novelraw Chapter 55 : Chapter 55
Chapter 55 : Chapter 55
Chapter 55 Pain (1)
[Understanding Magic Power]
“What are those dark circles? Did you lose sleep?”
In the peaceful morning at the academy, Do Haru asked me.
I quietly nodded.
I had lost sleep last night.
It was for an unavoidable reason.
‘Slosh, slosh.’
Something unpleasant and ticklish was flowing through my body.
I knew what it was.
[You have subdued the Black Fang.]
[You can now utilize ‘Pain’.]
The black energy that flowed into my body after fighting the clone in the Core of the Soul.
It felt exactly the same.
‘Pain.’
The system message said I had subdued the Black Fang.
But was this really the result of subduing it?
I couldn't even sleep properly because of this damned thing sloshing and swimming through my body from evening until dawn.
[Slosh, slosh! My belly is sloshing! Good! Gooood!]
‘Crazy bastard......’
Amidst all that, the Mimic was going wild, happy about it.
I wondered if an energy similar to mine was flowing through his body, but how in the world could he enjoy this sensation?
Separate from my internal affairs, a professor appeared for the theory class in the peaceful morning.
It was Professor Lynette, who taught [Understanding Magic Power].
‘The Attributes and Forms of Magic Power.’
The text floated up from the projector.
“Since the Gate first appeared, magic power has become a very familiar presence to us. And that magic power is imprinted on each individual in different ways. We commonly call them ‘Attributes’ and ‘Forms’.”
As Professor Lynette waved her hand, blue stalks shot up from the floor.
The podium was instantly covered with lush bushes and flowers.
“Ooh.”
The students gasped in unison.
The classroom quickly became lively thanks to her skillful demonstration.
“Attributes are simple. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind....... Anyone can intuitively recognize them. You don't need a special device to recognize that fire is fire, do you?”
Light laughter flowed among the students.
“But ‘Forms’ are different. Even the same fire shows entirely different properties depending on how it is handled. We broadly classify these into five Forms: Enhancement, Manipulation, Materialization, Esper, and Special.”
She gave a brief explanation for each Form and continued.
“In other words, which spells you can learn is determined by this ‘Form.’ Everyone can learn basic spells, but if it's not the Attribute and Form that suits you, you cannot utilize them properly.”
I also nodded my head.
This was content I had encountered dozens of times in the game, if it followed the laws of this world.
“Going a step further, there is something that is born out of the training and experience each person accumulates. That is the ‘Unique Spell.’ It is a unique technique created by incorporating one’s own Traits and individuality.”
The professor's gaze swept across the class.
The students’ eyes were already sparkling.
“Theory alone can be boring. So, I prepared a small practical exercise today. It's one of the simplest ways to confirm the Form of magic power you possess. That is...... ‘Magic Power Grass’.”
She turned her palm over, and a white flower bud was blooming on top of it.
Exclamations of interest spread among the students, as if a magician were performing a show.
“I will distribute one Magic Power Grass to each of you now. The method is simple. You just have to hold the Magic Power Grass.”
Professor Lynette explained that the Magic Power Grass absorbs some of the holder's magic power and changes its appearance according to the Form.
She added that the color also changes according to the Attribute of the magic power one possesses, so it would be interesting to watch.
Soon, the Magic Power Grass in Professor Lynette's hand gradually changed its appearance.
She held up her flower for everyone to see.
The white petals had turned a greenish hue, and a new leaf had sprouted.
This indicated that her Gift ability was of the Plant Attribute and Materialization Form.
“These days, with the development of measuring equipment, it is rarely used, but at one time, the Magic Power Grass was the only measurement method. Try the experience and compare your flowers with each other!”
When Professor Lynette’s instruction was given, a commotion swept through the classroom.
Everyone held the Magic Power Grass and began chatting with their friends, waiting for the change.
Next to me, Seol Hayun held the Magic Power Grass with her eyes calmly closed.
The pure white petals slowly turned red, and a new petal emerged as if stretching.
‘Fire Attribute, Materialization Form.’
Diverse changes continuously burst forth around the room.
One cadet’s flower stalk swelled up as if full of water.
This meant his magic power was of the Enhancement Form.
Another cadet's flower's petals quivered and swayed as if dancing on their own.
This was a person known for the Manipulation Form.
The Esper Form emitted a faint light, shaking the surrounding air, and the flower of the child belonging to the Special Form had an unfamiliar pattern engraved on its petals by itself.
Materialization Form flowers, without exception, grew one more petal like Seol Hayun’s.
The colors were varied, and the classroom was filled with constant cheers and murmurs at the diverse changes created by Attributes and Forms.
Amidst everyone comparing their flowers and seemingly enchanted by the Magic Power Grass, only I stared blankly at the Magic Power Grass placed on my desk.
That's right.
I didn't have any of that. Magic power, that is.
‘In the end, this is a meaningless time for me.’
The thought crossed my mind that I would rather swing my sword one more time during this time.
But sitting there alone and staring blankly would unnecessarily draw attention.
So I just picked up the Magic Power Grass.
Surely there would be no change.
‘Huh?’
But the moment I held the Magic Power Grass.
Slosh- Slosh-
The energy within me began to move toward one side, as if pulled by a magnet.
Toward my right hand holding the Magic Power Grass.
‘It, it's itchy.’
A sensation like countless multi-legged insects crawling inside my blood vessels.
The sensation that had kept me awake last night abruptly surged.
But that was only for a moment.
The flower began to twitch.
Slowly, the stem of the flower swelled up.
Like the Enhancement Form magic power changes the flower.
But something was different.
Beyond simply becoming thicker, only one side of the stem bulged up as if suffering from ‘edema.’
Meanwhile, the vicinity of the petals began to tremble.
Violently, as if shivering from cold.
Soon, red fine lines spread across its surface.
‘Is it in pain?’
I knew this sounded absurd, even to me.
But the flower was clearly in ‘pain.’
Naturally, this kind of change does not occur in Magic Power Grass.
No Form and no Attribute causes this kind of change.
I instinctively let go of the flower.
The flower, released from my hand, dropped onto the desk.
Then, it twisted as if struggling for a moment, and soon after, it returned to its original form as if by a lie.
I stared blankly at the scene.
“Just now, wasn't something strange?”
Suddenly, a voice came from next to me.
It was Seol Hayun.
Her eyes darted between the flower and me.
Her brow slowly narrowed.
[Seol Hayun]
[Bizarre, Skepticism.]
The Eye of Deception simply conveyed her emotions to me.
***
“Can you follow me for a moment?”
As the class ended, Seol Hayun called me.
Without Do Haru, who would usually stick by her side.
The reason was obvious.
‘......She let it pass during class. But she must be curious after all.’
The dramatic change that occurred in the Magic Power Grass I held.
Even I was still unable to properly grasp what had happened.
I followed her across the campus.
After passing through a forest path and walking for a while, an old dome ceiling came into view.
The planetarium.
“No one will come here. Haru said she was stopping by the club during lunchtime.”
Seol Hayun opened the door and stepped inside.
The planetarium was still desolate.
Old telescopes, dusty chairs, and a space covered by blackout curtains.
A Fluffy Rabbit leaped up from the corner, tilted its head, and looked at us.
‘Is she raising it here entirely?’
Seol Hayun took out a carrot and handed it to the rabbit with a familiar gesture, and the Fluffy Rabbit grabbed it eagerly with its front paws and gnawed on it.
After that brief everyday moment passed, she immediately returned to the main point.
As she took something out of her bag, Seol Hayun's eyes pierced me squarely.
A small flower bud lay on her palm. It was Magic Power Grass.
She seemed to have gotten a new one from the professor.
“There’s one thing I want to check.”
“What?”
“When you put the Magic Power Grass on the desk earlier, something seemed strange.”
I was momentarily speechless.
‘I'm screwed, this is it.’
All sorts of changes suddenly occurred in the Magic Power Grass held by me, who had no magic power?
Of course, Seol Hayun knew I had acquired the Black Fang.
And it was also true that this power flowing within me originated from the Black Fang.
In other words, if I said this power was due to the Black Fang, Seol Hayun would be convinced.
The problem was what came next.
The issue was that even I didn't know exactly what this power was or how to handle it.
If I revealed it to others before I properly understood it, it would inherently be a risk.
I needed to figure it out first, at the very least.
Until then, it was better to hide it.
So, what should I do now?
Should I run away as is? That made no sense.
Seol Hayun had witnessed the scene of my flower changing in the first place.
Even if she couldn't believe it herself, she still saw it.
Because I quickly took my hand off the flower the moment it changed, the flower quickly returned to its original form.
But it was clear that Seol Hayun had captured that brief moment.
So what should I do?
All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind.
“......”
After a moment, I reached out my hand toward the flower Seol Hayun was holding out, without saying a word.
I couldn't get through this situation with a flimsy excuse.
The more I hesitated, the stranger it would look.
Also, I had already grasped something vaguely.
I had felt it dimly since touching the Magic Power Grass during class.
How I could grasp this energy flowing within my body.
Even at this very moment, I was dimly controlling the flow.
So, it was better to hide the evidence.
The moment I grasped the Magic Power Grass in my hand.
Slosh- Slosh-
The energy inevitably surged.
The feeling of that thing inside me, ‘Pain,’ flowing out and trying to be absorbed into the flower.
‘No.’
I instinctively gritted my teeth.
I had to suppress and push it back in.
Slosh- Slosh-
A bug-like sensation crawling up my veins.
A wave-like flow rushing through my blood vessels toward the flower.
The petals seemed to react, subtly twitching.
“......!”
I gritted my teeth and endured it.
Sweat beaded profusely on my back.
I poured all my concentration into suppressing and holding the energy.
‘If it flows out, it’s over. Suppress it, I must suppress it......’
The flower still twitched, craving something, but the change did not continue.
The flow within me remained within me.
I slowly exhaled and lifted the flower.
The flower remained white, just as it was.
Just now, I definitely managed to grasp the flow.
The energy that had been wildly stirring inside me was being suppressed and gradually calming down.
It was the first time. The definite feeling that I could control it with my will.
“......”
Seol Hayun tilted her head next to me.
The result was so ordinary, completely different from the dramatic change she had seen earlier.
“That’s strange. Earlier, it clearly...... no, did I see wrong?”
Her gaze seemed to bore through me, then returned to the flower.
Her lips parted slightly, but she ultimately didn't speak.
I simply kept an indifferent face and just said, “What are you talking about?”
She looked at the flower for a moment longer, then subtly narrowed her brows.
An expression that suggested she was uncertain but found it hard to be convinced.
[Seol Hayun]
[Confusion.]
The Eye of Deception conveyed her complex emotion to me this time.