“Ugh. It’s disgustingly hot…”
Somewhere in the scorching deserts of East Africa, where it felt like my whole body might burn away.
I pulled a water bottle from subspace and poured it into my mouth.
Gulp, gulp.
“Ugh.”
My immediate thirst was quenched, but the fatigue in my body remained.
That’s because I had completely drained my mana while testing out a newly acquired skill, Rain of Mana.
I had anticipated as much, but Rain of Mana was just like Rune Bind—a mana-devouring beast.
Even with Heart of Nature and Fighting Spirit activated together, just maintaining the spell was a struggle.
Still, the results weren’t bad. Actually, they were satisfying.
The skill’s power, tested against a swarm of monstrous locusts, exceeded even my expectations. As expected of an S-rank ability.
“Oh, right.”
Now that I think about it, a ton of messages popped up the moment I killed the locusts.
Since I had to use Rain of Mana in Kim Sunwoo’s form during the final exam, I quickly left to avoid being seen and didn’t get the chance to check them.
I opened the outsider’s privilege system to review the previous messages.
[You have achieved the ‘Desert Traveler’ achievement.]
[You have received 3,000 points as a reward.]
[You have achieved the ‘Massacre’ achievement.]
[You have received 5,000 points as a reward.]
[You have achieved the ‘Locust Slayer’ achievement.]
[You have received 3,000 points as a reward.]
[From now on, ‘Locust’ monsters will feel fear toward you.]
[You have successfully slaughtered monsters using a skill. Rain of Mana proficiency has increased by 8%.]
“Oho.”
I earned 11,000 points in one go.
That felt pretty good, but what really caught my attention was the increase in Rain of Mana’s proficiency.
Most of the skills I’d gained recently were fixed-type skills that didn’t even have proficiency levels.
[Rain of Mana (S)]
[Grade: 1 (8%)]
Since the power and attributes of the skill change depending on the user’s abilities, it looks like it can be improved by leveling up its proficiency.
It’s already this good—how much better will it become once it levels up?
“Looking forward to it…”
Being this satisfied made one thing all the more frustrating.
Because of how unique the ability was, I couldn’t use it while in the form of Kim Jinwoo.
If Kim Jinwoo used the same ability as Kim Sunwoo, people would eventually figure out they were the same person.
“Tch.”
Pushing that regret aside, I started walking through the desert again, and in the distance, I spotted a giant desert spider—just slightly smaller than my own body.
A Ruins Guardian Spider.
It was a monster known for its docile nature. It rarely attacked humans first.
“……”
I carefully observed the Ruins Guardian Spider.
If the spider was here, that meant there were ruins nearby.
The name “Ruins Guardian” wasn’t just for show.
“…Desert ruins, huh.”
Now that I thought about it, there was a part of the upcoming plot that required visiting a hidden desert ruin to collect Mysteries.
Since I was already in the desert, I wouldn’t mind trying to explore the ruins… but unfortunately, I had another engagement today besides wandering the desert.
I took out my smart student notebook to check the message.
[There will be a Team B strategy meeting at 6 PM today in the 2nd Grand Auditorium of the Sage Building. All B-Team members are required to attend.]
“Busy day.”
It was 4 PM now, so I had about two hours left.
Of course, I could instantly travel from here to Seoul using the interdimensional gate.
The problem was… the gate was pretty far from here.
Looking back, I really regretted not renting a car.
How long was I going to have to walk?
“Sigh…”
Just as I let out a deep breath and started walking again through the desert—
Three massive vehicles came barreling across the sands toward me.
They were headed straight in my direction.
I watched cautiously as the vehicles approached.
The deserts of Africa had long become lawless zones unfit for humans, due to the frequent appearances and attacks of monsters.
That meant there was a very real possibility of armed bandits.
Thankfully, my mana had recovered somewhat.
Even if those vehicles were full of armed thugs, I was confident I could defend myself.
After all, their magical capabilities likely wouldn’t be worth worrying about.
“Jinwoo?”
But the voice that called out from the vehicle was completely unexpected.
At the same time, a rear window rolled down, revealing a familiar face.
Black hair. Stunning beauty that could charm anyone who looked.
“Han Se-yeon?”
It was Han Se-yeon.
Her eyes went wide, clearly surprised to see me.
“What brings you here? I never imagined I’d run into you in a place like this…”
The feeling was mutual.
Why was she here?
As I stood there, stunned by the sudden encounter, the reason for her presence clicked in my mind.
Africa was a monster-infested lawless zone, but it was also a land of boundless opportunity.
Various energy resources, ancient ruins, and countless field monsters were hidden throughout the desert.
You could say the entire African continent was one massive “Monster Field.”
In the original story, Han Se-yeon expanded her business into Africa, seizing that potential and achieving tremendous success.
It even became a stepping stone for her to close the gap with Han Se-jin—something that once seemed impossible in the Hanseong Group hierarchy.
“I know, right? I didn’t think I’d meet you here either, Miss Han.”
At my reply, Han Se-yeon stepped out of the vehicle with a bright smile.
“So what brings you out here?”
“I’m…”
I closed my mouth for a moment and thought about what to say.
It wouldn’t be good to associate the identity of Kim Jinwoo with the locust extermination.
“I came to investigate a desert ruin.”
“Ah~ Recently, a lot of ruins have been discovered around here. So, did you find anything?”
“Like I said, I only came to check things out. But from what I’ve seen, it doesn’t seem bad. What about you, Han Se-yeon?”
“Me too. I’m here to investigate the desert.”
Han Se-yeon answered with a small smile.
“Jinwoo, then where are you headed now?”
“I’m on my way to the portal gate to return to Seoul.”
“Oh? Same here. Then let’s go together. I’ll give you a ride to the immigration gate. Deputy Chief Yang, is that okay?”
Han Se-yeon turned her gaze toward the window and asked someone. It seemed one of her companions was sitting beside her.
Apparently, she got the okay, as she turned back toward me.
“The team says it’s fine. Let’s go together.”
I nodded.
I was already worried about how long it would take to reach the destination, so I had no reason to refuse.
“If you’re offering me a ride, I’d be happy to accept.”
At my reply, Han Se-yeon gave a gentle smile.
Then she opened the door and got back into the car.
I followed her and was about to sit beside her when I made eye contact with a woman in her 30s sitting next to Han Se-yeon.
“This is Deputy Chief Yang, who’s in charge of the development industry sector at our company.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Yang Wonjoo.”
The woman called Yang Wonjoo bowed her head slightly in greeting.
Yang Wonjoo… That’s a name I’ve never heard before. Probably nothing I need to worry about.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Jinwoo.”
Yang Wonjoo stared at me for a moment, then gave a nod.
And so, I sat beside Han Se-yeon. The cool air from the car’s air conditioner hit me the moment I got in, and it felt like heaven.
The vehicle started moving right away.
It drove forward across the rough sands.
Still, with three people sitting in the back, it felt a bit cramped.
Every time the car shook, Han Se-yeon’s shoulder bumped against mine..
Feeling a bit awkward about it, I glanced toward Han Se-yeon—and at that moment, our eyes met.
“…….”
“…….”
We both gave a small laugh at the awkwardness.
As soon as I returned to Korea, I rushed to the Mage Academy’s auditorium.
I had gotten caught up chatting with Han Se-yeon and ended up a bit late.
The scheduled time was 6 p.m. It was now 6:12 p.m.—twelve minutes late.
Clunk.
When I opened the auditorium door, I saw a large crowd of students, probably around 150.
Everyone turned their eyes toward me at the sound of the door opening.
Lee Seo-jun, who was leading the meeting at the front, frowned and spoke to me.
“Why are you so late?”
“Ah, sorry. I had something personal to take care of.”
At my reply, Lee Seo-jun shot me a glance but gave a light nod and resumed the meeting.
I sat by myself in a seat toward the back.
The meeting content was predictable.
How to divide the roles for the Captain Match.
“There are three main roles: Assault Team, Defense Team, and Support Team.”
As expected, with the increased number of people, the roles were more specialized compared to the last Captain Match.
Assault, Defense, and Support. You could probably guess their functions without needing much explanation.
The Assault Team attacks the enemy, the Defense Team protects the captain, and the Support Team assists both depending on the situation.
That’s the simple explanation, at least. In reality, it’s a bit more complex.
For example, the Assault Team doesn’t just attack enemies—they also have to capture outposts to earn points and blessings.
By the way, the blessings gained from capturing outposts include things like mana recovery and magic resistance.
“First, we’ll vote on the role each person wants. I’ve sent the voting link via message in the Smart Student Notebook group chat.”
I checked my Smart Student Notebook.
Without hesitation, I voted for the Assault Team.
Once voting ended, the meeting resumed.
I listened half-heartedly, then got a bit bored and started browsing news articles on my Smart Student Notebook.
[Who is Responsible for the 20,000 Dead Locusts Found in East Africa?]
News of the locust massacre had spread faster than expected.
Looking at the details, it said even the Tu Wang Guild, who first discovered the bodies, had no idea who was responsible.
I had worried about being suspected after crossing paths with the Tu Wang Guild, but it seemed that concern was unnecessary.
Well, wide-area magic users are common enough, and Kim Jinwoo is already known for a combat style focused on 1-on-1 fights, so that probably helped avoid suspicion.
“Now that roles are more or less decided, we’ll vote for each role’s leader.”
I looked up from the article at Lee Seo-jun’s voice. Apparently, it was time to vote for leaders.
“Is there anyone who wants to volunteer as a leader?”
At that moment, a woman with short black hair sitting in front raised her hand.
“I’ll volunteer as the Support Team leader.”
Even from behind, her sturdy and broad frame stood out.
Jang Soo-yeon, 3rd year, ranked 2nd.
She’s a reinforcement-type mage who uses a sword. She didn’t have much importance in the original story.
Lee Seo-jun nodded and looked around again.
“Anyone else want to volunteer?”
“I’ll volunteer as the Defense Team leader.”
This time, someone raised their hand from the left corner.
I couldn’t quite recall the name since the character didn’t appear in the original story, but I think she was ranked 4th in the 3rd year.
Her specialty was barrier and binding magic—support type.
Since both the Defense and Support leader volunteers had great credentials, the students seemed to agree and nodded.
“Only the Assault Team leader is left… Any volunteers?”
No one raised their hand right away.
Understandably so.
While the Assault Teams of Teams A and C were composed mostly of manifestation-type mages who excel at wide-area magic, Team B had relatively more reinforcement-type mages.
People probably didn’t want to take responsibility for a likely failure.
I raised my hand.
“I’ll volunteer as the Assault Team leader.”
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