a feather. That razor-edged focus that comes right before a breakthrough, right before you cross into a new realm. I'd only ever felt it once, when I first awakened. It was vanishingly rare.
But then I saw Professor Han Jae-young of Mana Studies reaching for Lee Ho-yeon's body, and I had no choice but to shove the moment aside.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"Professor Lim Sol? What are you doing here? Perfect timing, actually. This student needs emergency treatment. Every second counts — I need you to help."
"No. Don't touch him."
"I beg your pardon? This student's internal mana circuits are in complete turmoil. He needs immediate intervention."
"I said don't touch him, so don't touch him!"
Outside mana mixing in now would only get in the way. This was exactly why the mediocre professors at Victoria all needed to be fired. Honestly.
I glared at the skeleton-faced professor, then looked back at Lee Ho-yeon.
The tingling sensation was already gone. Opportunities like that didn't come twice, and that lunatic of a professor had just incinerated mine. A hollow frustration washed over me — but this was not the time to be angry.
If this keeps going the way it is... I can't be sure of the outcome.
His mana control was exceptional, but what he was up against was vicious. The modified mana assist device was whipping his mana into a frenzy and slamming shock after shock through his body. The more efficiently he drew the mana up, the harder it pushed back, and the more fatigue piled onto his flesh.
There had to be some way to help him...
Wait. Is he getting faster?
The speed of his mana control had clearly increased. He was operating at a higher level than when I'd first laid eyes on him.
"He's improving. Unconsciously...?"
"Excuse me? Professor Lim Sol, what are you talking about?"
He was taking those tangled mana circuits and setting them back in place, forcing open pathways that had been sealed shut. Mana cycled through his entire body at tremendous speed, snatching back every thread that tried to escape.
"This kind of mana control is... possible?"
If he could command mana at this level with no spell formula at all...
No — did you even need a formula? Had the entire premise been wrong from the start?
The student lying in front of me was shattering one of magic's fundamental axioms.
I slipped back toward that state of absolute focus, reaching for a glimpse of a new realm — and in that exact instant, Lee Ho-yeon opened his eyes.
"Ah..."
A sigh of pure disappointment slipped out of me before I could stop it.
Just a little longer! If I'd had just a little more time, I would have seen it!
"H-how did you do that?!"
"Ghk—!"
The accident that nearly killed me was written off as a simple mix-up — one of Professor Lim Sol's research items finding its way into the student practice kit.
From where I was sitting, I'd come within an inch of dying. From everyone else's perspective, apparently, it hadn't looked quite that serious. People coughed up blood from ordinary magic mishaps all the time, or so I was told.
The quiet resolution went through with my consent, mostly because I didn't want to sour my relationship with Professor Lim Sol. Once she came to her senses she apologized, and since I wasn't left with any lingering aftereffects, I decided to let it go. There was no point picking a fight with the academy or one of its professors.
And once the whole affair had been swept under the rug, I was promptly kidnapped by Professor Lim Sol.
"Make yourself at home."
She beamed at me.
What... exactly was this situation.
A woman billed as the magical genius of the century had sat me down like a decorative doll and was just... smiling at me.
"Oh — look at me. Let me get you some tea, at least."
She clapped twice. A hand slipped out from between the folds of her blue robe, and a teacup and full tea set came flying in from across the room to land neatly on the table. Lim Sol picked up the teapot herself and poured me a cup.
"Here, here. Drink this and relax."
"Thank you, Professor."
I lifted the cup and took a sip.
This was instant mix coffee.
I glanced across the table. Lim Sol clearly could not have cared less about a detail that small. Her gaze was locked on my face the way a sunflower locks onto the sun.
"Ahem. Professor? I was wondering why you called me here."
Lim Sol made a small sound of surprise, her eyes going wide, and finally seemed to remember herself. She straightened in her seat.
"First, I owe you an apology. I'm truly sorry you got hurt because of my mistake."
She bowed her head deeply.
"N-no, it's fine. Really."
"No. I should have apologized formally. The academy wanted the incident buried, so... I'll make this up to you personally. I promise."
"I mean it, I'm fine. Please don't worry about it."
This was how it worked. Say you were fine, and a decent person would feel even guiltier and want to take care of you. A real bastard would just shut his mouth and walk away — but Lim Sol wasn't that kind of character.
"Thank you."
"Did you call me here just to apologize?"
That didn't quite add up. She'd already given me a nominal apology the moment she finished treating me. Calling me in for a second round felt like a stretch.
"I did want to apologize properly. But I also have a proposal for you."
"A proposal?"
Something that had never happened in the original work was unfolding right in front of me. I kept my expression as calm as I could.
"This might come out of nowhere, but... I'd like you to help with my research."
"Research? If there's anything I can do, of course, but... is there?"
"Before we get into that, can I ask you something? That mana-control method you used to restore your own tangled circuits. Who taught you that?"
Mana-control method? Why was that coming up all of a sudden.
I ran back through what I knew about Lim Sol as a character. A mage whose talent was recognized the world over. Someone who had pushed the field of magic to its absolute limit and earned an S-class ranking on that alone. If a person like that was taking an interest in my mana control, it meant she'd seen something in it...
The only thing I could think of was Mana Sensitivity. She must have watched me force my own circuits open and drawn her own conclusions.
"Hello?"
Right. I'd left a person sitting in front of me while I disappeared into my own head.
"Sorry. I was thinking. I was never taught a mana-control method by anyone."
"So it's a hundred percent original. Yours."
"Uh... yes, I suppose so?"
Unless someone else in this world had received Mana Sensitivity as a perk, I was almost certainly the only one.
"I can trust that answer?"
"Yes. You can trust it."
She didn't look convinced, so I made it as definite as I could.
"Haah... sshh."
Lim Sol suddenly started fidgeting like a cat in heat. She took a few sharp breaths by herself, then her eyes lit up and she grabbed my hands.
"You... Lee Ho-yeon. You're a genius. Every mage I've ever met, every S-class hunter — next to you, they're all just starfish!"
"Starfish?"
"Yes! These starfish!"
"...I think that's a little much, Professor."
Why was she chanting "starfish" like that? Did she have a personal vendetta against echinoderms?
"It's not too much. Talent like yours — you wouldn't just be competing at the national level. You'd have to look worldwide to find anyone in your league."
"My talent is that significant? I always thought it was just... decent."
As far as mana-control methods went, I was just riding a skill.
"Ha. If the other starfish heard you say that, they might actually try to kill you. For the record, that bracelet you unraveled yourself? Even I can barely run mana through it."
"I'm sorry — really?"
It had been genuinely dangerous, sure. But if even an active S-class couldn't use that bracelet, her reaction made a lot more sense.
Was my talent — was Mana Sensitivity — actually on that level?
"Yes! Which is why I want you to help with my research. It would be a massive contribution to the advancement of magic as a discipline!"
"Hmm..."
Contributing to the advancement of magic was not high on my list of priorities. Helping her would still be a huge net gain, though. Even if she wasn't a heroine, Professor Lim Sol's abilities were outstanding. Having her on my side would make academy life considerably easier. There was no downside to getting close to a professor.
The problem was something else entirely.
Honestly, I had no confidence I could actually help with her research. The mana-control method she was so obsessed with was just a perk. I had no knowledge, no scholarly talent, nothing that would be useful in a lab. The one thing that set me apart from a normal person was a different kind of understanding of mana — and that lived in the realm of instinct. I couldn't put it into words.
After turning it over, I decided to just be honest. I hadn't even properly captured the heroines yet. I couldn't afford to pour time into something this uncertain.
"Would I... actually be of any help? The truth is, my mana control is heavily influenced by a skill I have. I don't have the kind of insight that would be useful to your research."
"I already know that. The truth is, Lee Ho-yeon himself is one of my research subjects."
"I'm sorry??"
"I may not look it, but I've put away a fair amount of money. Whatever compensation you want, name it."
Well. Money was always nice, but...
She must have seen my interest draining away in real time, because Professor Lim Sol started waving her hands back and forth in visible frustration.
"No, this is a genuine loss for all of humanity. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to contribute to the development of magic worldwide!"
Even saying it out loud wasn't enough to calm her down. She let out a strangled yell and raked both hands through her hair, leaving it a complete mess. She looked like a genuine magic-worshipping fanatic.
All that thrashing knocked her hood back, and I finally got a proper look at her catlike face. In the game she'd given off the impression of a cool, mature older woman. How did that same person turn into this much of an airhead? Did her entire personality flip the moment magic entered the conversation?
"Uh... why don't you take a breath first, and then we can talk this through slowly."
"Okay. In... and out..."
Lim Sol rested a hand on her chest and drew a deep breath. The figure visible through the gaps in her robe was, I had to admit, quite something.
Ahem. That offhand comment about giving me whatever I wanted was starting to rattle around in my head for no good reason. Get a grip.
"...You've been staring at my chest an awful lot."
"I— I'm sorry?"
How did she know? I'd been stealing glances whenever the robe shifted, but she'd caught that?
Lim Sol pressed her lips into a thin line. Then, with the look of someone who had just made a decision, she stood up.
The robe slid down the lines of her body and puddled on the floor without a sound.
Underneath was a combination I was not prepared for: a pink oversized tee that looked less worn than draped across her chest, and black leggings that wrapped her thighs. It was an outfit assembled with nothing but comfort in mind — which only made Lim Sol's voluptuous figure stand out more.
She sat down again, this time in the seat right next to mine.
A sweet scent rose off her, something only a woman had, nothing like fabric softener.
"Consider it part of the apology... and if this is what you want, I can live with that."
Professor. Why are you doing this. You're scaring me...
Lim Sol leaned in from the adjacent seat and looked up at me from below. Looking down at a beautiful woman was an unfamiliar sensation — and not an unpleasant one.
Slender fingers found my waist and began to climb.
Tap. Tap.
The touch was so light it was almost nothing, which only made it worse. I was getting worked up and I knew it.
Lim Sol's face drifted closer. Her fingers kept traveling up my body. I couldn't string a single coherent thought together — and then she spoke again.
"Ho-yeon. Want to research together?"
"...Thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the worldwide advancement of magic."
"Good choice. Hehe."
As I thought. A man really ought to live with the greater good of all humanity in mind.
