Chapter 44

Chapter 44

I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy.

Episode 44: Class (4)

Seo Ga-yeon smiled brightly.

If you didn’t perform well in the Tower of Trials, you wouldn’t receive a reward.

Yet, her smile was pure.

“Sorry.”

“Huh? Oh, is Seo-ha offering a reward? I’m fine, though.”

Seo Ga-yeon’s smile grew fainter.

“Rather, I’ve received a lot, and I’m happy I can help Seo-ha like this.”

With my Divine Eyes still active, Seo Ga-yeon’s condition was more visible.

Seo Ga-yeon genuinely thought that way.

It suddenly came to mind.

The reason I came to like Seo Ga-yeon second most.

Here, absolute good and evil hardly existed.

Kim Seo-hyun, who was forced to play the role of good, always wondered if the good he protected was right.

Hong Yu-hwa had a route where she failed in her Usurpation, was betrayed by someone she trusted, and ultimately fell into corruption.

Seo Ye-bin firmly believed that she was right and that she alone could save the world.

But Seo Ga-yeon was different.

She did not ignore the evil within the good.

Others might have fallen once on their paths, but not her.

“Seo-ha?”

“……Yes, let’s go.”

As we stepped outside, light burst forth.

Was it because of my Divine Eyes?

Amidst the bright golden light, space warped, ejecting an object.

It was a black wooden box, identical to the previous one.

‘A type of Spirit Elixir?’

This was better.

I could probably give it to Seo Ga-yeon.

Then, another object appeared, a silver bracelet with a larger diamond embedded.

I used my Reading talent to appraise it.

[Pure White Bracelet (B)]

A tool created by a master craftsman and alchemist combining their strengths.

A bracelet once worn by a being known as the Child of the Stars.

: Increases Magic by 5.

: Increases Spirit by 5.

: Includes the built-in Skill 「Baptism of Starlight」

“…….”

I paused mid-appraisal.

The bracelet seemed a perfect fit for Seo Ga-yeon.

‘Did Seo Ye-bin intervene?’

The Tower of Trials was known for giving items tailored to the individual.

Yet such an item should not have existed.

I opened another wooden box.

Inside was a bracelet unlike Seo Ye-bin’s, a black one.

[Black Bracelet (B)]

A tool crafted by a master craftsman and alchemist combining their skills.

A bracelet that allows the creation of a sword from the dark magic power it absorbs.

:Built-in Skill 「Black Sword·Division」

‘Was it originally meant to be a pair?’

Designed for use in combination.

However, the Pure White Bracelet suited Seo Ga-yeon.

And the Black Bracelet seemed a better choice for me.

“Ga-yeon, you seem to like the Pure White Bracelet, what do you think?”

“I like whatever Seo-ha gives me.”

“…….”

Her face was without a hint of doubt. Instead, her expression conveyed a desire for me to accept all of her heart.

“Then, let’s go with this one.”

I slipped the Pure White Bracelet onto Seo Ga-yeon’s right arm.

Because she was left-handed.

That was where the magic book would be during the upcoming weapon selection.

“…….”

The Pure White Bracelet was a B-grade weapon.

Aware it was too much for just passing one test, Seo Ga-yeon’s face flushed.

I watched the scene with a contented smile.

-……Should I be happy that the owner of this great cause is a man who can handle it?

Black Heaven sighed softly.

Hong Yu-hwa let out a deep sigh.

Kim Ara took a quiet breath and gazed at what used to be a Shadow Wolf.

The bloodline ability taught by Lee Seo-ha was truly beyond imagination.

‘Origin Power…….’

It allowed striking even things that didn’t exist.

It amplified the power she possessed several times more than magic.

She could feel her skin hardening and her body growing stronger each day.

However, her height hadn’t increased much.

Her arms and legs had gotten a bit longer, but only her chest and hips had grown slightly.

This was rather inconvenient.

Kim Ara shifted her gaze to the scoreboard where the rankings were already displayed.

Lee Seo-ha, Seo Ga-yeon team – 13:14.04

Hong Yu-hwa, Kim Ara team – 25:57.35

Park Woon-hyuk, Ha Yu-ri team – 26:09.52

“We barely won.”

“We lost again.”

At Kim Ara’s words, Hong Yu-hwa glared at the scoreboard with fiery eyes.

A 12-minute difference.

Even with what she thought was their best combination, they were still outperformed by Lee Seo-ha.

‘I thought we’d win this time.’

Kim Ara was an exceptional vanguard.

She was better than Park Woon-hyuk… No, her power-driven attacks were more akin to a magician’s strike. Comparing them to a warrior’s would be an insult to her.

And yet, her defensive ability was incredibly high.

Her reaction speed was a bit slow, but that was hardly a flaw. It was just slightly less fast than Park Woon-hyuk’s.

And still.

They lost.

Completely defeated.

Lee Seo-ha had maintained that speed even with Seo Ga-yeon, who was now ranked in the top 700.

Hong Yu-hwa stepped outside with Kim Ara.

She searched for her followers with fiery eyes.

“Yo, you’ve worked hard.”

“Do you have the recording of Lee Seo-ha and Seo Ga-yeon’s team?”

“Yes.”

Recording the tests was generally optional.

Studying your opponent and finding their weaknesses could earn you extra points from the instructors.

Because these heroes would someday stand against villains.

Heroes were exposed to the public. The instructors gave bonus points for studying like this and targeting weaknesses for future reference.

“Give it to me.”

“Ye, yes, here it is.”

Hong Yu-hwa took the video and thanked Kim Ara for her hard work.

“How should we split the reward?”

“Reward? Oh.”

Hong Yu-hwa and Kim Ara checked their reward.

A red elixir and a belt were now visible.

“Nice. A first-grade Fire Crystal and a belt that can momentarily increase speed.”

Lee Seo-ha, who had approached, said with a friendly smile.

“You have the ability to appraise items too?”

“Yeah. I have good eyes.”

Lee Seo-ha pointed to his eyes.

“Anyway, if you ever want something appraised, feel free to contact me.”

Lee Seo-ha said, looking at Hong Yu-hwa with a smile.

Hong Yu-hwa felt annoyed. This time, since Lee Seo-ha was the ‘winner’, he seemed to be boasting.

‘No, this proves he’s conscious of me.’

Hong Yu-hwa nodded haughtily.

“Instructor Seo Woo-ju, may I return to the dormitory?”

“Of course.”

With Seo Woo-ju’s permission, Hong Yu-hwa walked towards the dormitory with a proud stride.

In her 30-pyeong dormitory room, Hong Yu-hwa buried her face in her bed and then looked at the ceiling.

Lee Seo-ha’s handsome face with a slight smile hung on one side of the ceiling.

“Tsk, do you really think you’ll always win? Do you think I’ll keep losing?”

Hong Yu-hwa’s eyes welled up.

It was such a humiliating defeat.

It was the first time someone had overwhelmed her in her life.

She had always been a winner.

She had never felt such humiliation before.

Grinding her teeth, Hong Yu-hwa glared at the numerous photos of Lee Seo-ha on the ceiling.

She then played the video she had taken from her follower.

Staring at the TV, Hong Yu-hwa imagined.

One day, she’d make him kneel.

Imagining Lee Seo-ha kneeling before her, Hong Yu-hwa’s lips curled up as she stared intently at Lee Seo-ha on the TV.

Penthouse private training ground.

I manifested the Black Sword there.

It was an appropriate length and covered in black.

‘So this is what it feels like.’

I swung it lightly. The sword was light.

To check its hardness, I flicked the blade with my finger.

Ting.

A clear sound resonated.

“Pretty good, isn’t it?”

-Not a bad weapon. It was made by a blacksmith above the average level.

And then, division.

The Black Sword split into four swords.

I used Nyeom to levitate them.

I grabbed one of the swords and infused it with the Energy of Defying Heaven.

Crackle.

The black blade cracked and soon turned to dust.

“It seems that it can’t withstand the Energy of Defying Heaven .”

-Hehe, a mere weapon can’t possibly stand against a power that defies even the heavens.

Black Heaven spoke with a hint of pride.

-Only I, the Black Heavenly Demon Sword, can fully embrace the master’s power. So the master should cherish me more.

‘Aren’t I already cherishing you?’

-……

Black Heaven looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

-How about trying to polish the sword at least once a day?

‘…It doesn’t rust or dull even if I don’t polish it, does it?’

I couldn’t understand.

The Black Heavenly Demon Sword was an S-grade weapon.

The blade was sufficiently sharp.

It doesn’t dull the wielder’s skill.

Its hardness was so great that anyone less skilled than Seo Ye-bin couldn’t even imagine breaking it, and it doesn’t rust or dull even with basic storage.

From S-grade, whether a weapon, a relic, or an elixir, they were objects that could potentially cause ‘wars’ at the national level.

And I polished Black Heaven at least once every three days.

-Is rubbing the blade with a cloth in this world considered polishing?

Black Heaven asked, incredulous.

‘…Alright.’

After all, Black Heaven was my teacher.

There was no need to go against her unnecessarily.

I set down Black Heaven and tore a cloth appropriately from a corner of the penthouse.

I maximized the output of Dexterity.

After taking care of Black Heaven to her satisfaction, I intended to devour a martial art.

And the moment I began to polish Black Heaven with the cloth.

-Heuuueuh♡

Black Heaven groaned.

“…”

-…

The room was filled with silence for a long time.