Ch.175174. Time Without Her (1)

# 174. The Time Without Her (1)

After seeing her off, I headed to the academy alone, carrying a bittersweet feeling in my heart.

The academy was still filled with many people.

But even being in the same space with them, even talking with them, that feeling of emptiness wouldn’t disappear.

“This… seems like it’s going to be surprisingly difficult.”

I felt embarrassed about my arrogant thought from not long ago that ‘I could handle that much.’

Especially since I was already in this state before the first day had even passed.

Certainly, you never truly understand anything until you experience it firsthand.

“I hope this passes quickly…”

But looking at my current pathetic state, that wish seemed unlikely to come true.

Even now, one minute felt like an hour, and one hour felt like a week.

Still, I spent each day with a sense of resignation.

The first day or two were fine.

After all, it was only a day or two.

But after a week, a month, and then a semester had passed, I started to miss her like crazy.

“Ah… when will she have time?”

I deeply regretted not going to see her during the break, having stubbornly decided to try enduring without seeing her.

I lamented my situation in front of Aelin, who had grown quite pretty compared to last year.

“Really… I think I’m going crazy…”

“You’re already crazy, so what’s new?”

“I’m not joking, I seriously think I’m developing a mental illness…”

“What… like withdrawal symptoms or something?”

“Probably…?”

Though not as severe as when she had died before, it was true that the feeling was similar, so “withdrawal symptoms” was an apt description.

I am an addict.

An addict hooked on her love.

And it seemed to be quite a severe case.

“Should I go to a hospital or something…?”

“What are you talking about… Stop exaggerating. Why would you need a hospital just because you miss someone?”

“I’m telling you, it’s not just ‘missing someone’!”

When I said that, Aelin responded with an incredulous look.

“Weren’t you the one saying things like ‘It won’t be a big deal anyway’ back then? And now you’re saying this?”

“That… it wasn’t something I could adapt to…”

“You endured for hundreds of years before, and now you can’t handle a few years?”

“I’m telling you, I wasn’t enduring back then!”

Back then, I wasn’t enduring—I was searching.

For a way to see her again…

But now was different, and I just had to wait endlessly.

As I spent each day like this, I even had absurd thoughts.

“What do you think about me just dropping out?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Didn’t you say you wanted to join the Special Forces?”

“I know the people who recruit for that… if I just parachute in…”

I could probably make it happen.

But I’d be criticized from all sides.

By the public and by hunters who worked hard to join the Special Forces.

Of course, I didn’t care about that, but Aelin thought differently.

“Sigh… You’d be better off saying you’re giving up on the Special Forces altogether. That would make more sense.”

“Should I give up? Honestly, I just want to be by her side…”

“You’ve already committed to this, so just endure a bit. Why are you making such a big deal?”

“I’m telling you, I’ve lost my world!”

Though I was exaggerating a bit, that was the level of my feelings if I had to make a comparison.

Aelin responded coldly to my metaphor.

“What are you saying… So you’ll get your world back in about two years?”

“Something like that.”

“Sigh… You were doing fine and suddenly you’re having a tantrum.”

“How dare you call it a tantrum? You brat.”

“Shut up and focus on preparing for your exams. Though you’re probably already set to graduate as valedictorian.”

Given the academy’s focus on practical skills for grading, it was inevitable that I would be the top student.

And since I was also well-versed in theory, being valedictorian was practically guaranteed.

However, there were still some variables.

“Still, with Luna unni around, you need to make sure she doesn’t catch up.”

As Aelin said, Luna was the only variable.

She was right behind me in practical skills, and even better than me in theory.

She even had expert-level knowledge of the Kainis Empire’s history, despite it not being her own country.

“Of course I’ll do that… Graduating as valedictorian from the Imperial Academy opens all doors.”

“If you know that, why are you talking about dropping out? Are you having a tantrum?”

“I was just saying it because it’s hard. Just venting.”

“Why to me…”

“I can’t say it to the others, can I? I’m already keeping my distance from them.”

In a situation where I was already maintaining maximum distance, bringing up such topics would undo all my efforts.

But Aelin seemed to be thinking about the other students.

“You don’t have to tell the girls, just tell those two guys. Or…”

“Or what? Your boyfriend? No thanks. And Chris and Raicle are so busy these days they don’t have time to hang out like this.”

Startled by my words, Aelin blushed and strongly denied it.

“He’s not my boyfriend!!”

“Still not? You two looked cozy last time, going on a date and all.”

“H-how do you know about that!?”

Her expression of genuine surprise made me laugh.

Apparently, Aelin hadn’t even considered that I might know about it.

I avoided her gaze as I spoke.

“Who knows? I can’t tell you that.”

“Who told you!? I swear if I find out…!”

“What would you do if you knew? Just shut up and go back to studying. Stop being noisy in the library.”

After my scolding, Aelin became sullen and muttered in a low voice.

“You’re the one who started chatting first…”

“Well, I’m leaving. Good luck.”

“Where are you going?”

“Where do you think?”

With that final question, I left the library and headed to clear a dungeon, as I did every day without fail.

And as always, the teacher guarding the place welcomed me.

“You seem to be coming alone a lot lately. Did something happen?”

“Something did happen.”

The teacher seemed to find it strange that I was visiting alone, unlike before.

I answered with a tone suggesting it wasn’t a big deal.

“But it’s nothing special. I just have something I want to keep hidden.”

“Hidden? Ah… you mean that skill?”

The teacher must have seen me clearing dungeons occasionally, as they already knew about it.

“Yes, you know. Please don’t tell anyone else about it.”

“Of course, I was planning not to anyway.”

“Thank you, and please give me an A-low grade dungeon.”

“A-low… You’re the first student to challenge that alone.”

“The lowest grade was easy.”

Of course, from A-grade upward, the difficulty increases exponentially with each level.

But even considering that, I thought I could handle up to the low grade.

Typically, B-highest grade and above were beyond students’ capabilities, but my skills were never at a student level to begin with.

“You’re really… becoming insanely strong… reminds me of someone…”

“Who?”

“The current Emperor. He was my classmate. You’re very similar to His Majesty back then.”

“That’s a bit insulting to my pride.”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

Ignoring his reaction, I changed the subject.

“Can I go now?”

“Yes…”

“Then watch carefully from here. I’ll show you a student clearing an A-low dungeon.”

After making that confident declaration, I walked toward the dungeon as if to prove myself.

‘A-low grade…’

Since it was a difficulty level I had never challenged before, I felt a bit scared.

Standing in front of the dungeon, I thought:

‘If noona were here with me, I wouldn’t be this nervous…’

Still, not receiving any help would be better for my growth.

I rationalized this as I entered.

“This is definitely different.”

There was no difference in appearance.

But the amount of magical energy filling the place was incomparable to A-lowest grade dungeons.

Of course, having experienced this level quite a bit before, I wasn’t particularly surprised.

I summoned my sword and walked toward where I sensed the magical energy.

-Grooowl!-

Monsters appeared, but these monsters had human forms.

As expected, humanoid monsters had appeared.

From A-low grade, humanoid monsters start appearing frequently.

Such monsters use weapons like real humans and can use skills.

Because of this, they are incomparably trickier than ordinary monsters.

Of course, there aren’t as many of them in return.

“They really do look like humans no matter how many times I see them…”

I activated my skills against the monster rushing madly toward me.

Then I charged at them just as they did to me, swinging my sword at the first monster that reached me.

-Clang!!-

It blocked my sword strike, and our blades collided.

Since I had summoned a greatsword, I naturally had the advantage in strength, and I used that difference to press down on the monsters.

In this way, though it took some time, I meticulously took them down one by one.

Since the Abyss didn’t work on them, I had no choice.

‘They just dodge…’

Moreover, there were even monsters that could overpower me despite my greatsword.

The higher difficulty meant I couldn’t let my guard down for a moment.

“Haa… haa…”

As a result of that concentration.

I made it to the boss battle without major injuries, but my stamina was almost depleted.

My mana was also running dangerously low.

“This… looks a bit dangerous…”

The moment I realized this, as if on cue, the final monster of this dungeon revealed itself.

A physique that could hardly be called human, magical energy reminiscent of a mage.

And a man with an imposing presence no less than that of a renowned warrior.

“Looks scary…”

The giant approaching me step by step.

I looked at the giant.

Then I used [Transcendence], which had become quite useful recently.