Tuesday evening.
I was resting against the wall after finishing a real battle training with Choi Ilhyeon.
I took a deep breath slowly to calm my pounding heart.
“Hoo… I’m dying here…”
“But you’ve improved quite a bit. Seems like you’re not entirely talentless either.”
“…Improved? I still can’t even land a proper effective hit.”
“No. You’re slow at learning, but you improve quickly in actual combat.”
Choi Ilhyeon said, keeping his eyes fixed on his smartphone.
“You’re strong in real battles.”
Strong in real battles, huh.
Well, that’s not wrong.
When learning basic martial arts techniques, my proficiency barely rose, but during real sparring, it increased rapidly.
As a result.
━━ [Choi Ilhyeon Style Martial Arts (B)] [Proficiency: 22%] ━━
The proficiency was already at 22%.
Considering the time spent, this was a fairly fast pace.
At this rate, if I kept doing actual combat, I might be able to raise it to A-rank in a few weeks.
Maybe I actually have some talent in the reinforcement category?
“Oh, right. There’s no training this weekend due to personal reasons.”
“I can’t make it either. I have special class training all weekend.”
“All weekend? Doing what?”
Choi Ilhyeon Style Martial Arts turned his gaze from his smartphone to me, seemingly curious.
“We’re doing an anti-terrorism joint training with the magic academies from England and the U.S.”
“Oh. Really? Sounds fun. Where’s it happening?”
“No idea. It’s confidential.”
“Hm. Well, have fun then.”
Choi Ilhyeon grinned playfully.
“It’s not a trip. It’s training.”
“Same thing.”
Choi Ilhyeon shrugged.
“What about you, teacher? What are you doing?”
“I have important research to do.”
“Ah.”
Choi Ilhyeon’s research. I knew from the original work what that research was about.
It was indeed something important.
I nodded and got up from my seat.
“Anyway, since the training’s over, I’ll head out now.”
“Yeah, sure. Won’t be seeing you for a while.”
“Yeah. Too bad.”
“…Tsk. Saying things you don’t mean. This isn’t the teacher-student relationship I dreamed of.”
“That’s my line.”
“Hmph. You won’t find another teacher like me.”
“Yeah yeah. See you next time.”
After that quick farewell, I left the training ground.
Without stopping anywhere else, I went straight back to the dormitory.
When I entered, I saw Gretel sprawled out and fast asleep.
Maybe due to the recent training, she had become sleepier.
Now she even trained magic on her own without me telling her to. It’s commendable how hard she’s trying to earn her keep.
Oh, by the way, I recently gained another unique ability. It came along with acquiring the Contract Summoning trait.
[Checking the abilities of the Contract Summon.]
━━ [Information] Name: Immortal Hell Demonic Tree, Gretel Species: Demonic Tree
[Stats] Stamina: 12 Strength: 8 Magic Power: 42 Speed: 23 Agility: 52 Dexterity: 7
▶Unique Traits [Immortal Demonic Tree (SSS)] [Tree Summoning (B)] [Summon Control (C)] [Body Transformation (C)] [Fruit Creation (A)] ━━
Now I could check Gretel’s abilities directly.
Honestly, just looking at the stats, there was nothing particularly special.
Magic power and agility were a bit high, but the other stats were pretty low.
However, Gretel’s true strength didn’t come from her stats but from her ‘Unique Traits.’
Among them, there was even an SSS-rank trait.
━━ [Immortal Demonic Tree (SSS)] Description: Does not die. ━━
The description is simple. Yet, that short sentence exudes an overwhelming coolness.
Actually, Gretel wasn’t the only one with the power of ‘immortality.’
There were other beings who gained immortality through different means, whether as a racial trait like Gretel or by acquiring a ‘Mystery.’
Even so, the power of ‘immortality’ was an unparalleled, top-tier trait.
It meant Gretel possessed that kind of special strength.
“Hope she grows up well.”
Feeling proud again, I patted Gretel’s back and sat down on the sofa.
Then, as usual, I connected to the internet.
Entering the news section, I saw several articles related to the upcoming joint training.
[South Korea, U.S., and U.K. to Conduct Joint Anti-Terrorism Training, Location Confidential]
Since this joint training wasn’t a competition like the end-of-semester exams, there weren’t any provocative headlines.
There were some occasional negative articles about Lily, but I ignored them. There are always nationalistic fanatics everywhere.
“…Joint training, huh.”
Why did an episode not in the original story pop up? A flood of speculation ran through my mind.
I even started doubting if this was truly a butterfly effect caused by my intervention.
On top of that, the location was confidential. They said it was to prevent terrorism and media attention, but it still felt suspicious.
“…Hope nothing weird happens.”
A small villa somewhere deep in the mountains of Gangwon Province.
Han Se-jin’s Jaun Subjugation Team had gathered again.
Unlike usual, they wore tense expressions as they looked at their boss, Han Se-jin.
“So, you found out Jaun’s next terror location?”
At someone’s question, Han Se-jin nodded.
“Yes.”
“How did you find out? Did you plant a spy in Jaun?”
“A spy? That would’ve been nice, but unfortunately, no.”
Sitting comfortably on a plush sofa, Han Se-jin crossed his legs.
Every movement he made was elegant.
“I borrowed the power of a artifact.”
“Artifact?”
“Yes. The Han family possesses various mystical artifacts. Among them is one that grants the power of prophecy. It’s not as powerful as the legendary Sacred Relic, ‘Altar of the Prophet,’ but still quite useful.”
“…A prophetic artifact, huh. You guys have all sorts of stuff. How much can it predict?”
“Since it’s not a Sacred Relic, it can only give vague hints. Plus, it requires many offerings to enhance the quality of the prophecy.”
Han Se-jin grinned.
For a moment, everyone in the room felt a chill down their spine.
All of them were top-level mages, yet they felt fear toward Han Se-jin, who couldn’t even use magic.
“Still, it’s nerve-wracking. Facing Jaun already.”
“Feels like we’re marching to our deaths.”
“If you don’t give us the promised items after making us suffer like this, I’ll kill you no matter what.”
“Same here.”
The mages threw comments at Han Se-jin one by one.
Han Se-jin just gave them a relaxed smile.
“Don’t worry. I always keep my promises.”
Then, Elin, who had been silently observing, finally spoke.
“When’s Jaun’s terror attack scheduled?”
“This Sunday. I don’t know the exact time.”
“…Sunday, huh. And the location?”
At Elin’s question, Han Se-jin paused briefly to think.
“Rather than a location, let’s call it a place. The place is…”
Time passed quickly, and it was already Friday.
Today, sixty students gathered in front of the school’s gate for the announced special class joint training.
Although it was supposed to be training, judging by the luggage in their hands and their outfits, it looked more like they were going on a trip.
“Where are we going? They’re not telling us anything.”
“Since they said it’s terror training, it’ll probably be somewhere special.”
Just as the atmosphere was starting to get noisy, a third-year student we didn’t recognize appeared from afar.
“Everyone! Please gather in your teams!”
At those words, students began gathering into their teams.
Normally, special class teams were made up of two people, but for this training, they were organized into teams of six.
Since team formation was free, I ended up in a team with Choi Seo-yoon, Song Seung-ah, Lee Seo-jun, Shin Young-joon, and Lee Hyun-joo.
It was a combination that appeared occasionally during special activities.
“Senior. Didn’t you bring any luggage?”
At that moment, Choi Seo-yoon approached me closely.
I turned around and showed her the bag on my back.
“I have a bag on my back.”
“……But isn’t that bag a little too small?”
Well, that’s because most of my luggage is in a pocket dimension.
There wasn’t much to pack anyway.
I glanced at the case bag Choi Seo-yoon was carrying — it was about half the size of her body.
“……Are you evacuating or something?”
Choi Seo-yoon gave an embarrassed laugh.
“We’re going to be there for three days. You never know. Better to be prepared.”
“…….”
That’s when Shin Young-joon jumped in.
“Hey, hey. Is Lily Rose coming today too?”
“Probably.”
Lee Seo-jun replied in an uninterested tone.
And next to him, Lee Hyun-joo added.
“Not just her, Luke will probably come too.”
“Luke? Ah, right.”
Luke.
The top second-year student at the American Mage Academy and ranked second in the world promising mages ranking.
As always with top talents from around the world, he had a strong sense of rivalry against Lee Seo-jun.
Of course, Lee Seo-jun had no interest in them whatsoever.
“Alright, everyone. We’ll now use the gate to move to the harbor.”
Park Jungwan appeared and announced.
Hearing the word “harbor,” the students started to stir.
“A harbor? Are we going to an island?”
“If it’s an island that even gates can’t directly access, it must be pretty far.”
“Maybe it’s like that Fog Island from before?”
“Ugh, I hope not.”
Maybe because of the Fog Island incident during the break, a moment of concern flickered across the students’ faces.
I couldn’t help feeling a bit tense myself, unsure of what lay ahead.
We took the gate and arrived at a massive harbor.
As soon as we arrived, a gigantic ship came into view.
“Whoa, what’s that ship?!”
The ship looked like a cruise ship.
Its size was so immense that it was hard to describe with words.
Even by roughly counting the visible floors, it seemed to have over sixteen stories.
At this size, it could easily accommodate over ten thousand people.
Then I spotted the writing on the side of the ship.
Atlantis
……Wait, Atlantis?
Immediately, a certain ship came to mind.
The Magic Vessel Atlantis.
A mysterious ship powered by the relic “Poseidon,” which absorbed magic from the sea.
It was said that people aboard could quickly recover their stamina thanks to the sea’s magic, no matter how intense the training was.
Because of that, Atlantis was equipped with countless training systems and used as a training facility by many high-ranking mages.
In other words, this ship itself was a massive training facility.
“Wow. I never thought I’d get to ride Atlantis in my lifetime.”
Shin Young-joon laughed next to me.
“They say there’s a ton of stuff to do there too.”
“I heard there are even amusement rides.”
Lee Seo-jun and Shin Young-joon chatted excitedly.
“As you can see, this joint training will take place aboard the Magic Vessel ‘Atlantis’.”
“Wooah─!”
Cheers erupted at the teacher’s announcement.
“Now, we’ll distribute your tickets and keys. Once you receive them, please board the ship. The next schedule will be announced via the smart student planner.”
After boarding the ship, Lee Seo-jun and I headed toward the individual rooms.
Because the ship was so massive, it took quite a while just to reach our rooms.
However, the luxurious decorations along the corridors kept our eyes entertained, so it wasn’t boring.
“This is seriously amazing.”
“Everything’s gold. How much do you think it costs?”
“Probably tens of millions per piece at least?”
“Yeah, probably. Oh? Is this it?”
After about five minutes of walking, we arrived at our rooms.
The number on my key matched the number on the door.
“Here it is. See you in 30 minutes, Kim Sunwoo.”
“Yeah. We’re eating, right?”
“Of course. No way we’re skipping a meal.”
Lee Seo-jun grinned brightly.
He looked just like any normal teenager, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Alright. See you later.”
Using the key, I opened the door to my personal room.
Beep—
“Wow…….”
The moment I stepped inside, a wide, luxurious space greeted me.
Just like the ship’s exterior, the room was overwhelmingly extravagant.
It easily rivalled the best hotels.
No, come to think of it, this ship was basically a luxury hotel itself.
Not only did it have training facilities, but also amusement rides, spas, casinos, and countless other entertainments.
After admiring at the view for a moment, I threw myself onto the bed.
“So soft.”
Sinking into the bed’s softness, I closed my eyes for a moment.
But the joy was short-lived.
A creeping sense of unease started bubbling up inside my chest.
“……Everything’s great and all.”
But why do I feel so anxious?
The Magic Vessel Atlantis.
In the original story, this ship first appeared a year later, during winter.
It was introduced for a graduation trip combined with training.
And.
By pure coincidence, an incident happened aboard the ship that day.
The terrorist group, Jaun, targeted the ship’s power source, “Poseidon.”
Lee Seo-jun and Yoo Ara fought against Jaun.
Right now, it would be extremely difficult for them to win.
But a year later, after much growth, they were able to fight back.
Still, in the end, the difference in numbers was too much.
Jaun eventually stole “Poseidon” and escaped, making the incident a failure.
“…….”
A sudden thought crossed my mind.
What if the incident meant to happen a year later was going to happen now instead?
I forced a smile.
“……Come on, no way.”
TL : Bro, who even trusts these mage schools and associations after so many constant terror attacks? There’s a terror attack in every single activity they organize. Their reputation must be trash.
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