"My dear friend Klo... Klo."
Leon didn't stop shaking my shoulder and poking me with his fingers. I had been like this from the moment I entered the hall, surprising everyone with my arrival, and they even waved at me happily.
"Hello everyone."
"Oh, it's Klo Yuthnir. How are you, man? Have you healed enough?"
I think I've built strong connections with the other students, and now I'm sitting next to Leon, Luna, and Elithia.
"And you—what exactly are you doing here?"
"What's it to you?"
Lumi turned her head, avoiding eye contact with me.
"Who were you talking to, Klo?"
"Don't worry about it. Just think of me as if I've gone insane."
Leon patted my shoulder, offering words he thought were comforting.
"I get it, Klo. It's exhausting being next to two foolish girls."
I felt the vein in my head tighten.
"Hahaha, that's not what I meant, Leon. And get off me, it's annoying."
"I forgot to tell you—have you seen the new device they call a 'phone'!"
Leon pulled the phone from his pocket, and it looked just like the one I suggested to Nevin.
"This is it, Klo! You can record both sound and image with it!"
"That's amazing. I have one too." I faked that astonished look.
"How about you give me your chat data?"
"Is that even a thing?"
How did Nevin come up with this idea? I don't think I suggested it to her…
"Yeah, I'll look it up."
I searched for the data and gave it to him.
The teacher who entered the hall interrupted our conversation.
A formal coffee-colored suit, a light hat covering his bald head, and a plain bag.
"Hello, first-year students. Today you have a class on the art of ice magic."
"Ice magic is one of the hardest types of magic to master—it drains its user."
I know that, Leon, because I made it so that ice magic eats away at the personality and humanity of its user. The more skilled they are, the colder they become.
Terrifying.
"Now, any volunteers who want to try?"
Lumi raised her hand, jumping from her seat.
"Me! Me!"
"Did you forget they can't see you?"
"Damn it."
Lumi slumped from her excitement, slowly sitting on the desk.
The teacher scanned all the students, looking for someone unique—and that someone was Klo Yuthnir.
He pointed his hand at me.
"You there, step forward, please."
Damn it.
"Want me to lend you some of my power?"
I patted Lumi's head.
"Don't worry."
"Come on, Klo, I want to save this moment on my phone—don't mess up."
Screw you, Leon.
I kept walking until I reached the teacher, whose beard hid his face.
"I can sense it."
"Sense what?"
"The immense mana and spiritual energy in your core."
"You're mistaken. I'm just a weak person."
The teacher lunged at me without warning.
"Why don't we test that out?"
He threw a quick punch—if it had been anyone else, they wouldn't have even noticed it. I blocked it with my arm, but the force still made me stagger back.
Lumi was beside me.
"Use ice magic, Ethan."
"No."
I continued sparring with the teacher. He kicked me in the stomach, sending me stumbling back as I spat out the saliva pooling in my mouth.
"Kya—"
I collapsed to the ground, my head lowered. How can he be this fast?
"Shall we raise the challenge, Klo Yuthnir? You have the qualifications for physical combat. I'll use ice magic, and you can use any magic you like."
I got up and charged at the teacher, forming blue particles gathering in my hand.
They solidified into cold, hard rocks—yes, it was ice magic.
"That's it, Yuthnir!" Lumi was pleased.
I formed two icy fists and swung at the teacher. He blocked the first strike, but the second was aimed at his face.
The moment my fist touched his face, he stepped back to avoid the damage.
I moved toward him slowly, but he pulled a trick—evaporating water with fire magic, then instantly freezing it into ice blades that shot toward me.
I didn't notice them at first, but I was lucky enough to dodge them by simply lowering my stance. But he lunged forward the moment I ducked.
He tried to kick me, but I formed a small ice wall to block the kick aimed at my back—one that could've crippled me.
I leapt back, jumping a few more times to regain my courage, because that exchange had left me hesitant and shaky.
The teacher and the students clapped nonstop.
"That's amazing, Klo Yuthnir!"
What?
I glanced straight at Lumi. She didn't seem to understand either.
"Why are they clapping, Ethan?"
"I don't know."
The teacher came up to me, congratulating me. He took my frozen hands into both of his and smiled.
"I knew you weren't bad. You're a diligent student and a skilled fighter. Congratulations, Klo Yuthnir—you've scored full marks in the magic and wit test."
Huh?
"What about the others?"
"During the week you were absent, we held a test for magic and combat."
I looked at Luna, who was trembling.
"The nurse wouldn't let me in. I'm sorry."
I sighed and turned back to the teacher.
"I want to ask you, Klo—how can you use ice magic so easily?"
Because of Lumi.
"I don't know, I guess I overtrained and read too many books."
"But books don't contain ice magic because of its danger."
I stepped back, heading toward my seat.
"Hahaha, did you say books? You're wrong—hahaha."
I sat back down, staring at Lumi.
"Can you explain this? Did you give me some of your power?"
"Didn't I tell you before that we share the same core? Why don't you understand?"
"Because I'm stupid?"
"Yes."
[Congratulations]
"You've reached S rank."
10,000 C
[Congratulations]
"You've reached level 60."
430 C
[Notification]
"Upgrade points have been changed from system coins to development coins."
You have 20 points.
Damn you, system.
"Why are you upset?"
"It's nothing, Luna."
I closed the system window and continued my lesson.