“The Origin of Magic Power. Is it the energy emitted from stars, the life force possessed by living beings, or a completely different source of power? Is it too early to discuss these kinds of stories? Let’s just remember one thing.”
I devoured all the sandwiches.
I ate a few nutrition bars to feel full, but since I needed to build my body, I diligently picked up and ate more sandwiches.
“Magic power is a resource! It’s consumed when used, recharges when waiting, and is a resource that causes phenomena when used!”
After finishing my meal and cleaning up, I sat cross-legged on the grass near the lake, listening to Professor Riana’s explanation.
“Everything contains magic power, and humans possess it as well. Even ordinary people who have not awakened have magic power. So, what’s the difference between a superhuman and an ordinary person?”
Everything contains magic power.
The weeds growing around me and the water of the lake. The plants rooted all over the park and the damp soil covered in morning mist.
All of them have weak, but detectable magic power if focused on.
Professor Riana right in front of me has magic power too. There exists a substantial magic power in the nearby lake that could be dismissed as just a puddle.
“The difference is… whether you can practically use magic power!”
And I have magic power as well. Even though I’ve never used it in my life.
“Everyone possesses magic power, but ordinary people cannot use it! But superhumans are different.”
A long finger pointed at my solar plexus.
“In humans, the vast majority have magic power located near the heart, forming a refining core.”
A vessel that holds magic power and the center of life activities.
For humans, the core is located in the heart. It’s distinct from the heart, but clearly connected.
“Can you draw out the magic power of your core and utilize it? That’s the distinction between ordinary people and superhumans!”
Ordinary people, average folks.
Superhumans, special people who surpass the norm.
Whether you can operate magic power? Just that one difference changes a lot.
“Now, we get to the important part! Focus!”
Clapping hands to grab attention, Professor Riana stretched out her arms.
“My left hand. From Lee Ha-yul’s point of view, that’s your right, right? I’ll let magic power flow here.”
The magic power from Professor Riana’s core, so immense that it could be compared to an ocean, started to flow from her left hand like a gentle stream.
“Do you feel it? If you have sensitivity, you’ll feel it; if not, it’ll just look like bare hands.”
I felt it. The magic power enveloping my hands, flowing gracefully through my whole body, and the massive magic power hiding in the core.
I nodded.
“Next is the right hand!”
The magic power flowed out from the core and into the right hand. The same procedure as before.
What changed started from the next moment.
– Woooom
A sound brushed against my ears. It wasn’t a real sound. It was an auditory hallucination. No, it was the noise created by the space perception trembling.
The magic power in my right hand wriggled and gathered. Like increasing density, it came together to form a specific arrangement.
– Woooom!
This time it wasn’t an auditory hallucination. I felt Professor Riana’s arm, wrapped in green-lit magic power, extending from fingertips to forearm against the spatial perception where colors could be distinguished.
In other words, it was visible to the naked eye.
“This is ki! A technique essential for combat majors… especially cadets in the frontline position. Even the lowest-ranked hero could survive a bullet if they can cover themselves with ki.”
In this world, guns also exist and are in use.
Grade 4, Grade 3, Grade 2, Grade 1, and Special Class.
In dungeons divided into five grades, Grade 4 dungeons are handled by the lowest-level heroes and hunters, but most are taken care of by soldiers armed with firearms.
Monsters appearing in Grade 4 are no more than the lowest 8th tier.
Sometimes 7th or 6th tiers show up, but normally it’s 8th tier.
When it comes to 8th tier, they can be dealt with using simple firearms.
7th tier and above become difficult to hunt using firearms. In such cases, magic tools are prepared, or a few heroes might accompany them.
“Ki techniques. You need to master these techniques in the future so keep them in mind, and now back to the other side!”
Having lowered my right hand wrapped in blue ki, I raised my left hand still shrouded in formless magic power.
“─”
A faint whisper slipped from my lips. Just that, but the magic power enveloping my left hand trembled.
While the ki in my right hand had a simple and repetitive arrangement, the magic power in my left hand was entangled in a more complex format.
– Fire!
The entangled magic power suddenly turned into flames. In an instant, the transformation took place. Professor Riana, with flames dancing on her palm, looked my way and continued speaking.
“And this is magic. It’s quite different from ki, isn’t it?”
[Yes]
Nodding absentmindedly. Having felt the entire process from the operation of magic power to the moment of manifestation, I sensed the difference even more.
– Fire
“However, what we will learn today isn’t these things.”
As she clenched her outstretched hand, the flames and ki vanished.
“The goal of today’s lesson is the operation of magic power! Let’s set aside ki and magic for later and start gradually with basic operation!”
With that, Professor Riana clenched her fists excitedly. Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. I nodded, feeling somewhat hesitant.
“Then… here, take this.”
A hand stretched out in front of me. On it was a green orb the size of a fist. Inside the orb, a considerable amount of magic power was contained.
“This is a magic stone processed into a crystal sphere. It’s the most popular choice for basic magic operation practice.”
I carefully reached out with both hands to receive it. Professor Riana sat across from me and smiled.
“Using Lee Ha-yul’s magic power is great, but for the sake of practicing ‘operation,’ there’s nothing better than this crystal sphere.”
I knew what this was. It appeared briefly in the original story as a tool for magic training.
“The magic power within your body is easier to manipulate because its dominion is established. But this crystal sphere is different. It’s magic power that is distinctly not yours! It’s the same as being a free-for-all in the sense that it’s harder to handle than your own magic.”
I stroked the crystal sphere. Its smooth and cool surface felt nice. Professor Riana reached out and gently tapped my knuckles.
“Alright, first is to put Lee Ha-yul’s magic power into the crystal sphere. Second is to use the inserted magic as a hook to draw out the magic power of the crystal sphere. Third is to absorb the drawn-out magic power.”
Let’s give this three-step process a try.
After concluding her words, Professor Riana stared at me intently. She probably wanted to see me attempt it first before teaching me.
Nodding, I focused on examining the crystal sphere with my spatial perception. The magic power filling the crystal sphere was swaying like water in a bottle.
After concentrating on the crystal sphere, I poked at the magic power in my core.
“The first step shouldn’t take too long. You need to start by feeling the magic power within you before manipulating it.”
Suddenly jolting awake, I felt the stirring magic power. The sensation of moving magic power for the first time was complicated to describe.
A feeling like warm energy filling my heart? However it was, I successfully awakened the magic power. I immediately proceeded to the next step.
Supporting the bottom of the crystal sphere with my left hand and covering it with my right.
I directed the magic power of my core into my right hand. Gently coaxing the drowsy, just awakened magic power, I moved it.
“Since you seem to have some sensitivity, you should be able to manipulate it in about half a day… … Huh?”
The magic power had delivered itself to my hand. Now it was time to embark on the first process. I manipulated the magic power to fashion it into a pointed needle-like thorn.
– Poke
“Eh?”
I stabbed it into the crystal sphere. It wasn’t that the sphere broke. To be precise, I had pricked the magic power of the sphere, not the sphere itself.
The magic power burrowed in. Keeping it charged evenly to not get cut off, I pushed it deeper and deeper.
Finally, I halted the magic power’s pillar that had burrowed all the way to the center of the crystal sphere.
Now it was time for the second process.
I envisioned the magic power operating like a straw. And now it was time for it to demonstrate that function. Concentrating, I hoped the straw would act like a magnet and began to suck the magic power from the crystal sphere.
– Woooom…
“Eh…”
The vibrating magic power of the crystal sphere trembled for a brief moment before quickly losing strength and being sucked in by my straw.
The magic power drained, losing resistance, was being extracted, but there was also the magic power bursting forth into the air through the hole created by the impact.
Dissatisfied. It felt wasteful to see the magic power evaporating into the air.
I gathered it all. I could take that too. If I have a unique ability called magic affinity, I had a hunch it was possible.
I drew in even the magic power trying to disperse into the air. All the surrounding magic power pulled in. With a greedy will, magic power streamed forth and absorbed into my hand.
“Eh…”
The core is located in the heart.
Just like blood vessels stretching out from the heart to carry blood throughout the body.
There are circuits that spread from the core to transport magic power throughout the body.
Reverse-channeling, everything sucked into my palm was brought back to my core.
The core was small. The Professor Riana in front of me was so large I could barely distinguish the core, while mine was only as big as a bean.
I can do it. My intuition told me so. It whispered that I could gather everything, and hold on to it all.
– Thud
My heart suddenly thumped loudly. In response, my core pulsated along, expanding in size as if confidently stating its readiness to accept anything.
‘It’s done.’
One by one, I scraped the magic power from the crystal sphere and nestled it safely in my core. I coaxed the magic power, which seemed awkward as if just moving into a new home, to mix with my original magic.
…….
…
– Zing
A tingling sensation ran down my spine. A subtle thrill surged up unexpectedly. It was a sensation I had felt during the freshman orientation.
“Whoo…”
I exhaled the breath I had been holding. A volume that would typically be a lot more than usual was released. Suddenly, something heavy within me clarified greatly.
Yet, my insides felt stuffed. Like I had force-fed myself with food, it felt uncomfortable. Huh? What was I just doing?
My dazed mind surged back. The spatial perception that had switched to radar mode returned to its original state.
The blinding sunlight reflected on the lake’s surface. The morning mist had vanished.
And in front of me sat Professor Riana, crouched with her mouth agape, staring this way…
“Wow…”
Noticing that I had come to my senses, Professor Riana, who had been mumbling, sighed.
“So this is what it means to be a special case…?”
“?”
With a baffling statement.
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