Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Tempting Special Sale
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“But such a proactive attitude in class is always welcome. I hope the other students take note. Sunwoo, you can put your hand down now.”
I lowered my hand and turned my gaze toward Yoo Ara. She must have felt my eyes on her, because she glanced my way.
“What?”
“…No, just wondering what was so funny.”
“I wasn’t laughing.”
She suddenly played it cool.
After smiling like that.
With nothing to say, I turned my attention back to Lee Hee-young.
That was when Yoo Ara spoke up from beside me again.
“But you handle support forms too?”
“Nope.”
Support forms usually involved large surface-area shapes like walls or pillars.
Because manifesting them on a massive scale meant you didn’t have to worry about range or control, allowing purely defensive use.
The downside was that they required so much focus to manifest, making them even harder. Plus, training shape control was tough, so they demanded a ton of imagination and way more mana expenditure.
Back then, with my mana shortage, I hadn’t practiced support forms separately. Of course, it wasn’t like I couldn’t handle them at all.
“Really? That’s surprising. You seem so versatile, but then you can’t do stuff like this. It’s kinda ordinary, you know?”
I shrugged.
“Didn’t really feel the need.”
Still, I was starting to think it might be time to properly learn support forms.
My mana situation wasn’t like before anymore, and I might end up handling various attributes going forward.
“Then how about practicing support forms with me after class?”
“Huh?”
I turned to Yoo Ara. She looked into my eyes and narrowed hers.
“What’s with that face?”
“No, do we really need to practice together? I can just do it alone.”
“We can give each other feedback. It’d be good.”
Come to think of it, that made sense. Plus, training with a genius like Yoo Ara might be motivating.
Just then, Lee Hee-young’s voice rang out loudly.
“…So that’s a look at support forms, but you all are still too early to learn them. It won’t be too late once you’ve fully mastered your main forms.”
Hearing that, I sank into thought for a moment before turning to Yoo Ara.
“Nah, on second thought, no.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you hear the teacher? Support forms are premature. Keep practicing your main form.”
Yoo Ara narrowed her eyes briefly, then let out a deep sigh.
“…Is that so?”
Her voice sounded downcast.
“You’re already so good. Why push yourself like this?”
“It’s not that. Lately, I’ve been feeling my limits.”
“Limits?”
“Yeah. I feel like my magic is too offensively focused these days. Like, if an enemy closes in, I don’t really have a good way to block them.”
“Then use your sub-specialty.”
“Sub-specialties are too hard.”
I’d forgotten for a sec. Yoo Ara had no talent outside of manifestation arts.
In the original story, she’d overcome her weaknesses by pushing manifestation arts to the extreme. With diverse support forms and her monstrous innate mana.
Support forms, huh.
I thought for a moment.
Then said,
“Fine, let’s practice together this weekend.”
The bell rang, ending the morning manifestation arts class.
Students hurriedly packed up to head back to their classrooms. I followed suit, grabbing my things and standing.
As I was about to leave the room, Lee Hee-young called out to me.
“Sunwoo!”
“...Yes?”
“Could we talk for a minute?”
I had no idea what it was about, but I nodded anyway.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Nothing major, but do you know Hanseong Pharmaceuticals?”
The name alone tipped me off to what she wanted to discuss.
“They’re offering scholarships to students, and apparently, you’ve made the list this time.”
I’d half-expected something like this. I probably couldn’t avoid a meeting, and I’d end up facing Han Se-yeon as Kim Sunwoo.
Should I be happy about this or not? While I pondered, Lee Hee-young continued.
“And you passed the 2nd semester special class too.”
“Oh.”
Special class.
An advanced class for students with top grades or special talents, running even in the 2nd semester.
“Really?”
“Yes, it was unanimous among the teachers. You’re amazing, Sunwoo. Night and day from the 1st semester. You fixed your mana shortage so quickly.”
Hee-hee. Lee Hee-young laughed. She seemed genuinely thrilled.
“Overcoming a mana deficiency like that takes tremendous effort. I know how hard building up mana is.”
I’d leaned heavily on points and traits, but I’d trained consistently after classes every day, so it wasn’t wrong.
“Thank you.”
“Oh, and have you thought about it?”
Lee Hee-young asked in a sly tone.
“About what?”
“Your practical instructor.”
“Oh.”
I nodded.
“Yeah, I have.”
Lee Hee-young looked at me with eyes full of worry and anticipation.
“…Who?”
“You, Teacher.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, obviously Lee Hee-young.”
Her face lit up at my answer.
“Oh my, really? You sure? The external teacher list hasn’t even been announced yet.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. No real interest in anyone else. And you teach plenty well already.”
She beamed at my words.
“Right! Then let’s do great together, Sunwoo.”
Lee Hee-young returned to the staff room with a grin plastered on her face. The other teachers’ eyes turned to her.
“Teacher, something good happen?”
“Yeah. The student I wanted to instruct chose me.”
Everyone instantly knew who she meant. Lee Hee-young was notorious among the staff as a huge Kim Sunwoo fan.
“Sunwoo picked you?”
“Yep, that’s what he said.”
Various reactions erupted from the teachers.
“Wow, Teacher Lee Hee-young got her ultimate fan moment?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Heh-heh.”
“Aww, kinda jealous though. I wanted to teach Sunwoo too.”
“Same. Teaching a student like him boosts your resume later.”
“Huh? Teacher, you see teaching a specific student as a resume booster?”
“N-No, that’s not...”
One teacher suddenly piped up as if remembering something.
“Seo-jun and Ara will go with external teachers, right?”
The mood sobered as proven geniuses—not new hotshots like Kim Sunwoo—were mentioned.
“Probably. Word is 30% of the incoming external instructors are gunning for those two.”
“Man, we’re getting some heavy hitters this time.”
“This 2nd year class is historic. Even on a global scale.”
“Totally.”
The chatter continued when the staff room door burst open. A young teacher waved a paper.
“Everyone, the external instructor list is out!”
“Ooh, let’s see.”
The teachers crowded around, scanning the list intently.
“Elena Green… Seong Won-seong…”
Some teachers gasped upon spotting a certain name.
“Huh?”
“What’s this?”
“Is that… who I think it is?”
“…Choi Il-hyun?”
Evening, 7 PM. All classes at the Magic Academy had ended.
A lone man walked an empty hallway devoid of even a single student.
He wore a casual suit, loosely undone, its surface wrinkled from prolonged wear. His slightly curly hair hung messily long and unkempt, matched by weeks-old stubble on his jaw.
He looked mid-to-late 30s, but his actual age was at least a decade older.
In one hand, he clutched a file on a student. The name in the header: ‘Kim Sunwoo’.
“Man, it’s been ages here. Almost 20 years.”
He muttered to himself, lost in sentiment.
Reliving old memories. Until his eyes turned wistful.
He had plenty of good times at the Magic Academy, but they’d all become painful in the end.
“…Tch.”
He shook off the thoughts and kept walking.
At the end of the hall, he spotted a machine emitting a faint blue glow.
Natural mana diffuser.
“Kids these days were born in such a great era.”
We didn’t have stuff like this back then.
He paused, leaning against a windowsill.
A cool breeze ruffled his hair.
His melancholy lifted briefly, replaced by irritation.
“More facilities and improvements are nice, but…”
The man, Choi Il-hyun, gritted his teeth.
“Damn it, what kind of school doesn’t have a smoking room?”
Back at the dorm after finishing personal training, I was playing Jenga with Gretel.
The boxy wooden tower was now just a rickety skeleton.
One puff of wind away from collapse.
I swallowed hard.
Eyes tense, I watched Gretel’s fingertips.
With calm eyes and steady motions, she slowly pressed the center block.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Monotonous yet rhythmic, light touches.
It exuded insane skill.
…No way she’s pulling this one out?
Pluck.
The block dropped to the floor.
The tower stood unmoved, proud and elegant as ever.
Even as an opponent, I couldn’t help but admire and respect that handiwork.
Gretel carefully placed the block atop the tower.
She smiled at me as she did—her “your turn” smile.
“Ung-ae.”
“Impressive…”
It was my turn, but this was beyond saving.
The tower crumbled the instant my fingers touched it. Just as expected.
No, my opponent was so overwhelming, regret didn’t even factor in.
“Gretel, you’re really good at this.”
Gretel beamed again. A smile that lifted my mood despite the loss.
I chuckled and patted her head.
“Let’s take a break.”
Gretel nodded and started tidying the Jenga set.
I got up and flopped onto the sofa, then checked my held points.
[Held Points: 118,000]
118,000 points.
Today’s grades had netted me an extra 15,000.
Time to buy a trait for real.
I’d held off until hitting 100,000 points exactly.
Hmm, what to get.
Trait or skill?
Plenty of points, so options galore.
“Hmmmmm.”
Alright, let’s enter the point shop and think.
I immediately activated Outsider’s Boon.
[Activating unique trait ‘Outsider’s Boon.’]
[Entering Point Shop.]
[Check this week’s special discounts?]
“…Huh?”
［Special Discount!］
［Selling Trait Enhancement (???) at 50% off.］
［Discount remaining: 6 days］
A special discount after so long.
The item: ‘Trait Enhancement.’
But not a trait, skill, or item as expected.
The ??? rank meant a ‘special item’ exclusive to the point shop.
［Trait Enhancement (???)］
Category: Special (Limited Sale)
Description: Enhances traits with proficiency levels.
［Effect］
►Trait Enhancement
Raises the proficiency rank of a held trait by 3 stages.
Price: 60,000 (50% off)
“…What the hell.”
Way weirder than I’d imagined.
I’d guessed it enhanced traits from the name, but boosting proficiency by a full 3 ranks? Never saw that coming.
“This looks solid.”
A 3-stage boost might seem minor, but it’s huge.
It took me 4-5 months to max Blessing of the Great Nature at 3 ranks—ranks get harder as they climb, so this saves at least 2 years.
“Damn, tough call.”
But dropping 60,000 points on a whim? That’s enough for an A-rank trait.
Better calculate what’s truly worth it than buy just ‘cause it’s discounted.
