This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Can’t wait to read ahead? Subscribe to the patreon to get access to more than 60 chapters ahead of release, and other exciting benefits.
Chapter 67: Item (2)
1st Tower, 79th floor.
Vice Principal’s Office.
Vice Principal Archie Hayden opened his mouth while tapping the bookshelf with his fingers.
“It failed.”
Across from him, Professor Raiden from the Department of Lunar Studies nodded as he adjusted his monocle.
"Yes."
“Damn, the principal is going to throw a fit again.”
“I'm more worried about the cult leader being angry than the principal right now.”
“You’re too straightforward. It’s unfortunate that it failed, but we still have other methods.”
“You're planning to provoke Professor Maizen."
"That's right."
Although there were other ways, the failure would still be painful, so Archie Hayden took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead.
The real reason for opening the persona gate this time was quite simple: to deal with a student who was highly likely to attend the Aslan Seminar.
The Aslan Seminar was for the children of the world’s best magical families or those chosen as the 12 Rising Stars each year.
The mages of Moon Shadow Church didn't want Eisel Morph, who received the blessing of ice, to attend the Aslan Seminar.
If Eisel Morph, who received the blessing of ice, attended…
‘We'd lose another fixed seat.’
That was troublesome.
Moreover, the Morph family itself was quite a burden, so they thought it would be good to get rid of it quickly.
“It’s a pity we missed the chance to deal with three other troublesome students as well.”
"Hmm. Well, that's true too."
The boy and girl who seemed to have fallen from the sky, and even the princess of Adolevit. They were all students with a high possibility of attending the Aslan Seminar.
"Oh, right. You don't need to worry about Baek Yu-Seol."
"Is that so?"
“He’s a show-off who claims he won’t use magic. The academic community doesn’t think highly of him either. It’s not hard to get him excluded from the list. More importantly, the princess of Adolevit recently visited the board regarding the seminar.”
"Hong Bi-Yeon... is not involved, I suppose?"
"That's right. That psycho came. What on earth is she up to? After aging as much as she has, is she planning to attend the seminar? Ridiculous."
Each of this year’s incidents was like a bomb. The world’s greatest geniuses had entered the school simultaneously, and the cult leader’s plan started right then.
“The principal seems to have caught a whiff of something, and it’s driving me crazy. This is the worst. Is there anything else to report?”
"No, there isn't."
“Then, you may go.”
"Yes."
Raiden bowed his head and left the meeting room.
While walking through the corridor, he stopped for a moment and looked at the wall.
There was a mirror.
He adjusted his monocle and tidied his neatly slicked-back hair. As a professor, he had to pay special attention to his appearance.
Suddenly, he stopped his busy hands at the sound of a voice coming from behind.
"Professor, long time no see. I almost didn't recognize you."
"..."
Raiden slowly turned around. It was a polite smile from a student welcoming him.
It was Ma Yu-Seong.
“…Young Master.”
"Wow, you seemed like a complete savage when I was a child. It’s almost like you’re a different person now."
"Well, that's how it turned out. I’ll be on my way if you have no business with me."
As Raiden turned to leave, Ma Yu-Seong said, “Professor, my friends almost got hurt this time. Is this... another one of that lazy old man’s plans?”
At those words, Raiden turned to Ma Yu-Seong with a cold expression.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re the young master. I cannot forgive any disrespect towards the cult leader.”
"Is that so?"
"And did you say 'friends'? Aren't you getting too immersed in living with the mages?"
Ma Yu-Seong laughed sarcastically.
"Immersed, huh? Well, you know, I'm really enjoying this life."
Raiden had a momentary illusion that a thick aura surrounded his face.
Not magical power.
Nor divine power.
Just an illusion from intimidation.
With a calm smile, Ma Yu-Seong approached Raiden and whispered quietly in his ear, "Professor, the world has truly become wonderful, hasn't it? You can even blabber such arrogant nonsense in front of me."
Raiden felt a cold sweat running down his cheek. His palms were damp.
The aura of sovereignty.
In this world, it was a characteristic that existed only in those who were born with the qualification to be kings.
Normally, it wouldn’t be revealed since Ma Yu-Seong didn’t have complete qualification as a true king yet, but due to his sharp senses honed by the experience in the wild, Raiden could feel it.
As if nothing had happened, Ma Yu-Seong backed away three steps, easing the tension.
"It would be wise to be careful. For now, I'll stay still... but honestly, you all are really annoying."
After finishing his words, Ma Yu-Seong slowly walked down the corridor to the opposite side.
Thud. Thud.
Even the sound of his footsteps fell in Raiden’s ears like an echo.
Even though he was simply moving away in this short corridor, it felt like an illusion that ages passed by.
Finally, when Ma Yu-Seong disappeared from sight, Raiden calmly took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror.
Intellectual eyeglasses, neatly combed white hair, and a sarcastic smile that was sharp yet composed.
It really didn't suit him at all, but it felt so strangely fitting as if he had been like that since birth.
He felt awkward.
But it was okay.
For the sake of Moon Shadow Church, he could endure anything.
This weekend was scheduled for the members of the Gourmet Club to gather.
It fell through, just as Baek Yu-Seol expected.
Eisel locked herself in the dormitory, claiming to relieve mental stress, and Ma Yu-Seong said he had other plans.
Baek Yu-Seol wasn’t worried about Eisel’s stress. She would come to her senses in no time as she was Eisel who was obsessed with money.
Not only did she receive a huge reward for conquering the gate this time, but the rewards poured in were appropriately distributed.
After a long time, he went out to the Arcanium’s Rodeo Street and sat alone in a cafe, enjoying a cup of coffee.
It wasn't bad.
There were only couples on the street.
As a reward for clearing the episode, he was promised a special reward again. If there was one question, it was what made this episode special?
He defeated the great blade spider and inflicted a fatal blow on Duchess Aeron, but was that really something special enough to deserve a reward?
In Baek Yu-Seol’s opinion, not at all.
However, he would be a fool not to accept the offer, so he reluctantly agreed.
But what would he receive?
The narrative power was still limited, but there were so many skills and items he wanted to receive.
Suddenly, along with the completion of the episode, a message came to mind.
[Artifact Vengeance Branch: Resentment is fully accumulated.]
Finally, the artifact that allowed him to inflict tremendous damage on the opponent was fully charged.
It was a shame that it was a disposable item.
‘Oh, wait. There should be consumable items that allow extra usage to limited-use items, right?’
However, it was a bit of a waste to receive a special reward as a consumable item. It would be much more useful to use this reward on his own equipment.
"Hmm, it's disposable..."
A sudden concern arose. Among the rewards he could receive at his appropriate level, the thought of an item that could provide insurance for his life came to mind.
"The Pendant of Marekan... Is it possible?"
[Possible.]
"Hmm, well..."
It was more troubling when it was possible than when it wasn’t.
It was clear that his growth was important.
If he acquired a growth item right now, he could become much stronger in the future.
However, the main episodes were filled with all sorts of dangers.
Not to mention the upcoming eighth episode, where he would have to face the awakened Maizen Tyren.
Becoming stronger was certainly important, but shouldn't he have at least one insurance that could help him survive in the immediate future?
"Sigh. I'll go with that."
He couldn’t help it.
Moreover, even the protagonist, Flame, made a wrong choice and ended up with a bad ending, suffering and dying.
Even Eisel and Hong Bi-Yeon, who were considered strong, didn’t escape the fate of death. The mighty Ma Yu-Seong constantly faced death flags in this wretched world.
Being a mere extra, he didn’t know when he would die, so he needed at least one insurance.
[Item received: Pendant of Marekan.]
The pendant fell gracefully onto his palm, and Baek Yu-Seol immediately checked its information.
[Pendant of Marekan]
[Grade: High]
[Description: A pendant crafted by Marekan, the future alchemic engineer, who processed a barrier to its limits in order to protect his own life.]
[Special Function:]
[▶ Marekan Shield]
[Automatically defends against attacks of Class 6 or lower.]
[Usable only once.]
This wasn’t too bad.
After all, he didn’t have any immediate plans to fight against monster-class beings of Class 7 or higher.
It stung that it was a one-time use item, but if he had the condition for choosing an item without limitations, he would have had no choice but to settle for something quite mediocre.
Moreover, since this item couldn't be created with modern item technology, its value was even higher.
Carefully placing the pendant around his neck, he checked his overall stats.
[Absorbing the petals of the Enchantment Tree increases mental power by 65%.]
[Permanent resistance to temptation-type magic slightly increases.]
[Baek Yu-Seol]
[Stats]
[Strength: 2 Stars (73%)]
[Senses: 2 Stars (57%)]
[Agility: 2 Stars (42%)]
[Stamina: 2 Stars (19%)]
[Toughness: 0 Stars (99%)]
[Mental Strength: 2 Stars (24%)]
[Magic: -]
The increase in mental power was the best harvest he could have hoped for. He was planning to meet one of the divine moons, and having a high mental strength stat would be crucial at that time.
Although the stat of two stars was still relatively low, it was much better than one star.
Moreover, Baek Yu-Seol’s overall stats were gradually approaching the level of three stars. Stats such as strength, agility, and stamina beyond three stars could be considered the realm of superhuman, a level that ordinary humans could never reach.
At that point, excluding special different species, there probably wouldn't be anyone with a stronger physique than him when compared to ordinary humans.
Of course, compared to protagonists who would likely have two sets of four-star stats by now, he was severely lacking, but he was progressing rapidly enough to be highly satisfied.
The reservation for creating the spatial artifact was in place. Although he wanted to take a break for a while, unfortunately, the next episode was scheduled to progress soon.
‘The familiar contract.’
It was an episode held under the guise of a field trip in the capital of the Elf Kingdom, Sky Flower Cradle, at the root of the Heavenly Spirit tree.
That day coincided with the Elves' festival, the World Tree Birth Festival, and the new students of Stella would briefly participate in the festival.
It would be the first appearance of the Elven king, Florin.
She possessed a beauty reminiscent of a benevolent goddess, but she would be completely wrapped up, making it difficult to see her properly.
So he didn't have high expectations. After all, he might never get the chance to see her again.
For this episode, he planned to act individually and not get involved in the main story. To do that, some preparation would be necessary.
He thought of asking Alterisha, who had been slowly preparing a few items for him.
After the persona gate incident was resolved, the atmosphere on campus became somewhat grim.
The seniors in the second and third years frequently encountered cases of students dying during their training, and it was quite common for them to quit halfway and transfer to the support department.
But for the first-year students, it was their first time experiencing such a thing, especially so early in the semester.
But as if nothing had happened, the atmosphere quickly recovered.
The gifted students who had prepared themselves to survive from the beginning of their admission would have already been eliminated before even entering if they were to falter due to such incidents.
"Princess, I'm glad you're safe!"
"I heard it was a mistake on the academy’s part in creating the persona gate..."
The fact that the persona gate was real got buried. The professors strongly denied it, but above all, it was the principal's order.
A quiet upscale cafe on Arcanium Rodeo Street.
Members of the Scarlet Eagle Club gathered and threw words of concern at Hong Bi-Yeon. She mostly brushed off their words since they lacked sincerity.
"Princess Hong Bi-Yeon."
However, that voice couldn't be ignored. She turned her head to confirm the person calling her.
Edmon Atalek, a third-year senior and wealthy member of the Scarlet Eagle Club.
"Yes, senior."
"Haha. You don't have to address me so formally. It's a bit awkward for me to use informal language too."
"The academy maintains a strict hierarchy."
"Is that so?"
As Edmon sat in front of Hong Bi-Yeon, the other club members quickly moved aside.
Edmon could be said to belong to Hong Bi-Yeon’s faction, but his value was incomparable to other students.
A genius among geniuses who achieved Class 4 at 19, Edmon was the successor of Duke Atalek, the brain of the Adolevit Kingdom.
The twin mountain ranges of the Adolevit Kingdom.
The Ducal Atalek family was the only family that could rival the Ducal Orkan family.
Without their support, Hong Bi-Yeon couldn't possibly compete with Princess Hong Si-Hwa.
That was why Hong Bi-Yeon couldn't afford to treat him lightly. It would be more accurate to say they had an equal relationship.
Hong Bi-Yeon would be helpless without the support of Edmon and his followers.
However, their relationship was somewhat precarious.
If one analyzed it, the Ataleks could be considered Hong Bi-Yeon's relatives, but that concept had practically dissipated in the present.
The Atalek family had become loosely connected to the Hong Si-Hwa faction to the extent that, if they were determined, they could lend support.
Of course, such a situation was unlikely to occur, but it was the reality that they had no choice but to cater to Edmon's whims.
"You're not hurt, right? I was worried about what might happen to you."
The girls blushed as they listened to Edmon's gentle words. He belonged to a distinguished family and was not only handsome but also intelligent, making him popular.
However, Hong Bi-Yeon did not like him.
‘This cunning man…’
He was an outstanding strategist and politician, and he would not hesitate to use any means necessary to secure his position.
Edmon seemed unusually fixated on Hong Bi-Yeon, and his ultimate goal was probably to make her queen and marry her.
She would rather die than marry a man like him, but the reality was bleak.
If she didn't become queen immediately, she would be subjected to a life of torture, and without Edmon's help, she couldn't become queen.
Unless someone with enough power or someone with power rivaling that of Duke Atalek came by her side, marriage to him was inevitable.
“I’m healthy, so there's no need to worry."
"That's a relief."
Afterward, Edmon tried his best to initiate trivial conversations in order to win Hong Bi-Yeon’s favor.
However, she only responded curtly, and Edmon eventually realized that this approach was not effective, so he changed the subject.
"Oh, right. Do you want to play soul chess? It's a brain sport for mages. There’ll be an academy tournament soon."
He had a particular fondness for soul chess. Not only had he easily defeated the president of the Soul Chess Club, but he had also achieved remarkable results in competitions, showcasing his exceptional skills.
Although Hong Bi-Yeon had no interest in soul chess, she nodded reluctantly because she didn't want to hurt Edmon's feelings.
"Okay. I'll teach you a move today, so watch closely and learn."
She couldn't understand why she had to engage in this boring and unimpressive brain sport, but she had no choice but to comply to please Edmon.
As she moved the chess piece with her finger, she suddenly glanced out the window.
‘Baek Yu-Seol?’
Coincidentally, Baek Yu-Seol walked past the window.
He yawned and half-sleepily blinked his eyes. Her gaze kept following him, but Baek Yu-Seol quickly moved out of her sight.
"..."
Suddenly, memories of their perilous encounter in the persona gate flooded her mind.
For some reason, the time spent in that dangerous place felt more thrilling and enjoyable than the present.
‘Why is that?’
She pondered slowly, but she couldn't figure out the reason in the end.