<191 - Survivor's Survival>
The warrior, interrupted in their fight, showed intense resistance.
“If you’ve seen it, Professor, you understand! This may be our only chance to stop that child. Are you planning to cultivate mana at the academy?”
“Warrior Ishtar, have you ever thought about the educational policy of Gift Academy?”
“No, not until today, right now, at this moment.”
The skin-prickling killing intent truly made one admire the warrior’s prowess.
This wasn’t the strength of a first-year.
Even if they were to spar with a student on the brink of graduation, the lower-class student would definitely get wrecked.
Unless the upper class was at the very top tier, they’d find it hard to surpass the warrior’s strength.
This was the natural strength of a warrior who enrolled in the academy not to feel inadequate or to receive education, but to gain the best comrades.
Other students or professors might feel it was unreasonable to face such strength, but Myung So, skilled in Taoism and Buddhist mindfulness, was different.
“The academy does not teach good and evil. It teaches how to live in the world.”
“Does that apply even if we’re talking about evil?”
“Good and evil aren’t what’s important. If you only teach that crops grow in good soil, then any teaching is useless in bad soil. How could there be more good than evil in the world?”
His philosophical question did not break the warrior’s anger; instead, it made them calm their own emotions.
Broken emotions harden, but emotions calmed intentionally quietly fade away.
Accepted education.
A professor teaching meditation and mana breathing.
It was the effect of Myung So’s educational philosophy.
“…You’re impressive, Professor. To maintain such a merciful heart after seeing that child’s reaction to the Holy Sword is remarkable. Aren’t you afraid of a teaching failure?”
The warrior’s intent was well understood by Myung So.
How could it not be?
After all, it was him who had secretly observed her for the longest time.
“Of course, I’m afraid.”
“Then why are you stopping me?”
“Because that too is out of fear.”
The warrior’s fear and Myung So’s fear were different.
The warrior’s fear was the potential growth of the Dark Princess—new dark entities that would cover the continent, the birth of the Demon King.
Myung So’s fear stemmed from not being able to guide Oknodie back onto the right path, failing to save a child’s future.
“Ishitar, as a first-year. You will be fined for unauthorized sparring. Please be aware that even the mercy of the Buddha and the celestial beings cannot overlook a violation of school regulations.”
“…Hmph. I don’t seek the mercy of defeated gods. Do not forget that I am the warrior executing the will of the one true god, Sofemia.”
The warrior sheathed her sword and turned away.
She shot a sharp glare at Oknodie before pivoting back.
“What the hell is this? Ugh. I’m really gonna hit you!”
“…”
I don’t even know anymore.
Ishitar shook her head as she walked away.
*
Myung So stepped up actively to manage the aftermath.
He placed the fallen Irene and Jiang in the Medical Building and instructed the instructors to repair the damaged equipment.
The instructors, in turn, called the teaching assistants and began hastily working, while seniors from the third year silently cursed as they restored the wrecked hallway.
“You handled that well.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Dark Mana that Oknodie possesses. She could have used far more power but held back because she didn’t want to hurt the warrior, didn’t she?”
“I was planning to unleash it at the end. I guess I’m not a good kid after all.”
“After taking that much, it’s only natural that you’d have limits. The Buddha said to turn the other cheek when slapped on the left, but the assailant with a knife was told to strike the head of the victor.”
“Really?”
“Or else, wouldn’t it be better than having monks foolishly die due to misplaced compassion?”
Indeed, a professor who speaks sense.
The anger gauge that rose to the peak due to the warrior began to lower.
[You have safely survived the warrior’s wrath.]
[You have completed the Warrior’s Fury event.]
[You have acquired 100,000 points as a completion reward.]
[You have acquired an additional 30,000 points as a support bonus.]
[Mana Control Technique Experience +25]
[Swordsmanship Experience +25]
[Magic Studies Experience +25]
[Breath Experience +10]
[Bravery Experience +10]
[Avoidance Experience +10]
[Mana Breathing Experience +3]
[Quick Movement Experience +3]
[Your accumulated points have surpassed 1 million. The Point Shop is now open for free to promote spending.]
[The Point Shop is now open. Point banking functions are activated.]
[From now on, point loans can be taken using point banking. For inquiries regarding loans, please visit the academy’s finance department or the student council.]
The rewards weren’t too shabby.
Including the minor achievements gathered, it was time to use the points totaling about 1,050,000.
But that wasn’t the important fact.
The events to spend points on were still ahead.
At least until after the midterms, I wasn’t thinking of using them.
What are points? : Take an exam without using points throughout the semester.
-Achievement Effect: Increases point acquisition rate by 1%.
Why should I use points? : Achieve excellent results without using points throughout the semester.
-Achievement Effect: Increases point acquisition rate by 2%.
Aren’t points just a way to save inferior students? : Achieve extraordinary results without using points throughout the semester.
-Achievement Effect: Increases point acquisition rate by 3%.
Even just saving points has increased the acquisition rate beyond expectation.
The first midterm exam schedule – in two days.
Course – Fundamentals and Understanding of Mana Usage.
Location & Time – Please refer to details.
Unlike points that would naturally increase, the exam in two days won’t resolve itself.
“Are we done talking? Because I need to prepare for the midterm now.”
“Even if you’re confident in controlling Dark Mana, please try to endure as much as possible like before. It’s fine for Oknodie, but the other students’ lives are at risk.”
“Yeeees~.”
*
Midterm D-1.
The day before the first exam was a chaotic scene in the upper-class lecture hall.
“Kyik! Kkukik!!”
“Grrrrrrrraaar!”
“Pwooooom━!”
Having stolen and eaten the remaining rations from the Cooking Handbook, the mounts were now thoroughly angry due to their unintended diet.
“Waaaaah, what’s gotten into this guy all of a sudden?! He was so well-behaved until last week!”
“Ughhhhh, that’s a tree! Why are you suddenly munching on a tree while running?”
“Professor… my turtle disappeared into the ground to catch a worm…”
The upper-class physical training class was in complete disarray.
The state of the mounts during the final riding exam was far from commendable, to say the least.
“Jiang. How’s your arm?”
“It’s fine. That warrior is talented. She only knocked me out, avoiding all the vital points.”
“Let’s show them what we’re made of in the exam!”
“…I wish. That stubborn cheetah doesn’t follow directions at all.”
Once again, Jiang wrestled with the cheetah while putting a leash on it, and the cheetah growled in response.
Their fierce battle clashed nails and daggers together, continuing until the exam day.
Considering what happened yesterday, I wondered if it was okay to have such intense classes for a single day—
But perhaps it was thanks to both Myung So and the warrior, who kept their mouths shut, that the rumors had hardly spread.
Although some sensed the warrior’s low mood, no one suspected us of being involved in anything.
A tense atmosphere lingered.
Nevertheless, the warrior’s expression wasn’t bright.
It seemed there was an urge to settle the scores from the exam.
Hmph. That’s what I was hoping for.
“Holly Detected.”
But what’s this person doing all of a sudden?
While most students wore their school uniforms, the woman Saintess Yufi, in her nun’s robe, displayed a deep faith, symbolizing one of the twelve celestial beings with the [Golgotha of Decapitation], evoking a sense of divine magic as the guillotine flickered before disappearing.
“What are you doing?”
“…Sorry. I briefly sensed the inner presence of an evil entity.”
“Me?”
Gasp. Could she have caught wind of Fake Lin’s ring!?
Startled, I recoiled, and the saintess stared at me with a suspicious look.
“Can I scan you one more time?”
“No.”
From a distance, Arcadia shouted, lifting her fan.
“Hey, what business do you have with Oknodie?”
“…It’s nothing.”
The saintess, noticing Arcadia, folded her tail and fled.
Friends and comrades are great, but there’s something reassuring about having an adult like Arcadia to rely on in times like this.
“If anyone bothers you, just let me know, Di. I’ll take care of them.”
“Thank you, Arcadia!”
“Call me sister.”
“Yes, elder sister!”
“Hehe. Good job, Di.”
But how did Fake Lin evade the detection of divine magic?
The mystery was resolved when I saw Lin’s head popping out of the shadow of my feet.
I wonder who she takes after that she hides so well.
The laughter was short-lived.
A slight mishap. Final preparations.
At the end of anxious waiting.
D-day.
The first class of midterms.
The day of the inter-class competition for [Fundamentals and Understanding of Mana Usage] had arrived.
‘If I knock down the students, the warrior may dislike it, but that’s not my concern.’
Before the duel began, Professor Raeb explained the rules.
“This magical duel will be conducted as a winner-takes-all format. Scores will be measured considering each participant’s skill variance, so do not underestimate the weak nor fear the strong.”
“Can’t we just start already? I’m about to photosynthesize in the sunny open ground.”
The icy glare from Professor Raeb, who had waited for this day, and the nonchalant expression of Professor Weird highlighted the moment.
Finally, the monumental first midterm exam for the first-year was about to begin.
