Today was a failure, to put it bluntly.
I had spent hours pouring my energy into it, but there were no tangible results.
"Expecting success on the first try... would be greedy."
Flying with the help of the Wind Spirit, I mulled over my failure.
"Vitality... It's hard to control. Is it this difficult for others too? Or is it easier for me because of my affinity for mana?"
Mana affinity. If I can handle mana and other elemental powers with ease, vitality shouldn’t be impossible either.
But vitality is a vague, extraordinarily difficult force to manipulate.
In fact, even being able to perceive and control vitality is incredibly rare. Even necromancers, who delve into life and death, rarely manage it.
The ability of Taesan to support the perception and manipulation of vitality, self-recovery, and even necromancy is nothing short of extraordinary.
"Still, it feels like I can figure it out if I keep trying..."
It’s challenging to control, but not impossible. And when I stubbornly crammed vitality into my body, I felt as if there was some slight change.
Although the vitality that managed to enter was as small as a grain of millet, it spilled out the moment it went in.
Yet, amidst this struggle, I sensed something peculiar.
It was reminiscent of the sensation I had as a child, when my limbs stretched as I grew taller.
If I thought about it that way, it felt like I was on the right track.
Vitality is like a resource, and attempting to use it to construct a two-story building with insufficient materials inevitably results in a smaller structure.
And vitality seems directly connected to the issue of my lifespan.
If I can keep replenishing my body with vitality, many problems might be resolved.
Of course, it’s just a temporary solution—like pouring water into a bottomless jar—but it’s still worth attempting.
"I need to resolve this before the Tower of Growth."
The entry to the tower is approaching soon.
The first entry’s theme is survival. Cadets are thrown onto the first floor of the tower to fight and fend for themselves.
If the original storyline is followed, the second entry’s theme is introspection.
Introspection (gwanjo).
Roughly speaking, it means to perceive the essence of something. Upon entering the Tower of Growth, all cadets will face their own reflection.
And like a cliché from a manga or video game, they’ll have to battle that reflection in a one-on-one duel.
The task for this entry is to defeat the reflected version of oneself.
"If I enter like this... will the same form appear?"
My face involuntarily twisted at the thought.
The idea seemed utterly pathetic—a stubby little kid flailing their arms and legs in a fight, regardless of the means used.
I don’t want that.
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There’s a lot to do, but I must focus on restoring this body first.
I let the Wind Spirit carry me.
I didn’t fly too high, just a few meters off the ground, floating along swiftly.
"...What the hell is that?"
"That... looks absurd. There’s definitely something over... what is that?"
Eyes followed me wherever I went.
To be fair, seeing someone flying wasn’t particularly rare.
Once proficient in magic, many people could fly, and it wasn’t uncommon to see someone rushing through the air when time was tight.
But I was a bit of an exception. Not to sound arrogant, but my appearance was uniquely eye-catching.
My snow-white hair.
The azure winged cloak trailing behind me like a fluttering banner.
My diminutive frame, clad in a cadet uniform.
All of it combined to draw unabashed stares.
Thankfully, my prosthetic arm was covered with a sleeve, drawing less attention. I took solace in that small relief as I let the wind guide me.
My destination was the old training grounds.
My mentor and Professor Riana would be waiting for me there.
Even though course registration hadn’t started yet, training with them was just as good.
And since they’d offered advice on registration, I intended to discuss it with them today as well.
The old training grounds felt... tense when I arrived.
My mentor and Professor Riana stood there, frozen in place, staring at each other intently.
Their stances were awkward, as if caught mid-motion, and the emotions in their gazes were complex.
Their eyes collided in the air, as if an invisible force was pushing them apart.
[Mentor?]
[Professor Riana?]
The pendant around my neck clicked softly. My brusque voice broke the odd standoff.
Both of them turned their gazes toward me.
"Ah... You’re here early."
It was my mentor who spoke first.
He cleared his throat and softened his tone, his previously stiff expression relaxing. His sharp eyes also softened into a kinder gaze.
The unease creeping into my heart melted away.
The Wind Spirit’s movement, briefly stalled by the tense atmosphere, resumed.
"But you don’t look too pleased. What trouble have you... no, never mind."
My mentor suddenly clamped his mouth shut, furrowing his brow as if to stifle a sigh of exasperation.
"I’m too afraid to ask what kind of mess you might have caused."
[I’m sorry...]
[I was just testing some abilities...]
I shrank back under his gaze, which resembled that of an adult scolding a troublesome child.
I wanted to protest, but my guilty conscience stopped me.
"Don’t look so defeated."
Seeing my reaction, my mentor softened his expression and reached out.
I knew exactly what he was about to do.
The Sky Wings on my back fluttered gently.
He was about to pull me into his arms—
"Why are you scolding the child like that?"
A voice interrupted, halting the moment.
My mentor frowned and glanced sideways.
Professor Riana, the source of the voice, glared back at him with a look that said he was being unreasonable before turning her gaze to me.
Her green eyes softened, and her lips curled into a warm smile.
It was then that the area around Professor Riana seemed to glow.
She spread her arms, her ample chest drawing attention as she opened herself to me.
Her gentle smile and actions exuded a maternal aura, as if she were ready to embrace and soothe me no matter what.
If I buried my face in her chest and whimpered, she would surely pat my back and console me...
‘...?’
A strange thought crossed my mind.
Burying my face and crying? Had I done that with her before?
Had I... or had I not?
My memory wavered. It felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
What... is this feeling?
[Familiarity.]
[Comfort.]
[Attraction.]
[I like it.]
Although a mix of emotions churned within me, it wasn’t unpleasant.
[Soft.]
In fact, it felt nostalgic, even comforting...
"Disciple...?"
[Yes?]
My mentor's voice reached my ears, trembling with emotion and disbelief.
I froze at the sound.
What was happening? Why was my body not moving?
"Wait...?"
It was only then that I noticed something strange.
My position had shifted.
Somehow, I was no longer near my mentor but drifting toward Professor Riana instead.
Without hesitation, I floated straight into her open arms, as if it was the most natural thing to do.
[Confusion.]
[Familiarity.]
I didn’t even hesitate in the process. It felt so... natural, as if that spot was meant for me.
"Huh?"
Even as I recognized what was happening, I didn’t feel much resistance to it. On the contrary, the warmth radiating from her arms seemed so inviting that I almost wanted to fall asleep there.
It was at that moment—
"Ah...! Spirit affinity...!"
My mentor's eyes widened as he exclaimed in realization.
"Ah..."
With that, the scattered pieces in my mind began to come together.
Spirit Affinity. Professor Riana’s unique ability. I had suspected I might be affected by it before, and now it seemed that a similar effect was in play.
My mentor’s body trembled visibly. His sharp eyes narrowed in frustration as he pointed an accusing finger at Professor Riana.
"You... You sneaky little woman...!"
"Sneaky? What on earth are you accusing me of?"
Professor Riana blinked her emerald eyes innocently, though the air around her seemed to grow brighter. Her Sky Wings fluttered gently.
My mentor’s trembling intensified at the sight.
"What else should I call it if not sneaky? Turn off that pheromone field right now!"
"Pheromone? I have no idea what you’re talking about. If you’re sensing something, perhaps it’s your own imagination?"
Their argument escalated.
My mentor hurled accusations, while Professor Riana countered with feigned innocence.
The scene felt oddly familiar. After a moment of thought, I realized it resembled the frequent spats between Hong Yeonhwa and Baek Arin.
[Wait...]
[Hold on...]
But this was different.
I quickly slipped between the two of them, cutting the argument short.
Their bickering stopped abruptly, and both pairs of eyes turned to me.
I hadn’t thought about what to do next, so I flailed my arms awkwardly and shook my head to signal them to stop.
[P-please don’t fight...]
The pendant around my neck clicked softly as it transmitted my words.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt like I could sense the emotions carried by the sound of the pendant lately.
The two glanced at each other with strange expressions before coming to some unspoken agreement.
One after the other, I was swept into both their arms.
[What about training?]
That was all I managed to get out.
In between holding hands with my mentor to practice mana manipulation and experimenting with magic and spirit transformation with Professor Riana, physical training was conspicuously absent.
"Do you plan to spar with that body?"
My mentor’s incredulous tone accompanied the way he lightly squeezed my right hand.
[Yes.]
"For the sake of your opponent, please don’t..."
Professor Riana pressed her soft fingers against my cheek, squishing it gently as she spoke with a peculiar expression.
[...?]
Physical training or sparring wasn’t on the agenda. Instead, I ended up spending time nestled in their arms, recharging the emotional and mental energy I had depleted.
After wrapping up a reasonable amount of training, I headed to a study room near the first-year dormitory.
I wasn’t there alone—Hong Yeonhwa, Baek Arin, and Elia joined me.
The plan was to pool our heads together and discuss our schedules for the semester.
With the advice I’d received earlier from my mentor and Professor Riana, I planned to finalize my timetable here as well.
Time was tight, so we needed to get this done quickly. Luckily, I’d already thought about the courses I wanted to take, so it shouldn’t take long.
"Stay away from my child, you fox of a... uh, woman!"
"Your child? What nonsense is this? Why are you accusing me of something I haven’t done?"
The earlier scene played out once more.
Hong Yeonhwa growled threateningly, while Baek Arin shrugged her shoulders in mock innocence.
I sucked on my cold drink, quietly observing the commotion with a bemused expression.
+++++
[Unique Ability "Mana Affinity" has grown.]
...
[Your vitality is weakly restored.]
[External, foreign vitality is rejected.]
[Vitality is expelled.]
[The "Curse of the Beautiful and Short-Lived" responds.]
...
[Player Adjustment System: Affection Levels]
Lee Hayul → Riana Bellus
●●●●●●●○○○ (75▷76/100)
“Affection,” “Gratitude,” “Gentle Adult,” “Soft,” “Warmth,” “Abundance”
...
Lee Hayul → Atra Clyde
●●●●●●●●○○ (86▷87/100)
“Mentor,” “Expectation,” “Stability,” “Yearning for Affection”
...
[Artifact "Confession Necklace" detects changes in the user.]