A Lazy Weekend.
Perhaps because I had been pushing myself so hard throughout the break, my stamina was completely drained, and I was resting at home.
Today, I even planned to take a break from my personal training, which I had been doing without fail every single day.
It was time to organize my thoughts on the upcoming events.
I checked the online news articles.
[Social Event, “Pioneer’s Night” to Be Held on August 10th. The Largest in History, with Many Notable Figures Attending.]
[Item of Jaun’s Former Leader, Jin Cheonwoo. To Be Specially Exhibited at the Social Event “Pioneer’s Night.”]
The events were approaching.
The social event Pioneer’s Night and the underground auction.
These would be the biggest incidents of this summer vacation.
After all, an item belonging to Jin Cheonwoo, the former leader of Jaun, would be exhibited on that day, drawing the attention of countless key figures.
The date was next Saturday.
Thirteen days remained.
“I’d better prepare in advance.”
But with my current abilities, I couldn’t influence the events to come in the slightest.
Still, standing idly by and watching would be a foolish choice.
“If I don’t have the ability, then I just need to create one.”
I opened the points shop.
Normally, I would check the traits or item sections, but not this time.
This time, I was looking at something called Skills.
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[Rune’s Bind (S)]
Category: Barrier
Description: Restrains the target using mana.
[Effect]
▶ Restraint
Consumes mana to trap the target.
Cooldown: 3 days
Price: 100,000 points
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Rune’s Bind.
A support-type spell that restrains the target.
While it was similar to barrier-type magic, it was classified as a skill rather than a spell for a reason.
This magic could only be wielded by those with a specific restriction.
It worked similarly to the Demonic Great Barrier that a demon had used during the first midterm exam.
The Demonic Great Barrier was a technique that only demons could use.
However, by purchasing a skill through the outsiders privilege, such usage restrictions could be removed.
If I were to buy the skill Demonic Great Barrier, I would be able to use its abilities regardless of my race.
Of course, since skills could grant the user immense power too easily, they either required an large number of points or had extreme mana consumption penalties.
Still, Rune’s Bind was, to my recollection, one of the highest-tier restraint spells among support magic.
Considering the upcoming events, this skill would undoubtedly become a great asset.
“Hmm.”
But there was a problem.
[Insufficient points: 16,000 points needed.]
I didn’t have enough points yet.
Fortunately, there were still about two weeks left until the event, so I had time to earn more.
And luckily, there was another small event this week that would allow me to acquire a large number of points.
I checked my smart student notebook.
[Notice for Special Vacation Class]
[The final special class of the first semester, the summer training camp, will take place this Thursday. Please gather in front of the Mage Academy’s portal gate by 10 AM.]
The final special class of the first semester.
On the surface, it seemed like a simple training camp.
But in reality, a surprising event would occur, shocking several key characters.
Of course, this episode wasn’t a major part of the original storyline.
It was primarily meant to develop relationships between characters and provide mental healing for Lee Seo-jun.
Still, there was a brief yet serious moment in the middle of it, so I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.
“Scar!”
“Hey, you’re here!”
Somewhere in Gyeonggi Province, at Jaun’s hideout.
As the large-built man, Scar, entered, Jaun’s members welcomed him.
“Did you keep an eye on Lee Seo-jun?”
Bert asked while brushing her teeth.
“What’s there to watch? His family home is at Kim Jin-Cheol’s place. Even if he leaves the house, the only place he goes to is the Mage Association headquarters.”
“Oh, that’s true.”
Bert nodded in understanding.
Since Jaun’s archenemy was the Mage Association, they had to be cautious about monitoring Lee Seo-jun too closely.
“Forget it. Let’s stop keeping tabs on him for now.”
“Huh? Is that okay?”
At Bert’s words, Baek Eun-seong reacted.
“He just goes between Kim Jin-Cheol’s house and the Mage Association. What danger could he possibly be in?”
Everyone in Jaun nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, that’s true. And if we loiter too close to him and get caught, it’ll only be more of a hassle.”
“Right. By the way, isn’t Lee Seo-jun doing some kind of training camp soon?”
“Oh, yeah. I looked into it, and apparently, it’s on some island.”
“Really? That sounds fun. I kinda wish I could go back to school too.”
Scar mumbled enviously to himself.
Natasha gave him a disapproving look.
“Whatever. Let’s just focus on getting ready. Bring the list.” Bert, having finished brushing her teeth, spoke up.
Jin retrieved a large sheet of paper from somewhere and stuck it on the wall.
“These are the businesspeople who are confirmed to have received invitations to Pioneer’s Night.”
The paper was filled with detailed personal information on numerous individuals.
Each individual on the list came from a well-known corporation.
“Well, I left out the big shots like Han Se-jin and Han Se-yeon and picked out the easier targets separately.”
Everyone nodded at Jin’s briefing. He pointed at a few names on the list with his finger.
“We need nine invitations this time. These nine seem the most suitable. They come from famous companies, but their backgrounds aren’t anything special.”
Natasha, who had been listening quietly, crossed her arms and spoke.
“So, we’re going to kill these nine and attend the Pioneer’s Night using their identities, right?”
“Exactly. Since the number of invitations is limited, this is the only way.”
At those words, Natasha smirked wickedly.
“Great. Sounds fun. When do we start moving?”
The third Thursday of summer break.
Finally, the day of the last special class of the first semester had arrived.
As usual, I arrived at the front of the Mage Academy right on time.
Nearly sixty students had gathered, waiting with mixed expressions of anticipation, boredom, and excitement.
“Kim Sunwoo!”
As I scanned my surroundings for familiar faces, a voice called me from afar.
“You’re right on time again.”
Lee Seo-jun greeted me as he approached, followed by other members of the group.
“As always.”
“What’ve you been up to during break?”
His voice carried a subtle curiosity. He was probably asking, “Since you refused Chairman Kim Jin-Cheol’s teachings, what great things have you been doing instead?”
Since I couldn’t answer honestly, I made up something appropriate.
“Training and making money.”
“Money? Did you get a part-time job?”
Shin Young-joon, who had been listening from the side, chimed in.
“…Something like that. More like a security job.”
Among mage apprentices, one of the most common part-time jobs during break was working as a security officer. The pay was good for the work involved, and since the school taught life-saving skills in detail, it was a natural choice.
Since my answer was a textbook one, Shin Young-joon nodded without suspicion.
“A security job, huh? Not bad for a short-term gig. I worked as a lifeguard at a pool last year, and it was super easy. Heh.”
Since I hadn’t done it myself, I couldn’t relate, so I just nodded in response.
We chatted idly for about five minutes until our special class instructor, Park Jungwan, appeared.
The students turned to him with a mix of anticipation and tension.
“It looks like everyone is here. I hope you’ve all been doing well during the break. I imagine some of you are unhappy about having to train in the middle of vacation.”
At his words, a few students flinched.
“Alright, let’s get to the point. I’m sure many of you are curious about today’s special class schedule, since we haven’t revealed where the training will take place.”
The students leaned in, intrigued.
Of course, I already knew where this training would happen and had prepared accordingly.
Park Jungwan pulled a holographic artifact from his pocket and projected a 3D map for the students to see. It depicted a round island.
“The location of this special class training is here. A massive uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific—Fog Island.”
We took a portal gate to a harbor in Gangwon Province.
Since the training site was an uninhabited island deep in the Pacific, we had to travel by ship.
If it were a typical island closer to the mainland, they could have installed a portal gate for easy transport. However, due to its extreme remoteness, no such gate existed on Fog Island.
“Everyone, please board the ship.”
We got on the vessel.
Some students looked excited at the prospect of sailing.
Since the ship was powered by magic, the journey wouldn’t take too long. Still, given the distance, we’d be traveling for at least an hour.
As the ship moved steadily forward, students either chatted idly or took naps, enjoying their free time.
I, on the other hand, leaned against the railing, breathing in the ocean air.
“It’s refreshing.”
I stared blankly at the deep blue waves.
This reminded me of one of the upcoming exams—the ocean monster extermination test.
Monsters weren’t exclusive to land; the sea had its own horrors. The most famous was the calamity-class sea monster, the Kraken.
In my past life, the evil dragon Cruas, which had driven Lee Seo-jun to his death, was a similar kind of threat.
The dangers lurking in this world weren’t just from beings like demons or Jaun.
When I considered the unknown horrors like calamity-class monsters, I wondered—would I really be able to survive everything ahead?
“Sigh.”
I let out a deep breath and looked at the distant horizon.
A small island gradually came into view.
A faint gray mist hovered at its edges—it was Fog Island, our special class training ground.
I looked up at the sky above the island.
A subtle gray hue tinged the clouds, a sign of things to come.
Most wouldn’t think much of it, but knowing the original story, I understood the meaning behind these small details.
Just then, I heard footsteps on the deck.
A small figure staggered toward the railing beside me and leaned against it.
“Ugh… Ughhh.”
Long brown hair spilled forward as she lowered her head, heaving.
“Choi Seo-yoon.”
“S-Senior… I just… Ugh.”
“……”
I approached her silently and patted her back.
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