Chapter 112
Chapter 112
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Electric Adaptation Training
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At Kim Deok-hyun's words, Yoo Ah-yeon shut her mouth.
Two years ago in the past.
Yoo Ah-yeon had been a wizard with the Special Task Force.
She possessed exceptional skill that stood out even among wizards worldwide at her young age, so many within the Special Task Force followed her.
But a problem arose.
Yoo Ah-yeon grew dissatisfied with the Special Task Force's operations. Conflicts between her and the Special Task Force kept occurring, and in the end, she left with the talents who followed her.
That was how 'Dawn's Blade' was born.
Of course, most of the current Dawn's Blade wizards were victims who harbored strong hatred toward Jaun.
But from Kim Deok-hyun's perspective, she had poached wizards from the Special Task Force, so he couldn't feel any goodwill toward her.
Yoo Ah-yeon let out a deep sigh before speaking.
"Sunbae-nim."
"Don't call me sunbae-nim. We're not like that anymore."
"......Kim Deok-hyun-ssi?"
"You brat...... Just call me sunbae-nim."
At Kim Deok-hyun's words, Yoo Ah-yeon gave a faint smile.
"So, what was that thing you asked about last time?"
"Oh, the magic that caught Teresa?"
"Yes. You said you got help from some unidentified person."
"Yeah. But was that really not one of your guild's wizards?"
Yoo Ah-yeon shook her head at Kim Deok-hyun's question.
"No. We do have support-type wizards in our guild, but none who handle something like the light-binding magic you described."
"......Really? Then who the hell was it?"
Kim Deok-hyun fell into thought. Yoo Ah-yeon watched him before speaking.
"Looks like there's another force targeting Jaun."
"Huh?"
"That's how it seems from the circumstances. They caught one of Jaun's core members but then vanished."
"There are a lot of suspicious points, yeah."
Yoo Ah-yeon sank into contemplation.
"I should look into it personally. Someone using such unique magic should leave some traces."
Two days before the start of the semester.
Disguised as Kim Jin-woo, I visited a private comprehensive magic training center in Seoul.
It was to build up my lightning resistance attribute.
This comprehensive magic training center had various training equipment installed for wizards.
Attribute adaptation training was no exception.
With solid safety systems in place, there was no better place to develop lightning attribute resistance.
Of course, the one-day pass cost 200,000 won, which was a bit pricey, but money was no object.
Beep!
I opened the door to the private room and entered.
A boxy unfamiliar machine came into view. Since it wasn't complicated, I could figure out how to use it right away.
I touched [Lightning Adaptation Training] on the screen.
Scary, so I set the intensity to the lowest.
Zap. Zap.
Electricity sparked from the end of the long rod attached to the machine.
It was a simpler system than expected, but simple meant reliably effective.
I infused mana into the 'Legacy of the Formless Spirit.' As the ring glowed, I brought it to the rod.
Zzzap.
The transparent ring of light began to gradually take on a yellow hue. It was proof that lightning attribute was properly infusing.
"......And with this, the lightning attribute is complete."
Now it was time to build lightning resistance using the rod.
I slowly brought my body close to the rod coursing with current.
"Whew."
Actually doing it, I was trembling a bit.
No, pretty scared.
All sorts of thoughts flooded my mind, but I quickly steeled myself. I couldn't hesitate like this. There would be far tougher challenges ahead.
"Hup!"
With unhesitating movement, I pressed my body against the rod.
Zzzzzap!
"Gaaaaaaah!"
[You have achieved the 'Lightning Attribute Adaptation Training' accomplishment.]
[You have obtained 2,000 points as a reward.]
[Your 'Lightning Resistance' trait has risen from D to C rank.]
[Your body is adapting to pain!]
[Adaptation-type trait, 'Pain Resistance (F)' has been added.]
"Ugh......"
The long, agonizing lightning torture...... No, the first day of lightning adaptation training was over.
I earned points from the accomplishment and gained a new adaptation-type trait acquisition and evolution.
My body still felt like current was running through it. I could understand why wizards avoided the lightning attribute despite its many advantages.
Even with adaptation traits, it was like this—what the hell were those kids doing training from childhood?
"Whew."
Still, I had acquired the trait, so I needed to check it out.
Honestly, I'd only thought about the lightning resistance trait, but getting pain resistance as a bonus put me in a good mood.
[Pain Resistance (F)]
Classification: Trait
Description: Your body adapts to pain.
[Passive Effect]
> Pain Adaptation
Perceived pain is reduced by 15%.
Stamina recovery speed increases by 10%.
The effects were decent.
15% pain reduction.
It might seem low, but it could also feel high depending on how you looked at it.
Above all, pain resistance stacked with lightning resistance.
That alone gave this trait tremendous value.
I checked the next trait.
[Lightning Resistance (C)]
[Passive Effect]
> Lightning Human
Mana increases by 1.
Lightning attribute resistance increases by 20%.
The trait rank had risen from D to C.
But the only change was lightning attribute resistance going from 10% to 20%.
Still, 10% was a significant amount. From 10% to 20% was double.
Even if minor, these things stack up to big effects.
"Alright, time to manifest it."
I raised my hand and gathered mana. At the same time, a sphere of crackling electricity began forming above my palm.
Crackle. Zzzap......
Occasionally, sparks from the sphere popped out, stinging my palm, but I endured.
Lightning attribute really was tricky to handle.
Light attribute felt tame, but lightning acted like a living creature, jumping this way and that.
"Whew."
[You have achieved the 'Lightning Attribute Manifestation' accomplishment.]
[You have obtained 2,000 points as a reward.]
Still, I succeeded in manifesting it.
As expected, mana consumption was enormous, but using the Heart of Great Nature or Mana Elixir would handle the mana drain to some extent.
Zzzzzzap!
That was when it happened.
The electricity above my hand sparked violently and burned my palm hard.
"Ow ow ow! Ack! Sting!"
I immediately canceled the spell manifestation. Horrific pain shot through my palm. The palm had turned red from the unexpectedly strong current.
"Ow......"
It seemed I'd need quite some time to properly handle the lightning attribute.
One day before the start of the semester.
I returned to the Magic Academy for the first time in a while to unpack in the dorms.
Looking around, quite a few students had come back to unpack in the dorms.
Their uniformly bright expressions suggested everyone had rested and had fun.
"Kim Sun-woo!"
"Sun-woo-ya, hi."
Some people I didn't even know pretended to know me.
This had happened after the first semester finals, so I wasn't too flustered.
More than that, it was funny yet bittersweet how interest and treatment from people changed based on grades.
"Sunbae-nim!"
Then I heard Choi Seo-yoon's voice. Turning my head, I saw her dragging a massive case bag almost as big as herself toward me.
"Here to unpack?"
"Yes. Sunbae-nim too?"
"Yeah."
"Oh."
Then Choi Seo-yoon scanned my body.
"But where's your luggage?"
"My luggage?"
I'd stored all my luggage in sub-space, so I hadn't brought a bag.
"I stopped by the dorms last time and unpacked some stuff already. So nothing major."
"Ohhh〜"
It was a made-up excuse, but Choi Seo-yoon nodded without suspicion.
"Oh, right. The Nightmare Mist Dungeon reward you gave up for me last time? It was really effective."
"Good to hear."
"Yes. Look."
Choi Seo-yoon raised her hand and began releasing mana. Soon, a small chunk of ice manifested above her palm.
"This is what I could manifest before break."
Hup!
Choi Seo-yoon let out a small grunt and manifested a new ice chunk.
Visually, the size and shape weren't much different from before. But my sensitized senses from practicing magic could feel the difference.
"Feel the difference?"
"Temperature difference."
"Yes, it's much colder now. Manifestation speed is way faster too."
Choi Seo-yoon smiled brightly.
"Good for you. Worth giving it up."
"Yes yes. Thanks to sunbae-nim. I'll repay you someday for sure."
Choi Seo-yoon clenched her fists as she said it.
Then someone approached from behind Choi Seo-yoon.
"Hey! Choi Seo-yoon! Where the hell have you...... Oh. Kim Sun-woo sunbae-nim? Ah, hello."
It was Choi Seo-yoon's best friend, Song Seung-ah. She spotted me, looked surprised, and bowed her head in greeting. Not quite 90 degrees—more like 100. Her greetings were overly enthusiastic.
"Yeah, hi."
Song Seung-ah lifted her head and stared at my face.
Wondering what it was, I met her gaze, and she soon gave a meaningful smile.
"What? Got something to say?"
"No. Nothing...... Ah! I just remembered something urgent! Be right back."
Song Seung-ah shouted awkwardly, patted Choi Seo-yoon's arm, and vanished somewhere.
Choi Seo-yoon watched her back and tilted her head.
"What? Why's she acting like that?"
I wondered too. Was Song Seung-ah like that?
"Beats me. Why's your friend like that? Keep her in check."
"Huh? Did you just diss my BFF?"
"......No, not that."
......While we were chatting idly like that.
A blond white man approached us. My gaze naturally turned to him. So did Choi Seo-yoon's.
"Hello?"
The man spoke to us in fluent Korean.
Up close, he was incredibly handsome. The type to make people turn back for a second look.
"Yes, hello."
Choi Seo-yoon reflexively greeted back. The man looked back and forth between me and Choi Seo-yoon before speaking.
"Are you students at the Magic Academy by any chance?"
"Yes."
"I wanted to ask for directions. Where's the 2nd-year faculty office?"
At his words, Choi Seo-yoon pointed to the main building.
"It's on the 8th floor of that building."
"Ah, thank you. Such kind students."
The man bowed slightly to us. Then, heading toward the main building, he paused.
"Oh, by the way, I'm the new teacher starting this semester. Name's Chris. If you end up in my class, take care of me."
"Oh, you're a teacher. We'll be in your care."
Choi Seo-yoon bowed slightly. The man smiled at us and resumed walking toward the main building.
I watched his back and used Character Insight.
Name: Jeong Hyun
Age: 28
Race: Demon
Status: Calm
Mana Grade: A
Interest Level: 0
After parting from the two students, the man walked alone toward the main building.
With it still being break, no one was around, so he climbed the quiet stairs.
The faculty office was on the 8th floor, he had heard. But the man headed not to the 8th but the 4th floor. Upon reaching the 4th, 3rd-year classrooms came into view. The man walked down the hallway and stopped in front of the 3rd Year Class A classroom door.
Slide.
He opened the door and entered.
A wide tiered classroom entered his view.
He looked at the empty desks and kept walking.
Then his eyes caught a desk covered in graffiti. The graffiti was filled with curses and insults. The man caressed the graffiti with his hand and muttered.
"Jang Ye......"
Chris—no, Jeong Hyun—fell into thought before leaving the classroom again.
Beep!
I returned to the dorms after so long. The scenery after a month felt somehow unfamiliar. But the unfamiliarity quickly faded, replaced by familiarity.
"Need to clean a bit."
Dust had settled in just a month.
I wiped the table with my hand, and a thin layer of gray dust stuck to it.
"Before that."