Reborn As An Extra In My Own Novel-Chapter 39: Magic Zone

The white light dimmed as we passed through the door. I felt a tingling sensation crawl across my skin as a vast training ground came into view, constructed entirely of polished black stone, faintly glowing under the sun.

It was still midday, so the temperature was slightly warm, prompting some students, myself included, to remove our blazers.

"Eyes forward, everyone." I slung my blazer over my shoulder and turned to Neko-sensei.

"As I mentioned earlier, today we’ll be studying Zones. But first, let me give you a brief explanation of what zones are."

The class, somewhat fatigued from the heat, sat while a few squatted under the blazing sun. My white shirt clung lightly to my damp skin.

"Now, as you already know, mana is the source of all magic and can be considered the expendable energy of the universe." She paused momentarily, allowing the class to settle.

She then continued, seemingly unaffected by the heat. "But as mages, we cannot wield all the energy in existence. That’s why we channel this energy into our cores, and when a spell is ready, we release it back into the world as an expression of our talent."

"From what you said, Miss..." Jisoo asked, "Does that mean zones help us access more mana—or perhaps utilize mana more efficiently?"

Neko-sensei smiled at her observation. "Yes, you’re correct. Zones enable mages to properly use the mana stored within our cores... But," she paused, "they can be used for so much more."

Her emerald eyes glinted. "Let me demonstrate."

The class shielded their faces from the sudden gust of wind that erupted as she activated her mana. The air thickened slightly as she gestured.

She didn’t need to say much, we understood instinctively. And even if I hadn’t, clairvoyance was always partially active.

The rest of the class allowed their mana to flow freely, their eyes softly glowing.

Through the lens of clairvoyance, I could see mana particles converging—the golden light from Neko-sensei, the soft pink from Anica, and the sharp blue from Matthew.

"A rainbow," I whispered.

Neko-sensei slowly raised her hand and commanded, "Keep your eyes on me."

Most cadets were already struggling to maintain their mana control, barely able to direct it toward their vision.

Learning to use mana was one thing, but controlling it was another story.

As for me, I sucked at controlling mana. That’s why my attacks were always so flashy—not by design, but by consequence.

But with a talent like clairvoyance, this was simple.

My eyes were fixed on Neko-sensei, and from her abdomen—where her core resided—a golden light emerged, enveloping her before spreading throughout the circular training ground.

’This is...’

The world around me turned golden, as though a radiant, relentless sun had consumed reality. The outside world remained visible, but now shone with a golden hue.

Beyond natural perception, I could see faint, nearly invisible threads converging—gradually knitting themselves together to form the zone.

The hues of the cadets’ mana also carried these threads, converging at the central base of the barrier-like zone. Each time they reached that point, they dissipated—returning to gold.

"This is a Zone. Within this domain, I reign supreme. I can suppress the abilities of those with a lower rank or lesser zone affinity, and extend the range of my casting beyond my body."

Neko-sensei lifted her hand and invoked her infamous gift—Copy.

"I’ll show you a technique I call Sparks of Flame."

The cadets, myself included, waited with anticipation, it was exhilarating to witness such magic. Maybe I’d been overthinking the whole transmigration ordeal. For now, I wanted to savor this feeling.

As she activated her gift, instead of flames forming where she stood, they ignited behind us—at the far edge of the zone, and then—

"Bam!"

The explosion startled the cadets, stunning most. Only a few had followed her attack, and I was among them. The threads had moved at her signal. No one else noticed, not even the caster, but I did—I saw it all.

A faint thread extended from her hand to the edge of the zone. Once imbued with mana, the explosion triggered—not in front of her, but precisely where the thread hovered.

Ding!

[YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WEAVING HAS INCREASED]

’No way! That’s weaving.’ As if struck by sudden enlightenment, I began to notice threads forming around me, initially colorless, but after I channeled mana into them, they began to glow faintly. My eyes gleamed brighter as I felt something build up within me.

It wasn’t as large as Neko-sensei’s zone—or perhaps it was because hers was already active, but I was certain of one thing: I had created my own zone.

’Is this weaving?’ I questioned silently.

My gaze shifted to Neko-sensei, who didn’t even try to conceal her delight. She saw it too. freewёbnoνel.com

"That’s enough." She waved her hand, and the golden light vanished.

Many cadets collapsed to the ground, gasping from mana exhaustion.

"What I’ve shown you is merely the surface of what a Zone can do." She smiled, then continued. "Zones can do much more—silence your enemies, immobilize your opponents. Their potential is limited only by your imagination and understanding."

Matt, sitting beside me, mumbled, "If I had that, not only could I track my enemies, but my sword strikes would reach farther." He clenched his fist, smiling as though he’d grasped the entire concept of Zones.

’Show-off.’

Neko-sensei, noticing how eager the students were as they struggled to activate their own zones, cleared her throat with a gentle smile and said, "This is only the beginning of your journey. Train diligently. I’ll tell you—most take over two years just to comprehend the basics. Even the most gifted need at least a month."

She glanced briefly at me before continuing. "So don’t be discouraged if you don’t feel anything yet."

The students nodded in understanding, but my thoughts were still tangled around the concept of weaving, and what exactly its link to magic and the universe was.

It was a power I had never encountered before. And not only did it exist alongside this new Zone technique—it hadn’t been given to Matt, the protagonist, but to me.

I exhaled and eased my posture. ’One step at a time, Jin-sung.’ I reminded myself.

"That’s all for today." She added, "I’ve already taken time from Professor—"

As if on cue, Professor Simba burst through the door, shouting, "My students, Elizabeth... Hand over my students!"

"What do you mean your students, Simba? They were enjoying my class," Neko-sensei retorted.

"Haaa!" he groaned. "This is exactly why I can’t stand theory teachers and you wave-controlling types without muscles."

"Hey, Professor! We were enjoying the class. Now we have to endure your brutal training," someone grumbled bitterly.

"Who said that? Twenty push-ups!" Seeing Neko-sensei laugh, he added, spotting Leo trying to sneak away, "Don’t think you can escape, Leo, and Ella too. You two are birds of a feather."

Ella, Leo’s best friend, nearly smacked his bald head again but restrained herself. "Sir, Leo said he’ll do them for both of us."

"No, I didn’t—" He tried to protest, but Ella’s sharp gaze silenced him.

"Yes, ma’am," he finally muttered.

"Wha’cha you thinking about?" Hari, standing in front of me, asked.

Rising slowly from the ground, I replied, "Nothing much."

I felt someone tug on my sleeve as the figure stepped in front. "I hate Mondays. Carry me, Kai. I want to sleep."

"Anica, I don’t think you should be napping in class," Matthew commented.

I glanced at Matthew, then at the professor. "I doubt Professor Simba will even let her attend."

As if to affirm my words, the professor announced, "Today’s class is combat, though not your usual team vs. team matches. It’s a battle royale. The last team standing, even if it’s one person—wins."

The entire class turned to Anica.

No one said a word, until Leo, still mid-push-ups, voiced what we all thought. "Shitty professor. How is that even fair?"

Professor Simba’s face contorted. "A hundred more, Adams."

"No!!!" Leo screamed.

The next class was combat training—and the perfect opportunity to test both my combat suit and my Zone.