episode_0031

The situation was sorted out with a surprise magic strike (enhancement) spell.

One of the remaining 7th-rank creatures had its arm cut off by the strike, and another had its throat slashed.

Below, the 8th-rank Nokgui, who didn’t have much time left, quickly regained his composure with Attila and Nam Yeon-jung.

Everyone seemed to want to ask something, but they all held back their words at Attila’s suggestion to rest once they reached the base.

I couldn’t help but feel bitter as I gathered Nokgui’s ear for evidence and picked up various useful items that the Nokguis had collected in the mess.

Especially impressive was Elia’s nonchalant expression, covered in the aftermath of the strike and dust, right next to me.

…I should apologize when we get to the base.

Amidst the strange atmosphere, on our way back, we collected magic grasses one after another. In fact, there were a huge number of them, as they were essentially just weeds imbued with magic.

Thanks to that, I was able to meet my magic grass quota on the way back.

“Hey, Yul! What was that just now?”

As we arrived at the base, everyone dusted themselves off and sat down around the egg-shaped heat-emitting magic device.

Elia was the first to speak, wiping away all the dust to reveal her pretty face, she spoke with an excited expression.

“It’s supposed to be the lowest grade… Where do you see it as the lowest grade?”

“I wanted to say the same thing.”

Even Attila, looking tired, interjected from the side. It seemed he was a bit exhausted after killing the Nokguis to relieve stress.

“I thought it wouldn’t matter much if it was the lowest grade, but I was shocked when it suddenly appeared.”

Nam Yeon-jung, who was quietly checking the state of the window, also nodded silently. She remembered how calm she had been when the strike came flying, and then how she had panicked.

[I’m sorry. I didn’t expect it to come out like that either.]

Though the words were polite, the content itself meant that if we had been hit, it could have been a big problem.

I couldn’t dare to argue and quietly bowed my head. I was also surprised and scared, but how surprised must Attila and Nam Yeon-jung have been when the strike flew nearby.

“It’s okay. The path was completely different… But I couldn’t help being surprised because I didn’t receive any prior notice.”

At Attila’s reaction of shivering and patting my arm, my shoulders slumped even more.

Of course, I had calculated the path. No matter how low-level the magic was, it was still an attack, and I wasn’t the kind of crazy person who would strike a fellow member with it.

The problem was, I had no idea that such power would come out. I was terrified by the blow, which was more powerful than I had imagined.

If that had hit Attila or Namyeon, of course, they both used strong body techniques and were wearing strong armor, so they wouldn’t have suffered serious injuries, but it would still have been dizzying.

If it had actually hit and that had been taken into account for evaluation… my grades would have plummeted.

A chill ran down my spine. It could have been a situation where my grades slipped. My shoulders trembled.

I had been studying theory lectures so hard… and now, I was listening to them as if my life depended on it, fearing that I might be expelled…

[It’s just an excuse, but it wasn’t that powerful when I used it yesterday.]

“It changed in just one day?”

Elia, who had pretended to be annoyed, flipped her hair and smirked. Elia also had knowledge of magic, so was it strange for her?

“Magic impact, right? Did you perhaps modify the spell pattern?”

[No, I cast it according to the official spell pattern.]

“Then why? Is there a reason for the power to increase like that?”

I couldn’t say anything to Elia, who was smirking. I was too preoccupied with that thought at the moment.

“Now! Let’s start by eating. Thanks to Hayul, we’ve fulfilled all the conditions, right?”

As the conversation became uncertain, Attila turned the topic.

Arrival at Point A and securing the marker.

Normally, it would have taken time to find the marker, but I found it at once, saving time.

Subjugation of Green Goblin.

It was a 4th-grade dungeon, the lowest grade, but it wasn’t small enough to be ignored. It would have taken time to find the Green Goblin’s lair, but I had spatial perception and luck, so I quickly found and subjugated it.

Magic ore collection, finished the easiest. I collected all of it on the way back after clearing the lair.

When I checked the time, it was just about time to have dinner. The sunlight that had been brightening the ground had disappeared, and the orange glow of the heating magic circle in the center stood out.

We all gathered around the center and had dinner.

“…It’s tastier than I thought.”

“It’s not as good as eating outside, though.”

Dinner was simple. If you had to categorize it, it would be classified as combat rations.

Looking at it, the meal wasn’t that bad. I’ve never been in the military, so I don’t know for sure, but at least it wasn’t something that was so bad you’d refuse to eat it.

As Elia took a spoonful of pound cake, Attila, who was heating up the combat rations, chuckled as she evaluated Elia’s subtle expression.

She said she had experience clearing dungeons at the academy, so it seems she’s quite familiar with these combat rations.

“I felt the same way at first. It’s not as inedible as I vaguely imagined… but I don’t really want to eat it.”

“I find it too salty.”

“What do you expect from someone with a bland palate? You’ll eat anything given to you.”

Aiden, who was also criticizing the combat rations next to me, grumbled.

I may not have military knowledge, but I do know that rations for combat are generally long-lasting and high in calories.

Moreover, combat rations for superhumans who easily consume several times more energy than ordinary people are even higher in calories.

Thanks to that, they seem to be too salty. I glanced at Elia, who was oddly slow in eating, and took a bite of the pound cake at a strangely slow pace.

…

“How’s the taste, Hayul?”

[It’s tasteless.]

Elia seemed to agree with my answer as she nodded slightly.

We had dinner in a fairly harmonious atmosphere.

“Attila, your aura color is unique, isn’t it? Normally it’s blue, and I’m also blue.”

“I’ve been red since my first manifestation. Maybe it’s because of my unique ability or something.”

The highly sociable Elia was conversing with Attila without realizing it. Attila was actively engaging in conversation with Elia, not seeming burdened at all.

“Think about the length. Generally, if a sword and a spear were to fight, it’s obvious that the spear has the advantage.”

“What does the length matter to a superhuman? Oh, it’s just a distance to fold. It’s actually easier to handle a shorter sword because it’s easier to use.”

“It doesn’t seem like you have anything to say about the last time you lost…”

“Shut up.”

Nam Yeon-jung and Aidan were debating who was superior between spear and sword. I’ve seen that on the internet before. It’s about the argument of whether a spear or a sword is stronger.

On Earth, the conclusion was ‘the spear is better,’ but it might be different here.

It might seem like I’m being left out because they’re pairing up for conversations, but I still occasionally participated in the conversation.

Even though my participation rate was low, I was quietly eating pound cake and munching on a chocolate bar.

“…Can I ask Hayul something?”

At that moment, Attila spoke to me. After a brief pause in the conversation with Elia, he glanced over a few times and asked.

[Yes?]

“Special admission. Honestly, I was a little curious about it.”

I became interested in the term “special admission.” When I tilted my head, Attila scratched his head for a moment.

“It’s not that I’m specifically curious about something, I’m just curious about how it happened. To be precise… I wonder about the selection process…”

“Exactly.”

Attila smiled as if he had everything figured out. Nam Yeon-jung, who was extolling the greatness of the spear, interjected from the side.

“It’s not like taking an exam for regular admission, and it’s not like presenting your potential in front of the professors for recommended admission. I heard that they were solely selected under the will of the president… but the process hasn’t been disclosed.”

At the end of Nam Yeon-jung’s words, curiosity could be felt in his gaze. The others seemed to feel the same way. They pretended not to, but it seemed like everyone was curious about the selection process for special admission.

[I don’t know either.]

“You don’t know?”

[No]

But I didn’t have anything else to say.

“Just, someone suddenly came and informed us, and that’s all.”

Actually, I don’t know either. I did receive the Siyolam admission package, but admission had already been confirmed before that.

However, I don’t have any memories before that. In the original, it starts inside Siyolam.

Also, I thought special admission was a device prepared for the smooth play of the player, and I didn’t think there was anything special about it.

“…Informed?”

The eyes of Nam Yeon-joong blinked as if he had heard something strange. Others who were listening from the side were the same.

I took another bite of my chocolate bar and got lost in thought.

‘Special admission…’

One of the admission systems established by Nerielle Cladia, the Tower Lord of Growth’s, Siyolam… but in the original work, it’s just a convenience for the player.

A kind of MacGuffin. Even as the main story progresses, detailed settings about special admissions remain unresolved.

Special admission students… the principal who selected the player was the same.

No matter how much I continued the main story, the principal did not show his face.

Even amidst the world falling apart in several episodes, the Tower Lord of Growth did not appear. Even when Siyolam was attacked in the 11th episode, it was the same then.

‘……’

Come to think of it, that’s not all.

Even as their cradle was being destroyed, the Tower Lord of Growth did not appear.

In the episode where the association was being destroyed, neither the Tower Lord of Harmony nor the Tower Lord of Space appeared.

The Tower Lord of Observation and another hidden Tower Lord were the same.

Even as what they had built was falling apart, they did not reveal themselves.

Tower of Growth.

Tower of Harmony.

Tower of Space.

Tower of Observation.

And now, a tower that is hidden.

The lords of these ‘five towers.’ The main actors who put an end to the chaotic era of the past and maintain the system of the current world.

“I don’t know anything properly.”

It’s frustrating. What does the business of some other world have to do with me when I have to worry about making a living tomorrow?

My head was spinning.

I sighed softly and took another bite of the chocolate bar.

It’s quite edible as I reminisce about old memories.

Lowest-level magic

“Magic Piercing”

– Kwaggeuk!

A gust of wind blew, and leaves fluttered on the wind. The shot pierced through a large boulder without mercy. Then it stuck into the ground, leaving quite a deep scar on the ground.

After dinner, I was experimenting with magic in a place not far from the base. The conditions were already met, and there was plenty of time.

“…What the heck.”

I looked at the rock with a puzzled face. The split surface of the rock was quite clean.

“The power has increased.”

The magnitude of the magic bombardment I tried over the weekend is roughly below 0.3. Think of a size smaller than my waist.

And just now, the magic bombardment cast in the bulwark was about 2.5 or less.

Simply put, it exceeded twice my height in length and was extremely thick. Not only has the size changed, but the power has also increased.

The current magic bombardment… below 1? It weakened compared to the bulwark, but it’s clearly stronger than the weekend’s bombardment.

Even with the same magic, the power of the magic varies depending on the caster’s skill. It’s a natural fact.

There’s no way a high-level mage’s fireball and an apprentice mage’s fireball would be the same.

“Ha…”

Can I apply that to the current situation? It’s the same person casting the spell, right? Without any increase in skill level, the power increased on its own after just a day or two?

There must be a reason. Since there’s a result, there must be a cause. But the problem is, I don’t know that cause.

“Ugh…”

My head hurts…

I grasped my head as it throbbed.

“Spacial perception?”

Upon entering the dungeon, my spatial perception has grown. Not only has the area expanded almost several times, but the information analysis has also become more precise.

Does that affect magic? By what principle? Enough to make the magic’s power soar like this?

“Ahem…”

As I moaned while wrapping my head, the sound of a dry cough was heard. Because of the fairly quiet forest, the sound felt quite loud.

I turned at the sudden cough.

A little distance away, Aiden was looking in this direction with a hesitant expression.

Even though I can sense the surrounding situation to some extent, Aiden stuck close to me as a precaution for any unforeseen circumstances.

In the first place, in a place like this, it’s natural to move in pairs at least.

Aiden, who had been showing a somewhat awkward and hesitant attitude since we met at the café.

Even in the dungeon, he occasionally spoke to me and then shut up.

When I got up from my seat to conduct a magic experiment, I expected him to have something to say when he voluntarily followed me.

“I… have something to say.”

The conversation began with a tense expression. When I nodded for him to speak, Aiden spoke with a determined look on his face.

“During the last practice, I was truly sorry.”

“?”

Suddenly?

This was an unexpected statement. My head tilted to the side.

“I’ve always been quick-tempered and short-sighted… No, I’m sorry. That was an excuse.”

He abruptly stopped speaking well and, with a grimace, Aiden bowed his head suddenly.

“I rashly challenged you out of petty jealousy, without considering how it might affect Yi Hayul or how the challenge would come across.”

I’m truly sorry.

As I bowed my head in apology, I felt perplexed by the sudden apology and even more perplexed by the fact that he felt the need to apologize.

After lightly tapping Aiden’s shoulder as he bent over at a right angle, I tapped my smartwatch.

[It’s okay. There was no need to apologize in the first place.]

During the challenge, Aiden seemed uncomfortable, but was this the right thing to do? I remember having doubts about myself.

If there had been clear malice, it would have been different. But such behavior was nothing.

I repeatedly encouraged Aiden, who kept bowing his head, and we continued walking towards the base.

Aiden blinked his eyes a few times and cautiously took the lead.

– Rustle, rustle

The sunlight disappeared as we crossed through the dark forest. As I absentmindedly moved my legs, Aiden’s words came to mind.

– Blinded by petty jealousy…

Jealousy… an emotion of envy towards others.

‘……’

I somewhat understood Aiden’s feelings. I also know the feeling of jealousy well.

When I wonder why I live like this while that person lives so well.

What did I do wrong to be in this mess, and why is that guy doing so well?

How miserable the feeling of jealousy becomes when it intensifies.

I know it all too well.