Episode 20. Cramming 2
Episode 20. Cramming 2
And so our party decided to change our strategy to one of finding openings and striking with a single blow.
To do that, the first step was to modify my skill.
So......
[High School Mana Studies I]
"Hmm......"
After school, I brought the textbook home and was staring at each character until my eyes nearly popped out.
'Why is this so difficult?'
It was called Mana Studies, but the main content was actually mathematics and science.
Since I hadn't touched either subject since graduating high school in my previous life, it felt like seeing them for the first time.
Plus, I hadn't been paying attention in class......
'At this rate, I'm really going to ruin my life.'
People who aren't smart but are physically strong usually take on roles fighting in actual combat at Gates.
People who are physically weak but smart get research positions at various institutions.
Those who are good at both can choose what they want to do.
That's how the setting goes, but...
So what can someone like me, who's neither smart nor strong, do?
Bring popcorn...?
"Gasp......"
Imagining myself curled up like a ball in this cold, cramped room, starving and dying lonely, made me shiver involuntarily and my breath catch in my throat.
Even though I'm training with the kind Seyeon, no one knows if I'll actually become strong enough to enter a Gate.
So I need to study hard too.
'From now on, I won't doze off in class and will focus hard.'
I made that resolution while turning the pages.
Anyway, as I mentioned, today's purpose is skill modification.
While it would be good to skim through the textbook for a general review, I needed to first look up the specific content I wanted.
I quickly flipped to the chapter titled 'Skills' in the table of contents.
'Found it.'
I saw pages filled with writing about the definition of skills and their modification.
So... to summarize what I read:
1. The Mana Core that allows humans to use magic exists in the dantian.
2. Therefore, focus your senses on the dantian while meditating.
3. Modify the skill while maintaining complete focus.
4. End.
?
'?'
What is this?
This is way too general, even for an overview.
Did the textbook authors really think people could do this just by reading this?
I suppressed the unknown emotion welling up inside me.
"Hmm......"
Still, there was some well-organized content.
For example, the meditation process was properly described: wear the lightest clothing possible, practice deep breathing in a quiet place, inhale and exhale at 5-second intervals, don't force away rising thoughts but let them flow naturally like water, etc.
More precisely, should I call them tips?
'Then let's at least try step 2 first.'
I sat cross-legged on the yellowish floor that looked like a patient's complexion.
Ah, right.
The first tip said to wear the lightest clothing possible.
Since I'm in my school uniform now... it's a bit uncomfortable.
With that thought, I began to slowly remove my clothes.
I took off my jacket and hung it on the chair back, carefully removed the stockings that were tight around my legs and placed them on the floor. I need to save them to wear again.
I unbuttoned my blouse one button at a time, and my skirt too......
"Huh."
It was the moment I awkwardly lifted one leg to take off my skirt.
'At this rate, I'm going to end up taking everything off?'
"Hmm."
The lightest clothing possible... what exactly does that mean?
How light does it need to be?
Just wearing a cotton t-shirt and shorts like sleepwear? Or just underwear? Or even... naked?
I thought about it for about five minutes before deciding.
'Well, I'm at home anyway.'
Wouldn't it be fine to take everything off?
With that thought in mind, I confidently began taking off my clothes and throwing them aside.
Whoosh-whoosh-
And so I ended up wearing just my panties after removing my bra too.
For some reason, I felt too embarrassed to take off my panties as well.
'It's only been a few days since I became a girl, but there are still things that make me feel awkward.'
That's what I thought... but I couldn't deny that I was actually embarrassed.
Anyway, I sat back down on the floor and closed my eyes.
"......"
While doing deep breathing, I focused my senses on my dantian, that is, my lower abdomen.
Inhale, exhale.
To the point where I could vividly feel my sternum rising and falling.
I just meditated randomly.
I let thoughts flow naturally. Just like how various random fantasies pop up in your head before sleep.
The only sound in the room was my breathing.
"......"
......
......
'It's a bit cold.'
That was the first thought that emerged during my meditation.
Since it's still March with winter's chill not yet gone, it's inevitably somewhat cold sitting around in just panties.
The wind coming through the window fluttered my hair, then squeezed between my armpits and slid down my spine like a slide all the way to my waist before wrapping around my pelvis.
"Euk......"
I could feel goosebumps rising on my arms.
'Maybe I shouldn't have taken everything off.'
I should have at least worn a cotton t-shirt and shorts like when sleeping.
But it's too late now. Several minutes have already passed since I started meditating, and if I get up to put on clothes now, the flow will be completely broken.
Then all this time would have been wasted.
"Hoo......"
Let's just focus on proper deep breathing.
"......"
And so I floundered amidst endlessly rising random thoughts.
......
......
'But really, what should I do?'
A concern that emerged after various thoughts.
It's been quite a while since I became a girl and entered this novel world... but problems still pile up like mountains.
Whether I can return to my original world. How to return if possible.
If I can't return, what should I do to survive in this world.
Though I've thought about this countless times already, it was difficult to find answers.
If I had possessed an overpowered character, that would have been... no, actually might have been better.
But I'm currently Eun Yubin, who only has a pretty face but lacks money, power, and talent entirely.
'...At least I can make a living thanks to Seyeon.'
I was really fortunate to have her.
Even though she tends to take care of me a bit excessively.
You know that cliché about poor kids.
The one where they push away help saying "Don't pity me" every time someone tries to buy them something.
At least I don't think I'm like that.
And why would I be? An incredibly pretty and attractive girl chases after me, buying me meals, training me, and raising me?
This... can only be called an incredible reward.
"Heh......"
Thinking about Seyeon makes me let out a strange laugh.
The way she always grabs my wrist and leads me. The way she always gives me a bright smile when our eyes meet. The way she often stares at me while fidgeting with her fingers hesitantly. The way she calls me "Yubin-ah" in her warm, gentle voice......
"......"
Suddenly, I realized I was no longer cold.
No, it wasn't just not cold.
Hot heat was circulating throughout my body, and sweat was streaming down.
'What's this...?'
I was slightly panicked but didn't break my meditation.
"Huaaa......"
Heat gently escaping through the gaps in my skin. The breath passing over my lips was also thoroughly heated.
Where exactly is the origin of this heat...?
When I focused a bit more with that thought, I soon realized it was coming from my lower abdomen.
According to the textbook, the dantian.
The heat generated there was circulating through my body, heating all the internal organs before escaping outward.
"Haa, haa, uk, haaa......"
My breath became short and my head throbbed as if I'd endured dozens of minutes in a sauna.
Even in my dazed state, I recalled the textbook's explanation again.
When meditating, the Mana Core in the dantian activates, causing the mana stored in the body to circulate through the magic circuits laid out like rails throughout the body. The body heating up during this process is a natural phenomenon, so there's no need to worry.
When these symptoms appear, the conditions for skill modification are met. It's like activating 'developer mode' on a phone.
...That's what was written.
'Even so, this is too hot...!'
A high fever that made me feel like I would collapse any moment. It felt like fire was burning in my lower abdomen.
While gasping for breath, I persistently focused my consciousness downward.
"Euk, hoo, heh, haa, haa, haa......"
Just like when running on the training ground with Seyeon, I pushed myself to focus for just 10 more seconds, 5 more seconds, 1 more second.
"Heut, heueu, keut, ayeuk, heuhuoo......"
Yes, just a little more.
Just a little more......
♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥
"......Huh?"
At some point, I suddenly came to my senses.
My blurry vision gradually cleared, and I could see ahead.
"Aeu... what, seriously."
My head throbbed as if I'd spun around dozens of times.
Plus, I was lying down. In a strange position.
Normally I'd lie down with my legs stretched out, but I had my knees bent and legs pulled inward. As if I'd fallen over while sitting on the floor.
Then that means......
'Did I faint while meditating?'
Maybe my body got too hot, exceeding the limit of what I could endure.
"No, seriously......"
I let out a hollow laugh out of disbelief.
Lately, I seem to be fainting too often.
If it were just falling asleep, that would be one thing, but suddenly losing consciousness like this can't be good for my health.
No, health aside, is it okay for a girl who wants to become a Hunter to keep collapsing like this?
Worry mixed with self-loathing washes over me.
'Anyway, it seems doing it alone was too much.'
Since I'm meeting Seyeon in the evening anyway, I should ask her.
With that thought, I turned on my phone to check the time.
[PM 6 : 59]
???
"Holy...!"
Only 1 minute until 7?
No wonder this situation felt familiar.
I quickly got up and started putting on clothes.
I was already wearing panties so that was fine, I put on a short-sleeved running shirt, then buttoned my blouse and put on my skirt.
I left behind the stockings that take too long to put on and shoved my feet into socks.
There was no time for jacket or necktie. It takes 20 minutes to get to school.
I opened the front door, ran down the stairs like crazy, and dashed through the alleyways.
'It's cold...!'
Without a jacket or stockings, my body felt freezing.
For some reason today, I kept stumbling while running.
That's why it felt more difficult than usual.
I broke through the school's main gate and quickly climbed the hill leading to the dormitory.
"Hueok, hueok, hueoeoek......"
Finally, I arrived at the meeting spot in front of the dormitory at 7:10 PM. I ran with all my might but was still late. With only 1 minute left, it was inevitable.
"Yubin-ah? Why are you la-"
"Heuek, heueueuk, heueoeoeok......"
"......"
Seyeon, who was about to ask something, pressed her lips tightly together after seeing my miserable state.
Even though my stamina has improved thanks to training, I couldn't help but be out of breath after running like crazy at full speed.
"Sorry, hoo, Seyeon-ah, I'm a bit, hueok, heueueuk......"
"No, Yubin-ah. Don't speak."
Seyeon said with a smile that was close to a hollow laugh.
Feeling embarrassed, I just breathed as Seyeon told me to.
After I calmed down a bit, Seyeon asked again.
"What were you doing that made you late?"
"Hmm......"
I told Seyeon everything that happened at home after school.
Then Seyeon covered her mouth with both hands in surprise.
"That was really dangerous, Yubin-ah. That's Mana Overload."
"Overload...?"
"Yes. In slightly older terminology, it's called Qi Deviation."
Qi Deviation?
Hearing this term from wuxia novels that older people enjoy come from the fresh-faced girl Seyeon created an enormous sense of dissonance.
Anyway, according to Seyeon, when Mana Overload occurs, you usually faint, but in severe cases, you can bleed from your entire body and die horribly.
'Seven Apertures Bleeding...!'
Realizing what a truly dizzying situation it had been, my lips trembled.
"Since Yubin is still inexperienced, you must have someone watching over you when meditating."
"I, I see."
"Speaking of which, let's try meditation again today instead of anything else."
I nodded. I trusted Seyeon completely if she was doing it with me.
"Anyway, so that's why you ran here without even dressing properly."
"Yes... sorry."
"No. I think I understand how disoriented you were. You didn't even wear a bra, did you?"
...What?