Archmage Yang Jia (2)
Kenis the All-Knowing... Who the hell is this guy? Every time you dig into gate history, his name pops up, but there's zero info on him.
If you ask academics what's the hottest topic right now, it'll be gates, magic, and everything beyond: resources and other races. Opinions are split on the true nature of gates, these unbelievable creations that enable dimensional travel, but elf mages claim it's likely a magic circle made with their spatial magic.
Gates look like portals crossing dimensions or some kind of hole, but that's just a visual effect. When objects pass through, it probably auto-activates spatial transfer magic.
With more attempts to dismantle and analyze gates lately, mages have found mana dust, a byproduct of magic circles, confirming the theory.
That sparked debate on who created such an advanced spatial magic circle capable of crossing dimensions, but surprisingly, consensus formed quickly.
All elf mages, regardless of school or element, unanimously declared the creator was Kenis the All-Knowing.
This figure hasn't been found on Earth or in the other world. Elves say he was a recluse, so they have no other info.
Rumors abound, some say he's dead, other say he's already here in modern times, but no credible, evidence-based claims exist yet.
Hot water poured down over my head. My long white hair gradually soaked, washing away the built-up grime. Felt like the first shower in a week.
...So long.
Showering with long hair was a pain in the ass. It wasn't washing your hair—it was like laundering a piece of clothing made of hair.
And drying it? Forget it—that took forever. No wonder girls who stay home all day hate showering every day.
Tap tap.
Even mid-shower, I posted to the community on my phone. Waterproofing a tiny thing like this with magic was child's play.
Blue mana flowed from my fingertips into the phone. Water droplets slid harmlessly off the surface.
Cooltime's up anyway
A few views and two comments later, I felt oddly good for some reason.
"Hoo..."
I carefully raised my hand while showering.
Tiny, slender fingers. Worst of all was the porcelain-pale skin. So soft and pale it was like it had never seen sunlight, a constant reminder I'd been reborn as a woman.
Absolutely revolting. Back when I first came to Earth, I thought about exercising a bit, but once I discovered the internet, I holed up in my room.
"What's the point of exercise anyway. Ha..."
Plus, this frail little body got winded just from running outside for a few minutes.
Where was the healthy body I'd had back in the Misty Forest, when I'd take hours-long walks for meditation while researching magic?
...I never should've developed dimensional transfer magic.
It was magic with unknown side effects from the start. But how could I resist? A spell to cross dimensions—I tested it immediately, and this happened. If only there'd been a spell to see the future...
"Ah..."
The water pressure stung my skin a bit. Realizing I had to adjust it made reality hit hard, so I just stood there frozen for a moment.
"Fuck..."
I desperately wanted to go back to normal, but at the same time, I couldn't let go of modern civilization's wonders. Reality hit again.
Was I always like this? No. This damn body turned me into this. That's what I wanted to believe.
Screech—
Shower done, I turned off the water, toweled off, and stepped out.
Baek Seol-yeon was tidying my room. I'd piled up trash since I hated going out, but in a 5-pyeong studio, it wasn't much.
"All done washing? Come here."
She beckoned me over mid-cleanup. I started to say something but approached without a word. She sat me down in front of her and fired up the hairdryer.
Vroooom—
Unlike when I did it, her hands moved skillfully. Felt like it took less time. My hair even felt silkier.
"All dry? Then..."
As I tried to stand, her strong hand pinned my shoulder.
"Stay put."
She pulled a pouch from her bag, taking out a comb and various unknowns. She combed my hair, then applied something weird to it.
"W-what are you doing?!"
"Making your hair healthier. With hair this long, maintenance is essential."
"This stuff..."
"Stay put, Yang Jia."
"Ugh..."
I reluctantly went along. Soon she held a mirror to my face. A sulky little girl stared back.
"...W-what's this?"
"Take a good look. See what you actually look like. Denying it won't do you any favors."
"No way! Absolutely not! Never!"
"Do as you like."
She smeared stuff on my face too. It smelled nice. The room even felt a bit cleaner for a moment.
"Is living like this really okay for you?"
Baek Seol-yeon asked suddenly. I nodded without speaking. She continued.
"I mean, shouldn't you meet other people or elves? Hiding that you're an archmage and living so shut-in... is there a reason?"
"You call that a question?"
The reason I lived shut-in. Why I hadn't revealed I was Kenis the All-Knowing.
This goddamn body.
Who'd believe a puny little girl claiming she was the continent's top spatial mage, creator of gate dimensional magic?
I wouldn't.
"And with this appearance... how could I stand in front of people?"
Above all, I was ashamed of how I looked now. Embarrassing as hell.
Elf mages are usually all male. Female elves are born with spirit arts. Elf and mage society looks down on women fundamentally, so claiming archmage status like this might get me stoned to death.
"Well, you don't have to stand before people, right? Doesn't have to be magic-related."
"Huh? Then...?"
She pointed at my monitors. Beyond them: nine streams, communities, and games still running.
"Something like that'd be fine, no? Super popular among female elves these days. Girl elves are all cute and pretty by default anyway."
"......No."
I ducked my head and spoke. Memories of my past antics flashed by. Ask me to do that now? Hell no. I couldn't. No way!
"Pardon?"
"No way. Absolutely not."
"Too bad. I wanted to hear your aegyo sometime."
"Eeeek! Eek!"
I struggled to escape her grip but failed. Time to head out soon anyway.
The work for my pension was simple. No lectures on magic or anything. Just answering their questions and reviewing a few magic tomes.
"Ah, the answer to that question is..."
Of course, Baek Seol-yeon relayed my responses. I hated this thin, clear, bell-like girl's voice. Didn't want anyone hearing it.
Hmm.
Reviewing magic tomes was one of my few hobbies besides the internet.
Human-written ones always had so many issues to fix—fun. And they improved so fast. Today, five tomes. Seemed like the number was growing.
"Higher-ups say the tomes you've reviewed are top-notch."
"...So that's why."
Now I knew why they kept multiplying. I'd planned to slack off next time, but I went full effort and finished quick anyway.
Tomes were fun, but I was a busy woman.
Gallery withdrawal symptoms were kicking in. Fingers twitching, craving my phone.
"Hoo..."
Review done, I got in Baek Seol-yeon's car for the ride home. She drove silently. But traffic felt worse today.
"Ah, gate popped up ahead."
She leaned up to look. Why my gates appeared so suddenly, I didn't know. It was test-stage magic—anything could happen.
...Closing them was possible, though.
Vmmm—
From the car, I pointed at the gate. Blue mana flowed through the vehicle to the ground, enveloping it.
Vroooom—!
The gate swelled like it might explode, then flushed purple and crumbled to dust like it was never there. No suspicions—gates were unstable; spontaneous closures happened often.
"......"
Baek Seol-yeon watched for a while, then turned her head. I kept mine down, avoiding her eyes.
"...Why."
A petty act of rebellion. No answer.
"You know you look like a tiny animal right now?"
"Y-you brat! How dare you!"
My rebellion bounced off her iron wall again. We got home soon. Exhausted for some reason, I crashed and fell asleep fast. And... not long after, shit hit the fan.
"Huh?"
The keyboard... died.