After finishing all my Monday classes, I returned to the dormitory.
Since I had an unexpected lucky find today, I even skipped training.
My heart pounds with excitement.
I sat on the sofa and took out the Golden Immortal Peach from my subspace.
“So beautiful.”
A massive peach gleaming with a golden light.
Seeing its magnificent form fills my chest with awe.
Can I really consume such an expensive elixir?
Strength and stamina aren’t particularly important stats for me, so wouldn’t it be better to give it to Lee Seo-jun, who specializes in physical enhancement?
Various thoughts crossed my mind, but I soon shook my head.
No, it’s best if I eat it myself.
If Lee Seo-jun, whose base stats are already high, ate it, his ability would increase by only about 20%, but if I consumed it, I could grow by nearly 30%.
Considering efficiency, it’s better for me to take it.
…That’s the self-justification I used as I grasped the Golden Immortal Peach.
“But can I just eat this as is?”
I heard rumors that some people recklessly consumed rare elixirs and lost control of their raging power, and died.
It would be quite troublesome if something like that happened to me.
“It should be fine, right?”
At least I can handle B-rank magic power or higher, so I should be okay.
I’m not just some ordinary person who can’t use magic at all.
I rinsed the Golden Immortal Peach with water and took a big bite.
“Mm…”
The taste was similar to a regular peach.
It had a surprisingly satisfying texture, so I kept taking bites.
Before long, I had swallowed the entire Golden Immortal Peach.
“The effects should kick in soon.”
At that moment, I felt a strange energy stirring inside my body.
A slow, creeping heat began to rise from within.
“Ugh?”
The heat intensified, growing stronger and stronger.
Soon, it became unbearably hot.
“Ugh…!”
I steadied my posture and focused my mind.
Like a martial artist in a wuxia novel regulating their internal energy, I used mana to slowly control the raging heat inside me.
“Hmph…!”
But it wasn’t easy.
The energy of the Golden Immortal Peach wriggled like a living serpent, rampaging through every corner of my body.
Gritting my teeth, I summoned all the mana within me.
If I let my guard down, I might actually die.
Thus began my struggle against the Golden Immortal Peach’s energy.
Ten minutes passed.
The fiery energy gradually subsided, merging with my body’s own vitality.
[Achievement unlocked: ‘Supreme Elixir Consumption.’]
[Reward: 3,000 points obtained.]
[Achievement unlocked: ‘Footsteps of a Superhuman.’]
[Reward: 3,000 points obtained.]
[Adaptive trait ‘Drug Resistance’ is evolving!]
[Additional stats gained: Stamina +3, Strength +3, Agility +3.]
“…Whew.”
Seeing the messages pop up before my eyes, I let out a sigh of relief.
The energy within me had finally stabilized.
Unlike before, my body now brimmed with power.
Still, I had come dangerously close to death.
I realized that consuming elixirs beyond a certain level could turn into poison if not handled properly.
It was an ordeal I never wanted to experience again.
━━
[Stats]
Stamina: 67.7
Strength: 55.6
Magic Power: 38.5
Speed: 31.9
Agility: 51.1
Dexterity: 28.3
━━
“…Whoa.”
Seeing the significant rise in stamina, strength, and agility, I felt that all my suffering had been worth it.
With these stats, I could rival professional enhancement-type mages.
It was an incredible leap in power—almost too extravagant for a manifestation-type mage like me.
“This is insane.”
Moreover, my adaptive trait, ‘Drug Resistance,’ had evolved.
I immediately checked the details.
━━
[Elixir Amplification (B)]
Type: Trait
Description: Enhances the effects of consumed medicine.
[Passive Effects]
▶ Potency Boost
- Increases the duration of medicinal effects by 20%.
- Enhances the efficacy of medicine by 20%.
- Reduces side effects of medicine by 30%.
- Magic Power +2.
━━
The name had changed to ‘Elixir Amplification.’
And now, the passive effects included a 20% boost in medicinal efficacy.
“Heh.”
This was absolutely amazing.
With just one reward from the ruins, I had gained a massive amount of points, stats, and a powerful trait.
Feeling overjoyed, I collapsed onto the floor in pure satisfaction.
Near the artificial ruins of the Mage Academy, in a nearby field…
Two men belonging to the crime guild, Goldwin, sat on the ground in shock, making a call.
They had fought for over an hour against the guardian of the ruins, only to find that the treasure had already been taken.
“It’s all gone.”
—What? How?
“Someone else got the reward just before us and ran off.”
Lee Chul-hee, the man on the call, spoke cautiously.
Goldwin’s deputy guild leader shouted in fury.
—You idiot! Do you have any idea how hard we worked to find that? Do you even know how much a single-use ruin detector costs?!
“I’m sorry…”
—Never mind! Did you see who took it?
“I only caught a glimpse of their back when I heard a noise.”
—A glimpse? If you saw them, you should have caught them!
The voice on the phone grew so loud that Lee Chul-hee had to move the receiver away from his ear.
“I apologize. The guardian was going berserk, so…”
—Ugh. So you don’t even know who took it?
“…No. Only that they were wearing a school uniform.”
—Pathetic. Losing the reward to a student? Get back to Incheon immediately!
Click.
The call ended.
Lee Chul-hee and Kim Jang-won lowered their heads in despair.
“We’re screwed.”
At 10 PM, I stepped out of the dormitory.
After consuming the Golden Immortal Peach, my body was overflowing with energy, and I needed to vent it somehow.
I decided to head to the track field. Running was the easiest way to burn stamina.
“Huuh…”
Upon arriving, I scanned my surroundings.
Running on the track at such a late hour might seem strange, but luckily, no one else was around.
I took a deep breath, feeling the cold night air.
Loosening up with a few light jumps, I prepared myself.
Then, I gathered my mana and reinforced my legs.
Thanks to my increased strength stat, my body reinforcement felt even more efficient.
“Haa!”
I kicked off the ground, sprinting forward.
My movements were noticeably faster than before.
The cool wind against my skin felt exhilarating.
Amazed by my newfound physical capabilities, I kept running, pushing forward.
I had no idea how many laps I completed in the next 20 minutes.
Yet, even after all that, I wasn’t exhausted—thanks to my improved stamina stat.
“Whew…”
I finally stopped, catching my breath as I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
“Wow, this is insane.”
My body still surged with energy.
Was this the power of an elixir?
Just then—
“Kim Sunwoo!”
Someone called my name.
Startled, I turned my head to see Lee Seo-jun looking at me.
“What the hell? Why are you here?”
“I was just passing by when I saw someone running, and turns out, it’s you.”
“Ah.”
I nodded.
Lee Seo-jun looked at me with a meaningful gaze and said,
“……By the way, I saw you running earlier, and you’re really fast.”
Indeed, with my enhanced physical abilities this time, I had become fast enough to rank among the top five in the entire school.
Of course, I still couldn’t match Lee Seo-jun’s speed.
And my current running speed was due to the effects of the elixir.
As time passed, the gap between me and Seo-jun—who was naturally gifted in physical abilities—would only grow wider.
“I’m still slower than you, though.”
“Slower? I don’t think there’s much of a difference between us.”
Then, almost inaudibly, he added,
“Especially since you’re an ability user…….”
Soon after, Seo-jun let out an awkward smile.
“Anyway, thanks to you, I’ve been feeling motivated and working harder lately.”
“……Is that so?”
“Whew. I was planning to rest today, but I think I’ll do a bit more training before heading in. You keep it up too.”
With that, Seo-jun walked toward the endurance training area.
I stared blankly at his retreating figure.
After finishing my training, I returned to the dormitory.
Starting this Wednesday, the second experiential learning program would begin. I needed to decide what to do.
“Hmm.”
Considering the future developments, the ‘Special Task’ experience seemed like the best option.
Special Tasks involved law enforcement activities aimed at preventing terrorism and magical crimes.
It was similar to police work or special forces operations.
The ‘Special Task’ team of the Mage Association had the same purpose.
At that moment, a message notification rang from my smart student planner.
I was slightly surprised—it was from someone unexpected.
[What did you pick for the upcoming activity?]
It was none other than Yoo Ara.
I hadn’t received a message from her since her thank-you message after the first midterm exam.
[I chose Special Task. Why?]
[Same here. Want to team up?]
Why was she suddenly asking to be in the same team?
Blinking in surprise, I stared at the message before typing my reply.
[I don’t mind. Who’s the third member? Special Task requires teams of three, right?]
[Still looking. Do you have anyone in mind?]
“……Not really.”
Honestly, I wanted to team up with Lee Seo-jun again, but according to the original story, his team was likely already full.
Lee Seo-jun, Shin Young-joon, and Lee Hyun-joo—those three would probably form a team.
That meant I needed to find someone new.
Who would be a good choice? I wanted to team up with a main character if possible.
Yoon Hayoung had chosen the Tower Conquest experience.
Choi Seo-yoon would likely team up with other first-years if not with Lee Seo-jun.
While I was still thinking, another message arrived.
[Senior! Did you choose the Special Task experience?]
It was Choi Seo-yoon.
Did she fail to find a teammate?
[Yeah. You too?]
[Yep! Want to team up?]
First Yoo Ara, and now Choi Seo-yoon.
I didn’t expect things to turn out like this.
Feeling intrigued, I typed a response.
[I already found one teammate. If you’re alone, then sure.]
[I’m alone. None of the first-years around me were interested in Special Task…]
Since she was by herself, it worked out perfectly.
She was a main character too, meaning there was a good chance to gain extra points.
“But will they get along?”
In the original story, Yoo Ara and Choi Seo-yoon didn’t meet until later.
Their relationship wasn’t great either.
They were both talented, came from prestigious families, and were hardworking, so they were naturally conscious of each other.
It would be best to check with Yoo Ara first.
I typed out a new message.
[You know Choi Seo-yoon, right? What do you think about her?]
Her reply came back quickly.
[I don’t mind.]
The next day.
Rumors spread quickly that a secret chamber had been discovered within the artificial ruins.
Some students, including Lee Seo-jun, claimed to have heard adult male voices in the ruins.
It was concluded to be the work of grave robbers, and the incident quietly wrapped up.
The resolution felt a bit anticlimactic, but I was satisfied with the outcome.
However, the school began an investigation to uncover the identity of the trespassing grave robbers.
But according to the original story, no matter how thorough the investigation, their identities wouldn’t be revealed.
They were meant to appear later as villains.
And then, on Wednesday morning,
the three-day experiential learning program began again.
Students who had chosen the Special Task experience gathered at the school’s front field.
I stood with my teammates, Yoo Ara and Choi Seo-yoon.
“Hmm.”
An awkward atmosphere lingered.
Not between me and them, but between the two of them.
Even Choi Seo-yoon, who was incredibly sociable, seemed to find Yoo Ara difficult.
Come to think of it, their elemental affinities—ice and fire—were opposites.
Surely, this awkwardness wouldn’t last the whole three days?
Then, I overheard students whispering while looking at us.
“Hey, that’s Yoo Ara and Choi Seo-yoon. They teamed up?”
“Wow, that’s surprising. I’ve never seen them together before.”
“Isn’t it because of Kim Sunwoo? He has quite a wide social circle.”
“Yeah, it seems that way. He looks close with Lee Seo-jun too.”
Ignoring them, I pulled out my smartphone and browsed the internet.
“What region do you think we’ll be assigned to?”
Yoo Ara asked from beside me.
But I had no idea.
I knew from the original story that Lee Seo-jun was assigned to Seoul, but…
“Not sure. As long as it’s not too far, I’m fine with anywhere.”
As I answered, Choi Seo-yoon interjected.
“I already know where we’re going.”
“How do you know?”
“The information got leaked on the school’s online community.”
“Really? Where is it?”
With a smile, Choi Seoyoon answered,
“Incheon, Seo-gu.”
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