[Strength 40] [Endurance 42] [Agility 45] [Stamina 40] [Magic 85] [Luck 60]

<Achievements (0)>

<Unique Abilities (1/1)>

1. Harmony of the Magic Square (Rank: A Zero)

<Potential Abilities (3/4)>

1. Alchemy Magic (Rank: C Plus)

2. Traditional Magic (Rank: B Zero)

3. Ancient Language Deciphering (Rank: D Zero)

4. -(Not yet awakened)

“I’m not sure how much you’ve all developed your abilities, but I have something different from the average user. I don’t have any special abilities. Well, I did, but they evolved into a unique ability.”

“That’s…”

I looked at him with intrigued eyes. He met my gaze calmly and continued in a clear voice.

“I’m sorry for revealing this. But you see, I’m not very good at social interactions or deceiving others. Since I’ll be making some unreasonable requests of you, Su-hyeon, I wanted to be transparent about my player information.”

”…It’s still a bit overwhelming.”

“Please, don’t feel burdened. I revealed it on my own accord.”

I sighed and nodded. Honestly, my interest wasn’t piqued because he lacked special abilities and had a unique one instead. Although rare, I had encountered a few such users in the first round. What truly intrigued me was the nature of his unique ability, Harmony of the Magic Square.

Sang-yong, noticing my signal, raised both hands. Naturally, all eyes turned to his hands, except for one person.

Ha-yeon Jung had been watching my face since Sang-yong started speaking, seemingly making her own judgments. I focused intently on Sang-yong’s raised hands.

“Now, I’ll show you my unique ability.”

With a flicker and a crackle, I felt a light surge of magic from him. Soon, flames appeared in his right hand and ice in his left. Two opposing forces. Could it be that Harmony of the Magic Square was…

Before I could finish my thought, Sang-yong clapped his hands together. With my third eye activated, I was astonished to see countless magical calculations occurring between his palms. I quickly composed myself, but I noticed Ha-yeon Jung’s eyes deepening beside me.

Sang-yong cradled the impossible coexistence of ice and fire in his hands, looking at it with affectionate eyes. He spoke softly.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? This is my unique ability, named Harmony of the Magic Square. Haha.”

The fire and ice soon dissipated in his hands. A few gasps of admiration could be heard around us; it was indeed visually stunning. While I couldn’t gauge its exact power, the destructive potential from the opposing forces was undoubtedly immense.

I found myself coveting the Harmony of the Magic Square. If I could combine the energy of Fire Essence with its extreme counterpart using this ability… I pondered briefly but shook my head. The ancient priestess’s mark on my body was already superior in rank and efficiency. Even so, it could only temporarily hold the Fire Essence. If the energy of Fire Essence were to be combined with Harmony of the Magic Square, it would likely shatter instantly.

Sang-yong scratched his head sheepishly at the kids’ reactions, then spoke again in a calm voice.

“Calling myself an inventor might be a bit much. I used to work in a research lab in South Korea. I love calculations and have a great interest in creating things. Among them, my favorite field was magic squares.”

Magic squares. Arranging natural numbers from 1 in a specific order without repetition or omission to achieve a constant sum in each row, column, and diagonal.

“The principle of magic squares today seeks harmony and balance. You might not know, but the principle is applied in many real-life examples.”

The kids’ faces were growing disinterested again. Especially Hyun and Yoo-jung, who were openly grumbling. Those guys, really. I sent an apologetic look, and Sang-yong waved it off with a pleasant smile.

“After arriving in the Hall Plain, I became a mage. I wanted to be a priest, but my guardian angel strongly recommended becoming a mage. Honestly, being a mage suited me well. However, I’m a bit different from regular mages.”

Indeed, he was. Despite having no special abilities and possessing such a remarkable unique ability, his potential abilities were underwhelming. Traditional magic was essential for mages, but alchemy magic and ancient language deciphering seemed useless in combat. What was he thinking when he awakened those?

His decent stats must have helped him survive somehow, but it was a shame he couldn’t utilize his class’s traits more effectively. Even if his traditional magic rank was high, it would have some use, but both alchemy and traditional magic were below B rank. I pretended to know nothing and waited for him to continue.

“As a mage in the Hall Plain, learning traditional magic is the norm. But still, perhaps due to my nature, I was very interested in alchemy. People around me discouraged me from learning alchemy magic, but I pursued it out of personal desire. Haha. It’s foolish, isn’t it? Chasing ideals in a world where life and death are at stake.”

Yes, it is foolish. I wanted to say, but I calmly shook my head.

“But I don’t regret it. Without alchemy over the past two years, I might have gone mad… Oh, I’ve talked too much. Now, I’ll tell you why I came to see you, Su-hyeon.”

Sang-yong exhaled deeply.

“It was by sheer chance that I obtained information about the Ancient Alchemist’s Dungeon. I shared this information with Ha-yeon and Ji-yeon Jung, and we secretly formed a caravan. The Golden Lion Clan’s influence discourages exploration, after all. In a way, I bear responsibility for what happened to Ji-yeon. If I hadn’t mentioned it… I still regret it.”

I see. They didn’t just wander into the Black Forest; they had some information. As I nodded, Ha-yeon Jung, who had been listening quietly, spoke in a soft voice.

“There’s a moral responsibility, sure. But if you look at it that way, I’m responsible too. And Ji-yeon made her own decision, thinking it was possible. So…”

Listening to Ha-yeon’s bitter tone, Sang-yong looked apologetic. Realizing she didn’t want to discuss Ji-yeon further, he quickly turned his head.

“Even though we failed to conquer the dungeon, I couldn’t let go of my curiosity about ancient alchemy. I know it’s foolish, but if it weren’t for your group, Su-hyeon, or if I had survived, I might have gone back to that dungeon. But now, there’s no need. Because…”

Sang-yong paused, glancing at the oblivious Vivian beside me. Then, he shifted to a kneeling position, bowing deeply before I could stop him.

“I know it’s shameless to ask for rewards or items from the dungeon. I have no such intentions. But when I heard there’s a resident alchemist, I couldn’t stay still. Please, let me learn under her.”

“Mr. Shin Sang-yong, please stand up.”

“No, I know this request is audacious. But alchemy isn’t mainstream in the Hall Plain. It’s considered an outcast even among the non-mainstream, with no users or methods to seek advice from. I’m just fumbling through self-study… I don’t even know if I’m on the right path. Moreover, I’ve felt stuck for half a year now. If this continues, I…”

Shin Sang-yong spoke without lifting his head, and I could sense a hint of emotion in his voice. A memory suddenly surfaced, and I closed my eyes.

I understood Shin Sang-yong’s feelings better than anyone. Like him, I had no mentor. I reached the level of a sword master through self-study, and recalling that journey often brought a wave of melancholy.

It felt like standing before a massive wall. I needed to scale it, but it was so solid that I couldn’t even imagine breaking through. The despair of that moment was indescribable.

Generally, by the second year, most users have developed their abilities. Unlike the early days when progress was rapid, it now took immense effort to improve even by a single point. Feeling a strange calm, I began to speak.

“I once read something in a book that left a lasting impression on me.”

Shin Sang-yong seemed determined not to move until I responded. Yet, I could tell he was listening intently. As a second-year user, it was admirable to see him kneeling before a novice, showing his dedication. I continued in a softer tone.

“When you face that wall, you ponder how to overcome it. And while you must conquer it with your own strength, once you do…”

I paused for a moment, letting the words sink in before continuing.

“That wall becomes a solid foundation beneath your feet.”

“Ah…”

Seeing something resonate with Shin Sang-yong, who finally lifted his head, I spoke again. Although I hadn’t heard the details of his request, it was undoubtedly a good opportunity.

“I…”

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

Hello, this is Ro Yujin.

Thanks to everyone’s support, I had a successful interview today. The words just flowed. I felt a bit sorry for the woman interviewing with me. Haha. I hope the results are good. Haha. After returning home, I immediately checked the comments and worked on episode 82. Many of you sent me encouraging messages yesterday.

By the way, I experienced a rating attack today. It’s a strange feeling. :)

『 Reader Comments 』

1. Vegemil: Congratulations on being first! I usually post around midnight, but I was so busy that I wrote furiously until 12:18. :)

2. HumanLife: Thwack, thwack! Haha, just kidding. I was very busy yesterday, preparing for the interview and all. I hope you understand. (__)

3. Imperial Assault Team: Thank you for wishing me luck on the interview! Enjoy this episode.

4. SunsetS: Haha, it’s hard to say it’s a superior version. Each character has their own strengths. I can’t wait to introduce Hanbyul.

5. MTBear: It’s tough to be number one with so many great works out there. Thanks to the support of many readers, I briefly reached a glorious position. Haha. I’ll keep working hard.

6. LatiDoll: Oh dear, then we’ll reach the conclusion soon!

7. HyunOh: I love having my head patted. It helps me sleep well. Hehe.

8. Hong Seung-sik: Haha, I’m curious about which character will win the popularity poll. Personally, I hope it’s Hanbyul, as I’ve put a lot of effort into that character.

9. WeepingSoul: Wow, you’re posting 20 episodes today! Thank you. Wow, 200KB. Wow. I’m serious. (?)

10. Ain’tJ: There’s no ability to know everything like a third eye. Just a few abilities with limited accuracy will be introduced.

Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind continuous updates. (This is the truth.)

I always read all the comments repeatedly.

Please don’t feel too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the comments.

If you’re really curious, send me a message, and I’ll reply!

I hope you read my work with a relaxed mind.

Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.