Ch.61Chapter 3. It’s Not Technology Leakage, It’s Advice! (2)

The Goblin’s transformation basically begins with the release of magical energy from within the body.

In a word, it’s “metamorphosis.”

Breaking the “cognitive dissonance barrier” that makes me appear to be a non-ability user.

Instantly releasing magical energy to blur the surrounding vision.

Converting the magical energy flowing over my body into the Goblin’s mask and clothes—a series of processes that takes place in less than 0.1 seconds.

While the word “metamorphosis” itself implies a complete transformation in a different direction, it’s an archaic term that isn’t commonly used, so I simply used the word “transformation” for convenience.

The truth is that it’s a reconversion of magical energy.

I’m just changing a suit into another suit, a mask into a helmet.

To clarify the terminology:

If “transformation” means converting the form of magical energy,

Let’s define “metamorphosis” as releasing magical energy from inside the body to the outside while simultaneously changing its appearance.

Has there ever been anyone who could create their costume from magical energy like this?

Has anyone in this world ever performed metamorphosis before?

No.

Even if there were, it was never publicly revealed.

‘A secret technique known only to a select few.’

Just as I’ve never been exposed naked to others, just as Ymir only becomes naked after transformation in front of me alone, it’s an advanced technique unknown even in the dark web.

That’s why when I explained to Baek Seol-hee how to create clothes based on the Goblin’s transformation principle, I deliberately omitted the intermediate step of “explosively releasing magical energy.”

I casually suggested that she could build up magical energy to form clothing, like stacking snow to make a snowman.

But Seol-hee succeeded.

It’s like teaching someone to make fried chicken by saying, “Prepare the chicken. Cut it into pieces, coat it in batter. Fry it in oil. Done.” And then they independently added steps like “add curry powder to the batter” or “fry it twice in oil.”

Of course, a disaster occurred where the batter completely fell off because I didn’t explain details like oil temperature, batter mixture ratios, or brining the chicken, but even though the result was messy, the attempt was good.

“Ugh…”

After destroying one robe, Baek Seol-hee withdrew the icy energy that had spread throughout the room with a gloomy face.

Fortunately, the room returned to normal, and I handed her another robe to put on.

“Are you alright, Ms. Seol-hee?”

“I’m fine. If I need to compensate for this, I’ll take care of it.”

“It’s fine. Nothing seems to be damaged. And the fortunate thing is… that this happened in this room.”

“Yes…”

Baek Seol-hee covered her face with both hands.

What if this disaster had happened in front of other people?

She would never be able to show her face in public again for the rest of her life.

Especially if it happened while facing an extremely powerful enemy as a hero, with the entire nation and world watching, and she “exploded”?

It wouldn’t be strange if she turned into a demon right then and there.

I’m a man, and I take care of my body to some extent, so I’d be fine.

But if a woman I loved suffered humiliation and felt sad and angry in front of the whole world, I might try to erase that incident from the world’s memory.

So the most important thing is to prevent such a situation from happening.

“How did this happen?”

“After creating the clothes, I tried raising magical energy thinking I could just make them directly on my body…”

“Like slowly pouring water from a container but accidentally spilling it all?”

“Exactly!”

“Like trying to carefully open a plastic wrapper to get to the pickled radish, but applying too much force and having the juice splash out?”

“That’s precisely it!”

Baek Seol-hee even clapped her hands in response to my words.

“That’s exactly how it felt!”

“Then the answer is simple. Let’s try it without wearing clothes?”

“…What?”

“More precisely, try covering only the exposed parts of your skin with magical energy. You know, like applying moisturizer to your body… how about that?”

I’m trying to explain this as indirectly as possible, assuming I’m a non-ability user.

If she can understand this in her own way, Baek Seol-hee really is amazing.

“Like this…?”

“Wait! I’ll wait outside. In case your clothes tear again…”

“Oh, got it.”

Baek Seol-hee stretched out her right hand.

A white glove appeared on her hand, smooth and shiny like latex.

“Would you like to touch it?”

“I won’t get frostbite, will I?”

“It’s fine. It’s just about as cold as touching ice.”

“Then…”

I reached out to Baek Seol-hee’s hand and lightly brushed her fingers with mine.

“It really feels like ice.”

“Yes. As long as no one touches it and it stays in contact with my skin, it seems to maintain this state. Hmm… does it consume mana when creating it, but not much afterward? I feel better than yesterday.”

She mutters to herself while tilting her head, but the truth is that Baek Seol-hee has quickly replenished her mana thanks to the hot spring here.

“Maybe it’s because I ate something good?~”

“Ms. Seol-hee.”

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

“If you say things like that carelessly in public, you’ll get into big trouble.”

“Alright. Then I won’t say it in public, just in front of you, Mr. Ji-hwan?”

“…If that helps you.”

Since I’ve decided to help, I should help Baek Seol-hee as much as possible.

-What? The Goblin is Mr. Ji-hwan…?

-No! First, I need to hide it!

-Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t hide you, I brought you here because I was curious.

-Why did you help me? You approached me intentionally, didn’t you? What’s your reason? Why were you so nice to me…?

-…Don’t ever appear before me again. If we meet again, you’ll be my enemy.

To prevent such situations from happening.

I need to create as much emotional debt as possible for Baek Seol-hee.

“Anyway, try making clothes, Ms. Seol-hee. I’ll go to the convenience store and buy clothes for you to wear.”

“How long does it take to get to the convenience store?”

“By car, probably 30 minutes? Round trip.”

“Rather than doing that, I think this would be better.”

Baek Seol-hee stood up and spread her arms wide.

“…Freeze.”

With a soft voice, Baek Seol-hee began to release magical energy from both hands.

Worried that she might do another “shell-breaking” instead of metamorphosis, I turned my head away, but fortunately, it didn’t seem like she would explode this time.

Shhh.

In fact, Baek Seol-hee controlled her magical energy so delicately that even I could see how stable it was.

And in a way I hadn’t thought of.

“Wow.”

White smoke like dry ice leaked out from her wrists and ankles, outside her robe.

And that white smoke, Baek Seol-hee’s mana, slowly began to stick to the robe she was wearing, covering it.

Crackle, crackle.

Ice crystals began to stick to the robe, and soon the flowing robe became stiff and took shape.

“…Huh.”

How should I put this?

Because of the hotel robe’s material, with just a slight change in appearance, it became something like a V-neck dress.

And since she covered it with ice made of mana, now standing before my eyes was Snow White with her arms spread wide, wearing a white coat made of snowflakes.

“That’s impressive.”

It’s a sincere compliment.

And at the same time, my eyes widened with realization.

‘I need to learn this.’

Whenever I transform, releasing magical energy from my body has always been the basic method, but using that technique might mean I don’t have to be naked…!

“Ms. Seol-hee. That’s really impressive. You could go outside like this.”

“Doesn’t it feel a bit strange?”

“The clothes don’t flow but feel rigid like ice armor, but it’s still much better than walking around in just a white robe.”

“Is that so? Then at least I can fool people’s eyes to some extent.”

Baek Seol-hee reached out her hand to me.

“Thank you, Mr. Ji-hwan. Thanks to this, even if I’m caught sneaking into Sejong Island, I won’t get in trouble.”

“I hope you get safely from Ulleungdo to the Sejong Academy dormitory.”

“Yes. It’s a shame. We finally had a chance to talk alone. Should I come to Ulleungdo again sometime when our schedules align?”

“We can talk as much as you want at Sejong Island.”

“But there are more eyes watching us there than here.”

“Didn’t you say earlier you’d take care of any scandals?”

“Hehe, it would still be awkward if a scandal broke out now.”

Baek Seol-hee smiled and whispered softly.

“If a scandal broke out, you probably couldn’t work as a librarian anymore, which means you wouldn’t be able to read the books you want, right?”

“…For now?”

“Then I should be considerate. So you can read the books you want in the library. I can’t take away your daily life because of my circumstances.”

Baek Seol-hee took my hand again.

“I’ll be in your care from now on, teacher?”

“Am I your teacher?”

“Of course. You’re my psychological counselor. Specifically…”

Squeeze.

“I’ll contact you whenever I need comfort. Perhaps, often.”

* * *

After returning from Ulleungdo.

-Baek Seol-hee, East Sea patrol! Developing a new costume!

Baek Seol-hee successfully(?) returned to Sejong Island.

Fortunately, her excuse that she went to feel the energy of the East Sea while testing her abilities, even removing her Taeguk Watch, worked better than expected, and Baek Seol-hee returned to the academy without any scandal.

And during the week.

“Hello, teacher!”

“…Hello?”

“Would you like to have a meal with an ultra-gorgeous beauty?”

Ymir came looking for me.