Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Everyday Life and Change
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“You guys came too?”
“Ah, Teacher!”
“You kids probably can’t make heads or tails of this anyway. It’s a whole different level.”
Teacher Min said that with a grin, then stepped aside to let us take the front seats so we could see better. The upper stands didn’t have enough chairs, so with our short statures, we had to push right up to the front to watch the spars. People muttered something about kids showing up out of nowhere but made room for us anyway. We thanked the teachers.
“No need. Just watch.”
The stands were tiered, so standing here gave us a pretty good view below. Distance was the issue, though. Still, with monitors set up along the gym walls broadcasting the action, it was decently easy to follow.
“But how’d you kids even know to come?”
“Well, the student council president is Minhee’s brother.”
“Oh, right.”
Teacher Junhwi nodded as if it made sense. I turned my head to gaze down into the gym, opening up my field of vision. The spars were already underway. I could see an incredibly sturdy barrier enveloping the area. Probably a shield to keep magic attacks from leaking out.
‘As expected…’
The sparring arena covered the entire auditorium. The two seniors were quite a distance apart, launching attacks at each other. Spells flew around in dazzling displays.
“Wow, that’s cool!”
“Totally.”
I gripped my forehead in awe as I watched the spells streak by. It hadn’t even been long since I started paying close attention, but I quickly understood what Teacher Min meant by “you won’t get it even if you watch.”
The spells were just too fast. Our eyes couldn’t even track them properly. By the time something flashed, the attack had already hit. My face twisted in complicated wonder at the sheer momentum behind each spell. It was insanely fast…and powerful.
‘How do other people even follow that?’
It must be true that as your magic level rises, your perception of time changes. Not just magic—wuxia novels were full of that too. They fight at speeds we can’t even comprehend, all while plotting their next moves internally.
Their perceived time really must be different. The seniors were exchanging spells at speeds almost invisible to us, yet casually chaining into their next attacks without a hitch.
“That’s D-rank level. Pretty average among all mages.”
“Wow, really? That’s average?”
“For kids your age, not being able to see it properly is normal.”
Mages in this world grow especially fast starting from middle school. That’s when their frames start filling out. We’d probably see huge growth then too. Would we be able to follow that stuff someday…?
Right now, it was beyond imagination. I desperately tried to track the mana shooting back and forth. At this point, I wasn’t really using my eyes anymore—I was chasing the presence of mana, the colors of the spells.
“But where exactly are they at in the matches?”
“They’re picking kids at random from the whole grade, sparring from lowest skill level up, based on rank exam results. Not strictly by skill, though. Even our lowest are D-rank by high school. C-ranks are less than one in ten students, and B-ranks are basically nonexistent.”
“Wow… my brother’s amazing, then.”
“Not just amazing—insanely amazing.”
Wow, Minhee let out another gasp of admiration. Meanwhile, I narrowed my eyes at the ongoing spar that showed no signs of ending.
‘Those two… they’re evenly matched…?’
Focusing with that in mind, they said it started with the lowest ranks, so these guys had the slowest spell speeds. If I got used to this pace, maybe I could track the mana presence for the next ones.
Watching more, I did start getting a bit accustomed to the speed. The shapes of the spells came into faint focus. Well, more like persistently chasing the mana presence made the spells’ movements gradually visible.
Some spells were invisible unless your levels matched, but I could vaguely make out their colors even then. That let me glimpse them bit by bit.
Then I jolted in shock. A spell exploded, blanketing the entire arena. My hands trembled. If D-rank was this intense, what the hell was B-rank like?
I started to cover my eyes but froze. The spell’s progression was unnatural. Now I saw the smoke and explosions swirling only inside the barrier.
“Whoa, that startled me.”
“…Eh, that’s everyday stuff. The barrier’s A-grade, so no worries.”
Suddenly, I recalled something Je-hyeon brother had said before. It was during the elementary division’s friendly matches, for sure.
‘Just so you know, we don’t do them with middle or high schoolers—things could get out of hand. Even if we did, not in this format.’
Now I got what he meant. As someone super sensitive to mana, even sensing D-rank mana in detail was overwhelming; I was just skimming the surface. Tracking or watching mana flow was one thing, but delving deep into it… for an elementary kid with weak mana, it was way too much strain.
The matches flew by. They’d culled the numbers some, but with so many happening at once—similar skill levels clashing—it still took longer than expected. Good thing there were time limits.
As it dragged toward the end, more people crowded in. Just as my friends started getting bored, the cheers grew louder.
Je-hyeon brother’s match was dead last. Made sense—he was the strongest. Over two hours after the spars started, at 4:30 p.m., the final match began.
His opponent was Cheonho brother.
“Yu Cheonho!!!”
“Kyaa!!! Je-hyeon!!!“
“Je-hyeon senior!!!”
Screams like banshee wails shook the surroundings the moment they appeared. I looked around, my heart dropping. The other kids looked shocked too.
“Je-hyeon bro and Cheonho bro must both be super popular…”
“Yeah, yeah.”
As we all nodded at Sihwa’s words, the teachers said it like it was obvious.
“Well, yeah. In this school, magic skill is everything. Plus, that Joo Je-hyeon guy’s pretty handsome, so he’s got tons of fans.”
“Yu Cheonho’s got a great personality too—popular with guys and girls alike.”
“But Je-hyeon’s the most popular by far. Cool… sexy… strong… Everyone idolizes him regardless of gender, but his female fans are the craziest.”
“Teacher, how can you say that out loud? Ugh, cringey.”
“You punk.”
Teacher Junhwi flicked Hansu on the forehead for his cheek. (Hansu picked up “cringey” from me, by the way.) I giggled at the sight, then turned back to Je-hyeon brother.
Watching him bathed in the girls’ screams, I felt a fresh sense of wonder. Well, I knew it already. I figured he was the popular type. Handsome, steadfast, strong—how could girls not fall for him? But expecting it and seeing it with my own eyes were totally different.
To us, Je-hyeon brother was… a siscon, shotacon type with a bit of a brocon vibe. And for me, he was the poor object of a crush.
So even though I saw it coming, it felt surreal.
‘Yeah, but of course. Blunt or not, his magic’s strong and he’s handsome.’
He could be playful with close friends too. That stoic face breaking into a mischievous grin—totally my type. Even someone like me couldn’t help but feel her heart race. But that didn’t mean I had a crush on him. There was only one person I liked.
The start signal rang out, and the two just stood there motionless. The crowd buzzed.
“…?”
“Why aren’t they moving…?”
“They’re not doing anything?”
I felt the same at first. Then chills crawled up my back. Like the calm before a storm—ominous. I gripped the railing but flinched back. No clue why. Hesitating, I leaned forward again.
That instant, I felt an immense, absolute ‘terror.’
Unbelievable pressure crushed my entire body. For a split second, I thought I’d been torn apart. Cold sweat poured, goosebumps erupted. I forgot to breathe.
It all happened in a flash.
The pressure vanished as suddenly as it came. I finally gasped for air, steadying my breath as I looked up. With dread, I realized that same pressure wasn’t aimed at me—it was washing over the entire gym.
Only then did I see it.
Shapeless mana spread across the whole barrier, devouring each other’s mana as it burrowed in. Silver mana and black mana clashed, infiltrating. Like… a ‘territory dispute.’
I blinked slowly. My legs felt like jelly.
“Eunha? What’s wrong? You okay?”
Inha noticed first. I shook my head.
“…Felt the pressure.”
“Pressure?”
I gave a pale smile. Honestly, it’d been terrifyingly scary. Not as bad now, but earlier? I really thought I was done for.
Wind claiming every current in the air, trying to invade. Darkness that even devoured that wind.
──The winner was darkness.
Dark mana rippled through the barrier, solidly encircling it. Before it could consume the whole space, Cheonho brother moved desperately.
Too late. I blinked sluggishly, whispering to myself. Then Teacher Junhwi placed a hand on my head.
“That’s enough watching for you. Too much mana for you to handle yet. But sensing it? Impressive.”
I blushed a bit at that, quietly closing my eyes. Even with eyes shut, the colors faded but the momentum and feel still assaulted my senses. Soon, darkness surged across the gym, swallowing Cheonho brother wind and all. Quiet, instantaneous… Je-hyeon brother’s victory.
I blinked at the visible spell. That was a B-rank mage not even at full power. I couldn’t even properly sense the mana—my perception went numb midway. That was the gap between me and a B-rank.
I watched Je-hyeon brother turn away with Cheonho brother, my eyes trembling. Slowly, I clenched my sweaty hands.
“The final match ended super anticlimactically.”
That snapped me out of it. Turning, I saw Hyunho with his hands clasped behind his head, looking a bit let down. Minhee and Hansu agreed.
“Yeah. My brother’s not just strong—he’s insanely strong. One-shot.”
“Totally.”
Hearing that, I lowered my gaze, slowly brushing off my goosebumps.
‘I see. They didn’t feel it.’
Makes sense—I hadn’t at first either. Their words stirred complex feelings in me, but I was relieved too. If they’d sensed that mana, the pressure or fear wouldn’t have been much different from mine. Better they couldn’t yet. Better to feel it once they were strong enough to endure.
I watched the chattering kids, sighing in relief. Then I felt a hand ruffling my hair and looked up to see Teacher Min smiling softly. He whispered in my ear.
“You’re fine. Don’t tense up too much.”
I smiled and nodded slowly. Meanwhile, the kids rummaged through bags, asking if anyone had snacks left. Trash hit the floor.
“Ah, ate it all while watching.”
“Min~hee~.”
I pinched Minhee’s cheek as she kicked trash around. Then pinched Hyunho’s too, as he dug through his bag.
“Guys… what if you litter? Basic manners! Basic manners!”
“Waaah, Mom’s mad!”
“Okay, okay. I’ll pick it up.”
Hansu sighed, gathering the trash and stuffing it back in Minhee’s bag. I laughed watching. For all his gruff talk, Hansu never littered. Bad for plants, he said. Sweet kid under the prickliness.
Teacher Min chuckled at us. Teacher Junhwi grinned too.
“But you guys came to watch spars, and only Eunha really paid attention.”
“But it was boring! Thought it’d be all flashy bangs, but couldn’t even see… Just endless fireworks? Got sick of it.”
“That’s why I said it’d be tough?”
They could’ve seen if they’d kept trying. But at this age, sitting still and focusing was hard. Teacher Junhwi knew that, giving Minhee an inevitable forehead poke.
“Work as hard as your talent, and it’d be better.”
“I am!”
Minhee pouted lightly. Yeah, right. She seemed to play all day to me.
“Anyway, it’s almost 5. Head home.”
“Yessir!”
Minhee nodded, turning to us.
“Then let’s go meet Oppa first!”
So much for going straight home… Teacher Junhwi muttered, promptly chopping Minhee on the head from behind. Hansu and Hyunho burst out laughing.
“Hahaha… Teacher’s hilarious!”
“Ah, Teacher Junhwi!”
“Go home with your brother. No leaving campus this late.”
“Ugh. Fine, whatever.”
“You kids too. Home before sunset.”
““Yes!””
Teacher Junhwi gave his teacherly advice, then left with Teacher Min. We headed down from the stands.
“Wonder where Oppa is?”
“Who knows.”
Problem was, too many people—hard to spot Je-hyeon senior right away. Hm, no…
“Hm, maybe call him…”
But I had a feeling I knew where Je-hyeon brother was. Senior girls were giggling and blushing as they slipped out the back door.
“I think I know where Je-hyeon brother is.”
“Huh? How?”
“But… kinda don’t wanna go…”
I really hesitated but told the friends anyway. Sure enough, at the spot the girls rushed to—the center of a massive student crowd—there was Je-hyeon brother.
“What? Why so many people?”
“Knew he was popular, but…”
I nodded emphatically at Hansu and Inha, face paling. Human flood. Absolutely did not want to approach. If we were just blending in, fine—but we had to talk to him. All eyes would turn our way. No thanks.
“Ah, there! Oppa!”
But Minhee called out anyway. Je-hyeon brother looked over, and every gaze in the crowd followed. I nearly backed away for real.
“Minhee.”
His impassive eyes softened the instant they landed on her. The girls’ eyes softened too. Whoa, they really melted. I felt Je-hyeon brother’s power firsthand.
Minhee dashed right to him. Cheonho brother, beside him, greeted her warmly too. After playfully ruffling Minhee’s hair, he turned to us. Our eyes met, and Hansu stiffened.
Hansu couldn’t escape the head pat. Dodging made it rougher. Sihwa was used to it, Hyunho adapting fine—only Hansu still recoiled.
Je-hyeon brother gently patted my head and Inha’s too. Yeah, still kinda awkward. But thinking about it, maybe he just liked patting heads, like Seonghu brother.
“Told Minhee, but you all came, huh.”
“Our classes end early, nothing else to do—came to watch.”
Hansu said cheekily. Cheonho brother laughed helplessly at his playful face.
“Ah, embarrassing then. Got one-shot.”
“Eh, against my brother? No helping it.”
I started to deny that toward Cheonho brother—say he was amazing—but stopped. Wind vs. darkness territory fight was scary, but not something my age saw easily. I just smiled at them.
By high school, would we be D-rank mages? Normal here, so if we worked hard… No, even D-rank before 18 took serious effort.
“You heading back now?”
“Yeah. Saw it all.”
“Cool. We’re done with class too, so Minhee, come with… Wait, leaving you all out feel bad?”
“Feel bad, feel bad! Walk us to the gate.”
“Guess so?”
No big deal, so we nodded at Minhee and Cheonho brother. They stored gear in their student ID subspaces—no bags needed. Just check attendance and go.
We waited near the gym for the brothers, then walked to the gate together. Usual routine anyway.
On the way, we gushed about the spars.
“The explosions inside the barrier were so cool!”
“Startled me.”
“Barrier was tough!”
“Yeah, our school org uses them sometimes.”
I nodded at Cheonho brother’s proud finger-gun. Then Minhee piped up.
“Oh yeah, Ju-yeon sister joined our school’s org too? Different from Eunhee sister.”
“Yeah. Seonghu senior joined too. Says he’ll teach here after college.”
“Wow!”
I glanced at Je-hyeon brother. He mentioned Seonghu brother casually, face neutral.
Chat veered but swung back to fave moments from the spars.
“The lightning clash flashing was cool.”
“That senior buffing himself to fight—fun, right?”
“Yeah, impressive.”
“Oh, someone prayed while fighting?”
Classic Inha—only cared about what interested her. Hyunho and Minhee went for fun stuff, Hansu short takes on weird bits.
Hansu matched my tastes best. Tons of novel magic—super fun. This world’s magic could split into black magic, holy magic, etc. Wish I’d recorded it. Why didn’t I think of that?
“Eunha, what was coolest for you?”
Inha asked softly while I grinned. She knew my shy limits now. Like, even with her beside me, others nearby and I’d clam up.
So she whispered, behind the noisy kids—quiet enough to miss unless listening.
“Hm…”
I glanced at smiling Cheonho and Je-hyeon brothers, then whispered in Inha’s ear.
“Their mana was coolest.”
“Their mana?”
“Yeah, the end was so calm. Actually a territory fight—mana devouring mana. Not sure details, but territory seems key to their magic.”
“Hm… No clue. What’s territory?”
“Hard to explain… Like spacing for casting spells? In my illusions, the space they unfold in—that’s ‘territory.’“
“What’s good about fighting over it?”
“Probably… makes your spells easier to cast?”
“So if one claims territory, the other struggles to cast?”
“Yeah, probably. Can’t find better words…”
“Fine. Ask Mom later.”
“Hey, you two! Whispering secrets??”
Hansu shot us a grumpy look. Inha scowled—oh boy, fight incoming. Knowing they nitpicked each other endlessly, I cut in.
“No, just secret talk? Saw something with my eyes.”
‘Saw’ was my euphemism. But would these mature-but-still-kids catch on…?
Yup, Minhee and Hansu did; Hyunho and Sihwa just urged curiously.
“What? Tell us!”
“No, secret…”
“Pfft, what secrets do two girls have?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“C’mon, Sihwa, no peeking in girls’ secrets.”
Luckily, before Cheonho and Je-hyeon brothers got suspicious, Hansu and Minhee blocked Sihwa and Hyunho. But I sneaked a peek at Je-hyeon brother, fidgeting. He was sharp…
Yup, he looked down with meaningful—curious?—eyes. Guilty conscience hits hard.
Later at home, I texted the friends about my chat with Inha. Got back ‘What’s territory?’ so told them ask guardians.
‘But territory feels super important. Decided the match when Cheonho brother lost mana ground.’
I kinda guessed. Territory, or spacing—from fantasy novels and comics.
‘…Better confirm for sure?’
I pondered, then bolted next door.
That day, Inha and I learned about mages’ ‘territory’ from Auntie Seona. It was way more vital than expected. Mostly as I thought, but even more crucial. In mage society, matches turned on territory all the time.
Spacing to attack with magic, defend, where attacks fail. Or the territory itself. That night, hearing Auntie Seona’s explanation, I jotted notes on territory in my notebook and starred it.