Chapter 37
“How was that?”
Jin Yu-ri asked with a refreshingly bright smile, one that seemed almost inappropriate given that she had just torn through a horde of trolls.
Normally, someone would expect to hear empty praises like “Impressive,” or “That was amazing,” but not Jin Yu-ri.
The fact that she was asking at all meant she had some dissatisfaction.
If she had been fully satisfied, she wouldn’t have asked in the first place.
“It’s innovative, but it’s also quite sloppy.”
“Sloppy? How?”
She looked curious, but her expression remained bright.
This girl was truly unique.
“The concept is solid. You’ve set up the battlefield and control all the variables with magic. But it’s incredibly inefficient.”
“Specifically, where?”
“Everywhere. All of it.”
The trolls that Group 1 had just hunted numbered seven.
But they had used over 30 different types of magic in the process. Isn’t it ridiculous to think that’s efficient?
“You set up Earth Walls to buy time, used golems as decoys—three of them, no less. And the most baffling thing was the Ice Fog. It was the best of your combination spells, but you used it just to slow them down?”
“Hmmm.”
“And as a safety measure, you even set up flare traps? If you add in the final bombardment, how many spells did you use? Do you think you’re grand magicians with unlimited mana?”
“Certainly…”
“Need me to be even more specific? With that level of firepower, you could have handled 11 or even 12 trolls. Don’t you see the problem?”
“Oh…!”
“Finally got it, huh? I’m glad. I would’ve been disappointed if you’d asked, ‘Isn’t it fine?’”
With the firepower they had just unleashed, Group 1 could have taken down not just seven trolls but up to 12.
The outcome would have been the same.
If you’re asking why that’s a problem, it’s a rather simplistic question.
Mana isn’t infinite—it’s abundant in nature, but humans can only hold so much.
“You might overwhelm your enemies initially, but as the battle drags on? The outcome is obvious. It wouldn’t even work against humans.”
At that moment, perhaps my critique was too harsh.
“Ugh, I can’t listen to this any longer.”
The other members of Group 1 stepped forward.
“Sloppy, inefficient—you’re quick to judge us. Who do you think you are?”
“We admit it; we went a little overboard since this was our first battle together. But that doesn’t mean we’re always like this.”
“Watch your mouth. What’s the big problem, anyway? We can fix everything you pointed out right now.”
“Doesn’t work against humans? Hah, how would you know? Have you seen it? Have you? Do you think we can’t tell the difference between humans and monsters? We did this for a reason.”
They must take pride in being Group 1. Feeling slighted, they gritted their teeth and each threw in a harsh word, making the atmosphere tense.
“You. Yeah, you. You seem to be second in command after Jin Yu-ri. What should I call you?”
“It’s Ju Na-yeon.”
“I’ll call you Na-yeon. What you said is true. You probably don’t always go all out like this. It should be different unless that head on your shoulders is just for show.”
“…How rude!”
“And another thing. You were right about one thing. You said you could fix those issues right away. That’s true. I agree. Honestly, the problems I pointed out are minor.”
“Then…”
“Shh, let me finish. But why did I point out those minor issues? It’s because of you guys. I’m human too, so I hesitated to be harsh when we just met.”
But since they set the stage for it? I can’t help but go all in.
“Alright, since you seem to really want to hear it, I won’t hold back. Do you know what your group’s real problem is? Hey, Jin Yu-ri. You know it, don’t you?”
“…”
“Hey, if you keep your mouth shut like that, no wonder there’s no progress.”
“What is it? What’s the problem? Why are you dragging Yu-ri into this?”
“Yeah, she’s the problem. The biggest issue with Group 1 is that Jin Yu-ri is the ‘leader.’”
“…!!”
They were shocked. Even Jin Yu-ri looked surprised that I would say it so bluntly.
So what?
These kids are under a misconception. Just because I’ve become softer since coming here, finding people to protect and friends to care about, doesn’t mean I’m naturally kind. I’m not.
“Normally, I wouldn’t bother explaining further, but since we’ll be working together for a while, I’ll be kind enough to lay it out for you—just once. Listen carefully.”
The biggest problem with Group 1 is Jin Yu-ri.
The problem starts with the fact that she’s wearing the ill-fitting clothes of a group leader.
Group 1’s concept is a magic legion.
A combat group composed entirely of magicians, with no tanks, melee fighters, or other classes.
But for this to work, two things are necessary.
Teamwork and coordination.
Responding to every variable with magic is unimaginably difficult. And it’s not just a single individual but a group? Firing spells as if they were a single entity?
This requires far more mental strength than traditional formations. In a traditional setup, the tank at least buys time. If Group 1 makes one mistake, they’re immediately in danger.
Coordination is key.
Take an example: say enemies are approaching. They can be dealt with using two Ice Spears. But the destructive power of an Ice Spear varies from person to person. Some may be above average, others below.
Coordination is about minimizing waste.
For example, coordination is about reducing waste.
Those who are quick to catch on will understand: the reason there was so much waste in the earlier battle is that the coordination was off.
And the one responsible for coordinating in Group 1 is…
“…Jin Yu-ri, it’s you.”
“…”
Jin Yu-ri is special in many ways.
The Eyes of the Dragon, her approach to magic.
But more than anything, what makes her truly special is…
Mana Drain.
She can absorb natural mana without any special process, as naturally as breathing.
To put it bluntly, she’s a blessed human being who doesn’t know the value of mana.
But can someone like her coordinate properly? It’s like asking someone who has never had to worry about money to suddenly budget their weekly expenses carefully.
It just doesn’t work.
“…And yet, there’s no better alternative, is there? None of you are capable of coordinating Jin Yu-ri’s magic, right?”
“…”
“But what? You can change it right away? Fix it?”
“…”
“The famous sword is rotting away in its sheath. Because of you, you, and you. And you all just keep patting each other on the back, thinking you’re doing just fine? That’s why Jin Yu-ri, you’re the problem. Because you picked these clueless people.”
“…So what should we do then?”
“What should you do?”
I scanned the group members behind Jin Yu-ri before returning my gaze to her.
“You should use them all as ‘tools.’”
“…!!”
Coordination requires a similar level of skill.
When the gap is too large, it’s not about coordination—it’s about one side giving orders.
Like a tool used without any will of its own.
At the word “tools,” the anger they had been holding back erupted. They shouted that they wouldn’t be disregarded, that they weren’t so weak as to be treated as mere tools, causing an uproar.
“…Another problem identified. You guys seriously think you’re some kind of promising talents, don’t you? Unbelievable…”
Ugh, forget it.
…I’m too tired to keep talking.
This is about as nice as I can be, don’t you think?
What’s the difference between this and explaining magical theory to a goblin? Even Bom, my little one, would understand better. She’s always ready to listen to her uncle.
I’ll just have to show them.
A magic legion? I was a one-man army.
I’ll show them how to wield a sword like Jin Yu-ri.
“Come out, Jin Yu-ri.”
Jin Yu-ri was intrigued.
How did he figure out my thoughts so quickly?
“Tell me honestly. You set this up, didn’t you?”
It was true.
To be honest, Jin Yu-ri found the role of a leader burdensome. Yet she had taken it on because of the expectations of her family elders. As someone with the True Dragon’s bloodline, she was expected to be first, to be the best.
Perhaps her rivalry with the Swordmaster also fueled her obsession with being the group leader.
Thus, Jin Yu-ri became the leader of Group 1, earning the glory of being the first announced leader in what was considered a historic year.
But once she became the leader and gathered members to suit her concept…
She found it lacking.
Far more than she had expected.
And someone had foreseen this outcome even before Park Gi-hyeok.
Yggdrasil.
“I mentioned it during the entrance exam, but Miss Yu-ri is not meant to be a leader. Dragons are inherently solitary creatures.”
“Ah, now that I think about it, there was a similar case. You must have heard of her. The White Tiger, Park Min-ji. She’s quite similar to you.”
The White Tiger, Park Min-ji.
The second daughter of the Swordmaster’s family and the top candidate for the next Guardian.
However, despite her overwhelming prowess with a sword, she was notoriously ineffective as a leader.
Though she led a group named after herself, the White Tiger Corps, the true leader was her strategist, known as the Silver Light.
Jin Yu-ri had to admit it.
She wasn’t cut out to be a leader. Like Min-ji and her strategist, she needed a friend to guide her.
And she knew that this friend wasn’t in her current group.
Acknowledging this truth brought her relief. However, dismantling the group immediately wasn’t an option. Jin Yu-ri decided to continue with the academy life, planning to step down from her mismatched leadership role at the end of the semester.
But then he showed up.
Park Gi-hyeok.
Zap—
The mana lines quivered. Not just metaphorically—literally.
For most superhumans, mana is like air. Always present, but invisible.
But Jin Yu-ri was different.
With the Eyes of the Dragon, she could see mana.
She saw it.
She grabbed hold of the quivering mana line and pulled.
In that instant…
It was like lightning piercing through the clouds.
It resembled the high-level lightning magic, Call Lightning, yet astonishingly, this spell was nothing more than a basic Magic Missile.
The crimson Magic Missile struck the troll’s skull and exploded.
Killing a troll with a Magic Missile?
It was so unbelievable that the onlookers’ jaws dropped.
But Jin Yu-ri had no time for such reflections.
“You’re late.”
“Sorry.”
“Focus. Aim again.”
“I’m ready.”
In the air, mana lines entangled. Dark and violent, like Park Gi-hyeok’s mana.
A three-dimensional space.
The world Jin Yu-ri saw was always filled with mana lines. From trees, rocks… even in the air, thousands of mana lines intertwined to form the three-dimensional space she perceived.
But in this incomprehensible world of mana, Park Gi-hyeok’s mana stood out.
A deep black that seemed to swallow everything.
That dark light danced beautifully, almost like a dazzling performance.
Boom!
The compressed Magic Missile fired like a cannon. The impact was so strong that the troll’s body bent backward. But the troll, trusting in its regeneration and the support of its kin, forced itself to advance.
Unfortunately for them, the enemy awaiting them was none other than Park Gi-hyeok wielding the True Dragon known as Jin Yu-ri.
“Did you memorize the coordinates?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t forget. Follow them exactly.”
The magic circle multiplied.
It had become Park Gi-hyeok’s trademark, the hexagram magic circle.
The magic circle expanded until it seemed to swallow the very air around it, flickering with crimson sparks. Like stars in a galaxy, countless crimson stars twinkled, announcing their presence.
“Fire.”
Jin Yu-ri pulled the trigger she had kept taut.
And the Magic Missile—
Enhanced, compressed, elastic, spinning, and destructive.
Reborn through the combined mana of Park Gi-hyeok and Jin Yu-ri.
The black and crimson Magic Missile.
Tore the trolls apart.
The troll horde was shredded.
During the missile bombardment, Jin Yu-ri had only one thing to focus on.
Drawing in mana.
Park Gi-hyeok handled everything else.
‘This is it!’
What she needed wasn’t a subordinate.
She needed an equal partner.
Someone who could complement her, someone who could wield her as a weapon when necessary—a true comrade.
As she found herself being used as a weapon, Jin Yu-ri paradoxically felt a sense of liberation.
With a bright smile, Jin Yu-ri pulled on dozens of mana lines simultaneously.
Boom—!!
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