NOVEL NEXT Chapter 53
“Is it already time? Well then, that’s it for today!”
As the bell signaling the end of the period rang from the amplifier, Professor Shin Jae-yu, still clad in her training outfit, clapped her hands and shouted.
“Cough… cough…!”
“Ugh…!”
The moment her words ended, the training hall was filled with the sounds of coughing. Occasionally, the sounds of nausea mixed in as well.
“Oh dear, um…”
Seeing students heaving, the female professor frowned for a moment. Every single one of the students looked pale as if they were sick. Their hands and feet trembled, and they couldn’t even compose themselves.
This was true even for the students who usually showed exceptional skills. The blonde female student Jin Yeseo, the muscular monkey-like Choi Woojin, the noble-looking Seunghun, and his haughty fiancée Moon Yeowool.
They were all sprawled on the ground, either deep in thought or gasping for breath.
The only student who looked fine in this place was me. However, I wasn’t completely oblivious. I intentionally pretended to struggle with my breathing and plopped down with a thud sound.
“Now, you all worked hard. It’s probably your first experience with particle exhaustion, right? Quite tough, isn’t it?”
Walking among the sprawled students, the professor continued her lecture very casually. It was a familiar sight that I could visualize even with my eyes closed.
“From now on, you will be repeating today’s particle exhaustion training three times a week.”
“Ah…”
At her words, despairing sighs escaped from all around. She had a notorious reputation among freshmen for being particularly harsh on students.
“Quiet! Didn’t I clearly explain the importance of this training earlier? Let’s see… Yeseo? Can you explain the precise definitions of Rubin and conversion rate?”
“Rubin is… heh… a figure also referred to as the maximum particle amount in the body… huff… it is the maximum measurement of particle concentration gathered in each wizard’s well… The conversion rate is… heh, the ratio of particles that a wizard can draw out in a single breath…”
The blonde female student finished answering and gulped down a blue energy drink.
“Looks like you studied hard in class! That’s 30 points. Come to my office after class to check.”
Upon hearing the professor’s words, a flush of color appeared on the blonde’s face. I felt a glance aimed my way.
“Rubin value and conversion rate are two critical elements that can objectively determine a wizard’s talent. The higher these figures, the more types, strengths, and number of spells you can cast.”
The professor started to stroll again.
“Especially with a high conversion rate, wizards can draft spell formulas that consume a lot of particles. If supported by a high Rubin value, one can draft large-scale spells like weather magic, which usually requires a group of wizards.”
“Wow…”
“Of course, such immense talent doesn’t appear very often. It might only appear once every few decades. In fact, just being able to draft weather magic already categorizes you as an incredibly skilled wizard.”
A playful smile bloomed on the professor’s face.
“Typically, Rubin value and conversion rate correlate within a certain range, but it is not uncommon to see cases where one is drastically low or high, significantly impairing magic’s efficiency. Usually, this happens when the Rubin value is too low or high compared to the conversion rate. Why? Because while the Rubin value is inherently limited, the conversion rate can be raised to significant levels through training.”
“Um…”
“For instance, the particle exhaustion training you just experienced is one of the simplest, most effective, and safe methods to raise the conversion rate.”
Amid the positive murmurings from the students, the short-haired professor nodded lightly in satisfaction.
“It’s undeniable that people are born with different sizes of talent, but most of those differences can be overcome with effort to some degree. Magic is no exception. Always remember that half of the heroes whose names are preserved in national records were evaluated as average wizards during their freshman years. Instead of complaining, focus on training as much as possible.”
As her words finished, the students seemed to regain some energy in their eyes. I thought it wasn’t a bad motivational style.
“…?”
However, instead of returning to the podium, the professor turned her steps towards me, and my anxiety intensified at that beaming smile.
“And… Yoo Jin-hyun? You’re doing quite well. That’s 40 points for you. Make sure to come by my office later for confirmation.”
Finally, she personally approached me, standing deliberately in the corner.
“The particle exhaustion training is a challenge even for skilled soldiers. Exhaustion is a phenomenon that can’t be physically overcome; only mental strength can be utilized.”
I felt the attention of every student focused on me. In particular, the hostile glare from the blonde was especially unbearable.
This person treats me with excessive care every time we meet. I had chosen a corner on purpose to avoid that.
Regret washed over me like a wave, wishing I had held my breath a bit more steadier.
“But that composed attitude… it’s impressive to behold…”
Honestly, considering my reputation, it was quite a grateful aspect.
However, if she knew the truth, it was that I hadn’t really demonstrated mental strength; I simply drew in the particles around me and pumped them directly into the particle detector in front of me.
I recalled what the commander used to say. He had told me that the concept of conversion rate didn’t even apply to me. He even claimed that if anything, it stood at 100%.
Particle exhaustion was something that simply couldn’t happen to me. It was just that my body would be critically overloaded beforehand.
“I was just standing still…”
“Gu Jaeryong? I don’t think that’s correct. Right now, Yoo Jin-hyun’s particle detector is nearly full. At this rate, it should easily exceed 22%. Since we’re on the topic, how about we check your detector’s capacity?”
Professor Shin Jae-yu seemed to have caught some whispering. At her words, a boy with a lazy impression hurriedly shielded his particle detector with his body.
Seeing this, the professor smirked and clapped her hands, looking around.
“Alright, today is the second commission meeting, right? Those scheduled for the mentoring group meeting may take a short break and move to the next location. The rest of you will do extra training with me.”
“Ah, Professor…!”
“Shut up if you couldn’t even pass the first commission! Your brains must be rotting! You’ll be crawling on all fours today…!”
As students began to leave, the professor’s roar of anger echoed quietly behind them.
*
As I walked towards the small meeting room, a large electronic board affixed to the hallway wall caught my attention.
It was the real-time ranking list by grade that could be easily found anywhere in the Cradle. I naturally checked the 1st-year ranking list on the far left. At the very top, next to ‘1,’ was my name printed in large letters along with my score.
At first, I felt like a product on display, which didn’t sit too well with me, but I had grown somewhat accustomed to it now. In fact, I felt a bit of pride swelling within me.
There was no need to mention Choi Woojin in 3rd place, and there was quite a score gap even with Jin Yeseo in 2nd place. It seemed to be thanks to my solo achievement of scanning the ID during the practice and successfully completing the first commission quickly. With the additional 40 points I just got, the gap would widen even more.
Despite some time having passed since my admission, I couldn’t recall having a personal conversation with them. Choi Woojin always wore a face full of pride, while Jin Yeseo looked at me as if I were an enemy sworn to her parents.
It was tough to develop a good relationship with either of them. After all, unlike Sehwa, who has a connection with Seungheon, Choi Ireh, Woojin’s sister, was clearly part of that faction. Everyone knew that Jin Yeseo idolized someone from the 2nd year.
However, I was a bit curious about their abilities. After all, considering that they managed to break through to the central area during practice, they must possess some strong skills.
According to the academic calendar I saw last time, the week after the second commission ends is the ranking battle week.
And it said that ranking battles are held between students of adjacent rankings, so I thought I might face either of them.
The victory score from the ranking battle undoubtedly accounted for the largest portion of the total score. A single victory there would give more points than successfully completing two C-grade commissions.
Although I couldn’t use powers, I certainly had no intention of losing.
As I pondered this, I found myself in front of the annex where several small meeting rooms were located. Just as I was about to scan my student ID to enter, I faintly heard distant voices from behind the rarely populated building.
-So… what are we going to do…!
-What can we do about what happened in the duel…
There were voices echoing in anger. Among them, I recognized someone’s familiar voice.
I stealthily approached the source of the voices. Soon, I found three other female students surrounding one female student.
“That wasn’t a fair duel… you…!!”
“What do you mean it wasn’t fair? If you’re upset, do you want to do a rematch? I don’t mind. But maybe this time, you might lose a finger.”
It was a familiar, arrogant, and abrasive laugh.
“You…!”
Unable to hold back her anger at Yeon Minha’s provocation, the female student at the forefront raised her hand to slap her cheek in an instant. Yeon Minha, however, skillfully moved to respond.
But I didn’t want Yeon Minha to take action herself. I quickly stepped in between them and firmly grabbed the wrist of the girl attempting to slap her, twisting it painfully.