《Three Ways to Survive in a Tormenting Life》 Chapter 1: Stepping Out Chapter 1: Stepping Out (1) Park Min-Jun dragged himself out of his work desk and forced himself to go outside despite his splitting headache. ¡°Ugh...¡± he groaned, slowly making his way to the door, stumbling along the path. His left arm clenched tightly onto the side of his pale head, as if his skull were threatening to split open from the throbbing pain circulating his brain. [You are experiencing ¡°Super Strong Migraine¡±!] ¡°Damn.. must be from suddenly standing up after a long slumber,¡± he muttered to himself, his words slurred by the discomfort. He reached out and twisted the gold door knob while mentally preparing himself for the day ahead. As he turned it millimeter by millimeter, his mind wandered. ¡®If only I could laze around all day,¡¯ he thought wistfully, feeling as though he had already expended fifty percent of his calories just to keep his eyes open. ¡®These dreary eyes just won¡¯t stay open.¡¯ [You used 50% of your calories!] ¡°It¡¯s for real..¡± he sighed, his hand still on the knob, twisting at a glacial pace. ¡®If only I could do nothing. Ahhhhh.. I hate life!¡¯ he began to sing in his mind, the melody carrying his frustration. ¡®I hate working!¡¯ he added after a brief pause, taking approximately 31.4 seconds to rest his body and brain. ¡®It¡¯s tiring to even form tho-¡±¡¯ ¡°Oppa,¡± a voice interrupted, and the door suddenly swung open. Min-Jun nearly jumped out of his skin. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s just you,¡¯ he thought, rather than say. A squeaky and irritating voice shattered his delusional world. ¡°Oppa. Father said to-¡±¡± ¡°Hurry up?¡± Min-Jun interrupted, taking a deep breath that seemed to suck in all the air in the villa. The little girl avoided eye contact, keeping her head low. Min-Jun couldn¡¯t help but infer from her gesture that she hated him, though her fidgeting and forced smile belied her true feelings. He released the breath he had been holding. ¡°Fine.¡± Mi-Cha nodded gleefully, her sudden bright beam contrasting with Min-Jun¡¯s evident discomfort. ¡°Be back soon, okay?¡± Min-Jun raised his arm threateningly, his eyebrows furrowing in discomfort. The toddler flinched as he patted her head. ¡°I will, Mi-Cha,¡± he assured her, mustering a grin that belied his true feelings, before striding out of his room for the first time in two years. As Min-Jun made his way towards the hallway¡¯s exit, he felt a sour taste erupting from his throat. He hurriedly covered his lips as it enveloped his mouth. ¡°Blegh!¡± The cringe was too strong. ... Meanwhile, as Mi-Cha walked in the opposite direction of Min-Jun, she suddenly felt the urge to vomit. Her face turned sour, and her mood plummeted. ¡°Blegh!¡± The cringe here was also too strong. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. * Today marked Min-Jun''s seventeenth birthday. In the nation of Vervillia, when a boy reached sixteen years old, he was required to undergo the final magic ranking test at the Royal Palace. This rank could determine his status in society, though wits and physical strength could also compensate for any deficiencies in magical prowess. Having missed the fifteenth and sixteenth birthday tests, Min-Jun found himself compelled to undertake all three examinations this year, including the strength test. The government believed it necessary to assess the strengths of Vervillia¡¯s citizens to assign suitable jobs or statuses. Royal and National Academies were established to nurture the talented and skilled, though Min-Jun had spent two years skipping classes. Despite his expectations of expulsion, the academy had allowed him to continue his education, much to his chagrin. Sighing, Min-Jun combed his jet-black hair back with his hands, bracing himself for the sun''s warmth as he stepped outside. The maids opened the front door for him, and he reluctantly made his way into the sunlight. ¡®I''m tired,¡¯ he thought, his newly formed laziness popping as soon as he saw a familiar figure dashing towards him. "Ah!! My son!" the figure exclaimed. ¡°Ah!! My father!¡± Min-Jun mimicked, though his enthusiasm was lacking. His father enveloped him in a tight embrace, soaking his shirt with snot and tears. ¡°You¡¯re finally going to touch grass! You¡¯re finally feeling the sun! Thank the heavens!¡± A pang of regret washed over Min-Jun. His father, Park Cordelia, wasn''t a terrible man, but he had left them in dire financial straits once again. Too lenient and kind to properly manage finances, he had agreed with the Royal Palace to send Min-Jun back to the academy, unwilling to shoulder the burden of another mouth to feed. But as Min-Jun pondered the situation further, a darker realization dawned on him. He felt like an extra in the family, posing no real contribution and thus seen as a useless burden. ¡®Aghh, my brain hurts just thinking about this stuff.¡¯ [Reminder! You are "Lazy as Fuck¡±!] ¡®Shut up.¡¯ [Reminder! You are ...] ¡®I know that! Damn!¡¯ His father¡¯s demeanor suddenly turned serious. ¡°Anyway, you know you¡¯re being sent back to the academy, right? Make me proud again, son.¡± A bitter smile tugged at Min-Jun''s lips. His father had never truly been proud of him; ¡°again¡± was a lie to motivate him, and Min-Jun knew it. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of motivation at the thought. ¡°The academy is a battleground of power and influence. Spread the great Park family name around,¡± his father continued, pressing his hands firmly on Min-Jun''s shoulders. Min-Jun winced inwardly at the mention of their "great family name." Despite their purported greatness, they couldn¡¯t even clear their debt, which had accumulated over four long years. ¡°Yes, father. I will do my best!¡± Min-Jun forced a grin, though his heart wasn¡¯t in it. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s our debt?¡± ¡°It increased by 75%. We¡¯re now 15,346,400 gold coins in debt.¡± A surge of pain ripped through Min-Jun''s head, feeling like a dragon attacking his brain. ¡°Fuck...¡± ¡°Young Master! Please hurry up!¡± the carriage driver called out. ¡®Oh. I forgot about him. I¡¯ve kept him waiting for far too long.¡¯ Min-Jun stared blankly at the sky. ¡®... Well, I guess I have no other choice.¡¯ Taking his time, Min-Jun made his way to the carriage, dragging his feet as if each step were an insurmountable obstacle. The sun was draining all of his energy, and his cells were working overtime to adjust to its warmth. After all, he had spent the last two years shut away in his room, living like a degenerate prince. [You have ¡°Vitamin Deficiency¡±!] [You have ¡°Super Strong Migraine¡±!] [You are in dire need of ¡°Vitamin D¡±!] ¡®Thanks, I didn¡¯t know.¡¯ As he reached the carriage door, all the energy drained from his legs, and the strength to keep his eyes open dissipated. [You have ¡°Low Blood Pressure¡±!] ... ¡°Young Master!¡± ¡°Sigh.. just throw him in the carriage.¡± Was that his father? ¡°Heave-ho!¡± ''Well, shit. Whatever.¡¯ [You have fainted!] Fin. Chapter 2: Stepping Out Chapter 2: Stepping Out (2) When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a familiar-looking room. I was lying on a comfortable mattress, surrounded by half-opened long, white curtains. Hold on... I pulled myself up. Isn¡¯t this the Academy¡¯s infirmary? So I have already arrived... As if it detected my awakening, the migraine came back for round two. The pain was unbearable. I felt something strange on my forehead¡ªit was like my forehead was being pressed against tape. Oh, wait. I instinctively grabbed the small hand-mirror on the desk near me and looked at myself. There was a large bandage wrapped around my forehead. Was this from the fall? My short pondering was interrupted by a loud voice for the third time. ¡°Min-Jun!!! Ahahaha, my boy!!!¡± His voice reverberated throughout the building. Why do these old men want to crush my eardrums so badly? The man poked his head in through the curtains. This guy... I remember him. He¡¯s the Head Nurse in this academy. What¡¯s his name again?¡ªOswaldo Garcia? I still can¡¯t get used to his weird broccoli hair and feminine outfit. Hey, stop staring at me. You¡¯re creeping me out. ¡°Ahem.¡± The guy seemed to notice how freaky he was acting. ¡°Sorry, boy..." he took a moment to glance at my body. Chills ran down my spine. "Hoho~ you grew taller.¡± Being too lazy to utter a word, I nodded and grinned in reply. It feels weird to be back here. I stopped attending this academy at age fifteen when my family''s debt worsened tenfold. I was terribly bullied here, so... Anyway, this guy is pretty fond of me. I did visit this place a lot back then. ¡°Your wits and magic rank retake is starting in one minute, Min-Jun-boy.¡± What the hell... Why didn¡¯t they wake me up sooner? I immediately got up from the mattress and hoped the migraine would calm down this time. Hurriedly, I fixed my hair and removed the badly placed bandages. I littered the bandages on the ground. I am a very good person. One minute left. They wouldn¡¯t let me retake it if I were late to the test. Wait!¡ªI wouldn¡¯t have to take it if I were late. So, instead of rushing to the test, I chose a more leisurely path. Opting to rest on a wooden bench in the academy''s sprawling garden after slipping away from the Nurses'' Building. Hahaha. ¡°Genius me.¡± Sneaking out was quite a challenge. The Head Nurse had enhanced his senses for that very problem. I had to spy on him from the infirmary¡¯s window to make sure he¡¯s actually gone. I told him I''d do it when I felt better, but that was a lie for him to not be suspicious of me. This wooden bench actually felt comfortable and nostalgic. Snore. ¡­ I see a rainbow unicorn.. Woah~ Its horn is holding a large bag of coins. Why are the coins wriggling around in the bag? The unicorn revealed a sinister smile. Tschutututut! Oh shit, the coins are exploding. * The sound of high heels tapping on the ground woke me from my nap. I had a good dream, too, though it spanned for about 3.14 seconds. As I reclined on the bench, contemplating my escape from the academy, a female archmage instructor specializing in magic entered the vast garden. She busied herself preparing the booth where the other instructors evaluated elemental magic. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Wait. She¡¯s prepping? Prepping here? She approached me, surprisingly. Then, I was told something I would never want to hear right now. ¡°Ohoho. You¡¯re early? You''re the second person I know that is eager for this evaluation.¡± She smiled exactly like the unicorn in my dreams. My hopes of avoiding the test shattered like glass. Who would want to be early here, anyway? ¡°How¡­ how early am I?¡± I was hoping she¡¯d say something like ¡°thirty minutes early¡± so I could have enough time to leave this place forever. ¡°Mm. About one hour early.¡± Yess!! The instructor grabbed her large bag to retrieve a weighty stack of papers¡ªthe Wits and Knowledge test. With a nonchalant gesture, she suggested I take the test then and there, reasoning that I''d be waiting regardless and could save myself the trouble of traversing to the next building for the Knowledge Test retake afterward. Sigh. I dragged my legs to where she¡¯s at and borrowed a pen from her. Caught in a maelstrom of resignation and misery, I begrudgingly accepted my fate. "Urgh.." I snatched the papers from her outstretched hand. [You are experiencing ¡°Super Strong Migraine¡±!] The migraine, ever a faithful companion...returned with a vengeance, adding to my growing distress. As I grumpily began the test, I couldn''t help but lament my misfortune and the cruel twist of fate that led me to this moment. I¡¯ll get back at you, Head Nurse. I filled out the section where it asked about the Nation of Vervillia¡¯s geography.. ¡­ About Vervillia¡¯s political situation. ¡­ About the logic of elements in magic. ¡­ About the man largest in debt.. ¡°About the man largest in¡± what...? Huh?? ¡¸
  1. A) Cordelia Park
  2. B) Jame Jameston
  3. C) Cordelia Park
  4. D) Cordelia Park
¡¹ What the hell.. My father¡¯s name was on that thing three times. Father. Our family name had already reverberated throughout the academy¡­ Thank you, father, for improving my beautiful, enjoyable academy experience. It was like they wanted to taunt me. I circled Jame Jameston anyway and turned in the paper. I took about thirty minutes to finish that test.. An average shut-in would have taken an entire year. ¡°Uh, mm.. Good job on your test?..¡± the instructor complimented me awkwardly. I know, I¡¯m a genius. Why did she say that in a question tone, though? ¡­ ¡°Hey.¡± Ah, I think I heard something behind me. ¡°The hell?...¡± Suddenly, my left shoulder got pushed back, which turned me around. The figure of a delinquent, muscular man scared me. His combed-back crimson hair was reminiscent of my old bully from two or three years ago. The nostalgia hit hard. What was he carrying behind him, anyway? ¡°The fuck? Why are you back at this school, twerp? Didn¡¯t we bully you enough?¡± Damn.. he was the bully after all. I was hoping he was just a look-alike. This guy is pissed off all the time. Talk about a short temper. ¡°Sorry, who were you talking to?¡± Ignorance is the key to life. He clicked his tongue. I think I said the wrong words. ¡°You impudent piece of¡­¡± [Xavier Vervillia is activating ¡°Gravity of Obedience Lv.2¡±!] This [Authority] skill is given to anyone of pure Vervillian Royalty... it forces anyone of lower "level average" face flat on the ground. I dropped immediately. The pressure exceeds what my body could uphold; my organs feel like they''re going to gush out. I think I might die from this. The two years of avoiding all social and natural interaction was starting to feel wistful.. if only I trained during those years. Blood started to stream out from my eye, then slowly, my nose. Fuck. It''s only a level two skill and yet it impacts me this much. Instinctively, I used my hand to cover my mouth for the upcoming cough. "Ackk!" Blood splattered all over my hand. I tried to rise up, but my weak muscles and bones, plus his authority as another factor, forced me back down violently. ¡°Kukuku¡­¡± I forced an ominous laugh and tried my hardest to bluff. I fought with every cell in my body to keep my eyes open. ¡°Muahahahat! You...¡± The intense feeling of cringe for myself made me cough up more blood. My vision started to become shaky and blurry. [You have lost a lot of blood!] Already? Xavier thought I had become an insane lunatic or something.. he winced in disgust. His nose wrinkled further as the feeling of abhorrence filled his entire being. He released his skill and walked backwards. With pure astonishment for how much of a freak I could be, he taunted, ¡°Grosssss, man!!¡± Relieved, I hesitantly picked myself up and patted the dirt off my pants. My dying, dark, red blood cells painted a visible stain on the white shirt beneath my black coat. I couldn''t fully stand up, so I knelt on one knee and tried my hardest to look like I had some secret trick. Augh... every inch of my body hurts like hell. I feel tired.. [You have ¡°Anemia¡±!] [You are losing consciousness!] Not again.. Hesitantly, I formed a weird-looking hand sign inspired by my favorite ninja book series, Haruto. "Hey! What the hell are you kids doing?!!" Nice timing, teacher. I felt my consciousness steadily slip away. I tried to grasp onto it, but I collapsed nevertheless. ¡°Oi, oi..¡± Maybe I should''ve tried to befriend my old bully from the beginning. [You have fainted!] [You must recover your health ASAP!] [...] Fin. Chapter 3: Stepping Out Chapter 3: Stepping Out (3) ¡°Ahjumoni! I think he released a demonic magic spell or something, he looks strange!¡± Xavier hollered, his voice tinged with slight panic. [Atruse Servela is using the skill ¡°Spell Detection Lv. 10¡±!] ¡°What do you mean?¡± the lady raised a brow in irritation. ¡°I don¡¯t sense anything¡ªoh my goodness.¡± the ahjumoni spotted dark red fluid oozing from the boy¡¯s mouth, eyes, nose, and ears. She hurried towards the boy¡¯s body and checked his wrist for a pulse. "I dunno, he did a weird hand sign.." ¡°What? I can barely sense anything...¡± she muttered, the feeling of concern creasing her brow. ¡°His aura is faint, and his pulse is weak. This is serious... call Head Nurse Garcia Oswaldo-nim here immediately!¡± The boy''s condition looked dire. [Atruse Servela is using the skill ¡°Blood Restoration Lv. 2¡±!] Though startled and confused, Xavier obeyed. ¡°..Yes, got it!¡±How did this happen to the guy? Was this the aftereffect of his magic¡ªor another factor? His [Gravity of Obedience] skill isn¡¯t that powerful, either¡ªIt¡¯s level two.. Xavier dashed to the Nurses¡¯ Building, which lay not far from the Academy Garden, and quickly brought the Head Nurse to the scene. The Nurse followed behind him, albeit reluctantly. ¡°He¡¯s over here.¡± Xavier gestured towards the fallen boy, his nerves evident in his movements. With one hand scratching his neck anxiously, his other hand remained tucked in his pants. ¡­ Upon arrival at the scene, Head Nurse Garcia Oswaldo was greeted with a troubling sight. Min-Jun lay unconscious, his pallor ashen, his breath shallow and labored. The nurse''s heart rose, recognizing the severity of the situation. "What happened here?" Oswaldo''s voice quivered with concern as he rushed to Min-Jun''s side. Xavier hesitated, his earlier bravado replaced with genuine worry. "I don''t know. He collapsed after..." He tried to exclude the part where he used his skill on him. "After what?" Oswaldo pressed, his gaze shifting between Xavier and Min-Jun''s prone form. "He laughed.. and kinda just," Xavier stammered, not shaken by the injured student, but by embarrassment. "And then he kinda just¨C" Oswaldo''s brow furrowed in confusion, but he didn''t have time to dwell on it. With practiced efficiency, he began assessing Min-Jun''s condition, checking his vitals and examining him for any signs of injury or illness. "His pulse is weak," Oswaldo muttered, his fingers trembling slightly as he felt for Min-Jun''s heartbeat. Xavier nodded, ¡°Atruse Servela ... ahjumoni said that a little ago." The Nurse flipped Min-Jun''s limp body forward and hastily started treatment. [Garcia Oswaldo is using the skill, ¡°Multiplying Blood Lv. 10¡±!] Garcia Oswaldo''s mind raced with concern for this child. Whatever had caused Min-Jun''s sudden collapse, it was clear that his condition was grave. His broccoli hair waved in the air due to the skills being activated. [¡°Park Min-Jun¡± is registered as one of your regulars!] [¡°Regular Patient¡¯s Benefits¡± is activating!] A glowing green circle formed on Min-Jun¡¯s chest. As if panicked by that, the Head Nurse hurriedly pressed on some pressure points. [¡°Chinese Medication¡± is leveling up!] Shoulders. Neck. Abdomen. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Xavier hovered anxiously nearby, his gaze fixed on Min-Jun''s still form. ¡°It was merely a level two skill..¡± he mumbled. ¡­ Atruse Servela arched her back to watch the Head Nurse work. ¡°How is he, Head Nurse-nim?¡± Oswaldo spared her a brief glance, his expression grave. "I don''t know," he admitted. "But I¡¯m going to do everything I can to help him. I won¡¯t allow him to miss these tests." [Garcia Oswaldo is using the skill, ¡°Diagnosis Lv. 10¡±!] With that, Oswaldo set to work as he tried to stabilize his patient¡¯s body, checking the list frequently for what needs to be done. ¡¸ Patient ¡°Park Min-Jun¡±¡¯s Diagnosis: Anemia Lv.6 Low Blood Pressure Lv.2 Super Strong Migraine Lv.1 Vitamin Deficiency Lv.5 Evolving Cancer Cells Stage 1 View 2 others¡­ ¡¹ The nurse settled down a pink PuriPuri bag he had on the side of his hips and took out a few small bottles. He injected a magic-infused syringe into the patient¡¯s left arm. [You have cured a patient from a disease!] [You have leveled up a few skills!] The Head Nurse revealed a noticeable grin. ¡°I have reduced the seriousness of some of his illnesses.¡± His face turned grim. ¡°His body itself is weak. When he wakes up, tell Min-Jun-boy to regularly use these medications everyday and..¡± He glanced at Min-Jun¡¯s physique. ¡°Head Nurse?¡± ¡°..Remind him to exercise.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Oswaldo looked back at Min-Jun, frowning. ¡®Activate Diagnosis Lv.10¡¯ ¡¸ Patient ¡°Park Min-Jun¡±¡¯s Diagnosis: Anemia Lv. 2 Low Blood Pressure Lv.2 Strong Migraine Lv.7 Vitamin Deficiency Lv. 5 ??? Lv.??? View 1 other¡­ ¡¹ He paid closer attention to the ¡°¡¸??? Lv.???¡¹¡± illness. This time, he seriously was concerned. Xavier peaked over the body in curiosity, but Servela pulled him away. ¡®What is that..?¡¯ The nurse chose not to speak a word of that to anyone and stood up, a heavy weight settling in the pit of his stomach as he contemplated the mysterious ailment afflicting Min-Jun. Despite his years of experience, this unknown illness stirred a sense of unease within him, a nagging worry that lingered like a shadow in the back of his mind. As he straightened his uniform and adjusted his glasses, Garcia Oswaldo couldn''t shake the feeling that there was more to this situation than met the eye. But duty called, and with a determined exhale, he pushed aside his concerns for the time being. ¡°Sorry love, I have to go early for the second lecture. See chu!~¡± he said in an enthusiastic tone as an attempt to hide his troubles. There would be opportunities to delve into the mystery later, but for now, he had a classroom of eager young minds waiting for his guidance. With purposeful strides, Oswaldo made his way towards the Healer Class, his thoughts still lingering on the enigma of Min-Jun''s condition. As he walked, his broccoli hair bounced and his three long lashes at each eye waved. The sun shone on his face and a dark shadow resided where the sun couldn¡¯t reach. Perhaps in teaching the next generation of healers, he could find more about unknown diseases in the world, i.e. the one Park Min-Jun has. ¡­ After Atruse Servela waved the Head Nurse a goodbye, she glared back at Xavier. ¡°Tell me what really happened. You two were clearly fighting earlier.¡± Xavier of the Royal family, felt wronged all of the sudden. Her tone of voice was condescending. ¡°Vervillia Xavier. I don¡¯t want to use my skill on you.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± he stuttered out of embarrassment. ¡°I used an authority skill on him. [Gravity of Obedience].¡± The woman sighed in disappointment and shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t even that strong! I mean¡ªI didn¡¯t mean for him to be this badly injured. He¡¯s just really weak¡ªand the skill! The skill is only level two!¡± ¡°Ahh¡­. just help me prepare the magic evaluation tent.¡± ¡°Yes ahjumoni!¡± Servela carried the body and rested it on the academy''s wooden bench. ¡®One minute until the magic evaluation..¡¯ As she dozed off, other mages teaching in the academy appeared. ¡°Servela-ssi!¡± exclaimed a short girl¨Cno, woman, in front of her. ¡°Mm. Atruse-ssi?¡± a tall man approached from behind. ... Fin. Chapter 4: Stepping Out Chapter 4: Stepping Out (4) I woke up laying on the same wooden bench. Did I have a nightmare about having a reunion with my bully? ¡­ Today was the first day of social interaction, and I was already having trouble differentiating between reality and dreams. I might actually be a lunatic. I sat up, and surprisingly, I did so quicker than usual. My breathing was slower; I didn¡¯t have to fight for every breath. My muscles seemed to be cooperating well, too. And the migraine merely felt like a demon playing symphonies of hell in my brain and not like an entire planet splitting apart in my head. ["Super Strong Migraine" -> "Strong Migraine Lv.7"!] ["Anemia Lv.6" -> "Anemia Lv.2"!] [You no longer have "Evolving Cancer Cells Stage 1"!] What the¡­ A surge of excitement and triumph rushed through my mind. My diseased body was slowly healing. I didn¡¯t have ¡°Super Strong Migraine¡± anymore, and my blood production rate was improving. And ¡°Evolving Cancer¡­¡± I didn¡¯t even know I had that. I survived cancer? I couldn¡¯t decide whether to feel concerned or happy. I looked forward and noticed archmage Atruse Servela and Xavier standing next to each other. ¡­ So it wasn¡¯t a dream after all. A few other instructors were nearby, talking to each other. Not wanting to be a part of this meetup, I stood up quietly and tiptoed away. Suddenly, my faithful companion came to greet me. [You are experiencing "Strong Migraine"!] Thud! I collapsed to the ground, face-flat, butt-up. This migraine keeps coming back buffed whenever I am off guard. That¡¯s it. I¡¯m determined to get rid of this companion. ¡°Who may that be? I could barely sense his presence earlier.¡± ¡°Haha, who is that?¡± I hesitated. Do they want me to answer or.. ¡°Ah, he¡¯s one of the kiddos that arrived early... Also, he upholds very little magical power.¡± The short girl in an archmage uniform and the tall man wearing a suit nodded as if they understood everything after hearing that. ¡°Hey kid, the Puri-Puri bag on the bench is yours.¡± Puri-Puri bag? I looked behind me. The bag was very noticeable. It was pink with a huge ¡°PURI-PURI ?,¡± and it had the broccoli head¡¯s chibi face sewn on it. I see; he¡¯s the one who helped me. ¡°Inside contains some treatment. Oswaldo-nim told me to tell you to use them.¡± ¡°Ah... Thank you, instructor.¡± Hold on, it took me a while to recognize her, but isn¡¯t that the Atruse Servela? Best archmage in this nation? ¡°I mean, thank you, ahjumoni for helping me. When you see the Head Nurse again, please tell him I appreciated his benevolent actions.¡± I went back to grab the Puri-Puri bag. It was pretty high quality¡ªmade from firm cotton and its perimeter laced with white silky fabric. I opened the zipper and a bundle of medication greeted me warmly. Antidepressants, vitamin supplements, treatment for anemia, and¨Coh? Head Nurse, I no longer need to take revenge on you. There were a few prescriptions and instructions taped onto the treatments. I spotted the ¡°Puri-Puri ? Migraine Reducing Pills¡± and immediately popped two pills in my mouth, as per the prescription. I closed my eyes and tried to feel for the migraine, but it had already vanished. ¡°Damn, this works like magic,¡± I muttered. The people near me stared at me like I was a clinically mentally handicapped zoo animal. Suddenly, the academy¡¯s bell tower at the east side rang loudly three times, and after that, I was bombarded with the loud voices of academy students. ¡°It¡¯s time..¡± the ahjumoni sounded despaired. ¡°Line up, single file!¡± yelled the short archmage girl. ¡°Take this seriously and do not joke around! This is the final element evaluation and magic rank test!¡± The male instructor next to her went along. Instructors waved their arms to guide the students. ¡°Retakers, go follow the short girl in the archmage uniform!¡± As I followed the loli, I felt ominous gazes painting all over me. When I looked back at the students in line, they immediately faced their eyes elsewhere. Do I really look that good? Heh. [A divine being is pitying your pathetic state.] Ah, so it was vice versa. I remembered the moment before I fainted. Xavier was using his level two skill authority skill on me. I looked at my shirt and saw the extremely obvious stain of blood. Fuck, his [Gravity of Obedience] was only level two. Was I that weak? I thought I was strong. I have been talented since birth. My being smart, strong, and incredibly handsome was the reason why I was enrolled in the National Royal Academy in the first place. The only issues I have that are holding me back are illnesses caused by not experiencing nature and the sun in such a long time, etcetera. ¡°U-uh, can you go¡­¡± ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± I was holding up the line. A normal person would be embarrassed, but I thought it was funny. I let out a small chuckle and continued forward. ¡°Unhinged young gentleman, please place your palm on the crystal sphere with a circular engraving,¡± the short loli archmage spoke. She directed me to the table-countertop of the tent. There was a notable wooden sign that displayed, ¡°PL3Z R3AD INSTRVCTI0NS BELOW!¡± Beneath the sign pinned a fine-quality paper of instructions. - Both palms should be placed on the crystal. Say your full name before the instructor starts using their skill. I couldn¡¯t be bothered enough to read more. The other stuff was safety precautions in case something happened. I doubted anything would happen, though. Archmages were here to protect the students if something bad actually happened. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. On the table rested three clear crystal spheres. One each with different engraved shapes: rhombus, crescent-moon, and circle. Although a little nervous, I did as instructed and placed my palm on the one with a basic circle. The loli archmage picked up her golden staff and pointed it at my face. She smiled as if waiting for something. ¡°Ah, right. Park Min-Jun.¡± I heard students snickering behind me. I turned to glare at them. [Vaughn Lily is activating ¡°Detect Simple Magic Compatibility¡±!] ¡­ One second passed. Two. Three. .. Then, Ten. ¡­Nothing happened? ¡°Huh? Usually colors show on the sphere¡­¡± She squinted and focused her eyes on me. ¡°Hey, Park-ssi.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you perhaps have zero compatibility with magi¨C¡± a strong gust of wind interrupted her. A suspicious, dark-red aura started to become visible around the crystal sphere and a disgusting mix of black and purple slowly formed and circulated in the crystal. A putrid aroma radiated around the tent. Students behind me immediately covered their noses. The archmage¡¯s glasses dropped. She rushed closer to the sphere in awe¡ªa clip on her nose accompanying her. ¡°A smell that reeks, and horrifying faces created by unusually mixed colors..¡± Why did it turn out that way? The last time I took this test, which was about seven years ago, the sphere was flickering white and emitting black aura. They said I was gifted. [A divine being is intrigued.] [A demonic being is intrigued.] Why the hell was a demonic being watching, too? Was I cursed or something? I don¡¯t know much about these beings, but I¡¯m pretty sure the ¡°divine beings¡± are like gods. The divine beings do nothing but react to our actions and give blessings when they feel like it. It¡¯s rare to get a notice about demonic beings, though. Whispers and gossips about the rare demonic being.. and me spread throughout the crowd. ¡°Blood is on his shirt..¡± ¡°Demonic being?...¡± ¡°No wonder. That guy looks sickly¡­¡± Thank you for the compliment, friends. Disregarding the nosey and noisy crowd, I glanced back at the archmage-loli-instructor. I expected her to say something about the weird thing that happened to the sphere, but she stayed quiet and held a grim expression. ¡°A¨Cah.. sorry. Park-ssi, please move left. I have evaluated your Basic Magic Compatibility.¡± I obeyed. This started to feel a little exciting. Next to the basic crystal sphere was the rhombus engraved sphere. One of my favorite instructors in the academy was managing that crystal. I was happy she¡¯s there, but for some reason, she looked a little tired. ¡°Instructo¨C¡± I was forcefully stopped by extremely painful coughs. ¡°Atruse Servela!¡± The instructor most likely didn¡¯t hear me. She still look pained and distressed, her head resting on both of her hands. ¡°Oii.¡± I leaned closer to her face and slowly enunciated, ¡°Ah..ju..mo..ni~.¡± Instructor Atruse Servela was shaken by the creepy call and quickly stood up. ¡°Never do that again.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Whatever. Say your full name.¡± ¡°Park Min-Jun.¡± [Atruse Servela is activating ¡°Detect Transcendental Magic (¡À) Compatibility¡±!] [Being is not applicable for this skill.] ¡°Ah..¡± Servela sighed. ¡°It looks like you have no..¡± she passed as if she saw something strange. Her brows furrowed. ¡°Go to the next archmage.¡± When I started moving forward¡­ or moving left, I heard gasps in awe. ¡°Can someone actually have that many already?..¡± ¡°He already has two¡­ as expected of the crowned prince!¡± I immediately twisted around to check on who the new talent was, and to my surprise, it was Vervillia Xavier. He missed out on this magic evaluation last year, too? And since when did he become the crowned prince? After taking a look at Xavier, I noticed the stupidly long line of seniors who also missed this last year. They probably skipped to avoid others seeing their compatibility, but it backfired since almost everyone thought the same thing. The crystal Xavier placed his palms on glowed red and light blue. Impressive. He was compatible with elements that compliment each other; fire and air. He¡¯s probably going to be one of the best military commanders in the nation of Vervillia. ¡°Hurry up, Min-Jun. Why are you always dozing off?¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± [¡­] "Park Min-Jun" [Being is not applicable for this skill.] ¡°Mm..¡± the handsome ahjussi looked bored and unsurprised, then the next second, he had the same expression the ahjumoni had, but filled with a little excitement. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to trouble myself on this. You may head to your second lecture. We will pass out your rankings and results tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir ¡­¡± I forgot his name, though I did recall seeing him a while back. ¡°Valentine Voytek.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir Valentine.. Voytek.¡± ¡­ As I tried to run off and escape, I heard louder oohs and ahs behind me. Was it Xavier? But yet again, to my surprise, it was a face I¡¯ve never seen before. A transfer? Did she come here during my two-year absence? ¡°A hundred percent compatibility with holy magic!¡± Atruse Servela looked ecstatic. ¡°Looks like I underestimated this little girl.¡± The girl had crimson hair and a very evident smug but grumpy face like Xavier. She looked a part of the Royal blood. ¡°Cute and holy¡­¡± whispered the male students. Creepy. Was it just me, or did I also hear someone say, ¡°Cunny¡±? Anyway, that¡¯s not my problem. I only needed to befriend a few people and mend my relationship with old bullies. Though, that was easier said than done. I strode away from the garden to look for the main office. I needed to retrieve my schedule for this year. ¡­ My pace quickened every second as I walked in the hallway. Shit. Shit. Shit. Why was Xavier looking for me? Was he trying to finish me off? ¡­ Enough questions. I need to avoid this guy; he¡¯s intimidating. I almost died to his level two skill¨CI¡¯m too weak to deal with his shenanigans. ¡°Hey Min-Jun! Stop running!¡± Vervillia Xavier yelled from behind. ¡°I''m giving you your change of clothes, you fucking idiot!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I stopped my tracks and awkwardly walked towards him; the silence enhanced my embarrassment by tenfold. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°The Head Nurse told me to give it to you. Also, there¡¯s a huge sheet of paper he grabbed for you. It¡¯s on the clothes, as you can see.¡± I grabbed the stuff from his hands. I was filled with slight discomfort and joy. ¡°Oi..¡± ¡°I had no other choice! I mean, barely anyone in this academy¡­ anyway, you cursed fucker, I was forced to help you. Also, you need to pay me tenfold. I had to chase your dumb ass down.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I looked at the papers provided for me. ¡°Woah. My schedule, room information, clothes, basically everything is here.¡± The Head Nurse probably pitied my health conditions. ¡°Xavier, what¡¯s your second lecture?¡± I tried to converse. ¡°Why the hell would I want to tell-¡± Unexpectedly, I felt a spiking pain around my head. [You are experiencing ¡°Strong Migraine Lv.7¡±!] ¡°Wait, give me a moment,¡± I urged pathetically. ¡°...¡± I grabbed the Puri-Puri bag stuffed in my coat pocket and opened it. The broccoli chibi logo and bright ¡°PURI-PURI?¡± shone as I took a while to search. ¡°Found it.¡± I popped two pills for migraines in my mouth. ¡°Sorry, continue." ¡°..." "..." The silence was loud. ... Come on man, talk. "So you¡¯re still a freak. I¡¯m leaving.¡± What a compliable guy. Xavier quickly walked ahead and turned to the left hall. As soon as he vanished from my sight, the eastern bell rang, telling all students it¡¯s time for class. Now to check my new schedule. - First. Magic & Elements Mechanism and the System, Lecture A (Seniors) - Second. Magic Training, Lecture B (Seniors) - Third. Strength Training, Physical Education B (Seniors) - Fourth. Diplomacy & History, Lecture A (Seniors) - Fifth. Language & Arts, Lecture A (Seniors) - Sixth. Elective. If you do not have one, Free Period. If you want one, see the front office. Magic Training? Lecture B¡¯s were located at Hall B¡¯s if my memory serves me right. My second class was right around the corner¡­ or should I say ¡°left around the corner,¡± because it¡¯s located in the left hall. I realized Xavier also went to the left hall. Did he also have Magic Training for the second lecture? Time to find out. Fin. Chapter 5: Magic Training (1) As Xavier sat on the tallest seat, he observed the classroom in search of the instructor. ¡°Where the hell is the instructor?¡± a male student from on the left side of the stairs complained. The student¡¯s family, the Gherios family, used to work as Xavier¡¯s servants until they were allowed to be promoted. Xavier grinned after a mischievous thought emerged in his head. Twenty minutes passed, but there was no sight of the teacher. ¡°This is bullshit, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Xavier stood up from his seat. All the students watched him as he walked down the steps delinquently with a furrowed face, two hands in his pocket, and a slightly hunched back. When Xavier was halfway down, a blurry figure appeared behind the glass of the classroom door. ¡°The instructor?¡± asked a female student. Before he could finish going down the stairway, the wooden door slid open and revealed a pale guy with visible eyebags. He had an extremely simple, yet uncommon, hair style. Smooth, pitch-black hair that covered all of his forehead and half his eyes. That wasn''t the instructor. The pathetic-looking guy that walked in was... ¡°I am Park Min-Jun. Hope we can all be good acquaintances,¡± the guy bowed. ¡°Why the hell are you..¡± Min-Jun, again, cut off Xavier amidst his rowdy speeches. ¡°I just started attending after two years, so I might not remember a lot of things taught here. Treat me well.¡± Whispers and gossip in the room emerged after Min-Jun¡¯s short introduction. ¡°The guy with stinky magic.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the demonic guy.¡± ¡°Isn''t that the cute guy who walked around with a bloody shirt?¡± Ignoring the gossip, Min-Jun walked past Xavier and passed him a light grin when they aligned. He sat on the seat right next to the steps¡ªwhich was, maybe by coincidence, beside Xavier¡¯s seat. At that moment, a tall old man walked in. The old man was balding; his silver hair seemed to form a ring around his scalp. He fixed the color of his sophisticated brown suit and eyed the students. The reflective golden pin featuring a simplified bouquet of grapes on his suit shone brightly, signifying his status in the academy. Instructor: Archmage. The old man sighed. ¡°I am your instructor for today. Call me Sir Heldrich.¡± His brows raised and his face held an arrogant expression. ¡°All stand up.¡± The students stood up immediately, though some were confused. The patterns on the wooden floor and crimson carpets glowed as the instructor chanted something. ¡°?? ???? ??????? ?????¡± Min-Jun¡¯s and everyone else''s hair waved and flowed due to the magic particles floating in the air. ¡°Woahh¡­¡± he muttered. He was amazed¡ªthis wasn¡¯t his first time seeing this, though. A girl on the top right corner of the seats slept soundly. Her hair also flew everywhere and made her look like a Medusa. [Transporting location to ''Academy Training Field''.] Particles of magic floated about, and the next thing they knew, the entirety of the room was enveloped in bright glitters of blue. [Location transported.] * All twenty students were teleported to a place with vast fields of grass and dirt. Everyone was in the same position they were in: two rectangular groups of students, Vervillia Xavier standing in the center, and the teacher in the front. They landed on yellowish, hardened dirt. The girl who did not stand up had the consequence of collapsing face-flat which turned the class to a harmony of giggles. ¡°Ow!¡± the girl wailed as she picked herself. ¡°Fuck! Why didn¡¯t any bastard wake me up?!¡± No one answered her and merely stared in silence. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s kinda your fault that you were sleeping,¡± Park Min-Jun suggested. [Divine beings are chuckling.] Sometimes Min-Jun forgot that divine beings exist. He thought they pose almost zero importance most of the time. All they do is watch and react. ¡®Come to think of it, where are these beings even watching from?¡¯ The delinquent girl bent down to look at Min-Jun¡¯s face more closely. ¡°What the fuck am I supposed to do when the dumbass instructor was more than ten minutes late? Huh, bastard?¡± He didn¡¯t reply. That was Choi Yeong-Ja from a family of blacksmiths. For such a pretty face, she had a vulgar mouth. The instructor glared at them with furrowed brows. He cleared his throat before he snapped his fingers. [Sir Heldrich is activating ¡°Creature Reservation Lv. 10¡±!] [50 out of 50 creatures have been summoned.] [KRIEEEEEEK!] Rabbits and hamsters with sharp teeth and demonic red eyes, piglets that, for some reason, have bulking muscles, and baby hedgehog monsters appeared and surrounded us. They created a symphony of squeals and deafening yelps. The creatures rampaged around and suddenly started to attack the students. ¡°Kyaa! The pig is ramming onto my ankles!¡± ¡°Ow, ow, the hedgehog!¡± He kidnapped these creatures from their mothers and isolated them in the system, hence the creatures were all anxious and violent when they were finally free. Min-Jun glanced back at the instructor with a grim expression. The instructor was still holding his esteemed, arrogant look. Sir Heldrich grinned at him lightly. ¡°I will be observing you students from here.¡± The instructor used air magic to levitate in the air. ¡°Attack these creatures and show me your current skills.¡± [A new task is set by the instructor!] [''Massacre the monsters and leave none behind.''] - Compensation: None. - Penalty: None. ¡°You heard him, bastards!¡± The first one to start massacring the monsters was Choi Yeong-Ja, followed by the crown prince. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± They both laughed maniacally. [Vervillia Xavier is using ''Flame Bullets Lv.5''!] [Choi Yeong-Ja is using ¡®Black Flames Lv.5''!] Their enthusiasm encouraged others to start brutally killing the low-level creatures. ¡°F-fireball!¡± ¡°Water cannon!¡± ¡°Summon ¡®Crusader¡¯s Sword¡¯! Take this, piglet!¡± [KIEEEEEK! EEEEK!] ¡®What the hell? These people are insane. What type of magic training class is this, anyway? And why are the students saying their spells out loud¡­¡¯ Min-Jun thought to himself. Min-Jun almost chuckled. ¡°Th-this is just too cruel..¡± He heard a voice behind him. He turned around to see a short, soft looking guy. The guy had jaw-length ginger hair, eyes that curved, cheeks filled with freckles¡­ he overall looked vulnerable. He also wore the academy¡¯s green cape uniform¡ªit was attached with a hood. His legs were bent inward as he held a long wooden staff. ¡®Is this guy¡­ Nevermind.¡¯ If Min-Jun recalled correctly, that guy was Julian of the Folia family. The family specialized in herbal medicine for the poor and nature and water magic. They were famous doctors and artisans.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s cruel?¡± Min-Jun asked him. Folia Julian looked at him as if he were surprised about something. ¡°A-ah, it¡¯s because these creatures are young and weak.. This massacre just feels wrong.¡± Min-Jun thought Julian was right to an extent; but at the end of the day, they were still monsters. If not culled soon, they will become bigger and stronger. When that happens, there will be more human deaths. ¡°They¡¯re still monsters, you know.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you killing them, as per the instructions, then?¡± Min-Jun looked at him, dazed and not knowing how to answer. He attempted to activate a basic spell anyone can use, a fire element-based spell called ¡°fireball,¡± but this thing¡­ [The illness ''??? Lv. ???'' is blocking attempted action.] ¡°Miraculum, sed tragoedia,¡± he tried the chant to see if it would work. [The illness ''??? Lv. ???'' is blocking attempted action.] As he expected. Why does he have a ¡°???¡± illness, and why was it not allowing him to activate basic spells? This was really concerning. [A divine being is curious about your condition.] ¡°Min-Jun.. do you, perhaps, have no compatibility for any type of magic?¡± Julian looked like a pufferfish. He was trying to be kind and hold in a laugh, but the expression he had really backfired. ¡°...¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± That didn¡¯t help ease Min-Jun¡¯s mood. Well, at least Julian¡¯s self-esteem rose. [Task completed.] ¡°Good job, students! With this, I have evaluated your current skill in magic¡­¡± Sir Heldrich looked at the students who didn¡¯t attack the creatures. ¡°..and personality.¡± Giggles and whispers formed once again, eyes darting towards Min-Jun, mainly. ¡°Oi, fuckface. You didn¡¯t attack, didn¡¯t you?¡± Min-Jun regretted interacting with Choi Yeong-Ja. ¡°Silence.¡± The instructor snapped his fingers again. [Sir Heldrich is activating ''Beast Summoning Lv. 5''] Five werewolf hounds spawned in the center of the students. Those monsters are between medium and high rank. It would take a super skilled person to kill them in one hit. Knowing that, the students immediately backed away. ¡°You will all take turns attacking these with your two strongest spells.¡± Chains appeared around these monsters¡¯ ankles and wrists. Their movements were now restricted, allowing the rest of us to attack freely. ¡°I will use [Appraisal] on you to see if it¡¯s truly your strongest spell.¡± Min-Jun was doomed. Fin. Chapter 6: Magic Training (2) [Elder Werewolf Hound (5). HP Individual: 5,000,000/5,000,000] ¡°These beasts are quite durable¨CI have nurtured them for decades, and they¡¯re used to measure your strongest attacks. A few of them here are level seventy and upper. I will grade you on how well you can inflict damage on these beasts. Once in a while, I will hold these tests and grade you to see how much you have improved.¡± Sir Heldrich soothed down his beard. So the baby creature massacre was like a warm up meant for this? If he wanted a warm up for us senior-years, he should¡¯ve used at least medium rank creatures. Just now, I technically watched a gruesome massacre of infants. ¡°Furthermore, just in case a student uses a magic spell over B-rank, I will set up a spherical barrier ranging twenty five feet around the beasts. Everyone, move back.¡± [Sir Heldrich is activating the spell ¡°Inverted Sphere Barrier Lv. 10¡±!] ¡°¡®Inverted Sphere Barrier¡¯ is an S-rank spell, isn¡¯t it?¡± Folia Julian asked me. .. Why is this idiot beside me? Nonetheless, I forced myself to give a response. I turned my head back and replied dryly. ¡°Yeah, S-rank.¡± ¡°Wow.. so he¡¯s actually our esteemed instructor for a good reason.¡± [Inverted Sphere Barrier] is a double-layer barrier made using elemental air magic that uses air pressure to its advantage. The magic outside gets pushed out but the air pressure if it tries to enter the sphere, and the magic inside gets pushed inwards. ¡°Once you¡¯re done, you may have free time until everyone is finished.¡± [A new task is set by the instructor!] [¡°Inflict damage twice on the beasts using two of your highest ranked spells.¡±] - Compensation: If high damage is done, points will be added to your grade. - Penalty: If poor damage is done, points in your grade will be deducted. ¡°Alright, it seems that you are the first man in the line, Vervillia Xavier.¡± Xavier nodded confidently. He entered the transparent hexagon-patterned blue sphere and started to concentrate his magic. ¡°Prince Xavier! Prince Xavier!¡± a few male students chanted. ¡°Aghh.. can you bastards shut the hell up? You¡¯re all so fucking noisy,¡± Choi Yeong-Ja complained. The male students looked at her with blank faces and watched as she picked her ears. This delinquent.. She has been in the academy ever since she was born.. For real. Her family of blacksmiths wanted her to go to school early because they wanted her to be the strongest and most skilled successor to their business. When I looked closely, she actually looked quite endearing. No wonder why people found it hard to hate her. Her short, pitch-black neck length hair and curved bangs made her look like a pure, young maiden, and her sharp cat eyes drew you in. ¡°What? What are you staring at?¡± Ah, I stared for too long. ¡°Nothing. Sorry.¡± Suddenly, the ground beneath us shook. [Vervillia Xavier is using ¡°Flame Bullets Lv.5¡±!] Bullets of flames rushed towards the werewolves. Some bullets missed and struck the ground instead, making sand dust fly up. [UWAAA! AWOOO!] The beasts let out an eerie scream. ¡°Woahhh..¡± ¡°Yeahh! Our future king!!¡± ¡°Vervillia¡¯s best scholar!¡± Xavier¡¯s ego tripled. He attacked the werewolves using his strongest spell with every inch of humanity¡¯s adrenaline. ¡°RAAAHHH!¡± [Xavier is using ¡°Celestial Blaze Burst Lv.1¡±!] A potent blend of holy magic and fiery energy formed in the air. Four bear-sized magic circles floated above Xavier¡¯s head and brought forth multiple spheres of sacred flames that burst upon impact on the beasts, unleashing waves of scorching fire, wind, and radiant energy. He used an A-rank and S-rank spell? This guy must have been vigorously training. ¡°Kyaaa!¡± Skirts were flying about.. Everyone covered their faces and ducked. The instructor grinned at the sight of Xavier¡¯s power. He had the same thought I did: Xavier would soon be one of the strongest beings on this planet. Two out of five beasts were gravely injured. [WUAHHHHH] [Elder Werewolf Hound is activating ¡°Howl of the Pack Lv.10¡±!] Xavier was thrown back by the screams of the beasts. He flew across the air and landed on his group of fanboys. ¡°Oof!¡± [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 3,333,333/5,000,000] [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 4,896,000/5,000,000] [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 5,000,000/5,000,000] [Elder ¡­] [...] ¡°Mm. Their health has gone down by a third. Who¡¯s next?¡± A third looked way too little for the holy flames. Other students became afraid of the terrifying scream and were now afraid to volunteer. Other exceptions stood back as if they merely wanted to watch. ¡°I will start picking random names if no one..¡± Folia Julian stepped up. What¡¯s a beast tamer from a family of doctors going to do? He¡¯s supposed to inflict damage, not heal. ¡°What is a mere beast tamer like you going to do, Folia? Are you going to heal the beasts or something?¡± Yes, that¡¯s what I thought. Julian walked inside the sphere with a determined look. ¡°Indeed, I am.¡± [Grr..] ¡°I see. If you manage to fully heal all the beasts, I¡¯ll grade you the same as I did Xavier for this.¡± [Folia Julian is activating ¡°Canine Lover Lv.10¡±!] The wolves stopped acting aggressive towards him. As he entered, four large magic circles appeared on the floor inside the sphere. [Folia Julian is using ¡­] . . . A large sum of time passed, but.. [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 5,000,000/5,000,000] [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 5,000,000/5,000,000] [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 5,000,000/5,000,000] [Elder ...] [...] ¡°He..¡± Julian actually restored all of their health. He walked back beside me, wiping off sweat and sighing. Quirky fucker. ¡°Ah.. That was a little tough,¡± he sighed. I looked at him blankly. ¡°You¡­?¡± He¡¯s lucky he had talent and usable magic. Julian hummed gleefully after knowing he had an A+ score for this task. Nobody volunteered after that due to the maxed out beasts¡¯ health, though, so the instructor had to personally pick on some names. ¡°Groves Anastasia.¡± Anastasia? I remembered her. She treated me well when I would go to class with bruises and injuries. She was kind, so I¡¯ll make sure to repay her well. Anastasia from the Groves family. The Groves were specialists in agriculture and aristocracy. Their main magic was the water element. ¡°W-water Barrage! Lake¡¯s Rage!¡± Anastasia¡¯s best attacks only afflicted one-eighth of what Xavier dealt on the beasts. [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 4,583,333/5,000,000] [...] Wait, [Lake¡¯s Rage]? While I was holed up in my room, I read about the strongest spells of different types of magical elements. ¡°Lake¡¯s Rage,¡± if evolved, could turn into S-rank magic, ¡°Depth of the Sea¡¯s Wrath¡±. Her spell was probably around level two because It barely did anything to the beasts. A few others came after that, but they were nowhere close to Xavier, Julian, or Anastasia. In total, the other students afflicted about half of Xavier¡¯s attack on the beasts. Choi Yeong-Ja, seeing the pathetic students, suddenly was motivated to show off. ¡°Watch me.¡± She stretched her left arm and summoned a [Death Spear], a dark magic, Earth magic, and fire magic based weapon. It was not unexpected that Yeong-Ja had already advanced this far, but it was still amazing. Two years ago, she used to be one of the girls who would laugh at me whenever I got picked on. She never joined in, though, so I¡¯ll forget about that. ¡°Choi Yeong-Ja. You have already been graded an A+ on this,¡± Sir Heldriched stopped her from entering the sphere. ¡°Haah? What do you mean?¡± she whined. ¡°Go back. It is now Park Min-Jun¡¯s turn.¡± I immediately looked at the instructor. Choi Yeong-Ja glared at me as she walked back, taking noisy stomps. ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Hey. It¡¯s not my fault,¡± I told her. If she really attacked those beasts, she would have killed one of them instantly. Sir Heldrich wouldn¡¯t want that¡ªhe nurtured those things for over a decade. ¡°What are you going to do? You have no compatibility¡­¡± Julian was beside me. I forgot about him for a moment. I actually do have compatibility with magic, but the illness I apparently have is blocking all of my actions. I tested it a few more times with low-level magic when I waited for the other students, but the system kept saying something like, ¡°[The illness ¡®??? Lv. ???¡¯ is blocking attempted action.]¡± I was starting to become anxious. What other spells could I use? Do I have any other skills that could substitute for magic? ¡°Park Min-Jun, please enter the sphere and attack. You are the last person.¡± Fuck. Fin. Chapter 6: Magic Training (2) [Elder Werewolf Hound (5). HP Individual: 5,000,000/5,000,000] ¡°These beasts are quite durable¨CI have nurtured them for decades, and they¡¯re used to measure your strongest attacks. A few of them here are level seventy and upper. I will grade you on how well you can inflict damage on these beasts. Once in a while, I will hold these tests and grade you to see how much you have improved.¡± Sir Heldrich soothed down his beard. So the baby creature massacre was like a warm up meant for this? If he wanted a warm up for us senior-years, he should¡¯ve used at least medium rank creatures. Just now, I technically watched a gruesome massacre of infants. ¡°Furthermore, just in case a student uses a magic spell over B-rank, I will set up a spherical barrier ranging twenty five feet around the beasts. Everyone, move back.¡± [Sir Heldrich is activating the spell ¡°Inverted Sphere Barrier Lv. 10¡±!] ¡°¡®Inverted Sphere Barrier¡¯ is an S-rank spell, isn¡¯t it?¡± Folia Julian asked me. .. Why is this idiot beside me? Nonetheless, I forced myself to give a response. I turned my head back and replied dryly. ¡°Yeah, S-rank.¡± ¡°Wow.. so he¡¯s actually our esteemed instructor for a good reason.¡± [Inverted Sphere Barrier] is a double-layer barrier made using elemental air magic that uses air pressure to its advantage. The magic outside gets pushed out but the air pressure if it tries to enter the sphere, and the magic inside gets pushed inwards. ¡°Once you¡¯re done, you may have free time until everyone is finished.¡± [A new task is set by the instructor!] [¡°Inflict damage twice on the beasts using two of your highest ranked spells.¡±] - Compensation: If high damage is done, points will be added to your grade. - Penalty: If poor damage is done, points in your grade will be deducted. ¡°Alright, it seems that you are the first man in the line, Vervillia Xavier.¡± Xavier nodded confidently. He entered the transparent hexagon-patterned blue sphere and started to concentrate his magic. ¡°Prince Xavier! Prince Xavier!¡± a few male students chanted. ¡°Aghh.. can you bastards shut the hell up? You¡¯re all so fucking noisy,¡± Choi Yeong-Ja complained. The male students looked at her with blank faces and watched as she picked her ears. This delinquent.. She has been in the academy ever since she was born.. For real. Her family of blacksmiths wanted her to go to school early because they wanted her to be the strongest and most skilled successor to their business. When I looked closely, she actually looked quite endearing. No wonder why people found it hard to hate her. Her short, pitch-black neck length hair and curved bangs made her look like a pure, young maiden, and her sharp cat eyes drew you in. ¡°What? What are you staring at?¡± Ah, I stared for too long. ¡°Nothing. Sorry.¡± Suddenly, the ground beneath us shook. [Vervillia Xavier is using ¡°Flame Bullets Lv.5¡±!] Bullets of flames rushed towards the werewolves. Some bullets missed and struck the ground instead, making sand dust fly up. [UWAAA! AWOOO!] The beasts let out an eerie scream. ¡°Woahhh..¡± ¡°Yeahh! Our future king!!¡± ¡°Vervillia¡¯s best scholar!¡± Xavier¡¯s ego tripled. He attacked the werewolves using his strongest spell with every inch of humanity¡¯s adrenaline. ¡°RAAAHHH!¡± [Xavier is using ¡°Celestial Blaze Burst Lv.1¡±!]Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. A potent blend of holy magic and fiery energy formed in the air. Four bear-sized magic circles floated above Xavier¡¯s head and brought forth multiple spheres of sacred flames that burst upon impact on the beasts, unleashing waves of scorching fire, wind, and radiant energy. He used an A-rank and S-rank spell? This guy must have been vigorously training. ¡°Kyaaa!¡± Skirts were flying about.. Everyone covered their faces and ducked. The instructor grinned at the sight of Xavier¡¯s power. He had the same thought I did: Xavier would soon be one of the strongest beings on this planet. Two out of five beasts were gravely injured. [WUAHHHHH] [Elder Werewolf Hound is activating ¡°Howl of the Pack Lv.10¡±!] Xavier was thrown back by the screams of the beasts. He flew across the air and landed on his group of fanboys. ¡°Oof!¡± [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 3,333,333/5,000,000] [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 4,896,000/5,000,000] [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 5,000,000/5,000,000] [Elder ¡­] [...] ¡°Mm. Their health has gone down by a third. Who¡¯s next?¡± A third looked way too little for the holy flames. Other students became afraid of the terrifying scream and were now afraid to volunteer. Other exceptions stood back as if they merely wanted to watch. ¡°I will start picking random names if no one..¡± Folia Julian stepped up. What¡¯s a beast tamer from a family of doctors going to do? He¡¯s supposed to inflict damage, not heal. ¡°What is a mere beast tamer like you going to do, Folia? Are you going to heal the beasts or something?¡± Yes, that¡¯s what I thought. Julian walked inside the sphere with a determined look. ¡°Indeed, I am.¡± [Grr..] ¡°I see. If you manage to fully heal all the beasts, I¡¯ll grade you the same as I did Xavier for this.¡± [Folia Julian is activating ¡°Canine Lover Lv.10¡±!] The wolves stopped acting aggressive towards him. As he entered, four large magic circles appeared on the floor inside the sphere. [Folia Julian is using ¡­] . . . A large sum of time passed, but.. [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 5,000,000/5,000,000] [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 5,000,000/5,000,000] [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 5,000,000/5,000,000] [Elder ...] [...] ¡°He..¡± Julian actually restored all of their health. He walked back beside me, wiping off sweat and sighing. Quirky fucker. ¡°Ah.. That was a little tough,¡± he sighed. I looked at him blankly. ¡°You¡­?¡± He¡¯s lucky he had talent and usable magic. Julian hummed gleefully after knowing he had an A+ score for this task. Nobody volunteered after that due to the maxed out beasts¡¯ health, though, so the instructor had to personally pick on some names. ¡°Groves Anastasia.¡± Anastasia? I remembered her. She treated me well when I would go to class with bruises and injuries. She was kind, so I¡¯ll make sure to repay her well. Anastasia from the Groves family. The Groves were specialists in agriculture and aristocracy. Their main magic was the water element. ¡°W-water Barrage! Lake¡¯s Rage!¡± Anastasia¡¯s best attacks only afflicted one-eighth of what Xavier dealt on the beasts. [Elder Werewolf Hound HP: 4,583,333/5,000,000] [...] Wait, [Lake¡¯s Rage]? While I was holed up in my room, I read about the strongest spells of different types of magical elements. ¡°Lake¡¯s Rage,¡± if evolved, could turn into S-rank magic, ¡°Depth of the Sea¡¯s Wrath¡±. Her spell was probably around level two because It barely did anything to the beasts. A few others came after that, but they were nowhere close to Xavier, Julian, or Anastasia. In total, the other students afflicted about half of Xavier¡¯s attack on the beasts. Choi Yeong-Ja, seeing the pathetic students, suddenly was motivated to show off. ¡°Watch me.¡± She stretched her left arm and summoned a [Death Spear], a dark magic, Earth magic, and fire magic based weapon. It was not unexpected that Yeong-Ja had already advanced this far, but it was still amazing. Two years ago, she used to be one of the girls who would laugh at me whenever I got picked on. She never joined in, though, so I¡¯ll forget about that. ¡°Choi Yeong-Ja. You have already been graded an A+ on this,¡± Sir Heldriched stopped her from entering the sphere. ¡°Haah? What do you mean?¡± she whined. ¡°Go back. It is now Park Min-Jun¡¯s turn.¡± I immediately looked at the instructor. Choi Yeong-Ja glared at me as she walked back, taking noisy stomps. ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Hey. It¡¯s not my fault,¡± I told her. If she really attacked those beasts, she would have killed one of them instantly. Sir Heldrich wouldn¡¯t want that¡ªhe nurtured those things for over a decade. ¡°What are you going to do? You have no compatibility¡­¡± Julian was beside me. I forgot about him for a moment. I actually do have compatibility with magic, but the illness I apparently have is blocking all of my actions. I tested it a few more times with low-level magic when I waited for the other students, but the system kept saying something like, ¡°[The illness ¡®??? Lv. ???¡¯ is blocking attempted action.]¡± I was starting to become anxious. What other spells could I use? Do I have any other skills that could substitute for magic? ¡°Park Min-Jun, please enter the sphere and attack. You are the last person.¡± Fuck. Fin. Chapter 7: Magic Training (3) ¡°Park Min-Jun, you are the last person.¡± I hesitated before I walked into the barrier. The beasts were staring into my eyes silently. I took a deep breath and concentrated on my palms. I tried to visualize a spark of light flowing through my veins. Magic stemming from my heart flowed to my palms, and I immediately converted it into actual light. [The illness ¡°??? Lv. ???¡± is blocking attempted action.] The light faded away. Not even one of my strongest spells could get past this illness. What disease blocks one from using magic, anyway? That¡¯s cursed. ¡°Park.¡± The instructor sounded irritated. ¡°I don¡¯t care if your strongest spells are weaker than others or not, you need to..¡± Sir Heldrich, that was not the issue. The issue was that I can¡¯t even use magic. ¡®Activate skill¨C¡¯ [The illness ¡°??? Lv. ???¡± is blocking attempted action.] Ah, right. I should try the chant. ¡®Utar hac luce¨C¡¯ [The illness ¡°??? Lv. ???¡± is blocking attempted action.] What the fuck. I looked above and saw the instructor staring daggers at me. He looked annoyed and impatient, tapping his fingers and all. At the sight of that, I sighed. ¡°Sir Heldrich, I can¡¯t perform the attempted¨CI mean¨Cthe spells.¡± The system message was getting stuck in my head. ¡°Why can¡¯t you?¡± The instructor spoke loudly. ¡°I have an illness that is¨Ccough!¡± Something gagged me. [The illness ¡°??? Lv. ???¡± is blocking attempted action.] Huh? ¡°Hurry up, fucker!¡± Choi Yeong-Ja urged. I took another deep breath. My strongest spell. It is pretty legendary, but I¡¯m too amateur to use it properly, and I predicted that the ¡°???¡± would block it anyway. Despite that, I attempted to start chanting in my head. ¡®Luce ac tenebris, carens omnibus, quam..¡¯ I felt an iron taste erupt within my throat, but I continued anyway. ¡°Keuk!¡± Blood splattered on the dirt. ¡®..caecitate creando.¡¯ [The illness ¡°??? Lv. ???¡± is warning you!] My thoughts started to wander everywhere. Static whirled in my brain and the migraine seemed to grow stronger. I coughed out more blood and almost collapsed. ¡°Wait.. Stop the spell!¡± I became a mindless puppet and only focused on finishing the spell. ¡®Clamo, eclipsis planetae..¡¯ [The illness ¡°??? Lv. ???¡± is worsening!]This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The pain in my head pulsed violently. I neglected the pain and continued to think of the last sentence of the chant. Magic power revolved around my wrists and my palm. I grasped onto it tightly, hoping for it to not get blocked by the illness. ¡®..argenteorum et stella Titan.¡¯ I finally finished the chant. [The illness ¡°??? Lv. ???¡± is reducing the effects of your spell!] [A divine being is watching closely.] [A divine being is feeling nostalgic.] * The sky turned dark by the time Min-Jun finished preparing his spell. An ominous aura filled the magic barrier that surrounded the beasts. ¡®What spell is that..¡¯ Instructor Heldrich saw something he had never seen before. ¡®Activate Appraisal.¡¯ [Being is not applicable for this skill.] Sir Heldrich heard other instructors talk about how their assessing skills couldn¡¯t activate when used on a particular student. There was an academy archmage meeting about it, but he chose to skip it to prepare for his classes. He started to regret skipping the meeting. As the darkness inside the barrier condensed, cracks appeared around the barrier the instructor created. The number of cracks increased and beasts inside the sphere let out a series of ground-shaking screams. [SCREEEE!] [WUAAAAAH!] ¡®What the hell was happening?¡¯ many thought. ¡­ [Elder Werewolf Hound has died!] [Elder Werewolf Hound has died!] [Elder Werewolf Hound has died!] [Elder Werewolf Hound has ¡­!] [Elder ¡­!] All five of the S-rank beasts died. Concern washed over the instructor¡¯s face. ¡®What¡­¡¯ The barrier broke and there was a large explosion stemming from it. Darkness surrounded the students and reached over the entire area. ¡°A solar eclipse¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at it! It¡¯ll blind you!¡± Instructor Heldrich instinctively activated sphere barriers around the students. He was slightly late, and a few students got injured from the explosion. He looked back at where Min-Jun was, and the condensed ominous aura was still there, taking the shape of the space it filled just now. It was slowly spreading apart and across the scenery. Everyone in the training zone looked at the sinister dark magic, observing the ugly sight and darkness that would consume them if they touched it. As the void-like fog cleared out, the giant, strong beasts that were twenty feet tall laid flat on the ground, and Park Min-Jun looked like a bloody mess. Dark red liquid oozed from his nose, eyes, mouth, and ears. He crouched on the ground, groaning and coughing blood. ¡°Min-Jun.. We should save him, too, instructor!¡± Julian cried. ¡°Instructor!¡± Sir Heldrich didn¡¯t know what to do. This was definitely the kid¡¯s strongest spell, but how was it already this strong? He tried to deduce the spell name. Black fog¡­fills the entire area with darkness¡­ blinding and menacing. Could it be? ¡°¡®Blinding Abyss.¡¯ A spell made from dark and light magic,¡± a student that was not encircled by the protective barrier flew beside Heldrich. The student fixed his circular glasses and combed back his brown hair with his hands. ¡°Remiola Zero. thought I placed you in a¨C¡± ¡°I broke it. I didn¡¯t want to watch this diseased guy suffer, and I don¡¯t want anyone to die a pathetic death like this.¡± The student snapped his fingers and a luminous thin film wrapped around his own body. He flew to where Park Min-Jun was. ¡­ ¡°First, this moron steals my turn, then he tries to kill all of us??¡± Choi Yeong-Ja complained. Her anger was true this time. A serious expression appeared on her face as soon as she noticed the cracks on the S-rank barrier around her. She watched silently as the crack increased in size. ¡°This thing is about to break.. Oiiii, Instructor! Do something about this!¡± The shield-barrier finally broke. Dark fog rushed towards the students immediately. Suddenly, they felt a strong presence appear near them. Bright yellow dusts of light appeared near Choi Yeong-Ja. The dust formed a shape that resembled a human. It fluttered around until the full appearance of a beautiful woman formed. The woman¡¯s hair was bright gold, its undertone crimson. Her long, tied ponytail waved by the wind, and her red and tired, sharp eyes assessed the surroundings faster than the system. The aura around her gave the students a sense of safety and warmth. Her face was pleasant, and the two humongous ¡­ nevertheless, the male students felt safe. ¡°Park Min-Jun..¡± she noticed the boy in the heavy black fog. ¡°Sir Heldrich, what are you doing?¡± Heldrich looked at her blankly. ¡°Madam..¡± Fin. Chapter 8: Magic Training (4) ¡°Madam Atruse Servela?¡± Heldrich was grateful that she arrived¡­ but she¡¯s a high-grade archmage, higher level than him. Why did she come? [You have a new message in your inbox.] ¡®Open inbox.¡¯ [You have (3) new messages from ''A. Servela''!] [(33) unread messages from participant ''A. Servela''.] ¡®Shit.¡¯ [A. Servela: Sir Heldrich. What is the meaning of this?] [A. Servela: I told you to not allow the student ¡°Park Min-Jun¡± to use any magic right now.. We are still investigating his cause!] [A. Servela: Sigh. You shouldn¡¯t have skipped the meeting. I¡¯m going to bring this blunder up to the council.] ¡°Ah, Madam Servela. I thought he was a mere malfunctioned child¨C¡± He jumped as Atruse Servela glared at him harshly from the ground, her brows creased greatly. The hairs on his skin stood up. [You have a new message in your inbox.] [A. Servela: Talk to me here; I don''t have time to listen to you. Go evacuate the students. I¡¯m going to retrieve Min-Jun. [Sir Heldrich: Yes ma¡¯am!] [A. Servela: Come to think of it, why didn¡¯t you teleport the kids back before?] [Sir Heldrich: I thought he would have another weak spell¡­ also, my magic circle..] [A. Servela: That was a rhetorical question. Go evacuate the students.] [Sir Heldrich: Yes ma¡¯am!] ¡­ Atruse Servela ran into the condensed black fog in search of the student who created this mist. She stumbled along the way¨Cthe fog was slowly draining her power. [You are under divine protection!] After seeing that message from the system, she regained her power and continued searching. Servela noticed this magic was equivalent to a dark mage¡¯s special spell. How did this happen? Why did Min-Jun change? A lot of things happened these past two years, and something must¡¯ve gone wrong during the time the kid left the academy. She had a lot of questions she wanted answered, but for now, she must focus on prioritizing the safety of the students. The mist cleared out and she spotted a huge crater with four collapsed Elder Werewolves. Min-Jun was near the dead beasts. ¡°Kiddo! Can you hear me?¡± She rushed forward. Her eyes widened as she spotted Min-Jun. ¡°This is..¡± Min-Jun¡¯s current physical state was worse than the time Xavier used a royal authority skill on him. A black rash covered starting from his palms and all the way to his shoulders and neck. Servela knelt down and checked for his pulse. ¡®It¡¯s unbelievably fast.¡¯ Blood painted Min-Jun¡¯s clothes and hands, and his face looked worn out. ¡°Divine ones, please bless this pitiful child,¡± she prayed. [A divine being is answering your prayer!] [A divine being is giving their blessings!] [A divine aura is wrapping around the child!] [The spell, ''Blinding Abyss'' is dissipating.] When the full effects of Min-Jun¡¯s magic took its time to fade away, a student with a suspicious aura evolved from the mist. ¡°Atruse Servela, one of the best archmages in the world.¡± The student smiled sinisterly. Servela could barely sense his presence just now. ¡°And you are?¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Zero,¡± Zero paused to assess the unconscious student. ¡°..from the Remiola bloodline.¡± ¡°Remiola.¡± The Remiola family had a long history of practicing arcane magic. They either were mysterious cultists or great generals in Vervillia. The student should¡¯ve been pushed back by the corrupted magic and the blast, but here he was, standing by the crater. ¡°Go back to your class. I will bring Min-Jun back and treat him.¡± ¡°Madam, I wanted myself to save the poor soul, but you came a little earlier than I thought.¡± Zero shrugged. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no helping this.¡± The sun became visible again and the student¡¯s brown hair shone gold. Servela¡¯s face brightened and Min-Jun¡¯s unconscious body still looked dire. The magic circle Sir Heldrich was preparing should be finished by now. ¡°We should head back soon,¡± the archmage said as she placed the unconscious boy on her back. She sprinted forward using a skill she obtained from the divine beings and the system, [Seraph¡¯s Haste]. ¡­ Madam Servela ran back with a deceased-looking body on her back. She urged the instructor to start the teleportation immediately. ¡°?? ???? ??????? ?????..¡± the instructor chanted. [Transporting location to ''Connected Magic Circle A''.] * I woke up in the infirmary room, and on the school¡¯s bed again. This was the third time I fainted with fatal health conditions. I took a deep breath and tried to sit up. Something tugged me back down. An icy, cold object was pressing around my wrists and neck when moved. When I looked to check, there were metal chains restricting my limbs and neck from movement. [''Divine Chains of Restriction'' is activated!] That¡¯s an S-rank skill.. It¡¯s not like I was going to run and sneak out like I did the nurse. When I think about it again, why didn¡¯t the Head Nurse scold me for sneaking out before? Whatever. I laid back down. Maybe today would be the day where I could finally rest in peace, although I did that for two years straight already. As I slowly shut my eyes, two large spherical figures¨Ca beautiful woman appeared in my vision. The archmage, Atruse Servela, glared at me with her blaze eyes. I back at her with forced innocent doe eyes. ¡°Aunt-¡± ¡°Child,¡± her voice was harsh. ¡°Do you know what you did two days prior?¡± Two days prior? Two days ago, I was still at the villa, mentally preparing myself for this school. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean, Madam Servela.¡± She sighed. ¡°You have been asleep for two days. Before that, you had a ¡®lesson¡¯ in Sir Heldrich¡¯s class.¡± I remember. I was the last person for the damage test, and I forced myself to say the chant for the ¡°Blinding Abyss¡± magic spell. I was in a dire state where the illness I had was disabling every magic I¡¯d try to do. ¡°Ah, I tried to ignore the ill¡­¡± [''??? Lv. ???'' is ¡­ ] ¡°..limitations my health set on my magic and forcibly continued my chant.¡± [You are experiencing ''Strong Migraine Lv. 7''!] I flinched, perhaps in glee, as my loyal friend came back for me. Madam Servela stood to look at my face for quite a while until she went to grab a pink bottle. I couldn¡¯t see what was labeled on it clearly, but it was familiar. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± I opened my mouth. She lightly poured water and dropped two small capsules in my mouth. ¡°Swallow.¡± She looked like she was going to place a knife down my throat, so I did as she said hesitantly. I swallowed while reclining, so I had to forcibly gulp down the contents. [''Strong Migraine Lv.7'' has been temporarily subdued!] Puri-Puri medicine? ¡°The Head Nurse visited so your condition shouldn¡¯t be that concerning for now.¡± Madam Servela looked lamentably at me before she continued talking, ¡°Min-Jun, why are you so weak now? Before you left the academy, you were more durable. Also, your magic is..¡± Never mind the magic issues and the rest, these chains were really uncomfortable. I felt like a dog. ¡°Madam, can you remove these chains first?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Sorry.¡± [''Divine Chains of Restriction'' has been deactivated!] I felt free again. Finally, and for the first time in my life, I truly appreciated my ability to move joints and sit up. I got out of the bed and spotted my brown coat lying on the desk near the bed. Someone washed it clean for me. Who was it? Nevertheless, I wore the coat instinctively. ¡°Kiddo. I don¡¯t have much to say to you, but please take care of yourself. Your mother would tell you the same if she were still here.¡± I tried my hardest to forget the existence of my mother for the past few years. Remembering would¡¯ve brought me great grief. My mother was an honorable magician, specializing in swordsmanship. She was a warrior, you could say. She left for war eight years ago and died during battle. My mother protected many of her comrades and killed many enemies. She was a saint to us and a nightmare to the enemies. I recall this academy having a large painted portrait of her in the Hall of Honorable Warriors. ¡°Yes Madam.¡± The madam was like another mother figure to me. She was always kind to me and paid a lot of attention to both my mental and physical health. Madam Servela saved me a lot of times from my bullies two years ago. ¡°Min-Jun, it¡¯s about five in the morning. How about you go out for a little walk to get used to the academy. It¡¯s changed a bit ever since you left.¡± Ah, that meant I had to attend all classes¨Ceven the class that made me almost die. ¡°Thank you for helping me for the past few years.¡± I stood up and made my way out. The madam still stared at the bed I was laying on. She nodded and waved at me. As I walked out, I smiled eagerly. Let''s see the new structural changes the school made. Fin. Chapter 9: A Proper Welcoming (1) The sun was half-covered by the clouds, and the sky was painted a dull baby-blue. Crows cawed an ugly symphony as they flew in flocks. I walked to my usual place, the wooden bench located at the Royal Academy¡¯s Garden. It was quiet and peaceful, there was no one here to ruin the silence. I laid down and closed my eyes with a light smile. ¡°Oi. Why the hell are you up so early..¡± I immediately recognized her voice. Of course, I ignored her and pretended to not hear anything. ¡°This is my bench, y¡¯know??¡± She talked like a landlord. ¡°This is school property, you don¡¯t own this bench¡­ Choi Yeong-Ja.¡± I yawned. I expected her to walk away, but she sat down beside me and started eating something. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I sat up instantly. She was eating from a black rectangular lunch box¡­cookies plated with a large steak, and she munched on the cookies first. Talk about a strange girl. ¡°Hah? I¡¯m eating breakfast.¡± I could tell.. but she was eating dessert before the meal. The steak was untouched. ¡­Her eyes looked the same as ever. Sphynx-like and sharp¡ªalso a little aggressive. Hey. Eat your steak before eating your dessert. ¡°Don¡¯t watch me eat, fucking weirdo.¡± ¡°Ah¡­. sorry.¡± Yet again, I stared for too long. This was awkward. Let¡¯s just head to the Grand Hall...I barely remember my mother¡¯s face, I could view it again in the hall of portraits. ¡°Bye.¡± I stood up from the bench and walked away. I felt a murderous glare behind me. There wasn¡¯t even a need to look back, I could easily imagine what Choi Yeong-Ja looked like. I moved towards the east side of the garden. If my memory serves me right, that was where the Grand Hall of Warriors was. It allowed students to freely exit and enter. I saw that the trees and flowers in this garden all still looked the same, some a little outgrown, but the academy kept the place clean. I walked along the stone path leading to the Grand Hall. When I reached my destination, there was a large white gate bordering the entry of the Grand Hall of Warriors. A wooden fence stood tall at the side of the path I was on, displaying, ¡°RESTRICTED ENTRY.¡± Restricted entry¡­. why? ¡°You there! No entry!¡± a knight guarding the gates yelled at me. ¡°I want to see my mother¡¯s portrait, Park Elize!¡± I yelled back. ¡°I don''t care! Read the wooden sign, brat! What does it say?¡± It clearly said ¡°Restricted entry¡±. ¡­ Sigh. I¡¯m not even gonna bother. I¡¯ll sneak in another time. ¡°Exactly! Go the other way!¡± I walked the opposite direction and headed to the center of the garden. Typically, the school¡¯s student architects would build a new, large statue of the nation¡¯s emperor every thirty years. So I¡¯d expect the same statue since I last left this school. I looked for the large statue. The statue always fascinated me because of how complex and detailed its structure was. It truly reflected our country¡¯s glory. When I found the large statue, I noticed a big difference. ¡°So where¡¯s the large statue of our cool emperor¡­ what?¡ªempress?¡± Did the emperor die? That was a totally new statue; I¡¯ve never seen this empress before. ¡°Sometimes I feel a little repulsed, too.¡± I jumped. It was Choi Yeong-Ja. I thought she was busy eating and staring daggers at me back there. ¡°You scared me half to death.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, but anyway, I still can''t believe that a dark mage really used genderbending magic on the emperor¡­. I mean, genderbending?? What was that even gonna do?¡± Genderbending? I would¡¯ve liked to be in denial, but the two new lumps on the statue and the thinner body shape could not be denied. I was starting to not feel like exploring the academy again. ¡°I mean, the dark mage wasn¡¯t even acting like a dark mage, she was just a lunatic who¡­.¡± Her voice faded away as I stopped listening. Where else should I go now? ¡°You¡¯re not responding? Talk about a rude bastard. Fine then. I made the effort to communicate with you and this is how you act?¡± Yeong-Ja was preparing to walk away. ¡°Hold on, I..¡± A new idea sprang up. I could just ask her about the new renovations the academy made. That should be easier than walking everywhere to check.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°What? Say it. I don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°When I left, what new features did the school..¡± I paused. It was tough to find the right words to say. How should I word it? My brain stopped working, so I left the unfinished question as is, hoping she¡¯d understand. ¡°Why should I tell you¡­ ya gonna pay me?¡± ¡°Sure. A hundred coins.¡± She nodded. ¡°There¡¯s new rules, a few places such as the ballroom, east side of the garden, this statue, and some other school event stuff had new builds on it.¡± ¡°Nice..¡± Drowsiness suddenly blanketed my body. I want to lay down. I had two days of sleep, which should¡¯ve helped me recover, but then.. I haven¡¯t eaten for two days, either. ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a nap.¡± ¡°¡­??¡± Exploring could wait. Sleeping as much as I could before class starts comes first. What was my schedule again? [The illness, ¡®??? Lv. ???¡¯ has weakened your memory!] Ugh.. I shoved the paper in my pocket, but I didn¡¯t feel like getting it out. I have no choice. ¡°Ah.¡± - First. Magic & Elements Mechanism and the System, Lecture A (Seniors) - Second. Magic Training, Lecture B (Seniors) - Third. Strength Training, Physical Education B (Seniors) - Fourth. Diplomacy & History, Lecture A (Seniors) - Fifth. Language & Arts, Lecture A (Seniors) - Sixth. Elective. If you do not have one, Free Period. If you want one, see the front office. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go to the front office instead. See you later, Yeong-Ja.¡± ¡°Wait. The front office¡­.¡± a mischievous smile formed on her face. ¡°Kay, bye bye!¡± She snickered behind me as I continued to the buildings. What about the front office? I turned around to look at Yeong-Ja. ¡°...¡± She was smiling suspiciously. She was definitely hiding something important. I think I might need a school map. ¡°Hey. If there¡¯s something about the front office, tell me.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing.¡± I guess there was no helping it. I should go see the Head Nurse and ask him for help. ¡­ Oswaldo usually hung around the Nurses¡¯ Building. I predicted that he¡¯d help me if I knocked on its door. The pink door opened before I could even knock. A short girl with black hair appeared below me. She looked about six years old. ¡°Auntie told me to give you a map. She was afraid you''d be confused and lost, and I was about to run away because I didn¡¯t want to find you, but how convenient. Thanks, oppa.¡± I grinned awkwardly. This kid was bold. ¡°Little girl, how old are you?¡± She glared at me upon hearing that question. Her attitude... Where did she get it from? ¡°You¡¯re so thoughtless. I¡¯m seven! There are seven stars on my dress, you should know! Hmph.¡± She was the same age as Mi-Cha. That¡¯s cute. Hold on, Mi-Cha?¡ªI should get Mi-Cha something from this school. A souvenir.. No, they call it a gift. My little sister from a different mother deserves all the love in the world, so I should find something valuable. ¡°Hey, oppa¡­. Can you grab the paper already? I¡¯m getting tired.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry.¡± Things got pretty convenient for me. Must this be because I had good luck? I¡¯m blessed. [Reminder: Your luck score is -16540.] What? Since when has there been a luck¡­ [Joking. There is no such thing as a luck score.] I thought so. Alright, let¡¯s look at the map. ¡°... office.. mm.. where is it..¡± I mumbled to myself. There it was. Located on the other side of the school, behind the front gates. I half-forgot that the Nurses¡¯ building was built at the back of the school to prevent escaping. The walking looked bothersome. I couldn¡¯t use magic to speed myself up. Talking about magic¨CI need to get stronger to make Mi-Cha the happiest sister alive, but the stupid unidentified illness was blocking my progress. Wait. - Strength equals a happy sister. - Illness equals no strength. - No illness equals ¡­ Sometimes.. My genius is almost frightening. I need to find out more about the ??? and cure it. My life was stumped because of the.. Urk. ¡°Oppa?¡± I felt sour, acidic substances erupt from my throat. I instinctively ran to a nearby bush. ¡°Hey¨Coppa, hey are you oka.. Ew!¡± Bleurrgh! [You have used your legs more than usual! Your body cannot handle the aerobic exercise!] That system notice seemed too familiar. ..I should train my body and sword. I couldn¡¯t use magic anyway, and most of my magic-related skills are blocked. ¡°Younger sister, may you ask Madam Servela to get me into the swordsmanship department? I can¡¯t really train magic right now..¡± ¡°Okay. Anything else??¡± ¡°My elective.. Ask her ¡­ to get me into one that builds up my body.¡± I still felt terrible. ¡°I can''t remember all of that!¡± Sigh.. I ripped off the empty portion of the map that was handed to me and scribbled sentences down on it. ¡°Hand Madam Servela that paper. I¡¯ll give you a lollipop when I visit again.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± She darted back inside the building and slammed the door on me. Come to think of it, why was Madam Servela still in the building? Whatever, that¡¯s none of my business. I¡¯m gonna head to my first class of the day and sleep there for now. Magic understanding class wasn¡¯t that far from here. So if I walked west from here, I¡¯d reach Hall A soon. ¡­ Great, nobody was here. I picked a random seat in the top left corner of the class and rested my head on the tables. Snore.. . . . I had a nightmare. In that nightmare, I took the form of my younger fourteen-year-old self and was walking happily on a stone path. Wooden fences bordered the paths. My surroundings were a blinding white. ¡­ As I walked, I suddenly came across my dead family members. My father and younger sister were left bloodied on a stake. ¡°Father!.... Mi-Cha!¡± mini-me cried out as my face turned ugly filled with snot and tears. ¡­My mother was behind them, watching me with a melancholic expression. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m sorry! Please come back¡­ father, Mi-Cha!¡ª¡± ¡°Min-Jun.¡± Her face was darkened by her black bangs, and her small frown showed her misery. She looked upset at me. Knights in full Royal armor appeared around me and pushed me away with their spears. ¡°Back off! This is a restricted area!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I sobbed, ¡°for being weak¨C¡± I looked back at my mom. ¡°.. and our debts! I¡¯ll fix it¨C¡± ¡°... Min-Jun, wake up.¡± Mother¡¯s brown eyes shone orange. ¡°Wake up..?¡± Fin. Chapter 10: A Proper Welcoming (2) He was still sleeping even after they poured water on him. ¡°Oiiii, wake up.¡± Xavier¡¯s words did not reach Min-Jun in the slightest. ¡°... Mother? Why are¡­.you..¡± the guy mumbled. Every other student was giggling at the guy in deep sleep until a powerful archmage walked in the room. ¡°Shut up, the instructor is here.¡± ..It was Atruse Servela. She looked at the sleeping boy. She tried to hide her grin and sighed. She walked on the steps leading to the desks and towards Min-Jun. ¡°... Min-Jun, wake up.¡± Min-Jun shifted his sleeping position a little bit before sleep-talking. ¡°Sorry¡­ mo..ther¡­.¡± He slowly opened his eyes. He woke up to Xavier glaring and Madam Servela looking at him with the same melancholic expression. ¡°Huh? Class already started?¡± He slept longer than he expected. ¡®The dream I had just now was a bit traumatizing. I hope I never experience it again,¡¯ he thought. [The illness, ¡®??? Lv. ???¡¯ is waiting eagerly.] Madam Servela stepped back to the stand at the front of the class and picked up a stack of papers. ¡°Yes. It has already started, Min-Jun. Please stay awake for the lesson. I will be passing out the test results for the magic retake-test as I talk.¡± He almost forgot about that. The instructor walked back to the steps and started handing out paper. ¡°In about ten minutes, the bell will ring and the first portion of the strength test and etcetera will be held on the academy¡¯s training field. Since we are class A, we will start the test before other classes.¡± ¡­ ¡®Yay¡­¡¯ Park Min-Jun celebrated unenthusiastically in his head. ¡®How nice, I received the results. Mm, let¡¯s see..¡¯ - Overall Rank: 258th place in Adolescent Year 4 Students. The sentence was underlined with a thick streak. Two hundred fifty-eight was an extremely low rank. There were a total of three hundred seniors in this academy, and the capacity for seniors was still exactly three hundred. Expulsions occurred, so the number of seniors probably dropped down by a lot. The same could go for every other class. - Magic compatibility: [Void] ¡°Ah.¡± On the last time he received this paper, half of it was filled with information about magic and advice on how to better your magic. It probably said ¡°[Void]¡± since something weird happened when he placed my hand on the magic crystal orb two days ago. - Knowledge exam results: 84.7% - Strength exam results: [To be determined.] - ¡ï The strength exam will be held later and results shall be displayed publicly to boost competitive spirits. ¡°H-hey, Min-Jun?¡± ¡®..Who was calling for me now?¡¯ ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I bought this gift for you..¡± a girl I¡¯ve never seen before handed me a small ointment. ¡°Feel better soon!¡± Park Min-Jun took it from her palms. ¡°Uh, okay. Thanks.¡± She giggled happily and skipped back to her friends. He was suspicious of the girls. The girls were probably pulling another prank on him, he thought. ¡®It will never happen again since I know too well. I have been tricked by women way too many times.¡¯ Park Min-Jun sighed. ¡®..Agh, I¡¯m so pitiful. When will life get any better? If only life were¡­¡¯This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He suddenly stopped pitying himself. Something finally hit him. Ever since he arrived back, people have been way too nice, or at least nicer to him than before. The only thing that had a problem with him was his health. ¡®Did the school become stricter on respect, or are the students plotting something?¡¯ A voice interrupted his train of thought. ¡°Park Min-Jun! Hey! We have the same second class.¡± Was it just him, or was everyone trying to approach him today? ¡°How do you know my name?¡± ¡°You¡¯re actually a hot topic in gossip, that¡¯s how I knew.. Oh, sorry. My name is Zero.¡± Zero smiled. ¡°Remiola Zero.¡± ¡°Are you new here? I don¡¯t¡­¡± Before Park Min-Jun finished his statement, he remembered. He was quite literally gone for two years, of course there would be faces he would have recognized. ¡°Hm? No, I enrolled last year. I¡¯m not considered a new student.¡± Park Min-Jun nodded upon hearing that. [¡®Strong Migraine Lv.7¡¯ is activating!] Park Min-Jun groaned a little before reaching into his pockets. ¡°..Urgh.¡± He then took the small pink bottle he received from the Head Nurse and popped two pills in his mouth. [¡®Strong Migraine Lv.7¡¯ has gone down a level!] [¡®Strong Migraine Lv.6¡¯ is being suppressed.] ¡°... You alright?¡± ¡®No. Do I look ¡®good¡¯ to you? ¡­ ah.¡¯ Park Min-Jun realized that he did it again...He thought instead of talking. That was a habit hard to get rid of. ¡°No, I¡¯m ill.¡± ¡°How are you going to participate properly in the strength test?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he looked at Instructor Atruse Servela with an empty expression, his eyes half-way hidden under his hair. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll excuse me or something.¡± The first quarter bell rang for class A seniors after Remiola Zero and Min-Jun finished conversing. The strength examination has started. ¡°We¡¯re heading to the school gym.¡± . . . * There were a few guys who were strong enough to break the gym equipment. The examiners used magic dumbells that were size-adjustable to test our muscle strength. They set a spell that prohibited magic activation when touching the dumbell. ¡°Park Min-Jun, you¡¯re up.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡­ His maximum was on average, twenty pounds for each lift-type exercise, and five times for each non-lift. His grip strength was five pounds. ¡®Was I that weak before¡­¡¯ Park Min-Jun felt defeated. * Strength, magic, wits and etcetera tests were typically boring and would end quickly. The academy wasn¡¯t as exciting as the common people¡¯s expectations. It was merely a normal schooling building that had high quality stuff and taught a little more advanced subjects. ..I¡¯m glad that at least the school system was normal. But like every other place that gets filled with nobility and royal blood, the academy is a battleground of politics and diplomacy. I was one of the unfortunate guys with shit family finance, so the enrolling nobles looked down on me, though school rules always prohibited discrimination. Talking about discrimination, I almost forgot about my plans when I first came here. I should try to befriend a lot of people, and find a way to cure my unknown illness or be strong without magic. I observed the gym and saw all types of different people. There were buff, jacked up guys bigger or the same size as Vervillia Xavier, and some slim. Hold on. Vervillia Rose was standing in the middle of the line? Rose is a princess of the Royal family. She¡¯s one year younger than Xavier and had red hair, just like him. I forgot her name when I just arrived and was idling around at the magic ranking test. For some reason, I felt like she¡¯d never grow any taller. Vervillia Rose was short as a ten-year-old. Students from Madam Servela¡¯s class were told to wait outside when they finished the examination for a class activity. I was leaning on the entryway¡¯s pillar¡ªsitting on the ground like a delinquent. Yawn.. I¡¯ve waited for more than twenty minutes. Where is our instructor? Whatever, I¡¯m going to take a nap. ¡­ ¡°Hey, you.¡± I woke up. Why was a little girl standing in front of me?...she looks royal. ¡°...Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you. Aren¡¯t you the guy everyone else was talking about?¡± Ah, so rumors have already spread. ¡°Possibly.¡± ¡°How did you do that? Two days ago, I mean¡­¨Ccan you teach me? I want to be strong too!¡± This made me feel a little special and lucky due to the rank of people who approached me. Compared to them, I was a nobody. I chuckled. ¡°Kukuku.. KUEKHUEK....ACK!¡± I started to cough, too. ¡°...¡± How come she looked disgusted and irritated? It¡¯s nearly impossible to control coughs. Anyway, that was Vervillia Rose asking. She wanted to learn tricks from me? According to what I heard from Madam Servela, my magic was technically malfunctioned and cursed. It was apparently affecting my health, too. Well, at this point, I couldn¡¯t just stay silent. ¡°Sorry. Can¡¯t teach you.¡± ¡°Why? But I-¡± ¡°Gotta go.¡± I strided away. I had to reunite with my voucher, Atruse Servela. I felt bad omen when Princess Rose approached me. Maybe I was delusional, but it was better safe than sorry. Befriending royalty like Rose and Xavier could wait for now. Madam Servela had already made arrangements for me to transfer to the swords department to build strength and swordsmanship. Mi-Cha would be so proud of me. ¡°Park Min-Jun.¡± Another person? Are you kidding me.. Fin Chapter 11: A Proper Welcoming (3) ¡°Park Min-Jun..!¡± Bright blue eyes, gray hair indicating old age, and a muscular build that screams ¡°I¡¯m strong¡±... on top of that, his uniform was laced with gold. He was obviously a swordmaster. The man sprinting towards me¡ªhe¡¯s the head of this academy¡¯s swordsmanship department. ¡°Son! You¡¯re moving in the department, hah?¡± ¡°Yes. It seems that I have been unable to use magic for quite a while. Glad to be under your care soon.¡± ¡°Ohoho! Lucky boy. Tonight, swordsmen all having big great party! Ahahahah!¡± His grammar was a little broken. I assumed he was a foreigner. ¡°Sword and body, so we are going to eat lots, boy.¡± He tucked me under his arm. ¡°Better be prepared. Roseberry Cafe.¡± I pictured myself with other muscular men who looked similar to the head of the department eating large dog-sized sandwiches. I felt anxious already. ¡°Tell Servela I¡¯m taking you with me early. Come to the sword department in second class. §¥§à §ã§Ü§à§â§à§Û §Ó§ã§ä§â§Ö§é§Ú.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I didn¡¯t understand what was said after ¡°Come to the sword department in second class.¡± When the swordmaster walked away, a familiar tiredness took over my body. ¡°Huff..huff¡­¡± Why does this keep happening? [You are exhausted from lifting something that exceeds your normal strength.] [The mysterious illness within you is worsening the exhaustion!] ¡°Shit.¡± I heard laughs and snickers around me and felt a strong presence. My vision darkened. ¡°Damn it. It¡¯s going to happen all over again,¡± I muttered. The laughing got louder as every second passed by. Memories of the time I got bullied flashed back. . . . ¡°Hey, Min-Jun. Tell your loser father to play this game next time.¡± ¡°Are you sure we won¡¯t get in trouble for this?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, man. I''m Xavier. A few magic orbs won''t get us in trouble.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Chew well and make sure you leave none behind, Park Min-Jun!¡± . . . Something told me nobody was there, and that everyone already left for the next lecture, but I ignored it. I was not hallucinating this, was I? [Your mental health is deteriorating!] My consciousness slowly slipped away from me and I gave in to the blessing called sleep. * ¡°Min-Jun.. Why are you on the ground? I was looking for you.¡± A woman was kneeling in front of me. She looked concerned. ¡°I permitted you to switch departments and classes, so you shouldn¡¯t be sleeping near the school¡¯s gym. Head to your Physical Body and Sword Training class.¡± Who was this? I quickly looked at the nametag on her suit. Ah, it was her. I¡¯m glad to have a school guardian like her¡ªshe does as I ask. ¡°Thank you for all you¡¯ve done, Madam Servela.¡± ¡°Call me Servela. We¡¯re pretty close,¡ªlike family.¡± ¡°Right. Thank you, Servela.¡± I pulled out the school map. Two years was enough for me to forget most of the locations in the school. It was easy to remember the garden and infirmary because I went there frequently back then. The magic department was located on the left side of the academy, and the sword department was on the right side. ¡°Goodbye, magic department.¡± ¡­ The door slid open.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Boy, you¡¯re one second late! Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m new to the Royal Academy, so I was lost around the campus.¡± That was a lie. ¡°Alright, I excuse your tardy for now. Go to big square.¡± His grammar and vagueness were like a foreign code you had to decipher. I spotted the square formation the students were standing in and joined in the empty spot in the group. ¡°Today, we have new student. He just walk in late. Everyone go greet him.¡± All of the students greeted in sync, ¡°Welcome, new swordsman, Park Min-Jun!¡± ¡°Louder!¡± Even the teacher joined in. ¡°WELCOME!! NEW SWORDSMAN, PARK!!.. MIN-JUN!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± ¡°....Why do we have to do this?¡± ¡°Man.. a week ago, we did this fifty times for everybody in the class. That was the first day of the academy.¡± That¡¯s funny. I should get strong as soon as possible during my last year in this school. Regaining my strength was a necessity. ¡­ ¡°Today, we practice lifting weights! Arm strength is need for sword strike!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just like the strength training class?...¡± Surprisingly, when I was lifting, no one harassed me for being weak. They were focused on their friends and weightlifting. When I was lifting five pounds on my right arm, the swordmaster approached me. ¡°Min-Jun, see me after class.¡± Confused, I nodded. ¡­ The lecture ended and I stood behind after class to talk to Sir Lev. ¡°You called for me, sir ¡­¡± I waited for him to tell me his name. I merely knew that he was a swordmaster; I never found out his name. ¡°Sir Lev,¡± he answered. ¡°I give you swordsmanship department lecture schedule. Here, take paper.¡± I took the paper and glanced at its contents. - First. Sword & Magic Mechanism and the System, Lecture A (Seniors) - Second. Sword Training, Lecture B (Seniors) - Third. Strength Training, Physical Education B (Seniors) - Fourth. Diplomacy & History, Lecture A (Seniors) - Fifth. Language & Arts, Lecture A (Seniors) - Sixth. Bodybuilding, Gym (All) It was the same as my previous schedule, but magic training was strength and sword, and the empty elective was bodybuilding. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡­ I slept through most of the fourth and fifth lectures. Now, the last class of the day was bodybuilding. I arrived at the gym. There were different types of equipment to exercise¡ªmost of them I had never seen before. We were given instructions on a sheet of paper to use whatever equipment to train our bodies. The paper also included which exercises to do for a specific body type. There was the jacked up and muscular body like Sir Lev¡¯s, a ¡°Zeus¡± body, sporty, and ¡°Lean and Attractive,¡± with, parenthesis, ¡°for young men!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a big target in combat.. Hmm. The lean and attractive body here should be my goal, then.¡± ¡­ For two months, I trained vigorously. I got stronger due to the help of having three classes that were enthusiastic about exercising and lifting weights. [Your body health has skyrocketed!] [Some gains have been nerfed because of your illnesses.] [+20 Charisma!] [+35 Strength!] [+25 Agility!] [+25 ¡­!] [¡®??? Lv. ???¡¯ has deducted 10 points from each stat.] ¡°...I knew that would happen.¡± [ Current Stats: (Charisma: 15 -> 25) (Strength: -5 -> 20) (Agility: 0 -> 15) (Endurance: 0 -> 15) (Dexterity: 15) (Vitality: 15) ] Even though it had been two months, I still knew nothing about the sword. Sir Lev wanted us to train our body and get fit first. The school also assigned everyone dorms. I had the dorm, ¡°RM 202.¡± ..I must thank whoever gave me no roommates. I looked at the full-length mirror beside the window and striked a pose. I could see my abs under my shirt. My physique was divine in my opinion. ¡°Heh,¡± I smirked. [A divine being is watching you.] ¡°AAH!¡± The system notice scared me. I came to a conclusion weeks ago that the divine and demonic beings were stalkers. I have wondered many times about their purpose and meaning in their lives. I looked out the window. Today was a bright, sunny day¡­ Not really. It was about five in the morning, and the sun barely rose. Anyway, my social skills have improved and I experienced no bullying this year. This was a nice start. I took a stroll every morning out of boredom. Expectedly, I still had no friends this year. Two years ago, before I stopped attending the academy, I had a friend who was a bully victim like me. I tried to look for him a few weeks ago, but the instructors told me that he left and transferred elsewhere shortly after I shut myself in. ¡­ The garden of Royal Academy of Vervillia was as vibrant and graceful as ever. Four large pillars surrounded the giant statue of the ruler, beautiful flowers of all kinds were planted around each pillar. Trees bordered the garden and silver and gold human-sized statues were placed at each corner of the garden. I¡¯d gaze at this sight until the first lecture of the day started. The statue of our emperor¡­ no, empress definitely enhanced the beauty of the garden. I looked at my usual sitting place, the fourth bench beside the infirmary. Yuck. I spotted a black speck sitting in my usual place, eating its same cookie and steak meal. It noticed me and waved gleefully. ¡°Oi! Moron, come here!¡± I obediently jogged towards Choi Yeong-Ja. She smiled at me with a sly cat-like expression. ¡°What. What do you want?¡± ¡°This steak tastes really good.¡± I noticed her cookies were untouched, and she added vegetables to her meal this time. I see. We¡¯re both progressing towards greater means. ¡°So you became a little more decent, Choi Yeong-Ja.¡± ¡°Hah?? Are you saying that I am indecent?¡± ¡°No..¡± Breakfast, huh. I should start eating breakfast in the morning. I don¡¯t think breakfast was a necessity, though. Everyday after school, Sir Lev treats the swordsman to a meal at Roseberry Cafe. A swordmaster always had plenty of money, so I¡¯d eat to my heart¡¯s content. Choi Yeong-Ja unexpectedly started packing up her breakfast. ¡°Leaving so soon?¡± ¡°I have something important to attend to. It¡¯s quick, so I¡¯ll be back in about thirty minutes.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t come back, please¡­¡¯ I wanted to say, but I ended up replying with, ¡°Alright.¡± ¡­ The sun was visible now. How many minutes have passed since she attended whatever? I missed her presence a bit. Everyday was another lonely day, so she filled up the isolated tranquility a bit. I sighed and rested on the bench. Choi Yeong-Ja will surely wake me up when she comes back. Fin. Chapter 12: A Proper Welcoming (4) I ran as fast as I could to get to the first lecture. ¡°That sly fox..¡± I grinned as I mumbled, ¡°She didn¡¯t wake me up at all.¡± I thought she¡¯s changed and possessed a kind heart, but I overestimated her. Once a bastard, always a bastard. [A divine being is laughing.] Even those guys thought this was funny, huh? ¡­ I aggressively slid the door open and searched for Choi Yeong-Ja. She was standing behind the crowd, snickering behind the whispering students. I grinned slightly and greeted the instructor for this class. ¡°Greetings, Instructor Fredrick.¡± Instructor Fredrick was also a tall muscular man. He was about as muscular as the Russian instructor. He, too, had blonde hair and blue eyes. The only difference between them were scar placements. Instructor Fredrick had a visible scar across his face. ¡°...¡± The instructor silently furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Why are you late, department transfer?¡± ¡°I was caught up with something.¡± The instructor clicked his tongue. ¡°This will be the only exception. Go along the wall where your classmates are. I will be assigning seats and partners.¡± I stood next to Choi Yeong-Ja because it was the only open spot. She was laughing audibly beside me. ¡°Did you get your beauty sleep?¡± Choi Yeong-Ja grinned. ¡°...¡± I recoiled at her with sass and a furrowed brow. . . . The teacher finally called my name to a seat assigned to me. The people sitting at the same table would be my partner for homeroom school events and group projects. I glanced at my current tablemates. There were two people sitting at the table for now, excluding me. One lean guy with black hair and yellow eyes picked his boogers lazily; he looked totally clueless. The other chubby guy, who looked similar, but instead had green eyes, was picking his ear while half-asleep. ..What a nice bunch. ¡°Choi Yeong-Ja, sit next to Park Min-Jun.¡± I should have seen that coming. ¡°There was supposed to be another student here, but I assume she¡¯s absent today.¡± ¡°She¡±? There¡¯s another girl in my group; great. ¡°What a nice coincidence. You¡¯re in my team, Min-Jun,¡± Choi Yeong-Ja put on a smug expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll carry you,¡± she assured me as if she was a responsible auntie. ¡°Yeah. Thanks,¡± I replied dryly. She removed her attention from me and slowly observed her tablemates. ¡°Oi, you guys..¡± She paused to sigh. Her facial expression turned grim and determined, shadows casted along the contours of her face, enhancing the intensity of the moment. Her eyes glittered brightly as if she¡¯s found her life¡¯s purpose. ¡°I¡¯ll be the group leader.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I mentally face-palmed, but I visually winced. ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± Other tables were also having discussions about the role assignment in their group. I would have a strong migraine system notification at this point, but I haven¡¯t received any; probably because I used triple the dosage of the Puri-Puri medicine¡­ which, by the way, was heavily not recommended on the label. ¡­ ¡°Class, pay attention. In the next week the first department homeroom competition will begin. It will determine this homeroom¡¯s ranking in the swords department.¡± A student raised his hand. The instructor nodded to grant permission to speak. ¡°May you tell us the details of the competition?¡± ¡°They¡¯re still figuring it out, but prepare.¡± How were we supposed to prepare if we didn''t know what to prepare for? I was about to raise my hand to ask that question for pure comedic purposes, but something caught my eye. The guys in my group were sneaking out of class using camouflage. Their camouflage sucked, to be honest. They were transparent in a way, but I saw the light¡¯s reflection on their skin. I nudged Choi Yeong-Ja and pointed her gaze subtly to the class-ditchers. ¡°Hah? Pfft. What the hell is that?¡± she conspicuously giggled. ¡°Is this instructor oblivious or what?¡± What¡¯s impressive was that barely anyone noticed that they moved from their seat. Those guys were completely silent. ¡­I immediately saw potential for their future. ¡°Mazraeth, Selaphiek. I know you two are trying to sneak out.¡± Mazraeth and Selaphiek immediately stopped their tracks. They turned to each other and started whispering audibly. ¡°... It¡¯s your fault, man. ¡­ You¡¯re too fat.¡± ¡°... The hell? ¡­ I was in your same pace, moron.¡± We could hear your whispers, dudes. Now when I thought of it, these guys could be good team members¡ªof course, judging from this scenario. Instructor Fredrick grabbed pink pieces of paper and started scribbling on them on his palm. He sighed and had the usual esteemed, eyebrow-raised expression. ¡°You¡¯re both receiving detention.¡± ¡°Aww man. Fuck!¡± they both said and stomped their feet in sync. ¡°Get back to your seats.¡± They ran back up the steps and sat beside me. I noticed the empty seat and looked at it for a while. Who was supposed to be here? It was tiring to ponder that, so I forgot it and closed my eyes for my beauty sleep. Choi Yeong-Ja¡¯s face turned dumb and expressionless as she saw me preparing to sleep. She looked at the two idiots who tried to leave the class. ¡°My team¡­whatevs,¡± she shrugged. [The illness, ¡®??? Lv. ¡­.] I quickly fell asleep. * As soon as I thought I woke up, I found myself sitting in a suspicious alleyway in the dark. Utterly confused, I hesitantly looked around. There was no one here. ¡°Where am I..?¡± For some reason, I felt unwell. I stood up and walked towards a metal door at the end of the slanted ground. This place somehow felt surreal. I opened the metal door and a group of students greeted me. Xavier in the center..? I instantly knew what was coming after me. Yielding, I sighed. ¡°Not again.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to teach you a quick lesson for making Xavier run errands for you,¡± said a slim, malnourished looking guy. ¡­ A group of boys hugged my arm tightly, preventing me from moving. Xavier and his minions had a turn throwing punches and kicks at me back and forth. ¡­ ¡°Hey, I think we should go..¡± They dropped me to the ground after beating me until I was unrecognizable. I stared at the red-painted floor in silence. I was completely exhausted. ¡­ * ¡°Oi, Park Min-Jun.¡± I felt someone nudge me aggressively. What? Why was I back in the classroom? ¡°Mmh?¡± ¡°You were¡­¡± the black-haired booger picker nodded his head behind him. The classroom was ruined. Desks were misplaced; some broken in half. Wood pieces lingered all over the place, and there were torn paper all around us. No one was in the class¡­ ¡°You okay, dude?¡± Me?¡ªdid something attack? ¡°What happened?¡± Fin. Chapter 13: Feeling Like a Genius (1) ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. The table mate stared at me with blank eyes. ¡°Nothing really.¡± He looked at me with an expression ineffably dumb; confusion was painted all over him as he continued his doe-eyes face. ..I was also confused. ¡°Huh? The classroom is clearly in ruins.¡± ¡°It is?¡± He doesn¡¯t see it? My eyes must have malfunctioned. I blinked and rubbed my eyes. The classroom distorted back to normal. There was an ineffable feeling of otherworldliness during the distort. Was I hallucinating? ¡°No, never mind,¡± I shoved the thought away. ¡°You were screaming like you witnessed a hideous demon from hell.¡± That was strange. I usually never sleep talk.. or scream. Maybe getting back to the outside world after a long while changed me? ¡°I had a nightmare,¡± I said nonchalantly. I didn¡¯t want him to think I was an insane guy. The guy winced for a moment, and then he smiled as if it were funny. ¡°What a scary nightmare.¡± The dream was a bit terrifying¡ªreliving a traumatic experience and all. Additionally, it felt real. It wasn¡¯t that scary, though, so I wondered why I apparently screamed. I awkwardly stared at Selaphiek for a while, the silence deafening with both our eyes trading at each others¡¯ faces. Come to think of it, there was a chubby guy with him. Mazraeth, was it?¡ªthey seemed like good friends...why aren¡¯t they together? ¡°Where¡¯s Mazraeth?¡± I asked, attempting to bring up a better topic. ¡°He skipped school without me,¡± the booger-picker shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s getting expelled for sure.¡± Seemed typical. Selaphiek was like a decent person compared to his chubby friend¡­ ¡­ The memory of when he lashed out at his buddy for being fat crossed my mind. ¡­ Never mind, he wasn¡¯t a good person. I felt bad for mentally labeling him ¡°booger-picker,¡± nonetheless. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go. Bell¡¯s ¡®bout to ring.¡± ¡°Alright, see you,¡± I waved. He¡¯s pretty chill. * The bell rang and it was time for me to head to the second class of the day. For the past few days, I¡¯ve been doing nothing but sightseeing. It was time for me to finally start building strength. ¡­ I walked slowly in the hallways to Sword Training, Lecture B. The hallways were lengthy, so I was testing out which skills I could use. ¡­ ¡®Activate [Area Speculation Lv. 2].¡¯ [The illness, ¡®??? Lv. ???¡¯ is blocking your attempt to use this skill.] I then tested magic again. This time, extremely low-leveled fire magic. A visual of a small candle being lit up appeared in my mind, and I felt a warm feeling surrounding my left index finger.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. [Notice: You are unable to use magic due to a strong illness!] Well, turned out that I could technically use magic, but I would kill myself accidently if I tried too hard. Additionally, I couldn¡¯t use any magic-related skills. I could use everything else, though. I figured that out quite a while ago. So my goal now was to increase strength and swordsmanship skills¡­ bond with the forces of nature and rely on summons. Sounds simple, totally. . . . I arrived at Sir Lev¡¯s class and was greeted by a beautiful maiden as I slid the door open. Well, her back was facing towards me, but I noticed her first. The maiden was Choi Yeong-Ja, and she was talking to some other students. ¡°Yeong-Ja!¡± I yelled her name in glee. She turned around slowly, as if repulsed by my presence. Her face crinkled. What was wrong? I approached her slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t move an inch closer.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°You slept soundly, but you were drooling and snoring awfully loud.¡± Choi Yeong-Ja paused to point her index finger at me, then continued, ¡°It was embarrassing, you know?! You incompetent team leader ¡­ I had to cover your mistakes!¡± Now she was just being delusional. She really didn¡¯t need to take responsibility for everything at our table ¡­ Wait, did I hear that right, ¡°You incompetent team leader¡±? Me as the table¡¯s leader? ¡°Yeah, bastard. I can see the confusion painted on your face. Our instructor assigned leaders for each table when you were asleep, and¡ª¡± ¡°I was chosen as the team leader,¡± I finished for her. ¡°Exactly.¡± A loud clap interrupted our conversation and every student immediately went into formation. Sir Lev popped onto the stage and started lecturing us about different sword swing techniques. Right side slash, left side slash, up slash, ¡­ down slash, ¡­. and the transitions for them. ¡­ Gym class. The sixth class of the day, and it is the last class. I regretted picking this elective. The instructors supervising the huge gym room never allowed a single student to stop working out¡ªsmall breaks as an exception. This class really helped me, though. I surprisingly had fast growth in strength despite not using my muscles for ¡­ That many years. I prefer to not talk about it. Now, I could lift over thirty pounds on each arm! I felt happy. ¡°Dude, what are you smiling for? You¡¯re still lifting only ten-pound plates on a bench press,¡± a muscular guy bench pressing four hundred gave me a wake up call. ¡°It¡¯s hard for someone like me.¡± It truly was. These people were bringing tears to my eyes, in a pitiful way, of course. They could¡¯ve at least given me motivation or encouragement. Sobbing, I continued my grindset. . . . * ¡°I¡¯m finally done with the day,¡± I yawned, stretching like a majestic feline as I walked out the busy academy gates. People either were walking to their dorms or outside to hangout on the weekends. Man.. I could have brightened the world with the beaming smile I had. Swordsmaster Lev would pick me up using whatever transportation vehicle he had for the nightly dinner. Everything was going well and convenient for me. ¡°Hahaha. Free food!¡± I skipped happily. ¡°Cafe.. I forgot the name of, I¡¯m coming for you!¡± As I skipped, I bumped into a tough surface and bounced back and onto the ground upon impact. Kwak!¡­ I looked up to see a broken sculpture of a beautiful, headless body of a petite woman. Wait. Headless? I spotted a disfigured and shattered clay head on the ground. ¡°You¡­¡± There were two short children beside the sculpture. One male, one female. They looked angry¡ªtheir faces pouting and red. ¡°This was made for Ms. Lily!¡± the male child scolded me. ¡°Fix it!¡± Were they twins? Both looked around the same age. Ten, at most. ¡°Indeed. Sculpted meticulously for our esteemed tutor, Ms. Lily,¡± said the girl. She seemed a bit too stoic and calm after the conspicuous pout directed at me. ¡°You must pay a great fine.¡± I grinned slyly and instinctively put on a voice adults use to talk to kids. ¡°Yess? What¡¯s the fine?¡± Children probably wouldn¡¯t ask for much, so I expected to get away quickly. ¡°We¡¯re hungry, so buy us dinner,¡± the girl responded. The little boy leaned in her ear and whispered audibly, ¡°We¡¯re not poor, though. We can get our own. ..Plus we can easily restore this.¡± She whispered back, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re going to make him go broke as payback.¡± ¡­ Kids, I heard that. The sculpture must¡¯ve been for someone of high value. There were clear signs of careful carving and shaping on the body, robe, and the ¡­.head on the ground. How could I meet their demands without making myself go dirt-poor? Hmm¡­ A genius idea came to my mind. I¡¯ll bring them with me to the feast Sir Lev was holding. Fin.