Chapter 28
Predator (1)
-Knock knock
-Come in.
When I knocked on the door, a somewhat weary voice responded from inside. I opened the door and stepped into the counseling room.
“…Excuse me.”
Contrary to what one might expect from a counseling room, the air inside was thick with the stale smell of cigarettes and felt quite stifling.
The first thing that caught my eye was a young professor sitting behind a large desk.
He wore horn-rimmed glasses and had long hair tied back carelessly. His beard was patchy, indicating he hadn’t shaved in a while. Overall, he gave off a rather unkempt and inattentive impression.
“Sit there and wait. I’ll be done soon.”
Kwon Chanyul, the professor in charge of Demon Physiology and Magical Chemistry, spoke without even glancing at me. Meanwhile, his hands were tirelessly typing away on a typewriter.
Several pens floated in the air around him, writing something on papers by themselves. It seemed to be a type of telekinesis magic similar to what the principal had shown before.
The professor looked about the same age as the captain, but hadn’t the principal said that the captain would struggle to master telekinesis magic at his age? What was the difference between the two?
“…Sorry about that. The admission period is the busiest time of the year for professors. I get less than three hours of sleep a day, and the work never ends…”
It took about ten minutes of listening to the furious clacking of the typewriter before we finally had our first conversation. A mountain of documents had piled up on his desk by then.
The dark circles under his eyes were so prominent that just looking at him made me feel exhausted.
“Shall we begin?”
T h i s w as c o p ie d f r o m k i ng m t l . o r g
Thi s w a s c o pi e d f r om k in g m tl .o r g
When the professor snapped his fingers, the curtain covering the wall behind him moved aside by itself.
Behind the curtain was a colossal stone slab that looked like a decorated tapestry at first glance.
Embedded in the center of the slab was a spherical, light green Stellate Resonance Stone, with four circuits extending diagonally from the stone to each corner of the slab.
Each major circuit branched out into numerous smaller circuits, resembling four giant trees with the resonance stone as their root and countless branches growing outwards.
“Your reaction is quite underwhelming. Most students seeing the elemental compass for the first time are usually mesmerized by its strange appearance. Have you seen it before?”
“…Yes. I had a preliminary test done before.”
“Oh, I see. There aren’t many places that have an elemental compass slab. You must have had a great experience. Did you happen to serve in the military beforehand? Haha…”
Professor Kwon chuckled lightly as he made a joke.
“Well, let’s see. You’ve completed all the other tests, and today’s elemental compass test is your last one, right?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve heard the explanation about the elemental test before. If you’ve forgotten, I can explain it again…”
“No need. I remember it well.”
T h is w as c o p i ed f ro m k i n g m t l. o r g
“Good. That saves us time. I’ve had to explain it repeatedly to the less bright ones, and it’s quite tiresome. Let’s start then. Stand in front of it.”
Following the professor’s instructions, I got up from my seat and approached the slab. The green resonance stone in the center sparkled like an eye.
T h i s w a s c o p i ed f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g
I placed my hand on the resonance stone and closed my eyes. Then, I channeled particles into it through my palm.
-Wooong…
Soon, a resonance-like vibration began to emanate from the slab. The vibration continued for about five minutes before gradually subsiding.
“Ah, it’s already done… What is this?”
As the vibration completely stopped, the professor, who had been examining my documents, turned to check the slab. He furrowed his brows, appearing puzzled.
The four tree-like circuits on the elemental compass slab were a broad classification of known magical elements, with the smaller branches representing more detailed sub-elements.
Normally, if the test proceeded correctly, only one of the four major circuits extending from the resonance stone would light up. At the end of certain branches from that circuit, magical flames would appear.
This indicated which sub-elements were the tester’s aptitude, and mages typically chose to specialize in the magic corresponding to these sub-elements and their broader elements.
Those with talent could learn some magic from the neighboring trees’ elements, but the elements from the tree directly opposite were completely beyond their reach.
T h i s w a s co p ie d f ro m k i n g m t l . o r g
However, before me now was a bizarre sight where all four trees were glowing.
Even more oddly, none of the smaller branches indicating sub-elements had any magical flames.
“Ha, what’s going on now?”
Professor Kwon, looking bewildered, tapped the slab.
I knew this would happen. I sighed lightly inwardly. This was exactly the same result as the test I had conducted with the captain before.
If I had channeled my internalized particles, it would have matched the elements correctly, but using the ambient ether directly resulted in this outcome.
I had hoped to avoid this test, but there was no way for a freshman like me to skip such a mandatory process.
“Could it be an overload? Since it’s been used continuously…”
“That’s the most likely explanation, I suppose…”
Hearing my cautious suggestion, the professor nodded and muttered.
“It’s been over fifty years, so it’s due for a breakdown. Still, it’s the first time I’ve seen the same symptom twice in one day. In fact, today is the first time any anomaly has appeared…”
Something the professor said caught my attention.
“Twice… you say?”
“Yes. The same malfunction occurred earlier with another student’s test. I thought it was a temporary error…”
“Who’s the other student…?”
“Don’t ask unnecessary questions. It’s not your business to know other people’s information.”
The professor cut off my question abruptly. Was the slab really breaking down? After all, who else besides me could perform the test by channeling ether directly? The other student must have genuinely experienced a malfunction.
For me, it was a convenient explanation. There was no need to add any troublesome explanations.
“Hmm, what should I do about this then…”
The professor scratched his head in annoyance.
“Um… I remember the results from my previous test. Could we use those instead?”
“What?”
The professor’s face brightened momentarily at my suggestion.
“Of course, we can. Come and sit. We’ll record those values for now, and you can take a proper test later.”
The professor returned to his desk and picked up the typewriter.
“Alright, what’s your main element?”
“Infectum-Callor.”
T h i s wa s c op ie d f r om k i n g m tl . or g
“So, your primary aptitude is for the circulatory system. How about the sub-elements…”
Th is wa s co p i ed fr om k i n g m tl . o r g
I answered smoothly, having prepared my responses in advance.
“Are you planning to major in circulatory system magic at Cradle as well?”
“Yes. I’ve already been learning a unique magic of the same system, and I’m comfortable using my body…”
“What? You’re learning Heukryeon Sashi’s predictive techniques?”
We were nearing the end of our five-minute conversation when the professor suddenly interrupted, his face full of surprise.
“Are you a hidden illegitimate child of the Sashi family? Is that why you wear a mask?”
Professor Kwon muttered to himself.
“…No, that’s unlikely. Someone as famously devoted as him wouldn’t do that. Ahem, my apologies…”
He cleared his throat awkwardly and returned to the original topic.
“So, you’re learning the predictive techniques. May I ask how far you’ve progressed?”
After brief contemplation, I decided there was no need to reveal the full extent of my accomplishments. Cradle’s formal education focused on universal magic, and unique magics were taught individually to those with sponsorships or direct lineage.
I chose to downplay my achievements.
“I recently entered the fifth level…”
“You’re already at the fifth level at your age?”
The professor looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. Had I made a mistake? Should I have downplayed it further? The captain had told me not to be complacent about my achievements…
“Impressive. No wonder you were recommended for admission and taught unique magic after 18 years. I thought they were laying low, but they were seeking out such a gem in secret…”
T h i s w a s c o p ie d f ro m k in g m tl .o rg
The professor muttered to himself and then turned his attention back to me.
“…Frankly, if your skills are as you say, Cradle might not offer you much. You’ve already achieved more than enough at your age.”
…From his tone, it was clear that the principal was the only one aware of my military background.
But Seoyeon had gone out of her way to use her family’s information network to find out that fact. It served as a stark reminder of the power that family held.
“I’m confident in physical activities, but my theoretical knowledge is lacking…”
“How did you reach the fifth level of unique magic with insufficient theory? Do you think that makes sense?”
“…I just kept at it…”
“…”
“And I was told to make lots of friends…”
The professor, who had been looking at me incredulously, sighed at my additional remarks.
“…Well, that does make sense. Social activities are also one of Cradle’s main objectives…”
He signed the document and pushed it aside.
“Alright, I think that’s enough for our counseling session. You’ve worked hard balancing classes and tests. Once you get through the first exam, things will ease up a bit. By the way, today’s the day the exam topic is announced, right?”
“Yes.”
“Time flies. Head over to Lecture Room 1 immediately. Alright, you may leave now.”
After a quick glance at the clock, Professor Kwon dismissed me.
Th i s w as c o p ied fr o m k in g m t l . o r g
***
I must have been slightly late due to the counseling session, as Lecture Room 1 was already packed with students from the magic department when I arrived.
I felt the eyes on me as I opened the door. The emotions behind those gazes varied greatly—envy, indifference, anger, curiosity…
It had already been a week since I entered Cradle, but unlike my studies, which I was managing to follow, my social interactions had made little progress. It was probably thanks to what had happened at the social gathering.
The rumor that I had openly antagonized the most popular student, Seoyeon, along with my unapproachable personality and strange masked appearance, had spread.
Each of these factors was enough to overshadow the buzz of being the first Heukryeon Sashi recommended student in 18 years.
Maybe things would have been different if I had joined Seoyeon’s circle that day, like many others. But that option was impossible for me.
The only people who could be considered my friends were just two.
“Hyun~ah~”
As soon as she saw me, Yena called out from a distance. Nearby, Seunghun gave me a light greeting.
Yena was the first person I’d met when I came to the capital, and Seunghun, despite our awkward first conversation, had continued to speak to me regularly without showing any reluctance.
Perhaps it was because Sehwa noona, who was part of the captain’s unit, had a particularly kind and warm personality that Seunghun resembled.
“…”
Beside Seunghun, a girl with a haughty look glanced at me with clear disapproval. Her high and mighty demeanor suggested she was from a prestigious family.
Her name was Moon Yeowool, if I remembered correctly. She was also from a distinguished family and was betrothed to Seunghun.
Why was he dating someone like her? I despised such malicious-looking people the most. You can never understand people’s tastes.
“Hehe, you just finished your elemental test, right? Good job~”
Yena beamed at me as I sat beside her. Her attitude hadn’t changed at all even after learning about my background and my clash with Seoyeon. She had simply looked at me with mild curiosity.
The stares from others felt even sharper. Though not exceptionally talented, Yena was quite popular among freshmen due to her cheerful and lively nature.
Given her continued association with me, it was no wonder I wasn’t looked at favorably…
“Haha, everyone is full of energy. That’s great.”
As the clock struck the hour, the front door of the lecture room opened, and a familiar face walked in. It was Professor Shin Jae-yu, the one who rigorously trained the freshmen in combat magic every morning.
The professor nodded at us approvingly as she began to speak.
“I know adjusting to a new environment has been tough. As previously announced, today I’ll be informing you about your first exam, which will take place in a week.”
She activated a projector installed in the lecture room. Soon, a map appeared on the wall behind her.
T h i s w a s co p i ed f ro m k in gmt l .o rg
At the center of the map was a vast forest, its size many times that of Cradle. The map indicated the capital and Cradle at the top, suggesting this location was somewhere south of Cradle.
The unfamiliar map sparked light murmurs among the students. The professor, seemingly enjoying the commotion, smiled even wider.
Her next words poured fuel on the fire.
“Your first exam will be a field exercise conducted in this location.”
End of Chapter