The mentoring day I had previously arranged with Lee Jiyeon arrived.
The meeting ce was a simple café.
In the past, I didn’t understand why people insisted on meeting at cafés, but when it came time to set up an appointment, there was no ce more convenient than a café.
Cool in the summer and warm in the winter, with ces to sit, and food or drinks readily avable if you were hungry or thirsty. Cafés were easy to find, making them the perfect spot to start before heading elsewhere.
<ul>
<li><em>Jingle-jingle.</em></li>
</ul>
As I opened the door, a rush of cool air poured over me.
Now that it was summer, air conditioning was sting everywhere. It was certainly a bit stifling outside.
Enjoying the coolness, I walked toward the interior, ignoring the nces cast my way.
Lee Jiyeon was seated by the window on the first floor of the café, where sunlight streamed in.
If we were nning a long meeting, 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 me.
“You’re early. Good morning, junior,” Lee Jiyeon said, her eyes widening slightly, as if caught off guard. She hesitated for a moment before offering a small wave.
[Yes.]
[Hello, senior.]
I nodded politely and observed her closely.
This time, Lee Jiyeon looked much better. At least she didn’t have the deathly paleplexion she’d had thest time we met.
Now, she merely looked like someone who was a bit tired.
She also seemed to have shaken off some of the guilt she harbored toward me, as her attitude was rtively normal.
Though if I observed closely, I could still catch hints of her cautiously watching me or flinching slightly, it was subtle enough to ignore.
For someone like me, with zero social skills to engage a shrinking violet like Lee Jiyeon, this was a wee change.
“Junior, is something wrong? You don’t look well...”
Just as I was nodding internally while observing herplexion, Lee Jiyeon, with a clear expression of concern, asked about my own appearance.
Was something wrong?
Given how the word "unicorn" whispered around the café was enough to confirm that something had indeed happened, her question wasn’t surprising.
But what she was asking about was my pale, almost luminous skin that seemed to hold a strange shadow at the same time.
Why...
The corners of my mouth twitched as a strange sensation flickered on my forehead.
Curiosity had led me to tamper with something, and the unexpected synchronization had gone in apletely unforeseen direction.
I’d tried to fix it afterward, but something had surged from within, swallowing my rationality.
The memories I had tried so hard to bury... no, the delusions, slowly raised their heads.
A panorama of vivid recollections yed out.
Clinging, whining like a child, throwing tantrums, burying myself in someone''s embrace, and absurdly searching for a cow... Such disgraceful, bratty behavior, paired with vulgar remarks...
And the lukewarm stares of those watching me.
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 me.
I’d already been teased relentlessly about this all morning.
This memory 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 mentoring program.
The responsibility for pairing seniors and juniors was left entirely to the students.
There was no official mediation. Instead, student-organizedmunities or clubs often handled the matchmaking.
As a result, first- and second-year students spent this period busily looking for mentors and mentees, which exined why the café had been so crowded earlier.
Those who had found a match were likely discussing schedules or already engaged in mentoring 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 something in return.
They scouted each other and submitted their preferences.
Once both parties epted, they were officially registered as mentor and mentee.
There were no set guidelines for what to study or learn.
You could study martial arts, magic, summoning, metallurgy, alchemy—anything you wanted.
The goal was simply to teach and learn what both parties were interested in.
As long as you submitted regr 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 me, 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 mentor 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 n’s ancestors.
Over time, 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 meant that information could leak, exposing its weaknesses.
Of course, even with known weaknesses, the unique abilities of the Three Great ns were overwhelmingly powerful, but no one weed such leaks.
“Oh, no, it’s not a problem. It’s just...”
Lee Jiyeon shook her head and nced down at me.
Her gaze wasplex, as if a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts swirled behind her green eyes.
“...Alright. The basics aremon knowledge anyway.”
[Really?]
[Thank you.]
I beamed and expressed my gratitude. Since the basics of vitality maniption would likely fall under the fundamentals, I nned 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 mes.”
[Yes.]
[Understood.]
Her request was within expectations. Since Taesan and the Guhwa mes were both unique abilities of the Three Great ns, 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 nned.
“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 idental 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 exin 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 <strong>earth energy</strong>, cascading from her core.
The unique properties inherent to Lee Jiyeon swelled, radiating strength.
The discharged earth energy transformed 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, ncing at me as she spoke.
[Yes.]
[I can sense it clearly.]
I nodded. From the moment she began, I had been meticulously observing her through my perception abilities.
My sharpened senses were trained on her, allowing me to experience the initiation process of Taesan in fine detail.
“Taesan is primarily divided into three abilities,” Lee Jiyeon began exining.
“Physical augmentation, earth maniption, and vitality control. First, physical augmentation… Well, it’s somon that it hardly needs exining. Topare, though, it’s a bit different from the nature of Guhwa mes.”
With a flick of her finger, a fist-sized stone emerged from the ground near her feet. Lee Jiyeon picked it up and gripped it tightly.
“Taesan’s physical augmentation 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 time.”@@novelbin@@
<em>Crunch.</em> Her fingers crushed the stone as easily as if it were tofu.
“Guhwa mes, on the other hand, excel in momentary output. Their instantaneous impact is superior... Ah, though I guess I didn’t need to exin that to someone who’s manifested Guhwa mes.”
[I’m listening carefully.]
“Thanks, then.”
Lee Jiyeon shrugged with an awkward smile.
“Next is earth maniption.”
<em>Rumble.</em> A mound of earth suddenly surged up beside us. The mound, rippling like a slime, 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 elemental ability that allows you to dominate and manipte the earth.”
Lee Jiyeon patted the shoulder of the earthen figure that resembled her.
The figure, thoughcking color, replicated Lee Jiyeon’s details with remarkable precision, even down to her clothing.
“Since it’s an elemental 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 arge scale, it’s better to use existing terrain.”
Earth maniption.
When people think of Taesan, this is often the iconic ability thates to mind.
“Finally, there’s vitality control...”
And atst, the topic I was most interested in came up.
I focused intently, listening closely to Lee Jiyeon’s exnation.
Noticing my earnest attention, Lee Jiyeon nced at me briefly.
“This one is hard to exin. 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 medium to manipte andmand spirits… Hmm...”
Lee Jiyeon trailed off, seemingly deep in thought.
Despite her struggle to articte, she was clearly trying to make itprehensible.
<em>She’s really putting in the effort,</em> I mused.
Perhaps it was due to her inherently kind nature. She could have brushed over it, but she was working hard to exin everything thoroughly.
Her exnations so far had been incredibly clear and detailed. She even shared crucial insights that she wasn’t obligated to, which would undoubtedly help me when I attempted to wield Taesan.
Still, I was far from proficient in using Taesan.
I had managed to master Guhwa mes through extensive study of resources from the Guhwa n and hands-on guidance.
As for Changae, though my knowledge was limited, Baek Ahrin had provided one-on-one instruction and asional advice, allowing me to gradually expand my understanding.
If I umted enough information from Lee Jiyeon, I might one day handle Taesan just as adeptly.
“Junior, there’s one method I can think of...”
[What method?]
“Um...”
Lee Jiyeon hesitated, seeming somewhat conflicted. After a moment, she nced at me, gauging my reaction.
“Well, it involves holding hands and infusing mana and vitality. That’s how we’re taught in the n. Vitality is hard toprehend until you’ve directly experienced it...”
<em>That makes sense.</em>
Before I could perceive vitality through Taesan, I had no understanding of life energy.
I had vaguely sensed something 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, nning to observe how she manipted it.
“Huh...”
[?]
Lee Jiyeon blinked in surprise, ncing at my arm as if to confirm something. 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.
Momentster, she steeled herself, her expression firm.
“...Junior, you shouldn’t offer your hand so readily to others.”
I was scolded out of nowhere.
[Excuse me?]
I was taken aback. She was the one who suggested it!
“Interfering with someone’s body using mana is extremely dangerous,” she continued, despite my evident disbelief.
“If the mana you ept 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 me?]
“What? Of course not. I’d never do such a thing, but someone else might...”
[I trust you.]
Her calm exnation faltered as her mouth snapped shut. Lee Jiyeon blinked at me, her expression nk. Clearly, she hadn’t expected that response.
“...Why would you trust me? 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 yed a role.
I also had measures prepared in case she betrayed me 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, formed the basis of my trust.
“Um... Well, thank you for trusting me.”
After blinking several times, 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 stimte your senses. Try to feel it.”
[Understood.]
When I took her hand, the size difference made it more urate to say my hand was being held.
Almost immediately, I felt vitality begin to flow into me.
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 seemed like a statue.
The process of introducing someone 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 n would have taught vitality to countless others.
This method was designed specifically for Taesan users, whose basic abilities included the perception of vitality.
After some stimtion, they would naturally awaken to it.
But for someone 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 moment Lee Jiyeon recognized Hayul’s vitality, her face turned pale.
It wasn’t just depleted; it was almostpletely gone.
As if he could die at any moment.