Episode 4. Special Benefit

『Quest Complete!』

As a quest reward, my magic stat increased by 1.

I gained a stat point, and getting acquainted with Moon Surin was also a huge gain.

Of course, this isn’t a game, so I won’t fall head over heels just from seeing her face once, but it’ll probably be helpful later.

After that, I wandered around to familiarize myself with the surrounding area.

I especially focused on the back alleys where people rarely seemed to go. Since I need to cover my bases, I might need to run away at any moment.

There were many large buildings, so there were quite a few spaces between them where people could pass through.

It wasn’t scary during the day, but it seemed like it would be quite spooky walking around at night.

Having roughly memorized the layout of the alleys, I returned to the dormitory.

Sitting at my desk, I took out a notebook and pen from my bag.

“First, I think I need to look into these ‘special benefits’.”

The special benefits are the only key to navigating this situation.

Actually, I still don’t even know why I received these special benefits. I don’t even know exactly who or what this ‘God of Betting’ is.

Then again, getting possessed into an erotic game is already absurd, so what’s so strange about receiving a few special benefits?

Since I thought of it, maybe I should properly sort out these special benefits.

First is [Mana Sensitivity].

——–「 Mana Sensitivity 」——-

▶ Special Benefit

▶ The ability to sense and understand mana.

—————————

As I recalled Mana Sensitivity, similar to bringing up a status screen, a skill window appeared before my eyes like in a game.

In this world, ability users can objectively view their talents and skills. In other words, they have a status screen, and there’s no need to explicitly state it.

If you just recall the parts you need, they automatically appear before your eyes.

Anyway, [Mana Sensitivity]. If I had to explain it, it’s the ability to sense mana, but I still don’t quite get it.

The ability to sense and understand mana?

What is this? They should have written it in more detail.

Should I read the textbook? You’re supposed to study primarily from the textbook, after all.

[Introduction to Mana Studies]

I took out the textbook for Introduction to Mana Studies, which was rumored to be difficult.

—————————

1 – Everything about Mana.

Mana is an intangible ‘Ki’. All living creatures possess it, and it is a crucial element that makes up the world.

………

The method of awakening mana differs from person to person, as do the attributes and characteristics of the mana they possess.

………

Currently, the most common method of mana manipulation involves controlling mana with the sensation of moving the blood within one’s body.

………

————————–

Is this it?

After that, there were strange, thesis-like writings, but none of it seemed helpful.

‘The sensation of moving blood?’

Swoosh. I imagined moving blood from my heart to the tips of my arms.

But nothing happened!

“Yeah, it would be weird to suddenly feel something… Huh?”

Something existed. Inside my body, and in this room, and in this world.

It had always been there. I had only just become aware of its existence.

As soon as I realized mana existed, just from that single sentence, the awakening began.

Sensations I hadn’t felt before.

A feeling like I owned the whole world. This joy, pleasure, ecstasy, euphoria, and bliss.

Countless emotions of euphoria surged like a tidal wave. But something at my core held me firmly in place. Thanks to that, I could maintain my sanity.

The act of awakening mana. Immersed in that ecstasy, I savored the moment before snapping back to my senses.

“Haa…”

Had a minute passed, time-wise? But I felt like a completely different person than before.

From the bookshelf where I’d taken out the textbook earlier, I picked up a book titled [Practical Basic Magic] and opened to the very first page.

Even though it was the most basic magic, six lines overlapped in various ways, forming a rather complex magic circle formula.

Fwoosh-!

Flames ignited on my palm.

“Whoa, shit. This is insane.”

Magic is inherently a domain of pure talent.

The textbook, [Practical Basic Magic], introduces basic magic circles, but to operate as a proper active ability user, one must devise their own magic system.

This is because the efficient form and attribute of magic differ for each person.

Otherwise, one must learn systematized common magic circles.

Usually, most people learn this process at an academy.

But I skipped these steps.

As I clasped my hands and recalled the concept of flame, a sphere of fire ignited on my palm once again.

Fwoosh-!

Despite this anomaly occurring, I wasn’t surprised at all.

A gap or dissonance with reality? I didn’t feel any of that.

Mana had already become a natural phenomenon for me.

Rather, I wondered why I hadn’t been able to do it until now.

“This is Mana Sensitivity…”

Achieving the impossible with ease. It was literally a special benefit.

Next is [Clear Mental Fortitude]. I really don’t get this one.

―­­―――­­―「 Clear Mental Fortitude 」―­­――­­――

▶ Special Benefit

▶ Maintains a firm mental state from the core in any situation.

―­­―――­­―――­­―――­­―――­­―――­­―――

Thinking back, it’s strange that I didn’t fall into a panic even after suddenly being possessed into a game.

It seems like the fact that I’m assessing the situation and trying to do something might be due to Clear Mental Fortitude… Maybe what I felt earlier during the mana awakening was this benefit.

But then again, maybe I’m just fucking brilliant, so I can’t be sure yet.

Still, since it’s marked as a special benefit like [Mana Sensitivity], it’ll probably be helpful someday.

Lastly, [Memory Augmentation].

―­­―――­­―――­「 Memory Augmentation 」―­­―­­―――­­――

▶ Special Benefit

▶ Supplements the user’s memory.

―­­―――­­―――­­―――­­―­­―――­­―――­­―――­­―――

The most infuriating thing is that the notification I got when receiving this was ‘80% Coercion’.

I wracked my brain trying to figure out why it wasn’t 100% coercion, but 80%.

I remembered replying ‘Whatever, just do as you please’ to that damn god’s ‘Let’s make a bet?’ on KakaoTalk.

Fuck… This world is truly filled with absurdity.

But the benefit itself is good.

It doesn’t just improve memory; it makes it nearly perfect.

I can recall every single word, expression, and even her mana wavelength from the conversation I had with Moon Surin.

If I wanted to, I feel like I could even draw the layout of the cafe where we talked, down to the floor tiles.

It’s an ability that seems like it will be very helpful.

I was worried about how I’d keep up with the academy classes, but with this, I have no worries.

I’ve finished organizing the special benefits.

I have to go to the academy starting tomorrow, and honestly, I’m quite worried.

Victoria Academy is a place that trains ability users.

It’s an academy recognized as the best in Korea, and among the top three in the world.

Having to go to such a place starting tomorrow, the problem is whether I, who has never even hit someone, let alone has combat experience, can adapt to the academy.

“Should I go to the training center after all?”

It was 10 PM. It was time to start getting ready for bed to begin tomorrow’s first class in good condition, but the thought that I needed to visit the training center kept growing.

“I should go. It’s the right thing to do.”

My life has been nothing but cramming, to the point where I stayed up all night before the college entrance exam.

I headed towards the training center, filled with state-of-the-art training equipment.

Victoria Academy had made the training center unnecessarily flashy.

The training center is a facility designed so that various training sessions, such as physical training rooms and mana training rooms, can all be done in one building.

I held my smartwatch up to the center’s entrance.

[First-year Lee Hoyeon. Entry confirmed.]

Passing through the first-floor lobby, I headed towards the elevator inside.

Upon arriving at the mana training room on the third floor via the elevator, there was almost no one there.

Well, it’s understandable, as few people would come for training at 10 PM on the night the entrance ceremony ended.

Shouldn’t I be surprised that there are any people here at all?

I entered a private room for individual training.

There wasn’t much inside the private room.

It was an empty space surrounded by walls made of special materials.

Spatial magic was applied, allowing for efficient use of space.

As I pressed the button next to the entrance, a mechanical voice sounded along with a hologram.

[Mana Training System Activated. Please state your desired settings]

“Training dummy. Maximum intensity. Distance: 10 meters.”

As my voice was recognized, the hologram disappeared, and a dummy appeared 10 meters in front of me.

“Hmm.”

Fshhh-

Mana gathered in my hand, forming the shape of fire.

In truth, I don’t have any deep insight into the concept of mana.

All I’ve done is use magic while looking at a monitor and pressing keyboard keys.

But I could still use magic.

It must be thanks to the special benefit, [Mana Sensitivity].

A talent that allows one to manipulate mana and use magic even without any knowledge of magical power. That was [Mana Sensitivity], and even I could tell how incredible it was.

Moreover, the calculations and delays before using magic are a chronic problem for mages.

But I didn’t need to worry about that.

Fshhhhhhhhhh-!

I just think about it, and it’s done.

When I do that, the magical power responds to my will, takes shape, and manifests in reality.

Of course, the magic I can use is quite limited due to my mana capacity, but I realize how absurd this talent is.

“Kkng.”

After concentrating mana into the fireball on my palm for about a minute, I felt the intuition that I had reached my limit.

Raising the hand that was gathering mana, I aimed the magic at the training dummy and fired the fireball.

Kwagwaggang!

“Kuhp… Hoo…”

Even visually, the dummy was in terrible shape.

It was scorched, burned, and both arms were gone.

[Damage: 22%]

22% damage? Normally, a protagonist would have to struggle for about a year to shatter a training dummy in one hit.

“Should I try one more time?”

The sensation of squeezing out mana from my entire body wasn’t bad, surprisingly.

I was also getting hooked on using magic, and any sport is fun when you’re good at it.

I gathered mana in my hand again.

This time, I imagined the shape of a spear.

If I were to chant, it felt like the kind of magic that would be called ‘Fire Spear!’

The spear of fire gradually took on a proper form.

“Alright, just like this…”

Wobble

Suddenly, my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor.

“W-what, why…”

Even when I tried to force myself up, my body wouldn’t respond.

My vision started to blur, and a severe headache struck.

Thump.

And then, my memory cut off there.