"Uhh… uhh…."

"Ahh… ahhh!"

Deep within the mountains, two girls lay face down on separate beds, letting out faint groans.

One of the girls had long pink hair and vivid red eyes, her delicate and innocent appearance matched by a well-developed figure. The other had long golden hair and light pink eyes, exuding elegance and grace alongside a similarly well-formed physique.

Despite their youth—both were 15 years old—their extraordinary beauty could shake anyone's heart at the sight of them lying there. However, the blue-haired man standing over them, his hands resting on their necks, watched them with a calm and focused gaze.

The task at hand was to transform their bodies into ones more attuned to mana, much like the process he had performed for Seomun Ye-jin.

Through this procedure, the girls would be able to grow faster in the future. By the time the original timeline of the story unfolded, they might even reach the realm of SSS-class hunters.

"That depends entirely on their own efforts."

A minimum of two to three hours of daily practice was required. While a mana awakener's body healed quickly and learned fast, training for eight or nine hours a day would not result in rapid growth.

In fact, the optimal training time was two to three hours per day; exceeding this led to diminishing returns. Beyond that, additional time could be spent learning new techniques or refining existing skills.

"Or gaining experience through duels or actual combat with stronger opponents."

In this regard, Lee Ha-yeon, as the heir to the Angel Guild, was in an advantageous position. She had access to numerous powerful guild members to spar with, from S-rank hunters at her level to SS-rank ones stronger than her, and even her father, the SSS-rank hunter Lee Jung-chun.

However, none of them could help her grow as quickly as Baek Seo-jun. Only he could provide the guidance that would push her to new heights, even within the span of two hours of training a day.

"Don't be satisfied just because your body is now more attuned to mana. You need to work hard to get used to this new state," Seo-jun instructed.

"Yes."

"Understood."

Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon sat up, their expressions dazed but refreshed. They felt an exhilarating sensation, as if they had received a deeply satisfying massage magnified several times. Their sensitivity to mana had also sharpened noticeably, making it seem as though they could accomplish anything.

"That feeling of omnipotence is an illusion. If you indulge in it, you'll suffer consequences. Stay grounded and work to perceive your body as normal, not in a heightened state."

"A-ah, yes!"

"Yes… understood!"

Han Se-hee appeared slightly flustered by Seo-jun’s stern tone, while Lee Ha-yeon seemed jolted into full awareness. Waking from the intoxicating sensation of omnipotence was itself a step forward in their training. Seo-jun then turned to Seomun Ye-jin.

"Miss Ye-jin, could you spar with Ha-yeon for a bit?"

"Leave it to me!" Seomun Ye-jin replied cheerfully, moving toward Lee Ha-yeon with a bright smile.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes… I'm ready."

Lee Ha-yeon looked tense. It was only natural—she had witnessed Seomun Ye-jin’s strength firsthand. Ye-jin, who had battled the SSS-class villain Gye Un-jik to a standstill, was far beyond what Ha-yeon could currently handle.

"This area is uninhabited, so you can attack freely," Ye-jin assured her.

Though deep in the mountains, this location wasn’t even part of South Korea. It was a mountain in Somalia, a region below which lay a monster-infested wilderness.

"Yes… please take care of me," Ha-yeon said, bowing respectfully. However, despite her polite demeanor, there was a trace of discomfort in her expression—a sentiment mirrored by Ye-jin. Though smiling, Ye-jin’s kindness did not extend to warmth.

"Haah!"

Despite her unease, Ha-yeon gathered brilliant light in her hands and unleashed it with a shout. The dazzling flash streaked toward Seomun Ye-jin at a speed that would make it difficult for even S-rank hunters to evade.

However, Ye-jin didn’t draw her sword. She simply conjured a shield of mana, blocking the attack head-on with precise control.

She formed the mana shield exactly at the point of impact, neutralizing the attack completely. The technique was both admirable and risky, as focusing on one point left other areas exposed. A well-timed attack to a different location could result in severe injury.

"But if someone can control their mana like that…"

Ha-yeon quickly grasped the advantages of such a technique.

"In close combat, it can create openings by blocking an opponent’s attacks with pinpoint precision."

Ha-yeon specialized in long-range, high-power attacks using light attributes, while Ye-jin primarily fought in close quarters with her sword. Their combat styles were polar opposites.

Even so, Ha-yeon had prepared techniques for close combat, ensuring she wouldn’t leave her weaknesses unaddressed. Observing Ye-jin’s mana control, Ha-yeon realized its potential for countering melee opponents by exploiting the momentary openings created when their attacks were blocked.

Despite her quick analysis, Ha-yeon didn’t have the luxury to dwell on it.

"Here I come. I’ll keep it at an S-rank level, as promised," Ye-jin announced.

Seomun Ye-jin was an SSS-class hunter, while Lee Ha-yeon was S-class. Ye-jin had deliberately restricted her mana and physical capabilities to match an S-rank level for this sparring session. Even so, Ye-jin’s combat sense and precision, honed as an SSS-class hunter, made her a formidable opponent.

"Ahh! Ugh!"

In an instant, Ye-jin closed the distance, and Ha-yeon’s desperate attacks—blinding flashes aimed with sharp precision—were deftly countered. Ye-jin erected pinpoint mana shields to block each strike, rapidly nullifying Ha-yeon’s efforts.

Within moments, Ye-jin was upon her, the tip of her sword resting lightly against Ha-yeon’s throat.

It was a complete defeat. Even Ha-yeon’s lance of light, designed for piercing power, had been effortlessly blocked by Ye-jin’s precise mana control.

"I still have so much to learn."

Ha-yeon focused her attention entirely on the sparring session. With her body now more attuned to mana, she could vividly recall and analyze Ye-jin’s techniques during their exchange.

As Ha-yeon absorbed the lessons of her defeat, Han Se-hee, meanwhile, was engaged in learning various techniques directly from Baek Seo-jun.

***

After the first day's training, Seomun Ye-jin and I continued to train Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon regularly.

For several weeks, we maintained a schedule of training them three or four times a week. One day, during one of these sessions, Lee Ha-yeon asked me a question.

"Seo-jun-nim, you'll turn twenty next year, right? Are you planning to attend Kangin Academy?"

I nodded at her question.

"I suppose so."

"Oh…"

Upon hearing my response, Lee Ha-yeon looked visibly disappointed. Han Se-hee, standing beside her, shared a similar expression of regret.

In contrast, Seomun Ye-jin, who would be entering the academy alongside me, looked smugly at the two of them. Her expression radiated the confidence of someone who had already claimed victory.

"It's a shame," Han Se-hee said with a crestfallen look. "You'll graduate the same year we enroll, so I guess we won't get to see you at the academy."

Noticing her dejection, I shook my head, denying her assumption.

"Not necessarily."

"Huh?"

"The academy isn't a place exclusively for students, after all."

It wasn’t limited to just instructors or professors, either.

"Neither I nor Miss Ye-jin have anything to actually learn at Kangin Academy."

The only thing we needed was the diploma.

That diploma would make it much easier for me to throw Baek Seo-jin—who would enroll the year after I graduated—into utter despair.

In fact, the day I fully committed to "life at the academy" would likely be the same year Lee Ha-yeon, Han Se-hee, and Baek Seo-jin all enrolled.