Chapter 66
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Advanced Mana Manual (1)
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During the break, a few things had changed in C Class's living quarters.
First off, there were more training grounds, and they'd even set up a separate lounge big enough for everyone to gather in.
The C Class cadets clustered together, poking around everywhere.
"Whoa~ This is insane. It's seriously nice."
"Right? They've even got massage chairs. Amazing..."
The cadets out sightseeing wandered from spot to spot.
There was a top-of-the-line TV and plush sofas.
The space was plenty big enough for the whole class.
The bathrooms were separated by gender, and they had a fridge plus full kitchen setup.
"Man, the academy really goes all out. Setting up stuff like this."
"Ahh~ I could live here forever. It's freaking awesome."
Lucy sprawled out on the sofa as she spoke.
Irina tilted her head, looking utterly baffled.
'Even our doghouse back home would be bigger and nicer than this...'
Irina clearly wasn't impressed.
Compared to civilian standards, it felt like a one-room apartment, maybe.
Lucy suddenly sat up from the sofa, something popping into her head, and scooted over to Ah-young.
"So, Ah-young. How'd it go?"
"Huh? What?"
Ah-young blinked innocently, and Lucy grinned slyly.
"Kang Tae-hyun, duh. You said he stayed at your place over break. Any progress?"
With Lucy lighting the fuse, the girls swarmed around Ah-young in an instant.
"What? What happened?!"
"Tell me too! Spill!"
Around Yoon Ah-young, it was suddenly packed with girls.
'Ugh...? What's this about?'
Irina wasn't immune either.
She pretended not to listen from a distance but perked up her ears anyway.
Ah-young flailed in panic, denying it desperately.
"N-No, no! We're absolutely not like that..."
"Sure you aren't. Something's definitely up between you two."
"Yeah, yeah. You guys were always sticking together. You were on the same CDT team too."
"We'll turn a blind eye. Go have your pretty little romance..."
"Aaaah... It's really not like that..."
Yoon Ah-young flushed red, all embarrassed.
The girls started chatting about Kang Tae-hyun.
"He does have that manly vibe, right? Carrying Mitsuda on day one."
"Oh, yeah! I remember. Whoa, back then I thought he was totally nuts..."
"Broke that mana stone, top of the tower now... Thinking about it, he's insane!!!"
"Hey, hey. He's Ah-young's. Don't get mad."
"Does having a goalkeeper stop goals?"
"Pfft! What even."
Irina sidled up slowly, pretending to be uninterested.
On the surface, she acted aloof, like she couldn't care less, but Irina was 18 too.
Prime age to be super curious about love.
She crept closer but flinched when Lucy spotted her.
Lucy asked Irina,
"Irina. Got anyone you're into?"
Irina flicked her hair and replied coolly.
"I'm all in for White Mask. He's so cool~"
But it was a one-sided crush on some White Mask whose whereabouts were a mystery.
Rumors even said he was a robot.
'Sigh.'
Truth be told, it was a pointless crush for Irina.
She was fated to marry whoever her father chose anyway.
She gave a bitter smile.
On opening day, I rested at home.
To get my condition to peak before entering the Advanced Mana Manual.
And then Saturday.
The day before Monday, I decided to check out the Advanced Mana Manual.
"Hoo..."
My heart was racing.
The Basic Mana Manual hadn't been easy.
The Intermediate one was no joke either.
So the Advanced one would have even tougher training waiting.
Of course, my racing heart wasn't from fear.
I was ridiculously excited right now.
With trembling hands, I gripped the cover of the Advanced Mana Manual.
Whoosh-!
The familiar scent of mana filled the air.
I warped straight to the rocky mountain zone where Yoon Ji-yeon was.
The desolate rocky mountain zone.
The difference? It was wrecked everywhere.
Bloodstains here and there, massive boulders caved in midway.
One glance told you it was brutal.
You could instantly grasp how harsh the training had been for the other Yoon Family sisters who'd trained here.
I set out to find Yoon Ji-yeon.
The one who should greet me first was nowhere in sight.
Thump... thump.
Some vibrations hit.
Not natural. Man-made.
From underground? No, from above ground.
Thump, thump.
The shaking grew stronger.
I stopped dead while trekking the rocky mountains.
"...No way."
What I'd thought was a giant boulder was actually a dragon's back.
"Grrrrrr..."
The massive dragon turned to look at me.
Its sheer presence made me shrink back.
A dragon.
The strongest existing creature. A level 8 monster.
Facing one was sacred; any hunter who did always died.
"O... oh... wow..."
The dragon snorted.
That gust alone outdid a gale.
"Grrrrr..."
The sacred beast gazed down at me with huge eyes.
I swallowed hard, just staring at its majestic form.
Even I couldn't kill a level 8 monster.
No, I hadn't tried, but level 8s took multiple A-Rank hunters to barely beat.
No guarantees.
I backed away slowly.
Then a familiar voice rang out.
"Earth Dragon. Not just earth-attribute magic, but that shell no weapon can pierce. Truly an amazing creature, right?"
Plop.
A slender hand rested on my shoulder.
I glanced aside.
Yoon Ji-yeon.
She smiled brightly and greeted me.
"Miss me?"
"...Y-Yeah..."
The moment her hand touched my shoulder, all my tension melted away.
Like a kid hugged by a guardian.
"You got here fast. Came early 'cause you were thinking of me?"
"...Yeah. Well, I said I'd come quick."
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't believe this Yoon Ji-yeon and that witch Yoon Ji-ae were sisters.
Unlike Yoon Ji-ae, Yoon Ji-yeon exuded graceful beauty.
She approached the Earth Dragon slowly.
"There, there. Good boy."
As Yoon Ji-yeon stroked it, the Earth Dragon seemed pleased, letting her.
"The Earth Dragon's labeled level 8, but unlike other monsters, it's not vicious."
"Yeah..."
"Your killing intent and fear scared it. Try calming your mind."
As she said, I settled my heart, and the dragon opened up to me.
I approached slowly, touching its shell with my hand.
Hard and cold.
"First time seeing a dragon?"
"Yeah. Never had occasion."
"How's it feel? First dragon impressions?"
I pondered while stroking the shell.
Monsters were evil by nature.
To be slaughtered.
But this dragon before me was awe-inspiring.
Sleek tail, sharp eyes.
Wings that screamed ready to launch. Overwhelming.
I said,
"It's beautiful."
It was.
Something to slay, sure, but undeniable beauty.
Yoon Ji-yeon smiled with her eyes.
"Right?"
She canceled the mana.
The Earth Dragon crumbled to dust and vanished.
It'd just been Yoon Ji-yeon's illusion.
"Not all monsters in the world are evil. Even calling them 'monsters' is iffy..."
I didn't get everything she said, but I grasped the point.
"What I want you to learn is to approach monsters more calmly. Not just emotionally."
"Meaning...?"
"You'll see soon enough. Through adventures, meeting people, facing other-dimensional beings."
Other-dimensional beings.
Loaded words.
Monsters came from other dimensions, not Earth.
I'd never seen intelligent ones.
If any, evil like goblins or kobolds.
But her words hinted at smart, good monsters maybe.
Like...
"Kyuruk?"
The slime appeared, head tilted like 'you call me?'
Just like this guy.
The slime bounced around then hopped on my shoulder.
Yoon Ji-yeon approached, intrigued.
"Oh? What's this?"
"...Switch Weapon. Told you about it before."
"A weapon that can shapeshift? Neat..."
Yoon Ji-yeon poked the slime with a finger.
It bounced back like jelly.
Come to think, getting this Switch Weapon was thanks to her.
Her help let me use magic too.
Yoon Ji-yeon was basically a huge benefactor.
So my promise to Yoon Ji-ae.
To save Yoon Ji-yeon. No lie.
I'll free this poor soul for sure.
"So, what's its name?"
"Huh? No name..."
"Aw~ Can't do that. To your partner."
She kept playing with the slime.
Partner.
Calling the monster-slime a partner felt weird.
I scratched my cheek.
"Uh, then name it for me."
"Can I?"
Yoon Ji-yeon thought then declared confidently.
"Jeong-pal!"
"Pardon?"
"Jeong-pal's perfect. Our dog back home was Jeong-pal. Crossed the rainbow bridge during First Gate..."
Jeong-pal...?
Super Korean, familiar name.
I kinda liked it.
"Pfft!"
I burst out laughing.
Then grinned.
"Sounds good. Jeong-pal."
"See? My naming sense is killer."
Not sure about sense, but her pure heart moved me.
"Kyuruk...?"
Jeong-pal looked up, confused.
After naming the slime, we calmly caught up on recent events.
She listened seriously at times, chuckling others.
"So... your little sister now..."
"Nah, enough. No need."
Yoon Ji-yeon hopped off the rock, dusting her butt.
She continued,
"Don't forget, I'm just a memory. Hearing outside stories changes nothing I can do."
"Still."
"Kid!"
She lunged, locking me in a headlock.
"Ugh, ow. Wait. Hurts."
"I'm fine, dummy. You skipping training?"
"Gotta do it. Gotta. Let go first..."
"Whiny guy... Heh."
Chatting with her, time flew by unnoticed.
She knew I was a regressor, so she felt more comfortable than anyone.
Like having a real big sis.
"Alright, welcome back to the Advanced Mana Manual. You're guest number seven."
"What's the training this time? Super pumped."
"Ooh, really? Didn't hear from my girls? Advanced is different from Intermediate or Basic..."
Rumble rumble rumble...
The ground shook again.
Yoon Ji-yeon started emitting mana.
"You'll taste living hell."
Gulp.
Her words rang totally trustworthy.
Still, I was hyped.
Boom boom boom-!
The ground exploded, a grotesque lifeform bursting out.
Huge hands and feet.
Humanoid, but building-sized.
The Cyclops from CDT.
"Summoned your strongest memory monster." Yoon Ji-yeon hopped onto the Cyclops's head.
The Cyclops drooled, ready to devour me.
"First trial of Advanced Mana Manual: surpass your limits."
Level 7 Cyclops.
Used to run at sight, but not now.
I had Transcendent Awakening.
Into battle stance.
"Jeong-pal, Great Flame Dragon Spear."
"Kyuruk-!"
Roar-! Whoosh!
A burning spear formed, flame wings sprouting from my back.
Then Transcendent Awakening.
The skill doubling my power.
Rooooar--!!!
Golden aura exploded around me.
Mana warping the air.
Yoon Ji-yeon clapped in awe.
"Great Flame Dragon Spear plus Transcendent Awakening... You've grown so much! Think you can take down a level 7 now?"
"Grooooaaargh!!!!!!!!"
The Cyclops roared.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
It charged.
Each step ravaged the ground.
How much stronger I'd gotten this month.
I'll make sure Yoon Ji-yeon sees it in her eyes.
Flap-!
I shot into the air.
And swung the spear fiercely at it.
(To be continued)