Report
“I appreciate the offer, but it’s okay.”
He had thought about it, but shook his head. This might be some kind of test.
No, not a test. Even if it’s not a test, he didn’t want to receive training from Orca. If he learned from her, there’s a possibility that their continued achievements might be dependent on her .Yuri didn’t want that at all. From the beginning, Yuri had the intention to beat her.
“You know how to refuse as well. You have your dignity.”
Orca gave a mischievous smile. Was it a test after all?
“I haven’t observed closely, but you seem to have a talent for Martial Arts. If you’re good at fighting, you’ll be good at Martial Ars too. Perhaps you have a talent for magic as well. Since you said you never learned properly from a master.”
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t.”
“I’m just saying. I’d love to go inside and have a terrible tea while chatting more. But doing that might ruin the pleasing voice of the female apprentice.”
Orca glanced at Elena with a shrug.
“If I did that, her pleasant voice might lose its appeal. So, let’s call it a day here for today.”
For today?
As Yuri felt a cold sweat running down his spine, he lowered her head.
“Thank you.”
“Your manners are decent.”
“Although I enjoy my current situation thanks to having a childhood friend, it’s thanks to you, Orca, that my childhood friend made me enjoy it. And thanks to you, I even get to have a Changcheonhwan.”
“Got it.”
After hearing the reply, Yuri raised his head. Orca turned around with a cheerful smile.
“Ah, right.”
Orca turned her body. She swiftly reached out, grabbing Yuri’s hand.
“?!”
Zap! An electric current flowed through the held hand. It wasn’t an attack. A faint current flowed into Yuri’s hand that had swelled up slightly. The muscles that instinctively reacted twisted involuntarily.
“You said you got hurt by Jim Namgung earlier, right? I can heal something like this with my magic.”
Avoiding a slap but spraining an ankle, pushing away a fist but spraining a wrist, those claims were lies. However, hurting his wrist while blocking a punch that flew to his face, and landing heavily after being sent flying and limping, those were true.
Could this be called electric therapy with magic? The swelling on his wrist visibly subsided, and his leg no longer limped.
“How about that? Do you want to learn magic now?”
“Later… I will learn.”
“You’re surprised. Do you think I would overwhelm you? There’s no reason for that.”
Orca chuckled and released Yuri’s hand.
“Just now, while treating you, I observed you. There aren’t any wounds that require special attention. Your body’s conditioning is better than it appears on the surface. Are you skilled enough to be on par with experts?”
“Yes…?”
“Your blood circulation is robust, and you have few blockages. But you truly lack any inner energy or mana. Your body seems to be truly natural. If you were to start martial arts now, Jim Namgung might fall behind in a few years.”
Orca evaluated him like that before turning around.
“Now, truly go. Entertain the apprentice well.”
“Snow!”
Elena, who had stopped screaming and was catching her breath, screamed again.
“Yuri! Close your eyes!”
Upon that command, Yuri knew what was about to happen. He quickly shut his eyes. Instead, he tried to be as aware as possible, reading the flow of mana.
As a mass of mana expanded around Orca, the ambient mana twisted. Zing! With the sound of electricity flowing, the darkened vision suddenly brightened.
Lightning Transmutation. A magic that transforms the body into lightning, symbolizing the Celestial Thunder, Orca. When Orca uses Lightning Transmutation, she becomes immune to all physical attacks and her evasion rate reaches the maximum value in the system.
For someone who relied on physical attacks as a barehanded immunity user, the worst possible match-up. After various tries and errors, he secured skills to counter Orca and incorporated them into his build. However, the compatibility between Orca and the barehanded users was the worst to the point that he deleted the game several times during hisexperimentation.
“… You can open your eyes now.”
Elena’s weak voice could be heard. Her screams, shrieks, and wails had left her voice slightly hoarse.
‘Orca didn’t detect my inner energy.’
She not only saw it with her eyes but also held her hand, allowing the current to flow into her body. Yet, Orca still evaluated him with no inner energy or mana.
‘The cunning Deceptive Veil can even fool Orca.’
When his hand was held, he thought he was done for. However, he gained a significant harvest. If even a top magician like Orca couldn’t detect his inner energy, he had greater freedom to hide his possession of a host in the future.
“Are you okay?”
Yuri looked toward Elena. Elena, who had exerted herself to escape from the restraints, was being supported by Haryeong, drenched in sweat and panting.
“Why are you asking me if I’m okay? Why are you asking that of me?”
Elena glared at Yuri with laboured breath.
‘Why is she worried even though I told her to stay put…’
What a messed up temperament.
“It’s my place to say that…! Yuri, are you really okay? No injuries? From that Jim Namgung… No, wait, from Tower Lord?”
“I wasn’t hurt. She actually treated me. You clearly saw that, why ask?”
“You don’t know, that’s why. Do you know how much suffering I went through with Tower Lord? She would concentrate on her magic and then suddenly approach from behind, touch the back of your neck, and give you a jolt…”
It seemed like she did something similar to flicking a lighter.
“I was surprised, but I’m fine. I even received proper treatment.”
Yuri held up his hand, showing that the swelling had gone down. There was no discomfort even when moving his wrist.
“… Thank goodness.”
Seeing Elena’s relieved expression finally put Yuri’s mind at ease. Elena let out a deep sigh and lowered her head.
“Sorry. I should have… I should have said something, but I was caught up in my thoughts. I didn’t expect that guy Jim Namgung to come to the house…”
“What’s your relationship with him?”
To be honest, he was curious. Repeatedly pressing the intercom, going into a fit upon seeing Yuri, the unrequited love Orca mentioned. Perhaps Elena and Jim Namgung
“Don’t talk nonsense. Don’t say absurd things!”
Could there be a magic that reads minds?
“Just, he kept pestering me. He wanted to have a meal together and visit Tower in person.”
While supporting Elena, Haryeong spoke up.
“Even though he’s the fourth son, Jim Namgung is an enemy. And Elena is a prospective apprentice of Dersia Tower Lord. If you consider background and talent alone, Jim Namgung might be at a disadvantage, but still, it was an opportunity for him to become Namgung Family’s daughter-in-law.”
“Don’t call me a daughter-in-law, don’t say such dreadful things!”
“You might not be aware of it. If Elena had gone to the gathering that Jim Namgung prepared last week, they could have developed a relationship like that.”
“Misunderstanding.”
Elena turned her head quickly and shot Yuri a glare.
“I just agreed to have a meal with him to get him off my back. I’m sorry, but I have no intention of meeting any men right now. I’m busy with magic! And I can’t respond to his feelings! I was trying to say that as I left!”
“I see.”
Despite Elena’s hurried words, Yuri remained calm.
“He gave up something significant to come get me. He abandoned a meal with Namgung.”
“I didn’t consider that.”
“I was the first one to come for you, Yuri, yet you’re being too much.”
“You are making that expression.”
“My expressions are naturally like this.”
Having that conversation, they entered the mansion.
‘Changcheonhwan…!’
More than anything else, Yuri’s heart raced at the thought of consuming the Changcheonhwan.
