The Legendary Programming Mage

Chatter. Chatter. Chatter.

— "Hey, isn't that the Apex?"

— "Yeah, no one else in the school looks like that."

— "Hmm, yeah, but why is he injured?"

— "Maybe he tried using Flashstep without safety gear?"

— "Shh... If the boys hear you pitying him, you'll be isolated."

— "But he's hot though."

— "Yeah, he is."

...

'Can they keep their voices down?'

I was already trying my best to stand on my feet after yesterday's training.

Usually, mages wore safety gear when practicing Flashstep— even Beatrice said she wore one.

But she didn't let me wear any.

No safety gear, no potions, and constant lewd remarks to throw me off.

Because of that, I had crashed into more trees than I could count.

If that wasn't bad enough, the first thing I saw when I entered the classroom was my vandalized desk.

Someone, or perhaps a group, had spray-painted my chair.

Names like bastard, idiot, failure.

I would have loved to kill them all, but I wasn't strong enough, nor did I have the points to expel them.

To begin with, I didn't even know who exactly did it.

That was why I just ignored it.

"Once I'm done with this, I'll kick some ass."

I still needed to head somewhere.

It was a certain place in the academy that held a treasure—something that helped Jake Kim grow stronger.

Beatrice was the MC now, but I doubted she had taken all of Jake's opportunities.

Walking past another group of students, I felt a sudden tug on my sleeve.

Behind me was one of my classmates, a major member of the crown princess's clique from the Drakensport continent.

"Uhmm... Hello." She extended her hand, and in it was a designer plaster.

Hmm...

My injuries were already covered, so why?

I rubbed the back of my neck and muttered, "I'm sorry, but I don't need it."

After a pause, I asked, "Won't your class hate you for talking to me? And aren't you afraid I might kill you?"

She glanced up at me, then looked away. "I don't think you're a bad person. Plus, what you said was technically right."

Her bright whitish eyes locked onto mine. "And unlike those hypocrites, you actually said what you wanted to do."

My gaze lingered on the young girl.

"Okay, thank you."

I accepted the plaster.

Her small hand was cold and tender, like that of a dead person.

Without another word, I walked away.

It was best not to get too close with that particular character.

Not because she was evil, but because of who she was tied to.

The witch of the blood moon, and one of the females even Jake Kim, with his plot armor, couldn't win over.

The crown princess of the second most powerful continent:

Cordelia Ravenhearth.

Just the thought of being close to that blood-sucking demon sent chills through my body.

And when I said blood-sucking, I didn't mean it metaphorically, but literally.

"Hey!"

Turning my head once more, I saw the particular white-haired girl wave at me.

Only then did I actually notice her looks.

She was beautiful.

Very beautiful, even more than Beatrice.

However, she didn't seem normal.

She had a cane in one hand, whitish eyes, and even though she wasn't pale, I could tell from her small frame that she was ill.

A tragic beauty.

I didn't wave back and turned away.

I was still the villain of the story and couldn't slip from my role.

However, my eyes still fell to the pink plaster in my hand.

"Maybe I should just put it on."

I tore open the fragile, transparent wrap and placed it on my neck.

Without realizing it, I glanced back once more, and the girl still stood there. Seeing me turn, she smiled warmly.

'Such a strange human.'

I ignored her and made my way to the area where Beatrice and I usually stayed.

Today was Sunday, so there weren't many classes, and we wore our blazer uniforms instead of the military ones.

Sunday and Monday for blazers, Tuesday and Wednesday for military uniforms, and Thursday and Friday back to blazers.

Placing my sky-blue long blazer on a tree branch, I stretched a little and let mana flow through me.

Earlier this week, Beatrice had taken permission from the Dean to use this area for the two of us, so without her or my consent, no one could enter or see anything inside.

I closed my eyes, following the bizarre rubber analogy Beatrice had given me.

Somehow, that was the easiest way to explain this feeling.

If Beatrice's mana technique was like covering your skin with mana, this was like wearing it over you and letting your body adapt.

The moment a tingling sensation surged through me, I shot into the sky.

Flashstep didn't make you walk or run faster.

It made you a literal light particle, moving like a meteorite.

Your body, now coated in mana, would shine the color of your mana as you flew across the area.

But my main problem was—

Bam!

Crash!

Slamming into yet another tree, I felt a jolt of pain course through me.

Beatrice had told me not to use any potions and to get used to the pain.

The more I felt it, the more the fear of it would fade.

And she wasn't lying.

I pushed myself up and brushed off the dirt.

"Again."

I channeled mana through my body and shot forward, but this time I barely moved before crashing back to the ground.

Flashstep allowed one move close to the speed of sound in the early stages, and even faster later.

Which meant the pain I felt was like colliding with something at sonic speed.

Even though I wasn't a physician, I knew it should be impossible to survive.

A pain beyond the comprehension of normal humans.

A pain that would make even other E-ranks pass out.

"I might really be a masochistic princess."

I channeled mana again through my body.

Slam!

Again.

Bam!

I pushed myself up, brushed dirt from my sleeves, and grinned.

"Again."

I shot forward, this time my body blurred and I tasted bark.

Pain exploded across my ribs, but I didn't black out.

Again.

Boom!

A loud laugh escaped me.

I was almost there.

Plus...

This was exhilarating.

I was getting addicted.

Pain.

It was truly the best.

"Watch out, first years, 'cause once I'm done, you guys will be the ones weeping."

---

A/N:

So guys, how are you liking the story so far?

I know I asked this before, but since I'm planning on writing over 500 chapters of this novel, I just wanted to know how much the readers are enjoying it. I wouldn't like to diverge from the original plot or make silly mistakes.

So every twenty to thirty chapters, I'll be asking this again, and I'd really like your input.

Water7