Chapter 75

Chapter 75

I Became the Academy Mafia Chapter 75At the sudden pain that began in my shoulder, I bit down on the blanket.

“Ghhhh──!!”

Even then, the flames continued burning my shoulder.

Looking closely, I could tell they weren't ordinary flames, but flames made from my aura.

But why were flames made from my aura burning my shoulder?

I found the answer by watching the shoulder where the flames had settled.

There, as though being engraved by a laser, a black image slowly began to appear on my shoulder.

As its outline gradually took shape, what emerged was an image resembling the side profile of a wolf.

Only after even the shading had been perfectly engraved did the red aura and pain finally disappear.[Character 「Eugene Han Calione: Narrative Engraving」 creation complete!]

As though the pain from just moments ago had been a dream, there was no longer any pain in my shoulder.

“...

This is driving me crazy, seriously.”

The method by which [Narrative Engraving]

was engraved differed greatly from character to character.

Power might be imbued into an item they cherished, it might be engraved onto their body in the form of a pattern, or it might appear in a form only they themselves could see.

And among those, the rarest form was the method where words or images were engraved directly onto the body.

Even then, most were engraved only with ritualistic meaning, so they usually appeared as patterns, lines, or writing.

Cases where such an intuitive picture was engraved were almost nonexistent.

But an image like this... I had no idea what other people would think if they saw it.

“...

Ha, at least it's not an ordinary picture, so maybe that's a relief.”

For the first time in a while, I opened my status window and checked my traits and skills.[Name: Eugene Han Calione][Gender: male][Class: Heir to the Underworld][Bloodline: Calione]

- Monsters weaker than you have a high chance of becoming afraid.

- Your abilities increase in proportion to the number of enemies around you.

- Your abilities increase in proportion to the duration of battle.- (N)

Dominates and strengthens the user's equipment and skills.[Traits: Heir to the Underworld, Bad Boy, Hitman, Enforcer, Thousand Poison Immunity][Skills: Aura Sonar][Narrative Engraving (1)]《Traits》【Heir to the Underworld】[1. An Offer You Can't Refuse

– Negotiation ability slightly increases. Against targets who feel fear, negotiation ability greatly increases.][2. Baby Boss

– Your overall abilities slightly increase in proportion to the number of living beings who feel fear or respect toward you.][3. Unopened]【Bad Boy】[Bad Boy

- Your charm increases in proportion to your notoriety.]【Hitman】[1. Ruthless Killer

- The blade of an organization that executes its enemies. A Hitman maintains composure in any situation.

Firearm-related proficiency greatly increases.][2. Hunter of Villains

- You are a Hitman highly accustomed to hunting villains. Villains will feel fear toward you, and it will become easier for you to hunt them.

The fear villains feel toward you increases by 1.5 times.

Aura utilization ability slightly increases against villains.]【Enforcer】[1.

Enforcer

- Those who deal with the enemies of the organization. When fighting an opponent recognized as an enemy of the organization, physical ability increases by 1.5 times.]【Thousand Poison Immunity】[1. Thousand Poison Immunity

- You become immune to most poisons. Poison resistance greatly increases.]【Natural Healing (C)】[1. Natural Healing (C)

- The body's natural healing ability increases.]《Skill Category》【Aura Sonar】-Spreads aura into the surroundings to search terrain, objects, and living beings.《Narrative Engraving (1)》Whenever the user achieves an accomplishment, an image based on that narrative is engraved onto the body, recreating the narrative from that time.

-Wolf (Hunter of the Night): He is a wolf who hunts enemies beneath the moonlight. He charges without yielding even against enemies larger than himself, and is a hunter who leads countless packs.

“...

I like the meaning and effect.”[Narrative Engraving]

didn't display its effects intuitively, so I had no choice but to guess, but judging by the description, it seemed to include effects along the lines of increased physical ability at night, and increased ability and charm against stronger enemies.

“I'll have to try using it sometime.”

Right, if they're handing me abilities like this, what does a little picture matter?

If anyone asked, I could just say it was the effect of a skill.

“And tomorrow is the day I receive the Aura Style... am I seriously becoming historically strong?”

At this point in the original game, no matter what kind of methods you used, obtaining [Narrative Engraving]

like this would've been impossible.

The very existence of a Narrative Engraving meant you'd become deeply immersed in that character's narrative, so naturally, it was closely tied to playtime.

Yet less than a month after creating the character in-game, I'd fought a villain on Blanca's level one-on-one. On top of that, I'd even unlocked [Narrative Engraving]

?

If I posted this on the community, people would definitely call me a bug abuser or tell me to stop fabricating things, showering me with every kind of profanity.

And all of this was probably thanks to this body's background and abilities.

“...

Eugene Han Calione.”

One of the greatest silver-spoon characters in CS, who inherited Vito Calione's talent, blood, and abilities.

And an idiot who failed to make use of any of those abilities.

The narrative of the deeply rooted history behind the Calione family had probably... seeped directly into the character and strengthened him.

One thing I'd realized while living in this body was that if Eugene Han Calione from the original story had merely been someone capable of normal thinking, the world of CS would've changed drastically.

“How the hell did you manage to become nothing more than some low-level villain even with a body like this? I seriously don't understand.”

If I'd already reached this level in such a short time, just how much stronger would I become from here...?

Feeling my anticipation swell, I crawled beneath the blanket and closed my eyes to cool my excitement.

The night available for enjoying sleep was very short.

_______________

“...

So. You're telling me to put this on right now?”

“Yes.”

“This toy?”

“It's not a toy. It's something actually used against villains.”

“...

Even so, those ones aren't pink with teddy-bear stickers on them.”

“You brat! I went out of my way to borrow this from someone I know, and that's what you have to say? This is the original owner's taste, what am I supposed to do about it! And! Pink is a man's color!”

“...

The owner of this is a man?”

“Of course she's a woman.”

“...

Ha. Then what's with the man's color thing? Don't you know it's dangerous to casually say things like that these days?”

“So, you're saying you don't want to wear it?”

Still, I couldn't exactly complain when he'd gone through the trouble of getting it because of me...

Currently, after flying all the way to Gangwon Province, I was seriously agonizing over the bracelet placed in front of me.

Everything had been fine up until I arrived in Gangwon Province and heard that a customized Aura Style training method had been prepared for me.

Because I could feel that he genuinely intended to teach me in earnest...

Until he told me to wear this damn pink teddy-bear bracelet, that is.‘Anti-

Awakened Suppressor’It was an item capable of suppressing an Awakened's use of aura and mana, commonly used when arresting or restraining villains.

It was an item that could practically be called strictly regulated by the government, yet this old man had brought out a bracelet with this bizarre customization, saying he'd gotten it from someone he knew.

No, did someone really need to stick teddy-bear stickers onto a bracelet meant to be put on villains? It was enough to make me wonder whether they'd deliberately done it so villains would feel humiliation right up until the moment they were arrested.

“At the very least, shouldn't you tell me why I have to wear this?”

“Hm? I didn't tell you?”...

Should I run away now?

Still, I decided to at least hear why he wanted me to wear it.

“The principle behind this bracelet is that it makes mana or aura clump together inside the body so it can't be freely circulated. In other words, it increases the viscosity so it can't move.”

“Then even you wouldn't be able to use aura if you wore this, sir?”

“You little brat!”

Kwak Chun-sik shouted at my words.

“How many years of experience do you think I have? You think something like this could stop my aura? At my level, whether the aura hardens solid or thins out like water, I can move all of it!”

“So you're going to put this on me and make my aura clump together. Is that it?”

“Exactly! Do you understand now?”

The weakness he'd pointed out was that I couldn't maintain the shape of aura once I released it outside my body.

And the thing he'd brought to correct that problem was this bracelet that forced aura to clump together.

It made some sense... but the problem was.

“But I'm not you, sir. If I put that thing on, won't I become unable to use aura? Then how am I supposed to train?”

“Ah, your blood will handle that on its own.”

“...

Pardon?”

“That unruly aura you showed me. Ordinary Awakened struggle even to spread aura, but you spread yours as naturally as breathing, don't you? It's only a prediction for now, but I don't think wearing this will stop you from using aura.”

So... I might be immune to suppressors?

Hearing this seemed to resolve a question I'd had until now.

Vito Calione, a national-level combat power.

Before the man who reached the summit through his own strength alone, without any special teacher, formed his organization.

Why had the nation been unable to restrain Vito Calione?

I began to think that perhaps it too was because of the nature of Vito Calione's aura.

In the end, if they couldn't stop that aura, they'd have no choice but to endure enormous damage.

“...

Do I just put this on my wrist?”

“Who knows? Someone always put it on me.”

“When you were arrested after causing trouble against villains?”

“Shut up! You brat! Those bastards deserved to die!”

“...

I'll just figure out how to put it on myself.”

Steeling myself, I slowly picked up the bracelet and prepared myself.

This is just an ordinary bracelet.

This is just an ordinary bracelet.

This is just...

Hm...

Oh...?

Huh?

“Why, what's with that expression?”

“I'm surprised because it feels stranger than I expected.”

“Feels strange?”

“Yes. How should I put it? It's surprisingly comfortable to wear? But at the same time, my body feels kind of itchy.”

“...

I found it unpleasant.”

Why does he look like he doesn't trust me at all?

“Would you like to try wearing it too, sir?”

“You think I'm crazy enough to put a suppressor on myself?”...

Then what does that make me?

I nearly grabbed Kwak Chun-sik by the collar, but remembering that my opponent was the ‘Aura Master,’ I forced down my anger.

Right, he's stronger than me.

Endure it. I have to endure...

“So, how does the aura feel?”

At Kwak Chun-sik's words, I checked the aura inside my body.

“It definitely feels like the aura has clumped together a little. How should I put it... something that used to feel like liquid now feels like jelly?”

“Since you're calling it jelly, it seems you can still move it.”

“Yes.”

When I slowly drew aura into my hand, red aura bloomed above my palm.

However, instead of immediately dispersing as usual, the aura slowly flickered like a burning flame.

Then, when I deliberately tried to alter its shape little by little, I could feel the aura's form gradually changing.

“Hmm... it definitely seems to move.”

“I see. For now, your priority is to keep moving the aura in this state and get used to the sensation. Even if you're wearing a suppressor, wouldn't that still make things easier than starting completely from scratch?”

Apparently feeling his method was highly effective, he watched the aura squirming atop my palm with a confident smile.

“Then is this all we're doing today?”

“Of course not. For the next few days, try living while wearing the bracelet. Aura control is practically essential for learning the Aura Style, so it'll be a great help.”...

You want me to live my everyday life wearing this?

Seriously?