Chapter 58

Chapter 58

I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy.

Episode 58: Usurper (1)

In Epic World, players could develop three professions as sub-characters: blacksmithing, alchemy, and cooking.

The game featured over 20,000 different alchemy-related recipes.

I wished they had revealed how to make them. However, the game developers only disclosed the existence of various elixirs, poisons, and herbs, not the recipes themselves.

“I really struggled back then.”

To discover these 20,000 recipes, I endured all kinds of hardships.

Not only I but other players who joined later also started to figure things out.

Together, we managed to uncover 19,852 recipes.

Even after dedicating 20,000 out of my 50,000 hours, the number of recipes found was just that.

That’s why I was determined to uncover at least some of them here.

You could say I have a bit of a collecting obsession.

Thus, I began giving lectures here.

“I’ll increase my recognition and spread some influence while I’m at it.”

This should have been basic knowledge in the original game.

“It’s really basic.”

In terms of Black God Martial Arts, it’s akin to creating Black Energy and infusing it with the Energy of Defying Heaven.

After 12 hours of lecturing, I returned to the real world.

-Today, I’m convinced. Veritas is a god. Thought he’d unravel more recipes, but he just sat and lectured, lol.

-From today, I’ll bow in the direction where Veritas is, every day.

-Tuning herbs with magic and transforming their properties was insane.

-And what about the lecture in the middle? I was considering learning magic, but creating artifacts seems way cooler now.

-Seems like tuning is more important than the recipe itself?

-If ingredients are 30%, the recipe 30%, and magical tuning ability 30%, then all seem important.

-But what about the remaining 10%?

ㄴWhat? Really? Not sure, he didn’t mention it. Maybe it’s something like the environment.

The response was explosive.

The comments were overwhelming, and the highlights of my lecture were already spreading on sites like Neutube.

I reviewed the reactions and stood up, feeling light.

“About 15 hours have passed.”

It was past noon when I went downstairs to eat.

“Oh, you’re here?”

“Yeah.”

The kids were already seated and eating downstairs.

Kim Seo-hyun was twirling spaghetti into his mouth, while Hong Yu-hwa elegantly sipped her tea.

“Are you here?”

“Yeah.”

I sipped the tea on my table; it was warm.

“You had quite a day yesterday.”

“What. You guys had it harder. I heard no one was hurt.”

“Is that so?”

Hong Yu-hwa’s lips curled up. She tried to hide her smile and spoke in a haughty tone.

“Well, you were amazing too. You caught two villains.”

“Right, I am quite something.”

I joked, and Hong Yu-hwa squinted her eyes.

Taking another sip of tea, I savored the bittersweet taste.

“Are you going back tonight?”

“Tonight? Technically, the rest day lasts until tomorrow.”

Yesterday had been too long.

But I had been postponing my training for too long and wanted to do some.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going back today. I need to study.”

That reminded me that the final evaluations were approaching.

Last time, I dominated both the written and practical exams, taking first place.

Kim Seo-hyun came in second, and Ershil was third.

“I won’t lose to you this time.”

Ershil sat down next to me and said.

“Because I’ve recently completed a secret technique.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Kim Seo-hyun is formidable, but this time, I’ll surpass him.”

I locked eyes with Ershil.

Her star-shaped pupils reflected my image.

“I’ll surpass you too.”

“Sorry, but I’m the one who’s going to beat him.”

Hong Yu-hwa said with a piqued tone.

“Hmm, you mean?”

“Of course.”

I took another sip of my tea.

It would probably be tough. Ershil’s secret technique must be a kind of dream manipulation, a hallucination that invades reality, which currently only Kim Ara can counter.

Hong Yu-hwa had a chance, but it was slim.

‘She doesn’t know about the Usurper trait yet.’

Perhaps I should stick with Hong Yu-hwa for a while.

The talent of the Usurper.

It’s an exceptionally special talent.

Comparable to the talents of Kim Ara and Ershil.

That’s why I planned to dedicate time to Hong Yu-hwa for the awakening of that talent.

‘I also need to start touching on the origin power with Kim Ara. And act together with Kim Seo-hyun.’

There’s a lot to do.

But the limit of what I could handle at once was clear.

“Yu-hwa.”

“Yes?”

“Do you have time tomorrow?”

Thunk.

A strange noise came from the side.

Ershil, who was about to sip her tea, set down her teacup with a dazed expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, no, I’m fine. But, what for?”

“Let’s train together.”

“Train?”

Ershil and Hong Yu-hwa tilted their heads in confusion.

“Are, are you trying to hit on Hong Yu-hwa?”

Ershil asked with a smirk, her lips quivering slightly.

I shook my head.

“There’s a hidden talent in Yu-hwa.”

“In me?”

Hong Yu-hwa tilted her head.

“Yes, there is.”

I took a sip of my tea.

“Not as much as Seo Ga-yeon, but her talent is also exceptional, comparable to hers.”

“Maybe if she fully awakens that, she could even stand a chance against Kim Seo-hyun or Ershil?”

“You mean…”

Hong Yu-hwa asked.

“I have no chance against that.”

I said with a shrug.

The Usurper was indeed an incredible talent. A power almost mystical. It could even steal my talent.

But she couldn’t win against it.

The most exceptional power I possessed was the Heaven Defying Body and the Conceptual Stat Energy of Defying Heaven.

If anything, I was the most challenging opponent for Hong Yu-hwa or Ershil.

‘Conversely, Kim Ara and Kim Seo-hyun are troublesome for me.’

Their attacks couldn’t be negated by the Energy of Defying Heaven.

I could negate them, but it’s hard to respond if they come with physical force.

“So why do I have to train with you?”

“Because it’s the fastest way to get stronger. Aren’t you curious? Training with me, you might discover your weaknesses and such.”

“Confident, aren’t you?”

Hong Yu-hwa smirked.

“Fine. Let’s train together.”

“What about me? I’m curious about weaknesses too.”

“Ershil as well?”

Ershil was problematic.

If she learned about the talent of the Usurper, Hong Yu-hwa would be the most troubled one.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“So, it’s okay for me to expose my weaknesses?”

“No, it’s not that. If your talent awakens, wouldn’t Ershil be the most problematic?”

“Fine. Then I’ll refuse too.”

Ershil’s gaze lingered on me, as if to question my decision.

I shrugged.

We went to the training room of the Korea Hero School.

Not because the facilities were great.

There were many places with better facilities… but Korea had peculiar spiritual veins. That’s why heroes born in Korea had a high chance of becoming exceptional.

The enormous spiritual vein beneath Korea.

The Great Hero sensed it, created an island over the strongest part of the vein in the East Sea, and relocated the Tower of Trials there.

Regardless of the facilities they used, talents from all over the world flocked to Korea Hero School or the academies in the USA.

The school in the USA was comparable to Korea Hero School due to its various mechanisms.

“So, what kind of training will we do?”

Hong Yu-hwa asked, her eyes shining with competitiveness.

“Let’s start with some light training.”

“That’s nothing for me.”

Thirty minutes into the training.

“Huff, huff.”

Hong Yu-hwa was struggling.

In reality, she was just a magician. She hadn’t neglected physical training, but she paled in comparison to a warrior.

I was also outperformed by top-ranking students… but I had really improved.

‘Black God Martial Arts is unbelievably efficient.’

There’s a saying, ‘One day at a time.’

Improving little by little.

I could feel my body growing stronger.

– Breaking the physical limit. The Energy of Defying Heaven is rough and close to berserk, but when applied to the body with Black God Martial Arts, it enhances performance.

– Telling Seo-ha would be pointless, right? Even the previous Heavenly Demon wasn’t like that…

Black Heaven and Eternal Heaven conversed.

I stopped stretching and looked at Hong Yu-hwa.

She was panting, exhausted. Trying to maintain her pride, she panted haughtily.

I had changed.

I realized anew that originally, I should have been panting like her.

But that didn’t mean I would go easy on her.

“Let’s move on to the next training. It’s physical again.”

“Eek.”

Hong Yu-hwa grimaced at my words.