Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: 12. Something Out of Reach
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Inha and Inho Brother's sparring match was straightforward, unlike the one Senior Kim Yura and I had. The two faced off head-on and charged straight at each other.
Even so, it didn't end in an instant because Inho Brother was holding back just enough. It was a true teaching bout, a guided spar. Throughout the match, he wore a serious expression completely unlike his usual playful demeanor. Seniors really were seniors. Inha was confident in offense but clumsy on defense. This spar made that crystal clear.
But Inha's magic packed serious punch. Her lightning-fused light shot forward undeterred by the wind, striking at Inho Brother. Against someone several times stronger, Inha landed a solid hit—just once, but it connected. The watching seniors were stunned.
"Wow... can't underestimate that kid, huh?"
I nodded blankly at the seniors' words.
Inha returned calmly. I only snapped out of it when she smiled at me.
The next match was Inho Brother versus Senior Yoo Seojun. Like me, Inho Brother wasn't the type for direct attacks. He fought through familiars and spirit beasts, and his weren't even fully grown yet. No... I focused my gaze on the glass booth and the screen. The last time I'd seen Inho Brother's magic was two years ago. We shared the same master but had never trained together. We texted often, but never sparred side by side.
Inho Brother's azure dragon had grown tremendously in those two years. And it wasn't just the dragon that appeared. There was a small red bird spewing flames... a vermilion bird!
"Wow, the azure dragon's gotten huge. What's that red bird next to it?"
"Vermilion bird, probably?"
"It's so tiny. Adorable."
I nodded enthusiastically at Hyunho's words.
The countdown ended, and Inho Brother's match with Senior Yoo Seojun began. Inho Brother's vermilion bird immediately scattered flames. The fire spewing from its beak was a deep crimson—like true crimson blaze.
But right after, I realized those flames did nothing to Senior Yoo Seojun. His body glowed noticeably. A brilliant white, a shade similar to my own mana.
He smiled gently and threw a punch. Silver light shot out like wind.
[...!]
Suddenly, I saw Inho Brother urgently scattering something. Shards of pure white... right, they looked like scraps of paper. They rode the wind forward, fluttering. A wall of paper scraps blocked the silver mana.
The papers scattered wildly. Even so, they protected Inho Brother's body.
"What? That magic?"
It was magic we'd never seen. Yujeong Sister explained.
"It's Inho's sub-magic. Paper magic, they call it. He made it to protect himself while his familiars fight."
"Defensive magic?"
"It can attack too."
Paper magic. A single sheet might be easy to blow away, but scattered like that? Tough. And stacked, they formed a thick shield. Like how a book's edge can be a weapon.
It was fascinating magic either way. I watched, mesmerized. Inho Brother's spells always seemed so unique.
But if we're talking wonders, Senior Yoo Seojun's magic—who was guiding Inho Brother—was equally impressive. It shot out like wind, but wasn't quite wind. It enveloped his body, boosting his vitality... like 'qi' or 'inner energy' from a wuxia novel.
He buffed himself, summoned a sword, and wielded it freely. Something I could never do.
"Amazing..."
"That guy might not look it, but he's a swordsmanship pro. Best martial artist among us."
I nodded at Je-hyeon Brother's words. Blinding speed—too fast for my eyes to follow. Magic I could track, but pure physical skill? No chance. He handled Inho Brother with ease, like Cheonho Brother, going the full twenty minutes.
Next up was Minhee. She conjured a gun and fired magic bullets freely. But since she'd just evolved it, she could only infuse basic elements. Her opponent was Senior Seo Minseong. His magic was a downgraded version of Minhee's weapon manifestation—specialized in light attributes, compressing them into weapons. Mostly swords, which he threw or slashed to spread light. To me, it felt more like light shaping than true manifestation.
It was pure golden radiance. Inha's eyes sparkled watching it. Bitterly, though, Minhee's attacks were all nullified by his light. Minhee grimaced, clearly frustrated.
Yujeong Sister still hadn't developed a sub-magic. She mainly hurled ice shards. Her opponent was Senior Kim Yura again. I found it odd. Why wasn't Je-hyeon Brother stepping up? When I asked, he said it was to gauge our overall skills first. Senior Kim Yura pulverized Yujeong Sister's ice in seconds with her own magic.
Now only Hansu and Hyunho remained. First, Hyunho versus Cheonho Brother. By Hyunho's turn, nearly two hours had passed since we started.
Hyunho wielded water, Cheonho Brother wind and lightning. On matchup alone, Hyunho seemed favored. Wind aside, water conducts lightning.
But Cheonho Brother's main was wind. He whipped up a vortex and shattered Hyunho's spells in one go. Hyunho stayed cool despite the panic, countering the wind steadily. Wind and water were evenly matched. He defended and attacked calmly. Of course, he didn't win.
Finally, Hansu faced Senior Yoo Seojun. Honestly, their magics were hard to predict head-on. I thought that. But wood versus sword? Wood might get chopped easily.
Contrary to my expectations, Hansu responded to the senior's attacks with cold precision and skill. He wove vines to block the sword, then turned it into offense. He even used flower magic to bind the senior's feet. The wood and flowers absorbed his mana, weakening him while empowering Hansu. Barrier-blocked on me, but really, Hansu's magic had the best balance among us.
"Wow..."
I watched Hansu fight, utterly entranced. If I had to compare, I should fight like him. His style fit me best—I was sure of it.
I clenched my fist. I thought we'd caught up. I knew the kids had surpassed me in some ways. But I figured I was still ahead of my friends. Wrong. Hansu and Inha were standout geniuses even among us.
'You have talent!'
I believed Master's words now. I had talent. Believing that, I wanted to stand equal with my friends.
I'd thought I was working hard. But everyone else was too.
I glanced at Hansu and Inha, standing side by side, fists still clenched. The usual bickerers looked like a perfectly fitted puzzle, a matching picture.
I needed to work harder. Much harder to stand equal. Not just getting good at magic. At least my defense—my strong suit—needed desperate growth. Combat needed balance too. I suddenly got why manga protagonists did secret training arcs. I looked down briefly.
Meanwhile, Inha and Hansu started bickering again. I didn't bother stopping them.
Anyway, everyone had sparred once. Je-hyeon Brother stood before us now.
"For now, I've got a rough sense of your combat styles and levels."
His words pulled me from my daze, stopped Inha and Hansu's fight, turned Minhee and Yujeong Sister from their sulk, and drew Inho Brother and Hyunho from comforting them. We looked up at the much taller Je-hyeon Brother.
"First, Eunha. I get you're a defensive mage, but you're too indecisive. Mages can't avoid fighting. Waiting for openings while defending is fine. But you don't know how to seize them. No decisive strikes. So many patterns overall, yet so few offensively. Fix that."
Je-hyeon Brother spoke firmly, seriously for once. All true, so I just bowed my head.
"Conversely, Kang Inha, you're too attack-focused. I get your offense is top-tier. Attack as best defense sometimes works. But learn to defend properly—not just dodge. And don't always go straight in. Use terrain when you need to evade."
"..."
Inha nodded silently. He scanned us, then continued.
"Most stable are Hansu and Hyunho. Cheong Inho, yours is balanced too. But offense and defense both too weak. Minhee, you're unstable overall, and your power's a mess."
For once, he dropped his doting side and spoke coldly to his sister Minhee. She bit her lip.
"Han Yujeong, you weren't bad. You're just starting combat training and spars, so some clumsiness is inevitable. Be frustrated, but don't get down on yourselves."
Be frustrated, but don't despair... Good advice. But I gave a awkward smile. Did he think elementary kids would get that? Then he whipped toward me, startling me. I froze tense.
"From now on in sparring training, Eunha—no running. Attack head-on till you puke. Hey, make the field barren—no hiding spots. You'll train pure offense first, then real spars. And only use your unique magic to attack. Got it?"
I hesitated but nodded steadily. Je-hyeon Brother smiled briefly.
"That's it for today."
The mood shifted instantly at his words. The seniors' stiff vibe softened to normal—especially Je-hyeon Brother.
But I flinched, glancing at him. It'd been ages since he felt so intimidating. Still, I accepted it. Minhee made him seem soft; his true nature was cool and sharp.
Training wrapped, everyone chattered as usual. Yujeong Sister and Inho Brother looked impressed.
"Wow, seniors are insane, right?"
"Yeah. Honestly, they went easy on us too?"
"Probably. Hmph, to them we're just fledglings. Annoying."
Minhee was still mad, grumbling. Cheonho Brother snuck behind her, patting her head.
"Don't be too bummed? You're weak now mostly 'cause you're young. Bodies aren't grown, so mana capacity's small. Grow up, and you might surpass us."
Minhee brightened instantly at Cheonho Brother's comfort.
"Really?!"
"Yeah. Impressive bunch. Especially Inha and Hansu—stood out. You two have top combat talent here."
Inha and Hansu glanced at each other, then turned away with a 'pfft.' Aww, so cute~.
Minhee laughed, agreeing.
"Yeah. Inha and Hansu look amazing at a glance. Eunha's magic is great, but she just runs."
"My style doesn't fit attacking..."
I scratched my head awkwardly. Cheonho Brother grinned mischievously.
"Then you're in trouble, Eunha. Je-hyeon's brutal on this stuff. You'll drill attacks endlessly now. Beyond imagination."
"..."
I couldn't hide my unease. No, really, attacking doesn't suit me...
But Je-hyeon Brother was right. Even dodging for openings needs a real finisher. Truth is, I have an attack to disable foes—via unique magic. But it's too risky; I don't want to use it.
"Anyway, head out, kids~."
Cheonho Brother straightened up. Minhee looked puzzled up at him.
"What about you, oppa?"
"We've got more to do. You go first."
"Okay. Let's go! Sisters, brothers too."
"Sure."
We bowed and left. Unlike entering, Yujeong Sister and Inho Brother came with us. I glanced back at Je-hyeon Brother before exiting. He was talking with the other seniors.
'....'
His earlier gaze flashed in my mind. I fiddled absently with the ring under my collar.
The sparring room door closed.
"...but still."
Yoo Cheonho confirmed the kids were gone and approached Joo Je-hyeon, who'd been discussing the spars with the juniors.
"That generation's spawning monsters, right?"
"Exactly!"
High school section vice president-elect Kim Yura vented in agreement.
"Elementary third years? Just ten years old? I thought it weird we were mentor candidates. Sure, Minhee's Je-hyeon Senior's sister, we meet sometimes, knew she had talent. But this? Insane! Thought Minhee was the standout—nope!"
Kim Yura glanced bitterly at the door. Yoo Cheonho nodded, less playful than usual.
"In combat, Inha and Hansu shone. Impressive. But the real star... Eunha."
"Yeah."
Joo Je-hyeon nodded with somber eyes, then smiled.
"Eunha lacks combat aptitude, but her magic use is unbelievably free for her age. Could match middle schoolers easy."
"And her mana pool's no joke? Indecisive attacks seem personality-based—training'll fix it, skyrocket her. Even without offense, that barrier's OP. I hit pretty hard, and it held!"
"Right. At ten, using D-rank magic? Dark attribute too—one of the hardest."
Yoo Seojun shook his head.
"Tons of high schoolers barely hit D-rank. ...Not that we should talk, but insane talent. True genius. Too young to call it, but this far already..."
"Definitely."
Joo Je-hyeon nodded, face complex. Genius was good and bad in this world.
"And that D-rank? Blew my mind. Minhee once said Eunha's mana control was super precise. I shrugged—girls usually are. But no."
"Control? What about it?"
"That 'Profound Bloom' spell. Overloading usually dirties mana, right? D-rank at her age, dark too—tough. But hers? Clean. No leaks, no distortion—flawless."
Kim Yura's eyes froze. She'd sparred Eunha. She pulled up the virtual device's footage. Screen descended, replaying. She zoomed on the spellcast.
A pristine black chrysanthemum bloomed perfectly before Kim Yura. Her eyes widened.
"It's true..."
Her gaze trembled at the vivid magic. Others agreed. Yoo Seojun muttered darkly.
"Using exactly the needed mana, precisely directed—for a spell barely doable even all-out? Beyond control."
"Rewind a bit."
Joo Je-hyeon snatched the remote, replaying. Eunha deployed a barrier against Kim Yura's spell. Near-invisible colorless dome. But Je-hyeon's eyes lit up.
"See? She didn't just block your magic. She 'deflected' it."
"Deflected?!"
Stunned, Kim Yura grabbed the remote back, replayed. Gray dust hit the barrier dead-on. They didn't know it was barrier magic yet.
"And look. She's altering attributes to match your spells."
Je-hyeon hit a button; analysis graph appeared. Kim Yura stared, entranced. Replay: First explosion—ice attribute barrier, mere 'coating.' Dust to iron shards—fire. Lightning—water. And adjusting thickness or layers per spell. Kim Yura's eyes bulged.
"No way... mastered all attributes?!"
"And water-fire simultaneously."
"Plus advanced changes. Hyper-sensitive to mana shifts. Matching offense or tweaking barriers shows it."
Joo Je-hyeon smiled quietly, a hint of bitterness in his eyes.
"She'll be an incredible mage. That kid."
Silence fell.
After leaving the sparring room, we played outside awhile before heading to Minhee's with Yujeong Sister and Inho Brother—a rare group outing. When we gathered indoors, it was always Minhee's place.
Not just familiarity.
Minhee's elementary, Je-hyeon Brother's high school. She got home 2-3 PM; he around 6+. So she was alone till then. We visited often.
At Minhee's door, Sihwa was there, fidgeting. She gaped at us—especially Yujeong Sister and Inho Brother.
"Huh? Sihwa? What's up?"
"Oh, yeah. Mom sent side dishes. But you're not home yet, so..."
"Got it. Come in. Mana lock recognizes you, right?"
"...Yeah, but."
It felt like ages since I'd seen Sihwa. I hesitated, looking at her. She felt awkward somehow. Drifting apart? She seemed to feel it too. I shut my mouth. She glanced at me, looked away.
"Since you're here, join us! Yujeong Sister and Inho Brother after so long! We haven't hung out much lately, huh?"
Sihwa shyly eyed Minhee, met my gaze—eyes flickering—but smiled.
"Yeah. Sure."
"Yay!"
We piled into Minhee's. Spacious and tidy for two without parents. Cleaning bots, obviously. Robotic hands suck at cooking but ace cleaning and laundry. Androids exist too... but astronomically pricey.
I neatly doffed my shoes at the entry. Kids tossed theirs haphazardly. Inha copied me. Sihwa? Dragged in by Minhee before she could. Nostalgic sight. Saw it daily last year...
Heading to the living room, I asked the settled kids.
"What should I grab? Minhee, what's in the house?"
"Huh? Oh... no drinks... green tea! It's chilly—good? Oh, snacks in the upper cabinet. Tangerines in the fridge?"
"Got it."
I nodded, left. Minhee dove back into chatter. Kids can't prep snacks well yet, so I handle it. Not my house...
Snacks optional, but guests mean a spread. Empty-handed feels off. Inha helps too, so it became our routine. No complaints. Fridge raids are fun. I eat a ton, looks-wise. Ramen with rice barely fills me. Kid with legendary stomach.
I prepped snacks, Inha drinks. I pyramid-stacked tangerines prettily. Time-consuming, but I like it.
Inha steeped green tea bags in hot water. She glanced at me.
"Green tea like this okay? Whatever works."
"Yeah."
Trays loaded, we crept from the kitchen. No step, but small bodies block views—tricky.
As we exited, the front door rattled open. Kitchen faced living room straight via hall. We paused, peeked. Je-hyeon Brother and Cheonho Brother entering. I flinched, recalling Je-hyeon Brother's face.
"Oh. Eunha, Inha. You're here."
Cheonho Brother smiled up. We nodded meekly. Je-hyeon Brother strode over. Heading to his room? I stepped back—then he snatched our trays.
"...Huh?"
I blinked blankly.
"Snacks? Who's all here?"
"Uh... kids, Sihwa, Inho Brother, Yujeong Sister."
"Big crowd. I'll take 'em."
"Th-thanks."
"No need."
He smirked at my thanks. So normal, I relaxed. He carried trays to the living room.
"Ah, oppa! You're back! Sorry, got caught up chatting."
"Hoo. Using words like 'immersed' now? You hate books."
"Ehehe. Learned from Eunha!"
"Figured."
"She's amazing. Uses hard words a ton. Knows tougher vocab than us? Got praised in Korean class. Word came up—kids blanked, but we knew it. From Eunha!"
"Yeah?"
I scratched my cheek. Books, plus past novelist life—vocab's key. Kids not knowing? Baffling to me. Say that, get stoned...
Inha and I followed the brothers to the living room, sat. Je-hyeon Brother cooed briefly at Hansu, Sihwa, Hyunho, Inho Brother (Hansu still recoiled), then headed to his room. Pats my head last. Routine now—I smoothed my hair.
"But really feels like forever seeing Inho Brother and Yujeong Sister. What brought it today?"
"Uh... got assigned to a leveled class together."
Yujeong Sister hesitated, said. Sihwa blinked surprised.
"Leveled class...?"
"Yeah. Just that."
Yujeong Sister clammed up. Sihwa eyed her hesitantly. Ah! Minhee cottoned on.
"Oh, right—didn't tell Sihwa. We got private tutors, yeah?"
"Uh... yeah..."
"What we're drilling hardest is combat training. But real spars need partners—teacher gap's huge. Virtual opponents have limits. So they added 'mentors.'"
"Mentors? What's that?"
"Um... like teaching seniors. Ours are high school 'cause middle school's shaky. And it's the student council! Our oppas."
"Oh..."
Sihwa nodded vaguely. Minhee beamed on.
"So that's how we reconnected with Sister and Brother. Probably see 'em awhile—teaming up!"
"I see."
Sihwa seemed hesitant, words unsaid, but smiled. Got more timid while apart? I stared, suddenly anxious. ...Was it?
"Good for you."
"Yeah!"
Minhee grinned wide.