“Is this really… possible?”

I rubbed my fingertips together.

As some of my skin came off, tiny crumbs of sand fell.

“Were all those comments actually true?”

My mind snapped awake.

I carefully reread the comments. I paid particular attention to the parts describing how to awaken the Earth-element magic I had chosen, reading them over and over.

[The foundation of magical practice is to cultivate a god within your body.]
[To nurture a god, you must stay close to nature. The god dwells in all things.]
[The best method is to ingest it directly into your body.]
[If you want the earth element, eat earth every day.]
[If you continue this practice for more than 15 days, the god begins to dwell within you, and your body’s energy starts to change.]
[After 21 days, your body will be fully transformed, and you will no longer need human food. But you must not neglect your earth intake.]
[After 30 days, the god will fully settle in your body. At that moment, you will cease to be human and enter the path of a mage.]
[This choice cannot be reversed. If you wish to quit, the last day is the 15th.]
[If you quit midway, the god fused with your body collapses, and your body collapses with it. Death is inevitable.]

“Damn… so the part about dying is real too, huh?”

I shivered with fear.

By my count, today was exactly the 15th day.

The last chance to turn back, as the magic villain had said.

Should I quit, or keep going?

There was no question about it.

“Why stay human? Being a mage sounds amazing.”

Without hesitation, I shoveled earth into my mouth.

No more tricks like mud cookies or mixing it in water.

From that day forward, I started eating earth seriously.

A mage. A profession even rarer among hunters.

In Korea, there were only four, and all of them were above A-rank.

When measuring national strength, mages were prioritized above all.

Now, I was going to become one of them. If eating only earth could make me a mage, I could endure anything.

“Actually, if I’m going to be a mage… I need to become a stronger mage.”

I didn’t just eat earth anymore.

Every dawn, I went to the black tower rising in the middle of the city.

I scooped sand nearby with a shovel—morning sand untouched by anyone’s footsteps.

Eating earth raw was hard, so I chose sand.

“Since it’s near the tower, there might be something a bit more magical.”

At mealtime, I poured a bowl of sand into a rice bowl and lifted the spoon slowly.

No side dishes or water needed.

The sound of teeth crunching against stone was fierce, but I didn’t care.

It was okay—once I became a mage, dental implants would be nothing.

[For beginner mages, meditation is recommended. Meditation is the process of feeling your inner god. Cultivate your inner god.]

I stopped browsing forums in my free time and devoted every moment to meditation.

At first, even sitting for five minutes was a struggle.

“If I can endure this… I’ll become a mage… a really strong mage…”

I repeated self-hypnosis, clenching my teeth.

It worked. At first, I could only meditate for five minutes before needing a one-hour break browsing forums.

By the end of the week, I could meditate for one uninterrupted hour.

On the 30th day, I could meditate for eight straight hours.

I took a deep breath in, then exhaled.

My mind was strangely calm.

The midnight alarm couldn’t disturb my peace.

I took a final deep breath on the 30th day.

The air in the room filled my lungs like it was endless.

And then, it happened. My body began to emit light.

[Day 31. The flesh is reborn to suit the vessel of a god. Congratulations, you are now a mage.]

“Huh…?”

I opened my eyes slowly, feeling my loosened clothes.

I noticed my strange new voice, small hands and feet, long hair, and the gentle rise of my chest.

“What the hell…”

And just like that, I became the fifth mage in Korea.

A girl.

“What is happening…”

I clutched my head. Looking in the mirror, I saw a girl with an awkward expression.

Long black hair. Deep dark circles. An oversized t-shirt hanging off my body.

“Denial won’t help, right?”

Yes, this was my current appearance.

No matter how many times I touched myself, it still didn’t feel real.

“So this is what they meant by the most suitable body for a god…”

I instantly regretted it. Had I known my gender would change, I might have been more cautious. They even said it was permanent.

“No, maybe not. High-level mages can change their bodies at will… maybe they can even change gender back.”

Alright. Then my first goal would be to become a high-level mage.

I had never heard of a mage who changed gender, so I wasn’t sure it was even possible.

“Anyway, I need to enter the tower. That’s why I became a mage in the first place.”

There was no choice. Why had I spent 30 days eating earth?

It wasn’t to eat well or live comfortably—it was to become a mage.

The only problem now was the soul of a forum-addicted person boiling inside me.

“Ah… if I post this now, it’ll definitely go viral for a year.”

Though I wasn’t the type to post, the internet was full of crazies.

The chances of my identity being exposed through a careless post were high.

“But doing nothing isn’t an option… let’s test the waters first.”

I couldn’t resist. My fingers reflexively unlocked my phone and opened the forum app.

[Title: Hoonbung has awakened as a mage ㅁㅌㅊ?]
[‘Magic’ is a blocked word.]

“Blocked words, really? Damn it.”

The magic villain—Mavil—had endured this humiliation? All that time? As a fellow mage, that was almost unbearable.

I resisted the urge to ‘normalize’ the forum again.

“Phew, stay calm.”

Without the meditation skills I developed over 15 days, I couldn’t have held back.

I took a deep breath and wrote again.

[Title: Hoonbung has awakened as a ma123ge?]

Hoonbung, who used to scratch his belly at home… has awakened as a ma123ge. Now what?

“No one’s reading it. Damn.”

Not a single comment, only 2 views.

Was it too trolling?

I began thinking of more attention-grabbing posts.

Then a comment notification appeared.

ㄴMagic is open to all. Cleanse your body and face yourself, and the door will open. To start, eat earth for 30 days… (Read more)

“Ah, you bastard. Nice to see you.”

I was genuinely happy. I could call him my benefactor—he was practically the one who made me a mage.

I immediately replied.

ㄴI followed your instructions and really awakened as a mage. Who are you?

I waited. 1 minute… 5 minutes… 10 minutes…

Hoping no one else would see it first.

Especially hoping Mavil would reply before any moderator deleted my post.

Soon, a reply came.

ㄴWhat? Someone actually tried it?
ㄴI didn’t post it for you to copy.
ㄴUh… yeah, it’s correct, but I didn’t expect anyone to actually do it.
ㄴAnyway, I became a mage. Who are you?
ㄴI can’t say here… Come to this link. Delete this post.

Mavil gave me a link and password and quickly deleted all comments.

I followed his instructions, deleted all my posts, and accessed the site.

It looked like a forum I often used, but slightly different.

[Mage Forum]
[Forum intro: A meeting place for mages.]

[Restricted access]
[Password:]

“Ah, like a hidden forum. Got it.”

I entered the password Mavil gave me, and the real forum appeared before my eyes.

[Title: Fridge, the magic combo you told me yesterday worked really well, how did you do it?]
Author: Magic Firepower
(A distorted, enlarged face sketch)
Did you trick your sister?

ㄴFridge: Ah, if you follow it, it works better.
ㄴp-kat-ju: Would he tell you for free?
ㄴFridge: I’m not lying like you.

“Are these… really the Korean mages? Only four exist?”

It seemed I had been invited to an incredible place.

Reading the posts, I tried to gauge the atmosphere.

“Hmm… just a normal private forum.”

A private forum. With so few users, things stagnated.

All members knew each other well, and even anonymous nicknames were easily identified.

“Can I even fit in here?”

With only four users, the forum was full of insider jargon.

Even I, addicted to forums, didn’t understand many words.

“No choice. Go straight in.”