Chapter 11

### Chapter 11: Scandal

Lucy had chosen Ho-yeon as her sparring partner, but among the students, there was no one who was particularly interested in the content of the sparring match.

"Lucy is betting 50,000 won that she'll cut it in 30 seconds."

"I'll go for 25 seconds at 100,000 won."

"No, this isn't a proper bet."

Some students were even betting on how quickly Ho-yeon would lose.

"Is Ho-yeon that weak? He's in Class A, right?"

"He apparently switched from a swordsman to a mage less than a month ago."

"Really? Why did he do that?"

"I don't know."

Not many students were aware that Ho-yeon had captured a Level 7 Scrap Giant during the morning virtual monster training. Even those who had seen it thought he had just gotten lucky, and no one had noticed his mana control.

Therefore, no one believed that Ho-yeon could win against Lucy, a promising first-year.

"Lucy is an offensive type, but she's pretty strong, right?"

"But why is Lucy doing this? She doesn't seem to dislike anyone."

"True, that's strange. Could she be interested in him?"

The Class A students were discussing Lucy and Ho-yeon's sparring match.

"Look at his face. Even if you weren't interested, you would be now."

"I agree, hehe."

"Hey, it's starting. Focus."

"Oh, this is going to be interesting."

Even the students who had claimed they weren't interested were now fully focused on the sparring match as it began. The sparring area was surrounded by a mana barrier to prevent the attacks from affecting the outside.

"3, 2, 1. Start!"

At first, it was a probing battle to gauge each other's levels.

"Ah, Lucy is going easy on him. She's favoring him because he's good-looking."

"But he's only been a mage for a month, right? Isn't his mana control pretty good for that?"

"It's not even a month, more like two weeks. And he's just average, why are you overreacting?"

"Is that so? Now that you mention it, it does seem that way."

Even as some students were making sharp analyses, once an impression was formed, it was hard to shake.

However, as the sparring match progressed, the students' reactions began to change.

"What? Did you see that?"

"Wow, he dodged that by luck."

At first, they thought it was luck.

"Wow, he just happened to jump into an empty spot by luck."

"Hey, no, I think he saw it and dodged."

"Wait, I saw it too. His eyes didn't lose sight of the spell until the end."

Even in Class A, there were upper and lower ranks. Han Su-won and Ha Hyun-seung, who had been in the top tier during the entrance exam, started to influence others with their comments.

"Ah, no way. He doesn't seem to have exceptional physical abilities, how did he see and dodge that?"

"Right, it must have been a coincidence."

"Huh? Hey, why are his eyes that color?"

At that moment, someone noticed the change in Ho-yeon's eyes. His eyes, which glowed a soft gold, combined with his striking appearance to create a mysterious aura.

"Is that a skill? I've never heard of a skill that makes your eyes glow."

"Wow, if it's a skill, it's really cool... looks like CGI."

Since everyone was focused, they could see that his dodges were not by luck, but intentional.

"Wow, he's insane."

"Those eyes, they must be a unique ability. They seem to be able to see through magic."

"Right, I've never seen a skill like that, and the ability doesn't make sense."

As Ho-yeon continued to perform unbelievable dodges, the students became increasingly silent.

However, most students overlooked the fact that Ho-yeon was not using magic during the sparring match. He had only used magic once, to create a barrier to block a fire arrow at the beginning. After that, he had only used mana for physical enhancement and physical abilities.

Only Nam Da-eun and Ellis could see through this.

The highlight was when Ho-yeon placed a dagger at Lucy's throat at the end, and the audience fell into a deathly silence.

"Sir, please make the judgment."

"Ah, ah, right. The winner is Ho-yeon. Both of you, come down."

*

"Insane. Really."

"It must be a unique ability. He read the magic, right?"

"I saw him capture a Scrap Giant with fire magic this morning."

After the sparring class ended, the classroom was filled with talk about Ho-yeon. While Ellis and Nam Da-eun's overwhelming skills were also notable, the main focus was on Ho-yeon.

Ho-yeon's graceful movements captivated the students, and his good looks made him a star.

"His face is good-looking, his eyes glow gold, and when he placed the dagger at Lucy's throat at the end, it felt like a scene from a movie."

"I have a video. I'm definitely posting it on Everyday."

"Is he good enough to take the top spot in the first year?"

"Hey, be careful what you say."

"Ah, ah..."

Nam Da-eun, sitting in the back, had heard all the students' conversations.

"Ah... I wasn't really talking about you... sorry..."

"..."

Nam Da-eun, who seemed indifferent, didn't even look at the student and just stared at her phone.

It seemed like she had no interest in such situations.

Despite the students' reactions, the protagonist remained composed. Ho-yeon, resting his chin on his hand, was just staring blankly at the front of the classroom.

"Hey, go talk to him."

"Those admiring eyes... what is he thinking?"

*

Damn, why are my eyes like this?

Scary.

After the sparring match, I had a lot to think about in the noisy classroom. Fortunately, my golden eyes returned to normal after the match.

'They're making a fuss about a unique ability.'

A unique ability is a power that manifests through personal effort and talent, not a formalized magic or mana control method. Typically, geniuses awaken their own unique abilities, which are called unique abilities.

Most people cannot manifest unique abilities. As the protagonist, Ho-yeon has a pretty good unique ability.

───「 Combat Sense 」───

▶ Unique Ability

▶ Receives a bonus in all actions deemed 'combat.'

The higher the danger of 'combat,' the greater the effect.

───────────────

A unique ability related to combat, it allows for innate combat sense and awareness in all combat-related actions.

And, [Eye Opening].

───『 Eye Opening 』───

▶ Unique Skill

▶ Focuses mana in the eyes to maximize vision.

The ability to recognize and distinguish mana-infused entities and forms is greatly enhanced.

───────────────

'Unique Skill.'

A skill unique to oneself, usually created when a unique ability and another skill mix. In this case, it's a mix of a unique ability and a special feature.

The reason I was able to perform unbelievable dodges and subdue Lucy in the sparring match was because of [Eye Opening]. The [Mana Sensitivity] I received as a special feature worked in synergy with my unique trait, enhancing the effect... I assume.

I never imagined such a synergy effect, but it's fortunate that I chose the mage path.

"Amazing, huh?"

"Huh? Ah, thanks."

Kim Young-han approached me. Thinking about it, he's quite bold. While others might want to approach me but can't, he's confident because his personality and appearance don't intimidate me.

Maybe that's why he's more confident.

"Really cool. Your eyes were gold, it felt like a manga."

"You did pretty well too, though."

"Ah, compared to your impact, I'm nothing. But what was with those golden eyes? Everyone was going crazy. Is it your unique ability?"

Kim Young-han asked with his usual bright smile.

"Let's just say it's a trade secret."

It's not even a unique ability, and there's no need to explain what [Eye Opening] is or what it does. It's better to have the shield of a unique ability in case I do something strange later.

"Too bad. Want to have dinner after class today? I found a good chicken place."

"Sorry, I have plans."

Making dinner plans with a guy? That's a waste of energy. I firmly put up a wall.

I'm too busy trying to get girls to waste time having dinner with a guy.

*

"Should we skip training today?"

I'm not in good condition. Proper rest is essential for growth.

"Sure, let's skip it. Today is a reward for myself."

Since I thought of it, I decided to go out of the dormitory. I wasn't going to train; I just needed to buy some snacks for my room. Sometimes, a little indulgence is good for growth.

The shopping district hadn't changed since I was here two days ago. I even walked through the park and sat on a bench to look at the sky. It still feels surreal that this world is part of a game.

After wandering aimlessly for a while, I found a cafe with large windows.

Cafe Nakugetsu (落月)

It's the cafe where I met Moon So-rin last time. Looking inside, she wasn't there.

"Should I check it out?"

After meeting Moon So-rin here, I remembered the game's information. This is a cafe she likes. I might as well check it out in case I come back.

The supermarket and convenience stores aren't closed yet anyway.

Ding~

"Welcome!"

Inside, there were several tables and a staircase leading to the second floor. The cute interior design made it a place women would enjoy.

"Can I have a Cleur Rose Latte, please?"

"Sure~"

By the way, I don't really know what Cleur Rose is. It's probably a new plant from a dungeon.

"Cleur Rose Latte, one~"

I took the drink and found a secluded spot. The drink had a subtle rose fragrance.

Sip.

I sipped the drink through a straw. At first, it was sweet with a subtle rose scent, then it became refreshing like mint, and suddenly it turned spicy.

"Wow, what is this taste? What am I drinking?"

If I had to describe it, it's a taste that would wake you up... but why am I drinking this?

Surprised, I looked at the drink's color. It was a mix of light green and white, and even when I stirred it with the straw, the two colors didn't mix, making it visually interesting.

Ding~

A new customer must have arrived. I turned my head slightly.

Moon So-rin was ordering coffee.

"Cough!"

What, really? Is the timing this good?

After finishing her order, Moon So-rin looked around for a place to sit and our eyes met.

Since our eyes met, I gave a light nod, and she came over.

Huh?