I’ve been marked by a dragon.
And not just any dragon—the worst kind.
The type with a personality straight out of a nightmare.
First, she tosses students into bizarre, dangerous places "for fun," claiming it’s to test our skills.
Then she hands out so-called "gifts" that are actually just more trials wrapped in shiny packaging.
Seriously... what am I supposed to do with Lumine?
I get it—dragons aren’t human. Their sense of amusent is fundantally different.
For her, everything that’s happening to is probably nothing more than light
entertainnt. A little hobby. A distraction.
Like a child poking at ants with a stick.
And to Lumine, I’m that ant.
If she keeps being interested in , there’s no doubt these ridiculous incidents will continue.
I need to figure out a way to shake her off—fast.
But how am I supposed to detach myself from a dragon?
Let alone that dragon?
"...Should I ask Lisa for help?"
The thought slipped into my mind before I could stop it.
Lisa is a Maan.
If anyone could hypnotize a dragon, even a fragnt of one, it would be her.
But I dismissed the idea almost instantly.
No—too risky. Way too risky.
There’s no guarantee hypnosis would work on a dragon’s mind.
And even if it did, what happens if the hypnosis breaks? Or if the dragon notices sothing off?
That wouldn’t just be a problem.
That would be the disaster.
A catastrophe that no one would be able to control.
No matter how desperate I get, that’s a line I shouldn’t cross.
I sighed and rubbed the back of my head.
...There has to be another way.
But it’s seems that I can’t find answer yet.
So.
For now, the only thing I could do was pray that Lumine would eventually lose interest in —
and in the anti, quietly search for a solution on my own.
...But that was a problem for future .
Right now, I had sothing more important to check.
Click.
[Simulation starting. Please set the level.]
I stepped into the special training room, the familiar chanical voice echoing off the walls.
Ti to test what I gained this ti.
"Level 4."
[Virtual combat simulation will begin shortly.]
The system humd, projecting mana into the air. A mont later, a hulking, green-skinned orc materialized in front of —drooling, snarling, and looking disturbingly real for sothing made of light.
I took a breath.
Right. First, I wanted to try the technique the doppelganger used.
Until now, my lightning abilities had been straightforward—
Shoot electricity.
Channel it through a swing.
Compress it in ergencies.
Lightning Slash, Lightning Strike... all just variations of the sa basic approach.
But what I needed now was sothing different.
Not a single-target attack.
Not a directional strike.
I needed an area-of-effect skill.
Fortunately, most of my fights until now had been one-on-one.
Straightforward. Predictable. Manageable.
But in a chaotic battle—surrounded, outnumbered, overwheld—none of that would matter.
If I didn’t have so kind of area attack, I’d be finished.
And recently, I’d seen sothing that fit that requirent perfectly.
The technique the doppelganger used.
Lightning raining down from the sky—wild, uncontrolled, terrifying.
It lacked accuracy, sure, but the sheer destructive range was undeniable.
If I could replicate even a fraction of that technique...
I looked at the orc standing blankly in front of —big, dumb, and just sturdy enough to survive a few experints.
Perfect practice material.
I closed my eyes and focused, forming the image in my mind.
Lightning splitting the sky.
Bolts falling like spears.
A storm I controlled with my own hands.
As the image solidified, I gathered my magical power, letting it swirl and condense until the air around crackled.
Then, I thrust the magic upward.
"Lightning Strike!"
CRAAASH!!
The air ripped open above us, and a massive bolt of lightning slamd into the ground—
Not into the orc.
But right next to it.
The orc flinched, stumbling back while smoke and dust billowed around the scorched earth.
I stared at the smoldering crater, my expression stiff.
I missed.
A direct shot—yet completely off the mark.
I exhaled sharply, rubbing my forehead.
"This... isn’t easy."
I managed to create lightning.
That part was a success.
But hitting the actual target?
My accuracy was garbage.
It wasn’t as simple as picking a target and dropping lightning on it.
The sensation had felt... strange. Almost like aiming from above the clouds—distant, detached, and unfamiliar.
It would definitely take ti to get used to.
Still, a new combat technique was a new combat technique.
Even if I wasn’t fully satisfied, I had to admit the gain was significant.
I pushed aside the lingering disappointnt and focused on sothing else I’d acquired during the fight.
That formless energy still swirling faintly inside .
Slowly, I reached inward and drew it out using my magical power, letting it gather at my fingertips before spreading across my hand.
A bright yellow glow wrapped around my skin, as if my hand had been dipped in golden paint.
"...Hmm."
The more I concentrated, the more the feeling sharpened—an odd pull, a subtle hum beneath the surface of my skin.
A faint vibration.
A strange attraction.
A push and pull I could feel even without touching anything.
I was starting to understand it.
"So... it’s like my body beca a magnet?"
That was the closest comparison I could think of.
The ability I gained after surviving Lumine’s trial—
the ability to generate magnetic force within my own body.
Honestly, it sounded amazing in theory.
But putting it into practice was another matter entirely.
"...But what am I supposed to use this for?"
I frowned, flexing my glowing hand.
The magnetic force pulsed faintly,
responding to my thoughts and magic.
It was powerful. I could feel that much.
But I couldn’t imdiately figure out a practical use for it.
Combat?
Movent?
Support?
Sothing else entirely?
Right now, it was like being given a high-end tool without the instruction manual.
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