Chapter 27: Push and Pull (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: Push and Pull (6)
This was intense.
Way too intense.
That’s how piercing the interest was, pouring from the five pairs of eyes fixed on me.
Feeling awkward, I quietly withdrew my hand from the crystal ball.
As if nothing had happened, the crystal ball returned to its original transparent state.
If only the faces of the five people staring holes through me would return to normal just as easily.
Nothing to be done about it.
In times like these, the best response is to be brazen.
“What does it mean when this happens?” I asked, my expression as impassive as possible.
My question seemed to snap Director Park Cheol-su out of his daze. He gasped for air.
Had he been holding his breath this whole time?
“…Occasionally, the crystal ball will manifest two or more attributes at the same time.”
I felt a small sense of relief at his words.
So, manifesting multiple attributes at once wasn't a completely unheard-of phenomenon.
“It happens when a person possesses such a high aptitude for multiple attributes that it’s difficult to determine which one is superior.”
Director Park Cheol-su’s gaze was fixed on me.
“In other words… you were born with an aptitude so outstanding that every single element could be called your main attribute.”
The director’s face was perfectly calm as he spoke.
The eyes that had been filled with a greedy desire for me just moments ago were now, as if by magic, clear and serene.
“You… are not a vessel I can handle.”
It seemed he had given up on the idea of taking me as his personal disciple.
Just then, Yoon Ji-an, who had been standing in the back, quickly tapped at her smartphone and stepped out.
She was probably reporting this whole situation to the Association.
Ah, I could hear it.
The sound of my stock price skyrocketing into infinity.
I carefully concealed my pride and stepped down from the platform.
After the main attribute assessment for all four of us was complete, Director Park Cheol-su addressed us in a stern voice.
“A mage is not a class defined solely by their attributes. Consider this: one mage has mastered a single attribute up to advanced magic, while another has learned five attributes but only to a basic level. Which of these mages would you want to conquer a dungeon with?”
No one answered out loud, but the answer was obvious.
The mage who had mastered advanced magic, of course.
An advanced mage could turn the tide of a hopelessly disadvantageous battle in an instant.
After all, some advanced spells were powerful enough to obliterate an area dozens of meters wide with a single, well-aimed hit.
In contrast, basic magic was limited to small-scale effects.
No matter how many different attributes you could handle, it meant you were all show and no substance.
“Therefore, do not become arrogant just because you have many main attributes, and there is no need to feel discouraged if your aptitude is low.”
His words served to preemptively quell the negative emotions the four of us might have felt.
Feelings like arrogance, envy, and jealousy.
“Remember that by simply being in this room, you are blessed individuals who are starting from a higher position than most. And that means you can climb just as high.”
“Yes.”
“Got it!”
“Okay.”
A variety of voices responded in agreement.
I could see the shoulders of the others, which had been slumped just a moment ago, slowly straightening.
I started to see Director Park Cheol-su in a new light.
To think he could revive the students’ flagging spirits with just a few words.
“Now then, let’s start by learning the most fundamental magic today. We’ll cover the spell formulas for manifesting your attributes and how to control their firepower…”
His talent as a mage may not have reached the heavens, but his talent as an educator seemed to be on a comparable level.
* * *
“Ughh… I’m so tired.”
I threw my body onto the sagging mattress.
Not only was my stamina depleted, but my mana was also completely empty.
Morning workouts at dawn, magic lessons from morning to afternoon, and then hitting the gym.
An Awakened Being’s recovery rate is good partly due to their inherently superior healing ability, but also because they possess a higher level of mana in their bodies than ordinary people.
But lately, I’d been using up my mana until it was completely drained, so having to recover both at the same time was incredibly tough.
“Still… it’s worth it.”
I opened my status window for the first time in a while.
[Status Window]
Name: Kim Do-jin
Sex: Male
Age: 20
Height/Weight: 164cm / 90.8kg
[Strength: 10] [Stamina: 11] [Agility: 6] [Mana: 12]
Traits:
Mutual Non-aggression [2022.06.09]~[2025.12.31]
Disclosure Prohibition [2022.06.09]~[2025.12.31]
“Kyah! Look at it shine. It’s glorious.”
In reality, it wasn’t shining at all.
To anyone else, these stats would still be pathetic.
The only reason I could admire them was because I knew what this body’s original stats had been.
It had already been two months since I took over this body.
In those two months, I’d grown 4 cm taller and lost over 20 kg.
My strength, stamina, agility, and mana had all more than doubled.
Furthermore, every time my mana gathered, I used it to reconstruct my body.
The growth plates all over, my heart and lungs, and even my dick.
I had greatly boosted the growth potential of the most fundamental parts of building a body, and now I was investing my mana into my muscles for growth whenever it accumulated.
“At this rate… I should be done before I start at Korea University.”
My special admission into Korea University was on September 1st, when the second semester began after summer break.
It was mid-July now, so I had about a month and a half left.
By then, I should be able to boost the growth potential of all the muscles in my body.
“By the time I enroll, I should at least look human.”
I already looked much better.
At 120 kg, I was a real-life Pigsy. At 100 kg, I was a slightly cute pig. And now, having reached 90 kg, I at least had the feel of a chubby little piglet.
If I kept dedicating myself to this diet, I figured I could pass for a slightly chubby person in a month and a half.
“University…”
The mecca of youth in one’s twenties, university!
I was excited.
Very excited.
Because back in my prime, there were no universities that specialized in training Hunters.
We learned everything through real combat, through our seniors.
Because of that, I had no reason or time to go to university and gave up on it, but I came to regret it later.
I’d poured my entire youth into hunting monsters and never got to enjoy anything else.
Now, I also kind of regretted not having met this woman and that woman.
“I’ll definitely become one…”
I’m going to be a bomber.
The bomber of Korea University’s female hearts!
As I was making this slightly ridiculous vow, a loud noise echoed.
Kang! Kang! Kang!
A knock on the door.
I sat up immediately.
There was only one person who would knock on my door at this hour.
“Do-jin, it’s me, the Ajumma.”
“Yes, I’m coming!”
I walked quickly to the door and opened it.
I saw the Ajumma holding five stacked side dish containers.
“Here, your side dishes.”
I took the containers she offered.
It had been like this for the past month.
Before, she would come inside to organize the fridge and put the food away even if I said it was fine. Now, she just hands them to me at the door and hurries away.
She was trying to minimize the time she spent alone with me in any way she could.
“Heh.”
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
If she was going to be like this, she could just stop the morning workouts and stop bringing side dishes. Why did she insist on these clumsy actions?
“Put the side dishes in the fridge and take them out when you eat. I’ll be heading down now.”
Her usual voice and actions were tinged with a slight urgency.
“Excuse me, Ajumma.”
I called out to her as she turned to leave.
Unable to ignore my call, she flinched and turned back around.
“What is it?”
A month was a long time to wait.
It should have been enough time for her, too.
Until now, I hadn’t stopped her from leaving without a second glance, but that ends today.
It was time to take another step onto the ground that had solidified over the past month.
I put on an awkward expression and made a request.
“Actually, my fridge has been really messy lately. I don’t really know how to organize it… could you maybe help me out?”
There was no lie in my words.
The fridge really had gotten very dirty.
As for not knowing how to organize it… that was a lie.
I’d been on my own since I was old enough to know better, so my experience living alone spanned over a decade.
After that, thanks to a prosperous married life, I hadn’t had to lift a finger, but that kind of experience doesn’t just disappear.
I had simply let it get messy.
For this very day.
To create a very natural and plausible reason to get the Ajumma inside.
“The, the fridge…”
The Ajumma’s gaze shifted toward the refrigerator in the room.
She probably guessed it was a mess, since she hadn’t organized it for me recently.
At the same time, her expression showed she wanted to avoid being alone with me at all costs.
Alright, this was the turning point.
If the Ajumma truly wanted to distance herself from me, she had to refuse here.
She must have realized it to some extent.
That the keyword I’d thrown out—the refrigerator—was nothing more than an excuse.
She had a naive side for her age, but she wasn’t so pure that she couldn’t read the move I just made.
The Ajumma fidgeted with her fingers, unable to decide.
I put on a slightly pitiful expression and pressed for a decision.
“You can’t?”
The movement of her fingers, which had been showcasing her indecisive mind, stopped.
“Haaah.”
She let out a small sigh.
Then, she glanced at me and asked.
“Is it… very, dirty?”
I nodded in response.
“Yes, a lot of things have piled up…”
Piled up.
In the fridge, and in my balls.
I’d deliberately neglected it, unable to clean it out, and now it was completely full.
The hesitant Ajumma finally made a decision.
“I’ll organize it just this once… Watch what I do today and do it yourself from now on.”
“Yes, I will.”
Ah, success.
I took a step back and moved to the side, clearing a path for her.
“Please, come in.”
The Ajumma hesitantly stepped into the entryway, took off her shoes, and came inside.
Thud!
I closed the door.