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Chapter 11: Scandal
Lucy nominated Hoyeon as her opponent, but nobody seemed interested.
"I’ll bet $50 Lucy destroys him in 30 seconds."
"I bet $100 for 25 seconds."
"Hey, it's not fair to bet like that."
People were betting on how quickly Hoyeon would lose the duel.
"Is Lee Hoyen really that weak? He's in Class A, too."
"I heard he switched classes from swordsman to magician less than a month ago."
"What? Seriously? Why did he do that?"
"I don't know."
During the morning simulated monster training, only a few students knew that Hoyeon had defeated a level 7 scrap giant. Those who witnessed the situation thought they were lucky to see it, but no one was advanced enough to recognize Hoyeon's mana control.
That's why no one thought Hoyeon would win against Lucy, a promising first-year student.
"Lucy is skilled with her attacks, but Hoyeon seems powerful too."
"But what's going on with Lucy? She's not the type to dislike anyone."
"True, it's strange. Could it be that she's interested in him?"
"Well, look at his face. He’s bound to catch some looks."
"I'll give you that, heh."
"Hey, it's starting."
"Oh, this should be interesting."
Even those initially disinterested found themselves captivated by the duel once it began.
The arena was surrounded by mana barriers to ensure the duel's attacks wouldn't affect the surroundings.
"3, 2, 1. Begin!"
Initially, it was all about probing, where they assessed each other's abilities.
"Hey, Lucy is being too nice. Is she biased because he's good-looking?"
"But he switched just a month ago, and his mana control shouldn’t be that impressive, right?"
"It hasn't been a month, more like two weeks? And what's the big deal? He seems pretty average to me."
"Really? Now that you say, he does seem pretty average."
However, as the duel progressed, the students' reactions gradually changed.
"Woah? Did you see that just now?"
"Wow, he’s so lucky."
At first, they thought it was luck.
"Wow, he just happened to jump to an empty spot."
"Hey, no, I think... he saw it and dodged."
"Wait a minute, I saw it too. His eyes are following everything."
Even within Class A, there were distinctions between the top and bottom performers.
The top scorers of the entrance exam, Han Suwon and Ha Hyeonseung began to doubt that the dodges came from pure luck, causing the others opinions to waver.
"No way, he doesn’t seem all that athletic. How did he dodge that?"
"Yeah, it must be a coincidence, right?"
"Huh? Hey, why are his pupils changing color?"
At that moment, someone noticed the change in Hoyeon’s pupils.
His golden-colored eyes emitted a subtle glow, creating a mysterious atmosphere when combined with his appearance.
"Is that a skill? I've never heard of a skill that makes your eyes glow like that."
"Wow, a skill? But his eyes look amazing... It looks like CGI."
The students were all watching closely, and they all knew.
His evasions weren't luck. Everything was intentional.
"Wow, this is insane, seriously."
"Those eyes, it must be some unique ability. Like the ability to see through magic?"
"Yeah, it has to be a unique power. It doesn't make sense to call it a skill, and I've never seen anything like it."
As Hoyeon continued his unbelievable evasive maneuvers, the students were left speechless.
However, most students overlooked the fact that Hoyeon hadn’t yet used magic in the duel.
He had only created a barrier to block the fire arrows initially.
After that, he only used his mana for physical abilities and enhancements.
There were only two among the students who could see through this, Nam Daeun and Alice.
Everyone fell silent when he brought the dagger to Lucy's neck at the end.
"Professor, please declare the winner."
"Oh, uhhh, right. The winner is Lee Hoyeon. Both of you can come down now."
◇◇◇
"This is insane. Seriously."
"It has to be a unique ability. Did he read all the mana or something?"
"I saw it, he brought down a scrap giant with fire magic this morning."
After the duel class ended, the classroom was buzzing with talk of Hoyeon.
While Alice and Nam Daeun’s overwhelming skills were impressive, Hoyeon was the center of discussion.
Hoyen’s evasive movements fascinated the students, and his handsome face only fueled the fire.
"Not only is he good-looking, but his eyes also shone gold. When he brought the dagger to Lucy's neck at the end, I thought I was watching a movie."
"I recorded a video, you know? I'm definitely uploading it online."
"With that skill level, won't he be the top student in the first year?"
"Hey, be careful with what you say."
"Huh? What..."
Nam Daeun overheard the students' conversation in the back of the room.
"Um... I didn't specifically talk about you... I'm sorry..."
"..."
Nam Daeun didn't respond to the student's apology. Instead, she kept staring at her phone.
It seemed as if she had no interest whatsoever in these situations.
Hoyeon rested his chin on his hand, gazing blankly at the front of the classroom.
"Hey, go talk to him."
"That look in his eyes, full of confidence... I wonder what he's thinking?"
◇◇◇
What the fuck is going on with my eyes?
Should I be worried?
After the duel ended, I found myself lost in thought.
Fortunately, the golden glow soon faded.
All this fuss about a unique ability...
An ability is a power that manifests through an individual's efforts and talents, not through formalized magic or mana manipulation techniques.
Typically, prodigies awaken their unique abilities, which are referred to as "unique powers."
Most people never manifest such unique abilities.
As the protagonist, Hoyeon possesses quite an impressive unique ability.
───――「 Combat Sense 」───――
▶ Unique Ability
▶ Provides adjustments to all actions deemed 'combat-related.'
The higher the risk level of the 'combat,' the greater the effect.
───――───――───――───――
A unique ability related to combat, it manifests an innate combat sense and intuition in all battle-related actions.
Also, [Mind's Eye].
---------『 Insight 』---------------------------
▶ Unique Skill
▶ Concentrates mana into the eyes to maximize sensory perception.
Enhances the ability to perceive and distinguish entities or forms imbued with mana to the fullest extent.
--------------------------------------------
Unique Skill.
A skill that is one's very own. Usually, skills are created by blending different abilities and powers, but in this case, it's a combination of my ability and a special bonus.
I was able to overpower Lucy with unbelievable evasive maneuvers during the duel because of [Insight].
Coupled with the bonus skill [Mana Perception], it seems these two abilities synergize, enhancing the overall effect... or so I assume.
I never imagined such a synergistic effect could be possible, but this was a fortunate outcome from taking the magician route.
"Quite impressive, isn't it?"
"Huh? Oh, well, thanks."
Kim Younghan struck up a conversation with me.
When I think about it, it's quite peculiar. Many others want to approach me, but they can't. Part of it’s probably due to his personality, but he’s also fairly attractive.
Maybe that's why he has so much confidence.
"It was really cool. Your eyes turned golden like you were in a comic book."
"You did great, too."
"Come on, compared to your impact, I'm nothing special. But what was up with those golden eyes? Everyone went crazy about it. Is it your unique ability?"
Kim Younghan asked with his characteristic cheerful smile.
"Well, that's a secret."
It's not really a unique ability, but I don't see the need to go around telling everyone what [Insight].
"Too bad. How about we grab dinner after class? I found a great chicken place."
"Sorry, I already have plans."
Making plans for dinner with a guy? There's no waste of time quite like that. I shut down the idea.
With all the girls I have to woo, where would I find time to have dinner with a guy?
◇◇◇
"Should I take a break from training today?"
My condition isn't great. Proper rest is essential for effective growth.
"Yeah, let's rest. Consider it a reward for myself today."
With that thought in mind, I stepped out of the dormitory.
Since there were no snacks in the room and I wasn't planning to train, I decided to shop. Sometimes, indulging a little is necessary for the body to recover.
The shopping district looked the same as it did two days ago.
I decided to stroll in the park and sat on a bench, gazing at the sky. It still didn’t feel real that I was in a game world.
After wandering aimlessly for a while, I stumbled upon a café with large windows.
Café Nakwol
It was the cafe where I had met Moon Soorin the last time. I peeked inside, but she wasn't there.
"Why don’t I take a look?"
Memories of the game came flooding back after meeting Moon Soorin here last time.
This cafe was one she seemed to like. I thought it might be a good idea to go in and check it out since I didn't know when I might be back.
Besides, it wasn't time for the supermarket or convenience store to close yet.
Ding!
"Welcome~!"
Inside the cafe, there were several tables and stairs leading up to the second floor.
The charming interior exuded a homely appeal in every corner, creating an atmosphere women would appreciate.
"I'll have one Claire-Rose latte, please."
"Sure thing~"
By the way, I'm not quite sure what a Claire-Rose is. It's probably some new plant that came out of a dungeon.
"One Claire-Rose Latte~."
I received my drink and found a spot in a corner. The beverage had a subtle rose fragrance.
Sip.
I slurped the drink through the straw. At first, it was sweet with a delicate rose scent, then it became refreshing, and suddenly, it turned spicy.
"What is this flavor?
If I had to describe it, it felt like something you’d drink to wake you up, but... why would anyone drink this?
Perplexed, I lifted the cup, observing the colors of the drink. It was a mixture of light green and white. Even when I stirred it with the straw, the two colors didn't blend.
Ding!
It seems a new customer has arrived. I casually turned my head.
Moon Soorin was placing her order.
Cough!
Seriously? What a coincidence!
After paying, Moon Soorin looked around, probably deciding where to sit, and found herself looking at me.
Since our eyes met, I gave her a light nod. Unexpectedly, she started walking over in my direction.
Huh?
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