Dawn – about time for the darkness to slowly dissipate. It was also the time for Yeorum’s day to start.
Ever since the newborn superhuman competition, Yeorum started waking up at dawn to train by herself. She would return drenched in sweat, take a quick shower (like a protagonist of a drama) and have breakfast together.
But today, the sound of her footsteps came closer towards Yu Jitae’s room. She asked, ‘Dear, are you sleeping?’ after opening the door a little.
However, there was a problem.
The problem was that Bom had come to his room 5 minutes before her, saying that she had trouble falling asleep today.
“Good morning.”
Yeorum was startled after opening the door. Since they killed their own presences at home, she had no idea she was here.
“Uhh, uhh? Yeah. Good morning…!”
“But what do you mean ‘dear’?”
“It’s nothing~. I was just trying to be closer to my dear teacher ♥”
Fortunately, it didn’t escalate into a big problem. Bom nodded before quietly leaving the room. When it was just the two of them in the room, Yeorum grabbed her chest and heaved a sigh of relief.
“That was fucking dangerous…”
But she suddenly blinked her eyes.
“Wait? Why is she here though?”
“Apparently she couldn’t fall asleep.”
“So did she want to sleep with you?”
“No.”
He replied with a straight face.
“Just to have a chat about the Association. So why are you here.”
Yeorum shook her head to get rid of all the obscene thoughts that rose up in her mind. She was about to open her mouth but quickly turned towards the door in doubt. Is she watching from nearby? She thought, but there was nothing strange nearby that she could sense.
In any case, now wasn’t the time to worry about such things.
After emptying her mind, Yeorum opened her mouth.
“You know my godlike 6-unsealed core. It was very good.”
“Okay.”
“The output’s insane. It has a beautiful glitter and it’s ridiculous… but you see. It’s slightly uncomfortable to use.”
“What do you mean.”
“Like, you know. I’ve never used things like this before have I?”
In other words, she was asking him to teach her how to use it.
“True. It’ll obviously be hard to use at the start.”
“…So I’m not the weird one, right?”
Real-life doping was different from buffs in rpgs. Life would be easy if it was as simple as drinking a potion to directly increase your stats, but that wasn’t the case in real life.
So how does it work in real life?
It was like the following.
1. Consume a drug or an elixir.
2. It then affects the hormones of the physical body as well as the internal mana.
3. The sympathetic nervous system gets stimulated. The heart beats faster and rapidly pumps blood into the body as the lungs naturally crave for more air. That physical arrangement was to harness more mana inside the body.
4. The dantian gets overheated. The mana inside the body gets amplified and moves to the body to reinforce muscles. If unable to be controlled properly at this stage, the mana might rupture muscles.
5. But if they do get controlled, it results in an increase in the overall power.
The same was the case for onion cores. Simply attaching the core to a weapon would not immediately increase the weapon’s output.
Superhumans incorporating mana into a weapon was something normalised as a habit. Sharp when attacking, flexible when blocking, light when swinging… The characteristics of the mana had to be constantly modified and this was a relatively complicated process.
Making that process a habit through repetitive practice was what was referred to as ‘taming one’s weapon’. But with the addition of an extra core, it was like having two cooks making a broth because ‘something foreign’ would be constantly adding mana into the weapon.
Since that was the case, the user had to manipulate both sources of mana properly in order to properly make use of the extra core.
“It’s freaking hella complicated; it’s impossible.”
And when it came to control over mana, Yeorum’s talent was at the top 10 percentile of the Earth’s superhumans.
In other words, she was ghastly ungifted in the standard of dragons.
“I made Yu Bom try it since she’s good at using her head, and she could use it fine so I was starting to think I was the weird one.”
Well that was because Bom had the best talent in regards to the manipulation over mana out of every existence Yu Jitae had seen in his entire life.
“Did Kaeul try it?”
“Yeah. But she couldn’t do it.”
It was different from Kaeul who only had ridiculous output.
In any case, Yu Jitae was quite amused by Yeorum’s indirect way of speaking. It seemed that the child was still finding it hard to voice out, ‘please teach me’ even to this point.
She still had such high pride.
Even though he always respected her pride, independence and identity, this was a different issue. Yeorum was trying to ask him for help despite being able to do it by herself.
A situation like that naturally called for a clear request because after all, he was not a vending machine.
“Hmm. I see. And?”
“Huh?”
“And what.”
“Uh. No, nothing. That’s just how it is.”
“Are you done talking?”
“Uhh, I guess?”
“I see.”
“Eeng? Is that all?”
He felt more and more amused as time passed, so he decided to tease her a little.
“You said you were done talking.”
“Wait, fuck. What do you mean. You know what I’m trying to say, don’t you.”
“What are you trying to say.”
“Are you really going to be like this?”
“Like this?”
“Yes!”
“What do you mean, ‘this’.”
“AHHHH! Aaaaaahhh! Like, why are you doing this? Do you really not get what I’m trying to say?”
“I don’t.”
He returned a crooked reply as Yeorum curled her lips up and revealed her fangs.
Yu Jitae felt even more amused.
She opened her mouth trying to say something but hesitated, before reopening her mouth, only to exhale deep breaths.
“Hah, fuck…”
Soon, she heaved a deep sigh before murmuring with a crawling voice.
“You know.”
“Go on.”
“So.”
Only when her diminishing voice reached the sound of a mouse’s heartbeat did she finally say the main topic at hand.
“Please teach me how to use a core…”
She couldn’t even meet his eyes. Fortunately, Yeorum was at least somehow able to say it so she heaved a sigh of relief…
But that was when he replied.
“I don’t want to though.”
After a few seconds.
Yeorum became extremely sulky and was about to leave the house so he had to calm her down.
“Whatever. I wasn’t that curious anyway.”
“Alright. My bad my bad.”
“It’s fine. I won’t do it. You don’t want to? Cool, because I didn’t want to do it either! I’ll do it by myself!”
“Alright, I will teach you.”
“Let go! And go away! I freaking hate you!!”
***
In any case, he calmed her down and planned for the lesson.
That morning, Yu Jitae took Yeorum and headed for the academy district after having their breakfast. It had been a while since he had last come to this place. Yeorum was a full-on celebrity now and everyone tried to greet her after seeing her.
“This is why I do it at dawn…” Yeorum grumbled irritatedly.
They soon walked into a large training room.
But… why was she following?
“Nn? I just wanted to watch our little Yeorum work hard…”
Bom said with an awkward smile. And she really did nothing but watch while hugging her knees in a corner of the training room.
It was time for the actual teaching to begin.
“The core thing to focus on is multitasking with mana.”
“Multitasking with mana?”
Mana was the manifestation of will and one existence could only have one will at a time. However, a trained musician could sing a song while playing a piano at the same time. It meant that one will could allow two processes to occur.
“How does that work though?”
How could one play a piano and sing at the same time? How do they induce their bodies into doing two things at once?
“It is done by grouping two into one category.”
“A category?”
The first task would be pressing a key of the piano with one finger. Playing the piano with five fingers of the same hand would make that into one category, and playing the piano with two hands would group the tasks further into another category.
Adding singing to that would create another category.
Going further on, people would eventually even be able to sing and dance on top of playing the piano. Everything was possible despite their complexity as long as they were grouped into one classification.
The same was the case for utilising two or more cores.
After listening to his explanation, Yeorum blinked her eyes.
“I see… That’s pretty interesting. So what am I supposed to do now?”
The answer to that question was rather extremely simple because as always, practice makes perfect. Even if Yeorum was to learn how to manipulate two cores at once by herself, she would have mastered it in no more than one year.
“I don’t think so though…? That thing wasn’t that easy. Because the seal was lifted six times, the will incorporated inside the core’s mana is hella strong and it bounces up and down by itself.”
Even then, one year would have been enough since she was still a dragon.
“Yeorum.”
“Yah.”
“If learning it the hard way would make you learn it that much faster, how hard do you want it to be. Choose from 1 to 10.”
“170.”
“Your height? Be serious.”
“I am serious. 170. Time is gold for me, as you know. If I can learn it in a day, I’m even fine with torture,” she replied with a serious voice.
Yu Jitae thought to himself.
In the past, he too had trained by himself in order to manipulate cores.
One, two, three… He trained for over 20 years after closing himself in a mountain and could at last incorporate up to 177 cores into one category.
There was a tip he acquired by himself from that process.
“Simple repetitive practice is, in the end, a matter of concentration.”
“Yeah.”
“That means you will learn faster if you concentrate more.”
“I guess.”
“Then, when do people concentrate the most in your opinion.”
“Uhh… when they’re fighting?”
“Right. But more specifically?”
It was when their lives were on the line.
Yu Jitae was contemplating about the set-up when his eyes met with the green pair of eyes. Ah, that seems like a decent plan. Thinking that, he called Bom from a distance.
“Yes?”
“Can you help me a little.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Can you form mana into thin strings and connect from this side of the room to that side?”
“Thin strings?”
“Yeah. Very thin. Weave four of them together, and for the formula, add [Detect], [Harmonise], [Instability], [Rip] and [Recover]. Can you do it?”
“Sounds a bit complicated, but I’ll try.”
Bom groaned, “Nnnnnn—” while racking her brain but soon came up with strings that were a lot better than he had expected. Meanwhile, Yeorum was blinking her eyes, seemingly trying to guess his intention.
“Yu Yeorum. Take your shoes off.”
“Why?”
“Just take them off. Your socks as well.”
When the strings were complete, Yu Jitae placed Yeorum on top as she was suddenly made to stand bare-foot on top of the thin strings.
Underneath, he used his killing intent to form spikes as large thorns began to cover the ground and lastly, he bound her heart using [Chains of Hell] to ensure she couldn’t use much mana.
Yeorum gradually became more and more flustered.
Fortunately, she was still being supported by Yu Jitae.
“Am I… supposed to focus on the two cores in this state?”
She was standing on top of the thin strings.
“It’s hard enough to balance myself here though…?”
That wasn’t the end. She had to use both mana cores at once and if she couldn’t send mana into the strings at once, the strings would snap.
“Wait wait wait. Wait. Isn’t this too dangerous?”
The ground was densely covered with thorns that were made by Yu Jitae, and each of them was at least a metre tall.
Pain or injury wasn’t even the main problem. Her heart was already being bound by the chains that would immensely slow down the recovery speed. If she were to be pierced by thorns that were created using Yu Jitae’s killing intent in a state like that, she might even end up with an irrecoverable wound or a disability.
“Listen. Wait wait wait! I said I was fine with torture but I never said I was fine with getting a disability…!”
Yeorum asked Yu Jitae who was holding her by her nape, but he remained silent.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
She still had some doubt in mind.
C’mon.
Of course he will catch me if I fall. There’s no way he would just watch me lose a leg right?
But the moment she turned around and looked into his eyes, Yeorum felt a chill going down her spine. There was a serious and stern look on his face.
“I will not help you.”
“Huh? Huhh? Wait. No! Please no. Fuck…!”
Yeorum was seriously flustered.
Every training she had with him was always extreme but none of them was extreme enough to result in a disability with just one mistake. It was because he was always there to help.
“No, no! I can’t do this! Have you seriously gone insane?!”
“You’re the one that wanted this.”
“Even then, this is…!!”
His gloomy voice stabbed through her ears.
“Be responsible for your words.”
Yu Jitae released his grip with those words.
“Aht…!”
Yeorum felt her heart coming crashing down. She was startled but still somehow managed to balance herself above the string. However, that was when the strings began to fade – she had focused too much on balancing herself that her concentration over the two cores had diminished.
“…!”
She focused on the cores but this time, it was difficult to balance herself. She accidentally missed a step as her body wobbled on top of the string. Yeorum was frightened.
Are you really not going to help? I almost fucking fell there? I’m actually gonna be fucked?!
She turned towards him with a gaze asking for help but Yu Jitae was facing Bom and having a chat with her. He wasn’t even looking at her.
Fear flooded in.
“Oiii! Dick Jitae!! I, I, I’m about to die here!”
He didn’t reply no matter how much she called him and she soon realised that he really wasn’t going to help her.
“I, I’m dyi…!”
Pop– That was when one of the strings of mana that were intertwined into a rope popped. She no longer had the leisure to yell. Yeorum brought her focus back onto the rope in a fright, and balanced herself so that she wouldn’t fall while simultaneously focusing on the two cores to keep the strings from fading away.
I will die if I fall.
I will lose a limb if I fall.
I will be fucked.
Whenever her body wobbled, a sense of crisis shook her heart and muddled her brain. She wanted to shout what this shit was about and wanted to pour out profanities at Yu Jitae and Bom.
However, she could not do so. Why?
“…!”
Because she was millimetres away from dying!!!
.
.
.
This unsophisticated method of Yu Jitae was in fact very helpful for Yeorum. He did not let her down from the strings for over 24 hours and even left her behind and returned to the dormitory at one point.
Yeorum who was intensely focused on balancing herself and utilising her mana could not voice out her complaints despite gritting her teeth.
The next day when he came back to the training room with Gyeoul, Yeorum was sleeping on top of the strings. She was sleeping stably, as if she was sleeping on a hammock.
She had managed to pull it off.
That was when Gyeoul, who had come with him, faced the large spikes at the ground with widened eyes. They looked extremely dangerous to her.
Gyeoul asked him.
“…What, are these? …Real spikes?”
“Try touching them.”
Those viciously shaped spikes crumbled like thin crackers the moment they touched Gyeoul’s hand.
“They’re fake spikes.”