Chapter 486: Like a Tiger (10)
Summer passed by quickly.
While Flame and Eisel pushed forward with their final mission, practically dragging the half-conscious Hong Bi-Yeon along, and Baek Yu-Seol entered seclusion for intense training—
Hae Won-Ryang returned to the Full Moon Tower, where he received direct guidance from his master.
The Tower Master of Full Moon, Hae Seong-Wol, spoke to Hae Won-Ryang, who was meditating on a vast magic circle in an otherwise empty space.
"You and I share many similarities."
A mana capacity that was below average—
Yet an exceptional talent for handling and adapting to a variety of magic.
"Do you feel inferior because of your limited mana capacity?"
Flinch.
Hae Won-Ryang’s eyebrows twitched, as though the words had struck a nerve.
"There are surely people around you who possess far more mana than you and display similar talents."
Hae Won-Ryang silently agreed.
Yes, there was someone.
For example...
"Ma Yu-Seong."
That name hit the mark so perfectly that Hae Won-Ryang almost opened his eyes. However, he resisted.
"But you don’t need to feel inferior to him right now. Once you become a Class 9 mage, you too will have mana overflowing like an ocean. And with your ability to handle multiple attributes, you will have far more advantages than most other Class 9 mages."
Not all Class 9 mages could wield multiple attributes.
Eltman, a renowned master of spatial magic, was a prime example. He could only control a single element.
"You have your own strengths. Never forget that."
"..."
"Does Ma Yu-Seong’s talent seem overwhelming to you right now? It shouldn’t. Even among my peers, there was someone as remarkable as him. But in the end, he failed to reach Class 9. He grew complacent, too proud of his natural talent."
"..."
It made sense.
Hae Won-Ryang understood that his master was trying to comfort him and encourage him to stay calm.
But... He just couldn’t agree.
Ma Yu-Seong’s talent was astonishing, almost to an unnatural degree.
Compared to him—
Even Flame was said to be blessed by the heavens.
Hong Bi-Yeon and Eisel, who were called the incarnations of fire and ice,
Even Baek Yu-Seol was hailed as the greatest Flash mage of their time—
None of them could match Ma Yu-Seong.
He was so perfect that it felt as though he had been crafted by the gods themselves.
"You don’t believe me, do you?"
"...!"
Hae Won-Ryang lifted his head.
His master was looking at him with a bittersweet expression.
"A long time ago, there was a student named Abeline Starberg. He was a student at Stella Academy."
"I’ve... never heard of him."
"Of course not. Stella must have erased his records and destroyed all evidence. He was the most overwhelmingly talented mage I had ever seen. So much so that I questioned whether someone like me even deserved to study magic."
Hae Seong-Wol admitted that he had once felt immense inferiority.
Things that took him years to master, Abeline achieved in just a matter of days.
"Have you ever heard of a Grand Mage named Abeline?"
Hae Won-Ryang shook his head.
"Exactly. He never became a Grand Mage. Despite his overwhelming talent, he didn’t make the effort."
"Is that so...?"
"Yes. Magic isn’t just about talent. To break through the wall of a Grand Mage, immense effort is absolutely necessary. If talent alone was enough, would someone like me—who grew slower than most—have ever reached Class 9?"
"..."
Hae Won-Ryang nodded.
"So, don’t worry. Focus. You, too, can become like me."
Hae Seong-Wol spoke with a gentle smile, and with a more relaxed expression, Hae Won-Ryang resumed his meditation.
In the end...
Hae Seong-Wol didn’t tell the whole truth.
Abeline Starberg.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t become a Grand Mage—he chose not to.
He betrayed the magical world by falling into the path of dark magic, going so far as to cripple Hae Seong-Wol’s own master.
If he were still alive as a dark mage today, then undoubtedly...
’He would be the strongest dark mage in existence.’
Blessed with godlike talent.
With that talent twisted toward darkness, he would lack nothing to claim the title of the most powerful.
And that’s what terrified Hae Seong-Wol.
What could he possibly be waiting for, hiding in the shadows all this time?
With his talent, if he had survived and continued to train until now, just how powerful could he have become?
***
Ma Yu-Seong spent his summer vacation in his own way.
For example, table tennis.
Tak! Tak-tak!
"Ah! I give up! I lost!"
At Stella Academy, there were many students pursuing paths other than becoming magic warriors.
Among them was a student aspiring to be a professional table tennis player.
Curious about the sport, Ma Yu-Seong asked him for lessons.
After just three hours, Ma Yu-Seong ended up defeating his coach.
"Hooh, I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more of a challenge. But it’s fun, right?"
"..."
Ma Yu-Seong gave a faint smile and nodded.
But honestly—
’This is boring.’
It was dull.
He never expected something like hitting a ball back and forth to be so excruciatingly boring.
Maybe curiosity should stay as curiosity.
"Wow! With skills like that, you could go pro right away! I was considered pretty promising myself, you know."
"Really?"
"Yeah! You should think about it."
"Sure."
A pro athlete?
He hadn’t even considered it, but Ma Yu-Seong nodded and smiled politely.
His relationships were always like this—
Fake smiles and a subtle sense of distance.
Ma Yu-Seong never allowed people to step inside his personal boundaries.
After leaving the table tennis hall, he wandered around Stella Academy in search of something new to capture his interest.
While other second-year students were busy studying, practicing, or worrying about grades, Ma Yu-Seong felt no such urgency.
Of course, Ma Yu-Seong wasn’t completely neglecting his training.
But compared to the other students... His training time was ridiculously short.
Simply put, he didn’t need to train for long hours.
Even without effort, he knew he would eventually become a Grand Mage someday.
He was aware of this fact.
Because it was destined.
Because he knew it would happen.
He had no motivation to work harder.
"Hmm..."
Bored, Ma Yu-Seong arrived at the library and began flipping through books at random.
He was so restless that he needed anything to pass the time.
"You’re still the same as ever."
"..."
Just as he was about to pull out an interesting-looking book, he sensed someone approaching from behind.
When he turned, he saw a dark-skinned first-year student grinning at him.
’Taseron.’
It was a name he had never heard before.
"Ah! This is our first time meeting, isn’t it, senior? I apologize. I’ve actually been watching you from afar for a while now."
"From afar?"
"Yes."
Taseron smirked as he spoke, and Ma Yu-Seong instantly realized the truth.
’...A dark mage.’
He already knew there were dark mages hiding throughout this academy, but to think that even a first-year student was among them...
"Who are you?"
"Huh? Isn’t my name written on my badge? I’m Taseron."
"Speak your true name."
"Hmm, I wonder. Senior hasn’t shared his true name with us, so why should I share mine?"
"..."
Ma Yu-Seong’s gaze turned icy cold.
Taseron suddenly felt a crushing pressure, as if iron chains had wrapped tightly around his heart, but he endured it with effort.
’So this... is the majestic aura they’ve been talking about? How fascinating.’
Indeed, a blessing from the gods.
A being born with every talent imaginable.
For Ma Yu-Seong, the qualities of an emperor, which was said to be granted to only one chosen person per generation, might not even seem like such an extraordinary gift.
Just as Taseron was observing Ma Yu-Seong, Ma Yu-Seong was also quietly analyzing him.
’Mana level... around Class 2. His dark magic power probably isn’t exceptional either.’
To blend in as a human, dark mages had to completely seal their dark magic power, but assessing their overall mana capacity still gave clues about their potential.
Seventeen years old and Class 2.
A decent level for his age, but at Stella Academy, it was nothing remarkable.
As a dark mage, he wasn’t particularly outstanding either. There was nothing special about him.
So then, ’Why did he come looking for me?’
When Ma Yu-Seong frowned, Taseron grinned.
"You’re right. I’m only Class 2. When I entered this academy, I was Class 3, and by summer vacation, I had already surpassed Class 4. Compared to you, who reached Class 4 effortlessly by the time you entered, my talent is nothing."
"..."
"But did you know this?"
Taseron clenched his fist, and blue mana gathered like mist around it.
"To achieve this so-called ’Class 2,’ I slept less than three hours a day and trained until my eyes bled. All just to get into Stella Academy. You, on the other hand, probably don’t understand what that’s like. You just breathe and ascend to those levels effortlessly."
He gestured toward the book Ma Yu-Seong had picked up.
"With talent like yours, you have the luxury to waste time while others work hard. You don’t even need to try. That’s a gift I can’t help but envy."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment? Thanks, I guess."
Taseron smiled, but his eyes were filled with jealousy.
"That kind of talent... It’s not meant to be wasted. If someone like me had talent like yours, I’d already be someone great."
"Maybe..."
It might have been true.
But Ma Yu-Seong didn’t agree.
Because human limitations are set in stone—
Whether you’re a genius or an ordinary person.
A wall—an unmovable barrier—stood right before their eyes.
Ma Yu-Seong understood this truth, which was why he didn’t bother to try.
Taseron, however, didn’t understand it, which was why he envied him.
"The talent you’re wasting... should go to someone who truly deserves it."
With those parting words, Taseron left.
"..."
Ma Yu-Seong stared at the book he was holding.
A book about law.
There was no real reason for him to read it.
He just... couldn’t find the motivation to do anything else.
Why am I like this?
Baek Yu-Seol, Flame, and Hae Won-Ryang—
They were all working hard for their futures, yet here he was, doing nothing.
Sighing, Ma Yu-Seong put the book back on the shelf and trudged toward the Class S training grounds.
Rumor had it that a first-year girl named Scarlet had taken over the place recently, and no one dared approach it anymore.
When he peeked through the window, he saw Baek Yu-Seol sparring against a small, white-haired girl.
Sweat poured down his face.
Even with his monstrous stamina, Baek Yu-Seol was staggering, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.
And yet—
He didn’t fall to his knees.
His eyes burned like fire.
’I thought you’d understand me.’
Baek Yu-Seol must have known.
After all, he was the same kind of person as Ma Yu-Seong.
Humans have limits. Barriers they can never surpass.
And yet, he kept trying.
Watching that, Ma Yu-Seong felt—
’...Jealousy.’
He envied him.
He felt disgusted with himself for being someone who couldn’t even muster the effort to try.
Ma Yu-Seong had been born with natural talent, but he was also cursed with the inability to feel interest in anything.
For someone like him, who was trapped in apathy, the sight of someone like Baek Yu-Seol, who could devote himself entirely to improvement, seemed almost beautiful.
And he envied it.
Turning away, Ma Yu-Seong walked off.
Hae Won-Ryang, the only sparring partner he had found somewhat enjoyable, wasn’t around.
Baek Yu-Seol was too absorbed in his training.
’Ping-pong... Even if I play it again, it won’t be fun.’
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his staff.
When was the last time he had stepped into the training grounds?
He couldn’t even remember.
’...Maybe I should give it another try.’
For some reason, after watching Baek Yu-Seol, he couldn’t bear to stand still.