I came to my senses and realized the learning objectives had been achieved.
Professor Liana, who had handed me the crystal orb, seemed to be implying I should just give it a shot, so I tried it and—without a single thought—solved it in an instant.
I infused magic into the crystal orb, drew it out, and sucked it up to store it in me.
It was a simple procedure. It hardly took 30 minutes. Since it was so easy, I wondered if it was supposed to be this way, and my head tilted in confusion.
“There’s no way a beginner… especially someone who’s just starting out, could accomplish this so easily,” Professor Liana asserted, shaking her head fiercely.
She thought that I must have met the sensitivity requirement… so she immediately brought out the crystal orb that needed manipulation to be applied.
According to Professor Liana, usually, connecting the magical energy and extracting it takes half a day, and absorbing it takes just about two days.
She mentioned that even absorbing about 20% of it is considered quite a feat.
So today, she aimed to nurture the manipulative abilities required for connecting magical energy…
“…and you finished it in one go.”
[Is that a good thing?]
“That’s amazing.”
Professor Liana, who had been shaking her head in disbelief, replied with a sharp response.
“It’s just the beginning, but this totally wraps up the talent assessment. It’s definite.”
From the nuances, it seemed like the outcome was good. Even though I was a bit anxious about not having properly used magical affinity before, seeing Professor Liana react like that suggested it really must be a useful unique ability.
“Honestly, this class ended way too quickly,” I said, fiddling with the now gray crystal orb, and Professor Liana gave a shy smile.
“Well, it can’t be helped now.”
Just as I was worried that something might have gone off-plan, she composed herself and confidently expressed that she had another plan in mind.
Indeed, it seemed she had a backup in case the first plan collapsed.
“Let’s relax!”
“?”
Is this really how it goes?
…
I felt like I was progressing smoothly, but I also had an anxious thought inside me—isn’t this a bit slow? After all, there is the knowledge from the original work. Around this time in the later episodes of the original, heroes would be munching on hidden pieces, leveling up like crazy.
With records from previous episodes, I would have cleared the untapped dungeons using tricks, gulped down potions and high-grade artifacts… found and executed suitable characters to steal from them…
I had shown bizarre growth metrics and limitations through a series of efficient quick choices without crashing headlong into things.
“It’s admirable to think like that, but some things just can’t be helped.”
I asked if she could teach me something else since I had time left.
I was outright refused. That was rather assertive.
“Truthfully, even if I wanted to teach, resting right now is better. Don’t you feel a bit off?”
She shook her head and said that, and I paused for a moment to think.
Indeed, my stomach felt a bit bloated, like I had overeaten. It wasn’t to the point of throwing up, but it was bothersome.
“See? When the amount of magical power increases suddenly like that, it happens. Instead of pushing yourself to train, it’s better to wait until things stabilize little by little.”
[Yes. I understand. I’ll rest now.]
“Good. You’re a well-behaved student who listens.”
Professor Liana’s words were indeed logical. It was better to agree and rest rather than stubbornly begging to be taught right now.
I nodded in understanding.
Professor Liana smiled contentedly and reached out to pat my head.
I flinched at the sudden contact.
“?”
“Ah, did that offend you?”
Not really, but… why the sudden touch…
As I shook my head hesitantly, saying it was fine, she smiled and patted my head more.
Her touch felt like stroking a puppy, which was a bit strange but also oddly comforting.
“If you really want to learn, I’ll teach you at least something simple. Let’s start with… the class on falling asleep anytime!”
With that, she snapped her fingers as she was still happily stroking my head.
A class on promptly falling asleep? I tilted my head, unsure of what that even meant. It didn’t sound particularly practical at first glance.
Then Professor Liana clucked her tongue.
“Think about it. Whether you’re a hero or a hunter, there will be tasks that take a short time to complete and some that take a long while.”
Some dungeons can be sorted out in a day. However, the majority require at least a few days for proper clearing.
This was only considering if dungeon assessments were completed, and ample personnel were brought in for strict subjugation.
Exploring a dungeon, not knowing what threats might be lurking, takes way more than just a few days to assess its principles and traps, and to stay alert for monsters appearing from who knows where.
This is the importance of unique sensory abilities.
Even with dungeons that were thoroughly researched before, it’s recommended to bring along a sensory adept, just in case something goes wrong. Not having a sensory adept in a newly discovered dungeon? That’s a one-way ticket to annihilation.
“Dungeons fundamentally consume time, and the same goes for vigilance. If any frontline deployment comes into play, it could easily extend for weeks.”
In other words, the duration of mission execution often turns out to be long.
“Especially with frontline deployments, the skill of ‘falling asleep anywhere’ becomes essential, don’t you see?”
At this point, I finally understood.
I had occasionally seen something along those lines on MiTube. A soldier in a trench sleeping soundly while shells were dropping around him.
It was unforgettable how he cradled a firearm while asleep.
Definitely a lesson worth learning. Plus, upon reflection, there were also lectures related to sleep among the common subjects I remembered.
“Now, lie down!”
Unable to resist Professor Liana’s urging, I carefully laid myself down on the grass. I felt a faint vibration from the ground.
“And close your eyes… Sorry. That was a slip of the tongue. I really meant it. I had no bad intentions…”
[It’s okay.]
“I’m really sorry…”
Despite a minor slip-up in the midst, we brushed over it lightly. Perhaps due to the fatigue I had been carrying, merely lying down made me gradually feel sleep creeping in.
“Um, there are two things you need to be cautious about while falling asleep.”
One, don’t fall into a deep sleep to prepare for emergencies.
Two, sleep for intervals rather than all at once.
“This might sound easy, but in practice, it’s quite challenging. It’s more like a habit than a skill. So, if you start preparing now, it will help you later on.”
I nodded at her words.
‘Huff…’
I cleared my mind of unnecessary thoughts to fall asleep. I sank my consciousness while paying attention to the two precautions.
Of course, the spot was uncomfortable compared to a bed. There was no blanket to cozy up in, nor was there a pillow to support my neck.
But it had its own charm.
Infusing the magical power from the crystal orb took about 30 minutes, right? The time still lingered in the early dawn, and the unique atmosphere of that time had a strange allure.
“Isn’t the major class difficult for you?”
As I quietly settled my consciousness, Professor Liana, who was comfortably sitting nearby and observing her surroundings, suddenly asked with a cautious look on her face.
The major class meant… Professor Atra’s lecture.
‘Is it difficult…’
The first day I nearly collapsed from running.
The second day was running, followed by sword practice…
The third day involved running and spear practice…
And other miscellaneous hard tasks…
I contemplated for a moment and tapped my smartwatch.
[It’s okay.]
Of course, it was tough. My eyes watered from the pain throughout the practice. It was something I didn’t want to do.
Is there even a handful of people who wish to experience pain? I’m not the type who finds pleasure in hurt, nor do I possess the qualities of a diligent worker who volunteers for tough work.
Yet, how many people in this world would want to suffer? Who would actively seek out hard labor?
No one wants to. Everyone dislikes difficult and painful things, yet everyone is dealing with them.
If they didn’t, they couldn’t survive. They have to do something to get by.
I was no different. Nothing special about it.
It’s clear that if I don’t roll with it now, the future will be grim. So here I am, rolling along.
To my reply, Professor Liana tilted her head with a curious expression. After pondering something for a moment, she suddenly broke into a chuckle and made an unexpected remark.
“Professor Atra does have a difficult personality.”
“…!?”
I found myself unintentionally gaping.
I never expected such words to come out of Professor Liana’s mouth, let alone something insulting about Professor Atra.
“Pfft, look at your reaction.”
She laughed out loud, finding it incredibly amusing. Covering her mouth with one hand, she giggled for a while before her laughter finally subsided.
“I have some acquaintance with Professor Atra. You know, we got tangled up during missions in the African frontline.”
Africa.
Once humanity’s land, now monster-claimed territory.
It’s the area one typically thinks of when mentioning magic fields, where active heroes and hunters contribute the most.
“Somehow, we got involved in missions and worked as temporary teammates… various times, we worked together, but she was incredibly rigid, prickly, and just wouldn’t communicate! Oh, I can’t even tell you how frustrating that was.”
If only she hadn’t been skilled; I’d have punched her right then. Professor Liana shook her head vigorously, clearly fed up.
“People’s nature isn’t bad, but… um… is it? It feels rather unpleasant, maybe it’s their way of expressing it… uh, it’s hard to explain.”
[Professor Atra also worked on the African frontline?]
“Not just Africa. She probably traveled around. But in recent years, she settled down in Africa.”
I nodded with a puzzled feeling.
I hadn’t expected Professor Liana and Professor Atra to have any connection.
Also, I had heard that Professor Atra is a top-tier hero with significant accomplishments from working on the African frontline.
It was a rather intriguing story. Professor Liana continued chatting animatedly about her experiences with Professor Atra, showing no signs of being tired of talking.
“You can say you don’t want to continue with the lecture if it’s too hard. While Ha-yul might see her as just a nasty witch, she has her reasons for that rough personality… if you bring it up, she’ll most likely change her approach.”
She also suggested that if it became unbearable, it was okay to quit.
Upon reflection, Professor Liana was quite harsh in her treatment of Professor Atra.
A foul-mouthed, difficult witch… given her ever-furrowed brows, there seems to be some truth to that…
Amidst all that chatter, they lulled me to sleep like a lullaby, ensuring no strange occurrences would happen with Professor Liana sitting beside me, thus lulling my consciousness further.
‘One hour. I’ll wake up in one hour…’
And not to fall into deep sleep.
I kept repeating that to myself. Yet still, the sensation of having my head patted gradually pulled me deeper into slumber.
“…You’re already asleep.”
Professor Liana’s peculiar expression was the last thing I saw before I drifted off.
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