The surprise magic slash (enhanced) ended the situation neatly.
One of the remaining seven tiers lay sprawled with its arm severed by the slash, while another had just lost its head.
Underneath, the eighth-tier Green Demon was barely holding on, but Atilla and Nam Yeon-jung quickly took care of things once they regained their senses.
Everyone had faces that screamed they wanted to ask something, but Atilla suggested they save the questions for after they arrived at the base, leaving everyone with things they wanted to say stuck in their throats.
They cut off one of the Green Demon’s ears for proof and gathered the magical stones and various valuables from the chaotic village. It was tough not to feel a sharp sting on the back of my head at that moment.
Especially with Elia, who was right beside me, completely covered in dust and looking utterly clueless.
…I’m definitely going to apologize to her when we get to the base.
Amidst the strange atmosphere, we gathered as much magic grass as we could on the way back. In reality, it was just an overabundance of weeds soaked in magic.
Thanks to that, I managed to finish the magic grass quota during the return trip.
“Hey Ha-yul! What was that just now?”
Finally, we arrived at the base. Everyone started to compose themselves and sat around the egg-shaped magical heating tool.
Elia was the first to speak. Once she wiped off all the dust to reveal her pretty face, she spoke with an excited tone.
“Is that really the lowest level? How is that even considered low?”
“I wanted to say the same thing.”
Atilla, who looked exhausted next to her, chimed in. It seemed she had vented her stress by killing the Green Demons but was now a little drained.
“I thought it was fine even if it was the lowest level, but then suddenly, that happened, and I freaked out.”
Nam Yeon-jung, quietly checking the state of his spear, nodded along. He had lost his cool when the slash was launched, I remembered.
[I’m sorry. I didn’t expect it to turn out like that either.]
Though I said it nicely, the true meaning behind it was that if it had hit us, it would have been a disaster.
I could hardly refute anything and just bowed my head quietly. I was quite startled too, but how much more surprised would Atilla and Nam Yeon-jung have been when the slash flew their way?
“It’s fine. The trajectory was completely different… But still, it’s natural to be shocked when you didn’t receive prior notice.”
Atilla’s response, adding that it was genuinely creepy, only made my shoulders droop further.
Of course, I calculated the trajectory. No matter how low-level the magic was, it was still an attack; I wouldn’t throw such a thing at my teammates like a madman.
The problem was, I hadn’t expected such power to come out either. That single blow was far more powerful than I imagined, and I was the one who was startled.
If that had hit Atilla or Nam Yeon-jung… Of course, both were using body enhancement spells and had strong armor, so they wouldn’t have gotten seriously hurt, but still, it would be a terrifying experience.
If it had actually hit and counted as an evaluation factor… my grades would have been in the dumps.
Shivers ran down my spine. My grades might have plummeted. My shoulders trembled.
How hard am I trying to grasp all these theoretical lectures… I’m listening like my life depends on it because I’m scared of possibly getting expelled…
[It’s an excuse, but it wasn’t that powerful when I used it yesterday.]
“Are you saying it changed in just one day?”
Elia, who had dust all over her, tilted her head, seemingly annoyed. Since she had some knowledge of magic, I guess she was bewildered.
“You called it the magic slash, right? Did you modify the spell or something?”
[No, I cast it exactly according to the official spell format.]
“Then why? Is there a reason for such an increase in power…?”
I couldn’t say anything to Elia, who was tilting her head. I was confused about that too.
“Alright! First, let’s eat. Thanks to Ha-yul, we’ve completed all the conditions, haven’t we?”
As the conversation started to drag, Atilla changed the topic.
Arrival at point A and confirming the marker.
Normally, we’d waste time looking for the marker, but I found it quickly and saved us time.
Subjugation of the Green Demons.
It was said to be a low-grade level 4 dungeon, but it wasn’t negligible. It might have taken time to find the Green Demon’s village, but with my spatial awareness and a bit of luck, we quickly found and subjugated it.
Collecting magic grass? I finished that the easiest. I gathered everything on the way back after tidying up the village.
Checking the time, it was just about time for dinner. The sunlight illuminating the ground had vanished, and the orange glow from the magical heating tool in the center became more prominent.
Everyone huddled together in the center of the base for dinner.
“…It’s better than I expected.”
“It’s not as good as eating outside, though.”
Dinner consisted of convenience food. If we had to classify it, these were combat rations.
Looking closely, it wasn’t necessarily a terrible diet. I never experienced military life, so I’m not sure, but at least the composition wasn’t bad enough to throw away.
When Elia took a spoonful of pound cake? and made a strange face, Atilla, who was heating up the combat ration, chuckled.
Having heard about her experience in the academy with dungeon raids, it seemed she had some experience with these combat rations too.
“I felt that way at first too. It’s not as inedible as I thought… but I wouldn’t want to eat it if I had a choice.”
“I think it’s a bit too salty.”
“What does a pup with a taste for junk food know? You eat whatever you’re given.”
Aiden, who was also unpacking his combat rations beside us, grumbled.
While I didn’t have military knowledge, I knew that combat food generally had good shelf life and high calories.
Moreover, the combat food meant for supers, who expend several times the energy of normal people, is even higher in calories.
Thus, it makes sense that it might taste a bit salty. I checked on Elia, whose eating speed was oddly slow, and took a bite of the pound cake.
…
“How about you, Ha-yul?”
[It’s not good.]
At my answer, Elia nodded as if to agree.
Dinner was quite a cozy affair.
“By the way, Atilla, your mana color is unusual! Usually, it’s blue; mine is blue too.”
“I’ve had red since the moment I first developed it. Seems to be influenced by my unique ability.”
The sociable Elia was casually chatting with Atilla, no longer using honorifics. Atilla seemed unfazed by Elia’s casualness and was actively sharing her thoughts.
“Consider the length. If a sword and spear are fighting, it’s only natural for the spear to have the advantage.”
“What’s the point of length for a superhuman? It’s just within striking distance. In fact, a shorter reach means a sword’s easier to handle.”
“Considering you’re the one who lost last time with a hair’s breadth, I don’t think you’re in a position to say that…”
“Shut it.”
Nam Yeon-jung and Aiden were passionately debating which is superior, spear or sword. I’ve read about this online before. It’s a never-ending debate on whether swords or spears reign supreme.
On Earth, the general consensus leaned towards “the spear has the advantage,” but I wondered if it differed here.
In this setting, with pairs engaged in conversation, I felt a bit left out, though I still occasionally chimed in.
Though it was true that I was participating less, I quietly finished my pound cake and nibbled on a chocolate bar.
“…Can I ask you something, Ha-yul?”
At that point, Atilla turned to me. While she briefly glanced toward me multiple times during her conversation with Elia, she finally spoke.
[Yes?]
“It’s about the special admission. To be honest, I’ve been a bit curious.”
The term ‘special admission’ piqued my interest. When I cocked my head, Atilla scratched her head for a moment.
“It’s not that I’m curious about the details; I’m just curious about the whole process. To be precise… I wonder about the selection process.”
“Indeed.”
Atilla smiled awkwardly, and Nam Yeon-jung, who was preaching about the greatness of spears next to her, chimed in.
“It couldn’t have been like the regular admission with an exam, nor was it like the recommendation admission where you showcased your abilities before professors. I heard it was solely at the discretion of the principal… but the process isn’t known.”
The curiosity was evident in Nam Yeon-jung’s gaze as he finished speaking. Others shared the same curiosity, pretending not to.
[Honestly, I don’t know much about it either.]
“You don’t know?”
[Yes.]
But I had nothing to offer.
[It was just that suddenly, someone showed up and informed me about it.]
To be precise, I had no idea. I had received an admission package for Shio-ram, but my acceptance was probably confirmed before that.
However, I had no recollections of that period. In the original story, it begins inside Shio-ram.
Moreover, I had thought of the special admission mainly as a convenience for player gameplay, never considering there might be some special meaning behind it.
“…Informed?”
Nam Yeon-jung blinked, as if he heard something strange. The others reacted similarly.
Taking another bite of my chocolate bar, I fell into thought.
‘Special admission…’
It was one of the admission systems established by the Tower of Growth’s owner, Neriel Claidya… but in the original story, it was just a setting for player convenience.
A sort of MacGuffin, if you will. Even while progressing through the main story, there was no in-depth explanation about the special admission.
Special admission students… the principal who selected the players, too.
No matter how many cycles I continued the main story, the principal never showed up.
Even during cycles when the world was falling apart, the Tower of Growth’s owner remained hidden. Even if I shattered Shio-ram in the 11th run, it was the same.
‘……’
Thinking back, that wasn’t all.
The owner of the Tower of Growth never showed up even while her cradle was being destroyed.
During the cycle where the association was wrecked, neither the Tower of Harmony nor the Tower of Space’s masters appeared.
Neither did the master of the Tower of Observation or the hidden one.
Even while their creations were falling apart, they didn’t reveal themselves.
The Tower of Growth.
The Tower of Harmony.
The Tower of Space.
The Tower of Observation.
And now, a hidden fifth tower.
The masters of those ‘five towers’—the protagonists who quelled the chaotic times of the past and the pillars maintaining the current world system.
‘I don’t know anything for sure.’
It felt overwhelming. Right now, I should be worrying about how to survive tomorrow, yet I’m caught up in the mysteries of the world.
My head throbbed.
I let out a small sigh and bit into my chocolate bar.
Reviving old memories and chewing, it was actually quite palatable.
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