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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“Professor, I’m giving it to him. So what is the fucking problem?”
“W-what?”
The professor was taken aback by Han Yuri’s bluntness. Unfazed, she continued, her face creased in a frown.
“Our professor isn’t saying anything, so why are you making a fuss? If your class’s scores were comparable to ours, I’d understand, but the highest score in Class 2 was a measly 5,000. Who are you to judge? Frankly, I think Lee Seong-hyun could take on your entire class and win.”
‘Damn it, Han Yuri. Don’t do this.’
“Just because he’s last in the school doesn’t mean he’s untalented, does it? Are you allowed to judge a student’s potential so carelessly? What are you going to do if Lee Seong-hyun becomes stronger than you someday?”
‘This crazy bitch…’
The man’s face turned crimson, and he gritted his teeth. Knowing he was losing ground, he made one last attempt.
“Grades are proof of a person’s worth. Lee Seong-hyun’s grades…”
“Professor.”
A quiet, calm voice interrupted. It was Irena.
“That’s enough.”
“Ugh…!”
It was a final warning.
With her, both the head professor and the grade evaluation supervisor agreeing, there was no room for further argument.
‘This is going to accelerate things.’
The conflict between Rank 1 and Rank 2 students.
The rift between the two groups, already deep, was destined to escalate into a full-blown confrontation, and this incident was only going to make it happen sooner.
After the second and third place rewards were distributed, the closing ceremony ended.
Irena stepped down from the podium and approached us.
“You’ll be using the Wishing Stone now, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Follow me. I’ve cleared out a training room.”
Her gaze told me she’d expected me to use it.
The feeling that she was analyzing me was unsettling.
And frankly, I found her rather irritating.
‘I’d ignored all her messages telling me to attend her lectures.’
Surprisingly, she hadn’t mentioned it.
I followed Irena, with Han Yuri and Choi Ah-hyun trailing behind.
The walk to the training room was silent and awkward.
I decided to break the ice.
“Thank you for your help earlier.”
“It was nothing. I was simply doing my duty as a professor.”
“Still, you saved me and Ji-hoon by showing up at the right moment during the evaluation.”
Lip service was free, so I might as well use it. But my words seemed to displease her. Her response was delayed.
“…Please refrain from such reckless actions in the future.”
“Are you referring to the fact that I fought a Flare Wolf while under the effects of skill nullification?”
“Yes. You were lucky to survive this time, but if you continue to act so recklessly…”
She paused, as if choosing her words carefully.
“…You’ll die soon.”
Her voice was tinged with a deep sadness.
“…I’ll be careful.”
I couldn’t think of any other response.
The training room.
As I stood in the center of the large, circular room and stared at the Wishing Stone, I heard Han Yuri and Choi Ah-hyun’s voices.
“Lee Seong-hyun! Skills are more important than your health! You can worry about your health after you’re dead, but you can’t get skills then! So give it your all!”
“Seong-hyun-ah, you have to wish for an immortality skill!”
One offered encouragement, while the other suggested something impossible.
I waved at them and looked at Irena.
She nodded, giving me permission to begin.
“Haa…”
The Wishing Stone.
I’d only heard stories about it.
This was my first time seeing it in person.
The anticipation and nervousness made my body tingle.
I closed my eyes and thought about my wish.
It wasn’t anything grand, like conquering the world or achieving ultimate power.
It was simply…
‘I want to live with the woman I love.’
Sharing our feelings, learning about each other, and eventually, holding hands as we close our eyes together, at the same time, on the same day.
That was my wish.
To fulfill this simple wish, I needed power.
The power to destroy thousands of meteors.
The speed to move even at absolute zero.
The agility to escape chains that could bind even dragons.
The skill took shape in my mind.
But the more complete it became, the more intense the pain.
[Pain Points +1]
The rapidly increasing pain points were proof of my overreaching ambition.
I knew my limits.
I knew my capacity was small.
But I couldn’t give up.
[Equivalent Exchange Activated!]
[Consuming 1% pain points to enhance physical abilities!]
My capacity was small?
Then I would expand it.
Even if it meant breaking my body!
As the pain intensified, I repeatedly used Equivalent Exchange. It was a battle of wills, a test of endurance.
And then, at some point, my nerves felt like they were burning, and my consciousness faded.
Had I failed?
No, no.
Beyond the haze…
Beyond my blurred vision… I saw her.
Sitting in a field of moss roses. A warm presence that filled the emptiness in my heart.
I thought to myself,
‘Even if I failed to create the skill, it was worth it.’
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Han Yuri asked herself a question.
‘Who is the most unbalanced member of our team?’
The answer was easy.
‘Lee Seong-hyun.’
Standard-issue weapons, mediocre skills.
He was the embodiment of the “last place” title.
But she’d seen it.
At the Goblin’s Nest and during the Flare Wolf hunt.
‘How can someone so untalented take down two D-rank monsters?’
He’d single-handedly killed the wolf, a notoriously agile and difficult opponent.
She hadn’t seen it clearly, but according to Lee Seol, he’d killed it in one blow.
He was overflowing with talent.
‘It would be a waste to let even a tiny bit of that talent go to waste.’
It was better to nurture that potential than to let it rot.
After discussing it with Choi Ah-hyun, she’d decided to give him the Wishing Stone.
‘This better not be a waste.’
Han Yuri kept her eyes fixed on Lee Seong-hyun, who was standing in the center of the training room with his eyes closed.
One minute. Two minutes.
Normally, the skill would have manifested as soon as he touched the stone. This was taking too long.
Choi Ah-hyun tilted her head in confusion, and Irena, sensing something was wrong, checked her watch.
At that moment, only Han Yuri grasped the truth.
‘Holy shit…!’
It was the same killing intent she’d felt on orientation day.
The sensation of thousands of rats gnawing at her body, inside and out.
The bizarre feeling of prey devouring predator coursed through her veins.
As Han Yuri shuddered, she saw it.
*Crackle.*
Tiny sparks flew from Lee Seong-hyun’s body.
Black, white, red.
The three sparks grew into lightning bolts and enveloped Seong-hyun.
They tried to devour him, but each attempt failed.
It was a sight she’d never seen before. But one thing was certain.
“Has he failed…?”
Irena clicked her tongue and activated her ability. She was trying to stop Lee Seong-hyun before he pushed himself too far.
A thousand hands.
Fifteen hands made of mana stretched from Irena towards Lee Seong-hyun. Just before they reached him…
*Crackle!*
“Ugh…!”
The three lightning bolts sliced through the mana hands.
“Impossible… how could they cut through my…!”
Professor Irena was B-rank.
And her power had been effortlessly neutralized.
The three lightning bolts, having cleared the obstacle, began to devour Lee Seong-hyun’s body.
His skin tore, and blood flowed.
But Lee Seong-hyun didn’t stop.
As if still hungry, the lightning grew. Ten times its original size. Lee Seong-hyun coughed up blood.
It was clear. Lee Seong-hyun had been too greedy. He’d overestimated his capacity.
“Professor, this is…”
“Yes, I know. Could you assist me?”
“Of course.”
“Professor, Yuri! Look!”
Choi Ah-hyun’s urgent cry made them turn their heads. And then, they gasped.
“Holy shit…!”
“What the…?”
Golden lightning was erupting from Lee Seong-hyun’s body, devouring the three colored bolts.
In the blink of an eye…
Lee Seong-hyun’s body was engulfed in golden lightning.
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[Lightning God – S]
-Grants control over lightning.
‘It actually worked…’
An S-rank Unique Skill in my status window.
Something only monsters like Han Yuri and Lee Seol possessed.
It felt strange to have it myself.
“Lee Seong-hyun, are you listening to me?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Are you a goldfish? How can you forget what I said just an hour ago? I told you not to push yourself…”
My first ever S-rank skill.
Honestly, [Forward S] felt more like a support skill, so it hadn’t really sunk in.
But this Lightning God…
*Crackle.*
Golden sparks danced in my hand.
‘Fuck yeah. This is it.’
The brilliant light brought a smile to my face.
Irena, noticing my fascination, sighed deeply.
“Haa… Anyway, I’m glad you’re not seriously injured. Contact me if anything happens. I have a meeting to attend.”
“Yes, Professor. Goodbye.”
Finally, the obstacle was gone.
I activated the ability again.
The sparks were barely worthy of being called lightning.
Static electricity was a more accurate description.
‘It’s weak now, but I’ll be able to control lightning freely someday.’
The ultimate in versatility.
Lightning God.
I’d modeled it after Gold Dragon Yoo Chung’s ability.
The memory of that dragon’s lightning was still vivid in my mind.
It was a Unique Skill I truly admired, and now it was mine.
I turned to show off to the others, but Han Yuri and Choi Ah-hyun were cleaning up the blood I’d spilled.
I had a bad feeling that if I went over there, I’d be forced to help.
‘Thanks for cleaning up, guys.’
I quietly slipped out of the training room.
Choi Ah-hyun shouted.
“Hey! Seong-hyun’s running away!”
“Lee Seong-hyun!”
I pretended not to hear and continued my escape.
Success! No one followed me.
I’d gotten Lightning God and avoided cleaning duty.
I walked down the hallway with a light heart.
Suddenly, I heard shouting from a nearby meeting room.
“Professor, you absolutely have to choose a disciple this time!”
“A disciple? At my level…”
“Oh, come on… Professor, please…”
The door was slightly ajar.
Irena and a man were arguing inside.
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That’s OP.