episode_0017

Rohan was the first runner to arrive at the gym.

Unlike the outside, the temperature is warm, the air is clean and fresh, and it’s perfect for exercising.

“Ugh!”

Rohan relaxed his stiff neck muscles and resumed the train of thought that had been interrupted last night.

‘Those kids are next… when will they be?’

Lost contact with the Yardpound brothers.

Rohan is anticipating how the elven elders will respond.

In Abyss City, the protagonist also ended up cutting off their contact, so even though Rohan’s actions were rougher than the protagonist’s, the result was the same.

‘This is where the problem starts.’

I know what’s going to happen from now on.

However, we should not easily predict or calculate the time of occurrence of an event.

Most of the quests in Abyss City are ultimately about the gamer’s mind.

Until you control the protagonist and talk to an NPC with an exclamation mark to proceed, the world is basically at a standstill.

So, going forward, what we will focus on is the omen.

As the main character said, we must be careful not to miss the signs that indicate an event.

‘Other things to watch out for are the surprise quests and special quests that appear out of nowhere.’

Rohan was keenly aware of the events that were about to unfold.

Knowing what will happen in the future, it is inherently impossible to just turn a blind eye and enjoy your school days.

The temper that resides in his heart does not allow such shamelessness.

Dirty guys are targeting the people I love?

Just thinking about it made me feel like there was a fishbone stuck in my throat.

The girls I have saved with all my might are too fragile and innocent to be crushed by injustice and have their spirits worn down.

‘You little bastards. I will never allow that as long as I live.’

So I tried to prepare with all my might.

When I tried to plan it in detail like that, there were too many uncertainties.

There was a lot to think about. It was complicated. My already bad head was overloaded.

‘Let’s run. Let’s run until we die.’

Rohan knows that in times like these, moving his body is the best thing to do.

After finishing my stretching, I got on the treadmill.

“Hoo!”

A treadmill for those with magical powers.

It is said that it can be accepted even if it runs faster than a car. There was something similar to this in the machines that hunters trained on.

Wheeing!

Rohan ran for a moment. The machine gradually increased its speed in response to the pressure of his feet hitting the ground.

It wasn’t bad.

I decided to run until the dullness of dawn subsided.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Your heart should pound as if it were stuck in your head, your throat should be so dry that it stings, and your lungs should cry out for you to stop.

This is how I wake up in the morning to regain my senses.

‘As you go further back, you need Clara more.’

How long will it take to win over Clara if we start working hard from now on?

Will I be able to recruit Clara before a major incident breaks out that would be too much for me to handle on my own?

‘It’s too much to ask for someone else’s help…’

I ponder the rising faces.

‘Noah, no. I don’t know about anything else, but this isn’t going to work.’

In this story, the real target, Noah, is unable to gain strength.

It’s not that he lacks ability. With Noah’s current skill level, he can clean it up the moment he steps forward.

The old elves are also passive because they know that Noah is an unprecedented monster in their generation.

Because I’ve invested a lot of time into trying to figure out Noah Frozenheart’s main routes and actions in Academy City, and whether or not he has invisible bodyguards.

This is the biggest reason why Noah, who met these conditions, could not join.

‘The condition for failing this quest and returning to the beginning was… Noah becoming aware of the incident.’

Even if the Great King Seolho had tried to accommodate the elves living in the coniferous forests of Tigrova, he would personally step in and wipe out the clan if the elves tried to touch Noah.

Rohan doesn’t want that situation.

I don’t know about the other trash, but I wanted to save just one elf.

“···.”

For that reason, Noah is excluded as he is not eligible.

What about other characters?

‘Gilbert···.’

No matter how you try to tame this guy, there’s a high chance he’ll be uncontrollable.

Doesn’t it seem like he’s going to suddenly scream and have a seizure?

The biggest problem was that I didn’t know how loud my voice was.

‘Dick Wikitree?’

It’s so hard to kill a single F-class monster that it’s almost impossible in real combat.

Now, if you fall into water, the only thing that will float is your mouth.

Beep──!

After running for a while, the treadmill automatically shut off.

Rohan got down from the machine, panting and his back automatically bent.

I wipe the sweat off my legs with a towel, relax my leg muscles, and head to the next machine.

Roll your body over and over again.

“Keuuuuk─!!!”

I try to find a way through my consciousness by pushing away the crazy contraption that grows in weight in response to my magic.

‘In the end, if you can’t win Clara over in time, the best thing to do is to persuade Ichinose.’

It’s an ideal solution.

But this also has its drawbacks.

Although Ichinose’s abilities were not lacking, Rohan was not sure whether she would be able to steer the situation in the direction she wanted from where she was.

Kuung!

One set finished. Put the machine down and catch your breath.

“Ichinosera···.”

A muttering that came out in frustration.

It was clearly a voice as small as dust that should have drifted away without meaning and disappeared.

But then the voice flew through the air and asked an unexpected answer.

“Did you read this? This is definitely not ordinary.”

“!?”

When Rohan turned his head in surprise, he saw Ichinose in her gym uniform.

“Good morning. You’re out early?”

“Uh··· I need to train.”

Rohan felt Ichinose’s appearance becoming more vibrant.

In the game, we only ever see him in his academy uniform, but his private gym uniform looks much cuter than in the fan art.

“What an exemplary example. Diligence is an example to everyone.”

“Ichinose came out too, right? I haven’t been here for long either.”

“You say it hasn’t been that long, but you’re sweating a lot?”

Ichinose continued her conversation with Rohan while doing some light stretching.

With his small body, he looks cute as he sips water.

“Then I’ll go exercise. Sorry for bothering you.”

“Are you trying to run?”

“Yes. I just run in the morning.”

“I was going to run one more time too. Let’s do it together.”

Ichinose opens her eyes slightly.

The girl, who was staring at Rohan with beads of sweat dripping from his bangs, nodded slightly.

“Okay. I hope you won’t get bored.”

··

··

Ichinose’s feet were fast.

The speed at which he runs, as if jogging, easily surpasses Rohan’s top speed.

Since he had been building up his physical strength since he was young, it was not a category that could be narrowed down to a single point. If he used magic, it was obvious that his physical strength would be much stronger than Rohan’s.

“Ugh! Huh···!”

Rohan, who had been running until the machine stopped, lay down on the floor of the training room.

Ichinose came down from the machine without breaking a sweat and looked at Rohan with a surprised expression.

“Rohan. Are you feeling unwell?”

“Hooo··· Ugh, I’m dying.”

“Here’s some water.”

Rohan took a few sips of the water Ichinose offered him, then sat down to catch his breath.

“This is no joke. I didn’t know there would be this much of a difference.”

“···?”

The girl opened her eyes and looked at Rohan.

Ichinose had a question on her face that didn’t look like a joke.

‘Your running form is good, though.’

It felt strange that his basic stamina was dropping while swinging his sword so viciously.

Even if there was no school of swordsmanship, he must have been swinging a sword and training since ancient times, so it was hard for Ichinose to understand why he collapsed like that just because he ran at this speed.

“Rohan. Can I ask you something?”

“Huh? What is it?”

Rohan, who had been burying his face in a towel, raises his face.

“Where are you from? I didn’t know you were good at swordsmanship… I think there’s a gap in my information gathering.”

Rohan hesitated for a moment at the question, but he had no intention of hiding it.

And I was always ready to answer.

“If I answer, will you buy me a drink?”

“Of course. I’ll buy you two.”

Rohan simply enjoyed having these conversations with Ichinose.

Even if you said you wouldn’t buy me a drink, I would have answered.

‘Just looking at it makes my heart weak.’

After taking a moment to enjoy Ichinose’s expression of curiosity.

Showed the answer.

“Southern remnants.”

“···!”

Ichinose’s pupils shook as she felt that she had made a mistake or that she had touched a bad spot.

Rohan chuckled at the gentle appearance and responded by not letting Ichinose apologize.

“Am I a little amazing? I’m from the south all the way to Orion Academy.”

Ichinose closed his mouth as he realized what Rohan meant by his joke.

The girl, who had been biting her lips for a moment, nodded and smiled faintly.

“···That’s right. That’s really great.”

“The theory is a bit of a wall, but I have to work harder.”

Rohan gets up from his seat and rubs his legs.

Ichinose watched the scene and added her voice.

“Rohan.”

“Why?”

“Theory is something I’m somewhat confident in···so feel free to ask me anytime.”

“Anytime?”

“Yes. Since telling is the best way to review, I like it too.”

At those words, Rohan rummaged through the bag in the corner, telling her to wait.

He handed his smartphone to Ichinose.

“Tell me your number. I’ll ask you if I have any questions.”