Episode 284. The Path as a Mage

Thinking about it, it’s been ages since I last went to the training grounds.

Back when I was diligently living the academy life, I used to go often.

“Those days were truly intense, day by day.”

Not much time has passed, really, but my surroundings changed so quickly that those times have already become memories.

‘Wait a second.’

I stopped my steps, which were heading towards the training grounds.

But is there really a need to go to the training grounds?

There’s a place with much better facilities than the training grounds.

A good idea struck me, so I took out my smartwatch and sent a message.

• Me: Professor. I’ve been discharged. Can I visit your lab?

• Professor Im Sol: Yep. Come on over anytime~.

“As expected, she’s so cool, I love it.”

The place I was heading to was Professor Im Sol’s lab.

Professor’s lab, which occupies the entire second floor on lease, even has a private training facility, and the equipment there is amazing.

It’d be nice to see the Professor’s face while I’m there.

I could also learn some combat magic from our genius mage, Professor Im Sol.

It’s a known fact that you study better when you’re around pretty women.

It’s all good points, isn’t it?

“Or maybe not?”

Come to think of it, didn’t I decide to dedicate time to self-improvement instead of goofing around with the ladies after so long?

After making up my mind like that, is it really the right thing to do to go visit Professor Im Sol?

“If I go, I just need to talk about magic and not get into any shenanigans, right?”

My deliberation was short-lived.

Since Professor Im Sol and I aren’t intimate, even if we did something else, it wouldn’t be much of a time waste.

At most, I’d get slightly drained. Oh well.

It’s Professor Im Sol’s magic, something you can’t learn even if you paid for it, so I can totally spare some energy replenishment.

I quickened my pace towards the magic tower where the Professor’s lab was located.

I realized something when I held out with Shin Dongmin during the mana-blocking barrier during the last terrorist attack.

That I’m surprisingly capable in close combat.

Thanks to the special skill [Combat Sensation].

───――「 Combat Sensation 」───――

▶ Unique Authority

▶ Receives bonuses for all actions deemed as “combat”.

The higher the risk level of the “combat”, the greater the effect.

───――───――───――───――

The moment I enter “combat”, literally all actions receive bonuses.

Mana, offense, defense, reaction speed, even luck.

Plus, there’s [Clairvoyance], which enhances eyesight to maximize the ability to recognize beings and forms imbued with mana.

Honestly, the conditions are more than sufficient, even overflowing, to be a swordsman.

The very reason I started as a mage was because I wanted to fight safely, but living through it, safety was bullshit; both swordsmen and mages were dangerous.

If it’s like this, maybe increasing my means of self-protection would be better.

‘Maybe I should learn swordsmanship from Daeun too.’

I have a good teacher nearby, so I should give it a try. There’s no downside.

As I walked, lost in various random thoughts, the magic tower suddenly appeared before my eyes.

Let’s put thoughts about close combat aside for a moment.

First, I need to get better at the magic I’m already doing.

‘Thinking about it, the Professor doesn’t even know I use all attributes.’

One of my goals is to learn about combat magic, yet I haven’t revealed my attributes.

The Professor probably still thinks I’m dual-attribute.

It’s only natural, since I hid it so diligently.

‘Maybe I could reveal it to the Professor?’

Of course, there’s no worry about the Professor leaking the secret.

Based on what I’ve seen of Im Sol so far, she’s not the type.

But because I kept putting it off for when it was important, it became an awkward situation to bring up even after we’d built trust.

I can’t just suddenly say, ‘I can use all attributes! Amazing, right?!’

It’s the same reason I haven’t told the other heroines. There’s just no situation to bring it up.

Ding dong-

Before I knew it, the elevator had arrived on the second floor.

For now, let’s see what the Professor says and then decide.

Passing through the familiar layout of the lab, I went further inside and saw Professor Im Sol.

Dressed in her usual comfortable lab coat, the Professor was conducting an experiment with beakers and reagents.

“Hello, Professor.”

“Yeah, what brings you here? Coming right after being discharged.”

Im Sol greeted me while keeping her eyes fixed on the beaker. She always looks like that when she’s focused on an experiment.

“It’s not like I only come when I have business, right?”

“That’s true, but you’ve only ever come when you had business. Not today?”

“… I did come because I have something on my mind.”

Why is this person so perceptive?

I started conversing with Im Sol, who seemed to expect this.

The recent incidents I got involved in and my thoughts on them.

My achievements in magic.

My impressions of combat as a mage.

I spoke freely about whatever came to mind without a set topic, and the Professor listened attentively the whole time without showing any signs of boredom.

When I finished speaking, Im Sol nodded.

“So, in short, you want to become stronger, right?”

“Uh, yes. That’s right. I want to become stronger, Master!”

There are several other issues besides that… but ultimately, they’re problems that can be solved if I become stronger.

True to her nature as a mage, Im Sol immediately caught the crucial part of my statement.

“Aren’t you already strong enough for your age?”

“Well, it’s more like a feeling of, ‘I’m still hungry.’ Plus, with the frequent terrorist attacks lately, I feel pressured… And thinking about the mana-blocking barrier makes me uneasy.”

“Mana-blocking barrier… Right. That would affect you.”

Mana-blocking barrier.

Just thinking about it makes me mad.

I have no idea where that ridiculous setting even came from.

If something like that had appeared in the original work, it would have received all sorts of criticism.

Hearing me out, Im Sol gestured as if she understood, then crossed her arms and put down her experimental tools.

“I have something good. Actually, I was planning to force it on you if you ever got too complacent… but if you say so, I guess I have no choice. Follow me.”

Im Sol left the lab immediately, and I followed her.

After walking a short distance, we arrived at the magic training grounds.

It was Im Sol’s private training facility.

As expected of a successful professor, the training ground was incredibly spacious, almost too much for one person.

“They say seeing is believing, are you going to show me directly?”

The way of combat for a mage.

I’d seen it once before, but being taught directly is worlds apart from just watching.

If I could learn Im Sol’s combat style, that would be…

“No, it’s a sparring match.”

Kuwung-

The ground around the sparring area began to rumble.

This was a phenomenon caused by the mana leaking from the Professor, spreading outwards.

I was taken aback seeing the Professor suddenly generating mana.

“… Suddenly?”

“Yeah. It’s difficult for mages to share combat styles. Especially for geniuses like you and me, it’s better for you to develop your own style rather than learning from others. I spent a lot of time fixing those bad habits.”

“That’s a very kind thing to say… But didn’t you say earlier that you’d spar with me if I became complacent?”

She speaks so smoothly, but she’s not just trying to beat me up, is she?

She means she’ll ‘teach me a lesson’ through sparring if I get complacent.

“I won’t go all out, so just do whatever you feel comfortable with.”

Im Sol touched the air with her finger, finalizing the sparring settings.

Simultaneously, a thin membrane of mana enveloped my body.

It’s probably some kind of life-protection system.

“….”

Somehow, it’s turned into a sparring match.

Of course, this kind of experience is great… but if it comes to this, I really need to tell her.

Honestly, I don’t think I can win against the Professor even if I go all out.

I feel like I can’t even keep up with her waist yet.

However, even if I can’t win, I need to go all out to receive proper advice.

To do that, I need to reveal my secret first.

The moment I decided to speak honestly.

The Professor’s voice was heard.

“So, are you still not going to say it?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been agonizing over it since earlier. Isn’t it about time you said it?”

“… You’re really sharp.”

Seeing the Professor smile slyly with sparkling eyes made me feel like my inner thoughts were completely exposed.

“Of course. How much experience do you think I have reading people?”

Tsk.

I stopped deliberating.

Since the stage is set like this, it’s a good time to talk.

I can trust Professor Im Sol, so let’s just say it this time.

“You mustn’t be surprised, okay?”

“Is it related to magic?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… Did you discover some incredible formula?”

“… It’s not quite like that. Actually, I’ve been lying to you until now…”

It feels kind of…

I feel a bit sorry.

We’ve had a relationship as professor and student for quite a while, so confessing a secret now feels…

“It seems related to your dual attributes, doesn’t it?”

“Huh?”

I couldn’t hide the momentary tremor in my eyes.

What the? How does she know.

Meeting my surprised gaze, Im Sol smiled slightly and made eye contact with me.

“You’re finally confessing. I actually knew all along.”

“Hoo…”

So this is the genius mage Im Sol.

She knows my attributes without me even saying anything…

I raised my already top-tier evaluation of Im Sol by another notch in my mind.

Im Sol met my bewildered gaze and placed a hand on my shoulder.

Then she whispered softly.

“Hoyeon, you… you’re triple-attribute, aren’t you.”

“… What?”

What is this now?

“When you took down the Hall of Honor during the festival terror attack last time, I actually saw it. Only Yeji and I saw it, so you don’t need to worry. You know Min Yeji from the Ironblood Guild, right?”

???

I looked at Im Sol with a blank expression.

She had this incredibly benevolent smile, like, ‘Thank you for finally telling me, my disciple. That must have been a huge decision…’ That kind of expression.

That’s not it at all. You’ve completely misunderstood.

I lowered Im Sol’s rank in my mind again.

‘Festival?’

Come to think of it, I did stop a terrorist attack using an artifact in the academy’s Hall of Honor.

I had imbued Spiral with the wind attribute to pulverize all the artifacts in the massive building.

I thought no one saw it, but I guess I was found out.

“Um, Professor. That’s actually not it.”

I took Im Sol’s hand, which was still looking at me with the eyes of someone watching a cute disciple, off my shoulder.

Still, seeing that she protected my secret until now increased my trust in the Professor even more.

“Hm?”

Instead of answering Im Sol, I simply drew mana into both my hands.

It’s probably better just to show her.

Pajijik-

In my left hand, lightning magic formed along my fingers, and in my right, a small splash of water swirled above my palm.

“… Hiccup.”

At the same time, with a sharp intake of breath, Im Sol’s smiling expression vanished.

Instead, her mouth fell open and her eyes widened, a look I’d never seen before.

“… Are you alright?”

Im Sol didn’t answer my question, instead rolling her eyes and staring at my hands.

Well, from the Professor’s perspective, having kept what she thought was her disciple’s secret attribute locked away, how flustered must she be now?

Triple attribute is a huge secret, but being able to use all attributes…

I understood Im Sol’s shock and continued speaking.

“Actually, I was lying because I was afraid of receiving too much attention. But since you’re the first person I’m telling, you’ll forgive me, right?”

As expected, there was no answer.

She must be really surprised.

I brushed my hands, dispelling the magic, and Im Sol, finally snapping back to reality, met my eyes.

“Professor. Snap out of it.”

“Uh, uh… Yeah. Sorry. … When did you start using magic of all attributes?”

Im Sol’s face was slightly flushed.

It wasn’t embarrassment… she looked more excited.

“From the beginning. I could use them as soon as I could use magic at all.”

Im Sol, the world’s only all-attribute mage.

Since she could do it from the start, it was only right to say I could too.

“H-ha…”

Im Sol trembled slightly and then firmly grabbed both my arms.

“I knew it. I wasn’t wrong.”

“Professor?”

“Remember? When we first met… I was incredibly clingy, wasn’t I?”

“Indeed, you were.”

Thinking back, it was a bit strange.

It was slightly different from the Professor Im Sol I knew.

The Professor, who I thought was ahead of everyone in magic, clinging to me because of magic… it was weird.

“It started back then. That’s when I was drawn to you!”

“To me…?”

Im Sol’s eyes began to look intense.

Clearly, when other heroines get that look in their eyes, it leads to strange obsessions…

★ Heroine Status Window

[Im Sol]

• [ Affection: 92 ]

• [ Lust: 55 ]

• [ Appetite: 30 ]

• [ Fatigue: 70 ]

Current State: My fate was decided from the very beginning.

‘…?’

I frowned, seeing the affection level suddenly jump into the 90s.

No, why?

Vroom- Vroom- Vroom-

As I looked up at the immense pressure emanating from directly ahead, the space around Im Sol began to distort.

An enormous amount of mana flowed out, dominating the space itself.

Im Sol’s lips curled upwards.

She didn’t seem to care that I had lied.

“Scratch that. I won’t go easy on you, so give it your all.”

“What?”

“So you can beat me… Understand?”

“No way, how could I possibly beat you, Professor!”

“Just keep trying until you win.”

Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?

Was she just that happy to meet another mage of the same attribute for the first time?

But what does that have to do with sparring?

‘… Ah, whatever. I won’t die, probably.’

The thin membrane surrounding my body was still intact.

If it gets dangerous enough to kill me, the sparring arena will stop itself.

The Professor wants this so badly, I should play along as her student.

I looked at Professor Im Sol, who was smiling with apparent delight, and drew up my mana.