NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 11 - Magic Awakening (1)
Episode 11: Magic Awakening (1)
“Hmm…”
Kim Baram pondered deeply as he checked the status message in front of him.
Whack!
“Why are you sitting with your arms crossed at the table? Hurry up and eat your breakfast and get ready for the academy.”
“Yes, Mom…”
Another one of Mom’s morning smacks.
Last night, she had also hit him a few times for coming home late.
As he hastily stuffed the breakfast Mom had lovingly prepared into his mouth, Kim Baram drifted back to his thoughts.
It seemed that his unique ability [Irregular] not only gave him VP (Variable Points) for changing specific events but also calculated and awarded VP based on all his daily actions.
Snowballing.
In gaming, this term often referred to the strategy of gaining early advantages to amplify benefits, leading to even greater gains in the late game. It was like starting with a small snowball and rolling it to make it larger.
So, if he could gain VP not only from events intervention but also from his daily actions, it seemed more beneficial to use the
‘The only drawback is the eventual decrease in stats gained from training.’
Stats gained from training were most effective early on, and they diminished returns as they increased.
‘If I use skills to increase my stats, it might be hard to gain stats from training.’
From yesterday’s experience, it appeared Kim Baram’s body didn’t respond well to stat growth through training.
Unlike Han Suyeon, who could raise her strength, agility, and endurance by at least 2 points each on the first day in every round, most players in the story struggled to push their stats past the mid-30s through training alone. Even the prodigious Han Suyeon hit her limit around the low 40s.
With Kim Baram’s body, it would be even hard to reach the low 30s through training alone before the world ends.
He smirked at the inadequacy of Kim Baram’s body and went to his room to get ready for the academy and made a decision.
“Strike while the iron is hot. Let’s use it now.
Ding!
[Using skill
Kim Baram quickly grabbed the two dice that appeared in midair and rolled them, praying to all the gods on Earth.
“Please, gods!”
***
Nietzsche said.
God is dead.
“Damn it.”
{TN:- Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher, cultural critic, composer, poet, and philologist.}
Kicking a pebble on the street, Kim Baram cursed in frustration.
He had rolled the dice seven times, leaving some VP just in case. The results were 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3.
The numbers fluctuated up and down as if mocking him.
Moreover, the ‘rise’ was barely like climbing a small hill in a neighborhood.
“Status window.”
———-
Name: Kim Baram
Age: 17
Attributes:
Strength: 14
Agility: 14
Stamina: 15
Magic: 1
Charm: 42
Luck: 51
Skills:
(New)
Unique Abilities:
– VP (Variable Points): 1650 VP
————
Seeing his drastically reduced VP, from 8650 to 1650, left him feeling empty. He sighed deeply.
“Sigh… Life… is so futile.”
By using
Considering the significant investment of 7000 VP, the outcome was a bit disappointing, leaving him with a bitter feeling.
“Sigh… At least I should be thankful that I could increase my stats reliably. Other people would have to train hard to achieve this.”
Whoosh!
Smack!
Just as he was trying to rationalize and console himself, a strong wind blew, and something smacked against his cheek.
When he raised his hand to check what it was, he found a vibrant green leaf.
“What the… Just a leaf.”
As he was about to toss the leaf to the ground, someone suddenly grabbed his wrist.
“Give that to me.”
Even though her voice was flat, it carried a strange excitement. Kim Baram turned to see who it was.
A small figure which barely reached his shoulder. She had long black hair, a cold demeanor, an expressionless face, and slightly unfocused ash-gray eyes.
Contrasting her cute, rabbit-like appearance, she carried a traditional Korean bow on her back. This was Ko Joo-yeon.
She was staring at him with half-closed eyes and her mouth was firmly shut.
As he stood there meeting her gaze, Ko Joo-yeon tightened her grip on his wrist with her small, soft hand.
“… Are you talking about this?”
Nod!
When he pointed to the leaf with his other hand, Ko Joo-yeon nodded slightly.
‘Is this something special?’
Thinking it might be a special item, he scrutinized the leaf, but it was just a normal, fresh green leaf.
“Here you go.”
He casually handed the leaf to Ko Joo-yeon, and he felt as if he saw a faint smile on her otherwise expressionless face.
‘Is she smiling? Maybe not.’
Thinking that their interaction was over, he turned to head towards the academy.
However, Ko Joo-yeon still held onto his uniform sleeve, as if she had something more to say.
“…?”
Kim Baram was puzzled and gazed at her with curiosity.
‘Could it be that she’s interested in me? Is this the effect of my charm stat increasing by 1?’
He, drunk in his own delusions, asked her expectantly,
“What’s up?”
Ko Joo-yeon’s expression shifted from blank to a slightly irritated one.
‘What’s this about? Why’s she holding onto me?’
“Yesterday… The deal.”
Deal? What deal from yesterday… Oh…
Kim Baram remembered. During Cha Joo-Hyuk’s first class yesterday, he had promised Ko Joo-yeon a macaron set to get on her good side.
He had completely forgotten because he had too much on his mind since then. Luckily, he had managed to get it in advance using a skill.
It was hard to get because it was always sold out.
“Oh, I’ll give it to you after the morning classes. I already got it.”
“…!”
Ko Joo-yeon’s eyes widened slightly. She was surprised that he had managed to get it in just one day.
She probably didn’t expect it to be so quick.
Then, unlike before, Ko Joo-yeon began to smile clearly.
Watching her smile, Kim Baram was momentarily mesmerized. She tugged at his sleeve slightly and spoke again.
“Thanks. See you later.”
With that, she walked past him towards the academy’s main gate. It was as if her business here was done.
Kim Baram turned his head and stared blankly at Ko Joo-yeon as she walked away. She held the tip of the leaf between her thumb and index finger. She appeared pleased as her body lightly swayed with each step.
He started to understand why the male characters in the novel would feel their hearts flutter just by seeing her slight smile.
Ding!
[Player ‘Kim Baram’s unique ability
[You have gained the favorability of the character ‘Ko Joo-yeon.’ You receive 100VP. Ko Joo-yeon’s favorability towards Kim Baram is now ‘Interest.’]
***
“The definitive difference between players and ordinary people is, of course, the status window. However, another difference lies in whether one can handle magic power or not. Magic power is mainly used to enhance the player’s body or their weapons, and in rare cases, it’s used by those with a talent for magic.”
Today’s lesson was conducted in a classroom rather than outdoors.
The cadets sat in comfortable positions and listened to Cha Joo-Hyuk as he continued his explanation.
“Today’s lesson is about sensing and manipulating magic power. Of course, there may be some cadets who can already manage their magic power.”
As he said this, Cha Joo-Hyuk glanced at Han Suyeon, Lee Do-Hyeok, Majin seok, and then at Kim Baram, who was propping his chin up while listening.
‘Um… I’ve never even felt magic power, let alone manipulated it.’
Cha Joo-Hyuk seemed to have some misunderstandings about him.
“If you can already handle your magic power, today’s lesson will be pointless for you. Such cadets are free to leave the classroom and train individually.”
At his words, a few cadets stood up, including Lee Do-Hyeok and his followers, as well as Majin Seok.
Ko Joo-yeon, who was sitting by the window, didn’t seem interested in the lesson. However, she had no intention of leaving. She stared at the leaf he had given her earlier with a strange longing.
‘What’s so special about that leaf…’
Kim Baram turned his attention from Ko Joo-yeon to Han Suyeon, who was sitting in her seat. Their eyes met.
‘Was she looking at me?’
When their eyes met, Han Suyeon quickly turned her head and looked elsewhere, pretending not to notice. However, she kept glancing at him from the corner of her eye, giving him the feeling that she was still conscious of his presence.
‘Has the future changed? Originally, Han Suyeon should have left to train during this class.’
Han Suyeon prioritized her growth above all, so it was quite unusual for her to stay in the class.
In the novel, it was described that she never attended Cha Joo-Hyuk’s magic power lessons after the first round.
Meanwhile, Lee Do-Hyeok noticed that Han Suyeon was still in the classroom, changed his mind and approached her.
With an annoyingly handsome face and a fresh smile, he spoke to her.
“Suyeon, why aren’t you leaving? You know how to handle magic power unlike some others.”
As he said this, Lee Do-Hyeok glanced at Kim Baram and gave him a disdainful look with a sneer.
Following his gaze, Han Suyeon glanced at Kim Baram from the corner of her eye again before responding.
“Mind your own business. Whether I stay or leave is my choice.”
Her unexpectedly cold reply caused Lee Do-Hyeok’s charming smile to falter. His expression hardened slightly, and he began glaring at Kim Baram with eyes burning with anger.
‘Hey, I didn’t do anything. Why’s he directing his anger at me?’
“Cadet Lee Do-Hyeok, make up your mind whether you’re staying or leaving,” Cha Joo-Hyuk said.
Reluctantly, Lee Do-Hyeok gave up trying to talk to Han Suyeon, turned around, and left the classroom.
Confirming that no more cadets intended to leave, Cha Joo-Hyuk resumed the lesson.
“Now, let’s proceed. First, we’ll start by trying to sense magic power. Everyone, come forward and take one of these rings.”
Cha Joo-Hyuk emptied a thick pouch on the podium, and dozens of silver rings spilled out.
Standing up to take a ring, he explained further.
“The rings you’re taking are called ‘Magic Circulation Rings.’ They assist the wearer in sensing magic power. Wear the rings and focus on feeling the flow of magic.”
Like the other cadets, Kim Baram grabbed a ring and returned to his seat. There, he examined it closely.
Then, he sensed a presence in the empty seat next to him.
Creak!
As Kim Baram turned his head toward the source of the presence, he saw that Ko Joo-yeon had taken a ring and was now sitting next to him.
Wasn’t she originally sitting by the window?
Why was she suddenly sitting next to him?
As Kim Baram stared at her, puzzled by her sudden behavior, she seemed to notice his gaze and turned to meet his eyes.
Tilting her head slightly with her characteristic blank expression, she spoke.
“Is it okay if I sit here?”
“Well. It’s not that it’s not okay…”
Satisfied with his response, Ko Joo-yeon revealed a slight smile and turned her attention back to the ring.
‘Is she really interested in me?’
As he gazed at Ko Joo-yeon, he began daydreaming about potential future scenarios, like how many kids they might have.
But then he remembered his modest charm stat and felt a bit down. He turned back to the ring and slipped it onto the ring finger of his right hand.
To his surprise, he felt nothing.
“…?”
Was it supposed to be this unresponsive?
In the novel, other characters were described to have felt the magic power immediately upon wearing the ring.
He grasped his right hand with the left one, trying to concentrate and feel the flow of magic power or something, but nothing happened.
‘Could it be that I have no talent for magic power either?’
‘What kind of talent does this character Kim Baram have?’
“And rarely, some players have an attribute tied to their magic power. The ring’s color can reveal this attribute. If it doesn’t change color, you have no attribute. However, some players awaken attributes later on, so don’t be too disappointed if you don’t have one now.”
‘Instructor, aren’t you going too fast?’
‘This underachiever can’t even feel magic power yet, so I’m already disappointed in myself.’
Poke! Poke!
As he was struggling to feel any magic power from the ring, he felt someone poking him.
When he turned, Ko Joo-yeon held out her ring.
‘What does she want now? Is she bragging that she can feel magic power?’
The ring on her right hand was glowing with a ‘yellow light.’
Yellow… That was the lightning attribute.
‘Wait, lightning attribute?’
‘Wasn’t Go Ju-Yeon supposed to be attribute-less during her academy days and only awaken later?’
Why did she already have an attribute?
As Kim Baram stared at her ring in confusion, Ko Joo-yeon tilted her head and asked him.
“What color is this?”
“Huh? You mean what attribute it is? It’s yellow, so it’s the lightning attribute. I’m envious; you have an attribute. I’m struggling just to feel the magic power.”
He unconcealed voiced his envy and frustration while answering her question.
Ko Joo-yeon squinted her eyes and examined him closely. She then held out the leaf she had taken from him earlier and asked another question.
“What color is this?”
He looked at her, puzzled by the seemingly random question.
“A leaf? It’s green, obviously. The same green as the wind attribute…”
Suddenly, he felt something swirling inside him. It was a cool and refreshing sensation.
And then.
A brilliant green light burst from his ring.
Ding!
[Player ‘Kim Baram’s unique ability
[You have awakened the wind attribute. 800VP has been acquired.]