Praise makes everything dance.
It is said that proper compliments boost motivation and greatly enhance the sense of accomplishment.
“Excellent.”
This principle applies even to me.
Ariel’s cool yet calm voice echoed as she looked over the problem I had just solved.
My face lit up at the positive response.
I felt an urge to bounce with excitement, but I managed to calm myself down.
Instead, the wings of the sky I carelessly left alone fluttered around.
Such patience was rewarded right away.
“Both the construction and the reverse calculations are perfect. I especially want to praise the effort you put into the countermeasures.”
“Hehe…”
Ariel nodded calmly, a faint smile gracing her lips as she reached out.
Her gentle hand brushing my hair made my body melt like butter.
Just a few words and a gesture.
With just that, I felt as if my existence was being validated, and my mind floated in bliss.
Normally, I would seek such validation from my teacher or Professor Riana, but since entering the Tower of Knowledge, I hadn’t felt it for a while.
Feeling that sense of fulfillment after ten days was sweeter than anything.
A few days ago, Ariel’s behavior had changed.
Before, even when I was stubborn, she would only worry.
She hesitated to interfere and watched me from a distance, as if she didn’t deserve to approach.
Now it was different.
Whenever I seemed to be doing something odd, she would rush over to stop me.
If I was stuck holding a book, she would quietly come by and ask if I needed help.
She even intentionally threw in compliments, albeit awkwardly.
Moreover, she insisted on me getting proper sleep, generously offering her embrace every night.
‘This is nice…’
I felt more than ever that I absolutely couldn’t live alone anymore.
In the past, it was no problem.
Hiding in my room, eating, playing, and not making any… mess.
Occasionally tending to a plant or playing games didn’t feel bad at all.
…Actually, I’d thought about going outside sometimes, but I was too scared to do it.
But now, I was practically dragged out of my room and felt the warmth of precious people.
I could never go back to my past self.
Living the rest of my days tucked away alone like before was no longer happiness.
If that was the case, I’d rather just hang myself.
A bit extreme, but it’s no joke.
That’s how important the warmth and affection of people have become in my life.
Days passed since Ariel’s behavior changed, and I felt my own learning speed picking up.
“Especially the interpretation of countermeasures was impressive. The multi-fold counter technique is something I haven’t taught yet, but I never expected you to apply it on your own.”
“Hehe.”
Every sprinkle of praise filled me with motivation.
I felt satisfaction swell within me as I savored Ariel’s touch.
Problems that would have taken me a while to grapple with now flashed in my mind, and answers came to me quickly.
As I learned more about magic, my understanding deepened.
As a result, I managed to cover a month’s worth of schedule that Ariel set up in just three days.
“This is a very good variable. With this, I can focus more on the unique magic and different areas.”
On the day we finished the progress, Ariel surveyed the books piled around and said that.
Her face showed both surprise and amazement.
“Yes.”
“Going forward, I’ll do my best!”
I nodded willingly, expecting such words.
The Tower of Knowledge is not a place to just complete a set quota and return.
I have to learn as much as I can while I can.
Such statements were something I would gladly welcome.
“Unique magic…!”
What’s more, I could learn unique magic.
Magic and sorcery.
Though only one word apart, sorcery reaches a level recognized for its uniqueness.
Completing just one spell that qualifies as unique magic would earn me the title of ‘Sorcerer’ certified by the Magic Association, bringing fame and glory.
Whether unique magic is truly useful and amazing is another question, but if it’s recognized as unique, it can definitely serve as a strong reference.
Moreover, the unique magic I would learn would be from Ariel, the head of the Magic Association and the owner of the Tower of Knowledge.
I felt the sensation of my closed eyes sparkling.
With excitement, I clenched my fists and made up my mind.
“What is this?”
And then I encountered a foreign document.
“This is a book that copies the formula of my unique magic. It consists of three volumes, and this is the first volume which outlines the foundational formula.”
As I floated countless question marks above my head, Ariel answered casually, as if it were no big deal.
Dumbfounded, I turned the pages.
Worm-like twisted characters, straight and stiffly drawn scripts, half-mixed symbols, scribbles that are hard to distinguish from either text or images, and bizarre characters that are difficult to grasp…
Those characters intertwine complicatedly with polyhedral circuits and form an independent language system where each character carries individual significance, intricately linked to unleash effects…
Countless similar illustrations have meanings contained within and distort in real-time, coordinating and countering between magic systems…
“Eek…?”
The power of observation creaked.
My head started to hurt.
I began to fully embrace the interplay of being a Jack of All Trades and my affinity for magic.
Since becoming aware of my observation and powers, I knew I would face many challenges and hardships, expecting it to be tough and burdensome, but above that sat a type of certainty—a belief that I could do it someday.
Though it’s hard now, in the future, I can do it.
Right now, it’s difficult due to lack of time, but after enough effort, I can definitely achieve it.
Before even questioning my confidence, I instinctively made estimates, and I successfully accomplished them.
[???]
But now, I had lost that certainty.
Could I even attempt to estimate? I couldn’t be sure.
The wings of the sky darkened as if drenched in rain and hung limply…
.
.
.
Although Ariel’s changes resulted in rapid growth, it didn’t mean my previous accomplishments were slow.
From an objective viewpoint, it was astonishingly fast and distinct.
My magic affinity and my Jack of All Trades ability were having a synergistic effect, and with the massive amount of information collected by the power of observation, there’s simply no way my growth could be slow.
‘Moreover, they mentioned I had been cursed, giving me a growth boost as well.’
The three heads of the tower invading.
They were aware of my existence.
They knew that I, like them, had suddenly appeared from outside.
They predicted that they might impose a curse on me with the intent of restraint.
However, I couldn’t simply avoid the curses.
I merely managed to lessen their malevolence, suppress them with their own powers in specific areas, and cleverly utilized them to impose growth control through curses.
With those arrangements, I had crossed into this world.
The curses bestowed upon me were twofold.
‘…….’
I had expected that each of the three tower heads would cast a curse, totaling three, but excluding the curse I was born with, I only had been given two.
In other words, one of them didn’t curse me.
Why? I don’t know.
Was it because they lacked the ability to curse me, or were they planning some trick?
Even with my thoughts racing, I couldn’t grasp it yet.
Late at night, after finishing today’s lessons and self-study.
The inside of the tower had darkened, resembling night.
While I was lost in thought, cradled in Ariel’s arms.
“Is your sleeping situation uncomfortable?”
A soft voice whispered in my ear from above.
A tone that held concern beneath its indifference resonated as a hand brushed through my hair.
“No, it’s really comfortable.”
“I just have something to think about.”
I shook my head vigorously, then buried my face back into Ariel’s embrace.
Burying my face in her large, fluffy chest seemed to calm my turbulent thoughts.
As I took a deep breath, warmth and sweetness filled my senses, swiftly dragging me into slumber.
…Even then, various complex thoughts resurfaced.
Unique magic is challenging to comprehend.
As the name ‘unique’ implies, once you reach that level, the spells don’t necessarily follow the same rules.
I suppose it’s like a language.
If common magic is the universal language shared among all nations in the magical world, then unique magic is a language created and used solely by individuals.
Knowing that already, I never expected to learn it easily…
But the unique magic I faced from Ariel exceeded my imagination, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I could truly learn it.
In that moment, overwhelming despair filled my mind, almost causing it to stop.
“…It’s not unusual for people to feel difficulty.”
At that moment.
Ariel, having gazed down at me while petting my head, suddenly spoke up.
“No human alive hasn’t felt difficulty, so you, Lee Ha-yul, must have felt it too. However, such agitation now… I dare think it’s because you’re jointly feeling the pressure we placed upon you.”
Her soothing words felt as if she knew my inner struggles, making my body flinch as her crystal-clear eyes pierced through me.
“On that topic, I dare say, do not worry about unique magic.”
Patting my back to comfort me, Ariel continued, “I’m the one who created that unique magic and understand it best. I’ll be here to teach you, Lee Ha-yul. Though it seems overwhelming now, I assure you that someone as intelligent as you will definitely grasp it.”
So, sleep peacefully tonight.
After that statement, Ariel silenced herself, only continuing to hold and gently pat my waist.
Her mannerisms and words, reminiscent of soothing a lost child, made the heaviness in my mind gradually lift.
Whether it was true or not, being assured by the creator of the unique magic brought me a sense of relief.
Thanks to that, I peacefully fell asleep in Ariel’s soft and trustworthy embrace.
The next day.
In a manner that seemed to validate Ariel’s assurance, I found remarkable results, as if the previous day’s despair was but an illusion.
I received praise from Ariel.
*
– Clink!
The glass fell and shattered on the floor.
Even though it was made of glass, it had a basic durability-increasing spell cast on it, yet it shattered easily.
Chilling air emerged from the shards sprawled across the floor.
Frost quickly spread across the surrounding floor, and the contents of the glass froze before they could spill.
Soon, the temperature in the room dropped significantly.
“……”
Baek Ahrin stared at her hands.
Her hands, suddenly frozen and covered in frost.
Though they were filled with coldness, not a single tremor was felt from the chill.
Her hands, swollen to the point that they seemed frozen, made her feel as if her own body wasn’t hers.
‘…Delusion?’
– Squeak…
In the slowly fading cold, Baek Ahrin questioned herself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
