Chapter 16: Dual Core – 3

Professor Reyna’s lab kidnapping… No, rather, the club room kidnapping fortunately ended in a failure.

The main reason was due to the academic schedule.

It was because joining clubs required at least two semesters to be completed.

Reyna, who reluctantly suppressed her desires, had no choice but to go to the infirmary.

Even then, it was almost as if Professor Bella forcibly dragged her out, almost kicking her out.

“Joining a club is a matter for the student to choose. Moreover, it’s open for enrolment in the second semester. Don’t make a fuss and go back quickly!”

“Freshman Seong Yujin! When the club enrolment period comes, I’ll definitely come back! So wait! Don’t think about joining other clubs, just wait!”

‘It was scary…’

I thought I was watching a scene from an anime when I was young.

Even as Professor Bella dragged her out, she continued pointing her finger at me and telling me to wait with wide open eyes, that expression is still vivid.

If I was to ignore that warning and join a club like the combat technique club, what would happen?

Surely it wouldn’t be a good sight.

Maybe I would receive even worse obsession like a graduate student confined to the lab just before graduation.

Considering my position as a barrier mage, joining the magic club was definitely not a bad choice, but there was also a vague feeling of being pressured by something unknown.

‘It’ll be okay in the second semester.’

Time fairly resolves all problems.

Like any other problem, by the time the second semester comes and club applications are accepted, wont today’s events remain in her memory as a faint shadow beyond the fog?

With such thoughts, I am now checking my completed succession.

“I feel confident that I can use even the magic I thought was impossible until now.”

It’s just that the core has increased by one.

However, all magical abilities, including the stability and output of mana, have greatly improved.

Not only that, but my body has also changed significantly due to the succession.

There wasn’t much visible change in appearance, but the internal structures like mana circuits and muscles were altered to match the number of cores.

‘Now I understand why my body hurt so much.’

As two cores emerged, the structure of my body changed overall to match the number of cores.

The excruciating pain that clouded my consciousness was the result of the rapid transformation of mana circuits.

Both the process and the result reminded me of a transformation in a martial arts novel.

It was a terrible pain, but as I looked at the changed status window, that pain seemed to have disappeared without me realizing it.

‘How much stronger am I now?’

Suddenly, I became curious.

Having undergone rapid growth in a moment, I wanted to know how much stronger I had become.

The thought didn’t last long, and the action was just as quick.

Expressing a light thanks to Professor Bella, who was worried about me, I hastened my steps towards the training ground.

“Oh, right.”

[Second Round data: Starting the succession of ‘BarrierFighter#BoyndaryMage’.]

There are still eight characters left to succeed.

Before I noticed, I started the second round of succession.

The happiness circuit automatically returned.

I waved away the notification that appeared in my field of vision.

“Hey, hurry up and come?”

“No, I was resting well, why are you dragging me out?”

It had been a few minutes since I left the infirmary and was crossing the plaza.

Suddenly, students from the living zone were rushing towards somewhere.

It wasn’t difficult to figure out where the students from the dormitory were heading.

Their direction matched the one I was heading.

‘Did something happen?’

I was suspicious, but I didn’t bother to grab someone and ask.

After all, I was also going for personal training.

If I go directly and find out what’s going on, that’s enough.

With that thought, I maintained my current pace.

“A conflict between a mana-less student and a high elf!”

“What nonsense. Where in the world is there a person without mana?”

“Really? I checked with mana detection, but there was not a single trace of mana in her body.”

However, before I could confirm it myself, I heard the conversation between two students who were running ahead.

‘A human with no mana and a high elf.’

Just these two words conjured vivid images in my mind.

Seria Alvhaim, born with overwhelming innate magical talent, and Cheon Yuhwa, who couldn’t even muster a single drop of mana.

In every aspect, from their very existence to their actions, they were polar opposites and they had crossed paths.

It both made my body tense and my heart uneasy.

“But isn’t Seria Alvhaim a top candidate?”

“Yeah, but it fell through because a new candidate emerged from the academy and got the principal’s recommendation.”

As I approached the training area, I heard more detailed and diverse stories from those around me.

Surprisingly, much of the academy’s attention seemed to be directed towards Seria Alvhaim rather than Cheon Yuhwa.

‘Well, Cheon Yuhwa hasn’t been active externally much yet.’

There could be many reasons, but above all, today marked the first day of the academic schedule.

Even if Cheon Yuhwa had notable achievements, the only remarkable thing she did with me was grabbing Professor Caria’s clothes.

If I had to pick one more thing, it would be the entrance ceremony.

Given her personality, she would undoubtedly have made a remarkable impression even in front of the Gateway.

‘But Seria Alvhaim is story is different.’

While Cheon Yuhwa’s external actions were ambiguous, Seria Alvhaim was already a well-known figure among the public. Her skills and talents undoubtedly contributed, but the biggest reason was her appearance.

I hadn’t personally met her yet, but I vividly remembered her descriptions and illustrations from the game.

“If popularity among users is any indication…”

As I continued walking towards the training instructor, I recalled those descriptions.

“Like shining golden wool, her beautiful golden hair stands out even more with her distinctive half-up hairstyle.”

“Her white skin, like jade, and her small facial features. Elven pointed ears add a unique charm to those features.”

“Even though she wore modest academy robes, her prominent chest and curved body couldn’t be concealed.”

“She truly embodies natural beauty. Revealed as she is, she truly appears breath-taking.”

Apart from descriptions of her magic and abilities, the descriptions of her simple appearance and figure were this vivid.

“She must be incredibly beautiful to make everyone blink just once after seeing her. I wonder, as a guy myself, what makes everyone look and swoon.”

“We’ve arrived.”

Unknowingly, we had reached the entrance of the first training area. But I couldn’t enter because of the students crowding around it.

They weren’t going inside, instead peeking inside through windows or gaps in the door. I pushed through those students and grabbed the doorknob of the entrance to the first training instructor’s office.

“Please move aside for a moment.”

“If you go in now…”

A student who had been peeking through the door looked at me with a worried expression. Some of the students who had gathered began to murmur.

Keywords like Professor Caria, Barrier Magic, and Cheon Yuhwa were occasionally heard.

It seemed like some of the students from Class 2, who attended orientation together, were mixed in the crowd.

“Despite being right in front of the door, it’s surprisingly quiet inside. Is the soundproofing that good?”

Even though I had come right up to the door, I couldn’t hear any noise inside. Considering how noisy and chaotic fights can be, it was quite surprising.

I considered widening the detection range of my detection barrier to check, but I quickly dismissed the thought because Cheon Yuhwa with Fantasy of Murder and Star of Calamity was inside.

Carefully, I opened the door and stepped inside. And in that moment, a loud bang! reverberated through my ears.

“[Fantasy of Murder] has forcibly dismantled the barrier.”

“?”

Startled, I glanced ahead immediately after flinching.

The notification on the status window in front of my eyes informed me that my barrier had been dismantled.

Exiting the infirmary, it was a detection barrier with a radius of 10 meters that I had set up as a test.

I wondered why my barrier had suddenly been dismantled, but I didn’t need to ponder that issue.

Flying in at high speed from within the training hall, a lump of flesh that stained my vision pitch black when it struck me defencelessly.

Before I could react, that soft blackness that flew in struck my face and knocked me over.

Thud!

The clamor from outside suddenly subsided as if it was a lie.

“That damn blind bat…!”

Even while groaning in pain, the voice of Cheon Yuhwa, simultaneously expressing both moans and curses with her characteristic delicate soprano, could be heard.

Perhaps because the words came directly from above, I could hear even her small murmurs clearly.

“But what’s under…?”

Finishing her sentence with a questioning tone as she lowered her head towards me lying beneath.

“Hehe… um, are you okay?”

Unable to look directly at her, I awkwardly smiled and greeted her.

Cheon Yuhwa’s body, facing me as our eyes met, froze like a rock.

It wasn’t summer, it was spring.