Chapter 10: You Started It – 1

Three days is a shorter time than one might think.

Even when there’s nothing to do, time flies by in the blink of an eye.

And if there’s more to do, time passes even faster.

Of course, the flow of time is fair.

So, I was no exception.

I dedicated myself to training so much that it was confusing whether I was training to survive the past three days or surviving to train.

Thanks to that, time flew by quickly.

Before I knew it, the start of the semester was approaching.

I have started the new semester.

Suddenly, before my possession, memories of when I attended university on Earth came to mind.

It was a university student community that flipped periodically during the start of the semester or exam season.

‘If I’m reading this right, time passed really quickly. Isn’t there a community like Eden’s Bamboo Forest for people who want to discuss life?’

If not, I should take the opportunity to create one later.

With that thought in mind, I opened my status window after a long time.

[Seong Yujin]

Gender – Male

Age – 20

<Status>

Stat Points: 21

Strength: 27

Mana: 35

Mental Power: 21

<Skills> Boundary Magic (EX), Body Enhancement (C), Mana Circulation(C), Gungnir (S), Rune Magic (E)

<Mystic Abilities> Sovereignty of Another World (EX), Golden Rune (S)

‘Wow, what’s all this?’

My status, which I checked after a long time, had changed drastically.

Unlike before when even the highest stat, Mana, was only 15, now all stats exceeded 20.

Mental Power barely exceeded 20.

Strength was close to 30, and Mana had risen to 35.

‘But why did my skills and mystic abilities increase?’

A new skill, Rune Magic, and a mystic ability called the Golden Rune had been added.

I wondered what effects they had.

However, the thought didn’t last long because I could check the descriptions of skills and mysteries in the status window.

[Gungnir (S)]

• Odin’s spear, the ultimate spear that pierces through targets without fail. Refuses to be wielded by anyone other than its owner. When thrown, it pierces through the target and returns to the owner’s hand.

[Golden Rune (S)]

• Essence of Gungnir and extracted fragments of mystery.
• Increases proficiency in runes. Can be used in conjunction with the skill, Gungnir (S).

‘Did I absorb Gungnir?’

According to the description, it seemed like Gungnir had been registered as a skill.

The Golden Rune seemed to have extracted the essence of Gungnir separately and named it as a mystic ability.

I glanced at Gungnir, which was lying next to my bed.

‘…I don’t see any difference.’

Naturally, I couldn’t find any particular differences.

There was no change in the magic power or appearance of Gungnir.

Just in case, I grabbed Gungnir and checked the status window.

I was worried that Gungnir might have been weakened in the status window and become a simple golden spear.

Fortunately, the embedded mysteries remained intact.

‘Aside from that, it’s an unexpected harvest.’

Among the three lines of description for the Golden Rune, I focused on the second line.

Rune magic uses a different system from ordinary magic.

‘Rune magic is difficult to learn, but it goes perfectly with Barrier Magic.’

Referred to as the ‘Chinese character of magic’ among players, rune magic in <World Saviour Online> was indeed the epitome of academic magic.

Various runes with different meanings.

Rune mages inject magic into the runes they write and evoke the mysteries of those characters.

There’s no need for complex processes like calculation or construction of spells.

Just draw the characters and infuse them with magic, two simple steps.

Having the luxury of not having to process headache-inducing calculations simultaneously is a big advantage in magic battles.

The surplus of brain resources obtained through fair simplification.

This is why Rune magic and Barrier magic show extraordinary synergy.

While performing complex barrier calculations, there’s no need to concurrently handle computations of other spells.

Simply using a barrier as a piece of paper to inscribe runes and using them like magic scrolls is possible.

However, despite having such clear advantages, Rune magic is a rather rare type of magic to encounter.

The reason it was marginalized in games was simply performance issues, but reality is a bit different.

Rune magic can be acquired simply through memorization due to its nature of characters.

Just like studying problem types and English words to get good grades, anyone can learn it.

However, due to the intricate structure of the character system and the types of runes to be memorized, few people actually learn it.

“In reality, learning Rune magic isn’t as simple as pressing a skill acquisition button in a game.”

In games, Rune magic, like any RPG skill, was marginalized due to simple performance issues and competitiveness.

The main reasons were usually differences in damage or casting time.

But the treatment it received in games seemed almost disrespectful, considering how in this world, real Rune magic is truly invaluable.

“The cost-effectiveness is just terrible.”

Rune magic is fundamentally about memorization.

You have to memorize characters painstakingly and study grammar just to do a simple task.

You need to memorize all the runes to be used and draw them accurately at the right moment to use them.

And that’s not all.

In advanced Rune magic, there are also grammatical structures required for development and pronunciation required for invocation.

It’s truly like learning a whole new magical language and script.

“Having an aptitude for such runic magic means learning and utilizing it is relatively easy.”

‘The aptitude for Runes increases dramatically. ‘

It’s hard to determine exactly what level of ‘dramatic’ is being referred to here.

But receiving the effect of an S-rank Mystic Ability as illustrious as the Golden Rune is indeed remarkable.

The rank system classifying skills and mysteries in “World Saviour Online.”

Among them, S-rank is the highest.

The mysteries of EX-rank, like the Sovereignty of Otherworld (EX), are mysteries outside the specifications that didn’t originally exist in the game.

“The ability adjustment of S-rank mysteries is so powerful it can transform a dullard into a genius.”

Furthermore, an E-rank Rune magic skill appeared in the skill window.

It’s to the extent where a skill is created just by applying the effect.

The status window that added the Rune magic skill provided me with basic knowledge and information about runes.

I enjoyed the refreshing feeling of riding the waves of that information.

Rune magic is a magic that one must learn someday.

Even though the efficiency of using Rune magic alone may be poor, when combined with barrier magic, it creates tremendous synergy.

“I was worried I’d have a hard time, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.”

If I had studied runes without the adjustment of the Golden Rune, I might have spent an enormous amount of time and energy just to acquire an E-rank Rune magic skill.

However, the aptitude adjustment derived from the status window and the Golden Rune solved that wasted time and energy in an instant.

In other words, long live the status window.

“Now I should start getting ready,

I said as I left the dormitory, dressed neatly.

Except for special classes like field practicum or sparring among disciples, most classes were conducted in the Learning Centre.

Today was no exception.

Since all classes only involved orientation, they naturally took place in the Learning Centre.

“Class 1-2, it feels like I’ve returned to my school days.”

Eden divided the classes in the same way he often saw in his past life’s school.

It seemed to follow the university system, but there was subtly mixed in a high school-like approach.

The most notable was the class assignment and operation method.

Essentially, like high school, they were assigned to classes, and they took required subjects together for grade advancement.

Meanwhile, like university, lectures on major or elective subjects were conducted individually in a mobile class format.

It was a mixture of high school and university in terms of operation, but the quality of classes and the level of disciples were excessively high.

Overall, it was like a potpourri of high school and university.

“I wonder if there’s any main character in Class 2.”

I thought.

Approximately 500 freshmen enrolled each year, and with classes ranging from 1st to 5th, there were around 100 students in each class.

Moreover, the more main and supporting characters there were in a class, the more events that would help the player’s growth occurred frequently.

The probability of discovering hidden pieces also increased as a bonus.

“I wish there were some key supporting or main characters.”

I hoped, calming my excited heart.

Taking a deep breath to calm my excitement, I carefully opened the door to the classroom.

“…What’s this?”

Despite opening the door hopefully, the scene in the classroom was completely different from what he expected.

“Why is there no one in the classroom?”

Did I come to the wrong classroom?

A bewildered voice echoed in the empty classroom.