Day 3 of Vacation (1) – The Flame Mage Gathering

Today was the day of the Elemental guild’s gathering for Flame Elemental Mages.

With nothing else to do, I decided to head to the guild early.

As I reverted from my transformation, the changes were applied—

[Demonic Horns – Latent Power: Lv.3
– Magic Power +6%
– Max Mana +200%
– Skill (A): Essense Conversion level +2
– Skill (A): Elemental Creation level +1
– Skill (A): Elemental Control level +1
– Skill (P): Elemental Immunity level +1]

[Demonic Horns – Manifestation: Lv.3
– Skill (A): Elemental Creation level +2
– Skill (A): Elemental Control level +2
– Skill (P): Elemental Immunity level +2]

That was the effect of the horns.

[Lee Han-gyeol
Trait: Elemental Mage
Sub-trait: Element – Flame
– Skill (A): Elemental Creation (Lv.5+1)
– Skill (A): Elemental Control (Lv.5+1)
– Skill (P): Flame Immunity (Lv.5+1)
Sub-trait: Element – Lightning
– Skill (A): Elemental Creation (Lv.1+1)
– Skill (A): Elemental Control (Lv.1+1)
– Skill (P): Lightning Immunity (Lv.1+1)

Trait: Transformation – Succubus
– Skill (A): Transformation (Lv.2)
– Skill (A): Essense Conversion (Lv.5+2)
– Skill (A): Innate Vital Energy Conversion (Lv.1)
Sub-trait: Demonic Horns
– Skill (P): Demonic Horns – Latent Power (Lv.3)
– Skill (A): Demonic Horns – Manifestation (Lv.3)

Strength: 80
Magic Power: 170+10
Mana: 112/5406
Essense: 670/5406
Innate Vital Energy: 1000/1000]

This was my current status.

I hadn’t actually fought inside a gate, yet my proficiency had skyrocketed.

Was this even right?

It had been fine so far. But just in case, I decided to head over and train a bit before the gathering.

*

“You’re here early.”

“Ah, I wanted to get some training in.”

“Oh, as expected from our rising star.”

“Pardon?”

“You haven’t heard? The rumors are already flying. Anyway, I’ll show you where you can train.”

On the way to the training grounds, the employee explained.

“Honestly, your growth rate is incredibly fast.”

“It is?”

“Normally, unlocking a second element takes some time. You know Nam Han-yul, the one we consider a top prospect? It took him half a year to unlock his, and that was from the moment he started training in earnest.”

“Ah… is that so?”

“Yes. But you, Han-gyeol-ssi, it’s been, what, a week? It hasn’t even been a full week since you started for real, right? That’s unbelievably fast. With this kind of speed, you’d normally be an A-rank from the very beginning. Or even higher. I’m talking about the official government ranks.”

“But I didn’t even test as a B-rank at first.”

“That’s why there are rumors. If you were an A-rank from the start, no one would say a thing. They’d just say, ‘An A-rank is doing A-rank things.’ That’s it. So, well, that’s why the rumors are spreading. Because you were originally a C-rank, even if you were on the verge of B-rank.”

“What kind of rumors are going around?”

“Um… that your growth is insanely fast. That you must have something special. And for those who know you have a mana recovery skill, they’re saying there’s something special about that skill—”

Oops. They’re spot on.

“—and since you unlocked your new element after being struck by lightning, people are wondering if they should go get struck, too. Stuff like that.”

This was worrying…

I wasn’t comfortable being the subject of gossip in the first place. I had a secret that couldn’t be revealed, and that very secret was the key to my growth.

Seeing my expression, the employee spoke again.

“Don’t worry too much, though. You’ve done a lot of good things so far, haven’t you? The team members you met during your probationary period have been spreading good rumors about you. And since Awakeners are a diverse bunch, it’s not impossible for someone to have low magic sensitivity but high elemental sensitivity.”

Then, as if just remembering something, he added, “Ah.”

“Do you remember the reward? The one that was going to be combined with your bonus. After hearing the rumors about you, the higher-ups are considering a reward that can help your talent flourish even more. Of course, it’s not based on rumors alone.”

“Really?”

“Yes, of course. So don’t worry too much about the rumors, since they aren’t all bad.”

But then he leaned in and added in a quiet whisper.

“Still, it’s best to be careful to some extent. This field is especially rife with jealousy. Strength is directly tied to wealth and fame, after all. It’s even worse when someone who wasn’t strong before suddenly becomes powerful. I’m just an E-rank, and I’m happy enough being a headquarters employee, but you never know with other people, so be careful.”

A smile returned to his slightly stiff face.

“But don’t worry too much. And don’t boast too much, either. In the end, what’s important is you. Don’t mind what others say.”

“Ah… thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Ah, we’re here.”

*

In the training area I was led to, small balls were flying around at high speeds.

“I heard you mainly use Flame Arrows. There are other training methods, of course, but this one is proven and well-known, and I don’t know the others very well… Since there’s a gathering this evening, you can ask about them then. For now, let me explain. You can adjust the speed here—”

*

I decided to save the lightning element for later and focus on the flame element for now.

First, I tried it slowly, without manifesting the horns.

I created a flame and drew it out into a long line.

I twisted the flame like a rope, twisting and twisting, compressing it as much as possible as I coiled it, and then…

I fired.

I could have shot it as is, but instead, I released the twisted flame, giving it spin.

It missed. Of course it did; I’d fired slowly and without predicting its path.

I created another flame, compressing and twisting it as much as I could. Then I predicted the target’s path and fired.

This time, I put more force into releasing the coiled flame.

It grazed the target. Even though the speed hadn’t changed.

I created a flame, twisted it, quickly predicted the path, and fired.

Boom!

Create, fire.

Boom!

Create—

Boom!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

‘Manifestation.’

Fire surged into the horns.

Inside the horns, which were about the length of a finger with a base the size of a 500-won coin, fire raged and swirled.

The once-insubstantial horns blazed red, and a feeling of fullness washed over me.

It felt as if my entire body was brimming with surging fire, and with it came an overwhelming sense of confidence.

The moment I created a flame, it twisted on its own with a whirl.

The flame was thinner than before, but far more powerful.

The flame was thinner than before, and therefore, it could be coiled more tightly.

I fired it straight ahead, without predicting the path.

BOOM!

An even more intense flame erupted on the target, which I had hit without any prediction.

I increased the target’s speed. The small balls zipped around even faster.

I put force into uncoiling the twisted flame as I released it.

BOOM!

I still didn’t need to predict.

I increased the target’s speed again. The small balls moved rapidly, making whooshing sounds.

I compressed and compressed, then twisted it even more.

And still without predicting, I fired at where the target had been.

BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-BOOM—!

I continued until the employee came back up to tell me the location of the gathering.

[Essense: 620/5406]

Even after all that, I hadn’t even used up the 50 Essense I’d converted.

*

An empty campground on the outskirts of Seoul.

In the center of the campground, a massive bonfire blazed with an equally massive pile of logs.

Barbecue pits were scattered throughout the site, with people gathered around them, chatting or walking about.

A person stood at the entrance. It wasn’t the employee named ‘Yeeun’ I usually met, but they seemed to be staff.

“Please show me your guild ID.”

I showed it to them, and they stepped aside.

“Enjoy your time.”

I walked in and looked around, spotting some familiar faces. Han Na-ri and Han Na-eun, and the Flame Element instructor. Right, the three of them were sisters.

As I walked toward them, they noticed me.

“Oh? Long time no see!”

Han Na-ri greeted me loudly, while Han Na-eun gave a slight bow, and the instructor waved.

“Hello.”

“It’s been a while, Han-gyeol-ssi. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Yes, it’s been a while, Instructor-nim.”

“It’s Han Na-rae. And these are my younger sisters. You know them, right?”

“Yes.”

After some casual conversation, the topic shifted to training.

“The next step is to train in imbuing your flames with an image.”

“An image?”

“Once you’ve mastered shape manipulation, you can imbue your flames with an image. It’s not just about changing the shape; it’s about granting it an additional ability.”

“That’s right. You saw me burn that monkey with a flower-shaped flame, right? That’s what it is.”

“What kind of effect does that have?”

“A flower blooms by absorbing nutrients from its bud, right? My flame absorbs more mana from whatever it’s burning, reducing the burden on me.”

“Exactly. There’s that effect, and also, when a flower blooms from a small bud, its size increases, doesn’t it? So you can create a huge blaze from just a small ember.”

“I hear there are stages after ‘Blooming,’ but I’m not there yet. It’s usually more efficient to pick and choose what you need rather than trying to master everything.”

“There are more stages?”

“Yes. The ‘Flower’ image is actually quite famous. Usually, just using ‘Blooming’ is enough, but the full sequence is ‘Germination – Blooming – Withering – Fruition – Propagation.’”

“As I understand it, ‘Germination’ is creating a fire from an ember, ‘Blooming’ is growing that fire by absorbing mana from the surroundings, ‘Withering’ is condensing that mana into a ‘Fruit,’ ‘Fruition’ is nurturing an ember within, and finally, ‘Propagation’ is spreading those embers again.”

“So it leads back to ‘Germination’?”

“That’s right. By repeating that cycle, you can devastate the surrounding area with very little mana.”

“How do you imbue a flame with an image?”

“It’s different for everyone. You have to be proficient in shape manipulation, for starters, and then there’s no other way but to keep trying.”

“I spent a lot of time observing flowers. My name is ‘Na-ri,’ you know? It’s the name of a flower. Having that kind of interest makes it easier. The image comes to mind more clearly, I guess?”

“Ah… I see.”

“Not interested in flowers? That’s fine. There are plenty of other images.”

“What other kinds are there?”

“Other kinds? Hmm… Oh, you know Ji-an, right? She uses ‘Whirlwind.’”

“That flame tornado? Don’t you need the Wind element for that?”

“You have to be able to use it on your own, separate from the Wind element. Having the Wind element makes it much easier and more powerful, but if you don’t know how to use it in the first place, the wind just gets in the way. There are all sorts of different images like that, so walk around and ask people.”

“That’s right. The most important purpose of this gathering is to share those images. It’s easier to get a feel for it by listening to others’ experiences and stories than by trying alone.”

“But don’t just go around listening. It’s fine now since you don’t know anything, but later on, it’s basic etiquette to share your own image after hearing someone else’s.”

“Ah. I understand. Thank you.”

“Unni. What comes after that?”

“Na-eun. You just worry about your shape manipulation.”

“I wasn’t asking you.”

“Girls… Are you really going to be like this in front of someone else? After imbuing an image, the next step is to change the nature of the fire. There isn’t much to say about it, but Han-gyeol-ssi, would you like to listen?”

“Oh! Yes. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m an instructor, after all. After images comes property transformation, but honestly, I can’t do it myself, so I can’t say much. It’s something only S-rank or higher Elemental Mages can use.”

Something like that exists?

“Property transformation is on a completely different level from imbuing an image. Simply put, it’s about burning the unburnable, or burning something and having it turn into something other than ash, or even creating flames that heal the body.”

“That’s amazing. Is there anyone in our guild who can do that?”

“As far as I know, the only people who can use Flame Property Transformation are… the Guild Master and the Vice Guild Master, I think? I’m not sure about the other elements.”

“I heard the Vice Guild Master can even turn plant-type monsters into medicinal herbs by burning them.”

“That’s right. He usually supplies them to Merci Academy, and I hear he makes a ton of money from it.”

There were all sorts of incredible abilities out there…

“Anyway, that’s still a distant realm for us. For now, Han-gyeol-ssi, you should walk around and keep looking for an image that suits you.”

*

As I walked around, I saw various people.

“…that’s why I…”

Some were busy eating barbecue, some were busy drinking, and some were just sharing stories about their daily lives.

There was no place for me to fit in…

Maybe I shouldn’t have refused Na-ri’s offer to walk around with me earlier.

No, I’ll just chalk today up to gaining experience.

“…back then, you…”

“…the image…”

Ah. They’re talking about images.

Over there, a man was talking with a woman on each arm.

The man, tall with bleached hair, had a sharp jawline and piercing eyes.

He looked familiar.

As I approached, the man raised an eyebrow and spoke.

“I haven’t seen you before… Can I help you?”

“Ah, my name is Lee Han-gyeol. I just joined the guild.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jeong Ji-hoon.”

One of the women next to him whispered something in his ear. After hearing it, Jeong Ji-hoon’s gaze… well, did it get a little colder?

“Lee Han-gyeol… The new prospect I’ve heard about? What can I do for you?”

“I heard you talking about images, so I was hoping to listen in.”

“Ah, images… I’m sorry, but mine is a bit… well, and I’m also busy right now, so I’ll have to get going. My apologies.”

Then he walked away with the cackling women on his arms.

What was that about?