I Became the Academy’s Hidden Skill Master – Chapter 70

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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When I regained consciousness after defeating Garan, I found myself in an empty, black space.

The only thing there was a mirror.

I recognized the place immediately.

“Here again.”

This was the same space I’d been transported to after the ant hill collapsed and the prologue ended.

It was where I’d customized Lee Seok-hyun’s development during the time skip between the prologue and the main story.

‘What’s going on this time?’

The main story was far from over; it didn’t make sense to be here now.

While the Death Meteor incident was a major event, it wasn’t significant enough to end the academy arc.

It was dangerous in the early game, but objectively speaking, it wasn’t that threatening.

While the deaths of a few students were tragic, only one of the five Death Meteors carried high-rank demons.

If it had been a true worst-case scenario, each meteor would have contained five high-rank demons.

Besides, defeating high-rank demons yielded substantial rewards, turning crisis into opportunity.

In short, while it was a tough early-game challenge, it was manageable.

‘And I didn’t even need the revival from Light at the End of the Tunnel.’

If Gainard hadn’t been there, if Roomlau had attacked me, if I hadn’t acquired the Manaplate Armor in time…

I had a revival option, a chance to turn near-death into a critical hit.

I’d prepared for the worst, but the Manaplate Armor arrived at the perfect moment, synergizing beautifully with Infinite Track. Light at the End of the Tunnel remained unused.

Weighing the gains and losses, the gains clearly outweighed the losses.

‘The mirror isn’t reacting.’

Having finished my analysis, I stood before the mirror, trying to figure out why I was here, but nothing happened.

Standing in an unknown space, facing a mirror, completely clueless—

It felt like I was wasting time, so I checked the reward messages from defeating Garan.

That’s a lot.

‘I definitely did a lot of work.’

But 30% contribution to Roomlau and Chaitus’s defeats?

Chaitus made sense—I accelerated the Class S students’ awakening—but Roomlau seemed overly generous.

‘Maybe it was because of the opening I created right before Garan died?’

While it was nice to receive unexpected rewards, Final Destiny’s sudden generosity felt strange. It was unsettling.

Like being offered a mountain of cotton candy after years of only receiving hard candies.

Anyway, analyzing the rewards one by one, I’d made incredible progress.

They hadn’t just addressed my weaknesses, but significantly boosted my strengths.

Raising my low points and increasing my high points—I could now confidently call myself one of the top first-year students.

With the Cooler reducing the strain of using Infinite Track and allowing passive circulation of Natural Mana…

This was Lee Seok-hyun at his peak performance, a level I’d never achieved while playing the game. It was a shame I had to experience this in real life, though.

‘I lost one of the Arachne Gloves, so I can only use spider silk with my right hand for now.’

There were gains, but also losses.

Garan’s attack had torn the Arachne Glove on my left hand, making dual-wielding spider silk impossible.

It was pointless to console myself with the thought that my left hand was reserved for the Manaplate Armor—that wasn’t something I could use constantly.

Being a prototype, it required continuous testing and refinement. Using it for hunting was out of the question.

Unless another high-rank demon appeared and I was desperate, I couldn’t rely on it.

‘Things might change later, but for now… it can’t be helped.’

Just having the Manaplate Armor was a blessing, so I felt grateful, and as a final check, I opened my Status Window.

“This is nothing like the trash character Lee Seok-hyun.”

Why didn’t he show this kind of potential when I was playing the game?

If he’d been like this from the start, I would have finished the game ages ago, seen all the endings, and even defeated the hidden boss.

“This is ridiculous.”

Seeing how well things were going now only fueled my frustration at all the wasted time I’d invested in the past.

‘The additional effects added to Mind and Body Training are ideal.’

Normally, dark mana resistance and regeneration would have been separate sub-skills.

But thanks to Mind and Body Training reaching the advanced level, I saved a sub-skill slot, which applied to the regeneration effect as well.

What pleased me most was my physique now being between low-rank knight and mid-rank knight.

While the game always gave vague descriptions, as a veteran player, I understood the implications.

In terms of pure physical ability, I was now among the top first-year students, potentially even first, second, or third.

While it might seem like a minor improvement from my previous ranking, the difference was significant.

My current ranking was based on a comprehensive assessment of all my abilities, not just physical strength.

“But why am I still here?”

I’d checked my status, received my rewards—everything seemed done, yet I remained in this black space with only a mirror.

Frustrated, I punched the mirror.

Crash!

The mirror shattered, and the space around me began to crumble.

‘Should have done that sooner.’

Anticipating my return, I closed my eyes.

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Beep, beep, beep, beep.

The rhythmic beeping filled the air, a steady, weak pulse—a symphony of despair.

A steady, weak pulse—a symphony of despair.

“Please… please…”

Someone whispered a prayer, while others clasped their hands, their hopes hanging by a thread.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

And as if answering their prayers…

“What is this?”

Lee Seok-hyun awoke.

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