First Lessons in Sorcery
“Looks like I got a bit greedy there.”
From Kang A-jin's words, I could tell she’d felt exactly the same thing I had.
“For now, I’ll give you a brief overview. It’d be best to progress step by step in line with your growth, Sung-gi. Sorcery requires theory and practice to intertwine.”
I understood what she meant. No matter how advanced the sorcery, if I couldn’t use it myself, what good was it? I’d forget it in no time. Worse, it might tangle up my mana and cause real trouble.
“What’s this?”
I asked, eyeing the bundle of talismans.
“Unlike regular skills, sorcery needs tools. They come in various forms, but I mainly use talismans. You infuse them with your own mana, turning them into something only you can activate. Think of them as single-use skills. Sorcery can be incredibly powerful depending on how you wield it, but it has clear limitations—like requiring a medium. There are also usage times and daily limits. Mastering those is the foundation of using sorcery.”
“Got it.”
I nodded. Sorcery definitely differed from standard skills. Its variety and applications could expand near-infinitely once mastered, but it came with unique constraints.
These talismans must cost a fortune...
They weren’t something you could just pick up anywhere. With so few sorcerers around, they weren’t mass-produced like hunter gear. Online trading? Doubtful.
“I’ll give you this talisman book, Sung-gi.”
“Pardon?”
I’d been worrying about the price, and here she was offering them outright. There had to be 200 or 300 sheets at least.
“I don’t use them, so don’t worry. I’ll teach you from the start, so practice infusing your mana into talismans with traits.”
The lesson took a different turn from what I’d expected—practical and foundational. With proper training, I might one day wield sorcery on her level, but at my current stage, knowing it wouldn’t help if I couldn’t apply it. As she said, learning gradually as I grew was the way.
After nearly an hour, I grasped the basics. And following her instructions, I successfully infused a talisman with my mana.
“Oh!”
The difference from the others was immediately clear. According to Kang A-jin, this one held the fire attribute.
Fire could manifest in various ways—launching something like a fireball, or engulfing a target in flames. This was where a sorcerer’s unique flair came into play.
“May I see your hand?”
At her request, I extended my right hand. She pulled a long pen-like tool from her inventory—sharp-tipped, but no ink.
As she focused, mana gathered at the tip. She began drawing something on my palm.
“Ow!”
A sharp sting, and blood welled up. It didn’t hurt much, but I hadn’t expected it.
“Sorry. It’ll be fine soon.”
Kang A-jin inscribed what looked like ancient rune syllables. They glowed along their shapes, staunching the blood. I worried about scarring, but the marks sank into my skin and vanished.
“This will make using sorcery easier for you, Sung-gi.”
She did the same to my left palm—different runes. Then, she moved to my fingertips. A mild prickling, but no real pain.
Finished, a bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. It hadn’t been easy for her either.
“Now, try using sorcery.”
She demonstrated ways to activate the fire-attribute talisman. Each rune on my palms and fingers had meaning. The one on my index finger for a fireball, middle finger to ignite a target. Later, combinations for advanced applications—but way beyond me now.
I activated the freshly infused talisman as taught.
Whoosh!
A far larger flame than expected erupted in midair. Impressive size, but its power paled against hers. Still, I was thrilled. Me, using sorcery. This opened doors to countless varieties.
Basic as it was, it felt like a massive leap. Hunter prowess wasn’t just about rank—skills mattered. And sorcery was elite, beyond most D-rankers.
“Now, I’ll teach you how to draw talismans from your inventory.”
“Drawing them out?”
I was puzzled at first, but soon understood. Pulling one by one, infusing, then using? Way too slow in combat—I’d be dead before finishing.
She’d taught me to skip steps, casting at near-skill speed. Mastering that comfortably took another hour. The process was so engaging, time flew.
Then my phone buzzed. A text from Kim Seol-bi.
I thought for a moment, then replied.
Her reply carried a hint of disappointment. I already felt like a live-in family member at her place. Was this okay? We hadn’t even discussed dating, let alone marriage.
“Seol-bi?”
Kang A-jin asked, her tone assuming as much.
“Yeah. A few more hours are fine, but I shouldn’t stay too late.”
“I see...”
Now she sounded disappointed.
“I’ve shown you how to use talismans, so next: infusing mana based on their attributes.”
Methods varied by trait. I learned them all. Another hour passed, and I’d covered the basics when she asked,
“Aren’t you hungry? Shall we eat?”
I’d already told Kim Seol-bi I’d eat out, so I nodded.
“Sure.”
#
I don’t know what I’d been expecting, but Kang A-jin’s meal was... ordinary. Ordinarily luxurious and delicious. Like at Kim Seol-bi’s, ingredients were fresh and premium. Rich people perks, I guess.
Plates flying across the table and dishes auto-washing? As expected. But post-lesson, I realized these required serious sorcery mastery. Using dimensional rifts to watch me, deploying talismans on monsters—that was god-tier. Few worldwide could match her, even unspoken.
“When do you need to head out?”
She asked over coffee.
“Probably within an hour or two.”
No strict time, but I figured Kim Seol-bi and Kim Eun-bi wouldn’t sleep till I got home.
“What will you do until then?”
Her tone turned subtly intimate. Hearing it, her looks hit me anew. Pale skin, delicate features—girlish, yet her figure was ample. Black clothes downplayed it, but her breasts and hips were full. Her calves, visible below her knees, were stunning.
I reined in my wandering mind. “More practice infusing talismans.”
Do it at home, and the cousins would catch me. Explaining sorcery and talismans? Trouble. Better stockpile as many as possible—for crises like today’s dungeon or roadside ambush.
“Of course. Whatever suits you.”
No expression, but a touch of disappointment. Alone with a beauty like this, who knew when reason might crumble? I vowed no excuses needed for the cousins.