Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Modern Magic Lecture (2)
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-(Mirni, won't you reconsider? Your talent is just too precious to waste...)
"Thank you, Director. But... after going through that mess, I've developed something like trauma. Now I've got a bit of social anxiety. How could I survive in the cutthroat entertainment industry like this?"
-(No, that's not a flaw at all. Social anxiety is a chronic issue for celebrities—it won't be a problem for you whatsoever. Anyway, think it over. Definitely give me a call! There are tons of agencies waiting for someone like you, Mirni.)
"Sure, sure, thank you, Director."
Mirni ended the call with a cheerful tone, but her expression was ice-cold.
Alicia watched her, tilting her head in confusion.
"From what that woman said, it sounds like she's fully prepared to push you hard. Why turn her down?"
"Damn cat-eared bitch, how much did you eavesdrop on?"
"I wasn't eavesdropping—it carries just fine!"
"You, you."
"?!!"
The taunting sparked another fight on the verge of erupting, but an unexpected voice cut in, freezing their bickering in an instant.
"Why'd you turn it down?"
"...What's it to you? Since when do you care about other people's business?"
"Curious about the reason."
"Uh, yeah...?"
Luxy of all people asking? Mirni scratched her cheek awkwardly and explained.
"Well... I can see right through this woman's game. She acts like she's looking out for me, but deep down, it's not that."
"...?"
"Simple version: right now, I'm in a position to fetch a high price. Even without modeling, just the 'woman who survived a terrorist attack' image alone makes me hot commodity. She'd make a killing off me, so she's dangling the bait."
"Not a bad deal, though?"
"True, it's tempting despite the bad taste. But... I don't want attention piling up too fast."
"Why?"
"Attention in this world? It's more headache than it's worth."
Attention converging on her.
Gathering quickly was great in theory, but too much of it turned poisonous—that much was clear.
Attention itself wasn't scary, but Mirni was in a position where caution was key right now.
One slip, and her true identity could be exposed. For her, building fame slowly was the smarter play.
"Got it."
"Good."
"Hmph. If that director rubs you the wrong way and you'd get annoyed by the hassle, just say so. No need to ramble on like that—your verbal skills must be abysmal."
"...Wanna settle it?"
"I won't hold back."
"Enough."
"........."
Just as round two was about to kick off, a warning stopped them cold—their spines tingling involuntarily as they snapped to attention.
"Shut it, or turn around and get out. Don't piss me off."
"...Sorry."
"W-We won't..."
"...Watching."
"......"
They shrank back like they'd never heard such a chilling tone before. Yuseong sighed and shook his head.
Six full-grown kids...
'Nightmare, seriously.'
The living room settled into quiet after nearly erupting into chaos.
Yuseong lightly snapped his thumb and middle finger—crackle!
"...Thun...!"
"Never thought I'd see that again..."
"One hit from that, and it aches down to your bones."
The sight of Thunder turned everyone's faces ghostly pale for entirely different reasons.
Not to brag, but the Hero Party members got along terribly—one and all had scrapped at least once.
Especially with Yuseong; they'd all been laid up for three days and nights after a bad jolt from his Thunder back then.
As if the old sting and pain lingered in body and soul, they rubbed the sore spots reflexively.
"Overreacting... Anyway, now you get it. This is mana. The mana you've craved and known so well."
"......"
As Yuseong dove into the real talk, personal audio muted across the board—they fell silent, hanging on his every word.
"...Truth be told, I had zero intention of teaching you 'this world's' mana usage. Reason? You know it already."
"That's harsh, really."
Did it never get old, harping on their zero trust every damn day?
"Not sick of it, brats. More importantly, trust issues aside—who'd let walking bombs like you handle mana?"
All eyes snapped to Leon in unison.
"...Wh-Why me...?"
"If you don't know why, you're a beast, Leon."
"Grow a conscience, Leon."
"Act human for once, Leon."
"Die, bomb!"
"Hopeless."
"......"
The barrage was straight-up verbal abuse. Leon wilted under the pile-on, though he felt wronged.
"Easy for you to say...! You're no better, all bombs yourselves. ...Hah, normally I'd never wanna teach you lot, but... with demons liable to pop up anytime, some necessity's there."
Even he had limits going solo.
Some guys insisted on handling everything alone, shouldering all blame.
Exhibit A: that blond beast pup with downcast eyes.
Those types usually botched it worse trying to carry it all.
Yuseong knew from experience, so he spoke with conviction.
Thus, he didn't mind teaching mana arts. Better 'reliable-ish' hands than letting the blond beast cause havoc later.
"Luxy, what's mana?"
"...The blessing left by the god Odin, or so it's said."
"......"
"─Or so it's said, but at root, it's life energy anyone alive has: ether particles. Boosting or wielding ether's limited to innate talent or acquired miracles, though."
Not effort—miracles.
No matter the grind, mana had hard limits.
Hence the saying: born with the blessing or not decided your talent.
Why mana was dubbed the gods' 'blessing.'
Unless blessed at birth, its ceiling was stark.
Rarely, miracle cases transcended innate limits, outshining the blessed...
"......"
"Why the look?"
"Nothing..."
"?"
She was explaining fine—why the stare? Yuseong shrugged it off. Luxy being weird wasn't new.
"As I said, mana is a blessing. Midgard itself is a mana-blessed world. Potent infinite energy source and divine power to boot."
However
"This world? No such blessing exists."
Ether was universal to life.
Yet Yuseong's world had so little, 'trace amounts' understated it—barely detectable, existence doubted.
"So how do you use it, Luke?"
"Everyone else is clueless about ether, but I know."
"...?"
"Same principle as riding a bike."
Some never learn bike; but once you do, you never forget.
Mana use worked the same—once embodied, unforgettable.
Engraved in senses and soul like a tattoo.
"Then why can't we feel it...?"
"Wrong method, and ether quality's different."
"Huh?"
"Key's the 'method'—way and principle dead wrong, machine gonna run right?"
"......"
"Like this."
The pure mana ignition spread wide, filling the room. Everyone savored the wavelength.
"Mmm, that familiar feel."
"...Makes me wanna cry, somehow."
Sylvia and Mirni's eyes misted unwittingly.
The others showed similar nostalgia, if milder—but one stood apart.
Luxy was different.
"Now I get what you mean. The 'quality' is totally different."
"...You sensed it already?"
"Thanks to you."
"R-Right..."
True to her rep as the kingdom's top genius (personality aside), Luxy clocked the mana disparity instantly, eyes sparkling.
"Midgard ether's light and user-friendly; here, mana's heavy, rigidly structured. Not about usability—normals can't even detect it. You're the special case, Luke."
"...What're you on about?"
For the clueless, Luxy simplified with an example.
"Think magic versus holy magic difference."
"Aha!"
Midgard natives grasped it instantly.
Holy power was finicky, hard to wield—they knew from exposure, blessings received.
If mana was one-in-ten usable, holy power was one-in-ten-thousand.
They eyed Yuseong warily—like, how do you wield that?
Instead of words, he beckoned.
"Follow. Showing beats telling."
"...?"
Yuseong led them not upstairs, but down—deeper than his private gym.
Endless basement stairs downward.
Glancing inside, Leon asked,
"This... you dug it yourself, Luke?"
"Sharp eye."
"Knew it... How far?"
"About a kilometer?"
"......"
A kilometer solo? Insane feat.
Leon gawked in awe, questions bubbling—but stairs ended, mouth shut.
"...This is...?"
No, he had to gape.
Elementary school field-sized artificial cave.
Pitch black moments ago, needing lanterns...!
Now? No light required.
Because...!!
"Ether..."
The ether-lit cavern glowed on its own—a wondrous galactic sea embracing them like a mother's warm hold.
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