It seemed the mock Dungeon trial ran into several problems.
The first problem was that many of the internal cameras had stopped working.
The second was that was a systematic error. A problem had occurred with the distribution of people in charge of monitoring the situation, and as a result, the instructors had discovered the broken cameras too late.
The third and final problem was that real monsters had trespassed into the Dungeon instead of mana puppets. This was the biggest problem.
The mock Dungeon trial was canceled as a result, and everyone's grades were postponed as well.
"Wow, really? A natural born Magma Golem?"
"Yeah, I heard it was intermediate ranked."
"No way... So what happened? Who killed it?"
"It was team 3 and team 8. Team 8 came later as support."
The cadets gathered outside the Dungeon chattered loudly, while the instructors checked people off to make sure there were no casualties.
"Ehew."
Yoo Yeonha let out a deep sigh. She staggered from the rising sense of emptiness and lethargy. Then, she discovered Chae Nayun who was walking around the Dungeon's entrance. Yoo Yeonha had many questions she wanted Chae Nayun to answer.
"Nayun."
"Hm? Oh, Yeonha. What's up?"
"Are you okay? I heard the Magma Golem..."
After bringing up a topic she wasn't interested in, Yoo Yeonha brought up Kim Hajin when Chae Nayun seemed to be bored.
"Oh right, you know Kim Hajin, right? The guy you brought up during our last—"
"Mm? Ah~ Kim Hajin?"
"...Eh?"
Chae Nayun's reaction was completely different than before. Previously, she growled when Kim Hajin's name was brought up, but now she looked completely fine talking about him.
"Uh... Yeah, Kim Hajin."
"What about him?"
"Well... Remember what you said before? That he—"
Chae Nayun lightly cut her off.
"Oh, that? It was a misunderstanding."
"...Yes?"
Yoo Yeonha was so dumbfounded that she blurted out in polite speech.
It was only a few days ago that you were coughing up blood while talking about him, and now you're saying it was a misunderstanding? I don't think it's a misunderstanding now!
"It was a misunderstanding, really. We just had a talk about it."
Chae Nayun took a small breath and continued.
"Well, I wouldn't say he's someone I want to be friends with, but he's not such a bad guy."
'While he still wouldn't budge about changing my weapons, at keast he was sorry about Oppa.' Chae Nayun nodded as though she was satisfied with her own judgment.
Yoo Yeonha stared at Chae Nayun in a daze. She was so dumbfounded that she wanted to strangle her.
"Oh, hey! Kim Suho!"
Suddenly, Chae Nayun shouted loudly. Yoo Yeonha felt like her eardrums would burst.
"I'll talk to you later, Yeonha!"
Chae Nayun ran past Yoo Yeonha and disappeared. She was quick, like a puppy chasing after her master. Yoo Yeonha turned around to see just who she was waiting for. It was Kim Suho. Chae Nayun ran up to Kim Suho, who had just left the Dungeon, slapped his back, and stood in front of him as if to block his path.
"Whoa, that's surprised me."
"Did anything happen to your team?"
"...It was no joke. I almost died from exhaustion."
"I can see that on your face. You look like a grandpa."
"...Really?"
Yoo Yeonha watched their affectionate interaction with interest. She was happy seeing them hit it off well together. Thinking about it now, Kim Suho did seem to resemble Chae Nayun's older brother.
"Oh, Chae Nayun, here you are."
At that moment, Shin Jonghak cut in between them as if to break them apart.
"Huu."
Yoo Yeonha sighed. Since Shin Jonghak was there, Yoo Yeonha began to walk towards them. At that moment, she discovered a man staring at Chae Nayun from a distance.
"...What's up with him?"
The man was Kim Hajin. But the way he was watching Chae Nayun seemed... strange. His eyes seemed to carry a heavy worry and a deep sadness. Yoo Yeonha stared at his disgusting eyes for a moment.
It didn't take long for her to come to a conclusion.
"What, he likes Chae Nayun too? The heck... What's so good about a tomboy like her...?"
Yoo Yeonha trembled from the frustration rising from deep in her heart.
But before Yoo Yeonha could process her feelings, she overheard a conversation. A conversation that would define her actions in the near future.
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"Have you sorted out your quarrel yet?"
"Only half of it, Teach. The main problem is still there."
Shiki and Hajin were having their first man-to-man conversation since the museum incident.
"Good, little progress is still progress. It's better than doing nothing and later regret.
But, take it easy. Changes aren't happening in a day. It takes weeks or even months."
"You're right, Teach."
"Forget it for now. First off, you and I will have a few practical lessons on using your mana more effectively."
"You knew?"
"I'm your teacher, of course I knew. You wouldn't have asked me for help otherwise. That thing on your right hand didn't just burn mana, right? It also puts a small strain on your mind."
"You're right. I should train this power further."
"Get some rest first. Then send me your schedule. I'll match it with mine."
Shiki then went to check on his other student, leaving Hajin behind to think about himself in the future.
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11 P.M. Kim Hajin's room.
===
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Sven: [I hear the hunting club is going to Gangwondo this week. Wanna hunt together?]
[Yeah, sure.]
===
Using his laptop to hack into other cadets' smartwatches, Hajin peeked at Sven and Chae Nayun's conversation.
It was a common talk among colleagues, but Sven's last message caught his attention.
'Hunting club, this week.'
'Hunt together.'
At that moment...
[Hajin.]
Hajin received a message on his smartwatch. When he saw the sender's name, Hajin couldn't help but grow curious.
It was Kim Suho.
[Do you have time this Thursday?]
"What's up with him?"
'Why was Kim Suho contacting me all of a sudden? ...Oh, it's that.'
For the internal investigation of the previous incident, Cube decided to select the most trustworthy cadets from each grade to search for the culprit. The freshman year representatives were unsurprisingly Shin Jonghak, Kim Suho, and Chae Nayun.
"...But isn't it too early?"
[Why?]
[I can't tell you yet. I'll tell you about it when we meet in person. For now, just know that Nayun recommended you.]
"Chae Nayun?"
'Why would Chae Nayun recommend me? Because I have good eyes?'
Hajin replied.
[I'm busy on Thursday, but I'm free on Friday.]
[That's fine, we can meet then. Can you also ask Shiki to come as well? Only you in this group has his contact.]
Kim Suho replied instantly.
"...Well, it's better for me the closer I am to the storyline. It would help if teacher is there as well."
After replying "okay", Hajin went back to looking at his laptop.
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——————————————
Hajin P.o.v
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"I think it's this way..."
I looked at my map once again. The map pointed to the Gari Mountain Dungeon. The map was obtained from the Book of Truth. Just like a genie lamp, all I had to do was ask, "Where is the Gari Mountain Dungeon?", and it gave me this map.
In fact, this map showed my live location, almost like a GPS system.
Looking at my map, I continued towards the Dungeon's location.
After about 10 minutes of walking...
"Uk!"
*Thud*
I fell down after tripping over something.
"Agh, what is it now?"
I got up after falling pathetically. There was a stem of some sort tangled around my leg. At first, I was frightened out of my mind, thinking it was some plant-type monster, but upon closer inspection, I noticed it was just an ordinary stem.
"Whew, that surprised me."
I pulled on the stem. It didn't seem to go very deep, as I didn't need to put in much strength.
But when I pulled the stem out of the ground, something resembling a bellflower root came out.
"What's this?"
I threw the root on the ground. After dusting myself off, I took a step to continue walking, but I suddenly remembered what the man I just met told me.
Ginseng.
I looked at the root one more time. Now that I looked at it again, it did resemble a mandrake. I took out my laptop and read the description of the root in front of me.
===
[7-year-old Ginseng]
—A plant that achieved magic power on its own through condensed life energy and spiritual energy. Has strong efficacy no matter how it's used.
—A treasured item full of nutrients.
===
'Jackpot'
Ginseng served many purposes.
Consuming it would increase one's stats, and grinding it down and using it as a medicinal ingredient would produce about ten high-rank potions. One could even use it for a process called enchantment. In this process, the magic power contained within the ginseng was added to an item, giving it a special effect.
But I didn't have the necessary equipment to make potions nor a connection with a magician to help with enchantment. As such, I could only eat it or sell it.
"Eating it is a bit..."
This ginseng should go for 700 million won. Since I could use Violet Banquet to sell it, I didn't have to worry about being scammed even if I had to pay more in fees. If I sold it now, I could invest the money in stocks and easily get a return of 4~5 billion won. That was enough to buy 7 of the same ginseng.
"...Argh, this is hard."
The unexpected fortune only increased my worry.
For now, I put the ginseng away in my bag.
I could think about this first-world problem after I found the Gari Mountain Dungeon.
"Now that I'm near the dungeon, I should find its entrance."
I picked up a pebble, carved the symbol ᛒ (Berkanan) on it and left it on the ground.
Using Stigma as a mana source and the rock as a material component, the rune would lead me to the entryway of the dungeon.
The pebble started to levitate and floated away. I followed it.
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Standing in front of a cave, I dusted my hands. Dirt rained down on the ground.
"So this is why it hasn't been discovered until now."
Huu. After taking a deep breath, I glanced behind me. An inch away from my feet was a razor-sharp cliff.
The Gari Mountain Dungeon was located in the middle of a cliff, buried in moss and vines.
I could feel my heart thumping. Even with Parkour, the journey had been too difficult. Without Stigma's magic power as insurance, I would have been too scared of falling to try.
"Hmm."
I looked into the dark cave without going in. My Thousand-Mile Eyes repelled the darkness and widened my vision. Not long afterward, I discovered the switch monster. It was a ghost.
The Gari Mountain Dungeon was an undead dungeon.
Monsters in this dungeon included dullahans, banshees, and other undead monsters which ranged from grade 9 to grade 3 of low-intermediate rank. The boss should be a death knight, so my current self couldn't clear the Dungeon, unless I go for the hidden stage.
A hidden stage was a completely isolated space from the standard Dungeon, making it significantly easier to clear. In addition, this hidden stage's reward was better the quicker one took it: Aether.
Because of its lack of a clear form, Aether was easy to be misunderstood as a lump of magic power, but the reason Aether was called a weapon was because of this property. Because it had no form, it could change its form to whatever its user wanted. Furthermore, Aether was an evolving weapon.
It was worth taking it early, even if I had to sacrifice the ginseng. If only I had to.
I intended to clear this hidden stage with just my Dessert Eagle and Runes. If that fails, I will retreat and use the ginseng to give me the boost I need.
I entered the cave with confidence. As soon as I stepped in, an extreme chill penetrated my body.
"Ugh."
I moved my legs forward as I watched my own breath.
Ssssss.
Hearing a strange sound, I hid behind the cave's wall. Within a distance I could see without using Thousand-Mile Eyes, a hologram-like ghost was wavering in the air.
That was the switch monster.
I could kill a monster of the level even without spending any mana.
I took out my Desert Eagle, aiming at the hologram and pulled the trigger.
The bullet cut through the air and struck the ghost. The bullet phased through the ghost without doing any damage, but the magic power contained inside the bullet didn't. The magic power had hit the middle of its eyes perfectly.
Shortly, the ghost exploded into light without a sound.
At that moment, a strange wind blew from a direction, sucking in the ghost's light.
That was where I had to go. The light led to the location of the hidden stage. There, an inferior version of a witch would be waiting for me.
My eyes didn't miss the incredibly faint stream of light. I started following it.
After about 10 minutes of walking, I finally arrived at a place that was isolated from the Dungeon.
In the middle was a witch carrying Aether.
I took out my laptop from my bag.
Whiiiish.
===
[Witch]
—Evandel the Witch. Possesses a spirit body and produces low-ranking ghosts.
===
Witch, a difficult monster to classify. To become one, it needs to satisfy three conditions.
An ability to produce ghosts or spirits, a human body and intelligence on par with humans.
Since Evandel the witch had yet to complete her second and third conditions, she was still an incomplete witch. She will be vulnerable to my attack.
Killing her will grant me Aether along with another reward: Evandel's seed. The seed would one day grow into a new witch, one with the right guidance.
However, killing her would prove to be difficult for my conscience.
"She is just a child..."
Staring into my eyes was a small girl, roughly middle school age. She held on tightly to the ghost who had been shot down by the man before her. Her face was like a yellow blank statue, yet tears could roll down her face if she was capable of grief.
Within my hesitation, I slapped myself.
'Snap out of it, Hajin. If you don't kill her, she will become a terrifying witch in the future. You can stop that, you can lead her to a better path.'
Biting on my lip, I steel my resolve. I filled a bullet with two streaks worth of Stigma power. The only streak of Stigma I had already ran out. My mana circuits glowed up transferring the missing magic power needed. The single bullet now has the power to punch through objects several times my weight.
I loaded the bullet into the gun, aimed the barrel at her torso and...
*Boom*
Her body shot back, the bullet left a hole in her chest. I thought that she was still alive but...
"Uuaaang..." She let out a small cry.
Evandel slowly dissolved into the air. Yet, her eyes had never broken from mine. Her life force died out.
Evandel the witch was killed.
A seed dropped from her body and touched the cold ground.
"...Was it an instinctive reaction before death?"
After calming my beating heart, I walked up and picked up the seed.
Then, I walked forward into the darkness. A slime-like weapon with a blue glow, this was the weapon that made Tomer into one of the executives of Wicked.
Before I reached forward, I checked its description on my laptop.
=====
[Aether]
[Mystic – Formless] [Evolving]
A corporeal but formless weapon. Adheres to its master or his weapon, reinforcing their strength.
—Master selection
*Will not adhere to another being once a master is chosen.
—Physical body reinforcement
*Increases the variable stats of its owner by 0.6 points.
—Weapon reinforcement
*Adheres to its master's weapon and strengthens the weapon's attack power. Aether itself can also form a weapon. (Current weapon-form Aether rank – 'high rank')
—Evolving weapon
All of the above functions evolve with their owner. Depending on the state of Aether's awakening, other functions can develop.
=====
I had obtained my weapon.
But I didn't expect things to end so easily.
Clack clack clack—
A series of striking sounds rang out from all directions. Bones joining together formed the shape of a man, and I soon found myself surrounded by white-boned soldiers - skeletons.
"Tch.."
Thing just couldn't get any easier. I took out three notes and laid them on the ground.
The army of skeleton charged head on. But before the could reached me, three walls of light shot up creating a barrier shielding me from harm.
"Good thing I prepared these beforehand."
Many all-nighters had been spent learning and writing Runes. And now, I have a notebook's worth of spells ready to be used. This would save me a lot of time if I ever encounter a Djinn.
The undead kept striking the wall to no avail, but it wouldn't be long before they breached through.
I held out my gun, a familiar dark red ball manifested on the barrel. It was the runic spell teacher had once demonstrated in the trial dungeon.
This one, however, was smaller in size. And without the usual rune chant, its power dropped in half. I managed to save some of it by having a bullet as a catalyst
Still, with all my mana left, I could supercharge the spell to create a pathway out of here.
"I need to leave now, so please get out of my way. GANDR!"
*Boom*
The Dessert Eagle exploded, and the spell flew off piercing everything on its path. The undead were quickly reduced to ashes. Leaving an open road to the exit.
Left with no mana, I forced my creaking body to run back the way I came from.
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10 P.M. Hajin's dorm
I finally came back, barely making it before curfew.
I headed to the shower immediately after I opened the door and washed away the dirt covering my body. Because of the rough workout I had, the warm water gave me a refreshing feeling.
"Phew."
After turning off the shower head, I wiped myself off. I could see the 0.6 point stat increase on my body. Even without flexing or holding my breath, there was a clear six-pack on my stomach. ...Though, I guess it was the same for other cadets.
I stopped fooling around in front of the mirror and got out of the bathroom.
After putting on my underwear, I put my laptop and Evandel's Seed on the desk.
"I brought it but..."
===
[Evandel's Seed]
—Seed containing the soul of Evandel the witch.
===
When this seed germinates, 'Evandel' the Witch of Despair would be born. Her title made her sound evil, but if utilised correctly, she could become a valuable ally. The environment where one grew up was the most important thing in raising any living being. So, I just had to raise her well.
Feeding the seed was simple. Instead of water, I just had to give it small amounts of blood. A witch's personality and growth were dependent on who the blood came from. Chae Nayun's or Kim Suho's blood would be the best, but acquiring them wasn't easy.
But then I thought of another best alternative.
My teacher Tatsuya Shiki.
He was blunt and didn't have the best personality. But, his power outweighed the downside by a large margin.
All this time in Cube, he has shown immeasurable power, exceptional experiences and flexible fighting styles. Along with being both a mage and a close-range fighter, he is the perfect all-rounder hero.
"I'll ask him later. But until then, I'll just hold onto you for now."
I wrapped Evandel's Seed in a handkerchief and put it in a drawer.
Next, I accessed Chae Nayun's smartwatch to prepare for tomorrow's event.
Coincidentally, she was currently talking with Sven. And from the looks of it, they seemed to have gotten fairly close. The meeting time was 5 P.M. according to the club announcement, but Sven had asked to meet an hour early.
After noting the time in my head, I accessed Violet Banquet to sell the ginseng I picked up. Packhorse Master's stock price was going up. I had wanted to buy more before it was too late.
[Violet Banquet Online Auction House]
[Item for Sale]
[Description – 7-year-old ginseng dug from Gangwondo's mountain.]
[Please place the item on the Portal for appraisal.]
A circular hologram projected out of the laptop screen. Once I placed the ginseng on it, it would be transported to Violet Banquet's appraisal centre, and the item would go on auction once the appraisal was complete.
[The item has been transported. The appraisal result will come out within the next 24 hours.]
After seeing the ginseng disappear into the Portal, I closed the laptop.
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The next day afternoon.
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"What are you doing here?"
"Why didn't you get on the bus?"
Chae Nayun asked. For a moment, I flinched. So she was watching me waiting for the bus. Come to think of it, Chae Nayun had good eyes as well.
"I was hesitating. I came out too early, so there was too much time left over until the club meeting. I just decided to go through, since I don't have anything better to do."
"Oh? What club are you in?"
"Hunting."
"Hunting? I'm in hunting too, and I don't remember seeing you..."
The bus arrived while Chae Nayun was talking. I hopped in, and Chae Nayun followed.
"I didn't go to the orientation. That's probably why."
I spoke as I sat down on a seat.
"...I see."
Chae Nayun sat down across from me. Then, she glanced at me with doubtful eyes before opening her mouth.
"Just how many clubs are you in? I heard from Yeonha that you were in her club."
"Three."
"Wow, what a waste of time."
"You're in two too."
"I'm... So what?"
I forced myself to smile before closing my eyes. I didn't want to continue this conversation any longer. Chae Nayun didn't seem to mind ending the conversation either.
Without talking for the rest of the bus ride, Chae Nayun and I arrived at the Portal Station.
"You came earlier than I expected."
"Mhm. Oh right, Sven, you know him, right? He's the one who helped us before. Kim Hajin."
"Yeah, I know. Hey."
Sven reached his hand out and I grabbed it. Sven tried to let go immediately, but I didn't let him. I grasped his hand firmly and stared into his eyes. Black, lifeless eyes. My Gift of observation peered into his pupils. I could catch a glimpse of Asmodeus' evil energy.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Why are you picking a fight?"
Cahe Nayun snapped at me sharply. I turned around without saying anything and walked to the Portal Station's entrance.
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Author's note: Quick question. Would you like to see sth cool?