Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Becoming a Mage
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“Seriously…? This actually works…?”
I rubbed my fingertips together.
A chunk of my fingertip crumbled away, scattering grains of sand.
“That comment was all real?”
My mind snapped into focus.
I slowly reread every single comment.
Especially the part about awakening to the earth attribute magic I’d chosen—I went over it again and again.
[The foundation of magic cultivation is nurturing a god within your body.]
[To nurture a god, you must get close to nature. Gods dwell in all things in the world.]
[The best method is direct ingestion into the body.]
[If you want the earth attribute, eat dirt every day.]
[After more than 15 days of this cultivation, a god will take root in your body, and your inner energy will begin to change.]
[After 21 days, your physical constitution will fully transform, and you won’t need human food anymore. But you must never slack on ingesting dirt.]
[After 30 days, the god will fully settle into your body. At that moment, you cease being human and step onto the path of the mage.]
[The choice is irreversible. If you’re going to quit, day 15 is your last chance.]
[If you stop midway, the god fused with your body will collapse, and your body will collapse with it. You’ll face unavoidable death.]
“Damn…. So even that part about dying is true, huh?”
I trembled in fear.
Counting the days, today was exactly day 15.
The final chance to turn back, as the magic villain had said.
Quit, or keep going.
No need to agonize over it.
“Why stay human? Becoming a mage is pure bliss.”
I shoveled dirt into my mouth without hesitation.
No more mud cookies or soaking it in water like some hack.
From that day on, I started seriously chowing down on dirt.
Mage.
A ridiculously rare class even among hunters, who are already hard to become.
Korea only has four of them, and they’re all A-rank or higher.
When measuring a nation’s power, mages are the top priority.
Now I was going to become one of them.
I could become a mage just by eating dirt like this.
If so, I could endure anything.
“No, if I’m becoming a mage anyway…. I should aim to be a damn strong one.”
I didn’t just eat any old dirt anymore.
Every dawn, I headed to the black tower rising in the middle of the city.
I scooped up the nearby sand with a shovel. Morning sand that no one’s footsteps had touched yet.
Dirt was too hard to eat raw, so I went with sand.
“It’s near the tower, so it’s gotta have some extra magical something or other.”
Mealtime. I poured a bowlful of sand into my rice bowl and slowly picked up my spoon.
No need for side dishes or water.
Crunch, grind. My teeth made brutal sounds chewing the grit, but I ignored it.
It’s fine. Once I’m a mage, implant costs will be pocket change.
[For beginner mages, I recommend meditation. Meditation is the process of sensing the god within. Cultivate the god inside you.]
I stopped browsing the gallery altogether during my free time. Instead, I poured it all into meditation.
Of course, at first, I couldn’t even sit still for five minutes.
“If I endure this, I become a mage…. A freaking powerful mage….”
I gritted my teeth, hypnotizing myself to push through.
It worked.
At first, five minutes of meditation meant an hour of gallery scrolling to recover.
Before the week was out, I could meditate for a full hour without breaking.
And on the final day 30, I managed eight hours straight.
Deep breath in, deep breath out.
My mind was utterly serene, without a single stray thought.
Ding-a-ling. Even the midnight alarm couldn’t shatter my calm.
I drew in the final breath of day 30, long and endless, as if filling my lungs with all the air in the room.
And that was the moment. Light began to emanate from my body.
[Day 31. Your flesh is reborn into a body worthy of being the god’s vessel. Congratulations. You are now a mage.]
“Huh…?”
I cracked my eyes open at the sensation of my baggy clothes hanging loose.
Then I took in my awkward voice, my small hands and feet, my long hair, and the gentle swell of my chest—one by one.
“What the hell is this?”
And so I became Korea’s fifth mage.
As a woman.
***
“What the hell happened….”
I clutched my head. Staring into the mirror, a girl with the world’s most awkward face stared back.
Long black hair. Heavy dark circles. An oversized T-shirt slipping off her ill-fitting frame.
“No point denying it, huh?”
Yeah, this was me now.
I poked and prodded my face with fumbling hands, but it still didn’t feel real.
“That bit about the body most suited to the god… that’s what they meant?”
Regret hit me hard. If I’d known my gender would change too, I’d have been way more careful. Hell, they even said it was permanent.
“No, can’t say for sure. High-level mages can reshape their bodies at will…. Maybe I can switch back.”
Yeah, so my first goal: become a high-level mage.
I’d never heard of a mage actually changing their gender, so I wasn’t sure if it was even possible….
“Gotta enter the tower anyway. That’s why I became a mage.”
No choice. Why else did I shovel dirt for 30 days?
All to become a mage and live the good life, right?
The only issue was the gallery addict’s soul boiling inside me.
“Man, if I post proof right now, it’d be best post of the year for sure.”
But broadcasting that I’d become a mage all over town? Nah.
I mean, I’d do it, but the internet’s full of crazies.
One careless photo, and my personal info gets doxxed.
“Still, doing nothing feels wrong…. Just a peek?”
I couldn’t resist that far.
My fingers reflexively unlocked my phone and opened the gallery app.
[Title: Deadbeat Hunter Awakens as Mage LOL WTF?]
[‘Magic’ is a blocked word.]
“Goddamn blocked words piss me off.”
Magic Villain—Mavil for short. Had this guy been putting up with this humiliation the whole time? All those years?
As a fellow mage, it was unbearable.
I felt the urge to “normalize” the gallery again, but barely held back.
“Phew, hold it together.”
If not for the meditation power from 15 days of training, I’d have cracked.
I did a calming breath, then wrote a post.
[Title: Deadbeat Hunter Awakens as Ma123ge LOL WTF?]
The deadbeat scratching his belly at home… awakened as a ma123ge. Now what?
“No one’s even reading it. Damn.”
No comments, just two views.
Too try-hard?
I was brainstorming a better hook when a comment alert pinged.
ㄴMagic is open to all. Magic opens the door when you purify body and mind and face yourself. Here’s how: First, purify the body by eating dirt for 30 days…(more)
“Whoa, good to see you, buddy.”
I meant it. I was thrilled to see this guy. A benefactor, even. After all, he’d basically made me a mage.
I fired off a reply right away.
ㄴI followed your advice and actually awakened as a mage. Who the hell are you?
I waited for a response. One minute… five… ten….
Hoping no one else saw the post first.
Praying hard for a reply before the mods deleted it, waiting desperately for Magic Villain to respond.
Soon after, a reply alert rang.
ㄴWhat? There’s actually someone who followed it?
ㄴDidn’t post it for people to follow?
ㄴUh… yeah, but didn’t think anyone really would.
ㄴAnyway, I’m a mage now. Who are you?
ㄴKinda hard to say here…. Come here first. Delete this post.
Mavil sent me a link and password, then wiped all the comments in seconds.
I deleted my posts as instructed, then clicked the link.
A community site appeared—similar to my usual one, but a bit different.
[Mage Gallery]
[Gallery Intro: A gathering place for mages.]
[Restricted access gallery.]
[Password: ]
“Back-alley gallery vibes. Totally get it.”
I entered the password from Magic Villain. The real gallery unfolded before my eyes.
[Title: Fridge. That magic combo you told me yesterday had trash efficiency. What gives?]
Author: Magic is Firepower
(Drawing of some uncle’s face zoomed in weirdly)
Sister, did you trick me?
ㄴFridge: No, it gets better with practice.
ㄴP-ket-choo: You think he’d give that away for free?
ㄴFridge: I don’t scam like you.
“These guys… Korea’s mages? The ones where there’s only four?”
I’d been invited to something huge.
I skimmed the posts to gauge the vibe.
“Hmm…. Just a casual friend circle.”
Friend circle gallery. Happens when user count is so low it stagnates.
Everyone knows everyone inside out.
Even anonymous ㅇㅇ gets ID’d quick in these weird spots.
“Can I even butt in here?”
With only four users, the place was drowning in their insider slang.
Even a gallery addict like me didn’t get half the terms.
“No helping it. Full speed ahead.”
I steadied my breath and wrote a clean post.
[Title: Newbie who just awakened as mage. Got questions.]
Author: ㅇㅇ
Awakened following Mavil’s comment.
So now what?
The moment I hit post, the replies exploded.
ㄴMagic is Firepower: ??
ㄴFridge: ??
ㄴP-ket-choo: ??
ㄴMagic is Firepower: What’s Mavil?
ㄴDung Beetle: …That’s me. Anyway, welcome. Just verify real quick.
ㄴㅇㅇ: Verify how?
ㄴDung Beetle: Oh, right, fresh awakening means you don’t know how to cast yet. Try it.
ㄴMagic is Firepower: Seriously, what’s Mavil mean.
ㄴP-ket-choo: Real newbie? Real newbie? Real newbie? Real newbie? Real newbie? Real newbie?
ㄴDung Beetle: Chill for a sec.
A bit later, a link dropped in the replies.
Clicking it opened a Nutube video. An Indian guy explaining basic magic.