The ntoring day I had previously arranged with Lee Jiyeon arrived.
The eting place was a simple café.
In the past, I didn’t understand why people insisted on eting at cafés, but when it ca ti to set up an appointnt, there was no place more convenient than a café.
Cool in the sumr and warm in the winter, with places to sit, and food or drinks readily available if you were hungry or thirsty. Cafés were easy to find, making them the perfect spot to start before heading elsewhere.
Jingle-jingle.
As I opened the door, a rush of cool air poured over .
Now that it was sumr, air conditioning was blasting everywhere. It was certainly a bit stifling outside.
Enjoying the coolness, I walked toward the interior, ignoring the glances cast my way.
Lee Jiyeon was seated by the window on the first floor of the café, where sunlight stread in.
If we were planning a long eting, we might have reserved a private room, but since it was a short one, the first-floor seating sufficed.
I hopped into the seat across from Lee Jiyeon.
She had been propping her chin on her hand, gazing out at the scenery, but turned her head when I sat down.
Her green eyes locked onto .
“You’re early. Good morning, junior,” Lee Jiyeon said, her eyes widening slightly, as if caught off guard. She hesitated for a mont before offering a small wave.
[Yes.]
[Hello, senior.]
I nodded politely and observed her closely.
This ti, Lee Jiyeon looked much better. At least she didn’t have the deathly pale complexion she’d had the last ti we t.
Now, she rely looked like soone who was a bit tired.
She also seed to have shaken off so of the guilt she harbored toward , as her attitude was relatively normal.
Though if I observed closely, I could still catch hints of her cautiously watching or flinching slightly, it was subtle enough to ignore.
For soone like , with zero social skills to engage a shrinking violet like Lee Jiyeon, this was a welco change.
“Junior, is sothing wrong? You don’t look well...”
Just as I was nodding internally while observing her complexion, Lee Jiyeon, with a clear expression of concern, asked about my own appearance.
Was sothing wrong?
Given how the word "unicorn" whispered around the café was enough to confirm that sothing had indeed happened, her question wasn’t surprising.
But what she was asking about was my pale, almost luminous skin that seed to hold a strange shadow at the sa ti.
Why...
The corners of my mouth twitched as a strange sensation flickered on my forehead.
Curiosity had led to tamper with sothing, and the unexpected synchronization had gone in a completely unforeseen direction.
I’d tried to fix it afterward, but sothing had surged from within, swallowing my rationality.
The mories I had tried so hard to bury... no, the delusions, slowly raised their heads.
A panorama of vivid recollections played out.
Clinging, whining like a child, throwing tantrums, burying myself in soone's embrace, and absurdly searching for a cow... Such disgraceful, bratty behavior, paired with vulgar remarks...
And the lukewarm stares of those watching .
I had the sudden urge to hang myself.
...
[No.]
[I’m fine.]
[Nothing happened.]
[Nothing at all.]
[Really, nothing.]
“Ah, I see... Alright.”
Lee Jiyeon nodded, looking unconvinced, but thankfully didn’t pursue the matter further.
That was satisfactory enough for .
I’d already been teased relentlessly about this all morning.
This mory was one I wanted to bury forever.
Grumbling to myself, I pulled out the thermos I had brought this morning, unscrewed the lid, and tipped it to my lips.
Cold milk trickled into my mouth.
Perhaps because of the chill, it went down smoothly.
...
Siyoram Academy’s rather haphazard education system extended to its ntoring program.
The responsibility for pairing seniors and juniors was left entirely to the students.
There was no official diation. Instead, student-organized communities or clubs often handled the matchmaking.
As a result, first- and second-year students spent this period busily looking for ntors and ntees, which explained why the café had been so crowded earlier.
Those who had found a match were likely discussing schedules or already engaged in ntoring like us. Those who hadn’t were still wandering, searching for a partner.
First-years sought skilled seniors who could teach them valuable skills.
Second-years looked for juniors who could follow their guidance and from whom they could gain sothing in return.
They scouted each other and submitted their preferences.
Once both parties accepted, they were officially registered as ntor and ntee.
There were no set guidelines for what to study or learn.
You could study martial arts, magic, summoning, tallurgy, alchemy—anything you wanted.
The goal was simply to teach and learn what both parties were interested in.
As long as you submitted regular progress and result reports, you’d earn ample credits.
In a way, it was a generous system that rewarded attendance.
“You want to study Taesan?”
I expressed my desire to learn Taesan.
Taesan was a critical ability that could help extend my life and enhance my physical condition.
Among the people around , only Lee Jiyeon had manifested Taesan, and she was also the one who wielded it most effectively.
It would be foolish to have her as my ntor and not study Taesan.
“Taesan, huh...”
Lee Jiyeon hesitated, her tone thoughtful.
[Would that be inappropriate?]
[I’m not asking for your family’s secret techniques.]
[I’m just curious about the basics of how Taesan is used.]
Taesan was a unique ability passed down from the clan’s ancestors.
Over ti, extensive research on this ability had resulted in a wealth of knowledge.
This made it easier for subsequent generations to learn and practice it, but it also ant that information could leak, exposing its weaknesses.
Of course, even with known weaknesses, the unique abilities of the Three Great Clans were overwhelmingly powerful, but no one welcod such leaks.
“Oh, no, it’s not a problem. It’s just...”
Lee Jiyeon shook her head and glanced down at .
Her gaze was complex, as if a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts swirled behind her green eyes.
“...Alright. The basics are common knowledge anyway.”
[Really?]
[Thank you.]
I bead and expressed my gratitude. Since the basics of vitality manipulation would likely fall under the fundantals, I planned to ask her to demonstrate that specifically.
Seeing my brightened expression, Lee Jiyeon flinched slightly before holding up one finger.
“In exchange, I’d like to see your Guhwa Flas.”
[Yes.]
[Understood.]
Her request was within expectations. Since Taesan and the Guhwa Flas were both unique abilities of the Three Great Clans, it made sense to exchange demonstrations for mutual learning.
.
.
.
We quickly arranged to rent a nearby training area to dive right into practicing Taesan as planned.
“How much do you know about Taesan?”
Lee Jiyeon asked, idly tapping the dirt floor with her toe.
We had chosen an outdoor training ground to better demonstrate the technique.
While Taesan could technically be used indoors without issue, any accidental damage to facilities would be costly, so we decided to move outside.
[I’ve only heard the basics.]
“In that case, I’ll demonstrate and explain it simultaneously.”
With that, Lee Jiyeon began channeling her mana.
Her core, located near her heart, started to pulse.
Each pulse sent earth-aligned mana, what one could call earth energy, cascading from her core.
The unique properties inherent to Lee Jiyeon swelled, radiating strength.
The discharged earth energy transford into a mountain range stretching beyond the horizon, with peaks soaring high enough to pierce the clouds.
“Whew... This should suffice for now. Can you sense it with your perception abilities?”
Lee Jiyeon let out a deep breath, glancing at as she spoke.
[Yes.]
[I can sense it clearly.]
I nodded. From the mont she began, I had been ticulously observing her through my perception abilities.
My sharpened senses were trained on her, allowing to experience the initiation process of Taesan in fine detail.
“Taesan is primarily divided into three abilities,” Lee Jiyeon began explaining.
“Physical augntation, earth manipulation, and vitality control. First, physical augntation… Well, it’s so common that it hardly needs explaining. To compare, though, it’s a bit different from the nature of Guhwa Flas.”
With a flick of her finger, a fist-sized stone erged from the ground near her feet. Lee Jiyeon picked it up and gripped it tightly.
“Taesan’s physical augntation specializes in defense and endurance. Most attacks won’t leave so much as a scratch, and even if you’re injured, natural healing kicks in quickly. The mana consumption is minimal, allowing it to be sustained for a long ti.”
Crunch. Her fingers crushed the stone as easily as if it were tofu.
“Guhwa Flas, on the other hand, excel in montary output. Their instantaneous impact is superior... Ah, though I guess I didn’t need to explain that to soone who’s manifested Guhwa Flas.”
[I’m listening carefully.]
“Thanks, then.”
Lee Jiyeon shrugged with an awkward smile.
“Next is earth manipulation.”
Rumble. A mound of earth suddenly surged up beside us. The mound, rippling like a sli, gradually began to take form.
It shaped itself into a figure with short, tied-back hair, a slender face, and a curvaceous body.
A likeness of Lee Jiyeon, crafted from earth.
“This is roughly what it’s capable of. It’s an elental ability that allows you to dominate and manipulate the earth.”
Lee Jiyeon patted the shoulder of the earthen figure that resembled her.
The figure, though lacking color, replicated Lee Jiyeon’s details with remarkable precision, even down to her clothing.
“Since it’s an elental ability, it can also create objects.”
She casually crushed the remnants of the stone she had held earlier and raised her hand.
Mana concentrated in her palm, transforming into fine soil. When she clenched her fist, the soil trickled through her fingers.
“Of course, it’s rarely permanent and not very efficient. When operating on a large scale, it’s better to use existing terrain.”
Earth manipulation.
When people think of Taesan, this is often the iconic ability that cos to mind.
“Finally, there’s vitality control...”
And at last, the topic I was most interested in ca up.
I focused intently, listening closely to Lee Jiyeon’s explanation.
Noticing my earnest attention, Lee Jiyeon glanced at briefly.
“This one is hard to explain. It’s not that I don’t want to teach it to you, it’s just difficult to describe...”
[Don’t worry, I understand.]
“Thank you...”
Though still appearing burdened, Lee Jiyeon responded with a faintly awkward expression.
“Actually, necromancy relies on vitality control. It’s about perceiving vitality and using the earth as a dium to manipulate and command spirits… Hmm...”
Lee Jiyeon trailed off, seemingly deep in thought.
Despite her struggle to articulate, she was clearly trying to make it comprehensible.
She’s really putting in the effort, I mused.
Perhaps it was due to her inherently kind nature. She could have brushed over it, but she was working hard to explain everything thoroughly.
Her explanations so far had been incredibly clear and detailed. She even shared crucial insights that she wasn’t obligated to, which would undoubtedly help when I attempted to wield Taesan.
Still, I was far from proficient in using Taesan.
I had managed to master Guhwa Flas through extensive study of resources from the Guhwa clan and hands-on guidance.
As for Changae, though my knowledge was limited, Baek Ahrin had provided one-on-one instruction and occasional advice, allowing to gradually expand my understanding.
If I accumulated enough information from Lee Jiyeon, I might one day handle Taesan just as adeptly.
“Junior, there’s one thod I can think of...”
[What thod?]
“Um...”
Lee Jiyeon hesitated, seeming sowhat conflicted. After a mont, she glanced at , gauging my reaction.
“Well, it involves holding hands and infusing mana and vitality. That’s how we’re taught in the clan. Vitality is hard to comprehend until you’ve directly experienced it...”
That makes sense.
Before I could perceive vitality through Taesan, I had no understanding of life energy.
I had vaguely sensed sothing essential ebbing from my body, but I hadn’t realized it was vitality.
“Of course, it’s a bit dangerous...”
[Here.]
I nodded and extended my hand.
Though I could already sense vitality now, I decided to follow Lee Jiyeon’s suggestion, planning to observe how she manipulated it.
“Huh...”
[?]
Lee Jiyeon blinked in surprise, glancing at my arm as if to confirm sothing. Seeing it was my normal arm and not a prosthetic, she appeared puzzled.
She hesitated, looking at my outstretched hand as though it posed a great dilemma.
Monts later, she steeled herself, her expression firm.
“...Junior, you shouldn’t offer your hand so readily to others.”
I was scolded out of nowhere.
[Excuse ?]
I was taken aback. She was the one who suggested it!
“Interfering with soone’s body using mana is extrely dangerous,” she continued, despite my evident disbelief.
“If the mana you accept explodes within you, it could wreck your circuits and core. If you’re lucky, you’ll be left half-crippled; if not, you could die instantly.”
[Are you trying to kill ?]
“What? Of course not. I’d never do such a thing, but soone else might...”
[I trust you.]
Her calm explanation faltered as her mouth snapped shut. Lee Jiyeon blinked at , her expression blank. Clearly, she hadn’t expected that response.
“...Why would you trust ? We haven’t even known each other that long.”
[We fought together in China.]
[You’re a good person.]
Of course, my trust wasn’t solely based on that.
The real Lee Jiyeon was indeed a good person, but my knowledge from the original story also played a role.
I also had asures prepared in case she betrayed like Baek Ahrin had in the original.
Besides, I had enough confidence in my mana affinity to suppress any tricks she might attempt within my body.
These factors, along with her genuine nature, ford the basis of my trust.
“Um... Well, thank you for trusting .”
After blinking several tis, Lee Jiyeon startled, then nodded with a soft cough. She extended her hand cautiously.
“Then... Shall we hold hands? I’ll infuse vitality into you to stimulate your senses. Try to feel it.”
[Understood.]
When I took her hand, the size difference made it more accurate to say my hand was being held.
Almost imdiately, I felt vitality begin to flow into .
Lee Jiyeon, who had briefly closed her eyes, opened them again. Her darkened vision filled with light.
What she saw was a small, pale boy—Lee Hayul—holding her hand as he focused intently on perceiving vitality.
He was utterly motionless. Apart from the rise and fall of his breathing, he seed like a statue.
The process of introducing soone to vitality… To be honest, it was usually pointless.
For non-Taesan users, perceiving vitality simply through mana and vitality infusion was almost impossible.
If it were that easy, the clan would have taught vitality to countless others.
This thod was designed specifically for Taesan users, whose basic abilities included the perception of vitality.
After so stimulation, they would naturally awaken to it.
But for soone else? It was a futile effort.
Or so she thought.
Until she tried to sense Lee Hayul’s vitality.
And what she found left her dumbstruck.
“...What is this?”
The mont Lee Jiyeon recognized Hayul’s vitality, her face turned pale.
It wasn’t just depleted; it was almost completely gone.
As if he could die at any mont.
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