Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy.

Episode 3: Entrance Ceremony (2)

“Gasp.”

Hong Yu-hwa gasped for air.

She took a deep breath in and out.

Then, she began to breathe calmly, sitting neatly with her knees together.

Even this scene resembled a picture from a photo shoot.

Her opponent was formidable.

The Magma Lizard, strong in flame attributes, posed a tough challenge for her.

Time: 30 minutes.

After about 30 minutes of fierce combat, she emerged victorious.

The Magma Lizard eventually fell to her ‘Crimson Flame’ and turned to ash.

Hong Yu-hwa shifted her gaze, confident that at this pace, she could rank at least in the top three.

Speed was essential.

She had opted for a different field, magic, unlike the others.

This kind of fight was naturally disadvantageous to her.

Hong Yu-hwa elegantly strode through the portal and exited.

The auditorium seemed emptier than before since nearly 3,000 people had departed.

There was bustling activity.

“What’s going on?”

“Ah, Miss, you’ve arrived.”

Scouts from her guild were moving about busily.

[Examinee 0005, Hong Yu-hwa. Test Duration 00:31:17.]

The result from the Tower of Trials materialized on her retina.

[Hong Yu-hwa’s Record 00:31:17. 4th Place.]

A window displaying the rankings popped up before her.

But the result was beyond belief.

“…4th place?”

That was impossible.

She could not have placed merely 4th.

Hong Yu-hwa looked again.

This time at the electronic scoreboard before her.

There, the records of those who had cleared the trial faster than her were displayed.

[Lee Seo-ha: Record 00:01:22 1st Place.]

[Kim Seo-hyun: Record 00:11:55 2nd Place.]

[Ershil Merchen: Record 00:17:12 3rd Place.]

[Hong Yu-hwa: Record 00:31:17 4th Place.]

“…”

Her eyes trembled. The Tower of Trials was fair.

Its 30-year history and the mysteries of this world attested to that.

That was why the results were even more shocking. Only 1 minute and 22 seconds to pass the trial? By a student who had just enrolled in the Korean Hero School?

There are countless people in this world, and many hidden masters. Yu-hwa, remember this and always live humbly.

Her grandfather’s words suddenly came to her mind.

Tightly.

Hong Yu-hwa closed her eyes and bit her lip lightly.

Lee Seo-ha.

She etched those three syllables into her mind.

‘Wait a minute.’

Just before she took the entrance exam.

A boy had said something.

If you realize the potential of your Crimson Lotus, you can defeat Kim Seo-hyun.

Was he just flattering her or a passerby?

No, it must be nonsense.

There was no reason she wouldn’t recognize her own talent.

Her grandfather had acknowledged her blossoming talent; it was impossible for a stranger to discern it.

Hong Yu-hwa engraved the name Lee Seo-ha into her mind and turned around.

“Groan.”

Lying on the bed, I finally felt like I could live again.

Was it the tension?

My body felt stiff.

‘It’s truly amazing.’

I looked around.

A penthouse over 50 pyeong, containing various basic items like magically enchanted bedding and automatic cleaners. Was this the room assigned to me?

And it was free. I’ll say it again because it’s important.

It was free.

The top student in each grade got the best room, followed by the next in rank, third place, fourth place, fifth, and so on.

Not quite as grand as this penthouse, but still comparable.

‘Truly extraordinary.’

To the world’s elite students, this might seem ordinary, but to me, it was an exceptional treatment.

A penthouse for a mere student.

Well, it was good for me.

“What will it be?”

I excitedly took out a dark wooden box.

A reward from the Tower of Trials.

‘Could it be a Moon Elixir, a Sun Elixir, or even a Heavenly Elixir?’

Inside the dark wooden box was a black pill (丹). It was none of the three mentioned.

But I was even more thrilled. It was exactly what I needed.

Emotion.

[Spirit Ability Pill (A-)]

Allows the user to awaken ‘Spirit Ability’.

– When taken, it maximizes physical potential.

– When taken, it awakens Nyeom (念).

– When taken, it permanently reduces magic ability by 30%.

“Jackpot.”

It was definitely effective.

An A-grade for a mere elixir. The penalty of reduced magic ability must have affected its rating.

Normally, the reduction would be significant, but since my current magic power was zero, the penalty was meaningless to me.

‘I don’t plan to learn magic.’

I was starting late.

For now, passing the entrance exam as the top student kept troublemakers at bay, but soon it would become obvious that I lacked certain abilities.

So, I was rejecting the ordinary path.

‘With the Spirit Ability Pill, I might need to revise my plan.’

The effect of maximizing latent abilities was great, but the real power of this elixir lay in awakening Nyeom (念).

‘Time to start growing.’

Thanks to the exam, I had earned a whopping 8,000P.

I decided to start by improving ‘that’ which was the foundation of everything.

I opened the multi-dimensional premium shop.

The shop was filled with various talents and constitutions tempting me. Items like ‘Master of Magic’, ‘Sword Heaven’, ‘Heavenly Martial Body’, and so on.

Each boasted incredible performance if obtained.

But they were all out of reach.

Unless I started with them, pouring points into them would delay my growth too much.

‘I need a talent that’s immediately usable, has high potential, and offers great growth prospects.’

And among them, there was one talent that even the veterans grabbed without a second thought.

[Dexterity (B+)]

It increases flexibility and skill of the hands.

: It provides additional enhancements to all physical activities.

The description was simple.

However, this talent could be used resourcefully from early to the very end stages of the game.

Dexterity affected overall fighting ability and was crucial for cooking, alchemy, and blacksmithing – essentials for veterans.

‘I feel like testing it on something light.’

I noticed darts on one side of the wall. I threw a dart at the dartboard.

Thwack!

The dart flew straight and hit the bullseye.

‘Better than I expected.’

I hadn’t thrown darts much before, but the result was surprisingly good.

I smiled with satisfaction and looked at the wooden box.

‘Shall I try it?’

After purchasing Dexterity, I stripped off my clothes and entered the bathroom, which was as large as my studio apartment.

I stepped into the bathtub naked.

Then, I turned on the water and quietly took out the Spirit Ability Pill.

Spirit Ability.

It was a spiritual power. If the magic that constituted this world exerted physical force, Spirit Ability was based on mental strength.

In the future, Kim Seo-hyun would awaken this Spirit Ability and gain resistance to all other abilities.

‘Come to think of it, she did seem to become more feminine from then on.’

I suddenly recalled a theory by a veteran that Kim Seo-hyun was a woman disguised as a man. Well, that was unlikely, though.

I placed the black pill in my mouth.

Crunch.

A sweet and slightly bitter taste spread through my mouth. The taste of the elixir wasn’t bad.

It was akin to jelly with a popping sensation, similar to zero cola with lemon added.

I chewed it thoroughly before swallowing. Elixirs were more effective when chewed.

As the elixir entered my system, I felt something course through my body and I lost consciousness.

“Ughh!”

My stomach felt heavy. A disgusting smell filled the air. I quickly clambered out of the bathtub and retched.

What an awful smell.

Feeling dizzy, I glanced at the bathtub.

The water where I had just been soaking now had black liquid floating on it.

Waste.

Since the Spirit Ability Pill was a type of elixir that unlocked potential, it expelled waste from the body like this. It was horrifying to think that was inside me.

I swung my arm around.

The feeling was as if my body had become lighter -.

They said it feels like being reborn, and it really did. My body felt much lighter, more agile, and full of energy.

“Phew, looking good.”

I stood up and looked in the mirror; my skin had become a bit whiter.

My original appearance wasn’t bad, but after I customized my avatar into an unrivaled handsome man, I thought there was no more room for improvement.

“Status window.”

[Name: Lee Seo-ha]

Strength: 3

Agility: 5

Stamina: 5

Magic: 0

Mental: 5

Skill: 5

◈Talent

-Viewing(-), Dexterity(B+)

◈Skills

-X

◈Constitution

-Heaven Defying Body(S-)

My Strength increased by 1, Agility and Stamina by 3 each.

Mental seemed to have increased due to the Spirit Ability Pill.

Nyeom was closely related to mental power.

Skill probably rose to 5 due to Dexterity.

‘…But are 3 and 5 the limits for my fully awakened latent abilities?’

It felt somewhat sad.

If others had taken it, they’d probably see a minimum increase to around 7.

‘Well, there are many ways to get stronger.’

There was no need to obsess over just this. I shook it off and sat on the floor of the bathtub.

I closed my eyes and focused.

To sense the spirit energy that had settled inside my body.

‘It feels like something is there.’

Should I say it’s wriggling? I felt a strange power squirming inside me.

That power moved according to my will.

It was a mysterious and fun feeling.

I looked around. A yellow duck toy caught my eye.

Move, move.

I focused my Nyeom (念) on the duck toy and stared at it.

Floating.

Surprisingly, the duck toy floated in the air.

This was Spirit Ability, the basic power of exerting physical force through spiritual energy.

Of course, this wasn’t the only way to use this power.

Although I was weak now, as I grew, Nyeom would become a force beyond imagination.

“I feel a bit dizzy.”

Five seconds.

Just lifting the toy for five seconds had made me dizzy.

I stopped floating the toy and slowly regulated my breathing.

It was a pity.

If I had magic power, I could have done more, but without it, this was my limit. It was a shame I couldn’t gain magic power with the Heaven Defying Body.

[You have used Nyeom for the first time! As a reward, you receive 1,500P. Additionally, your Magic stat and Mental ability combine to form the special stat Nyeom (念).]

[As the Magic stat and Mental ability are replaced by Nyeom (念), all abilities are amplified.]

I read the description of Nyeom. The more I read, the more my eyes sparkled with excitement.

…Come to think of it, magic power might not be that necessary.

Praise be to the system.