Im Sol

"Hello, everyone. I'm Han Jaeyoung, your instructor for Mana Research in Class A."

Up on the podium stood an old, lanky professor wearing a shabby suit that screamed, "I've spent way too much time in a dimly lit room." Honestly, he looked more like a necromancer if anything.

"Now, I'm sure you all know a thing or two about mana, right? After all, you're the proud freshmen of Victoria Academy. Assuming you've got the basics down, I will proceed with the class."

His words dripped with disregard for a clueless novice like me, who stumbled into this academy with zero background knowledge. Apparently, being fair and impartial were not on the list of prerequisites for this teacher.

"Let's put the whole concept of mana aside for a moment… and focus on mana manipulation, shall we?"

As he spoke, mana began to gather on the his left arm, forming a concentrated mass.

"Mana manipulation can be broadly divided into two categories. The first is enhancement."

A soft hum filled the air as the gathered mana took shape around the professor's left hand, becoming more and more tangible for everyone to see.

"This is what we call mana condensation. It involves strengthening and condensing formless mana to give it a tangible form."

Kwaang!

With a swift punch, the professor aimed at a steel structure placed beside the podium, and the steel crumpled like a tin can.

Holy shit, the old coot's actually a beast!

He displayed the skills expected of a professor at Korea's top awakening education institution. Always ready to step into action, never lacking in skill. That's what it meant to be a professor at Victoria Academy.

"The second category is discharge. It can also be referred to as magic, but it's a bit more comprehensive."

Above the professor's left hand, a sphere made of mana formed after he finished speaking.

"Currently, it's just a compressed form of mana on my hand. However, by adding various processes to this state, it can become magic."

A small magic circle appeared on the mana sphere in his hand, crackling with electricity as if it could burst out at any moment.

Crackle!

"This is the implementation of magic using magic circles. Simple magic usually omits the use of magic circles, but for large-scale or advanced magic, magic circles are necessary."

I caught a snippet about magic circles in the explanation, but it sounded too complicated, so I just skimmed over it. I mean, it didn't seem all that relevant to me anyway.

"Well, let's consider the basics covered and move on to the advanced level, shall we?"

Once again, a mana sphere popped into existence above the professor's hand. Only this time, it was packed with way more compressed mana than before.

"Sometimes, students ask me, 'Professor, why do I have to take this class if I'm not even a mage?' Of course, you can think that way. But in reality, when you infuse mana into a sword, it becomes a blade, and when you infuse it into your fist, it becomes a punch."

The professor enveloped his fist with the compressed mana sphere, delivering a powerful punch.

"Depending on how you process mana, it can become magic or simply enhance. In the end, the fundamentals are the same. The mana manipulation you'll learn here will undoubtedly be useful."

The mana disappeared from the professor's hand, and mana waves began to emanate from him, resembling droplets falling on the ground.

"This is not exactly magic, but in the field, we call it 'sensing.' It's a technique where you simply press mana onto the ground and spread it to the surroundings. Although it may seem like a simple technique, it's actually very useful. With advanced sensing, you can even detect enemies hidden in invisibility or behind walls. This seemingly simple technique…"

I tried my best to pay attention to the professor's intricate explanation, but it was like my brain had its own vacation plans.

I still couldn't wrap my head around why mana calculations and operations were necessary for spreading mana around.

"Now, once you give it a try, you'll be able to identify your weaknesses. After that, I'll personally assist you. Go ahead and give it a try."

As the professor finished his spiel, the assistant instructor, who had been lurking in the background, started handing out these strange-looking bracelets to all the students.

"Are these the famous Victoria Mana Boosters?"

"Mana booster?"

"Yep, wearing one of these makes mana manipulation a breeze. But there's the catch: your damage output becomes too weak to be used in actual combat."

Thanks to the explanation from Kim Yeonghan sitting next to me, I could understand the true nature of the bracelet.

I wondered how many hidden game settings I had no clue about. Was this game really that intricate?

"First, try using detection without wearing the mana booster. Then, after putting on the booster and pulling up mana, you'll sense where your shortcomings lie."

The professor mentioned something about pulling up mana from the body and spreading it in all directions.

Woong-

Mana spread around in my body, and I could sense the outlines of the nearby students.

"Well, it's doable."

Since I was a mage and could handle magic pretty well, using detection was easy. Glancing around, I noticed that other students were still struggling to grasp it.

Woong-

My eyes locked with a particular female student. Alice, the brilliant theoretical genius from France. Among all the students, she and I were the only ones who managed to nail detection on the first try.

Meanwhile, Nam Daeun, the practical prodigy, seemed completely uninterested in the class, casually twirling a strand of her hair.

As a result, Alice and I detected each other's mana waves through our newfound abilities.

"…"

"…"

She gave me a scrutinizing stare, but I had nothing witty to say. I simply averted my gaze, avoiding eye contact.

What's her deal? Did I commit a crime by being too darn handsome or something?!

"Some of you are making progress, but most of you are still struggling. So, go ahead and put on the mana booster right in front of you, then give it another try."

"Oh, wow. The mana feels lighter, for real."

"Is that so?"

Kim Yeonghan, who had already put on the bracelet in the seat next to mine, manipulated mana and marveled at the difference.

Even though it might not be of much use to me since I was already doing fine without it, I figured I might as well give it a shot. There had to be some noticeable difference, right?

I slid the bracelet onto my arm, and as it snugly wrapped around my wrist, a peculiar sensation coursed through my body.

"Oh, the sensation is fascinating."

This time, I tried pulling up mana from my fingertips.

Hmm, it actually feels a bit… heavier? Is this thing defective or what?

I tried pulling up more mana, but strangely, it became even more challenging, despite wearing the booster.

No way, this thing's busted… Ugh!

An involuntary groan escaped my lips as a sudden surge of unbearable pain washed over me.

Thud!

The agony became too much to bear, and I tumbled off my chair. Writhing on the floor, I clutched my chest, trying to alleviate the persistent pain. A metallic taste filled my mouth, and I felt warm blood trickling down, staining the floor.

Cough, cough!

I covered my mouth, coughing, only to find my hands covered in blood.

What the heck… What's happening?!

"Hey! Are you okay? Professor! We've got an emergency—"

Kim Yeonghan next to me shouted, but my vision was blurry, and his words barely registered in my ears.

What the heck is going on?

In the midst of the sudden and inexplicable pain, I struggled to gather my thoughts, but I had a hunch about what might be causing it.

There seemed to be some disturbance in the mana within my body. The mana circuit felt tangled, making it difficult to manipulate properly. And each attempt to draw upon mana only intensified the pain.

I couldn't pinpoint the exact cause, but I had an intuitive feeling that restoring the mana circuit might help ease the pain.

Of course, the process would likely involve a lot of suffering, but my consciousness was fading. If things continued this way, I might actually kick the bucket.

"Ugh…!"

Forcing myself to move, I tried manipulating the stagnant mana within me. But instead of obediently obeying, the mana seemed to have a mind of its own, striking my body from within.

Overwhelmed by the disorienting sensation and excruciating pain, I ended up puking bile and blood onto the floor. Chunks rose in my throat and spilled out. After several futile attempts, I finally experienced a slight relief.

Keeping a clear mind was always a good idea. Even in the face of pain that could rival surgery without anesthesia, mental clarity was crucial.

Slowly getting accustomed to the pain, I carefully regulated and controlled the mana, attempting to fix the disrupted mana circuit and pathways within my body. It required intense focus as I manipulated every intricate circuit throughout my entire being.

Through this process, my understanding of mana deepened, and I could feel the progress accelerating.

"Huff, huff. Phew…"

Finally, I managed to gain control over all the mana. Though there was still some turbulence in my body, at least the excruciating pain had stopped escalating. If I had been even a tad slower, I could've actually died.

Taking a moment to assess my surroundings, I realized that all the students and the professor were standing there, staring at me. Kim Yeonghan and Professor Im Sol were right in front of me.

"How… did you…"

Professor Im Sol, her body wrapped in a robe, had wide eyes peeking out from beneath her hood. She seemed utterly flabbergasted, struggling to find the right words as her dilated pupils and gaping mouth gave her away.

Why…

Professor Im Sol usually locked herself away in her research lab when there were no classes.

Anyway, my head was still throbbing. I hoped they'd hurry up and give me some treatment.

"Uh… Uh…"

"Hm?"

""How… how did you do that?!"

Professor Im Sol mumbled to herself, and when I confronted her, she suddenly screamed in horror.

"G-guh!"

Then she grabbed me by the collar, shaking me like a rag doll.

"How?! How did you do it?! How?!"

"Cough, just hold on a moment, please. Please, just a moment…"

"Professor Im Sol! I'm bleeding from my mouth! Hey! Let go!"

Thankfully, the nearby old professor snapped out of his stupor and stepped in, putting an end to Professor Im Sol's shaking frenzy.

Uhuk…

Blood continued to trickle from my mouth. My head started spinning once again.

"What? Oh! What's this? Blood?! We need to get you to the emergency room right away! You're a professor, for crying out loud! What were you thinking?!"

"The medical staff is already on their way, so let go of him, Professor Im Sol!"

"Oops, ah, okay."

Finally, Professor Im Sol released her iron grip on my collar.

What's gotten into her?

Im Sol—a mage with natural magical talent, renowned not only in Korea but worldwide as an authoritative figure.

Though the protagonist didn't have much interaction with her, her quirky personality and behavior, coupled with her cat-like face, made her an intriguing character.

Now that I think about it, she's just a bit of a nutcase.

The eccentricity was a selling point in the game, after all.

Zzzzz-

True to the game's world, the medical team arrived, their hands glowing with light as they tended to me. It was hard to believe, but the pain subsided as the light made contact. It was an incredible reality.

Even now, the pain was gradually easing.

"Wow, this is seriously amazing. Cough, cough."

"Hoyeon, are you okay? You're still alive, right?"

"Yeah, thanks for your concern."

Kim Yeonghan looked at me with genuine worry as he spoke. It's nice to have a friend, after all.

"I mean, if a friend you just made two days ago suddenly dropped dead, it'd give you nightmares, right?"

"…"

As expected from the medical staff of a prestigious academy, the treatment was swift, and they efficiently packed up their equipment.

"Your mana circuit was severely damaged, but it has been treated. It shouldn't have any lasting effects on your day-to-day activities."

"Thank you."

The old professor conveyed his gratitude on my behalf while I lay there, still catching my breath.

"The cause might be that mana booster… It could be defective. It's worth looking into."

"Cough. Well…"

Just as the medical staff finished speaking, an awkward cough broke the silence, and it came from none other than Professor Im Sol.

"Actually…"