Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1321. First Life Ha-Yan (4)

As soon as I started channeling, a magic circle formed on the ground. For a moment, a flicker of surprise crossed the elderly woman’s eyes. Soon, a small sprout emerged from the circle.

The sprout grew, and it eventually became a towering tree. Around it, sprouts pushed their way up, filling the space as though a small forest had sprung to life. Before I knew it, blossoms bloomed on the branches, and when a breeze passed through, pollen scattered into the air.

The tense expressions of the other mages began to ease. Those who had been waiting for their turn to perform and those weary from the long interview revealed faint smiles.

Whether they had realized it or not, they had to be feeling their hearts had grown calmer.

‘Of course. It’s laced with a sedative.’

In truth, all I had done was fuse a sedative with a catalyst from a plant-type monster, but the visual spectacle was impressive. When I traced another circle with one hand, water began to gather in the empty spaces between the trees, forming a shallow pool.

‘That could be used as a potion... but really, the visuals matter most. Presentation is everything.’

Both the unfolding scene and the way I presented myself mattered.

I made sure to look as though I was genuinely enjoying it; my face was lit with a bright smile, and the way I sketched runes in the air made it appear like I was dancing.

Portraying myself as a cheerful boy was the right move here. No wonder the elderly woman’s face shone with joy as if she were staring at her own grandchild.

Soaked in sweat, I no longer cared about the eyes of other people.

I looked as though I was simply reveling in magic itself...

‘It’s like the only drug this continent allows. Might as well get into it.’

When the forest had completely conjured, I finally wiped away the sweat on my brow. Practicality didn’t matter. Whether it was efficient, useful as a spell, distributable, or sustainable, it didn't matter at all. What mattered was the essence and above all, the visuals.

With supreme visuals, the scene looked extraordinary. Compared to the other apprentice mages, who only tossed out a fireball or an ice spear, wasn’t it only natural that my performance earned an applause?

Clapping echoed all around, and the elderly woman stared agape at the miraculous scene.

‘Ha-Yan’s watching, too.’

Miss Jung Ha-Yan was watching, showing interest as well.

The brief silence faded once the small forest had vanished.

“A-Amazing.”

Jung Ha-Yan's tone of voice carried disbelief. Naturally, it was painfully obvious what she was thinking.

‘A genius.’

Yeah, I was a genius. Alchemy-summoning magic was inherently different from how other spells were usually demonstrated. To put it bluntly, from their perspective, I had just revealed a pathway that had never been discovered before.

Even using a simple spell, I showcased a spell in a way that would astonish anyone. If I couldn't qualify as a genius, then who could possibly deserve that title? For a kid around middle-school age, the results were nothing short of astonishing.

It was inevitable that everyone's eyes and attention landed on me.

“What should we even call this...?”

“It seems to be a unique magic. As for practicality... we’ll have to wait and see...”

“I’m not sure why he chose to demonstrate that spell... but the mechanism is fascinating.”

“He’s a genius. A genius. Tsk... such talent could be a tremendous asset... Are all geniuses inherently a bit eccentric? And to think, his demonstration is nothing more than child’s play.”

“You can’t just call it child’s play. It seems to belong to the healing magic category.”

“Could it be used on the battlefield? I doubt it. Probably only useful if set up where the rearguards are...”

“We’ll figure that out eventually. Still, how can someone so young do something like this... Talent can be so cruel sometimes.”

‘These guys are all trying to tie everything back to combat.’

Ha-Yan had every reason to feel frustrated. The Magic Tower she imagined was nothing like this, and she was probably thinking the same thing.

Perhaps sensing that the room had gone silent, the elderly woman asked, “May I ask the name of your spell?”

“...”

“...”

“It’s called Sanctuary,” I answered.

“Sanctuary... that’s a fitting name. Very well done; that was a great demonstration,” commented the elderly woman.

“Th-Then...”

“Yes, you’ve passed."

“Ah... th-thank you! Thank you!” I shouted.

“Hahaha. No need to thank me personally. I’m sure everyone else would have made the same decision. If you don’t mind, I’d like to take you on as my personal apprentice...” the elderly woman offered.

“...”

“...”

“R-Really?” I asked.

“Yes, of course," she replied.

The elderly woman was looking at me as if I were her own grandchild. She was mixing a bit of personal affection in there. It felt as though she was silently telling the other factions present that she had already claimed me and to not even think about claiming me.

She didn’t seem to be someone famous, but her status was clearly high enough to make that sort of claim. Whatever the case, I was definitely being treated as someone special.

From that point on, the others waiting to perform received little to no attention. Even as I stood idly, I could feel the countless gazes still fixed on me. Perhaps worried that someone would try to snatch me away, a stranger approached and led me out of the demonstration hall.

She introduced herself as Grandma Giena’s sixth disciple and explained that it was her task to show me around the research lab and dormitory.

I couldn’t tell if it was because my spell had impressed her, or just because she was excited about having a new junior, but she was all smiles and super friendly.

She clearly wanted to chat, asking about magic and about me; she was curious about everything. I wanted to focus on her, too, but I couldn’t.

‘Here it comes.’

I could feel it—that stare. It had to be Ha-Yan's gaze. Different from the second life, sure, but as a seasoned expert in detecting her gaze, I knew it instantly. She was burning holes into me. She looked like she was hesitating.

Was he going to approach me now, or wait later? In the end, her curiosity got the better of her. She looked shy as she walked over to me.

The sudden arrival of Ha-Yan made Park Joo-Hwa, the sixth disciple, bow hastily toward her. Jung Ha-Yan also bowed back and then... the air froze in an awkward silence.

‘You came all this way and now you're not saying a word?’

“...”

In the end, Park Joo-Hwa had no choice but to speak up.

“...”

“...”

“M-Miss Jung Ha-Yan, what brings you here...” Park Joo-Hwa asked.

“W-Would it be alright if I guided him through the tower instead?” Jung Ha-Yan asked.

“Pardon?” Park Joo-Hwa asked.

“...”

“...”

‘What is this awkwardness between them?’

The atmosphere was unbearably tense. Ha-Yan seemed uncomfortable around people, while this woman was so overwhelmed by Jung Ha-Yan’s presence that she could hardly breathe. The awkwardness grew so thick it was suffocating.

Perhaps feeling the weight of the silence, Ha-Yan finally voiced her thoughts in a mutter, “I-I want to have a conversation with him...”

“Y-Yes! Of course, Miss Jung Ha-Yan,” Park Joo-Hwa said.

However, the real problem came after Park Joo-Hwa excused herself and left.

“...”

‘Damn it, I can’t breathe.’

“...”

‘If you came all the way here, at least say something.’

I had been happily wandering through the tower a moment ago, but now, it felt like I’d been stranded in the middle of nowhere. Ha-Yan clearly wasn’t planning to speak first, so I had no choice but to break the silence.

“H-Hello.”

“Yes... uh... hello,” Jung Ha-Yan said.

“...”

“...”

‘Damn it.’

After the greeting, silence fell again. It wasn’t that we couldn’t have a conversation, but Ha-Yan’s constant hesitation made it difficult. She kept opening her mouth only to close it again, making it hard to find the right time for me to speak.

Honestly, in a case like this, wasn’t it practically an unspoken rule that she had to be the one to start the conversation?

If it had been Lee Ki-Young, he would’ve jumped right in with his social skills, but as for me, a peace-loving kid, it seemed best to leave some of the talking to Ha-Yan.

Three minutes later, she finally asked, “T-The weather’s a little cold, isn’t it?”

‘The heating’s on inside the tower. How could it be cold?’

I was convinced that we could never have an actual conversation. That story about her only friend being magic itself clearly wasn’t an exaggeration. Honestly, it was hard to imagine how she had ever managed to stand on the podium and give such an impressive speech.

‘In times like this, you just toss her a topic in her comfort zone.’

Dealing with an excited otaku wasn’t all that hard. I even had a friend like her back on Earth. One with money at home, too. All I had to say was, “It’s an honor, Miss Jung Ha-Yan. The paper you wrote with Mage Gale of the Union of Kingdoms was simply...”

And before I could even finish...

“Y-You’ve read that paper! I knew it. You gave off a similar impression to Mage Gale! Magic! Did you learn magic from them?” Jung Ha-Yan asked excitedly.

She probably hadn't even realized how excited she sounded. People like her would never run out of energy, never let the conversation die, and sometimes, they could be so extreme it would feel like their personality had done a one-eighty degree flip.

I was seeing that side of Ha-Yan right now.

“How to operate magic! The way to draw out maximum efficiency with little mana!” she shouted.

‘She’s so excited I can barely make out what she’s saying.’

Still, it was clear that Jung Ha-Yan was thrilled. The sight reminded me of Second Life Ha-Yan. She would act like this whenever she got her hands on Han Sora’s merch. I thought her aura had changed, but in the end, Jung Ha-Yan was still Jung Ha-Yan.

“Where did you learn to create magic circles?! Do you have any published papers under your name? Ah, but you're only an apprentice, right... Then when will you start writing?” Jung Ha-Yan asked.

‘What paper? Come on, I’m just an apprentice mage.’

“It looked incredibly promising. The circle you drew seemed closer to a summoning circle than a normal circle. A bit rough around the edges, but clearly more refined than the standard forms we use now. Mage Gale’s work was largely on magic circles as well, wasn’t it?” Jung Ha-Yan questioned.

‘She’s way too excited.’

“Some mages use different methods to seize control of their mana circuits. I’ve even created a modified circle myself. Perhaps you’d like to see it? Ah! And about the formula...” Jung Ha-Yan trailed off.

“...”

“For you to draw out that level of efficiency with just a simple catalyst is truly...” Jung Ha-Yan trailed off once again.

“...”

‘She’s a little too passionate.’

There wasn’t the slightest sign of her getting tired. I could follow some of her words, but most of them just washed over me. Still, unlike Second Life Jung Ha-Yan, she wasn’t the type to call others stupid or ignorant for not keeping up. If anything, she seemed genuinely delighted that she had found someone she could talk to.

“Come to think of it, you mentioned a warp gate, didn’t you?” Jung Ha-Yan asked.𝓯𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

“Yes,” I answered.

“I actually think that technology is possible. If we can get help from artisans in magical engineering and other related fields, we could have it operational within a few years. In fact, I’ve been researching warp gates myself, but... the problem is keeping such a massive flow of mana running continuously.

"Even top-grade mana stones can’t withstand that load. In the end, it comes down to resources...” Jung Ha-Yan explained.

“...”

“Of course, if someone developed a circle that could drastically cut the mana required, then even a mid-grade stone might—wait, hold on. This is a magic circle I’ve sketched before. What do you think?” Jung Ha-Yan asked.

‘She’s just a magic nerd.’

“Ah! And you said you came from the Union of Kingdoms, right? Then perhaps... have you ever studied at the Tower of the Magic Kingdom?” Jung Ha-Yan asked. She looked like she could keep this up all day, so I had no choice but to kill the mood.

“Ah... I-I’m not from the tower...” I told her.

“Wh-What? You’re not from the tower?” Jung Ha-Yan asked.

‘Of course you wouldn’t know. You grew up sheltered.’

“What I mean is...” I paused.

I couldn’t tell her I’d been a retainer. However, if she had heard my interview earlier, Ha-Yan could probably piece together what kind of story this little apprentice mage was hiding.

‘There are things I just can’t say out loud.’

“...”

“...”

Before being summoned, Ha-Yan lived a similar life. Abandoned by her family and left all alone. There was no way she couldn’t understand me. After a long silence, she pressed her lips together as if coming to a decision. Moments later, she gently pulled me into an embrace.

‘She found the courage.’

She even rummaged through her pocket and shared a piece of chocolate with me.

“I-It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me,” Jung Ha-Yan said.

“...”

“I-It’s fine,” I said.

Jung Ha-Yan smiled brightly, like she just wanted to comfort me. It caught me off guard, but...

‘She’s beautiful.’

That was the only thought that came to me as I looked at her.