There are mainly two things worth purchasing with the Outsider’s Privilege.
Traits, or skills.
But since midterms are coming up next week and there’s a chance to earn a large number of points, I don’t plan on buying any traits that are too expensive.
It’s better to save up and purchase higher quality traits later.
I’ve settled on aiming for B-rank.
A-rank traits are a bit too costly, and B-rank seems just right.
[Adding ‘B-rank’ to the category.]
A long list of traits and skills appeared before my eyes.
As I scrolled through, I selected one particular skill.
It was something I’d been eyeing for a while.
━━
[Instant Acceleration (B)]
Description: Instantly increases your body’s movement speed explosively.
[Effect]
▶ Instant Acceleration
Consumes mana to temporarily accelerate your body for 2 seconds.
*Cooldown: 3 minutes
Price: 30,000
━━
Instant Acceleration.
As the name suggests, it’s a skill that temporarily boosts physical speed.
With a short duration of 2 seconds and a 3-minute cooldown, it wasn’t bad considering it was a B-rank trait.
It’s great for escaping in emergencies, and also for chasing down someone.
And since I can move quickly for a moment, it could also be a way to land a decisive blow in a critical situation.
Besides, my role in the Captain’s Match is ‘captain’.
That means my goal is to survive, not to defeat others—so this skill will definitely come in handy against powerful opponents like Lee Seo-jun.
“Yeah, this is the one.”
I browsed through some other skills and traits, but nothing else in this price range seemed useful for survival.
Without hesitation, I purchased it.
[‘Instant Acceleration (B)’ has been purchased.]
A bright light emerged and seeped into my body.
The usage of the trait instinctively engraved itself in my mind.
“It’s done.”
I wanted to go out and test it right away, but there was still something left to do.
I opened the ‘Basic Stat Shop’ in the point store.
━━
[Basic Stat Shop]
▶ Stamina +0.1 – 100 points
▶ Strength +0.1 – 100 points
▶ Mana +0.1 – 100 points
…
━━
It was finally time to start purchasing stats.
The reason I hadn’t bought basic stats until now was that they’re extremely efficient at the beginning.
Even if my mana growth slows down, I can get fixed increase through this, so I planned to buy them when it got harder to earn stats.
And now, my mana is at 49.5.
That means the time where growth slows is approaching.
“Hmm.”
100 points per 0.1 increment.
With a 10-point increase every 10 purchases… how much could I get with 10,800 points?
I did the math in my head.
“Eight. I can get 8 points with 10,800.”
The cost-effectiveness was still outstanding.
I’d need to use this again when I hit a wall, so for now, I decided to just spend about 10,800 points.
[You have purchased Mana.]
[Your Mana has increased.]
[The cost of ‘Mana’ in the Basic Stat Shop is now 180 points per 0.1.]
[You’ve unlocked the achievement ‘Purchased Over 10,000 Points in Stats.’]
[You’ve received 3,000 points as a reward.]
Once again, a bright light filled my vision and seeped into my body.
I could feel the surge of magical energy.
Even without checking the stat window, I could tell my mana had increased.
━━
[Stats]
Stamina: 70.8
Strength: 59.6
Mana: 57.5
Speed: 37.9
Reflex: 57.1
Dexterity: 29
━━
“It worked perfectly.”
My mana had risen from 49.5 to 57.5.
That’s top-tier among students.
Of course, I still can’t compare to monsters like Lee Seo-jun or Yoo Ara, but I’m not the type to rely on raw mana anyway.
“Hehe.”
I chuckled quietly and stepped out of the room.
My destination was the mage-only training facility on the second floor of the apartment.
The next morning.
I returned to school.
Maybe because it was a weekend morning, I didn’t run into any other students.
“Kim Sunwoo?”
As I walked toward the dorms, I heard a voice.
I turned my head and saw Yoo Ara standing there in a black tracksuit and a cap pulled low.
She seemed to be breathing heavily—she must’ve been exercising.
So diligent, even on a weekend morning.
“What, you’re just getting back now?”
“Uh… yeah, pretty much.”
“What were you doing out so late?”
Yoo Ara looked at me curiously.
“I just had a few things to take care of.”
“Sounds like you slept out.”
Slept out, huh.
That’s not entirely wrong.
“Yeah. I did.”
Her gaze suddenly turned sharp.
“What kind of student has any reason to sleep out?”
“It happens. Don’t dig too deep.”
“…Hmm. Alright.”
Yoo Ara looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.
“Well, you weren’t out drinking late with some girl or anything like that, right?”
…How’d she know?
The difference was slight,, but not entirely off base.
I felt a little guilty.
“Y-Yeah. Of course not.”
“…Why’s your reaction like that? Is it true?”
“No way.”
“Hmph… suspicious.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Anyway, if you’ve got nothing else to say, I’m heading out.”
Just as I turned to head for the dorm—
“Kim Sunwoo.”
Yoo Ara called me from behind.
When I turned back, she spoke.
“Let’s do our best for the exams next week.”
I smirked.
“Yeah. Let’s both do well.”
With that, I parted ways with Yoo Ara and returned to the dorm.
As the door opened with a beep, I saw Gretel sprawled out in the distance, slowly waking up as if she’d been waiting for me like a loyal dog.
“Gretel. You doing okay?”
She toddled toward me and wrapped her arms around my ankle.
I crouched down and patted her.
I wish she were soft like a dog, but she’s stiff and rough—it makes my palm hurt.
Time passed, and the midterms began. The first day was the written exam.
Naturally, thanks to the Outsider’s Privilege, I wrote down all the perfect answers in an instant and then took a good nap.
Thanks to that, I’m in top condition. I think I might even be able to cut 0.3 seconds off my record in the next test, the Artificial Boss Battle.
And then lunchtime came.
“Kim Sunwoo! Let’s eat together!”
Lee Seo-jun approached me cheerfully. Strangely, he was alone without his usual companions, Shin Young-joon and Lee Hyun-joo.
As I gave him a knowing look, Lee Seo-jun spoke first.
“Young-joon and Hyun-joo went to the faculty office. They have an interview regarding sponsorships.”
“Ah.”
I nodded.
“Sure, let’s eat.”
Better than eating alone in silence.
So, the two of us started walking toward the cafeteria. Outside, I could see a crowd of people.
Seventy percent of them were outsiders who came to watch the exams—reporters, scouts, and so on.
The remaining thirty percent… were safety personnel affiliated with the Mage Association.
After the disgrace of the demonic terrorist attack last semester, the school must have taken its precautions.
As we walked, Lee Seo-jun suddenly asked,
“How was the test?”
“Of course it went well. A perfect score is a given.”
“…You’re awfully confident. Then again, you’ve aced the theory tests three times in a row.”
“Not that it matters much. What really counts is the practical test.”
“Oh please. You’re good at those too. I’m looking forward to seeing you in the Captain Match.”
Lee Seo-jun spoke casually, then seemed to fall into thought before continuing.
“If things go well, we might end up fighting each other.”
The Captain Match follows a simple rule: you have to defeat your opponent to win.
Just like he said, it’s entirely possible that I’ll have to fight Lee Seo-jun during this exam.
And besides, I’m the designated ‘Captain’ for this one.
“Go easy on me.”
At my words, Lee Seo-jun let out a chuckle.
Just then, a reporter holding a camera and microphone approached us from a distance.
Soon, other reporters spotted us and came running too.
Naturally, I assumed they were all here to see Lee Seo-jun.
“Student Kim Sunwoo! May we have a quick interview?”
But they addressed me, not him.
It was a little surprising, but I figured it might help me gain some points, so I agreed.
Lee Seo-jun smiled and waited nearby, clearly amused by the situation.
“Yes, I’m fine with that.”
“Ah, thank you. So, Sunwoo, did you know you’ve been selected as one of the 50 Rising Stars to Watch in this year’s issue of Star 50?”
Star 50.
It was a prestigious magic magazine that ranked up and coming mages from around the world.
Their rankings covered all promising mages between the ages of 17 and 19. At this point, the first-place rank was probably Lee Seo-jun, followed by Yoo Ara at 5th, Lily Rose at 6th, and Choi Seo-yoon at 9th.
Of course, Yoo Ara was undervalued at 5th because she was always in second place behind Seo-jun.
Lily Rose likely dropped to 6th due to her poor performance in the last finals.
Still, the fact that I was selected not just among second-years, but from a pool that included first and third years around the world—it felt a little surreal.
“No, I didn’t know.”
The reporter smiled at my response, then continued.
“I see. Then you probably also didn’t know that Lily Rose picked you as the most threatening student in next year’s ‘Sacred Martial Festival’?”
That night.
Lily Rose lay on her bed, browsing the internet on her laptop.
On the screen was today’s exam result from the Korean Magic Academy.
[Artificial Boss Time Attack Test]
1st. Lee Seo-jun (4 minutes 21 seconds)
2nd. Yoo Ara (4 minutes 26 seconds)
3rd. Kim Sunwoo (4 minutes 27 seconds)
“As expected.”
Kim Sunwoo had placed among the top scorers once again.
Though he didn’t take first or second place, the fact that someone ranked 20th could make it to 3rd was still impressive.
Lily Rose examined the exam details.
“An enhanced golem, huh.”
To be precise, an “Enhanced Black Golem.”
A boss monster clad in five layers of defensive armor. All five had to be destroyed to defeat it—it was a monster with overwhelming defense.
Such monsters typically favoured power-type mages with naturally high mana and strong builds, rather than finesse- or control-type mages.
Given that, the conditions had clearly favoured Lee Seo-jun and Yoo Ara.
From her previous battle with Kim Sunwoo, Lily had sensed that he was undeniably a finesse-type mage.
Of course, looking back, it might be more accurate to say he was one of the rare “all-rounder” mages in the world.
As she reviewed the test footage, Sunwoo’s performance was, as expected, outstanding.
Roughly 30% of the comments were about him.
Seeing that, Lily Rose felt an emotion she couldn’t quite name.
“…Maybe I should visit Korea.”
The main event, the “Captain Match,” would begin the day after tomorrow.
Thanks to the time difference between the UK and Korea, it would be possible to attend without messing up her schedule.
“Hm…”
Yeah. Might be a good idea to go and watch the exam in person.
Smiling, Lily Rose booked a portal gate.
Two days later, the much-anticipated “Captain Match” began at the multipurpose virtual training arena.
Because it was held in a virtual space, like the last hostage rescue exercise, it couldn’t be viewed live on-site.
Instead, the matches were broadcast in real-time on large monitors.
No doubt, the observation room would be packed with reporters and scouts.
With Lee Seo-jun, Yoo Ara, and the rest of the top-ranked students from Class A in action, who wouldn’t want to watch?
“Okay, team meeting.”
“Yeah.”
Twenty minutes before the exam began, the teams gathered.
I looked around at our team—Team 1.
Everyone looked visibly nervous.
“Can we even win this?”
“Right? How do we stop someone like Seo-jun?”
“Come on. We have Yoo Ara too.”
“Still, compared to Seo-jun…”
“What was that?”
Yoo Ara suddenly appeared, having overheard the comment.
Everyone knew Yoo Ara hated being compared to Lee Seo-jun.
Fearing retaliation, the chattering students quickly apologized and backed off.
“…”
Yoo Ara sighed and addressed the team.
“Gather around. We’re doing a strategy meeting.”
At her command, the 25 members quickly gathered.
She glanced over at Lee Seo-jun’s team, who were noisily chatting, then began.
“Before we begin the strategy meeting, I’m not going to reveal who our Captain is.”
Her words stirred confusion among a few students.
“Is that okay? I mean, if the other team doesn’t know either, I guess it’s fine… but then how do we protect our own Captain?”
“It’s fine. And honestly, there will definitely be traitors. This is the better approach.”
The rules of the Captain Match:
Twenty minutes after the start, the first three players to reach a certain point could use the ‘betrayal’ system to switch teams.
Yoo Ara knew just how much respect and admiration many students held for Seo-jun.
As frustrating as it was, some of them might very well betray their team just for the chance to join his.
“Have you at least chosen the Captain?”
“Yes. The Captain’s already been chosen and registered.”
“Then… the Captain knows they’re the Captain?”
Yoo Ara glanced around casually—then met my eyes for a brief moment.
“Yep.”
“Hm. Wonder who it is. Maybe it’s Yoo Ara herself?”
“Haha, that’d be quite the twist.”
When the chatter got a little loud, Yoo Ara shot everyone a sharp glare. The pressure in her gaze made them all flinch and go silent.
To give that kind of intimidation to her peers…
You could say it’s charisma… but it kinda feels more like dictatorship by fear.
“Enough guessing. Quiet down. I’ll now explain our actual strategy.”
Yoo Ara continued.
“Our strategy is simple.”
Everyone focused on her.
“Full offense.”
“What?”
“I mean it. Just go on the offensive. Don’t even think about protecting anyone. Focus only on reducing the enemy’s numbers.”
“But won’t that leave the Captain exposed? If everyone’s attacking, the Captain has to blend in and attack too, which is dangerous.”
“It’s fine.”
She looked straight at me.
In her eyes, I saw genuine trust.
At that moment, the announcement echoed through the arena.
[The main event of the midterm exam, ‘Captain Match,’ will now begin.]
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