"...!!!!"
It was a shocking result.
In an instant, the training grounds turned into a massive library so silent not even a breath could be heard.
Just seconds ago, the atmosphere had been heated by the instructor's shout, but now it cooled to an icy chill.
Finally, it was Yuria who broke the suffocating silence.
"...Hah?!"
She clamped both hands over her mouth in shock, but a scream slipped out anyway.
Perhaps that sound opened the floodgates. Soon, murmurs spread through the students like a contagion.
"What just happened…?"
"I saw Kaiser fire that flame arrow, but then I blinked, and he was down there?"
"He got hit by his own magic! Jeron bounced it back!"
"How do you bounce magic? Is there a technique like that?"
Most of the students couldn't grasp what had happened because it was over too quickly.
Everyone had seen slightly different things, and the eyewitness accounts jumbled together in chaos.
But there was one clear outcome they all agreed on.
"So… the guy who came in dead last in the entrance exam… beat Kaiser?"
The winner of this duel was Jeron Airgia.
As all eyes in the training grounds turned to the protagonist of this massive upset, Jeron.
He stood there utterly nonchalant.
As if it wasn't an upset at all, but the natural result.
"Ahh. This is about rank 13 level."
Finally, he spoke.
With a face that screamed he was bored out of his mind.
"Boring… makes me wanna sleep."
"....!!!!"
His bombshell remark left the cadets' mouths agape.
Shock turned to outright astonishment in that moment.
Even the instructor stood dazed for a bit before snapping to and calling for the infirmary staff.
The white-coated medics arrived with a stretcher and carted off Kaiser, who looked like a sweet potato roasted in hot coals.
The instructor cleared his throat awkwardly, still looking stunned, then infused his voice with mana to declare.
"Kaiser Fireheart, combat incapacitated! Therefore, the winner of this duel is… Jeron Airgia!"
No cheers erupted at the instructor's declaration.
Only awe and confusion at the incomprehensible scene hung heavily over the training grounds.
The instructor shouted to try and restore some order to the chaos.
"Short break for training grounds cleanup and cadet treatment! We'll resume duels after!"
***
[You've completed the sudden quest in a 'very slothful manner'!]
[Additional reward: Sloth +100 granted.]
[Sloth +600]
[Current Sloth: 665]
[Level up by 5!]
[Level: 20]
A translucent quest completion window popped up before my eyes.
"Ooh…."
I couldn't help but admire it.
Quest overachievement.
Even in games, this was a rare message.
At the end, with everyone staring at me like some ceremony was in order,
I threw out "that line" from a comic I used to love before possessing this body, but sloth-ified it, and boom—overachievement unlocked.
My magic resistance was a bit low, but I scored an extra 100 points, so all good!
Now, let's tally it up.
I raked in a whopping 600 Sloth in one go.
Invested 300 and got exactly double back.
But that's not the end.
[Keen Eye] and [Basic Reflex].
Both were cost-effective hero-grade skills I'd been eyeing, but they'd been pushed down the priority list behind the [Ultimate Growth Elixir].
Now they were mine.
And that's still not the end.
My level shot up 5 to 20.
Still not the end!
The thrill of experiencing [Stella Academia] combat in full 4D glory.
Kyah…!
A massive dopamine rush electrified my whole body.
And who do I owe this to?
'You again, huh, big bro.'
Carver, who went out giving generously to the end.
Thanks to his great sacrifice.
For a second, I swear I hallucinated Kaiser on the stretcher throwing me a thumbs-up.
'Your tear-jerking sacrifice… I won't forget it, GOAT.'
Well, he didn't actually die.
But half-killed, pretty much.
'Cause Kaiser here's got a massive strong-against-weak, weak-against-strong complex.
Worships strength, so if he thinks you're stronger, he bows his head right away.
He picked a fight with me not because I slept in class, but because the 'dead last' dared to sleep.
He flipped out at my taunt because the 'dead last' dared to taunt him.
But now that I've thoroughly thrashed him, he won't dare make a peep at me from here on out.
Sigh… kid's got issues. Poor thing.
'If Kaiser hadn't picked a fight, I wouldn't have had many opponents I could beat anyway.'
One surprising fact.
If Kaiser hadn't come at me, I planned to forfeit right away no matter who my first opponent was.
My current state was so pathetic, it was worse than a regular civilian, let alone an academy cadet.
Sure, if I dumped all my Sloth into skills and items and twisted my body just right, I might eke out a win—but what would be the point?
But lo and behold, Kaiser starts with his ultimate move pattern,
And right then, the Sloth shop had skills that perfectly countered it.
Highest rank in Class 1 on the entrance exam, but worst matchup for me.
From my perspective, he was the ultimate cost-effective hunting ground.
So, what's the conclusion?
'You, you, you again…!'
Kaiser, I worship thee…!
-Clack, clack.
As I indulged in nonstop worship beyond mere ambush praise, someone suddenly walked into the training grounds.
Crisp suit. Hair neatly tied in a ponytail. Ice-cold eyes peering through rimless glasses.
Huh.
"Cadet Jeron Airgia."
Sis, why are you here?
"Come with me for a sec."
Professor Kate, who appeared out of nowhere, straight-up dragged me out of the training grounds.
...Huh?
***
Right after the shocking duel wrapped up in all sorts of ways.
As Professor Kate abruptly appeared and hauled Jeron away, the murmurs among the remaining students didn't die down—instead, they swelled uncontrollably.
"Did you see that? Professor Kate took him herself."
"You think he cheated or something? Never heard of reflecting magic."
"Or maybe… he's been hiding insane talent…"
"Nah, no way. The entrance exam dead last?"
"But he said it was boring… and he took down Kaiser in just a few seconds."
All sorts of speculation and suspicion rose like mist.
Amid it all, one cadet was purely admiring and delighted.
"Wah… Jeron, Jeron really won…!"
Yuria, of course.
Once the shock faded and she came to her senses, her heart filled with pure joy.
Sure, up until moments ago, she'd been a little annoyed with him.
He claimed to have a secret strategy but spouted nonsense like 'I need to sleep,'
Wouldn't budge no matter how much she tried to wake him,
And he'd mouth off fearlessly to scary folks like Kaiser or Artel, making her heart drop.
But.
Maybe spending the day as deskmates had built some fondness already.
She had mountains of questions—how did he do it, was he hiding his power, and if so, why—but…
For now, she was just thrilled that Jeron had won like some miracle.
Unlike Yuria's fluffy reaction, on the other side.
"...!"
Artel stood frozen, as if hit by a freeze spell.
Luna sidled up beside her and whispered.
"Oh my… Artel, you look pretty shocked?"
"…Go."
Luna spoke familiarly, like they already knew each other.
Artel, meanwhile, blew cold winds her way.
But Luna didn't care—in fact, she seemed delighted and pressed on.
"Hehe, why's our Artel so frosty? Ah! Is it because of that~? You can't figure out how Jeron did it?"
"...You!"
Artel glared sharply at Luna, as if she'd hit the nail on the head.
But Luna just grinned.
"Hee~ Think glaring like that at the friend who's about to kindly explain the secret is okay? You know me, Artel. My 'eyes' are pretty sharp, right?"
"...Tch!"
Artel clicked her tongue in frustration. Her blue eyes wavered with complex emotions.
"Well? Aren't you curious?"
Like a serpent offering the fruit of knowledge, Luna tempted her.
In the end, Artel raised the white flag.
"...Tell me."
"Huh? Too curt…"
At Luna's cheeky remark, Artel bit her lip.
"...Tell me."
"Aww~ Artel doesn't wanna play with me~ Guess I'll just go then~~"
"…Hah, Luna. I really hate you."
With a sincere mutter, Artel finally surrendered.
"...Tell me."
Finally getting the response she wanted, Luna smiled in satisfaction and spoke.
"Artel, what do you think is the most basic foundation of magic?"
Artel furrowed her brow at the sudden question.
"Controlling mana. Why ask something so obvious…?"
"Right. Control. That's the key."
Luna cut her off and delved deeper. Playfulness vanished from her eyes, replaced by sharp insight.
"That guy didn't counter the magic with magic. Nullification or reflection—those are just the surface results. You gotta see the essence."
"…What?"
"The essence is… he stole control of the 'Crimson Flame Arrow' spell Kaiser fired."
Artel's eyes shook violently.
Luna's explanation continued.
"He subtly jabbed at the flow of that massive incoming mana clump with his own mana, twisting the spell's trajectory just a tiny bit."
The moment she heard that, a picture formed in Artel's mind.
-Kwaaaaa!
Kaiser's mana surges like a massive torrent, threatening to swallow everything.
A current too deep and fast to even dream of opposing.
But Jeron stands before it with utter composure.
He simply picks up an utterly ordinary pebble from the riverbank.
A power too small and feeble compared to the vast torrent.
But.
Thrown at the precise spot, precise angle, and precise speed—that single pebble—
Pierces the core of the massive water flow, twisting the entire current.
"...!"
Artel swallowed hard.
Normal mages block enemy spells with even bigger mana blasts or counter with elemental counters.
That was the standard, the common sense.
But if Luna was right, Jeron had mocked that common sense, extracting maximum efficiency with minimal power.
"And he even designed it so the power amplified in the process of redirecting the flow. Doesn't that ring a bell?"
"No way. That's impossible. That's just a legend."
"Exactly. Not famous, so only those in the know get it… but it's the reflection magic 'Mirror Image,' said to be created by Archmage Midas. Looks like he drew inspiration from that. Of course, compared to the records of the archmage's spell, Jeron's version is way inferior. Like a cheap knockoff at best. But—"
"…He imitated that 'archmage's' magic, even a little? And he's just a fresh 1st-year academy cadet?"
Her head couldn't accept it, but the results she'd seen proved Luna's words.
Luna drove in the final nail, savoring Artel's reaction.
"That's why it's so fun."
Her gaze lingered on the training grounds entrance where Professor Kate and Jeron had vanished.
"Jeron Airgia. What's that kid's deal?"
***
At that moment.
The place Professor Kate had practically dragged me to was the rooftop of the academy's main building.
The sun was setting.
The first day since possessing this game world was coming to an end.
The vast academy grounds blended with the surrounding scenery, and red sunset light poured down like shattering glass.
A spectacular view.
I'd thought the in-game graphics were top-notch, but the real thing blew them away.
Staring at it made me feel a bit sentimental.
But why show me this stunning vista all of a sudden?
"—The world's a shitshow, huh?"
I doubted my ears. Hard to believe this raspy line came from the professor who'd been so strict just that morning.
"This is where I come when it gets like that. Reminds me the world has its pretty sides too."
She casually shrugged off her jacket onto the railing, loosened her tie, and pulled a cigarette from her pocket to light up.
"Smoke?"
"Ah, no…."
Me, flustered.
Because I saw a side of Professor Kate I didn't know…? Nah.
This was a hidden event scene you could only see after building a ton of affinity with her in the game.
The real her, hidden behind that perfect, razor-sharp facade.
But why show it to me now?
I couldn't hide my inner bewilderment.
Professor Kate read my expression and smirked, lighting her cigarette. The deeply inhaled smoke scattered white into the sunset glow.
"Whew— Jeron, you know?"
"…Know what?"
She peered into me with her ash-gray eyes and said.
"I'm an orphan too. Just like you, Jeron."
…?
But I have parents?