"Seriously, this can't be so complicated."
The old man in charge of artifacts returned a bomb to me after I let him borrow one of my mana aids for training.
I have been studying it for over a week, but I still have no idea what is going on.
If I can't use it, no other magician would be able to. Had the old man finally lost his senses?
"Heh? Where did it go?"
Last night, I had placed it on top of my desk so that no one would get to it and I could dispose of it safely. It was gone this morning.
"Urgh. This is why I need to clean regularly."
There were papers and documents all over the office, except by the door. There were also notes everywhere with mini scribbles whenever I had an idea.
Shook.
I drew a simple magic circle and started to organize.
The books that were on the floor returned to their places, and the documents neatly were arranged back onto the desk.
The scraps of paper also went into the trash can.
"Seriously, where is it?"
He did say 'improvement,' but it was no ordinary artifact.
By twisting the magic formula processed in the mana booster to the lowest, the mana sensitivity was lowered, and when the mana was raised, a shock was applied to the inside as a reaction.
It also gave the property of pushing back mana, causing the body to become overloaded.
But the impact was so much greater than expected, that I only got hurt from training.
I had separated it so that I could dispose of it, but now it was out of sight.
"Well, it's gotta be in here somewhere, since I never took it out."
Since I knew how dangerous it was, I never brought it outside. It should be in the corner somewhere, maybe under the table or something.
Knock knock.
"Professor, are you in?"
"Yes~ come on in."
The female TA got in and looked surprised.
"Wow, what's going on? You cleaned up your room! You said that you perform better in your most natural environment and never cleaned."
"Well, I was looking for something. Have you seen the bracelet that looks like a mana aid?"
"Ah, if you are talking about the one that was on your desk, I placed it back into the training tool box."
"...What?"
"Well, you would have forgotten about it anyways, so I cleaned it up since the freshmen will be having their first training class today. Aren't you glad?"
"DAfu....woah, wait. They have a training class today?"
"Yes. It should be going on right now. What's going on?"
I stood up from my seat.
I uncrossed my legs, pushed away the TA who was looking dumb, and ran over to the mana training facility.
"Professor, where are you going? You need to do the paperwork! Are you running away again?"
"Ugh...that immature bastard."
The mana training facility was not too far from here. It would be faster to run than to create a teleport circle.
The mana aid and the enhanced artifact looked very similar to each other.
Of course, if you were to look closely, you would notice the difference, but the professors or TAs wouldn't observe them so closely. Also, the new students wouldn't even know what's right to begin with.
If a student were to wear the enhanced mana aid...somethign terrible might happen.
If they were to end up in the hospital, it would be the nicest of the possibilities.
They have higher chances of permanently damaging their mana or death.
I could not blame my TA, since many times I had borrowed the mana aid for research and had gotten probation from not returning them in time.
In the end, it was my mistake of lying around anywhere.
'Please...may it be calm..'
I entered the building. Fortunately the freshmen were on the first floor, so I could spot them right away.
Bang!
I entered as if I was breaking in.
Since I entered through the front, I should have seen all the students' faces, but I saw them all crowded in the back.
"What? What's going on?"
"Hoyeon Lee collapsed! I can't see, with all these people around."
'Hoyeon Lee?'
He was the student I made a note of from my last class.
'It would have been better if he had no talent!'
Instead of being crippled from a moderate skill with mana, it was better to just collapse without resisting it.
It gave me a chance of performing ER later.
"One moment! Coming through!"
"What the heck.. Oh...professor Lim?"
I saw the fallen male student on the floor through the crowd.
The first thing I noticed was his handsome face. I had seen it in the last class, but it was always refreshing.
I had seen a lot of handsome faces in my life, but his face made all others ugly.
The next thing I noticed was how his handsome face was folded and wrinkled from his moans.
'He's still conscious?'
From the outside, he seemed like he was dying from the black blood he was coughing up, but on the inside there was a battle to catch his mana.
And the skill was so advanced. His mana application was one that I had never seen before.
'His mana application is in some ways...awkward.'
It was another kind of mana usage in its entirety.
As if he was not calculative but active and intuitive when handling mana...
'Hmm?'
Lim Sol immediately felt something tickling her chest. It is a state of super-concentration just before reaching enlightenment or the realm. This is a rare phenomenon that Lim Sol has never felt except when she is enhanced.
However, when she saw that Professor Han Jae-young, a professor of Mana Studies, was trying to grab Lee Ho-yeon's body, she had no choice but to delay the moment of realization.
"What the heck do you think you are doing?"
"Professor Sol? What brought you here? It's good. We need to take care of him immediately. I would appreciate your help."
For someone like her to mention interest in my mana application, it meant that she saw something.
The only thing I could think of was [mana empathy]. She must have seen the process of me fixing the paths.
"Hello?"
Oops, I zoned out for too long.
"Sorry, I was just thinking about something. No, I never learned it from anyone."
"So it's 100% your work?"
"Well, y..yeah."
Unless someone else received [mana empathy] as their special skill, I would be the only one.
"I can take your word for it, right?"
"Yes, you can trust me."
I confirmed, since she didn't seem to believe me.
"Ha.....hmmm...:"
Suddenly Sol Lim started to get anxious like a horny cat. She started breathing in hard and held my hand with sparkling eyes.
"You....are a genius. All the magicians or S-class hunters I have seen are just a mere starfish compared to you!"
"Starfish?"
"Yes! Those starfish!"
"No...you are too flattering."
"What did she have against starfish? Was she enemies with them?"
"I am not exaggerating. Your skill puts you at a level not in Korea but in a world league..."
"My skills are that great? I think I'm just average."
The only skill I had was the one given to me.
"No, if the other starfish were to hear you talk, they would try to kill you. For your information, the bracelet that you wore is hard even for me to use with my mana."
"What? Really?"
It was really dangerous, but now I understood why she was acting this way.
My skill, [mana empathy], was that significant?
"Yes! So, I would like you to help me with my research. You will definitely take magic to another level of development!"
"Well..."
I had no interest in that...but I guess it would help to do so.
Sol Lim wasn't a heroine, but she was very skillful. She would be a helpful card to have.
There was nothing to lose from becoming close with a professor.
But there was another problem.
I had no confidence that I could help with her research.
The mana application skill that Sol Lim was obsessed with was just a gifted skill. I had no knowledge or given talent that would impress her.
Well, unlike others, I did have a better understanding of mana, but this was hard to explain since it was of an instinctive nature.
After contemplation, I decided to confess to her. Since I could be putting too much time into this without spending time seducing the heroine, this was the right thing to do.
"Would I...help? My mana application is largely affected by my skills, so I don't have the capability to help with your research."
"I know that. I am actually interested in researching you as a person, Hoyeon."
"Excuse me?"
"Although I seem like this, I have quite a lot saved up. I can reward you as you wish."
Well, having money never hurt...
When Sol Lim noticed that I was losing interest, she started to fan her hands.
"No, this is a great loss for humanity! It's a chance to contribute to the world of magic in its entirety!"
She disheveled her hair as if shouting didn't help to calm her down. She seemed to be crazy about magic.
From the hand she waved, her hood flipped back and I could see her cat-like face in its full form.
In the game, she gave a cold and mature vibe, but how did she turn into such a prideless character like this?
Did magic have the ability to change people's personalities as well?"
"Please..calm down, and explain to me slowly."
"Okay. Phew...ha..."
She placed her hand on her chest and took deep breaths. Her bodyline that appeared through the robe was quite attractive.
Well, I couldn't stop thinking about what she mentioned about repaying me in ANY way. I should calm down.
"...You must have an interest in my breasts?"
"..y...huh?"
How did she know? Everytime her robe moved, I glanced, but she caught that?
Sol Lim closed her lips, then got up from her seat as if she made a decision.
Ssssss
The robe fell from the body powerlessly.
A pink, baggy tee that she placed to cover her large breasts and tight black leggings made a weird ensemble.
It was a choice for comfort, but her curvy body was more emphasized.
Sol Lim moved her seat right next to me.
A scent different from detergent, but a particular sweet scent that a woman has flushed up from her body.
"As a form of apology...if this is the kind of treatment you want, I can take that into consideration."
Why are you acting like this...professor...I'm scared..
Sol Lim bent her back and looked up at me from the bottom.
It was weird to look down at a pretty girl, but I felt a little thrilled as well.
Slender fingers started to creep up from the bottom of my body.
Tap tap.
The slight tapping felt sensitive, and I was aroused.
When I was hazed by her pretty face and creeping fingertips, Lim Sol asked me again.
"Hoyeon, do you want to study with me?"
"Thank you for giving me a chance to contribute to the world of magic."
"Smart man, hoo hoo."
I think that a person should think in ways to contribute to the world.