“Did you hear? There’s a rumor going around that you actually did something during the practice.”
The aqua-blue hair sparkled with the light from the ceiling, reminiscent of the sun-drenched blue sea.
Baek Ahrin’s popularity in social circles could also be attributed to her unique bright and soft aura, coupled with her unparalleled beauty.
I moved my increasingly cold fingertips.
[Rumor?]
“Yeah, was it in the training room? The group members of Ha-yul were talking about it, and it spread around.”
The training room. Did Aiden and Nam Yeon-jung really engage in a duel to determine the superiority of swords versus spears there? How did my name even come up?
“Oh, it wasn’t a detailed explanation. It was just a few words about how impressive Ha-yul’s sensing ability was.”
Reading my confusion, Baek Ahrin chuckled and explained.
“Just think of it as a rumor about how exceptional Lee Ha-yul is.”
[I see.]
“Yes, that’s right… Ah.”
Baek Ahrin spoke as if she just remembered something, her tone playfully teasing.
“Speaking of which, there was also talk about Lee Ha-yul using magic. Can I ask about that?”
What’s the reason she’s asking even after looking at the magic practice room’s plaque? Was she merely checking in casually?
I nodded nonchalantly. Baek Ahrin’s eyes sparkled as she clapped her hands.
“Magic! It’s a fantastic field to master. You can use it in combat and in everyday life. I practice it too, and honestly, my life changed significantly before and after learning it.”
Baek Ahrin had mastered magic as well. In the original story, she wielded magic at an impressive level.
“So, you’ve started learning magic too, Ha-yul! It’s definitely not a waste to learn, given how useful it is for both offense and support.”
Her main weapon was the spear. In combat, she fought using the spear but didn’t restrict herself to just that.
Her unique ability, “Water and Ice Manipulation,” allowed her to freely wield two elements.
Water is for healing and coordination, while Ice is for defense and attack. Even without using a spear, she can pressure foes and heal and protect allies with these two.
Close combat through martial arts, freedom of movement for protecting and healing allies through her abilities, attacking and pressuring enemies, along with various spells.
In the original story, Baek Ahrin was a jack of all trades, proficient in various aspects, serving as the central support of her party.
In other words—
“The advantage of magic is that when you learn it, your options broaden. You won’t regret learning it since it’s handy for both attack and support.”
—Jack of All Trades.
When I was setting up my character in my previous world and chose a jack of all trades, the model I aimed for was precisely Baek Ahrin.
.
.
.
Time flew by as I searched for materials in the library and practiced magic extensively.
By the time I stepped out of the practice room, the sun had already set.
I walked along the path lit only by a faint moonlight, with the setting sun completely lost. The sound of repeated footsteps echoed beside me, not my own.
“Hmm-hmm~”
The cause was Baek Ahrin. When I mentioned it was getting late, she insisted she was heading back too and suggested we walk together.
Observing her as she casually walked beside me, I noticed Baek Ahrin strode with her hands behind her back, humming a little tune.
The rhythmic tapping of her footsteps and her humming blended beautifully with the faint moonlight, creating a charming atmosphere.
If I could see the night sky from here, it would have been even more enchanting. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
I felt a mix of emotions looking at Baek Ahrin, who was wearing a soft smile.
Hong Yeon-hwa was entirely different from the character in the original story for me.
Her violent tendencies were nowhere to be found; I could only recall the gentle Hong Yeon-hwa, who looked like the sky was falling if I ever got hurt.
Although it had only been a little over a month since we met, I had never built a connection deeper than I had with Hong Yeon-hwa in my life.
In contrast, Baek Ahrin… was almost identical to her character in the original story.
“Are you curious why I’m approaching you so familiarly?”
As I walked quietly, Baek Ahrin suddenly asked.
Taking a few steps ahead, she turned her head to look at me, a playful smile adorning her lips.
“There’s actually no particular reason.”
Baek Ahrin often approached special admissions students, and always with a friendly demeanor.
“I think Ha-yul will be a great success someday. I don’t care what others say; that’s just what I think.”
Special admission. There were still lingering skeptical glances, almost like waiting to see if they’d win the lottery.
Baek Ahrin approached me with a similar mindset.
[It’s simpler than I thought.]
“Haha, I can’t deny it if you call it selfish… but it’s not a bad thing, right?”
The sound of her footsteps echoed particularly loudly.
“Special admission… It’s shocking that a student who has never existed since the founding of Shio-ram is in the same batch as me, but… it turned out to be better than I expected.”
Before I knew it, we arrived at the dormitory building, a luxurious facility that resembled a high-rise building.
“I think making friends with someone destined for greatness like Ha-yul can only be a good thing. If we get close in these small ways, who knows, we might be able to help each other in the future.”
Standing in front of the main gate, Baek Ahrin spun around, facing me directly. Her face wore that playful yet gentle smile.
“I seem to be rambling on a bit. To summarize… yes, let’s get close from now on!”
Saying that, she extended one hand toward me. Baek Ahrin looked at me with a grinning face. I hesitated for a moment before reaching out my hand.
We clasped hands. A soft yet cold sensation filled my palm.
At that moment, Baek Ahrin leaned forward, her breath brushing against my ear.
She whispered softly, “Please don’t get too close to Yeon-hwa because I’m jealous. Lately, she’s been isolating her friends, so don’t just hang out with her.”
Winking, Baek Ahrin stepped back a few paces.
“I’m sorry for keeping you; you must be tired. I truly have to go now. Sweet dreams!”
With that, she turned away. According to the knowledge from the original story, and what I heard from Hong Yeon-hwa, she received a separate house rather than staying in the dormitory.
“……”
Baek Ahrin approaches every player without fail. The reason, as I was told earlier, was to build a connection with players destined for greatness someday.
In the first round, she didn’t really succeed. At that time, she didn’t even know the proper hidden pieces and storyline.
By the time she graduated from Shio-ram, she didn’t show any significant traits.
Thanks to the growth bonuses associated with special admissions, she managed to achieve a relatively high ranking, but it was still just on par with other cadets.
Baek Ahrin wouldn’t have found someone like me satisfactory.
Even so, Baek Ahrin extended her favor to the first-round player. When the world plunged into chaos, the first-round player fought with all his might, and Baek Ahrin fought alongside.
What’s certain is that until the end of the first round, Baek Ahrin remained a reliable ally.
Eighth round: Thunderous Strike.
Although not the maximum potential of specific positions like “Golden Warrior” or “Hybrid Summoner,” she managed to survive while tangling with the strongest in the universe.
Her specialty lay in ranged sniping.
She maximized her archery abilities and awakened her unique brain attributes through hidden pieces in that round.
Her arrows poured from a distance where enemy attacks couldn’t reach, offering a one-sided assault and a downpour of thunder.
She even operationalized spatial artifacts to teleport formidable attacks right to the enemies’ faces.
It was an extraordinarily well-rounded round. Especially with the advantage of distance, her survival strategy was particularly strong, leading me to think she could last longer this time.
But unexpectedly, she exited early.
The eighth round was different from the first.
Thanks to effective leveling, she achieved the milestone of subjugating three high-ranks before graduating from Shio-ram.
After graduation, she traveled to various magic realms, pinpointing and taking out high-level monsters, gaining considerable fame by hunting down many traitors scattered across the world.
Baek Ahrin hoped for a winning lottery ticket through her early investments, thinking she’d receive great returns in that round.
However.
She died because of Baek Ahrin’s betrayal in the eighth round.
*
Baek Ahrin walked silently under the night sky. Her long legs extended effortlessly, moving without any noticeable sound.
At some point, her humming ceased. The lively ambiance filled with tapping footsteps and melodies faded, replaced by the coolness distinctive of dawn.
It felt drastically different from her usual vibrant demeanor; she appeared calm and collected.
She turned her head slightly; the dormitory building she had just arrived at was visible. Lee Ha-yul was nowhere to be seen. He must have already entered.
“Hmm…”
Her head bobbed thoughtfully as she recalled her recent actions, processing information in her mind.
The sequence of thoughts resolved quickly. She placed her finger on her lips.
“Why would he be afraid of me?”
Baek Ahrin tilted her head, looking perplexed.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
