Chapter 10
#10. Initiation (4)
When Iris personally infused mana into my body, vitality surged through me from head to toe.
I felt like I could easily run 100 meters in under nine seconds if I did it right then.
That alone was astonishing enough to be hard to believe, but my shock didn't end there.
“This is...”
I even sensed a faint feeling of near-omnipotence in the vitality surging more powerfully through my entire body.
The grip strength I'd gained—even from merely clenching my fist—was incomparably greater than before, and my strangely improved five senses, including sight and hearing, lent credence to the hypothesis that had suddenly occurred to me.
Just in case, I closed my eyes and once again observed my body.
Then I sensed something near my heart that hadn't been there before. From its shape, I instinctively knew what it was.
“A mana circle...?”
“Congratulations, Mr. Hyunwoo.”
Iris wore an expression that was half joy and half surprise.
By this point, it wasn't hard to guess the meaning behind her sudden congratulations.
“Did I... create a mana circle?”
This went beyond mere astonishment.
A college student who was a war orphan becoming a mage in less than a day? That was the kind of title that would get a novel flooded with comments saying its plot logic had gone to hell.
I pinched my cheek and even slapped myself.
It hurt and stung, but the pain soon faded.
It wasn't because this was a dream. It was thanks to the magical power surging from my heart.
“Honestly... I can't believe it even though I'm seeing it with my own eyes.”
Iris looked cute with that astonished expression.
If I could just give those cheeks a squeeze, I wouldn't ask for anything more.
“I was praised several times by my master for forming a mana circle quickly too, but it took me about two months. I managed it only because I spent almost no time sleeping and kept trying to communicate with mana, but you, Mr. Hyunwoo, just what...”
I was amazed too.
Even now, I couldn't believe it.
Was I some once-in-a-century prodigy who had formed a mana circle faster than Iris?
The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt rather than happy.
When I was in elementary school, a state-run magic aptitude test had judged me talentless.
Because of that, I couldn't enter a magic tower or become a mage. But now? Was my talent insane?
It wasn't unheard of for talent to bloom with age, but this was beyond excessive.
Even Iris, an archmage who had reached the 8th Circle, had taken two whole months. And I'd done it in five minutes?
I knew my own limitations well.
I was absolutely not that kind of genius.
That meant a third party had intervened.
‘It isn't Iris.’
If it were possible to artificially create mages, the elders would never have followed Resilia even if she had betrayed her.
By process of elimination, only one possibility remained.
I walked over and picked up the phone that had been serving as a source of indirect light. Sure enough, the screen that appeared on it matched my expectations exactly.
[Thank you sincerely for participating in the Dating Consulting Curriculum]
[Congratulations on achieving the initial goal of the Become an Attractive Member of the Opposite Sex! Project]
[☆1st-Circle Mage Achieved☆]
[Check your mailbox for the reward prepared as a dating incentive]
‘So it was you?’
The Dating Consulting Curriculum was what had made Iris, while unconscious, blurt out her heavy, dark past—something that could be called her trauma—without reservation.
I already knew the Otherworld Dating App was no ordinary app, starting with its ability to instantly transport me to another dimension.
But I never imagined it possessed the ability to control others or directly help me build a mana circle.
‘What the hell is this thing, anyway?’
This was nothing more than a vague guess, but there was someone behind this app.
I didn't know what they wanted from me or why they'd given me this app, but there was nothing I could do about it right now.
‘...Am I a mage now, too?’
Honestly, I was still dazed.
Becoming a mage had been practically a lifelong dream of mine.
Of course, I'd have been happy doing anything as long as it made me a lot of money, but it was also true that my longing to become a mage had remained in a corner of my heart.
As my mind rapidly weighed the pros and cons and the series of events that had befallen me, I reached a conclusion.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
It was true that something about it felt ominous, but if I made good use of the app's abilities, there was no way my ultimate destination would be a mere 1st-Circle mage.
That included the 5th Circle, the limit of ordinary mages and the level called a magus.
Perhaps even reaching Iris's 8th Circle seemed entirely possible.
‘Who cares whether the app is a demon or a monster?’
It seemed far better to join hands with a demon than with a god who wouldn't listen no matter how many days or years I prayed.
This was a world where ordinary people could suddenly awaken supernatural powers one day and become hunters or heroes.
There was every chance this app was an ability I'd awakened, too.
‘All right, decision made.’
No matter how long I kept agonizing over something I couldn't know, I'd only be making myself miserable.
My only goal now was to become a high-ranking mage and free Iris from this place.
“Let's continue the lesson!”
“Yes!”
The combination of a disciple who had awakened an ability that could only be called overwhelming talent? and a teacher brimming with enthusiasm rapidly advanced the lessons.
Basic mysticism, Porelia's alchemy, the comprehensive study of the elements, and more.
That day, I devoted most of my time to learning the fundamentals of magic.
Naturally, the lessons were difficult. A magic class filled with technical terms I'd never heard before seemed to overload my brain.
But the Otherworld Dating App blew away all my worries.
[Learning confirmed toward achieving the intermediate goal of the Become an Attractive Member of the Opposite Sex! Project]
[Knowledge acquisition rate for basic magic +1000%]
[Mana sensitivity increased +1000%]
[Mana internalization speed increased +10000%]
I wondered if the numbers had been printed incorrectly, but the effects were so unmistakable they were practically overflowing.
I absorbed knowledge as though each thing I heard were being engraved into my brain.
It said +1000%, but subjectively, it felt like even more.
To give a somewhat extreme example, it was enough for an adult with only an elementary-school education to get a perfect score on the college entrance exam after just one week of lessons.
It was that absurd an ability.
Not only that, perhaps because my mana sensitivity had increased, the mana drifting through the air spent the entire lesson rampaging as though it wanted to enter my body.
Teacher Iris looked at me with astonishment and emotion in her eyes when she saw it, but I only felt burdened.
More because of the mana than because of Iris's gaze.
The increase in my mana sensitivity felt almost as though the mana were courting me.
Being loved by an intangible force with no physical form wasn't exactly a pleasant sensation.
The saying that too much of a good thing is bad existed for a reason.
Just as an IV drip has an appropriate amount, taking in more mana than I could digest would fuck me up.
Fortunately, when I sincerely rejected it, the mana quietly backed away as though it possessed a will of its own.
I wondered whether any of this was possible, but I'd crossed dimensions into another world in less than a day, touched the breasts of an incredible elf woman, and become the mage I'd longed to be my whole life.
It was enough experience to teach me that anything could happen in life.
Refocusing, I continued the lesson.
“Mr. Hyunwoo, did you know that mages are also divided according to the fields they study?”
“That's the first I've heard of it.”
“Elemental, conceptual, alchemical, spirit, summoning, and so on. Mages are called different things depending on their field of study: an elementalist for the elements, a conceptualist for concepts, an alchemist for alchemy, and so on. Of course, there's no real problem with simply calling them mages, either.”
Needless to say, Kang Hyunwoo was hearing this for the first time.
I'd seen the media on Earth talk about alchemists and summoners, but back then, I thought those were just cool titles they'd tacked on.
“Then what field do you specialize in, Ms. Iris?”
“I'm a spirit mage. Spirits can't approach the World Tree, so I can't show them to you right now, but I've contracted with quite a few spirits.”
Just as expected, elves had spirits. At this point, Earth's fantasy lore was reliable enough to be considered 100-percent accurate information.
But one question occurred to me here.
‘Earth has beastfolk, dragonkin, dwarves, and halflings, so why are there no elves?’
According to what I'd learned in history class, races other than humans and magical beasts weren't native life-forms of Earth.
At some point, they apparently began appearing in the records of various countries... but why were elves the only ones missing?
Something was strange.
“...Mr. Hyunwoo?”
“Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment...”
“Hehe, no, it's all right. It's already been six hours since we started the lesson. You kept studying without even taking a break, so it's only natural that you're tired. Let's call it a day.”
Though she said it was all right, knowing Iris's gentle nature, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was being considerate of me.
It still didn't feel real, but I was essentially being taught by one of only three archmages on Earth.
Should I apologize properly, even now?
My mind grew tangled over a dilemma I'd never faced in my life, but it didn't seem courteous to reject the consideration she'd shown me, so I decided not to do it again and moved on.
“Good work.”
“You worked hard too, Mr. Hyunwoo. I wish I had even half my master's talent for making lessons enjoyable.”
“Your master?”
“Yes. My master was the former king of Peledia, and also the person who taught me magic.”
Perhaps old memories had resurfaced, because Iris turned her gaze toward the dark ceiling as though recalling something.
As for me, whether he was the former king or her master, I could hardly empathize with someone whose face I didn't even know, so I simply kept quiet.
Just then, while hiding away like a nobody and secretly peeking at my phone screen—
Ding—a familiar notification sound rang out, and a new screen appeared on my phone.
[Thank you for using our app]
[Congratulations on your first match. An additional gift has been delivered to your mailbox; please check it later]
[Please be advised that the match will end shortly]
[Time remaining: 14:59]
“This had a time limit too?”
I'd already been here for more than half a day.
If I could have chosen, I'd have hoped the remaining time was fifteen hours rather than fifteen minutes, but no such luck. My eyes immediately locked onto the timer ticking down to 14:40.
‘No mercy, huh.’
Not a shred of compassion, either.
A twenty-one-year veteran of being single was finally enjoying a cozy date? with an unbelievably beautiful elf woman, and this thing had to ruin the mood.
‘I feel like giving it a one-star rating.’
Still, if there was any silver lining, it was that even a time limit like this could apparently be resolved with money on ordinary dating apps.
It was difficult right now, but perhaps there would be a way to solve it once I returned to Earth.
Besides, I already had two stacks of rewards piled up in that mailbox, so it was about time I looked into the app more deeply.
‘I wonder what the situation outside is like, too.’
Besides, having formed even a 1st-Circle mana circle meant I was qualified for admission to a magic tower.
I was only twenty-one, too, so it wasn't too late.
‘I heard the country even provides subsidies if you register as a mage.’
That alone meant I wouldn't have to worry about living expenses.
Many other thoughts occurred to me, and it was probably right to return to Earth soon, but whenever I thought of Iris, I wanted to stay here a little longer.
So my top priority was finding a way to return as quickly as possible.
“Um, Ms. Iris?”
“...”
Seeing her back, which didn't respond when I called, I figured she was still lost in her memories.
I felt bad about interrupting her, but the time limit was hurrying me along, so I had no choice.
This time, I called out while lightly shaking her shoulder.
“Ms. Iris?”
“Yes?”
Iris turned around with a slightly startled expression.
“I'm sorry.”
“Ah... no, it's all right. I just remembered something from long ago... Did you need something?”
The slight redness around her eyes made my chest ache, but... I couldn't just leave and go back without saying anything.
“Well... I think I have to head back now.”
The app had a time limit. Even after I finished telling her I'd return as quickly as possible and that she needn't worry too much, she gave me no answer. Just as I began to wonder—
“Are you planning to leave me here alone?”
“...What?”
Rumble—the entire cavern seemed to tremble, making me flinch. Was it an earthquake?
Just as I was looking around—
Grab—a soft hand closed around my wrist, and I turned my head.
There, a pair of green eyes shining far more vividly than before were fixed on me.
“Don't go.”
Iris wasn't smiling.