As expected of a summoned creature, Gretel had abilities beyond just producing fruit.
One of them was a support-type spell that summoned tree vines to bind the opponent’s legs.
The wolf, whose legs were tied up, kept struggling to break free. But the vines were apparently strong enough to only tighten more around its body the harder it resisted.
“…That’s impressive.”
—Growl!
The wolf drooled as it glared at me. The tree vines crept higher, now reaching its neck and beginning to constrict.
Its eyes rolled back as if it were suffocating, and moments later, foam gathered in its mouth as it collapsed.
The vines that had sprouted from the ground then retracted and disappeared back into the earth.
[You have achieved the ‘Cooperative Battle with Summoned Creature’ achievement.]
[You have received 3,000 points as a reward.]
“Amazing.”
I turned to Gretel.
After watching the wolf collapse, she lifted her hand off the ground.
“You did great, Gretel.”
At my praise, she smiled brightly. Just when I thought she might come closer, she staggered and plopped down on the ground.
Was it because she wasn’t used to using magic? She looked completely drained of energy.
“Come here.”
I reached out and gently lifted her into my hand.
Gretel’s eyes began to close as if she was getting sleepy. Her head drooped forward a few times, then she finally drifted off.
She must have overexerted herself trying to protect me.
She was still young, so her mana reserves were probably low. That thought made me smile.
It was a rediscovery of Gretel.
I carefully placed her back in the bag so she wouldn’t fall or feel uncomfortable.
Since she had dozed off, I pulled out some clothes from subspace and used them as a blanket to cover her.
Then I resumed climbing the mountain.
“Hoo.”
Though there was no paved trail, I had consistently trained my body, so the walk wasn’t particularly dangerous.
Time passed, and eventually I reached my destination.
A wide expanse of land somewhere atop the mountain.
This was the golden land where, about two months from now, a dungeon containing an enormous amount of natural mana stones would appear.
It would also bring me a mountain of wealth.
“It’s bigger than I expected.”
There were trees and grasses all around.
Maybe because it was near the peak, I didn’t see any monsters.
Aside from the dungeon, it might be a good idea to build a rest area for Gretel nearby.
This place was too far out, so maybe I should buy a more conveniently located mountain and build something there.
“Hmm.”
That’s something to think about later.
What’s certain is that Gretel probably needs her own space.
Well, now that I’ve checked the land, it’s time to go meet the owner.
I pulled out the prepared documents from my coat.
After wrapping up my Saturday schedule, I returned to the dorm.
I had completed the land deal and defeated a villain, gaining the effects of Victory Call.
There were still a few procedural steps left for the land, so it wasn’t completely finished.
But since the contract was signed, it was as good as done.
I quickly took Gretel out of the bag.
Once outside, she looked around with a refreshed expression.
“You did great.”
She looked up at me and waved her hands, as if telling me you did great too.
Smiling, I sat down and checked the messages I had received today.
[You have achieved the ‘Land Contract’ achievement.]
[You have received 3,000 points as a reward.]
[You have won a battle against a target!]
[Victory Call’s effect increases Strength by 0.4, Mana by 0.4, Mana Control proficiency by 2%, and Lightning Attribute proficiency by 4%.]
[Your Causality has increased by 0.1.]
Unfortunately, I didn’t gain a new trait this time from Victory Call.
Still, I got some decent stat boosts and causality points, so I’m satisfied.
By now, I’d grown strong enough to easily defeat most B-rank villains.
Maybe it’s time to start looking for A-rank targets to push my growth even further.
Currently, my mana control ability is between B and A rank—though that’s only in terms of emission-type abilities.
Though it sounds like bragging, I also handle enhancement and support types fairly well.
If I use the Heart of the Nature, mana elixirs, and Battle Maniac together, my overall combat ability should be comparable to A-rank.
“…Still kind of scary though.”
I’ll have to meet with Han Se-yeon soon. Most of the villain info I have right now is for B and C-ranks, so I need fresh data.
Thinking about that, I turned on the TV.
「Around 5 p.m. Korean time, a terrorist attack occurred at Britain’s Mystical Museum, one of the world’s top three museums. 25 people were killed, and six items were stolen.」
「Among the stolen items was the sacred relic, the ‘Golden Key of God.’ The World Mage Association suspects the terrorist group Jaun is behind the attack and is continuing their investigation.」
The news on TV was about the terrorist attack.
Jaun had struck again, stealing a sacred relic and advancing their plans step by step.
Though it followed the original story, living in this world and seeing these things unfold made me feel a strange sense of awe.
The world’s top three museums all had top-level anti-terror magic systems.
“…Well.”
Come to think of it, it wasn’t surprising that Jaun could pull off such high-difficulty attacks.
Even in the original story’s key incident—the one that would become incredibly important in the future—they succeeded despite the immense difficulty.
That’s when my phone buzzed with a message.
[Sunwoo~ What are you up to?]
It was the documentary PD.
Been a while since I heard from them.
[I’m just resting at home.]
[Ahh, I’ve been hearing so much about your recent accomplishments! You’re amazing. I feel proud just watching you.]
They started off praising me out of nowhere.
Obviously, they’re trying to rope me into shooting a follow-up documentary.
Last time, they begged so much I had to flat-out refuse, but here they are again.
[Sunwoo, have you changed your mind about filming that sequel doc?]
[Sorry, I’m not interested. I want to focus on my grades right now.]
[I’ll make sure it’s edited in a great light. Please?]
“Man, what a hassle.”
[Anyway, sorry. This semester is really not the right time.]
[So you mean next year might be okay…?]
“……”
Time flew by in the blink of an eye.
Three weeks had passed.
Today is Monday of the fifth week of the second semester.
It was only three weeks, but quite a few things had changed.
First of all, Jaun carried out additional terrorist attacks in two overseas locations, stealing holy relics and artifacts.
Of course, it’s not been definitively confirmed that it was Jaun’s doing.
However, since the method of the attacks closely resembled Jaun’s style, the Association is assuming that they were behind it.
“Wah.”
Meanwhile, Gretel grew a bit bigger in size.
The fruit on the branch of her head had also doubled in size compared to the first day, and its colour had shifted from green to a tinge of red.
I think it won’t be long before it fully ripens.
Since I’ve been managing Gretel’s mood well, I expect the fruit to be in good condition too.
“I’ll be back. Have fun while I’m gone.”
I handed Gretel a small puzzle and stepped outside.
Gretel didn’t even spare me a glace and was completely absorbed in putting the puzzle pieces together.
When I stepped out, I felt a slight cool breeze.
The scorching summer was finally coming to an end.
Of course, I had a higher tolerance for heat than most people, so I managed the heatwave fairly well, but that didn’t mean I didn’t feel the heat at all.
So I welcomed this change in weather.
Cool autumn is definitely better than summer.
Winter over summer.
Autumn over winter.
And spring over autumn.
Of course, everyone has their own preferences, but that’s how I feel.
Lost in those thoughts, I walked along the morning path to school and came across a familiar face.
“Kim Sunwoo?”
A man with a bright smile.
It was Lee Seo-jun.
“You’re early today, Lee Seo-jun.”
“I just happened to wake up early. Thanks to that, I got in a solid morning workout, showered, and had breakfast.”
That’s what he said, but he looked slightly tired. I could even see faint dark circles under his eyes.
Looks like he didn’t get any sleep.
“You didn’t sleep last night?”
“…What? How’d you know?”
“It’s obvious. You look exhausted. Totally gives it away.”
“Really? You’re pretty sharp.”
Lee Seo-jun gave a faint, lonely smile.
“Tsk.”
Judging from his appearance, he probably stayed up worrying after watching the recent news about Jaun’s terrorist attacks.
He probably felt guilty for no reason too. He’s just too kind.
He needs to learn how to be a little ruthless sometimes.
Still, I know that as time passes, Seo-jun will grow stronger mentally.
After all, he’s surrounded by people like Lee Hyun-joo and Shin Young-joon, who can support him emotionally.
“Don’t worry about useless stuff and take care of yourself.”
“Yeah, I will. There’s a lot I have to do from now on.”
That line brought a faint, lonely smile to his face.
A lot I have to do.
A phrase with layered meaning.
To others, it might’ve just sounded like a passing comment, but since I know Lee Seo-jun better than anyone, I couldn’t brush it off so easily.
“Oh, right. Sunwoo, you’re on your way to school too, right? Let’s go together.”
“Yeah, sure.”
And so, Seo-jun and I walked to school together.
It felt like it had been a while since it was just the two of us like this.
Back in the early part of the first semester, we used to hang out during dungeon exploration class. So it’s been about half a year?
As we walked, students who had finished their meals began stepping out.
“Oh? It’s Senior Lee Seo-jun!”
“Senior Kim Sunwoo is with him too.”
“Good morning!”
“Oh, hey.”
“You’re already on your way to school?”
“Yeah, I woke up early today.”
Maybe it was because I was walking next to Seo-jun, but it felt like more students were greeting us.
It could’ve been annoying, but Seo-jun accepted their attention with a bright smile.
As we entered a quieter alley, Seo-jun spoke up.
“Right, the exams are coming up soon.”
“Yeah, was it next week?”
“Yep, that’s right. I wonder what kind of test it’ll be this time.”
From what I remember, the first round of midterms this time will be a team battle.
I don’t know how the teams will be formed, but because it’s a team-based test, I can’t handle everything on my own, which makes it a bit burdensome.
And if, by any chance, Seo-jun ends up on the opposing team… just the thought is terrifying.
As he looked ahead while walking, Seo-jun spoke again.
“This exam feels kind of nerve-wracking.”
“What are you talking about? Why would you be nervous?”
I said jokingly, and Seo-jun narrowed his eyes at me.
“…Because of someone.”
Just then, I noticed the new artificial dungeon that had been under construction.
In just three weeks, it had taken on a pretty convincing shape.
Jung Hyun was down below, directing the construction using a gravitational tool designed for building.
“Huh? Seo-jun and Sunwoo?”
Jung Hyun greeted us with a cheerful expression.
“Hello.”
We gave him a polite bow.
“Wow. The training area’s really shaping up already.”
Seo-jun said, and Jung Hyun smiled.
“Yeah, we’ve been working nonstop on it.”
“That’s amazing. You must be really busy with classes and everything too.”
Jung Hyun scratched his head awkwardly at the compliment.
“Haha, thanks. That’s kind of embarrassing.”
Every time I see it, I think it’s amazing how naturally a demon like him can act so normal.
While I quietly admired him in my mind, Jung Hyun’s gaze turned toward me.
My acting skills may not be on par with a demon’s, but I still gave him my brightest possible smile.
“Starting next week, we begin midterms.”
“Ah!”
Morning homeroom.
At Jang Ancheol’s first words, groans erupted from the students.
“Still whining, huh. Even if you complain, I’m sure you’ve all been preparing bit by bit.”
Jang Ancheol smiled as he spoke. The students didn’t respond and just grumbled in misery.
“Alright, everyone quiet down. Now I’ll explain the test categories. Similar to the second midterm of the first semester, there will be one sub-test and one main test.”
Sub-test and main test.
It’s the standard format we’re used to.
For reference, in the second midterm of the first semester, the ‘Two-Person Stage Escape’ was the sub-test, and the ‘Monster Hunter Test’ on a deserted island was the main test.
And the final exam’s ‘Tower Climb’ combined both of those types.
“For the second semester of second year, the sub-test will be a ‘Time Attack: Artificial Boss Battle.’”
“Time Attack: Artificial Boss Battle? So it’s just a test to beat the boss quickly?”
“Oh, that sounds simple. I like it.”
As murmurs spread through the class, Jang Ancheol raised a hand to quiet everyone.
“The two-person artificial boss battle time attack is exactly what it sounds like—defeating a boss quickly. The rules are simple enough, so I won’t go into more detail.”
The students nodded.
“And the main test will be a ‘Captain Match.’”
Captain Match.
A team battle where each team selects a captain and fights to protect them.
It might sound simple, but it’s one of the school’s traditional tests, so much so that it will even appear again during the final exam, although on a much larger scale with different rules.
“You can check the exact rules of the Captain Match in the rulebook we’ll distribute shortly.”
The core rule of a Captain Match is to defeat the enemy team’s captain to win.
The catch is that you don’t know who the enemy captain is.
So if a team’s captain’s identity is leaked, it puts them at a serious disadvantage.
“Now, I’ll assign the teams. We didn’t split you up strictly based on grades—teachers assessed your abilities and grouped you accordingly, so don’t complain.”
Jang Ancheol briefly looked at me. And at his words, a few other students also turned to look my way.
“Also, while winning and losing is important, what matters more is how much each of you contributes to your team. There will be individual scores this time as well.”
Jang Ancheol glanced around the classroom, then spoke again.
“Alright, let’s reveal the team members!”
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