The sun rose on the last day of the midterm evaluation.
That means today is a crucial day for the tournament finals.
Most of the students advancing to the finals were tense, fully preparing for the match.
I too wanted to make appropriate preparations.
Of course, by “preparations,” I meant catching up on sleep that I had missed for days.
As a result, I was able to restore my sleep quite well.
At the point when consciousness returned,
the headache that used to pound in my head was now just a faint memory.
I had lived with that headache back in the original world, and here, managing spatial perception and the powers of observation and space only made it worse, but now it was much diminished.
My body felt light. After finishing the preliminaries, I was as droopy as a sponge soaked with water, but now, for some reason, I was lively.
And I felt really warm. My whole body felt so cozy that I wanted to just flop into the soft thing wrapping around me.
‘…….’
With the warm and soft sensation… The poking gaze on my crown and the clingy energy from Gop-hwa…
My eyelids fluttered. I steadied my breath and activated the power of observation.
I recognized the red eyes staring down at me.
…
The place where I regained consciousness was Hong Yeon-hwa’s dormitory. To be precise, it was her bed… in Hong Yeon-hwa’s embrace.
When I realized the eyes looking down at me, I was absolutely flabbergasted.
It felt like a vital part of my memory had been chopped off.
Carefully groping through the gap where memories seemed to have been cut away, I started recalling moments right before I fainted.
My body soaked in fatigue and my mind, cloudy from several sleepless nights, was drooping along.
A buildup of mana surged rapidly from my toes.
Accompanied by that surge, a warm hug and a gentle, kind voice enveloped me…
“Are you hungry? Let’s eat something before heading out.”
After being gently patted for a moment, I found myself seated at the dining table for breakfast.
Time was plentiful. Even considering that my match was almost first, there was plenty of time to eat hastily and still head over slowly.
I settled down at the table without resistance.
“Why are there two sets of dishes?”
“I already ate.”
“Don’t we usually eat together? Why today?”
“Well, it seems the young lady coughed, so she stayed in her room—”
“Enough. I got it.”
It appeared Ariel had already had her breakfast.
Hong Yeon-hwa and I sat facing each other at the table. Ariel was standing behind Hong Yeon-hwa, waiting.
The table was set in a way I was used to.
White rice and miso soup side by side. A variety of side dishes abundant enough to easily exceed ten, with spicy stir-fried pork in the center…
If only my sense of smell and taste were working, I would have been drooling at the feast laid out before me.
It was the same spread I had eaten last time during my hospital visit.
“I prepared this as best as I could, young master.”
[Thank you for the meal]
[Ariel]
I nodded my head at Ariel’s humbly spoken words.
From the perspective of someone who had cooked just a little, I found it incredible that Ariel managed to prepare such a table every day.
After getting into an accident and being stuck at home, I had tried cooking a bit.
The situation and my inclinations didn’t exactly allow for roaming around in search of delicious food.
So, I had just ordered ingredients for fun and hobbled my way through cooking a bit.
I wasn’t professionally trained; I had merely watched videos ranging from 10 to 30 minutes long.
And at some point, I got bored and just ordered takeout or convenience food instead.
Because of that, I had received a lot of nagging from the flower girl.
‘…ugh.’
My thoughts drifted off. Shaking off the lingering regrets of the past, I stealthily glanced at Hong Yeon-hwa.
She was briefly tapping at her hologram.
“……”
As I waited quietly, Hong Yeon-hwa finished what she was doing and picked up her chopsticks to grab some pork.
– Nom
The spicy pork quickly vanished into her mouth.
I only grabbed my spoon after I confirmed with my own eyes that Hong Yeon-hwa was chewing sweetly and swallowing it.
I took a tiny bite of rice.
Something was crunching in my mouth. Even after chewing repeatedly, no distinct sweetness emerged.
‘?’
After swallowing the rice, I tilted my head at the discomfort in my mouth.
I chewed again. I slid my tongue around, tapping against the roof of my mouth and inside my cheeks, prodding my teeth.
‘What’s this?’
Should I call it discomfort? It felt like something had been consumed… or drunk, but it was strange not having actually swallowed anything.
“What’s wrong, Ha-yul?”
Hong Yeon-hwa asked with a strange look. Ariel’s gaze joined hers, as if wondering if something was wrong.
[It’s nothing]
I shook my head after feeling along the discomfort for a moment, assuring them it was nothing.
‘Probably just my imagination.’
I had been asleep, so how could I have eaten anything?
Unless someone had forcibly put something in my mouth, there was no way.
With a gulp of water, I swallowed down the unease and picked up my spoon again.
…
The venue for the tournament finals was the first arena located in the central part of Shio-ram.
The first arena is a facility that is only opened for important official events in Shio-ram.
Naturally, this means it was open today for the tournament finals.
After finishing breakfast at Hong Yeon-hwa’s dormitory and arriving at the first arena, it was indeed a vast facility suited for a significant event.
Even the sparring stage installed in the center was several times larger than during the preliminaries.
And it wasn’t just wide. Upon observing closely, I found that the floor, walls, and entire facility were packed with various magical formations.
It wouldn’t be easy for an ordinary attack to leave a significant mark on the ground like last time.
I’m not well-versed in arenas, but even a cursory glance suggested that the spectator stands could comfortably hold tens of thousands of people.
“There are so many people…”
Following the guidance of an administrative staff member, I arrived at the player waiting room, which was private.
Since Hong Yeon-hwa was also an advance contestant, we parted ways upon arriving.
As I sat down to gather my thoughts, a knock sounded and the door swung open, revealing Elia with her yellow hair sticking out.
Elia sounded dumbfounded as she saw the packed spectator stands displayed on the hologram.
– Buzzing
Just as Elia said, the once-empty spectator area was now filled to the brim. It looked like a packed bean sprout pot.
There wasn’t even a vacant seat, with some people standing to watch the match.
Even inside the player waiting room, I could sense countless presences.
[Did Elia fall out?]
“Yes, I lost in the third round against a combat-focused student.”
[That’s disappointing.]
[I would have made it to the finals if I had just won once more.]
“I’m disappointed too, but personally, I’m satisfied. I would’ve had a tough time winning the first two without a spirit.”
Looking over the list of 16 finalists, there were no support students.
Most were combat-focused, with just a few magic-focused students mixed in.
Such deathmatches were not ideally suited for students specializing in support or production.
It was quite impressive that a support-focused student managed to defeat the previous two opponents with the magic and techniques they had learned, plus the spirit they just obtained.
If Elia had won, she would have been the only support student in the finals this time.
“I’ll be cheering for my family in the audience.”
[Family?]
There were many students in the stands. Most were dressed in the basic student uniforms, making it easy to spot them.
Students who were either not participating in the tournament or had already lost also took up seats.
But that wasn’t all. Even more seats were filled with outside guests.
Unlike the somewhat uniform attire of the students, the outfits of the external guests were all sorts.
Heroes and superhumans come to see the sprouting seedlings.
Clan officials dispatched to find promising candidates.
Or perhaps it might be family members of the students who had come by chance.
The variety of people filling the audience was boundless.
“So, is there any chance we could talk after the match? My parents want to thank you in person…”
‘Uh…’
Honestly, it felt a bit burdensome, but turning it down here would feel off.
Besides, flat-out rejecting someone right after accepting a confession and necklace was… well, a bit much.
After pondering for a moment, I nodded, and Elia brightened up, taking my hand.
“Thank you! Oh, I’ll be cheering for you in the tournament! Of course, since your opponent is Ahrin, I’ll cheer for both sides. Hehe…”
I waved dismissively at Elia, who chuckled awkwardly.
[If it were me, I would have cheered for both sides too.]
[Thanks for the support!]
“Thank you for saying that.”
Time was moving on. Elia stood up, apologizing for taking my time.
“Still…”
Just before stepping out, Elia peeped her head back inside, just like when she entered.
The smile on Elia’s face was shy yet sincere, sending me a heartfelt cheer.
“I hope for even better results for the benefactor.”
– Thud
With that, the door shut. The waiting room was filled once again with the calming sounds of instruments.
‘Good results…’
Honestly, I did not expect to win.
I understood at this point that beating Baek Ahrin or Hong Yeon-hwa would be difficult.
Other students certainly weren’t slacking off while I was rapidly leveling up.
Both of them had already been on par with living heroes since the moment they enrolled.
In fact, among all the previous sessions, only the Diamond Warrior had managed to defeat those two at this point in the competition.
What I truly wanted was something different. For this, I needed to show my level even if I couldn’t win.
If I could display exceptional skill… surely, I’d get contacted from several places.
Including groups that would later wield calamity.
‘……’
Memories of the original work’s calamity events.
It’s already too late to look away from it.
With the knowledge I have and the power I will gain in the future, if I just run away and do nothing, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.
Moreover, I knew the number of sacrifices that would fall victim to that calamity.
And I understood that many would step up to halt such calamities.
Shio-ram is a cradle that nurtures heroes who stand against disasters.
Countless alumni have linked their lives to dungeons and monsters, working as heroes for various reasons, whether for money, honor, or other stories.
The same would be true for Hong Yeon-hwa, who would graduate and become head of the Gop-hwa Clan.
And for Baek Ahrin, destined to lead the Changhae Clan, and Elia, who would embark on her journey as a hero.
Not to mention, even our mentors and professors like Riana, who may be retired, are still capable.
Directly or indirectly, all would be influenced and caught up in the calamities.
Is it really just good results that await them?
Based on the memories of the original work, I envisioned it.
There was not a single good outcome in sight.
‘No way.’
I can say that with confidence.
I absolutely did not want that. Just the thought of it made me want to retch. I could never accept such a fate.
Dying was one thing, but I hated that sort of scenario even more.
So I had to do something.
Confidence? I had none of that. I didn’t hold myself in high regard.
But I definitely needed to act.
‘Special admission student. Powers of Observation and Space.’
Moreover, it felt like someone was expecting that of me.
A special treatment identity granted by the head of the Tower of Growth.
The power of observation granted by the Tower of Observation.
The power of space granted by the Tower of Space.
While it may just be speculation, they must see some potential in me, leading to these perks.
So…
‘I can’t run away.’
I must not stand by and let things unfold. I can’t just cower in a corner, thinking it’s impossible.
Even if I lack confidence or conviction, I must struggle.
For the sake of breaking the curse… and for those who care about me, I need to fight.
Because in a game, it’s all fine to just respawn after dying, I can’t treat life like that.
I’ve always known this fact.
But even in situations where I was supposed to act like a game without thinking about life, I still failed.
The hero of the game, who had thrived through sheer luck and chance, ultimately failed.
Life is valuable, but if I want to protect it, I cannot afford to shrink back.
‘During the break, I need to go out again.’
As much as I wanted to stay in the cradle forever, it was unavoidable.
I had reasons to visit the Gop-hwa Clan’s main house with Hong Yeon-hwa and get to find a hidden piece.
There were things I needed to find and smash as quickly as possible.
– Wooo…
[We will now guide you. In just a moment, the first match of the tournament finals will begin─]
The announcement echoed through the music.
The tournament finals were about to commence.
[Contact: Mentor]
▶Me: I’ll do my best in the finals!
…
‘Hmm…’
That seemed too stiff.
After a moment of wavering, I decided to add an emoji.
▶Me: (emoji of a puppy standing and saluting)
This puppy emoji was almost identical to one from the original world, so I remember feeling pleasantly nostalgic when I first discovered it.
After leaving that last message for my mentor, I raised myself from the seat I had been leaning against.
[─Lee Ha-yul, please finish your last preparations. The first match against Baek Ahrin is about to start.]
I was the first match against Baek Ahrin.
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