Immune Body
Immune Body. The academic term is “Mana Autoimmune Reactive Construct.” It also refers collectively to the symptoms and the Awakeners who experience them.
As the name suggests, those with it perceive their own internal mana as foreign. To ordinary Awakeners, it's nothing short of a curse—nothing more, nothing less.
Mana sensitivity drops sharply, making it impossible to handle magic attributes smoothly.
Mana utilization plummets, preventing proper manifestation of magic spells.
And that's not all. In every aspect related to mana—total output, recovery rate, growth potential, holding capacity—they start from a massively disadvantaged position compared to other Awakeners.
There's no solution to this problem. Since it's a symptom that's essentially congenital, present from the moment of Awakening, “curing” it is tantamount to losing mana entirely.
Awakener themselves have no way to realize they're an Immune Body carrier. No one knows the exact percentage compared to normal Awakeners.
No existing precise examination will reveal anything but a straightforward, cold result: “No talent.”
So how did the world learn about Immune Bodies? For one simple reason.
A tiny handful of Awakeners possessed enough talent to overcome the handicap of being an Immune Body carrier.
If it were just reduced mana efficiency, it might go unnoticed. But in extremely rare cases, surpassing that threshold allows them to exert significant influence even on others' mana and constructs.
Since they perceive their own mana and others' as equally foreign, it's relatively easier to interfere with it.
Just like how Jin Yu-ri's absorption construct moments ago tried to pull in the constructs of the other nine.
Such Immune Bodies easily surpass A-rank, so it wasn't strange that my Peeping Eye trait hadn't detected it.
Even as a caster, it's a stroke of heavenly luck that's hard to manifest intentionally.
Yet, just as other Immune Body carriers throughout a thousand years of mana studies emerged through chance incidents, Jin Yu-ri had revealed herself today by pure coincidence...
And so, in this moment, I felt something close to a shiver of awe.
Because Jin Yu-ri's achievements over the past several years, shackled by what was like a curse, had been dazzling.
It was hard to fathom just how immense her innate talent must have been and how much effort she'd poured in to grow this far.
Of course, this girl would forever lack talent going forward. She'd lag far behind Lee Sea and Yoo Hae-bin in learning and mastering anything.
Born with talent rarer than one in a million, she'd be crushed by the chains of her Immune Body, suffering pain, and struggle to reap fruits proportional to her efforts.
But if she didn't give up. If she gritted her teeth and pushed forward one grueling step at a time with all her might.
Then for her, the notion of a “limit to talent” would cease to exist.
Awakener talent is innate. But since she'd have to live relying solely on the sensation of wielding tricky external mana—not the mana stored readily in her body—she could grow unbound by her natural gifts, endlessly strong.
Every known Immune Body carrier who emerged into the world—unless they met an untimely end in an accident or stopped in satisfaction—grew without exception into the strongest Awakener of their generation.
Like Charlotte Tate, the most famous Immune Body carrier in the world right now. One of the 36 Heroes, Britain's representative Awakener.
Jin Yu-ri could become like that too. If she never gave up.
If she kept straining against those unbearable chains.
Slow as her pace might be, the path Jin Yu-ri walked would have no finish line called “limit.”
One in a million would become one in ten million, one hundred million, even one billion.
She'd claim meager rewards for her efforts forevermore.
...I organized these thoughts into the softest, most hopeful words I could muster and shared them with Jin Yu-ri when she stopped by the lab after her second practical exam that afternoon.
Professor Seo Sang-wook, who'd entrusted the explanation to me, had already gone home. In the lab bathed in the dimming twilight filtering through the windows, it was just her and me.
Jin Yu-ri listened silently without interrupting once as I continued, not even touching the green tea I'd offered her. Finally, she asked curtly,
“So, you're saying I should just keep doing what I've been doing?”
“That's the gist of it.”
In class, I use formal speech for all students on principle. But alone, that feels awkward, so I switched to casual.
Emboldened by my confident assurance, she asked again.
“It was naturally hard all this time... but if I keep working hard, I can still improve going forward?”
“Yeah.”
“It might get even harder than before... but it's not completely impossible, right?”
“Not impossible.”
“It was so damn hard, I felt like giving up because it seemed impossible, but I thought 'just one more time, one last try,' and it started working bit by bit, so I kept going like that... If I just grit my teeth through the hardship ahead too?”
“If that's what you want.”
As her questions grew longer, her calm voice began to waver.
Her eyes were red, but she didn't cry. She stood, bowing her head to me.
“...Thank you for the consultation, Professor. I have to study for tomorrow's exam subjects... Sorry, may I go now?”
“Sure. Get home safe, and ask anytime if you have more questions.”
“Yes... Thank you.”
She bowed politely once more and left the lab. She tried to stay composed, but her last words carried a sob.
Dazed, she didn't even close the door properly.
From the slightly open gap, faint sniffling echoed down the quiet hallway.
“Hic, snff...”
The sound of big inhales and exhales to stifle tears.
“Khng, ahhk, ehk, hek, hngk!”
Snorting up snot, then coughing from lack of breath, even hiccuping.
And after that... an indescribable wail close to “Hiiing, waaahhh.”
It wasn't funny at all. She must have been through hell mentally.
“Hoo...”
I sighed softly while washing our two cups.
Unsure if I'd made the right choice.
Kill the Evil Volume 2, “Heroes’ Disciples,” is in progress.
Tags: [Academy] [Incident Focus] [Growth]
Progress: 21.3%
Clear Condition: By Volume 2’s end, kill at least one of the 36 Heroes while keeping the terrorist group Phantom off the suspect list (Phantom affiliation must remain undiscovered).
Reward: Scaled by achievement rate.
The progress had jumped about 7% over the three days since Monday night. Volume 2 was already past the early stages, with a sharp rise around the magic engineering practical exam.
Volume 2's tag: [Growth].
Jin Yu-ri being revealed as an Immune Body carrier.
Among the three European 36 Heroes summoned to Korea, one was an Immune Body carrier—the world's strongest magic swordsman, Charlotte Tate.
The original Volume 2 subtitle: “Hero’s Disciple.”
Were they all connected from the start?
Was Jin Yu-ri the protagonist, not Lee Sea?
Was she meant to be Charlotte Tate's disciple, and changing the subtitle to “Heroes’ Disciples” the cause of the shift?
Had I, by pulling the non-protagonist Lee Sea into the plot's core, altered things?
Maybe not. Conversely, Lee Sea could be the protagonist, and the change simply revealed Jin Yu-ri's Immune Body earlier.
Endless possibilities chaining together.
I couldn't judge which was true. But the unwavering principle remained firm within me.
If I had to reveal my identity before the world.
I hoped the protagonist standing against me wouldn't be my sister Lee Sea.
So, to avoid that future...
Jin Yu-ri mustn't give up.
I'd spare no support—publicly or covertly. With my abilities, reputation, I'd ensure her efforts bore fruit.
I selfishly wished she'd grow into the world's hope, a true hero.
Shaaa—
Jin Yu-ri stared at the water pouring from the faucet, then turned to the mirror.
Her bloodshot eyes were already puffy. Thank goodness she hadn't worn makeup today. Otherwise, she'd look like a ghost from the tears.
“...I left the lab before crying, but that didn't work?”
She muttered blankly to herself, exiting the bathroom and trudging down the hall.
No students or staff in sight. So she could cry—but as fresh tears welled, she held them back and left the building.
Bzzz—
Her phone vibrated. Zeta app notification.
She'd set notifications for any post with “Yuri” in it. Reading the comments' doubts, Jin Yu-ri smiled bitterly to herself.
“...How, you ask.”
She'd just worked her ass off, to death. Kept at it until it worked. Gripped her trembling hands, slapped her own cheeks when sleepy or tired, and pushed on.
That was it.
Recalling those days, she kept walking. By the time she passed the sports field, she'd regained some composure.
“First, finish tomorrow's exams, then think.”
Immune Body or talent or whatever—push distant worries aside. Priority: extend her 16-straight written #1 streak from Jeil High to 17.
Steeling herself, she exited the school gate—and spotted someone waiting, as if for another.
“Lee Sea...?”
A bored expression. Their eyes met.
And...
“...”
“...”
They pretended not to see each other, no greetings.
“Not some teen drama.”
Congrats on the Immune Body reveal, keep it up, I've felt rivalry and won't lose—such lines belonged in dramas.
Jin Yu-ri silently reaffirmed her resolve. Until it works.
Harder as learning got tougher, but she'd push blood, sweat, and tears like always.
Until it works.
“That's what he said it'd take...”
A face naturally surfaced. Lee Dojin. Lee Sea's brother, magic engineering professor.
The trigger for today's Immune Body manifestation. He'd vouched she could do it.
Scary in person, but his insight was reliable—trust it.
And right then.
“Huh...?”
Jin Yu-ri realized: thinking of Lee Dojin no longer scared her.
Reflecting: even in the lab, alone with him. Long talk.
No fear. Heart raced a bit—maybe not fully overcome—but.
And even without fear, thoughts of him lingered.
Kept flickering in her mind.
“...Not bad.”
Her Immune Body's power beyond mere chains in the exam—she couldn't wield it at will.
Britain's hero Charlotte Tate made it her specialty, but too distant.
“So...”
Recalling Lee Dojin, her trigger, might aid Immune Body training.
The more she chewed on it, the better it seemed.
Steps lighter, heading home, Jin Yu-ri thought only of him.
His kind expression, soft voice cheering her on—replayed endlessly.
No longer scary. Still profoundly impressive, as before.
So Jin Yu-ri didn't notice herself...
But smiling softly, lost in thoughts of Lee Dojin.
April 23, Friday.
I skipped school, heading to the airport with Professor Seo Sang-wook. To greet faraway visitors.
Glancing at my watch: 2 PM. Arrival imminent.
“Hoo... Quite tense, eh.”
Professor Seo Sang-wook shuddered, asking me,
“Dojin, have you met them before?”
“Yeah, here and there, I think.”
Suddenly, commotion across the airport. Reporters snapping photos nonstop.
Dozens of Westerners emerged from arrivals.
And among them, leading the pack: three figures.
A blonde woman in her late 30s. Britain's hero, Charlotte Tate.
A dark-haired man looking a bit older. France's hero, Arnaud Duré.
An elderly man past 50. Russia's hero, Andrey Ilyin.
One among them.
One of the confirmed seven traitors I must kill.