New Skill # 3
New Skill # 3
"Let's begin!"
"Haah! Alright! Let's get to it, Instructor Kawar!"
"Whoa! Someone's suddenly full of motivation!"
"I'm always overflowing with motivation when it comes to learning. So let's move on quickly. What are we learning today?"
Since I've been dragged here anyway, I need to push through as fast as I can. Knowing Instructor Kawar, the odds of her spouting off something bizarre are astronomically high.
"I appreciate the enthusiasm! Today, we'll be learning—!"
"—Learning!"
"Shield Magic that protects a specific area!"
"Ohh! That's amazing! Protecting a specific area! Don't tell me. Are we making something like a shield out of mana?"
"You're getting sharp! That's exactly right! Your batting average is excellent today! Let's have a look, then!"
—Snap!
The moment Instructor Kawar snapped her fingers.
—Bzzzt.
A small magic circle formed on the classroom floor.
—Shoooom!
Something shot up, and a humanoid figure made of pure mana rose from it!
"WHAT THEEEEE?! What the hell is that thing!"
"Pfft... What the hell, you say! This is my superb teaching assistant!"
"You call that an assistant?! Talk sense, Instructor!"
She made a human form out of mana!
Is that even possible!
"Whoa!"
"Good heavens...!"
"I didn't know that was possible!"
My classmates were just as shocked and impressed, and even my friends, who are a pretty capable bunch themselves, were staring at the assistant with their hands covering their mouths.
—...
How do I put this.
It looked exactly like a human wearing a jellyfish skin. The outer layer was a transparent membrane, but the inside was completely filled with mana. Kind of like a balloon? It looked like it would pop if you poked it with a needle.
"Haha, looks like our Kim Geun-cheol was really startled. Anyway, once you learn to handle your mana with enough skill, you can create assistants like this yourself. This is made entirely from my mana."
In short, she manipulated her own mana to create a puppet.
"That's genuinely fascinating, Instructor. The world of magic really is a mysterious thing."
A melee DPS type like me literally just runs fast and cuts hard. That's my fighting style. Mages, on the other hand, use truly outlandish tactics.
"Hohoho! To think Kim Geun-cheol would come to realize that! It truly moves me! Anyway! The assistant isn't the main point today, so let's move on... Now! Take this, assistant!"
Suddenly, Instructor Kawar pulled something from her bag... No way!
"You're insane! Instructor! Are you out of your mind?! Insane! You've completely lost it!"
She pulled out a high-caliber handgun!
"Why are you pulling out a gun at school?!"
"Excuse me! This is all class material! Kim Geun-cheol, be quiet!"
"Yes, ma'am."
If she says be quiet, I shut up.
Still, a gun coming out of her bag is seriously shocking. But I'm not the only one surprised. The other students start buzzing as soon as they see the gun.
"This is a class fully authorized by the Chairwoman herself. When superhumans are training, it's entirely reasonable for real firearms to appear."
Huh. I guess that checks out.
Anyway, the mana assistant took the handgun.
—Click.
And aimed it straight at Instructor Kawar...! This is seriously insane! What kind of school runs a class with live ammo inside a classroom?! I was horrified, but Instructor Kawar was completely unfazed!
"No matter what, practical training is always the best. So then... On my mark! Fire!"
—BOOOOOOM!
"Gahk!"
A tremendous muzzle blast erupted on the spot!
A truly transcendent roar. It felt even louder than the first time I fired a K2 in basic training. I flinched, about to throw myself out of the way, but since this is a class... I figured it'd be okay. I squeezed my eyes shut and immediately checked the scene.
And what I saw was.
"Wow."
Exactly.
About the size of the circular noodle block you get when you crack open a ramen packet.
A mana barrier of precisely that size had materialized in front of Instructor Kawar's chest. And the bullet was lodged right in the barrier.
"At my level, I can either disintegrate the bullet or deflect it entirely, but I embedded it like this to give you a clear visual demonstration."
Having just performed such a feat, Instructor Kawar proceeded with the lesson as if it were nothing at all.
"This is what you'll be learning today. If you can create a small shield, your mana consumption will drop proportionally, right? The example used a bullet, but well. We'll be training to create this kind of protection. Kim Geun-cheol, stand up."
"Huh?"
Stand up?
I clearly just squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to throw myself out of the way.
"What the."
Why am I looking into the classroom from outside the window?
"Anyway, you're remarkably good at escaping out the window. To open the window and flee in that split second. You've got a real talent for it."
"Heh, hehehe. I guess so."
Embarrassed, I scratched the back of my head, closed the window, and came back in through the classroom's front door.
"Anyway, let's start the lesson! Instructor! I'm eager to learn!"
The moment I said that.
"Waaaaaah!"
"He blocked a bullet!"
"Ohh! Very drastic! Amazing! Blocking a bullet is super astonishing!"
—Clap, clap, clap!
My classmates burst into belated exclamations and applause. I mean, she blocked a high-caliber pistol round right in front of her face. Of course they're amazed. My little spaz attack got glossed right over, smooth as water.
"Let's begin slowly. Kim Geun-cheol, stand right there. Good. First, you need a mental image, so face forward and spread your palm out."
"Yes."
I extend my hand as instructed, spreading my palm like I'm about to unleash the Buddha's Palm.
"Shall I release my mana now?"
"Exactly! You catch on so fast! Very sharp!"
"Haap!"
—Whooo.
I immediately release my internal mana outward through my palm. My blue mana begins to crawl, gathering around my palm as if applying an enchantment.
Is it a sort of wrapping sensation?
The feeling of using mana is always intriguing.
"Good. Your release and manifestation are progressing well. Now, gather that released mana carefully and shape it into a neat, square form."
"Manipulate the mana... into a square."
"Yes."
—Wriggle, wriggle.
I focus as hard as I can, trying to mold the mana into a square. But it's a really tricky sensation, and the shape keeps almost forming before scattering again.
So instead of a square, it turned into something more like a lump of roughly kneaded clay.
"Gah, this is kind of tough. When I try to smooth out one side..."
"Another side bulges out. Right?"
"Aha! That's exactly it! That's the feeling!"
Now that's a refreshingly clear explanation!
"Right? I've been teaching kids for years now. I can pinpoint the sensation exactly. Let me give you a little help here."
"Help...!"
—Step.
Saying that, Instructor Kawar came up behind me and... as if wrapping her arms around me... grabbed my wrist.
"Uh, Instructor?"
"From now on, I'll channel my mana into you. Just accept it. With it, I'll help you, Kim Geun-cheol, shape your mana into a square."
"Ah, right!"
A lesson in guiding mana flow. Instructor Lee So-ra said this is the most efficient kind of training.
Anyway.
—Whooo.
While maintaining my mana emission, I relaxed my body. Then I felt Instructor's mana flow smoothly into me.
The incoming mana traveled through my wrist and into my palm.
—Wriggle, wriggle.
The chaotic, wildly fluctuating lump of my mana slowly began to form into a textbook-sized rectangle.
And incredibly neatly at that...!
"Whoa, whoooa! It formed! It really formed!"
It's coming together so well!
As expected, an instructor is on a completely different level from a student!
"Don't just gawk—absorb the sensation. Remember how this feels. Next time, you need to do it on your own."
"Yes!"
I thoroughly imprint this state as a mental image!
I honed the sensation by bringing my focus to its absolute limit. I've done this kind of training with Instructor Lee So-ra multiple times, so it wasn't too difficult.
I've got a bit of a knack for it—someone just needs to guide me once and I pick it up fast.
"First, shape the form. The next step is imbuing it with defensive capability."
"Yes!"
"Then try it on your own this time. If you recall the sensation from just now, it should be easy."
"Excellent!"
—Fwoosh!
I released my stance.
Instructor Kawar stepped away from me.
"Haap!"
I thrust my palm out again and manipulated my mana.
—Wriggle, wriggle.
This time, the form came together a little more skillfully than before. The mana, which had been scattering like clay, held its shape somewhat, and I refined it into a rectangle.
"I—I did it! Instructor! I made it!"
"Well, it's slightly a 4.5-angle shape, but... for a first try, that's well done! Wow! This isn't easy to pull off in one go! Everyone, applause!"
—Clap, clap, clap!
—Clap, clap, clap!
—Clap, clap, clap!
My classmates applauded immediately!
"Hehehe, you guys are gonna make me blush! Anyway, Instructor! I did good, right?!"
"You did very, very well!"
This feels great!
"Now, dismiss! Kim Geun-cheol, return to your seat! We'll only go this far with the lesson today! Everyone line up; I'll give each of you the same one-on-one guidance!"
I went straight back to my seat.
"Si-hoo! Leona! Yu-ri! Did you see that?!"
That's what I'm all about!
* * *
As usual, Kim Geun-cheol stepped up to the front of the class.
Seeing him, her focus instinctively sharpened, a sense of anticipation blooming.
'He really is good at this kind of thing.'
A little clumsy and foolish, but good at physical activities. A man who's really good with his body. That was Leona's assessment. What kind of display would he put on today? Leona kept her eyes fixed on Kim Geun-cheol, wondering.
"Gahk!"
Though the sight of him getting startled by the handgun was a bit unsightly. Yet, the spectacular feat of screaming a death cry and simultaneously leaping clear out the window was a little endearing.
Anyway.
After that whole incident, the shield lesson began. A shield that cleanly blocks a bullet. You could call it exceptionally useful.
"Gah, this is kind of tough."
Kim Geun-cheol started manipulating his mana. The mana lump forming in front of his palm was literally just that—a lump. It formed no square at all and immediately scattered.
'Well, I should still praise him for getting that far. A good start is half the battle. He'll improve quickly from here.'
Leona evaluated him with that inner thought, keeping her attention on Kim Geun-cheol.
But then.
'...'
Instructor Kawar was hugging Kim Geun-cheol from behind, wasn't she.
'...Still, there's an awful lot of physical contact. Same with Instructor Lee So-ra. It's fine to channel mana directly like that, but there's too much unnecessary touching.'
Still, the effect was undeniable for the amount of contact.
"Whoa, whoooa! It formed! It really formed!"
The square had been made.
'Kim Geun-cheol...! His constant theatrics!'
Watching Kim Geun-cheol marvel loudly and make a huge fuss caused the corners of her lips to rise.
"Then try it on your own this time. If you recall the sensation from just now, it should be easy."
"Excellent!"
Soon, Instructor Kawar separated from Kim Geun-cheol. Now it was his turn to create it by himself, under his own power.
"Haap!"
The moment Kim Geun-cheol let out a spirited shout.
"Ah...!"
Leona exclaimed internally.
"I—I did it! Instructor! I made it!"
Kim Geun-cheol had created a semblance of a square!
'Wow! Even I feel proud!'
He had help from the instructor, but he succeeded that far in the very first class! Seeing it filled her with a natural sense of pride.
'That's right! Kim Geun-cheol is a hands-on type! Honestly, he's kind of an idiot when it comes to book learning, but he's so good at things like this! Pros and cons! Pros-and-cons Geun-cheol! Well done, well done!'
She'd felt it ever since she first saw him. Kim Geun-cheol is always overflowing with energy and loves physical activities, so he performs above average in anything hands-on. He can't study, but he has that strength. A guy whose lively side is pleasant to watch.
'Heheh!'
Watching Kim Geun-cheol do well gave her a peculiar sense of elation.
It's both fulfilling to see how well he's grown and praiseworthy to see him try so hard. It feels exactly like attending a parent observation day, sitting there as the parent, and watching your child brilliantly solve a problem.
[Geun-cheol's mom]
Leona was still playing the game under that nickname.