Chapter 155 : Chapter 155

Chapter 155

Cha ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Yeri turned back in front of the annex entrance.

Watching ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Ji Seokhyeon and Do Minyeong grow distant, she muttered,

“I ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍do not even have to see it to know. He definitely did something with Do Minyeong.”

Deep ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍inside her, frustration and anger mixed together.

It ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was difficult to name the feeling precisely, but by her experience, the word that fit best was likely jealousy.

“Fine. ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Let us do this, then. I have my own plans as well.”

She steadied her mind and stepped into the annex building.

But only for a moment. After barely a few steps, she stopped.

“She packs him lunch every day? She has a disgusting amount of free time.”

Rather than wasting time on something as complicated and bothersome as cooking, it would be wiser and more efficient to cover meals with points. Why would she do such a thing?

“Could it be that this ‘care’…”

To someone who had solved everything through money and status, what the word care truly meant.

“A pleasant-sounding phrase used to praise the producer of a product… or an ordinary marketing term… is it not?”

She asked herself.

Aside from monetary means, had she ever appealed to Ji Seokhyeon through “care” in any tangible way?

“…How irritating.”

Cha Yeri called her attendant, Kim Songi, on her smartphone.

─Yes, miss.

“Sister, can you cook? Or sew, perhaps, or draw a simple portrait? Ah! Is it not said that if you fold a thousand paper cranes, your wish comes true? No, more practically, have you ever done smithing? Like making a cup and imprinting a matching couple pattern on it…”

─I am sorry, but could you please speak calmly and repeat that?

“I mean… I want to make something with care put into it.”

***

Fine sand trembled.

Chaotically, like an irregular wave had passed through it.

Then, rising around a central point, it shaped itself into a warrior with a human-like form.

A Sand Golem, nearly flawless, without a single jagged imperfection.

Kim Seulhee, who had been watching my summoning, clapped a beat late.

“You have not been practicing summoning for long, yet you can form such a perfect structure… Then, could you show me its movement next?”

“Yes.”

The Sand Golem began to move according to the image I held in my mind.

The image belonged to movements I had observed countless times: An Hwigom’s.

It could not imitate him perfectly, but its momentum was still strikingly threatening.

“Good. Next is transformation.”

“Yes.”

Transformation of a golem.

In simple terms, it meant changing its form after summoning it.

In this case, shaping a sword by applying sand.

I immediately released mana. Sand gathered in the golem’s right hand, and a sharp sword formed.

A blade that looked as though it would cut the skin merely by touch…

Before Kim Seulhee even asked, I moved it.

Again, the movement mirrored An Hwigom’s image from moments ago.

Watching the golem’s swordsmanship made me want to draw my own sword from my waist and cross blades.

“Excellent. Next, let us check how many entities you can summon.”

“Yes.”

When I stopped releasing mana, the Sand Golem vanished.

I swallowed a mana potion, then placed my hand on the sandy floor again.

The fine sand began to stir once more.

As I spread mana at a level that would not drive me into mana depletion, Sand Golems began to appear one by one.

“Mm. Twenty-three in total. That is tremendous progress. Almost chillingly so.”

“That is only because I barely managed to summon them. If I account for movement, I cannot maintain even half.”

My Intelligence was 18.6.

My Mana was 8.4.

My Intelligence had only increased by 2 since I first learned summoning, yet I could already summon quite a number of golems.

Of course, familiarity played a role, but more than that, efficiency surged as stats approached 20.

“Sometimes, humility becomes poison in learning. I can summon around a hundred Mud Golems, but I cannot expect such fluid movement as your Sand Golems. Shall we call it innate talent? The only thing I have over you is the amount of mana I possess. And even that, you will surpass soon. Time is on your side.”

Kim Seulhee was not wrong.

If I could summon twenty-three golems that matched an Intelligence of 18.6, it was comparable to her summoning several hundred Mud Golems.

Direct comparison was difficult, but recalling the Mud Golems summoned at the entrance ceremony, the efficiency was likely in that range.

“In that sense, I want to test your limits further. What do you say?”

“What limits?”

“The limits of your talent. The golem I saw earlier seemed unable to display its full performance. It is like wearing clothes that do not fit…”

It was because I had not used my primary attribute, darkness.

And yet she had perceived that so precisely.

“When I was studying theory, I did not think you would progress this far, so I omitted it, but there are two things that could be called the final evolution of summoning. Giantification and armoring. For the record, even I cannot handle either.”

“Giantification is summoning a golem as tall as a building, and armoring… that is unfamiliar.”

“Armoring is exactly as it sounds. You summon a portion of the golem onto the caster’s body. If I give you a similar image, it is like wearing Metalgrid.”

Metalgrid, worn to replace missing body parts.

Then armoring would feel like donning a golem’s body.

Damn it. Because summoning had nothing to do with the protagonist, Lee Eunho, I had never set the details this precisely.

“Even outstanding summoners can usually use only one of the two. They either sweep enemies away with an overwhelmingly large golem, or they use armoring and fight on the front line alongside their golems. Ah, and unless someone is truly at the pinnacle, most ‘giantification’ is only a golem three to four stories tall.”

“Giantification is intuitive, but what advantage does armoring provide?”

“It allows you to use the power of an attribute efficiently. With the sand you use, for example, it most commonly manifests as hardening of the body.”

“Hardening… and what else?”

“If you apply other attributes, you gain many advantages. Healing the body through armoring, moving freely through harsh terrain, and other capabilities. But what makes armoring frightening is that it maximizes attribute-based damage.”

Maximizes attribute damage.

In other words, it inflicted irrecoverable harm against an opponent of extreme incompatibility.

Armoring with a golem’s body would be far deadlier than simply cloaking oneself in mana.

And if one applied the fire attribute and armored oneself in metal, one could fight flexibly without weapons or equipment.

Then what synergy would it create with the darkness attribute I possessed?

I wanted to ask Kim Seulhee about shadow-made golems, but I restrained myself.

I could confirm it myself.

“Shall we attempt giantification first? The height will be the training ground’s ceiling. Naturally, you must not shape it into an inflated bulk like a Snowman.”

“So it must retain minimal mobility.”

“This is only an initial attempt. Even among talented summoners, those who can use both giantification and armoring are exceedingly rare.”

The way she phrased it suggested that merely making something bigger did not qualify as giantification.

In my case, my Intelligence of 18.6 would probably take care of it.

“How high is the ceiling, roughly?”

“Just under four meters.”

“I see.”

I returned the summoned Sand Golems to environmental mana.

Then I swallowed a mana potion, closed my eyes, and focused.

“……”

While envisioning a magnified version of the form I had shaped, I released mana little by little.

With delicate precision, as though moving each grain of sand, it felt like constructing an unbreakable fortress.

When I opened my eyes, a mountain of sand pressed against the ceiling.

“That is it! Now all that remains is the shaping! Use your concentration based on the Sand Golem you summoned earlier!”

At Kim Seulhee’s cry, I nodded and moved my mana.

The mountain of sand began to be carved away busily.

My internal mana started to evaporate, but instinctively, I was certain I could summon a giantified golem.

Was it because my Intelligence was so high?

Difficult magic felt strangely easy.

Or perhaps it helped that I had seen Monica Bayliss’s Knight Golem with my own eyes.

“Will this do?”

Soon, the golem took on a recognizable form.

The training ground was too cramped for it to move properly, but I still had enough mana left for movement.

Could one of summoning’s so-called final evolutions truly be this easy?

The moment the doubt surfaced, I shook my head.

An Intelligence of 18.6, at this point in time, was a value comparable to that of a grand mage in this world.

I simply had not learned enough to make proper use of it.

“M-my, that is impossible…”

As I expected, Kim Seulhee stared with her mouth hanging open.

She had always been candid with her emotions, but to gape so openly…

“C-Cadet Ji Seokhyeon, this was an attempt… was it not?”

“Yes. It was an attempt. I was fortunate enough to make it presentable.”

“Fortunate? Did you just call this fortunate?”

Kim Seulhee shook her head rapidly.

“This is not fortune! This is a level where you must transfer to the Support Division and become a summoner immediately! Even among the cadets, those who can use giantification are— No! How many casters in the world do you think can use giantification or armoring at all!”

“……”

Now I could feel it.

How far outside the standard I truly was.

As I returned the giantified golem to mana, I glanced at the status window hovering to the side.

[Durability 13.3] [Strength 14.0(+8.7)] [Stamina 3.2]

[Agility 20.0] [Intelligence 18.6] [Mana 8.4]

If my Mana exceeded 10, could I truly operate as a mage?

Of course, I would still need to study for a long time.

Whatever weapon I ultimately chose, the foundation of this absurd growth was Agility 20.

Talent so overwhelming that it made the Avid Reader’s deletion of my ability suddenly understandable.

If I were him, I would have hindered the growth of a character that would shatter balance.

After all, when a game becomes too easy, it stops being fun.

Still, I wanted to try summoning a darkness-attribute golem with this ability.

I briefly watched Kim Seulhee’s face, but she did not look as though she would let me go quietly.

“How much more do you intend to surprise me? That golem you just made could be used in real combat if you only refined its clumsiness. It was a quality you could never achieve on a first attempt.”

“Ha ha… is that so?”

“Then in that case, let us attempt armoring as well. Unlike giantification, it requires some theory, but you will grasp it quickly. Whether it is possible, of course, we will have to try.”

“Armoring? Did you not say those who can use both are exceedingly rare?”

“Yes, I did. But I believe one of those exceedingly rare cases is standing right in front of me.”

As expected, Kim Seulhee’s eyes shone with a sort of madness.

She looked as though she could not rest until she tested every possibility.

That was why obsession with research was frightening.

“And besides, do you not know the exceedingly rare case better than anyone?”

“What?”

“Her precise identity is unknown, but the mad summoner of the Special Affairs Division uses both. She is an awakened who can do both.”

“……”

Ah. Monica Bayliss.

If anyone could, she could.

At that point, desire began to stir in me as well.

“Then while studying the theory of armoring, could I also learn magic?”

Kim Seulhee tilted her head, as if she had not expected those words at all.

But soon, as though she sensed my thirst for study, she nodded repeatedly in an almost burdensome way.

“Good! An opportunity to teach a genius—I cannot let it slip away! When shall we begin? The second semester will start soon, so we can set it as an after-school schedule, can we not?”