Chapter 14. Im Sol (2)

Chapter 14. Im Sol (2)

“No, seriously, why make it this complicated?”

Recently, an old artifact craftsman had offered to modify a mana assistant for my training use. I handed it over, only for it to return as an unpredictable ticking time bomb.

I spent a week analyzing it, but I had no clue how to use it.

If even I couldn’t make sense of it, other mages wouldn’t be able to touch it. Was that old man finally going senile? I couldn’t understand his reasoning at all.

“Huh? Where did it go?”

Last night, I decided it was too dangerous to leave lying around, since it wasn’t even usable for training. I left it on my desk, intending to dispose of it, but now, it was gone.

“Damn it. This is why I need to tidy up more often.”

Aside from the door, the room was packed with bookshelves, scattered papers, and research notes strewn across the floor. Scraps of paper, filled with fleeting inspirations, littered the space.

Shwooo—

I quickly drew a magic circle to start organizing.

Books stacked on the floor returned to their places, and the scattered papers neatly arranged themselves onto the desk.

The loose scraps of paper flew into the trash can on their own.

“Seriously, where is it?”

Even though it was modified, it wasn’t just any item.

I had reversed the embedded magical formula in the mana assistant, lowering its mana sensitivity to the minimum and causing backlash whenever mana was drawn.

I even added a repelling attribute to overstrain the user’s body.

But unexpectedly, the synergy was too effective, and I ended up injuring myself during training.

In the end, I had taken it out to dispose of it and got sidetracked with other research, only to find it missing.

“Well, it must be around here somewhere. I never took it outside.”

Knowing how dangerous it was, I wasn’t reckless enough to take it outside. It had to be tucked away somewhere, maybe under a bookshelf or another hard-to-spot place.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Professor, are you inside?”

“Yeah, come in.”

One of my research assistants entered, looking surprised.

“Oh? What’s the occasion? You never clean your office. You always say a natural mess is best for research.”

“I’m looking for something. Have you seen a bracelet that looks like a mana assistant?”

“Oh, the mana assistant on your desk? I put it back in the training equipment storage.”

“... What?”

“I figured you’d forget about it while researching, and since there was a training session for the freshmen today, I organized it. Good job, right?”

“You... you idiot... Wait, did you say today? The training session is today?!”

“Yes? It should be happening right now. Why?”

Snap!

I immediately uncrossed my legs, pushed past the assistant, and sprinted toward the Mana Research Building.

“Professor! Where are you going? You still have paperwork to finish! Are you running away again?!”

“Damn it, that clueless assistant.”

The Mana Research Building wasn’t far. Running would be faster than preparing a teleportation circle.

The standard mana assistant and the modified training version looked almost identical.

Anyone paying close attention would notice some inconsistencies, but professors and assistants wouldn’t examine it closely, and students, unfamiliar with the device, wouldn’t notice at all.

If a student happened to wear the modified mana assistant… the consequences could be catastrophic.

Hospitalization due to mana circuit damage? That would be the best-case scenario.

The worst case? Permanent mana loss or death.

I couldn’t blame the assistant. I had a history of borrowing artifacts for research and forgetting to return them, leading to multiple warnings.

In the end, the fault was mine for leaving such a dangerous item out carelessly.

‘Please, let nothing happen.’

I burst through the entrance of the Mana Research Building. The freshmen’s training session was on the first floor—easily within sight.

Bang!

I slammed the classroom door open with enough force to break it.

I should have seen the students’ faces staring back at me. Instead, they were all crowded at the back of the room.

“What’s going on?”

“Lee Hoyeon collapsed! Damn it, I can’t see with all these people in the way.”

‘Lee Hoyeon?’

I remembered him from the mage specialization class. I had even taken notes on him.

‘If only he had no talent at all!’

If he had no ability, he wouldn’t have resisted mana backlash. But fighting it without proper control could lead to disaster.

At least if he had just passed out, there would be time for emergency treatment.

“Excuse me! Let me through!”

“Huh? Oh, Professor Im Sol?”

Pushing through the crowd, I finally saw him collapsed on the ground.

The first thing that struck me was his appearance. I had noticed it before, but seeing it again was different.

I had met many handsome people in my life, but at this point, every other guy I had seen before was an ugly squid compared to him.

Then I saw his face contorting in pain, his breathing ragged as he groaned.

‘He’s still conscious?’

From the outside, he looked like he was about to die. But inside, a desperate battle was taking place as he struggled to control his rampaging mana.

And it was at an incredibly high level. I had never seen this kind of mana control before.

‘His mana flow... it feels strange.’

His technique was different from conventional mana manipulation.

It wasn’t rigid or systematic, but instinctual and dynamic…

‘Wait?’

A tingling sensation ran through my chest—something like an epiphany. A state of hyperfocus that only happens right before breaking through a new threshold. The only time I had felt this before was during my own awakening.

But just as I was about to grasp it, Professor Han Jaeyoung moved to touch Lee Hoyeon’s body.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Professor Im Sol? Why are you here? Perfect timing. We need to administer emergency treatment to the patient. Time is of the essence, please assist us.”

“No, don’t touch him.”

“What are you saying? This student’s mana circuits are completely disrupted. We need to act now.”

“I said, don’t touch him!”

Introducing external mana at this point would only interfere. This is why incompetent professors should be fired from Victoria.

I shot a glare at the skeleton-like professor before turning my attention back to Lee Hoyeon.

But the strange tingling sensation I had felt before had already disappeared.

Opportunities like this don’t come easily, and that crazy professor ruined it. Frustration welled up, but now wasn’t the time to be angry.

‘If this continues... I can’t be certain.’

His mana control was undoubtedly excellent, but the opposing force was brutal. The modified mana assistant was continuously causing his mana to run wild and damaging his body.

The more efficiently he drew mana, the stronger the backlash, and the more his body suffered.

Was there any way to help him...

‘Wait, is he getting faster?’

His mana control had definitely improved. His level was rising right before my eyes.

“He’s unconsciously evolving...?”

“Excuse me? Professor Im Sol, what do you mean?”

He was realigning his tangled mana circuits, forcefully opening blocked pathways.

Mana was rapidly circulating through his body as he seized control of the runaway energy.

“Is this kind of mana control even possible?”

If he could manage this level of magic manipulation without formulas...

No, perhaps formulas weren’t even necessary to begin with? Have we been working off the wrong premise all along?

The core of modern magic theory was being overturned before my eyes.

I re-entered a state of hyperfocus, trying to grasp a new breakthrough—

Then, Lee Hoyeon’s eyes opened.

“Ah...”

An involuntary sigh of regret escaped me.

Just a little longer! If I had just a little more time, I could have seen a new horizon!

“How... how did you do that?!”

“Ugh!”

*

The near-fatal accident was officially classified as a simple mishap where one of Professor Im Sol’s research items was mistakenly mixed in with student training equipment.

From my perspective, it was a life-threatening ordeal, but to others, it seemed minor.

Apparently, even minor magical mishaps can cause someone to cough up blood.

With my agreement, the academy chose to settle the matter quietly, partly to maintain good relations with Professor Im Sol.

I received a personal apology from her, and since I suffered no lasting damage, I let it go.

There was no reason to make enemies out of the academy or its professors.

After the incident was brushed aside, Professor Im Sol kidnapped me.

“Make yourself at home.”

She beamed at me.

What was this situation?

The so-called genius mage of the century was sitting in front of me, staring at me like a prized exhibit.

“Ah, I completely forgot! I’ll go make some tea.”

Clap, clap.

With two claps of her hands, a teapot and cups flew over from across the room, setting themselves on the table.

She personally picked up the teapot and poured me a cup.

“Here, drink up. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Uh, thank you.”

I took a sip.

Slurp.

Wait, this is instant coffee.

I glanced up at her. Im Sol, utterly unconcerned with trivialities, continued to stare at me like a sunflower facing the sun.

“Ahem, Professor? So... why did you call me here?”

Her eyes widened as if just remembering something, and she straightened her posture.

“First, let me apologize properly. It was my mistake that caused you harm. I’m truly sorry.”

She bowed deeply.

“Oh, no, it’s fine. Really.”

“No, I should have given you a formal apology, but the academy wanted to keep things quiet... I’ll make it up to you personally.”

“Seriously, don’t worry about it.”

When people insist on apologizing, they often want to compensate more.

If she were a truly bad person, she would have just ignored the whole situation.

“Thank you.”

“So, is that why you called me here?”

It seemed excessive just for an apology.

She had already given me a token apology after the treatment.

Calling me here again just to repeat it didn’t quite add up.

“I did want to apologize, but there’s something else. I have a proposal for you.”

“A proposal?”

This wasn’t in the original story. I kept my face neutral, carefully considering my response.

“It might seem sudden to you, but I want you to help with my research.”

“Research? If I can be of help, I’d be happy to, but... is there something I can actually do?”

“Before we get into that, let me ask you something. Earlier, when you manually corrected your mana circuits—where did you learn that?”

Mana control? Why was she suddenly asking about that?

I reconsidered what I knew about Im Sol.

She was a globally recognized magical genius. Not just an exceptional mage, but one acknowledged as an S-class authority in magic.

For someone of her caliber to take interest in my mana control meant she had seen something unusual in it...

The only thing I could think of was [Mana Sensitivity]. Seeing me restore my circuits must have caught her attention.

“Excuse me?”

Ah, I had been lost in thought.

“Sorry, I was just thinking. I never formally learned mana control.”

“So it’s entirely your original technique?”

“Uh... I guess?”

Unless someone else had my special ability, I was likely the only one with this method.

“Can I trust that answer?”

“Yes, you can.”

She didn’t seem entirely convinced, so I reassured her.

“Hah... Ssshh.”

Suddenly, Im Sol began fidgeting like a restless cat, inhaling deeply, before gripping my hands tightly.

“You... Lee Hoyeon, you’re a genius. Compared to you, even S-class hunters are just sea stars!”

“Sea stars?”

“Yes! Those useless sea stars!”

“... I think that’s a bit much.”

Why was she chanting about sea stars so fervently? Did she have some kind of grudge against them?

“This isn’t flattery. With talent like yours, you should be competing on a global level, not just in Korea.”

“My talent is that impressive? I thought it was just decent.”

Honestly, my mana control was just the result of my skill.

“Hah, if other so-called geniuses heard you say that, they’d want to kill you. For the record, I also tried using that bracelet you unraveled. Even I struggled with it.”

“Huh? Really?”

I knew it was dangerous, but if even an S-rank mage had trouble using it, then her reaction made sense.

Was my talent—[Mana Sensitivity]—really that incredible?

“Yes! That’s why I want you to help me with my research. Your abilities could significantly advance the field of magic!”

“Hmm...”

I didn’t particularly care about advancing magic, but working with her might be beneficial.

Even though she wasn’t a heroine, Professor Im Sol’s abilities were exceptional. Having her on my side would be useful for my academy life.

Besides, getting close to a professor wouldn’t hurt.

But there was a problem.

Honestly, I wasn’t confident I could help with her research.

The only reason she was interested in my mana control was because of my unique skill. I had no actual knowledge or expertise to contribute.

The only thing that set me apart from regular people was my understanding of mana, but that was purely instinctual and difficult to explain.

After some thought, I decided to just be honest. I hadn’t even started properly interacting with the heroines yet—I couldn’t afford to waste time on uncertain matters.

“Can I really help? To be honest, my mana control is heavily influenced by my skill, so I don’t think I have the insight needed to assist in your research.”

“I figured as much. Actually, you yourself are part of my research.”

“What?”

“Believe it or not, I have plenty of funds saved up. I can offer you any reward you want.”

Hmm, having extra money wouldn’t be bad...

Seeing my dwindling enthusiasm, Im Sol waved her hands urgently.

“No, you don’t get it! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for humanity! We could revolutionize the field of magic!”

She was so worked up that she grabbed her hair and messed it up, looking like a crazed magic fanatic.

As she frantically shook her head, her hood fell back, fully revealing her feline-like face.

In the game, she had given off a cool and mature vibe. How had she turned into such an eccentric mess?

Did her personality change when magic was involved?

“Uh... Professor, please calm down and explain.”

“Alright. Deep breath... Hah...”

She placed a hand on her chest and took deep breaths. The movement drew attention to her figure, which was undeniably attractive.

Damn it. Why did her earlier comment about giving me anything I wanted keep echoing in my head? Stay focused.

“...Are you interested in my chest?”

“W-what?!”

How did she know? I had only stolen a few glances when her robe shifted!

Im Sol pursed her lips, then stood up with a determined look in her eyes.

Swish—

Her robe slipped off, cascading to the floor.

Beneath it, she wore a casual pink oversized t-shirt that barely hung over her chest and a pair of black leggings hugging her thighs.

It was a purely comfortable outfit, but her curvaceous figure made it look anything but modest.

She casually moved to sit right beside me.

A sweet, feminine scent, different from fabric softener, overwhelmed my senses.

“As an apology... if this is what you want, I can accept it.”

Why is she doing this? Professor, you’re scaring me...

She leaned in, tilting her head to look up at me from below.

Looking down at a beautiful woman like this felt strangely awkward—but also exhilarating.

Her slender fingers traced up from my waist, slowly moving higher.

Tap. Tap.

Even those light touches felt strangely sensitive, sending shivers through me.

As her face moved closer and her fingers continued their ascent, I started to lose focus.

“Hoyeon, will you join my research?”

“...I’d be honored to contribute to the advancement of global magic.”

“Good choice. Hehe.”

Yes, living with a broad, world-changing perspective was definitely the right way to go.

Chapter end