The conversation with Choi Ji-yeon thankfully wrapped up without any major disasters.
Sure, I did trip over my words a bit and the atmosphere hit rock bottom for a second, but somehow I managed to pull it back together, leaving our chat safely concluded.
In the end, we both pointed fingers at each other regarding the mentor issue, so no problems there.
More than anything…
“I received a tremendous amount of help from China, so I owe you one. If there’s anything you need help with, feel free to ask anytime.”
‘Oh.’
If you ever need help, just come looking for me.
Since this was the heir of Taesan, Choi Ji-yeon’s statement definitely wasn’t just idle chit-chat.
At that moment, I found myself unconsciously clenching my fist under the table.
Honestly, the main reason I was trying to bond with Choi Ji-yeon was precisely to earn such favors.
I initially thought I’d slowly build a relationship through mentor activities and then ask for help, but hearing such words already was a surprise.
To think that the horrific events from China would yield something like this—it’s a blessing in disguise, perhaps?
It was undeniably a massive misfortune, but I decided to take it positively.
Of course, receiving such words didn’t mean I was going to cancel being a mentor or stop trying to connect with her.
Despite Seo-yul’s situation, there was still plenty I could gain from mentoring Choi Ji-yeon.
Like right now, gathering information on Taesan in real time and building it up steadily.
If she demonstrates how to utilize Taesan during our mentorship activities, even better.
Gathering information about Taesan was extremely important.
Setting aside the fact that Taesan is an incredibly unique ability, it seems that hints on how to restore my body might be hidden within it.
I polished off the remaining orange juice and bowed my head.
[Did you enjoy the drink?]
[Flavored with nothingness!]
“Gah… S-sorry!”
[Nope.]
[What’s with this fortress?]
[Apologies!]
“Yes, yes… I understand, sorry…”
[My earlier slip was a total mistake!]
[I was lost in thought and the artifact just coughed up nonsense… It wasn’t a self-destruct!]
“Yes… I’m sorry…”
…Choi Ji-yeon was totally wrecked.
With a face looking far worse than when we met earlier, she kept bowing her head, giving me a headache…
In the original work, Choi Ji-yeon did struggle psychologically, but not to this extent.
Even with feelings of inferiority and jealousy, she was a steadfast and upright person, pushing forward with acknowledgment.
Additionally, she had always positioned herself in the lead, credibly defending against threats while guiding others as a trusted and mature leader…
[Thank you.]
[See you in the next mentor class!]
“Okay, take care on your way back…”
After reassuring her repeatedly that it was nothing, just a mistake, I finally managed to part ways with Choi Ji-yeon.
.
.
.
Being in this smaller body brought a ton of inconveniences.
I could list them endlessly, but the discomfort I felt most acutely was due to my short legs.
My legs had shrunk. My stride got shorter, making it difficult to wander around.
It wasn’t just that Hong Yeon-hwa or Elia claimed they’d carry me for no reason.
Sure, I still had a superhuman body, so I could run, but even so, I was slower than before.
I didn’t have the same appearance either.
“…Excuse me, kid? Is everything alright─”
[First-Year Ipchun Class Lee Ha-yul.]
[My body is this way due to circumstances.]
“Oh, um… I-I’m sorry for any trouble!”
[Thank you for your consideration.]
Thanks to that, I ended up talking to several passersby while heading towards my destination.
One passerby who grabbed me… judging by that red tie, he must be a second-year student?
I tugged on the academy uniform that fit my new size in response.
I knew he meant well, but unintentionally, my expression turned sour.
The second-year student seemed flustered, apologized, and bolted away.
“……”
– Whoosh
Suddenly, a gap opened behind me as a few wind spirits popped out.
‘Carry me.’
Whooooosh… A green light swirl danced around me.
Soon enough, it enveloped my body.
My legs lifted off the ground.
Floating away on the wind felt way better than trudging around with my stubby legs.
Keyd! Keyd!
“?”
Abruptly, the green light flickered. I sensed a tickling laughter brushing against me.
‘…Are you laughing at me?’
The light did not flicker again.
.
.
.
In Shio-ram, the grounds used by cadets and staff only amount to about 30% of the area.
The remaining 70% consists of dungeons, monster breeding grounds, herbal and raw material cultivation areas, and unused land.
Dangerous zones like the monster breeding grounds require permission, but cadets can roam freely in the empty fields.
These empty spaces are referred to as margin zones… surprisingly, many seek them out.
Since they provide ample space and sparse human presence, they’re perfect for various experiments.
I often found myself visiting.
After realizing my ability for homogeneity, I had fiddled around nearby to experiment with it.
‘…No traces left.’
I pressed the ground with my foot; the fresh grass squished under pressure.
It was the spot I’d previously worked on Gop-hwa, and worrying that any traces might be noticed by others, I had erased them before leaving.
Now, checking again, there were no signs left behind.
The slight remnants of that time, merely shards that aren’t even part of the emergence, are hard to search for, but it’s best to be cautious.
Gop-hwa could be revealed now without a worry, but revealing Changhae or Taesan would be a nightmare to handle.
One wrong move, and it’d spiral into a chaotic third round…
‘No people around, no magic spells either…’
I rolled my observational scope around, and even stretched it to the maximum, but there were no people, nor any magical surveillance.
I even sent spirits scattering everywhere to search personally.
Only after confirming all this did I slouch down to the ground.
The place I was in was a grassy plain, and with no obstructing trees or anything, fresh breezes blew about pleasantly.
‘Well then, let’s check Taesan first.’
Taesan.
Just emerging grants an explosive increase in physical abilities and dominion over the earth.
From there, it evolves into a unique ability to manage life and spirits.
Moreover, it could be the unique power that might restore my body to normal.
The second entrance to the academy is planned for the beginning of the second semester, and I wanted my body back to its original state before then.
There’s a lot to do, but let’s sort out my body first.
I cleared my mind and focused.
*
Venus’s office is on the top floor of the central administration of Shio-ram.
Due to this, very few people pass through.
Even those who occasionally visit are mostly reporting important matters face-to-face.
Therefore, Venus’s office is always quiet.
It’s not just simple sound; the atmosphere is so tranquil it settles the mind and soul.
“……”
But right now, that was not the case.
My skin prickled. The ongoing pressure pushed the tranquility away, incessantly provoking Venus.
It wasn’t a feeling like malice, but a sense of discomfort was causing my focus to waver.
“…I expected you’d visit eventually, but I didn’t anticipate it to be this soon.”
Finally, Venus surrendered by putting down the paperwork.
She then turned her gaze to the woman seated on the visitor’s sofa.
Her golden eyes twinkled with fierce energy.
It was Atra Clyde, radiating sharp intensity.
Atra’s previously tightly sealed lips opened as if she were in silent training.
“Expected you would… are you suggesting you already know the purpose of my visit?”
“No, I mean I suspected you’d come about Lee Ha-yul, but I don’t know the exact reason.”
“Your expression suggests you might have an inkling of what I seek?”
“Just a guess, not certainty.”
Venus shook her head, denying it.
“I don’t possess the unique ability to read minds. But I suppose you’re too much of a hero for even a mediocre attempt to read would work on you…”
“I’m not one for words,” Atra suddenly interjected.
“Given that I’m unpleasantly associative and against forming bonds, let me get straight to the point.”
Atra nodded.
“Tell me everything you know about Lee Ha-yul.”
The conversation came to a halt.
Though Atra’s intensity seemed to diminish, the office still buzzed with an awkward silence.
Venus’s eyes blinked. The emotionless and bored purple gaze fixated on Atra.
“…It seems you’ve grown attached to Lee Ha-yul.”
“If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t bother asking.”
Atra replied with a tilt of her head.
Surprisingly, in the past, Atra didn’t intend to pry into Lee Ha-yul’s affairs.
There was no desire to deepen that interest whatsoever.
She simply planned to ensure he wouldn’t die needlessly.
That was all. No interference, no care—just let him grow strong and ignore him from there.
But now, that wasn’t an option.
Atra wasn’t a person easily swayed by emotions, and Lee Ha-yul had become more significant to her than she’d ever expected.
Now, she couldn’t just ignore him anymore.
If Lee Ha-yul died unnecessarily in some unknown place… it wouldn’t just end with a slight discomfort as it did before.
Didn’t she already know that horrid feeling of being dropped deep into oblivion…?
That’s why she sought out the vice-chairman. While finding the chairman was impossible, meeting the vice-chairman was doable.
She couldn’t directly ask Lee Ha-yul—just days prior, she witnessed him nearly bleeding out while trying to reveal his secret.
Now, Atra couldn’t afford to be relaxed.
She couldn’t job her fear into asking Lee Ha-yul, but she believed the parties who brought him in under a special admission title had to know something.
She came, asking for answers, yet the answers still eluded her.
“Is it a question difficult to answer?”
Venus didn’t respond. She only scrutinized Atra, attempting to gauge something.
The prolonged silence sharpened Atra’s gaze.
An intangible pressure began to swell in size.
She was intent on getting an answer, any answer at all.
It was terribly rude and aggressive, but Atra wasn’t going to back down.
Having seen Lee Ha-yul’s state, entangled in whatever affliction or curse it might be, she had to hear at least the minimum of truths.
After noticing Atra’s ironclad determination, Venus opened her mouth.
“I can provide an answer; however, it might not fully resolve your questions.”
Atra’s brow furrowed.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Literally, I lack the knowledge necessary to address all your concerns. In other words, I don’t know much either.”
Venus shook her head in negation.
“What I have done is quite limited. I merely relayed the chairman’s intentions and acted accordingly.”
“What exactly have you done?”
“One was to prepare foundational work for the special admission student we would be bringing on board sooner or later.”
That was a new piece of information. Atra had never heard of another special admit outside of Lee Ha-yul; she hadn’t even heard rumors about anyone else being brought in.
When the vice-chairman referred to “a long time ago,” it sounded like something from several years back.
They had been preparing to bring Lee Ha-yul or a special admission candidate that far back?
Atra crossed her arms and leaned in closer.
“The other was to locate Lee Ha-yul’s shell and grant him special admission qualifications earlier this year.”
“…Shell?”
“Just as it sounds—a shell. To put it bluntly, the Lee Ha-yul I encountered at that time was simply an empty shell.”
Atra wrinkled her brow as she tilted her head.
Shell… didn’t sound too pleasant. At the least, it was an inappropriate term to use for a person.
“To say he was empty… that’s an unpleasant and hard-to-comprehend statement.”
“I can’t explain it easily. I don’t know more than this, plus being entangled with the chairman makes breaking silence rather burdensome. If I can explain, let me put it this way…”
After Atra’s questioning, Venus fell silent.
It wasn’t merely a refusal to answer, but her hesitation suggested she was contemplating, so Atra waited quietly for the reply.
“Lee Ha-yul at that time was not a normal human.”
“For instance?”
“He merely waited blankly, and when given directives, he acted. If he couldn’t follow through, he would whine, and after carrying out the order, he’d just wait for the next instruction… he was essentially an automaton.”
There was no intent to belittle him. Venus had objective reasoning, concluding at the time that Lee Ha-yul was merely a shell.
Yet, the following encounter made it clear that he had become a normal human, stepping onto Shio-ram.
“…After that was what you know, Hero Clyde.”
Although he seemed terrified and precariously unstable, he surely thought for himself, made judgments, and acted accordingly.
“I have no clue what sort of measures have been taken regarding Lee Ha-yul, and even if I did know, I would find it difficult to answer further.”
“Please understand this.”
With that, Venus’s lips sealed shut.
.
.
.
The sofa supporting my back was incredibly plush, and a gentle floral scent wafted through the room, soothing both body and mind.
Yet, Atra’s expression remained tight.
Atra sat rigidly, crossing her legs.
‘…This is giving me a headache.’
The information swirling in my mind was all too disjointed and bizarre. It felt like my head was going to explode. Pressing my temples, I glanced over at the vice-chairman Venus, who was expressionlessly tending to a flowerpot.
Her otherwise indifferent face sharply contrasted with the careful, delicate touch she had with the flowers.
It felt as if she were handling precious crafts.
Atra decided to speak up.
“I didn’t know you were into gardening.”
“Not particularly a hobby.”
Venus replied quietly, glancing at the beautiful flowers while gently stroking the stems.
“I’m just doing this because it’s been left unattended, and I ended up having to take care of it.”
“For something like that, you handle them rather affectionately.”
“While tending to them, a kind of fondness has blossomed. If you have the time, I would recommend growing some too, Hero Clyde.”
“If I have time, I might give it a try.”
Atra shook her head, stood up, and began to leave.
“I’ll take my leave now. The answers… while unsatisfactory, I appreciate them.”
“Indeed, take care.”
– Click
“By the way, this flower here is called Agapanthus.”
As Atra opened the door to exit, Venus added in a casual tone behind her.
“It’s an unfamiliar bloom, but it’s quite hardy, making it perfect for beginners. If you choose to nurture plants, consider this one.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
With that, the door swung shut.
The office returned to its peaceful silence.
After staring at the closed door for a moment, Venus lowered her gaze back to the flower… the Agapanthus distinguished by its purple leaves.
With a subtle hand, Venus affectionately touched the flower again.
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