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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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Eternity’s first stage, the Direwolf practical test.
In the game, after the cadets had safely rescued the people, the first thing Ha Jin-woo said was this:
─Good, you all did well. Everyone fails.
To the bewildered cadets, Ha Jin-woo made a shocking statement.
That the girl and man in danger were actually ‘demonkin’. And that they had just been killed by said demonkin.
After that, an explanation followed as to why the two were demonkin, but I couldn’t remember the specific reasons.
Anyway, the clear fact was that the two were demonkin who had made a pact with a demon.
I aimed the Ki-infused pebble at the girl. Since it was virtual, I had no hesitation.
‘Blow her head off in one shot.’
After targeting the girl, I had to eliminate the man in quick succession. Since they were low-level demonkin, killing them with a surprise attack shouldn’t be too difficult.
But still, demonkin were demonkin. If even one shot missed and they counterattacked, it would be a headache, so there could be no mistakes.
“Hoo.”
After calming my mind with a deep breath, I gripped the pebble.
The talent, ‘Prodigy in the Art of Flying Blades’, drew the optimal path to kill them both in an instant.
*Saaaaa…*
Following the image, I drew back my hand holding the pebble. Then, the moment I felt the wind blow and shake the grass.
*Whoosh!*
The pebble flew. Flying like a beam of light, the pebble passed through the grass, over the wolves, and pierced the girl’s head.
By the time the startled man turned to look at me, another pebble had already pierced his forehead.
*THWACK!*
After both demonkin were dead, the wolf pack belatedly charged at me. Just as their savage teeth were about to tear into my shoulder, they crumbled like foam.
─Practical session terminated.
Ha Jin-woo’s voice echoed through the simulation chamber. The session had ended with the death of all the demonkin.
“Phew. I did it.”
Wiping the sweat that trickled down my forehead from the tension, I exited the simulation chamber to the murmurs of the cadets who didn’t understand the situation.
“What? What just happened?”
“Why did he kill people?”
“Wow~ The top student really did something this time.”
I ignored the pouring gazes and returned to my seat.
Amelia immediately asked.
“Why did you kill them?”
“There was a reason.”
“You’re not going to tell me?”
“Class isn’t over yet.”
“……”
Amelia puffed out her cheeks slightly. But she didn’t ask any more questions.
As if trying to figure it out for herself, she watched the following practicals intently.
As the session was nearing its end, Amelia’s eyes widened as if she had realized something.
“Don’t tell me those people…”
As expected of Amelia. She’s quick on the uptake. When I smirked, Amelia’s mouth fell open.
Just then, as the last cadet entered the waiting room, Ha Jin-woo wrapped things up.
“You all did well. You must have learned something from watching how your classmates handled things differently. There was even one who killed people in the middle of it.”
Ha Jin-woo looked at me and smiled as he spoke. He looked around at the cadets and asked.
“Is there anyone here who knows why Lee Haesol killed those people?”
“……”
The waiting room fell silent. Amelia had her suspicions but didn’t speak up. Then Ha Jin-woo looked at me and asked.
“Lee Haesol, you answer. Why did you kill those people?”
“Because they were demonkin.”
At my words, a stir went through the waiting room. Ha Jin-woo’s eyes sparkled.
“And your reason for that judgment?”
“For people in danger, the man and the girl didn’t seem anxious at all. Also, if they had been chased by Direwolves in a grassy field like that, their clothes should have been stained with grass or dirt, but they were perfectly clean. The Direwolves didn’t seem to be threatening them at all, either. If demonic beasts are following them, it means they’re demonkin.”
I didn’t know if this was actually true. I just spouted whatever came to mind. In any case, it was certain that the two were demonkin.
And Ha Jin-woo’s lips curled into a smile. He turned to the cadets and said.
“Did you all hear that? Lee Haesol’s answer is correct. However, to add a few supplementary explanations…”
Ha Jin-woo praised me while presenting the crucial evidence I hadn’t known.
“…And that’s it. To be honest, this wasn’t a problem I expected you to get right. It was a trap designed to teach you not to trust people carelessly, but it seems there was one who saw through it perfectly.”
The cadets, who had firmly believed the demonkin were a father and daughter in crisis, reacted with admiration, thinking that the top student really did see things differently.
“That’s all for today’s practical session. A recording of the session will be posted on the class cafe, so be sure to analyze it. …And Lee Haesol.”
“Yes.”
“Come forward. This is the reward for first place in the practical test.”
***
The reward given for finishing first in Eternity’s first practical test is random.
Of course, since it’s a reward, whatever I received would be useful, so it didn’t matter, but there was one thing I had to avoid.
The Orb of Karma. A one-time-use magic tool that increases ‘mana capacity’, a precious item that can only be obtained at Eternity in the entire world, but for me, who had no mana, it was the most useless magic tool.
‘Please, just don’t give me the Orb of Karma. Please.’
And Ha Jin-woo smiled as he held out the reward.
“Congratulations. It’s the Orb of Karma.”
“……”
“It’s a one-time-use magic tool that increases your mana capacity. The original reward was a self-defense magic tool to protect your body, but since growth is a priority for you all, I made a special request to change it.”
Why couldn’t you just give me what was originally planned? Why do something so useless?
‘Ah, my magic tool…’
“A round of applause.”
*Clap, clap, clap!*
Receiving the cadets’ applause, I forced a smile while shedding tears of blood inwardly and returned to my seat.
As I was contemplating how to deal with this nuisance called the Orb of Karma, I suddenly felt a gaze from my side.
I glanced over to see Amelia staring at me, or rather, at the Orb of Karma in my hand, with eyes full of envy.
Just in case, I moved my hand to the right, and Amelia’s eyes followed, moving to the right. This time, I moved it up and down. As expected, Amelia’s eyes followed up and down as well.
Next, left and right, then diagonally, and up and down again…
“What are you doing right now?”
Amelia glared at me.
“My arm was getting numb.”
“……”
After making a lame excuse, I changed the subject with a sudden thought.
“Amelia, you want to trade this?”
“For what?”
As expected, Amelia responded immediately.
“For that bracelet on your wrist.”
“Do you even know what this is?”
“The Black Humpback Bracelet.”
A magic tool that gives vitality to the wearer, one of the many artifacts owned by the Constellation of Stars.
When I correctly identified the bracelet’s name, Amelia’s eyes widened.
“How did you know?”
“I have my sources.”
“…Alright, let’s trade.”
Amelia agreed immediately without much thought. Then she cautiously watched my expression.
It made sense. To Amelia, the Black Humpback Bracelet was purely an item that gave vitality.
To trade that for an Orb of Karma that increases mana, she must have thought it was a huge windfall. But in reality, this was a much more beneficial trade for me.
To Amelia, the bracelet might just be for regulating her condition, but for me, with a body as fragile as glass, the ‘vitality boost’ of the Black Humpback Bracelet would even show the effect of improving my physical abilities.
In other words, it would make my body capable of at least reacting to attacks that I previously couldn’t.
‘And if I break the bracelet, the essence of the Black Humpback will flow out, leading to a permanent stat increase.’
From the looks of it, Amelia had no idea…
Anyway, to be able to get such a precious item for free right from the start, I felt like I was on cloud nine, but I just shook my head with a nonchalant expression.
“On second thought, never mind.”
“W-why?”
“It’s a loss for me.”
When I took back the Orb of Karma, Amelia panicked. On the other hand, I feigned an expression of having nothing to lose. Unaware of this, Amelia spoke with an urgent expression.
“I’ll give you a Romano Garment from our family. Custom-made, of course!”
My lips twitched slightly. I barely managed to hold back a burst of laughter.
Is this a walking bank account?
Romano, the clothing brand of the Constellation of Stars, was famous for its outstanding performance. And if it was custom-made, it was undoubtedly the best.
Even the clothes Amelia wore on a daily basis, despite being just a thin piece of cloth, could easily block an ordinary sword.
Clothing that looked like everyday wear on the outside but had solid defensive functions like this was called a ‘Garment’.
Naturally, they were priceless, and I couldn’t even dream of affording one.
Amelia was saying she would have such a garment custom-made for me.
‘What a steal.’
The outrageous offer made me want to laugh, but I just nodded reluctantly.
“Well, alright.”
“Good choice.”
I was the one who initiated the trade, but it was Amelia who smiled brightly and seemed pleased.
By the way, that lock of hair on top of her head that sways whenever she smiles is strangely cute.
Anyway, as this strange trade where the roles were reversed was coming to an end, Ha Jin-woo concluded the first day’s closing remarks.
The cadets scattered, and as I was about to get up, Amelia spoke.
“Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“Where else? We have to go get your garment fitted.”
“Right now?”
As my eyes widened, Amelia puffed out her chest with a proud expression.
“Yes, there’s a Romano branch here at Eternity, you know.”
***
We rode in a long limousine parked in front of the main gate and entered the Eternity Romano branch.
And in a place that looked like an engineering workshop where you’d build a mechanical suit, I was assigned a designer and we began the process of making the garment.
Choosing the fabric, selecting the design, taking measurements…
I went through various tests while listening to incomprehensible talk about ergonomics and what not.
It felt less like making clothes and more like creating a high-tech suit perfectly tailored to me.
I had never even had clothes custom-made in my life, and to think I’d experience something like this after entering a game.
“The garment we fitted today will be ready in a week.”
“You don’t have to make it a suit.”
“What are you talking about? Something like this should naturally be a suit. Frida, prepare a long coat as well.”
“Yes, milady.”
We were getting my clothes fitted, but for some reason, Amelia was more enthusiastic.
It seemed she just had a personality that liked coordinating, but she had been wearing a proud expression all day since receiving the Orb of Karma.
Seeing how happy she was, should I have asked for a higher price?
“It would be really great if you could make a spare set while you’re at it.”
“Do you even know how much this costs?”
“How much?”
“The material costs alone add up to 300 million.”
…Unfortunately, I’ll have to be satisfied with this for today.
***
“Ah, I’m tired. Hehe.”
7 PM. When I returned to the dormitory, my body was tired, but my heart was full.
I had obtained the Black Humpback Bracelet and even had a garment fitted, which wasn’t even in my plans.
You could say I had squeezed out everything I could in the early stages.
“Shall we break it then?”
I looked at the Black Humpback Bracelet with anticipation. When I injected a strong amount of Ki, the bracelet easily broke apart.
A hazy, milky energy flowed out from the broken surface and seeped into my body.
In an instant, my tired body was filled with vitality. And an updated status window appeared.
▶Player Lee Haesol
[Stamina: 1.5 (+2)]
[Strength: 0.8 (+0.5)]
[Agility: 2.8 (+1.3)]
[Endurance: 1 (+1)]
[Dexterity: 3]
All of my physical abilities, except for dexterity, had improved. Even so, considering that the average stats of a regular cadet exceeded 10, my stats were still despairing, but this alone was a huge improvement.
Moreover, the changes didn’t end there.
[Due to the improvement in physical abilities, Gram’s Gift is partially unlocked.]
With a *snap!* sound, Gram split apart. My eyes widened.
“Oh!”
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
As always if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
