Chapter 54
ㄴㅇㅇ(702F) : Hey, Newbie already mastered the Blood Spirit Tea Ceremony, so what do you mean they haven't learned anything?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(710F) : They have two Reaper-exclusive skills, Death Mark, and the Evil Eye, so saying they haven't learned anything is pissing me the fuck off.
ㄴㅇㅇ(702F) : ? Is this bastard leaving out the Blood Spirit Tea Ceremony too?
Definitely.
Saying I hadn't learned anything was a strange thing to say.
But judging from the gallery's atmosphere so far, I could tell what they meant.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(430F) : They're seriously ignoring necromancy and instant-death skills lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(690F) : Seol Harin said last time that black magic itself was kind of shady.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(435F) : …No, we're the Demon King's army… What are we supposed to do if black magic is shady…
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(702F) : Seriously, she doesn't even realize she's in the minority.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(643F) : The dragon-magic old fogey is more original here, though.
There was an uproar over something a registered user named Seol Harin had said.
It seemed there were different factions for each school of magic.
‘She said it was divided into dragon magic and black magic…’
ㄴ Seol Harin : No, that's not what I meant by saying you haven't learned anything… I mean your circle count is too low. You haven't even come close to your growth limit yet, so I don't think it's right to call it talent or anything.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(197F) : Hmm…
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(312F) : Why are you so determined to say they have no talent? Do you think reaching the second circle in two hours is a fucking joke?
The uproar did not stop even after Seol Harin's explanation.
At that point, some anonymous users began criticizing her from a slightly different angle.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(608F) : Ah, look at all the people projecting themselves onto Newbie popping up again.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(324F) : Seriously, why am I this embarrassed for them because of their need for validation?
ㄴ SSS-Grade Item Power User : What the fuck. If you don't like Newbie getting praised, just leave the gallery, you guys.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(706F) : They're just in the denial phase of becoming a fan, that's all.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(324F) : ?
Amid the confusion, Seol Harin spoke.
Seol Harin : Well, honestly, they don't seem ordinary, but I really don't want to admit that people who use black magic are geniuses or anything.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(704F) : Just admit you're jealous already ㅇㅇ
ㄴ Seol Harin : Black magic gets a free pass on circle progression. The whole clearing-it-in-a-few-hours thing is a bit much.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(249F) : She showed her true colors right away lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(643F) : That's not what she meant (it totally is).
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(549F) : But Newbie hasn't even gone to the sea yet lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(351F) : The free ride of all free rides lol
She said it with a note of regret.
ㄴ Seol Harin : I should have just put them on the dragon-magic tree when they first arrived…
ㄴ Seol Harin : They were born as a Reaper, so I guess it couldn't be helped… But I'll teach them from now on. They seem to have been excommunicated by their former teacher, too.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(431F) : Did she actually want to teach them? lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(348F) : What an infuriating game of push and pull…
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(643F) : I think this is the first time we've seen her actually want to teach someone directly lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(249F) : I don't think I've ever seen her give one-on-one lessons…
‘Oh.’
It seemed I was about to gain a new teacher.
She must be an excellent teacher too.
It was good timing, since this was right after I had effectively been excommunicated by my Reaper teacher.
But then.
Death Note Tripitaka : Excommunicated, my ass!!
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(351F) : He came rushing in because he was afraid Newbie would get stolen lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(431F) : lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(248F) : Ah, this guy's still here.
My teacher barged into the comment section.
At least I hadn't been excommunicated.
Death Note Tripitaka : How dare someone who uses dragon magic offer to teach a Reaper!
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(641F) : His sulking vanished instantly lol ㄴ ㅇㅇ(513F) : He was going to come crawling back anyway lol
A little while later, Seol Harin replied.
ㄴ Seol Harin : Basic utility magic is attribute-less. And you're a natural-born member of the Demon King's army, so you probably don't understand the difficulties a human would face while learning, do you?
Death Note Tripitaka answered with a scoff.
ㄴ Death Note Tripitaka : What a ridiculous thing to say! The moment you first encountered magic, you must have been born with more than ten circles and a body capable of septuple casting! How could someone like that understand the process of learning from the beginning!
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(443F) : Wow, starting with more than ten circles is making me jealous all over again.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(160F) : Wait, now that I think about it, she was the one getting the biggest free ride;;
But the other side wasn't backing down either.
ㄴ Seol Harin : Precisely because of that, I found the fundamentals confusing, so I took everything apart and studied it piece by piece starting from the first circle, okay?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(279F) : Ah, so that's why you were good at teaching lower-tier magic too. Thank you, teacher.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(497F) : Newbie, she's the top instructor when it comes to utility magic.
‘…Is she a star instructor?’
She seemed to be quite famous among the gallery users.
It was the moment I understood why the gallery users had asked her about my talent.
ㅇㅇ(432F) : She claims not to know whether they have talent, but she really wants to teach them lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(643F) : She was actually salivating over them.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(645F) : Seems like she tried to establish the upper hand at first, then changed strategies when it looked like that wouldn't work lol
ㅇㅇ(312F) : Look at Tripitaka here acting like he was practically kicking Newbie out earlier, then immediately trying to take them back the moment a rival appeared lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(461F) : Seems like both of them realized who the subordinate is lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(643F) : Master-student role reversal ㄷㄷ
This might have been a good situation for me.
‘This is my chance to regain his trust.’
My favorability had dropped sharply because of the Envoy Realm.
I did think it would be good to have a teacher with strong teaching abilities, but if I had to choose one of the two, it was obvious whose side I should take.
For now, I had to focus on learning black magic centered on instant-death spells.
I typed without hesitation.
ㅇㅇ(100F)(Author) : My only teacher is Death Note Tripitaka.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(312F) : Oh?
ㄴ Seol Harin : …
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(100F)(Author) : Teacher, there is absolutely no need to worry. Since I have a Reaper's body, I have to learn black magic, don't I? As for everything else, I only intend to follow your guidance!
A satisfied response came back immediately.
Death Note Tripitaka : Hmm… Yes, that's how it should be.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(431F) : I can practically see the corners of his mouth twitching lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(347F) : Newbie's loyalty is incredible ㄷㄷ If it were me, I'd have said I'd go check it out first and come back lol
But then.
Seol Harin left a strange comment.
Seol Harin : ……
ㄴ Seol Harin : Ah, seriously… I was going to tell you after we got closer.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(249F) : ?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(465F) : Why is she suddenly acting like this?
She seemed to have had something she wanted to tell me all along.
ㄴ Seol Harin : I'm from Earth too.
“Huh?”
My eyes widened.
I hurriedly left a comment.
ㅇㅇ(100F)(Author) : Really? Not just your nickname being translated… is Seol Harin really your actual three-syllable name?
ㄴ Seol Harin : Yeah, that's right.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(100F)(Author) : Wow, that's amazing. But how did you know I came from Earth?
ㄴ Seol Harin : Cup ramen and snacks.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(100F)(Author) : Oh, I see… Nice to meet you.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(279F) : You mean PX items?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(336F) : Seems like it.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(643F) : Oh, does this mean Newbie's going to get stolen again?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(243F) : Jiyeon ㄷㄷ
A gallery user from Earth, huh.
I had thought I should look for one someday, but I had been too busy to actually do it until now.
Seol Harin : I'm glad to meet you too…! You're the first person from Earth I've met here… I wanted to talk to you from the beginning because I was happy to see you, and I also wanted to teach you magic while I was at it.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(249F) : Then why didn't you just say so from the beginning instead of testing the waters?
She answered bashfully.
ㄴ Seol Harin : …I hate getting excited on my own only to be rejected first…
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(643F) : So you pretended you weren't that interested in Newbie at first? lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(432F) : What an incredible defense mechanism lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(432F) : The hedgehog's method of making friends ㄷㄷ
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(648F) : But Newbie already said they're learning from Tripitaka?
ㄴ Seol Harin : …I know.
She let her disappointment show, then spoke politely to Death Note Tripitaka.
Seol Harin : …Tripitaka, could you lend me this friend just once? I'll teach them really well and send them back.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(430F) : Now she's just begging lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(234F) : Can't you socialize even if you're not their teacher? Why is she so obsessed?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(649F) : Newbie's an efficiency freak, so they won't talk to you if you aren't useful.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(243F) : Seriously lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(197F) : With that personality, Newbie will never play along lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(548F) : They basically seem like a vanguard member. Do you really think they'd socialize? lol
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(100F)(Author) : No, what kind of misunderstanding has spread? I was actually happy to meet her too.
ㄴ Seol Harin : …Really?
While I was explaining to the gallery users that I wasn't a psychopath,
my teacher spoke as if answering Seol Harin.
ㄴ Death Note Tripitaka : How futile.
ㄴ Death Note Tripitaka : What significance is there in a compatriot from your original world?
ㄴ Death Note Tripitaka : Before long, your life here will be much longer than the life you originally lived.
“……”
My fingertips froze for a moment.
The fact that I would spend more years in this tower than I had lived before possessing this body.
It was a fact that struck like a dagger.
The gallery had apparently existed for 400 years, so there must already be many people like that.
‘In this woman's body…’
If I lived longer as a woman than I had as a man, how would I feel when I returned to my original form?
Just as that thought crossed my mind,
ㄴ Seol Harin : Death Note Tripitaka, I'm asking you just this once. It's really because this is the first girl from Earth with the same background I've seen in this tower.
ㄴ Seol Harin : Newbie… what do you think?
Seol Harin asked me very cautiously.
At that moment, I realized she had mistaken something about me.
‘I'm not a girl, though…’
I answered for the time being.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(100F)(Author) : Yes, well… if my teacher allows it.
Seol Harin had clearly mistaken my pre-possession self for a woman.
Come to think of it, I had never once revealed my gender.
That seemed to have caused the misunderstanding. I had never complained about my gender in the gallery.
While I was mulling over Seol Harin's misunderstanding, my teacher's comment appeared.
It was an unexpected answer.
Death Note Tripitaka : …I don't like it, but I understand.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(312F) : Huh? Suddenly?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(461F) : Why did he suddenly give in?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(730F) : Seems like Newbie saying, ‘If my teacher allows it,’ really got to him lol ㄴ ㅇㅇ(187F) : Damn, Newbie's clever lol
My teacher's approval had been granted.
I had no time to think carefully about his change in emotions.
That was because Seol Harin's excitement came crashing over me immediately afterward.
ㄴ Seol Harin : Yahoo! Thank you!
ㄴ Seol Harin : Finally… I can talk to someone who really understands me ㅎㅎㅎ
ㄴ Seol Harin : Newbie, you looked so pretty in the photo.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(100F)(Author) : Thank you…
ㄴ Seol Harin : You don't have to be shy ㅎㅎ Do you want to see my photo too?
Apparently, she had been desperately starved for girl talk.
I answered hesitantly.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(100F)(Author) : Yes, well… sure…!
ㄴ Seol Harin : ㅎㅎ Let's exchange photos.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(249F) : Ugh… Just thinking about humanoid faces makes me want to throw up…
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(351F) : Looking at Newbie's stats so much lately has toughened me up.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(643F) : You too?
Just as I was agonizing over how to handle my relationship with this person,
Seol Harin : By the way, what was your original name..? ㅎㅎ
An awkward question came flying at me.
I bit my lip.
‘It would have been nice if my name had been gender-neutral…’
What would happen if I revealed here that I had originally been a man?
Her sky-high energy would surely deflate.
Since things had come this far, she might even get angry that I had deceived her.
Was it okay to disappoint a new teacher who was showing me goodwill by offering to teach me at a time like this?
What was the most practical decision here?
‘While I'm learning from this person… I should play along to some extent, right?’
I tried something I had never done before in my life.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(100F)(Author) : I'm Lee Seo-yoon.
ㄴ Seol Harin : Oh my, what a pretty name! Nice to meet you, Seoyoon ㅎㅎ
“Shit…”
I scratched at my hair.
Even though it was only text, hearing my name called like that from beyond the screen made me shudder.
“What have I done…”
The belated realization that I'd made up a female alias hit me.
‘I should get through whatever this person teaches me as quickly as possible…’
I hurriedly urged her to move on.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(100F)(Author) : I want to increase my artifact slots. What should I start with?!
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(354F) : You probably need to increase your circles.
ㄴ Seol Harin : No. There's something you need to do before that.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(354F) : ?