I wondered if it could be Irmana as I leapt into the sky, but this time, I felt no gaze upon me.
“Phew… Is it just my mood? Why am I so tense?”
When I landed back on the ground, I couldn’t help but smile despite the nervousness.
“Just splashed some water, and I get achievements like this? Maybe any action here works in my favor?”
It was my first time stepping into this world.
There couldn’t be a more favorable environment for earning achievements.
“Water attribute, huh…”
The achievement I just gained was truly astonishing.
Considering that water-related abilities are rare among Hunters, even gaining a slight possibility felt like a significant fortune.
“Just in case, should I collect some water here too?”
I plunged my hands deep into the lake and pulled it into my space with all my might.
Splash—
“Oh? It works?”
I was satisfied that there were no restrictions on storing lake water.
After all, if I could store smoke, wouldn’t water be possible too?
Clear water, possessing the same purity as the bright blue sky.
Even if I just use it as drinking water, it would be quite handy.
However, I was a bit worried about getting scolded for taking water freely like this, but since there hadn’t been any signals until now, it appeared to be okay.
As I put the water into my space, I fell into thought.
“The potential for water attribute magic… I hope it doesn’t just raise my expectations and end up being delayed like the rock magic!”
Just to be sure, I tried reciting some spells that Noh Ha-yoon used.
“Ice Spear!”
······
“Ice Wall!”
“Ice Field!”
“Ugh, it’s still not working… Maybe it’s because I couldn’t make any sound…”
If it worked right away just because I opened a bit of potential, Noh Ha-yoon wouldn’t have trained from such a young age.
Feeling a bit strange, reaching out and flailing around under the moonlight, I started to scratch my head in embarrassment, thinking about how to get home.
“Last time, my consciousness came back immediately, but could it be because my body has completely moved this time? I have no signs of returning…”
As worries about possibly not being able to return began to swirl in my mind, I heard a giggle from somewhere.
“Heehee— Kkiht—”
“…Who’s there?”
I concentrated on my senses to explore my surroundings, but I couldn’t detect any presence.
“Clap, Clap, Clap!!”
“A strange skeleton. Heehee— The skeleton tried to use magic but failed. Puhihi—”
“…What the heck is going on here?”
The strange clarity of the voice right next to me without any subtle indication was maddening.
As a Sense Ability User, this felt like a blow to my pride, which sparked my determination.
“Hmph! I’ll definitely find you!”
And then, twenty minutes later.
“Ugh… I give up! I can’t find you!”
I was utterly exhausted.
Lying flat on the ground, the aftermath of over-concentration made my head throb.
“Puhuhup, the skeleton is down. Such a weakling! I want a cute skeleton.”
“Are they treating me like some toy? Those guys.”
I couldn’t see or feel it, but more than one gaze was sneaking glances at me.
“But how did they get in here? It should be blocked, right? A strange skeleton must have come in by some strange means? There’s something piled on the skeleton. Hey— can I take the skeleton?”
As I listened to the unknown voice while lying down, I suddenly felt a chill at the mention of wanting to have me, which made me jerk upright.
“…This is insane.”
But when I stood up, I had somehow returned home.
My damp body and the Irmana’s divine water packed tightly in my space informed me that what I had just gone through wasn’t a dream.
“It’s not a dream, but the memories are fading like I had a dream…”
At this rate, I felt like I would forget soon, so I spent some time recalling the recent events.
Afterward, as I entered my house, I saw my comrades sprawled out, fast asleep.
“Phew— I should tell Mi-yeon about the information in the morning. It won’t change anything, but at least I can mentally prepare myself.”
I took out my great sword from the front yard and started practicing as my Master taught me.
One swing turned into ten, then a hundred, a thousand, in no time.
It was now a perfectly integrated part of my routine.
Not long ago, practicing swordsmanship felt strange for me, but after experiencing the space created by my Master’s secret art, my body now felt awkward if I didn’t practice.
Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and morning arrived.
I took the opportunity to glance at the comrades gathered in the living room and winked at Yeon-hee.
I had already told Yeon-hee everything that happened yesterday as soon as she woke up.
Of course, I left out the details about holding hands at Mi-yeon’s request and just summarized the main points.
Upon receiving the information, when the comrades gathered, Mi-yeon revealed what she had let slip.
“How did you know that? I don’t even know!”
“Well… I have ‘listening ears.'”
“Listening ears… I see.”
Ah-rin nodded, as if she understood something.
She must have been thinking that one of the summoned creatures Yeon-hee commands has such an ability.
“Those guys… They really are outrageous. What kind of drugs are they taking to fight?”
“But the use of consumables is usually regulated in any tournament, so why didn’t we impose such conditions?”
The questions from Joo-ah and Ha-yoon were reasonable, but unfortunately, it seemed no one expected that Vision, which led the contract, would go that far.
They were originally known for being so inflexible, engrossed in swords, and it was understandable that they couldn’t think that deeply.
“Sigh… How did it come to this for Ilseom…”
Among my comrades, especially Ah-rin’s disappointment was palpable.
“But how’s that drug different from Evolved Creatures then?”
“It doesn’t sacrifice people and has fewer side effects. Those two are the main differences.”
“That’s a pretty big difference, isn’t it?”
“True. But while Evolved Creatures can exert powers that elevate levels by several stages, the drugs made by Ilseom probably don’t reach that level. It’s more like a temporary steroid effect.”
“In any case, we need to be careful… It might have other abilities besides just enhancing physical strength.”
Although they hadn’t even washed up yet, my comrades appeared wide awake.
When everyone was diligently preparing for morning training and headed outside, a group of unfamiliar faces rushed into our home.
“Don’t we just need to manage ourselves? Why did they bring so many people starting from the morning?”
“I didn’t call them…”
“It’s typically how kids’ fights escalate into adult fights.”
A large number of Vision Guild members had gathered in front of our house.
Some even had lunch boxes stacked in their hands.
“The breakfast… well, I’ll be grateful for it, but can we really train properly with that many people watching?”
Joo-ah kept scolding Ha-yoon, who was getting the short end of the stick, but Noh Ha-yoon, feeling there was no other choice, snatched a lunch box.
“Noh Ha-yoon, fighting~!”
“Miss! Don’t tarnish Vision’s honor. Freeze them all in one go!”
“I can’t help but worry about the little lady! Kwahaha! It’s been a while, skeleton friend.”
“Clap, Clap, Clap!”
Yeom Tae-seok, whom we hadn’t seen in a while, was also in that group.
I knew he leveled up around the same time as us, and now he was no longer the assistant role of the Vision Guild.
“It feels both reassuring and really burdensome…”
“Is this really such a big deal? Of course, for us, our lives are at stake.”
“It involves the divine Noh Ha-yoon, so the title of Ilseom, which aims for Vision’s stronghold, will probably get a knight’s notice soon?”
“But there’s only Noh Ha-yoon from Vision, so why… it doesn’t concern us, does it?”
“Isn’t that what fame means?”
“Again, I didn’t say to come… I never mentioned a gathering.”
It felt like things had gotten a bit out of hand, but I didn’t see this atmosphere as negative. The more people there were, the more pressured Hyeon Woo-seok would be.
We continued training while maintaining our condition until 2 PM, and there were more than ten Hunters who had higher ranks than us, so they occasionally gave us advice.
Once the time came, we boarded the Vision Guild’s vehicle and finally headed towards Ilseom Guild’s headquarters.
We arrived at a place not long after, a mountain with poorly maintained roads.
Due to the steep incline, the accompanying apprentices struggled a bit, but it was no issue for us.
Riding on the shoulders of the summoned creatures, we soon followed the people from Ilseom Guild who came to greet us.
And by 2:40 PM, when we arrived at the space where the competition would take place, we couldn’t help but be taken aback.
“Hmm… The distortion of magic power is severe.”
“What the heck… This is way stronger than I expected!”
“Ugh—”
Everyone started to retch as if something was going to burst out from them, and people began to collapse onto the floor, clutching their heads.
“Hey, didn’t I say not to bring the kids?”
“They insisted on following, what can I do? These kids don’t listen to a word, I’m worn out from talking.”
“Honestly, this is way too much fun. How could I possibly miss this?”
“Can’t you stay quiet? Anyone who shows a pained expression is going to be beaten to a pulp by me tomorrow!”
Even the Hunters from the Vision Guild who followed us were visibly confused by the unexpected distortion of the space.
“Was it this intense? This isn’t the level I heard from Jungil…”
It was possible that as the balance of the world tilted to one side, this place was affected too.
More importantly, what mattered to me was Yeon-hee’s condition.
“Haah— Haah— This might affect the summoning. What should I do?”
Yeon-hee, leaning against me, looked up with a worried expression.
“Are you okay? The other summoned creatures might struggle to maintain themselves. I think only Ran and Rakan can manage…”
“Clap…”
Even the strongest Hunter among those who came from the Vision Guild, an A-rank Hunter, frowned, indicating how chaotic this place was.
However, unlike everyone else, I was in a state that wasn’t strongly affected by this space.
“No… My senses are quite clear, yet I’m not affected. Why is this?”
I felt a somewhat familiar sensation, one that reminded me of an energy I had encountered before.
“Hmm… Void… Is it similar to the energy when shifting to another dimensional channel?”
For now, I didn’t want to be influenced at all, so I merged my magic and senses to surround my body.
By doing so, even the strong energy of this place that disrupts the flow of magic couldn’t invade me.
I took out the processed Dire Wolf leather and infused the merged energy, giving it to my comrades. The kids who wrapped it around their bodies momentarily showed relief on their faces.
Of course, since the energy in this space was so intense, it would come off quickly, but it would suffice as a temporary measure.
While we struggled to adapt, the key figures from Ilseom finally made their appearance.
“What a bunch of bastards, looking so fine.”
The magic power embodied by the ones walking toward us was utterly undisturbed.
No, they actually had a well-contained, writhing magic power.
Among them, the man at the front was quite striking.
With an upright appearance, a proper stride, and a perfectly balanced flow of refined magic, he had an impressive physique.
“The man up front must be Hyeon Woo-seok…”
Even without Ah-rin pointing it out, I could tell immediately he was the handsome man I had heard about.
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