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At college, in a classroom.
A glowing stone sat on a table inside a see-through glass jar.
Its shine was nothing short of spectacular.
Even though the windows and doors were shut, the stone's light outshone every bulb in the room.
["Does anyone know what this is?"]
The one who spoke was a woman with black hair, striking red eyes, and a sharp presence.
She wore a black coat, red shirt, and a long skirt — holding a book as she walked past the rows.
["It's a mana stone, ma'am."]
A blue-haired student answered without hesitation.
Teacher:
"Correct. This is a mana stone.
And also one of the most important resources humanity has ever discovered.
The one in front of you is a mid A-grade mana stone.
Its price? 8 billion won per kilogram in Korea.
Enough to power 15 factories for two full years.
It was found in the core room of a C-rank dungeon."
She paused and looked around the room.
"If we categorize mana stones using the World Mana Classification system [ W.M.C.S ], it goes like this—"
---
Low-Grade Mana Stones ( Rank - D to A)
– Often found in F and E-rank dungeons.
Low Mid-Grade Mana Stones ( Rank - D to A)
– Found in the core room of D and E-rank dungeons.
– Can also appear randomly in C and B-rank dungeons.
Mid-Grade Mana Stones (C to A)
– Mid C-grade: Found near the core of C to +B rank dungeons.
– Mid B-grade: Usually found in the core of -C to B rank dungeons.
– Mid A-grade: Only found in towers above the 50th floor, or A and A+ rank dungeons.
Special Grade Mana Stones
– Extremely rare and expensive.
– Found in S-rank dungeons or higher.
– Not ranked officially, but divided based on use: medical, industrial, hunter-class, and unique utility types.
---
The teacher clicked a button on a small remote.
All the windows and doors slid open.
Teacher:
"Mi-Woo. Answer this — which mana stone is used as fuel in regular civilian vehicles?"
Mi-Woo (stood up):
"Low D-1 grade mana stone."
Teacher:
" Correct! but can you explain Why?"]
The class went quiet.
Only few smiled but
Most had never really thought about that question before.
Mi-Woo (calmly):
"The engines used in civilian vehicles can't handle pure mana oil.
So D-1 oil is specially refined for weaker engines and daily use."
Teacher:
"Good answer. Sit down."
---
As the clock moved from 1 to 2 PM...
Mi-Woo was cornered behind the college building.
His clothes were torn, stained with dirt.
Four kids stood in front of him — grinning.
The yellow-haired one shoved him hard.
A red-haired kid kicked him.
Then the yellow-haired kid hit him behind the knee to make him fall.
Another guy — muscular and broad — punched him three times across the face.
[Punch] [Punch] [Punch]
Mi-Woo collapsed, another kick landing in his back.
Yellow-haired kid:
"You f##ker! How dare you try to impress Miss Oh?!"
Mi-Woo didn't respond.
He just blinked once and thought:
"They've got a crush on her? …Not my business."
Then someone else appeared.
He had dark brown hair, well-built body, and wore clean accessories that quietly screamed wealth.
Not the show-off kind — the real kind.
He raised a hand.
The yellow-haired kid immediately handed him a baseball bat.
Brown-haired guy (angrily):
"From now on, don't open your damn mouth again in Miss Oh's class."
He swung the bat backward, coating it in a glowing golden aura—
SMASH.
Straight to Mi-Woo's face.
Yellow-haired kid (panicked):
"Boss Han! Stop! He'll die!"
Han (squinting):
"Isn't he an Awakened?"
Yellow-haired kid:
"No, Boss. He's a failure."
Han:
"Then why the hell does he wear a mana watch?"
Yellow-haired kid:
"He's a special case. Everyone knows.
His contract's been pending for seven years. His watch still shows yellow."
Han (laughs):
"Hah! Then he's just a loser."
Mi-Woo, still on the ground, clenched his fists.
But slowly, he let go. Closed his eyes.
Min-Suk (muscular kid):
"This is enough, Boss. He won't dare speak again in her class."
But Han wasn't done.
He coated his hand in golden aura and punched Mi-Woo again, sending a shockwave through the air.
[Grab]
He grabbed Mi-Woo by the hair, lifting his bloodied face.
Han:
"Hey loser, you'll never speak to Miss Oh again. Right?"
Mi-Woo opened his eyes.
Full of anger.
But he closed them and gave a silent nod.
Han (shouting):
"Say it out loud!"
Mi-Woo stayed silent.
Just stared — eyes burning.
Han (furious):
"Tch."
He kicked him again in the chest.
Han:
"Let's go. He won't be speaking in any class again."
They walked away.
Leaving Mi-Woo lying alone on the cold concrete.
---
Young people have hot blood.
They don't always think.
They act.
But what they didn't realize…
Was that they had just made the biggest mistake of their college lives.
And they were going to regret it —
the hard way.
They made a grave sin
To be continued........
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