episode_0060

“Next!”

As my turn arrived, I slowly stepped into the system room, holding a steel sword in my hand.

I could feel the intense heat emanating from the flames surrounding Ignis near the entrance.

“Kwooaaaah!”

Before fully entering the system room, I glanced back at Hedie.

…She was looking straight at me.

Perhaps she was staring at the system room because it was Hedie’s turn right after mine.

But I wanted to believe that she hadn’t completely lost interest in me yet.

I didn’t want to sever ties with her.

She was the one who, despite throwing punches at me when we first met, gradually became intertwined with my life.

A close friend with whom I shared my private life. I didn’t want to lose her.

[The system room is closing.]

Uuuung….

The crack that had briefly opened in the system room was soon sealed off by a magical barrier.

I stood facing Ignis in this enclosed space.

“Kuwoo-!”

With the system room closed, the test had already begun.

Ignis, as if indicating she wouldn’t give me any chance to prepare, swung her long flame arm, which looked three times the size of a bear, towards me.

-Kuguk!

The ground shook due to the impact.

Dodging the attack with a light leap, I thought to myself,

‘In order to reach Class A, I must pass this test no matter what.’

During the first test, I received a B due to an unexpected realization of 4-star enlightenment.

If I also score low in the second test, my chances of reaching Class A will diminish.

‘But… I shouldn’t attract too much attention.’

During the tournament, I had to use my aura in front of everyone to save Rosaria.

If I drew too much attention, people might start questioning my identity and digging into it.

If rumors spread about the eccentric guy who saved this girl or that girl…

Even if I become Class A, my academy life will surely spiral downward.

“Kwooaaah!”

Ignis spewed flames from around her burning mouth.

I rotated in mid-air to narrowly evade the attack once again, pondering my next move.

So, the best course of action for me in this situation is to engage in a mock battle with Ignis, then defeat her at the right moment.

Successfully defeating her while making it look like luck is the key to this plan.

“Haap!”

I leaped forward.

I could see Ignis looking up at me from below.

For the next ten minutes, I have to endure her attacks from below.

The first thing I need to do is to pretend to accidentally scratch the core inside Ignis’s chest.

If the core gets scratched, Ignis will weaken significantly, slowing down her movements.

…Most ordinary students may not even know that there is a core inside a spirit due to their limited knowledge of spirits.

Even if they do, getting close enough to scratch the core amidst Ignis’s attacks is highly likely to fail.

However, I recently reached the beginning stages of 4-star enlightenment.

Dodging attacks from intermediate spirits is as simple as lying down and eating snacks!

‘Alright…! It’s time to execute the plan!’

As my body accelerated in mid-air, descending rapidly,

“Kwooaaaah!”

Ignis reached out her massive hands to grab and incinerate me.

No way. When she tries to grab me, I’ll deflect her attack ever so slightly with my sword.

Then swiftly aim for her core inside the chest to make a feigned mistake!

‘Perfect!’

I thought, just at that moment.

-Swish!

-Thud!

‘What…?’

Suddenly, something flew towards me from the air, and I instinctively deflected it.

It was a dagger.

‘What, where did this dagger come from?!’

Following that, urgent voices of the professors outside could be heard.

“Just a moment! The synchronization rate between the system room and the real world is increasing!”

“What did you say?! What kind of nonsense is that!”

“I don’t know! The settings suddenly changed!”

“Stop the exam! Professor Leaf! Quickly release the spirit summoning…!”

The synchronization rate between the system room and reality has increased?!

Does that mean if you die here, you die in real life too?! What is this…!

“Oh no!”

Ignis appeared right in front of my eyes.

I was caught off guard by a sudden flying dagger, unable to cast a spell to defend myself.

“Aargh-!”

The situation was about to take a turn for the worst.

“Hurry, I need to…!”

-Ku-gwak!

And so, I collided with Ignis.

*

“Cough cough!”

Flames ignited, emitting a pungent smoke that passed through every corner of my body.

The entire facility fell into silence.

“That was a close call…”

It was a narrow escape.

Entering the 4th level allowed me to quickly cast a spell, slicing Ignis into two branches, halting its movements.

If I had been slightly slower, I would have been on the brink of death from the massive flames.

“Who is responsible for manipulating the system to make such a ridiculous mistake…!”

Hurriedly leaving the system room, I frantically looked around.

Then, I realized another mistake.

“…Oh.”

Students preparing for the exam, students in the audience stands, professors supervising or guiding students.

Everyone in the facility had their eyes fixed on me.

In an instant, I felt like I had become an idol on stage, and I hesitated in embarrassment.

The cause was behind me.

The neatly split body of the giant Ignis lying in the system room.

It seemed as if it had been cleaved by a sword larger than Ignis itself.

“This is bad.”

Only now did I understand the shocked expressions of everyone.

This was essentially a declaration that I was someone who casually skipped over the 3rd level.

Given the circumstances, it was a reflexive action due to feeling threatened in terms of life.

“S-Sian-! Successful defeat! 29 seconds!”

An oblivious assistant student reported the results to everyone.

-Tap tap tap tap tap!

In the distance, someone was seen running towards us with a sword.

“Iris…?”

It was Iris. Her sharp eyes met mine, her long ash-colored hair flowing as she ran menacingly towards me.

As she drew closer, her fierce gaze made me feel a threat to my life.

Unaware of the situation, I instinctively raised my sword.

-Whoosh!

“Huh…?”

Iris passed by me.

Simultaneously, a groan was heard.

“Ah-!”

The groaning came from inside the system room.

A villain inside the system room was writhing in pain, blood oozing from his leg.

Iris, looking down at him, said, “He was using concealment magic. He was targeting Sian again. Also, I sense an abnormal and ominous magical reaction from him.”

“What-?!”

Frantically, all the professors listened to Iris and began to prepare for battle.

Some students were stepping back in fear.

In that situation, I thought to myself.

“He was targeting me…? Then the flying dagger from earlier…?”

The actions of the villain, currently writhing in pain, were clear.

Once the system room closed, external interference wouldn’t be possible.

If he threw the dagger, it must have been from within rather than outside.

Since he mentioned using concealment magic… he must have been waiting for the right moment.

But why target me?

“Cough… Disgusting fanatics of dark magic. If you think you’ve won, you’re mistaken!”

Dark energy surged from his body.

The ominous energy took shape, transforming into tentacles that swiftly charged towards me.

-Whoosh!

“……!”

It struck my abdomen.

“Aaargh!”

“W-What’s happening?! Something’s…!”

The students cried out in fear.

The tentacles that had caught my attention slowly lost their form and disappeared. It was absorbed into my body.

I didn’t feel any pain or sensation, but…

“Is this pattern repeating again?”

My mana was flowing backward.

“Hahaha! Anyone who messes with the Black Magic Sect ends up like that boy! Cough-!”

Iris swiftly decapitated the villain and rushed towards me.

“Sian-nim!!”

Dilated pupils trembling in fear.

An uncharacteristically agitated expression on Iris’s face.

…I had never seen Iris make such a face before.

“But you don’t need to worry, Iris.”

I gently placed my hand on her waist.

-Woosh.

As I did so, my mana began to purify slowly.

By the time Iris approached, the backflow had completely stopped.

“Are you okay, Sian-nim?!”

“Yes. There’s nothing wrong. Please don’t worry.”

“….!”

Warm and comforting touch.

Iris embraced me.

“I’m relieved….”

I could feel Iris’s body trembling slightly.

It made me realize once again that she genuinely cared for me.

In gratitude, a chuckle escaped me.

“Huh, what’s-? Iris-nim?!”

“Quickly! To the infirmary!”

Iris lifted me up and started running, holding me as if carrying a burden on her shoulders, in a comical manner.