episode_0068

In the fifth week after the end of the entrance exam, there was nothing special happening in Siyoram.

The dungeon strategy still had some time left, and the next entrance exam wouldn’t be for another month or two.

The only event left in the first semester was the mid-term evaluation at the end of the free semester.

After the mid-term evaluation, the free semester would end, and the education would be reformed to focus more on majors.

From then on, students would finally be able to choose and take the classes they wanted.

The overall education time would be reduced. Think of it as reducing the quantity and increasing the density. Additional stress-relief activities like clubs would be added to the increased free time.

In short, things would be more relaxed than they are now. Of course, it’s not about just playing around; students would have to regulate their own state and engage in personal training.

Otherwise, they might fall behind the students who are putting in effort and see their grades plummet.

In the original work, subplots poured out from the regular semester.

Just joining one club would lead to many quests, interacting with various characters and gaining more quests along the way.

If you gained favor with a main character, you would also become involved with their faction.

During the first session, I spent most of my time chasing after these subplots. That’s why I failed.

“Everyone is working hard as always.”

The old-fashioned training ground where we always gathered.

Lying on the dry ground, I absentmindedly recalled the atmosphere of the current correction.

It was more like a fervor. The students’ eyes were filled with enthusiasm, driving them to work harder in their training and studies.

It was a momentum quite different from before.

Of course, it’s not that the students were lazy before.

Whenever I visited the training room or library after class, there were always students bustling around.

But lately… more precisely, starting this week, the momentum was different.

“The effect was quite remarkable.”

There was only one reason for it.

They had experienced real growth through the protection of the entrance exam. It made sense when I thought about it.

The E-rank before the entrance exam and the current E-rank were completely different beings. It may sound exaggerated, but it was true.

The growth benefits from the protection in the Tower were tremendous.

Not only did the basic stats increase, but there was also a significant improvement in skill. Professor Artra’s endorsement also confirmed this as an objective fact.

To make an intuitive comparison, if it were the Aiden from the duel, he would have been easily overwhelmed in a single blow.

Of course, Aiden would have continued to grow as well… but that’s beside the point.

The grades obtained in the Tower also proved this.

The scores obtained by eliminating students, subjugating internal monsters, and other tasks.

After tallying all the scores and announcing the results, I managed to achieve a rank within the top 10.

Of course, luck played a big part.

There were no main characters among the students who chased me on the first and second days, I received treatment from Elia just before being eliminated, and I didn’t lose any points by being escorted by the top and second students after that.

…I had quite a bit of luck, but the ranking was what it was.

The total score was around 1,200 points, right?

I personally earned only about 900 points, while the party members, including Baek Arin, received a fair distribution of 300 points.

I also needed to distribute the value of the Wish Egg… but I hadn’t hatched it yet, so it was a bit tricky.

I would have to measure its value after it hatches to decide whether to distribute it or not.

“For now, I’ll keep my 300 points…”

I mentally tapped on a calculator. I left the 300 points to distribute just in case.

With the remaining 1,000 points, what could I do?

I skimmed through the catalog Siyoram had sent me.

Siyoram awarded these points based on academic performance to boost students’ motivation, and through these points, students could exchange them for rewards set by Siyoram.

“Hmm…”

A score of 1,000 points was enough to acquire a decent artifact and still have change left over. If you were willing to compromise a bit, you could even get a few appropriate weapons.

Considering how difficult it was to find a decent artifact through the usual channels, this was a satisfying achievement.

Most of the hidden pieces I found during my weekend outings were artifacts.

Should I acquire an artifact before entering the dungeon…

Outing.

‘Ah.’

I didn’t feel like going. Suddenly, that thought crossed my mind. A sigh escaped involuntarily.

Thinking about going out and then not wanting to go was quite ironic.

The Confession Necklace. An artifact that would help me bypass the curse of silence.

In my current situation, it was a necessary artifact. It was right to go and find it. But…

‘I’m scared.’

I couldn’t shake off that thought.

In the original work, the Confession Necklace was an artifact that could be obtained in the dungeon.

The dungeon. A place full of threats.

My skills were top-notch.

I assessed my level. In the Tower of Growth, I could hold my own against top disciples and even defeat them in some cases.

But what’s the point?

This place is a cradle. A nurturing facility designed for saplings that have not yet grown.

Everything I experienced here was not real combat.

The dungeon practice had safety measures provided by the vice principal, and yet I was still nervous throughout the dungeon raid.

The pain of entering the tower was only felt in a very small part. It was a sensation similar to a virtual reality where you could die but not really die.

‘……’

There was a huge difference between the me in the original world and the current me.

Without exaggeration, if I were to hit my head once, the me in the original world could explode and die.

But still, I was me.

People around me looked at me as if I were something special, but deep down, the cowardly nature was still there.

My body may have changed, but my mind remained the same.

Thinking about the main story… what will happen to the world?

Will the world be destroyed? In the first round, not everyone was wiped out, but a situation similar to the Dark Ages had come.

‘Ha…’

I couldn’t think of a solution.

I lay in the center of the old training ground, waiting for Professor Atla to arrive.

I could somewhat understand the feeling of a dog waiting for its owner.

.

.

.

Giants possess magic through an organ called the core.

They absorb external, natural magic, guide it through circuits to the core, and accumulate it.

During this process, impurities inevitably get mixed in.

Although it is collectively referred to as natural magic, if we were to distinguish it finely, its properties are countless.

Absorbing and permanently making one’s own countless properties of magic. Various things inevitably get mixed in.

– Woong…

The magic within the body moved. It flowed through the circuits stored in the core throughout the body.

From fingertips to toes, the movement of magic visited every part without hesitation.

Atla, who was detecting the flow of magic by placing her hand on Yi Hayul’s back, quickly felt that movement.

It was the process of controlling magic after the sparring.

Adjusting the momentum of the magic that had been disrupted during the battle, replenishing the depleted parts, and training the magic.

At the same time, Atla also used magic herself. She pulled up the dormant magic and circulated it throughout her body.

It was a measure for Yi Hayul, who could easily read the flow of magic through her detection ability.

The movement of magic circulating within Yi Hayul’s body subtly changed.

Seeing Atla’s magic, she also improved her own method on the spot.

‘There’s nothing to criticize about this part.’

Watching the magic flow like a river, one couldn’t help but be amazed. That’s how flawless her magic control was.

It was like moving hands and feet naturally. The way to move hands and feet is not something that someone teaches you. It’s something you naturally know how to do.

Lee Hayul’s magic manipulation had reached that level.

Even while teaching, I continued to feel it, but there was a certain innate talent for magic that exceeded a certain level.

Beyond that, what stood out was the purity of magic.

When thinking about the process of accumulating magic, impurities are inevitable in the magic of a transcendent being.

Lee Hayul’s magic was beyond such common knowledge.

It was clean and pure. It was just the nature of magic.

Even as magic was accumulated, that purity did not disappear.

Therefore, despite the decrease in output, the power of spells and magic was beyond the norm.

Time passed silently in his mind. Atla removed his hand from Lee Hayul’s back.

“That’s enough.”

Phew- Lee Hayul took a deep breath and writhed his body. It was a breath that felt refreshing.

Finally, Lee Hayul brushed off the magic and lowered his head.

Atla, who had been kneeling with one knee, saw Lee Hayul’s round face.

Atla’s gaze scanned Lee Hayul’s face. The minor traces from the recent sparring were being healed in real-time.

‘…He adapts quickly.’

Atla’s recovery training that he had recommended.

If it weren’t for the protection of a growing body and growth, the training wouldn’t have been as effective.

Atla had done it without the protection of growth, but most transcendent beings reject this method.

Throughout his enrollment at Siyolam, he gradually imprinted on his body, raising his innate recovery ability, but Lee Hayul’s body was already surpassing that recovery ability.

It was abnormal.

Magic control was the same. The purity of magic was even more so, but the source of this recovery ability was incomprehensible.

Different from the recovery-type unique ability… In Atla’s judgment, this was simply the natural ability of the body.

“Professor.”

Eyes that were deeply focused. But Atla was convinced that Lee Hayul was observing himself.

“Okay.”

It was getting late.

The sun had already set beyond the horizon, casting an orange glow.

As the hologram appeared, Professor Atla replied and got up.

“I plan to visit an external dungeon over the weekend.”

– I’ll be visiting a dungeon this weekend~

His body stiffened for a moment.

* * *

[Player Adjustment System: Exploration Record]

[Quest “Subjugation of 8th Rank Monsters” Achieved]

[Quest “Subjugation of Multiple 8th Rank Monsters” Achieved]

[Quest “Subjugation of 7th Rank Monsters” Achieved]

[Quest “Subjugation of 5th Rank Alpha Monsters” Achieved]

…

[Quest “Entry into the Tower of Growth” Achieved]

…

[Quest “Siyolam Learning Score 100 Points” Achieved]

[Quest “Siyolam Learning Score 200 Points” Achieved]

[Quest “Siyolam Learning Score 300 Points” Achieved]

…

[Quest “Egg of Wishes” Achieved]

…

[Remaining points are accumulating]