When Iris directly infused mana into my body, vitality surged through me.
So much so that I felt I could easily run a 100-meter dash in under nine seconds.
That alone was astonishing enough to be unbelievable, but my shock didn't end there.
"This is…"
As an even stronger vitality coursed through my body, I even felt a faint sense of omnipotence.
Even just clenching my fist, my grip was incomparably stronger than before. My five senses, including my strangely enhanced sight and hearing, all lent credence to the hypothesis that had suddenly popped into my head.
Just in case, I closed my eyes and observed my body once more.
Then, I felt something near my heart that hadn't been there before. From its shape, I instinctively knew what it was.
"A mana circle…?"
"Congratulations, Hyun-woo."
Iris wore an expression that was half joy, half astonishment.
At this point, it was easy to guess the meaning behind her sudden congratulations.
"Did I… form a mana circle?"
This was beyond just being dumbfounded.
A war orphan college student becomes a mage in less than a day? Even for a novel, that was a title that would get spammed with hate comments for having a plot full of holes.
I pinched my cheek, even slapped it.
It hurt and stung, but the pain quickly faded.
It wasn't because this was a dream. It was thanks to the magic power welling up from my heart.
"Honestly… even though I'm seeing it with my own eyes, I can hardly believe it."
Iris looked cute with her surprised expression.
I'd have no other wishes if I could just squish those cheeks once.
"Even I was praised by my master for forming my mana circle quickly, but it still took me about two months. And that was only possible because I barely slept, trying my best to communicate with mana. But you, Hyun-woo… how on earth…"
I was surprised too.
I still couldn't believe it.
Me, some kind of once-in-a-generation prodigy who formed a mana circle faster than Iris?
The thought brought more unease than joy.
Back in elementary school, I was judged to have no talent in the national magic power test.
Thanks to that, I couldn't go to the Magic Tower, and I couldn't become a mage. But now? My talent was insane.
It's not unheard of for talent to blossom with age, but this was on another level.
An archmage who reached the 8th Circle like Iris took two months, and I did it in five minutes?
I know my place.
I'm no genius.
It meant there had been a third party's intervention.
It's not Iris.
If she could artificially create mages, there's no way those elders would have followed Resilia, even if she betrayed Iris.
By process of elimination, only one possibility remained.
I walked over and picked up my phone, which had been serving as an indirect light source. Just as I expected, the screen displayed exactly what I'd anticipated.
[Thank you for participating in the Dating Consulting Curriculum]
[Congratulations on achieving the initial goal of the Becoming an Attractive Person of the Opposite Sex! Project]
[☆Achieved 1st Circle Mage☆]
[Please check your mailbox for a reward prepared as a Dating Incentive]
So it was you.
The Dating Consulting Curriculum. It was the very thing that had made the unconscious Iris spill her dark, heavy past—what could be called her trauma—to me without any hesitation.
An otherworld dating app. From the moment it teleported me to another dimension, I knew it was no ordinary app.
But I never imagined it had the power to control others and even directly help in forming a mana circle.
What the hell is this thing?
This was just a vague guess, but I felt someone was behind this app.
I had no idea what they wanted from me to have given me an app like this, but there was nothing I could do about it now.
...So I'm a mage now?
Honestly, I was still dazed.
Becoming a mage had been a lifelong dream of mine.
Of course, I would have been fine with any job as long as it paid well, but it was also true that a longing to be a mage remained in a corner of my heart.
Weighing the pros and cons, my mind raced through the recent series of events and came to a conclusion.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
It was true that something felt off, but if I used the app's power well, there was no way I would end up as just a 1st Circle mage.
Even the 5th Circle, the limit for ordinary mages and the point where one is called a sorcerer, seemed within reach.
Perhaps even reaching the 8th Circle, on par with Iris, seemed entirely possible.
Who cares if the app is run by a demon or a monster?
Shaking hands with a demon seemed far better than praying to a god who wouldn't listen for a hundred, or even a thousand, days.
After all, this was a world where ordinary people suddenly awakened special abilities and became hunters or heroes.
It was entirely possible that this app was just an ability I had awakened.
Alright, no more overthinking.
There's no point in dwelling on something I can't figure out; it only makes things harder for me.
My goal right now was simple: become a high-ranking mage and free Iris from this place.
"Let's continue the lesson!"
"Yes!"
The combination of a student who had awakened an overwhelming talent(?) and a highly motivated teacher rapidly advanced the lesson's pace.
Basic Mysticism, Forelia's Alchemy, the Elemental Synthesis Theory, and so on.
I spent most of that day learning the fundamentals of magic.
Of course, the lesson was difficult. The magic class, filled with technical terms I'd never heard before, felt like it was overloading my brain.
But the otherworld dating app blew all my worries away.
[Learning confirmed for the intermediate goal of the Becoming an Attractive Person of the Opposite Sex! Project]
[Knowledge Acquisition Rate for Basic Magicology +1000%]
[Mana Sensitivity Increase +1000%]
[Mana Self-Assimilation Speed Increase +10000%]
I wondered if the numbers were a typo, but the effects were more than just definite—they were overwhelming.
I absorbed knowledge as if it were being engraved directly onto my brain the moment I heard it.
It said +1000%, but it felt like much more.
To give a slightly exaggerated example, it was like an adult who only graduated from elementary school could get a perfect score on the college entrance exam after just one week of classes.
It was that ridiculous of an ability.
And that wasn't all. Perhaps because of my heightened mana sensitivity, the mana floating in the air was practically throwing a tantrum all lesson, desperate to enter my body.
Seeing this, Teacher Iris looked at me with eyes full of surprise and emotion, but I just found it burdensome.
Not because of Iris's gaze, but because of the mana.
The feeling of increased mana sensitivity was so strong it felt like the mana itself was courting me.
The sensation of being loved by an intangible, formless energy wasn't exactly what I'd call pleasant.
The saying 'too much of a good thing' exists for a reason.
Just like there's a proper amount for an IV drip, taking in more mana than I could handle would fuck me up.
Fortunately, when I genuinely rejected it, the mana retreated quietly as if it had a will of its own.
I wondered if this was even possible, but then again, in less than a day, I had traveled to another dimension, touched the chest of a stunningly beautiful elf, and become the mage I'd always dreamed of being.
It was more than enough experience to make me realize that in this life, anything could happen.
I refocused, and the lesson continued.
"Hyun-woo, did you know that mages are also categorized by their field of study?"
"This is the first I'm hearing of it."
"Elemental, Conceptual, Alchemy, Spirit, Summoning… mages are called different things depending on their major. Elemental mages are called Elementalists, Conceptual mages are Conceptualists, and Alchemy mages are Alchemists, and so on. Of course, it's perfectly fine to just call them mages, too."
Of course, this was all new to Kang Hyun-woo.
I'd seen the media on Earth talk about alchemists and summoners, but back then, I just thought they were cool-sounding titles.
"Then which category do you fall into, Iris?"
"I'm a spirit master. Spirits can't come near the World Tree, so I can't show you right now, but I have contracts with quite a few of them."
Elves and spirits, of course. At this point, the fantasy tropes from Earth might as well be considered 100% reliable information.
But that raised one question.
On Earth, there are beast-kin, dragonfolk, dwarves, and halflings, so why are there no elves?
According to what I learned in history class, other races besides humans and demonic beasts weren't native to Earth.
They supposedly started appearing in the literature of various countries at some point… but why were only the elves missing?
Something was strange.
"...Hyun-woo?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment…"
"Hehe, it's alright. It's already been six hours since we started. You've been listening without a single break, so you must be tired. Let's call it a day here."
She said it was fine, but considering Iris's kind personality, I couldn't shake the feeling she was just being considerate of me.
It still didn't feel real, but I was being taught by an archmage—the equivalent of one of only three on Earth.
Should I formally apologize now?
My mind grew complicated with a worry I'd never had before, but I decided it would be rude to refuse her consideration. I just resolved not to let it happen again and moved on.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"You worked hard too, Hyun-woo. I wish I had even half my master's talent for making lessons enjoyable."
"Your master?"
"Yes, he was the former king of Peledeia and also the one who taught me magic."
Perhaps lost in old memories, Iris's gaze drifted toward the dark ceiling as if she were reminiscing.
As for me, I couldn't exactly empathize with her feelings for a former king and master I'd never even met, so I just stayed quiet.
Just then, as I was huddled over, secretly looking at my phone screen.
Tiring—
A familiar notification sound chimed as a new screen popped up on my phone.
[Thank you for using our app]
[Congratulations on your first match. An additional gift has been sent to your mailbox. Please check it later]
[This is a notification that the match will end shortly]
[Time Remaining: 14:59]
"This… had a time limit?"
It had been more than half a day since I'd arrived.
I wished the remaining time was fifteen hours, not fifteen minutes, but no such luck. My eyes were drawn to the timer as it immediately ticked down to 14:40.
No mercy.
Absolutely heartless.
A 21-year-old virgin was in the middle of enjoying a cozy date(?) with a stunningly beautiful elf, and it had to go and ruin the mood.
I'm tempted to give it a one-star rating.
Still, if there was any hope, it was that on typical dating apps, time limits like this could usually be solved with money.
It was impossible right now, but maybe there'd be a way to solve it once I returned to Earth.
Besides, I already had two rewards stacked up in the so-called mailbox. It was about time I looked into this app more deeply.
I'm also curious about what's happening outside.
Plus, now that I'd formed a mana circle, even if it was just the 1st Circle, I was qualified to enter the Magic Tower.
And at 21, I wasn't too old either.
I heard you get a subsidy from the government if you register as a mage.
That alone would take care of my living expenses.
Various other things came to mind, telling me it was about time to return to Earth, but the thought of Iris made me want to stay here a little longer.
Therefore, my number one priority was to find a way to return as quickly as possible.
"Um, Iris?"
"…"
Seeing her back, unresponsive to my call, it seemed she was still lost in her memories.
I felt bad for interrupting, but the time limit was pressing me, so I had no choice.
This time, I gently shook her shoulder and called out.
"Iris?"
"Yes?"
Iris turned around, a slightly startled look on her face.
"I'm sorry."
"Ah… no, it's fine. I was just thinking about the past… Is something the matter?"
The slight redness around her eyes made my heart ache, but… I couldn't just leave without saying anything.
"Well… I think I have to go back now."
I finished explaining that the app had a time limit and that I would come back as soon as I could, so she didn't need to worry, but there was no reply. Just as I was wondering why...
"Are you going to leave me all alone?"
"...What?"
Kuuung—
I flinched at a vibration that seemed to shake the entire cavern. An earthquake?
As I was looking around.
Grasp.
I turned my head at the soft touch grabbing my wrist.
There, her green eyes, shining far more vividly than before, were fixed on me.
"Don't go."
Iris wasn't smiling.