The afternoon class was all about practical training. After enduring the mind-numbing morning theory class, everyone else seemed pumped and excited.
"Finally, time for some hands-on training!"
"I couldn't stand sitting around in the morning. My body was itching for action."
The massive training field was split in half, with one side for close combat units and the other for marksmen. Even the mages were grouped with the marksmen.
"Alright, close combat units, gather on my left, marksmen on the right. Mages, position yourselves behind me."
Our homeroom professor, Kim Jinhyuk, showed up and began assigning students to their groups based on their specialties. As a mage, it was a no-brainer for me to join Kim Jinhyuk at the back. But as I made my way there, he grabbed my collar.
"The close combat folks will be further divided based on their weapons, so Lee Hoyeon, it seems you weren't paying attention. Among the marksmen, only the mages should stand behind me. You should head to the left side."
"Huh? But I'm a mage."
"What are you talking about? Your Victoria Academy application stated that you were applying as a swordsman. You even submitted a document stating that you've been diligently training with a sword until your admission to the academy."
What the heck?
In the game, my chosen specialization determines my abilities. But defaulting to a sword? Nah, if that were the case, why did they give me Magic Sensitivity instead? Shouldn't it be something like sword mastery? This just doesn't make sense.
I had no choice. I had already made up my mind not to engage in close-quarter fights, especially with those villains. And since it seemed like I had some talent in magic, I had to change it now, even if it was a bit late.
"To be honest, after seriously contemplating my future career, I thought being a mage would be the right choice."
"You submitted your documents last month, and the entrance ceremony was just the day before yesterday. What kind of reasoning is that?"
"…"
"Well, fine. Go talk to the assigned professor later. If she's fine with it, I won't say a word."
"Thanks."
I managed to squeeze my way to the back, positioned behind.
"What's that guy up to? What's he playing at? I thought he was smart, but maybe he's lost it."
"Well, maybe he had a sudden awakening or something."
"Does it make any sense for a freshman to do that? He's not even an active hunter."
"I bet he's just trying to get a glimpse of Professor Im Sol."
"Isn't that his real intention? Haha."
I could hear a lot of noise about me from behind.
By the way, awakening was a phenomenon experienced by pro hunters, where their well-honed abilities evolved to a higher level.
Usually, it happened through rigorous training, real-life experiences, or intense battles. But sometimes, there were rare cases where people awakened solely based on their natural talent.
Take Professor Im Sol, for example. She awakened without any formal training or practical experience, simply by conducting research in her room. But that wouldn't happen to me anytime soon. And Moon Soorin would awaken and cause a sensation, setting a new record.
Anyway, we headed to the training grounds divided by classes.
"Finally, it's time for the mage class. I've been dying to learn from Professor Im Sol. I was so excited, it was driving me crazy."
Professor Im Sol, the professor for the mage class, was renowned as a genius mage of our time. She received a substantial portion of the academy's budget, around 30%, as funding for her limitless research and materials. There were even rumors suggesting that her value exceeded that amount. In the game, she was a highly popular character known for her beautiful appearance and charming personality.
As the students gathered, Professor Im Sol lifted her head from her book.
"Oh? Oh, right. When did you all arrive?"
Tap, tap.
She stood up from her chair, brushing off her backside.
"Alright, let's begin. One, two, three… wait a minute? The number of students doesn't match what I have in my records?"
"Ah, I'm a recent addition. Actually, I changed my career path…"
"Yeah, welcome."
It seemed like she became a professor more for the sake of research rather than teaching. It wasn't that she took the classes lightly, but she preferred to skip over minor details and inconveniences.
"Let's begin."
***
The mage training field had a resemblance to a shooting range, with its straight lanes where magic could be cast and launched.
Casually strolling around, Im Sol voiced her thoughts.
"Your mana manipulation is way too slow. Looks like you're overly fixated on perfecting the spell, but in a real battle, you would have been killed three times by now. You have to let go of that notion of achieving the perfect form."
"Your accuracy is lacking. It's great to want to attack swiftly, but it won't mean a thing if you can't actually hit your targets."
"Of course, it's best to use magic in a way that suits you, but your magic form is highly inefficient for attacks. If you want to use it in real combat, use an ordinary shape like an arrow for example."
Being a professor wasn't easy.
As she glanced at the majority of students in the class, Im Sol let out a sigh. It was a shame to waste time like this, but it was a necessary sacrifice to secure research funding, rather than relying on her previous career as a hunter.
Being a professor, she had encountered all sorts of students. Many possessed talent, but most couldn't fully tap into their potential.
After providing such futile feedback, only one student remained. He had opted for a different path compared to when he enrolled, but she hadn't paid much attention. However, her perspective shifted after seeing his implementation of magic.
Spherical fire magic.
Spherical forms were commonly used because they were easy to visualize, but they also consumed a significant amount of mana. Constantly compressing mana into a sphere.
But the cohesion was unbelievable. Most of the mana gathered precisely in the center of the sphere. It was hard to believe that a freshman could handle mana to such an extent, but it was happening right before her eyes.
Moreover, something felt off.
She had five years of experience working as a hunter. She had met countless mages before him, but this was a never seen application skill. Typically, mages established their own standards and manipulated mana, but somehow this student wasn't doing the same.
Thunk!
Furthermore, he hit the target's head precisely. The accuracy was flawless.
'Well, if I really have to find a flaw, it's the mana… With the way he uses magic at that level, his breathing gets a tad faster. It just means there's some inefficiency in the overall mana usage and a bit of lacking proficiency.'
"What's your name?"
"Me?"
She cast a sideways glance at him, noticing his striking good looks up close.
"Yes, your control is impressive, and your wavelengths are stable. There's room for improvement, of course, but I must say, you're the best among them."
"Thank you. I'm Lee Hoyeon, Class A."
'Lee Hoyeon, huh. I'll make a mental note of that, just in case.'
She marked a V next to Lee Hoyeon's name in the attendance book, accompanied by a small note that simply read 'the handsome one.'
"Alright, since we're still in class, if I were to offer you some advice…"
***
Phew, finally done with classes for the day.
The morning theory class wasn't too bad, but the afternoon practical session with Professor Im Sol was a blast.
I strolled out of the classroom building, making my way towards the dormitory. Today, I decided to swing by the training grounds for some meditation and squeeze in a little theory study.
Meow~
Somewhere between the buildings along the dormitory path, a cat's meow caught my attention. With the academy having so many buildings, it was hard to pinpoint which one it came from.
I continued along the path when suddenly, a distinct meowing sound reached my ears.
Meow~
"Hey~ Meow~"
An unexpectedly sophisticated conversation was happening in the alley. I couldn't help but wonder how impressive the student and the cat must be to engage in such a dialogue.
I tip-toed closer, craning my neck to catch a glimpse of the alley.
Meow~
"Meow~"
Meowow~
Oh, they're getting closer to understanding each other looks like!
Though I could only see her back, it appeared to be a petite female student.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Lucy]
[Affection: 2]
[Lust: 20]
[Appetite: 30]
[Fatigue: 70]
"Huh?"
Lucy? Why is Lucy here?
Meowow!
"Oh no. Hey kitty, where are you going?"
Uh, because Lucy's status window popped up, I let out a sound in surprise. The cat, hearing the noise, ran away.
"Kitty, why are you running away?!"
I don't think she noticed me yet. Should I run? Wait, I need to man up and apologize for the other day.
"Hey kitty, wait! Huh? You…"
"Um, hi. I'm Lee Hoyeon, from the same class as you."
"You… You're the one who slept through the opening ceremony and groped me!"
"Well, it's not exactly like that!"
"Do you want to take it to the police then?"
"I'm sorry. Really, I apologize. I couldn't sleep a wink due to the excitement of the opening ceremony, and the incident at the training ground… I trained late into the night without taking care of my condition and ended up collapsing. It was a mistake."
I bowed to apologize. Based on my experience in social life, sincerely apologizing is the most effective in such situations.
"Hmm…"
"I'm really sorry!"
I was getting unnecessarily nervous. Lucy wasn't the type to not accept an apology, but if this didn't go well, it could make my life complicated.
"Well, okay. Honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal. It was an emergency situation, too."
"Thanks."
Phew. I sighed inwardly, straightened my back.
"But, I don't want your apology right now."
"Hmm? Why?
"Apologize again tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah. I'll accept your apology tomorrow."
Lucy's words left me wondering,
What on earth?
***
After bidding farewell to the peculiar Lucy, I made my way towards the mana training grounds.
Despite it being early in the semester, the place was buzzing with activity. Whether it was the library, the gym, or any other facility, there were always those who signed up but never bothered to show up after the first few days. I wondered how many of them would actually stick around.
Ding-ling-
[Entrance confirmed! Lee Hoyeon, Class A, first year.]
Today, I decided to check out the meditation room.
When it came to increasing mana capacity, nothing beat a good session of meditation. Even if I wasn't particularly in the mood for it, they say that the effort you put in is just as valuable as the sweat you shed. So, I thought I should give it a try.
I found a cozy spot right in the center of the meditation room.
As I settled in, I could feel the mana stones hanging from the ceiling emanating a dense flow of mana.
Inhale… exhale…
I took slow, deep breaths, letting the peaceful atmosphere sink in.
The key was to focus my mind and sense the mana permeating the air. I had to absorb as much of the surrounding mana as possible, drawing it into my own body.
I had to grasp the mana from the mana stones firmly, making sure it didn't slip away. Well, it wasn't exactly a walk in the park, as the game's original story had mentioned.
Here, I couldn't afford to lose my concentration. I had to boost my focus and let go of any distractions clouding my mind…
[Your mana has increased by 1.]
Wait, what?
***
After that, I gave meditation a shot for about an hour, but my mana didn't budge any further.
I guess it's not as simple as boosting it up like that.
Anyway, I can still expect faster growth compared to others. Usually, people need to meditate diligently for a month before seeing any results, but I felt the effects right from day one.
Maybe it's because of my Mana Sensitivity perk?
Back at the dorm, I cracked open a book.
"The Chronicles of Humanity: From the First Gate to the Dungeon."
Just the title alone sounded incredibly dull. It was a whopping 1500-page book. More like an organized archive than an actual read. But I needed to take my academic performance seriously.
In this trash game, Sex Academy, they even have an ending where you get expelled. I cannot believe it. You're this badass character who conquers heroines, but if your grades suck, they boot you out.
Damn, does an expulsion ending even make sense in a game?
Well, they say if you can't avoid it, just enjoy it. Even if I can't fully enjoy it, I still need to put in the effort.
Thanks to my Memory Enhancement, I can memorize anything with a single glance.
That's why I picked this book instead of wasting time on pointless summaries like newspapers or magazines. I might grab some useful reference books later on.
"It was about a hundred years ago when the first gate appeared on an island in the Philippines…"
Ugh, not really in the mood for reading it.
***