Chapter 42

Chapter 42

I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy.

Episode 42: Class (2)

[User connection recognized.]

[Please create an account using your ID and password.]

As soon as I connected, a blue window appeared before me.

After some contemplation, I decided to use the Alchemy Guild’s ID.

“Veritas.”

A word meaning ‘truth’ in Latin.

For the password, I entered my usual one.

[Avatar settings will now be implemented. You can customize your appearance using the most basic settings and the paid system.]

Thus began a slew of customization options.

Typically, purchasing a pre-made avatar would cost around 500,000 won.

An exorbitantly steep price.

Yet considering the device’s value, everyone seemed willing to shell out that amount.

A variety of appearance-buying customization options were at my disposal.

Some were purely aesthetic, but most were of decent quality.

I selected an avatar reasonably handsome, though not as much as myself, and donned a mask over it.

‘Not bad.’

Having selected my avatar, I ventured onto the streets.

A multitude of people surrounded me.

They all looked attractive, and their genders were ambiguous.

“Fresh C-grade magic stones for sale!”

“Mammoth ivory with a 10% reality ratio for sale!”

“Anyone interested in a Giant’s Nail with a 15% reality ratio?”

Many street vendors were among them.

The place buzzed with activity, largely because the Electronic Witch had replicated a space identical to reality.

“Excuse me, what does ‘reality ratio’ mean?”

“Ah, are you new here? The reality ratio literally indicates the amount of material sourced from reality. For instance, if you craft a potion with alchemy, using a material with a similar ratio will yield a potion with comparable effects to those in reality.”

A vendor explained to an inquiring newcomer.

For a moment, I pondered my bank balance.

[2,315,251,061 won]

The figure appeared in the corner of my vision.

My income from rapidly released recipes had increased, and I had received a hefty sum for giving my company exclusive rights.

In essence, money was no longer an issue for me.

I scanned the market for anything useful.

Most items, however, were either overpriced or useless.

Just as I was ready to leave, something caught my attention.

A green-haired boy avatar stood out to me.

‘That’s…’

He was a familiar face in the game.

The one who had inspired my deep dive into alchemy.

The person who wanted to break free from the laboratory.

In short, it was Bi-Non-Lab.

I made my way toward the Bi-Non-Lab stall.

“Welcome!”

Approaching the stall, I was greeted by Bi-Non-Lab’s cheerful smile.

The voice, though, was unmistakably feminine.

Despite the boyish avatar, the unchanged voice betrayed a lack of funds for modification.

At Bi-Non-Lab’s display, I examined the potions and elixirs.

▶Special Enforcement

Significant vitality boost.

Physical strength increases by 3 for 30 minutes.

Reality Reflection Ratio (100%)

-This potion is directly usable in reality.

The effects were impressive.

It seemed the professor had taken all the elixirs, as none were left.

“The effects are good.”

“Yes! And reasonably priced at 30,000 won a bottle.”

“…Really? That’s reasonable?”

The price seemed just enough to cover the cost of ingredients.

“I’ll take this one and that one, please.”

“Sure, thank you!”

Bi-Non-Lab carefully wrapped two potions for me.

I added them to my inventory.

Despite the high price, the time saved made it a fair exchange.

Opting to apply the potion in reality, I pondered Bi-Non-Lab’s character.

Bi-Non-Lab was indeed an admirable figure.

Ever cheerful, a beacon of hope to those around.

Even from a humble position, they remained optimistic.

She was worthy of respect, yet had one major flaw.

‘Her fixation on young boys.’

Even though she was obsessed with 2D characters, she denied it. Yet, her favorite characters and choices for children make it evident that it’s true.

I tried hard not to look at her with contempt.

Joint Practical Session.

We went outside and gathered in the auditorium.

Students huddled together.

Inside the auditorium was a peculiar building that seemed to be intended for use in this session.

‘Monster hunting, perhaps.’

It appeared to be a test to form groups within a giant shooting range wall and hunt monsters.

I sat back leisurely and observed my surroundings.

“Aren’t you nervous?”

“I’m doing fine.”

Hong Yu-hwa looked at me with haughty eyes.

“I won’t lose this time.”

Hong Yu-hwa said this while looking into my eyes. Next to her, Kim Ara, holding the Giant’s Sword, looked at me with dark eyes.

“……”

“……”

Eyes filled with betrayal.

And a face determined to make me regret, to which I could only respond with disbelief.

‘All this over choosing a team member.’

Yes.

I had chosen Seo Ga-yeon as my team member.

I knew Kim Ara, with her giant lineage and awakened primal force, would thrive on her own, but Seo Ga-yeon needed my guidance in various aspects.

And Seo Ga-yeon’s magical power was a cheat-like ability that allowed her to realize magic through sheer imagination.

There was a reason she barely won against students ranked around 700 in the last mid-term assessment.

Therefore, as her scores kept being replicated, I had no choice but to pick Seo Ga-yeon, especially since I needed to maintain my top rank next semester.

“Ah, Seo-ha.”

Seo Ga-yeon came to my side with a cheerful voice.

Naturally, everyone’s attention turned to Seo Ga-yeon.

Hong Yu-hwa and Kim Ara gave sharp looks.

Seo Ga-yeon, who seemed fragile, flinched but soon sat next to me.

As if to declare that she was my teammate.

“……”

“……”

Seo Ga-yeon and Kim Ara had a staring contest.

Hong Yu-hwa, sensing the tense atmosphere, rolled her eyes momentarily before our gazes met.

‘What’s with them?’

‘I don’t know.’

Our exchanged glances conveyed these thoughts.

Hong Yu-hwa flicked her eyes briefly, maintaining a haughty expression despite the sweat on her brow.

“Everyone, attention!”

Luckily, before the mood could become more awkward, Instructor Seo Woo-ju arrived.

“Everyone, gather around.”

As the students formed a line, Seo Woo-ju began his instructions.

“Today’s lesson will involve cooperation with the teammates you’ve been previously assigned. You will be evaluated on ‘how well you hunt’ monsters that emerge from the Tower of Trials.”

The evaluation was a monster hunting exercise modeled after the Tower of Trials.

It boasted absolute safety and provided rewards based on the speed and efficiency with which teams cleared the Tower of Trials, making it a signature feature of the Hero School of Korea.

The only schools that could compare were located in Heaven.

“Four teams will enter the practice area at a time. The monsters you’ll face have been selected by the AI Alpha, tailored to your combat strengths and rankings.”

Above Seo Woo-ju’s head appeared the names of team members alongside the monsters they were to face.

Hong Yu-hwa’s team with Kim Ara – Shadow Wolf

Kim Seo-hyun’s team with Choi Deok-hun – Human-faced Bird

Park Woon-hyuk’s team with Ha Yu-ri – Steel Bear

Lee Seo-ha’s team with Seo Ga-yeon – Mist Wing Bird

“The listed teams will proceed to hunt their assigned monsters. The hunting process will be documented by drones and reviewed by the professors for a thorough evaluation. In 10 minutes, after a brief meeting, we will commence.”

Glancing around, I could sense the unease among everyone.

The reason was clear: the most formidable monsters had been selected for each team.

‘The only one who may have an easier time is Kim Seo-hyun.’

His unique abilities were the reason.

My thoughts then turned to the Mist Wing Bird.

A beast literally made of mist.

Nearly impervious to physical attacks.

“I’ll, I’ll do my best!”

“…Don’t worry. You aren’t in this alone.”

Seo Ga-yeon probably thought she had to handle it since she had only seen me fight physically.

“Ah, right. Seo-ha, wasn’t your specialty something else?”

As if realizing it just then, Seo Ga-yeon looked at me with her mouth agape.

My specialty has always been physical combat…

Not wanting to shatter her illusion, I advanced quietly.

“But how are we going to fight?”

“How far have you gotten with magic?”

“Up to intermediate magic. I haven’t mastered attribute transformation yet; it’s too difficult.”

It was because the Starlight’s magical power rejected other attributes.

“What about non-attribute magic?”

“I can only cast the Spear of Judgement so far…”

“That’s good enough.”

At that level, one could inflict damage on the Mist Wing Bird.

‘I could easily handle it myself.’

But that wouldn’t help Seo Ga-yeon improve.

“Do you know any binding magic?”

“No, not yet.”

So, only offensive magic was an option.

Seo Ga-yeon and I discussed various strategies.

“Now, the four teams mentioned, please enter inside!”

We moved towards the inside of the wall.