< Episode 1398 > 1398. The Academy’s Savior
Having figured out the practical final exam, I immediately went into the training room with Eun.
Eun’s academy entrance ranking was 34th place.
If she did nothing and just stood still, it was clear she wouldn’t make it into the top 10 of her grade. And if she failed, she wouldn’t be able to go to Japan with me.
“Still in the middle of being an assistant, so there’s no way I can fail. Plus, I’ll need someone to take care of me in Japan.”
I scanned Eun’s body, dressed in her training uniform, from head to toe.
“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”
Eun was flustered but didn’t try to cover herself.
Her long blue hair and sky-blue eyes reminded me of heaven. Her skin was as white as snow, and her chest was full. Her waist was slender, and her hips were well-developed.
“Eun, now that I think about it, your chest seems bigger.”
“Of course, Eugene. You always notice these things first. Lately, my bras have been feeling tight.”
“G-cup growth, huh? That’s great.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Why wouldn’t I? Bigger is better when it comes to chests and hips.”
I wanted to strip her right there and check her growth, but there’s always time for that later. For now, let’s focus on the original purpose—training.
“One-on-one combat. Your opponent will likely be among the top 50 students.”
“Honestly, I’m a little nervous about the duel. What if I lose?”
“Losing isn’t the end of the world. Just don’t lose in an embarrassing way. The content of the duel is more important than winning or losing. Remember, this duel is to evaluate your performance. The teachers will assess your duel.”
Even though I said that, winning would be much better. After all, combat is about winning. A victory means extra points.
“There will be three one-on-one duels. To get into the top 10… you need to secure at least two wins.”
“Can I really do it?”
“If you don’t make it into the top 10… you won’t be able to see me all summer. Is that okay?”
“T-That’s not okay! I’ll work hard. Eugene, help me. I want to go to Japan with you too.”
Eun’s determination burned brightly in her eyes. She seemed ready to give it her all.
It was fortunate that she had such enthusiasm. The presence or absence of motivation makes a big difference.
‘I should reward her later by spanking her butt.’
Eun and I faced each other, maintaining some distance. I casually grabbed a spear, while Eun held daggers in both hands. She uses a total of four daggers; the other two were strapped to her thighs.
Weapons aren’t particularly important since Eun doesn’t rely heavily on daggers in battle.
「Name: Eun Si-eun
Strength: D- Stamina: D+ Agility: D- Durability: D- Mana: B
Trait: Energy Force (S)
Skills: Energy Drain (B+), Energy Ball (C+)
Affection: 95
Psychology: I will definitely go to Japan with Eugene. And in Japan…」
Alright, let’s go full comedic anime style here!
—
I confirmed the data.
If we’re just talking raw stats, aside from Mana who’s at B Rank, things weren’t exactly stellar. After all, upperclassmen usually have physical abilities around C Rank or higher.
“But Eun-seon has an S-Rank skill! The ability to directly manipulate energy. If she can master this, breaking into the top 10 will be a piece of cake.”
Eun-seon opened her mouth with a tense expression.
“Should I start?”
“Go ahead.”
BOOM!
An explosion of energy erupted right in front of me! But thanks to my prior awareness of mana flows through heightened senses, I effortlessly sidestepped it with a graceful backstep.
WHOOOOOSH!
Around Eun-seon, orbs of pure energy began forming—literal chunks of condensed power, i.e., mana blobs.
She pointed her finger at me, and six energy orbs shot straight toward me.
“Hmm… Her control over these energy orbs is impressive, as is their speed. She even knows how to surround the opponent using them…”
But they still couldn’t keep up with my movements. Just barely doing this won’t get her into the top 10.
I infused my spear with mana and swung it, slicing through the energy orbs. The split ones exploded, but by then I was already out of range and dealing with another orb.
Having destroyed all the energy orbs, I arrived before Eun-seon, pointing the tip of my spear at her neck.
“…I lost.”
“Why do you think you lost?”
“You were too fast, Yoo-jin. I couldn’t keep up with your speed. I even missed seeing some of your moves mid-battle.”
“So you know where the problem lies. How would you overcome it to win?”
“I guess… I need to become faster?”
Her voice lacked confidence. Though she possesses superior physical capabilities compared to ordinary people, she doesn’t know how to properly utilize them. Honestly, she isn’t naturally talented at physical movement. Having Na and Ha nearby only makes her more aware of her shortcomings.
“You’re correct. If you’re slow, you must grow faster. So, how do you plan on getting faster?”
“Um… By moving my body?”
“Eun-seon, you don’t have much talent for bodily movement. However, your knack for handling mana is exceptional. Think about mages—they aren’t great at physical combat either, yet they fight effectively against those who are.”
“Isn’t that because they use magic?”
“It’s not ‘magic,’ it’s about utilizing mana. They accelerate their consciousness via mana to enhance their fighting prowess. Even physical fighters ultimately rely on mana when battling… so maybe there’s not much difference between the two after all?”
“…So specifically, what should I do? Should I reinforce my body with mana?”
“Hmm… That varies from person to person. We’ll need to find the optimal method tailored specifically for you.”
Given her existing talents, this shouldn’t prove overly difficult.
My task is simply to continue training her while teaching her the nuances of combat.
“Alright, let’s move on to Round Two!”
The training resumed.
We went past Round Two, Round Three, all the way to Round Fourteen. Eventually, Eun-seon collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. Meanwhile, I wasn’t even winded. Unlike her, who had recklessly expended massive amounts of mana, I moved lightly, treating the session like a casual stroll.
“…Can I really get better at this?”
“Don’t worry. You’re improving visibly.”
This wasn’t empty encouragement; Eun-seon truly was growing stronger every day.
“The issue now is that your method of using energy is too monotonous. All you do is spam energy orbs. Why stick solely to energy orbs?”
“Because they’re the easiest to use…”
“You can’t afford to take the easy route all the time.”
Thus, I began instructing her on different ways to wield energy.
Eun-seon’s S-Rank Energy Force requires creative thinking—it encompasses gravity, firepower, telekinesis, and more.
“Let’s start with practicing gravity manipulation first. There’s no better force than gravity when facing physical fighters.”
“Oh, okay. Got it.”
And so, I focused on honing one particular aspect of Eun-seon’s…
—
(To be continued!)
B+ Rainfall. If it were up to me, this skill could truly be called a genuinely terrifying ability.
“Si-eun, how do you usually use Energy Drain?”
“Huh? I don’t use Energy Drain.”
“…You don’t? Why?”
“Because there’s no need to steal energy from others?”
“……”
I had no rebuttal.
Energy Drain is fundamentally a skill that steals energy from the opponent. It was difficult to utilize. Si-eun didn’t train frequently either. To begin with, Si-eun entered the academy without any desire to become a Hero—there was only one reason: to be with me.
“Si-eun, watch carefully.”
I extended my palm.
Zzzt.
Lightning danced upon my palm. The shining, branch-like lightning never escaped beyond my palm.
“Yoo-jin’s lightning… it’s beautiful every time I see it.”
“You can do it too.”
“Me…?”
“Lightning is also energy, after all. Doing it normally might be tough, but if you just get the feel of it, it’s possible.”
“…How do I do it?”
“Absorb my lightning using Energy Drain.”
“What if I get electrocuted?”
“Lightning is energy, remember? Power. It’s an energy source commonly used in this era, right?”
“That’s true… I’ll give it a try.”
Si-eun said tensely. She stared intently at the lightning on my palm and focused her concentration.
The reaction came instantly.
The lightning began to waver out of my control.
‘Who would’ve thought she could disrupt my control so soon?’
If I wanted, I could reinforce my control over the lightning. But I didn’t. This was practice for Si-eun, after all.
Zzt.
The lightning broke free from my palm and was sucked into Si-eun’s palm, being absorbed. Si-eun opened her mouth, her eyes becoming dazed.
“…Si-eun?”
My confusion at her strange reaction was short-lived.
‘She’s attained enlightenment.’
A sudden flash of insight.
Though distant from me, even students at this academy must have experienced some minor enlightenment at least once.
『Name: Lee Si-eun
Strength: D- Stamina: D+ Agility: D- Durability: D- Mana: B
Trait: Energy Force (S)
Skills: Energy Drain (A), Energy Ball (B)
Affection: 95
Psychology: …….』
With the enlightenment settled, Si-eun’s skills underwent changes. The ranks of Energy Drain and Energy Ball improved. But Si-eun’s enlightenment wasn’t over yet.
『Name: Lee Si-eun
Strength: D- Stamina: D+ Agility: D- Durability: D- Mana: B
Trait: Energy Force (S)
Skills: Energy Drain (A+), Energy Ball (B), Circulation (C)
Affection: 95
Psychology: …….』
Energy Drain rose another rank, and a new skill appeared.
Circulation (C).
As soon as I saw the name, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
In the original story, Circulation was a top-tier Tier 1 skill. It would be the cherry on top for a mage, and even warriors or archers wouldn’t find it bad to possess.
‘For Si-eun, who directly manipulates energy, this is nothing short of perfect.’
I quietly observed Si-eun. I noticed the flow of mana emanating from her had changed.
Ten minutes later, Si-eun regained consciousness.
“Yoo-jin. Just now, I…”
“I congratulate you on attaining enlightenment. How does it feel?”
“…It’s hard to explain. My mind feels full, and I feel like I can do something new.”
“Try it. You can, right?”
I extended my palm.
Zzzt.
I summoned the lightning again.
Si-eun concentrated and used Circulation.
The lightning atop her palm flickered before reverting back into mana and disappearing.
That’s one of Circulation’s abilities. It reverts processed mana back to its unprocessed state. In other words, Si-eun had just become the bane of mages.
