*
"Confirmed. Please proceed to room number 12."
"Yes. Thank you."
The training room building has fewer rooms as you go higher.
That's because the size of the rooms increases.
"This is pretty spacious too."
The platinum training room, which I entered after verifying my student ID, welcomed me.
It wasn't quite as good as the diamond training room I had entered with Seo-ah and Da-eun, but as a space only accessible to the top tier, it was still quite large.
"Oh."
Just like I did in the diamond training room, I operated the remote control, and the Gate connected, expanding the space.
A space so large it felt excessive for one person unfolded before me.
Bamboos grew stylishly, and the sound of a stream flowing gently could be heard.
"Compared to the diamond room, there are some lacking aspects."
Should I say it's in the details? There was a clear difference in functionality.
Well, it would be hard to compare it to the diamond training room, where S-Rank students can use magic stones indefinitely.
I guess I'm a little less impressed because I came from using the best space, but what's important is that I got here on my own.
If there were just tests that reflected grades, wouldn't I be able to aim even higher than here?
"First, it's important to digest what I have."
The power of anti-magic isn't a flashy ability that shakes the heavens and earth like Seo-ah or Hye-ji.
Should I say it feels like it honestly burns the opponent's Mana? The attack range is limited, but the force is undeniable.
It can't be denied that it's somewhat specialized for close combat.
I supplemented that part by firing Aura forward, but since the starting point is from the sword, it could be said that there is a limit.
However, now that I've learned the esoteric swordsmanship, that problem can be said to be solved.
Swordsmanship that embodies will in Mana.
As Matilda said, it's a swordsmanship that boasts considerable power, except that it reflects his taste to an excessive degree because he particularly likes the blue moon.
I increased my proficiency in those techniques by fighting his doppelganger, but since there is a difference between my current body and my body at that time, I needed a process of adaptation.
The moment I used the newly learned esoteric mental cultivation technique, I felt the Mana around me quickly synchronize.
If the Mana mental cultivation technique I used before slowly attracted the Mana around me, this one was rapidly dominating the surroundings to an incomparable degree.
The range has also widened.
"There's definitely a difference."
The basic Mana mental cultivation technique was not originally created for the purpose of using skills.
It was closer to me forcibly twisting and using a mental cultivation technique created to accumulate Mana in the body.
If the Mana heart and Mana circuit didn't exist, it probably wouldn't have been possible to use it that way.
But now I didn't have to twist my body like that to use skills.
Because I learned a mental cultivation technique created to use swordsmanship.
In general, a purification process is naturally required to accumulate external power in the body through mental cultivation.
The energy outside is mostly not in a pure state, so it can be said to be full of impurities.
And the purification process takes a long time, and the power used is bound to decrease, but Kalis's mental cultivation technique was completely different.
When I used it on the dimension support mission, I didn't have to worry because all the energy around me was refined.
I didn't know because I was only circulating it with the power inside when I came here, but now that I use it, I was using the power with impurities as it is.
'Is there a passage where the power from the outside circulates?'
The flow of Mana that already exists inside and the Mana that comes from the outside circulate at the same time, creating two flows.
[ Unique Territory: Activated ]
The moment I synchronized the Mana around me to capture the image, the two flows began to move.
'Unless precise control is required, is it mainly using external Mana?'
The internal Mana containing a little will gradually melted into the flow created by the external power, and the area began to expand.
Because it was a territory for using esoteric swordsmanship, the night sky began to cover the surroundings.
There was a big difference in efficiency, and the speed was unbelievably fast compared to before.
'But the difficulty is higher because I have to control two forces at the same time.'
It was only easy because of the special nature of the space Matilda created at that time, and trying to use it in actual combat required an unusual amount of concentration.
It's not easy to control one flow, but trying to control two flows at the same time is bound to be twice as difficult.
In addition, the process of coordinating the two forces was also necessary to realize the image, so the difficulty was even higher.
Would it be easy to use this at the same time while reacting to the opponent's movements?
'Plus, I also have a Mana heart...'
I had only used the unique territory through mental cultivation, but my whole body was already soaked in sweat.
As expected, it seems that it is not easy to use as much as it is strong.
It's not to the point where I can't use the skills, but I honestly didn't have the confidence to fight while paying attention to all of this during battle.
I'm creating the flow consciously now, so I'll have to practice until this is possible unconsciously.
When I operated the training room, a can-like guy appeared.
"Training combat doll."
If it doesn't work, I'll just keep doing it until it does.
With a regretful heart, I took my eyes off the book in my inventory.
I was going to learn Blue Moon Style first, but it seemed like building from the basics again was the priority.
*
While moving busily due to student council work, I saw a familiar face.
Kim Si-woo, the man who showed one of the most outstanding performances in the Academy attack incident this time. Thanks to him, the damage could be reduced.
'A man whose inner thoughts are hard to know.'
I heard that he was secretly popular because he had a fierce feeling and a gentle appearance coexisting.
Well, to be honest, compared to those around him, he probably doesn't have an ordinary appearance, but a person's inner self is more important than their outer appearance.
No matter how handsome and shiny the outside is, I didn't want to associate with humans whose inner selves were not good.
Considering his skills that I saw directly, he was definitely stronger than the evaluations that were circulating in the world.
'Well... he doesn't seem like a bad person.'
There are some annoying parts, but I couldn't say that his personality was bad.
Rather, if you look at the way he actively moves to save people, wouldn't he be on the good side?
That's why grandfather likes him too. Well, it's a little frustrating, but his swordsmanship can be said to be above mine.
'...Maybe he's just unlucky.'
I'm definitely not thinking this because I was recognized by grandfather.
"Hmm? Hello."
It was only now that he checked here, and he greeted me with a subtle smile.
He must have come down from the training building, and he was soaked. Usually, people use the shower facilities inside when they sweat a lot, so it seems like he did high-intensity training.
How long has it been since the Academy attack incident that he's already training like that? He seems to be a hard worker more than he looks.
"Did you come down after training?"
"Yeah, well. Around here..."
"They're fellow student council members."
"Nice to meet you."
"Hello..."
The person behind me was so quiet that they wouldn't speak unless I spoke like this.
Anyway, do I feel like everyone is glaring at Kim Si-woo? Is it just my imagination?
"You were in the student council."
"Didn't you... say that before?"
While glaring at Kim Si-woo, who was smiling with an awkward expression, I felt a subtly different feeling than before.
His skin seemed smoother than before, and his frame seemed wider than before.
Because she usually had a good eye, she could feel the subtle difference. And this sense of intimidation that I feel without knowing it.
Could it be that he gained enlightenment?
I couldn't help but pay more attention to this because he was a man grandfather recognized.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Have you made any progress?"
"Well... a little?"
"..."
The power was revealed as it was to the outside because he hadn't properly managed it yet. But is it possible for the amount of Mana to increase so suddenly like this?
If it's that much, it didn't seem lacking at all compared to myself.
'No... he's a little... ah, just a little weaker than me.'
When I remembered the humiliation I suffered in the survival evaluation at that time, I felt angry for some reason.
"Why don't you loosen up your expression?"
"Hmm... hmm... So, was there anything else?"
"Well, no. Didn't we see each other the day before yesterday?"
Why is it so hard to control my emotions when I'm only with this man?
Looking at that brazen face, I had a strong feeling that I was being swayed.
"Choi Tae-soo, Min-ji?"
"Yes, Hye-ji-nim."
"I have something to say, so can you two patrol?"
"..."
After a moment of silence as if time had stopped, Choi Tae-soo-gun opened his mouth.
"I understand..."
I felt like he was walking weakly. I wonder what happened to Choi Tae-soo-gun.
When I turned my head, I saw Kim Si-woo staring blankly at Choi Tae-soo-gun's back.
"That guy's eyes are so fierce."
"Choi Tae-soo-gun?"
Choi Tae-soo-gun's eyes, who always smiles cutely in front of me, are fierce.
"The executives must like him a lot."
"It's only natural to take care of each other since we're in the same group."
"Well... yeah. So, what's going on?"
"..."
Come to think of it, there was nothing special to do. I just wanted to check because it seemed like he had achieved something, so I ended up being alone with him.
'What... what should I say?'