## Chapter 11
Waking up in the morning and opening the refrigerator was truly touching.
Is this how a farmer feels when looking at a granary full of grain after the harvest and before winter arrives?
Even though the amount is small, seeing the bean sprouts in the fridge gave me a reassuring feeling.
I scooped out a portion of bean sprouts for breakfast and placed them on a plate.
Before eating, I decided to express my gratitude for finding the bean sprouts.
After gathering my thoughts and praying with my hands together,
I picked up a sprout, put it in my mouth, and chewed.
And then I repeated this process.
If it were up to me, I would’ve liked to perform this act of gratitude for the bean sprouts ten thousand times a day, but due to the inadequate supply, I had to proceed in a simplified manner.
If only I had enough bean sprouts, I surely would have reached a level where I could consume them faster than sound one day, but the world tends to give adversities and trials to those with talent.
Does even the sky fear the talent of this Scarlett Evande?
With a sigh, I found myself lamenting the depleted bean sprouts and concluded my breakfast by tossing a piece of macaroon into my mouth.
Having taken my time with breakfast, I realized it was getting close to school time, so I left home.
I barely arrived at school just in time.
If I had been a moment later, I would’ve been late!
I nodded in response to the kids saying hello from here and there and sat down, noticing that the class president, with a demeanor more droopy than yesterday, approached me.
“Why didn’t you come out early today?”
“Oh, that’s because I had a slow breakfast…”
“…I see. Breakfast is important.”
The class president said this in a gloomy voice, looking down.
Could it be because I almost arrived late?
Being the responsible type, she might be thinking that it’s her fault that an alerted student to avoid being late is now late again after a few days.
…Thinking about it this way made me feel like I had done something incredibly bad.
“I’ll be coming early starting tomorrow.”
“…Really?”
With her head slightly bowed and eyes looking up at me, the class president regarded me.
Her pitiful gaze stabbed at my heart, and I quickly nodded my head.
Then, the class president’s face brightened with joy in an instant.
…If I’m to come early from tomorrow, I’ll have to give up my gratitude ritual with the bean sprouts.
I let out a regretful sigh inwardly.
By the way, I was disturbed by the gaze of Yoon Si-woo, who had been looking my way for a while.
I shot him a glare, as if to ask what he was looking at, and only then did he shift his gaze.
Why is he wasting his attention on me when there’s a pretty girl like Sylvia smiling at him?
I wonder if he realizes that he’s missing out on half his life.
“Today, we’re going to have a mock battle training! Form teams of three and fight in an illusory space to find and defeat the boss monster, so everyone align with those you get along with!”
Upon the mention of forming teams with those who get along, I turned to look at Sylvia.
Someone I get along with! A friend! Sylvia!
I sent her a hopeful glance, but she seemed so engrossed in looking at Yoon Si-woo that she didn’t seem to notice me.
Glancing at Yoon Si-woo, I locked eyes with him as he was looking my way.
Yoon Si-woo gave me a slight wink.
It was the kind of smile that seemed to shimmer around him, and it made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
But to form a team with Sylvia, I’d have to team up with Yoon Si-woo too.
Even though it makes me uneasy, I have no choice but to endure it.
“Oh, and for fairness, Si-woo, Sylvia, and Evande will be placed in separate teams!”
No way!
That was a truly desperate statement.
Taking a quick glance around, I noticed that Yoon Si-woo and Sylvia looked equally shocked.
Now that I think about it, even in the original story, Sylvia and Yoon Si-woo were in different groups.
But why me?
I’m not nearly as overpowered as those two; it feels unfair.
Everyone seemed to want to recruit those two, leading to a bustling scene around them.
The girls were squealing and crowding around Yoon Si-woo, while Sylvia, seemingly annoyed by the whole scene, was decisively picking her group members with a charismatic air.
The problem was me.
Not being able to team up with Sylvia made the thought of teaming up with people I didn’t know in the slightest terrifying.
Suddenly, my hands and feet felt cold, bringing back unpleasant memories.
The teacher’s instruction to form teams, students gathering in groups.
And I, hesitating, watched the people I knew already join other groups, leaving me alone.
Eventually, I ended up in a team with students I barely knew by name.
That dreadful awkwardness where no one dares to speak first!
Ugh, my head…
My hands and feet were shaking.
While standing there not knowing what to do, before I knew it, the class president was by my side.
Tilting my head in confusion, the class president cautiously said,
“Uh, if you don’t have anyone else, wanna be in my group?”
Is she an angel?!
I felt like there was a halo shining behind the class president.
When I nodded, the class president beamed and nodded back at me.
Then suddenly raised her hand and shouted,
“Anyone confident in their combat abilities, come forward! First come, first served!”
As if they had been waiting, two boys dashed forward.
One held a spear, and the other had a large shield slung on his back.
Since I didn’t know their names, I thought about calling them Spear Guy and Shield Guy.
The class president evaluated the two standing nervously and said,
“Hmm, Daniel and Andre, right? Sorry, Andre. Our group seems more suited for a spear than a shield.”
“Well, both of us are close combat specialists, huh? It’s a shame, but it’s unavoidable.”
Shield Guy left looking disappointed, while Spear Guy waved cheerfully at us.
“Nice to meet you, ladies. I’ll handle everything so you won’t have to lift a finger.”
“Well, let’s see you do better than I can, if you can.”
“Oh dear, I’ll have to work hard then!”
The class president’s reply made Spear Guy chuckle.
I didn’t have anything specific to say, so I merely bowed my head and greeted him.
Anyway, I didn’t do anything, and before I realized it, the team was formed.
I was impressed by the class president’s overwhelming competence.
Seeing her seem to remember everyone’s names already, she really was a diligent person.
Before I knew it, it seemed like everyone else had formed their groups of three as well.
Shield Guy had successfully found a spot in another group.
I was really relieved that there didn’t seem to be a single awkward group left.
When a bunch of misfits gather, it’s hell, I tell you.
“Since it looks like everyone’s formed their teams, let’s get started. The rest can watch how the other teams fight and learn what they can improve! Let’s start with Si-woo’s group!”
As Eve snapped her fingers, Si-woo’s group disappeared, and their scene appeared on a large holographic screen.
They were standing in a dense forest filled with tall trees.
After briefly scanning their surroundings, the three started to move.
The audience fell silent as a monster appeared on the screen.
They were caterpillars hanging from the trees.
The issue was their size; they were almost human-sized.
The girl holding the bow quickly shot at the caterpillars, but the ones she hit burst with a bang, spraying their insides everywhere.
Seeing this, Yoon Si-woo drew out a huge sword that looked hard to swing even in the air.
The Sword of Holy Protection.
As its name suggests, its ability is to create a barrier.
A protective barrier unfolded over the group, shielding them from the caterpillar’s fluids.
Given that the fluids corroded the wood, it wouldn’t have been good if they got drenched.
The other girl, not the one with the bow, seemed to be feeling sick after witnessing the exploded caterpillars.
After battling away the incessantly pouring caterpillars, they confronted the boss monster, a giant cockroach.
Its glossy black appearance elicited a visceral revulsion from everyone watching.
The girl who was having a hard time facing the insects looked almost faint at the sight of the cockroach.
Fortunately, Yoon Si-woo swiftly skewered the cockroach with his sword, stopping its movements, and the illusion dissipated.
The girl who had been troubled by the bugs, upon hearing Eve shout, “Jessie, you’ll have a special training against insects later!” had a face that looked ready to burst into tears.
The next team was Sylvia’s.
Their stage was a swamp.
As the illusory magic unfolded, the faces of the group distorted as they sank into the clinging swamp.
Using spirit magic, Sylvia created glowing platforms beneath their feet, allowing the team to walk over the swamp.
The guys watching the screen reacted with enthusiasm.
Though the special material made it hard to see through, Sylvia’s appearance after emerging from the swamp was so alluring that no man could look away without feeling excitement.
The monsters in the swamp were frog-like creatures.
Their main attack involved wrapping and slapping with their long tongues, while the two boys in the group blocked the tongues, and Sylvia used her spells to eliminate the frogs, making for effective role distribution.
The boss monster was an even larger frog.
At one point, one of the boys nearly got swallowed after getting wrapped up in the tongue, but thanks to Sylvia’s spell, she cut the tongue and defeated the monster without any injuries.
The disappointed expressions of the boys watching were palpable to me.
I understood.
They must have wanted to see Sylvia tangled in the tongue.
The girls shot disapproving glances at the boys lamenting their fate.
Then, it was finally our turn.
As we signaled that we were ready, the darkness engulfed our vision as Eve snapped her fingers.
It was utter darkness.
I couldn’t see anything.
Suddenly, I recalled the words of a superior when I was in the army, once blinded.
What do you see?
I see nothing!
That’s your military life remaining.
What a truly horrifying memory…
As PTSD began to resurface, I found it hard to breathe. Suddenly, I felt someone grab my hand.
“Scarlett, are you okay?”
A worried voice whispered gently.
It was the class president’s voice.
Hearing this, Spear Guy responded softly nearby, “I’m here too.”
While I pondered what to do in the dark, I realized I could just turn on the light.
Sick of hearing about the ever-burning flame, I simply decided to call it “Level 1 Flame” and surrounded myself with it.
As the area brightened, I saw the class president and Spear Guy drawing their weapons.
It looked like we were in a cave.
There was a large passage in the center, with tunnels branching off in various spots.
And beyond those tunnels, I sensed something moving.
As I readied for battle, the class president held my hand and shook her head.
“Just stay here for a moment. Daniel and I will handle this. That’s okay, right, Daniel?”
“Of course.”
The class president and Spear Guy stood resolutely before me, gathering their momentum quietly.
What is this? Are they telling me to stay back because I’m useless?
Since they looked so determined, I decided to just be a human firefly.
The creatures crawling out of the tunnel were unpleasant-looking green dwarves.
Let’s just call them goblins to keep it simple.
The goblins charged at the two, brandishing weapons in hand.
Though small in size, their quick movements were quite threatening.
But they picked the wrong opponents.
An expert on goblins once said,
The only good goblin is a dead goblin.
If that’s the case, then these two were like goblin trainers.
The class president, who moved far faster than the goblins, and Spear Guy, who seemed to command water, conjuring spheres of water around him while displaying perfect synergy with his spear, made quick work of those bad goblins.
They advanced, effortlessly dispatching the goblins crawling through the passage.
I was riding along on a crazy rollercoaster, watching the skilled acts of the two goblin tamers in a trance.
I am an insect; I am a human firefly…
As I silently trailed behind with my light on, I suddenly felt that this wasn’t quite right.
Doing nothing was comfortable for my body but uncomfortable for my mind.
This couldn’t continue.
I was someone who believed that freeloaders in group projects should be condemned to drink water harvested from a mixture of Sole’s Eye, Dejawa, and Zico, a hellish drink.
Now that I could clearly see a chamber that looked like the monster boss’s lair, I felt the urgency to do something and quickly said,
“I’ll take care of the next one.”
“Are you sure?”
Nodding at the class president’s question and glancing at Spear Guy, he shrugged as if he didn’t care.
The passenger took the wheel.
From now on, I shall become Schumacher.
As I entered the chamber, a goblin much larger than the previous ones, which seemed like baby goblins, was sitting inside.
Upon our entrance, the goblin stood up and slowly began to inspect my glowing body emitting flames.
Then it snorted, and the lower part of the goblin swelled.
A chill ran down my spine.
“…Should I handle this?”
Spear Guy asked, horrified by the sight.
I shook my head.
No matter how unpleasant it was, I had said I’d take care of it.
Quietly, I adjusted the flames to only radiate from my arms.
Kuwoooohh-!!
The excited goblin let out a dreadful wail and charged at me.
Lusting after a schoolgirl, huh?
Its vulgar appearance brought to mind a drunk pervert harassing girls near a school.
Historically, there’s always been an antidote for perverts.
Dodging the goblin’s arm, I ducked into its torso and delivered a powerful kick to its bulging area hidden beneath the cloth.
With a thud and without a scream, the goblin’s body slowly fell.
I kicked the goblin to ensure it fell flat on its back.
I mounted the trembling goblin’s body.
It was the perfect mounting position.
The goblin shivered like someone suffering from a hangover.
Just wait a bit; I’ll help you sober up.
If someone were to ask what alcohol is, a few readers might respond this way.
“Alcohol is cold fire. We drink it by immersing the moon.”
Then, fire must be hot alcohol.
Filling my burning fist with anger at being treated as an object of lust, I slammed it into the goblin’s face.
Indeed, nothing beats alcohol for sobering up.
Having finished with the goblin, I dusted my hands off and stood up.
Before I knew it, the illusion had faded.
Eve was doubled over, laughing hysterically.
And I saw the faces of the boys, terrified.
What happened while I wasn’t watching?
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