episode_0024

Was it much more exhausting than I thought? When I barely opened my heavy eyes, the sun was already shining brightly outside.

“Thank goodness there’s no morning class today.”

Even after a deep sleep, drinking cold water helped clear my mind a bit despite my still sore body.

Hastily checking under the bed, the old pouch and elixir were thankfully still there.

Unable to control my trembling heart, as I opened the old pouch, inside was a jewel shining brightly in pink.

How much I struggled to bring this here.

Injured by a magic trap, broke my arm trying to break through the barrier with maximum sword output, got caught by Headmistress Iris, but she overlooked me through various trials and tribulations.

“Come to think of it, why didn’t she expel me?”

In the game, if caught raiding the warehouse by Iris, it was an inevitable Game Over with a message.

Let’s focus on the gem in front of me for now.

Upon grabbing the gem, simple information came in.

【Stat Crystal】

【Grade Indeterminable】

【When consumed, allows the user to adjust their stats. Other functions are not displayed.】

This gem is not as weighty an item as most seasoned users would say, “Did such a thing exist?”

Since opportunities to access the Academy warehouse are extremely rare, one usually doesn’t have the luxury to pick up or examine this amidst better items in the warehouse.

This is commonly referred to as a stat crystal, formally known as Stat Crystal.

Its effects are simpler than expected since its main role is to assist in adjusting stats.

Despite trying various methods after using it, I couldn’t figure out what else it could do.

Perhaps the unlocking conditions are very stringent, which is why I couldn’t discern its full potential.

The problem is that I have to consume this stat crystal, whereas in the game, it was automatically taken, but now I have to… eat it myself.

It seemed burdensome to consume it raw, so I briefly considered breaking it before eating, but that idea was rejected due to the risk of nullifying the item’s effects.

Ultimately, after taking a deep breath, I put the gem in my mouth and swallowed it with a gulp.

Struggling as it got stuck in my throat, I managed to swallow it down after drinking some water.

【’Stat Crystal’ Consumption Complete】

【Allows adjustment of stats.】

【… Not displayed.】

Fortunately, as I literally consumed the gem, the same message appeared before my eyes as it did in the game.

[Yukal – Lv.10]

Strength: 15(-14) Agility: 15(-14)

Health: 15(-14) Magic: 15(-14)

Remaining Points: 2

Traits: Adaptability, Extrasensory Perception

Skills: Meditation Lv.5, Swordsmanship Lv.4, Pyromancy Lv.1

Items: Stat Crystal (Bound, partially applied)

Unique Abilities: Equilibrium, Blade Mastery

Checking the status window, I could see that the item had taken its place properly.

Now, I invested the remaining points and closed my eyes slowly.

“Make all the stats in my body equal.”

Internally praying, along with a faint humming sound within my body, I felt a sensation of transformation.

Finally, as in my first awakening of magic during the Elemental Magic class, an overwhelming vigor began emanating from my body.

This cool and sturdy sensation. How long has it been since I felt this?

Despite feeling like my body was burdened with chains and Iris casting healing spells, the discomfort that plagued me seemed to vanish, replaced by a sense that I could wield a sword all day long.

With a heart full of anticipation, I waited for a while, but since no notification popped up, it seems that this is not a loophole.

Finally, I succeeded in overcoming the penalty.

[Yukal – Lv.10]

Strength: 15(+15) Agility: 15(+15)

Health: 15(+15) Mana: 15(+15)

Traits: Adaptability, Hyper-sensitivity

Skills: Meditation Lv.5, Swordsmanship Lv.4, Pyrokinesis Lv.1

Items: Stat Crystal(Bound, partially applied)

Unique Abilities: Equilibrium, Swordsmanship

Checking the status window, it appeared that all stats, which had been reduced due to the unique ability ‘Equilibrium’ penalty, had doubled.

Decimal points were not displayed as in the game.

If someone uploaded a screenshot showing an initial stat of 30 at the beginning of the academy, users would accuse them of cheating.

Feeling regretful that I couldn’t communicate with users who loved Sangyong as much as I did, I let go of regrets about the irreversible past and focused on what needed to be done now.

With my enhanced physical specs, my hyper-sensitivity must have significantly increased as well. Traits evolve along with physical abilities rather than being fixed.

As I closed my eyes and delved into meditation again, the amount of information flooding my mind when using hyper-sensitivity felt vastly different from before.

As my abilities surged momentarily, I began to feel a headache from the noises coming from all directions that I couldn’t control properly yet.

As I gradually adapted, the noises began to subside. It seemed that by maximizing activation without proper control, I was trying to gather all information within range.

After experimenting slowly, the momentary maximum detection range had dramatically expanded beyond the entire boys’ dormitory where I was currently located.

I could even sense a student rushing out of the dormitory for being late to class.

Of course, widening the range so much might make detailed detection difficult, so I probably wouldn’t do that.

More than that, as I continued to filter out unnecessary information and maintain detection, I noticed something strange.

“The Syniria Black Moon organization members who have been watching me all this time are nowhere to be seen?”

Even with my previous modest specs, if I concentrated as much as possible with hyper-sensitivity, I could barely detect seven pairs of eyes, so not detecting a single one now didn’t make sense.

It’s highly likely they are far away enough not to be detected by me right now.

“Did they retreat briefly to regroup after yesterday’s commotion?”

Suddenly, I recalled what Iris had said during our meeting yesterday.

“I also have something urgent to do right now, so I need to hurry.” She definitely said something like that.

If what she urgently needed to do was to eradicate the Syniria Black Moon organization members, would I have unfolded such a large-scale protective barrier just for that?

It didn’t take long for my anxious thoughts to align with reality.

By the words Claire handed over while looking in my direction from the adjacent seat.

“Hey Yukal, did you hear that noise last night? It was so loud at night. I was about to go out to see what was happening, but the professors stopped me. They said there was a malfunction in the emergency alert system at Ardente Academy.”

“Why didn’t the professors or dorm supervisors explain it like that when I entered?”

“Oh, and they also said not to approach the northern forest outside the academy. All the ambient mana has evaporated due to an unidentified incident, making it dangerous. It should recover in about a week, so it’s off-limits until then.”

Keeping her bewildered emotions in check, he asked Claire slowly,

“Did the professors say anything else besides that? For example, did anyone invade the academy or was there any other disturbance apart from what you mentioned?”

“Hmm. They didn’t mention anything like that separately.”

‘They must have triggered that to catch them for real. It happened to be the day they raided the academy’s warehouse, which Iris detected.’

With the news that all the magic power in the northern forest had evaporated, it became an established fact that Iris had clashed with the Black Moon organization members.

If it was the Black Moon Guild, acquiring a mass-destruction magical weapon wouldn’t have been difficult. If all the mana in the area had disappeared, it was undoubtedly used for that purpose.

Given the threatening elements monitoring me, including the headmaster and the professors from the Department of Magic, it is likely that they were prepared for it.

The problem is why Iris tried to annihilate the Black Moon organization members by deploying a large-scale protective barrier and why she did not inform anyone about the fact that there were intruders at the Ardent Academy.

As a Grand Magus, she could have easily captured or killed the Black Moon organization members without forcibly deploying such a barrier.

Even though Yucal had resolved the penalty of the unresolved mystery, his head still hurt.