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Chapter 91

“Hello, I’m Jin-su Lee, a third-year student, in charge of this selection round. Taking over from Professor Park Gi-in, who was with us until lunch, we now have Professor Reinhardt, who teaches ‘Characteristics and Ecology of Monsters.’ Welcome, Professor Reinhardt!”

“I’m not sure if I can do this well. Nice to meet you, Jin-su.”

“Ah, speaking of which, here comes a competitor in the blue corner!! The dark horse of the first year from the Hunter Department, the former disciple of the department head, Choi Yeon-woo, enters the arena!! Audience, give a thunderous round of applause for our new student!!”

Waaaaa!!

The crowd gathered at the arena cheered loudly. The lively commentary of the announcer layered over their shouts. Yeon-woo stood quietly in the arena.

“Facing him in the red corner!! Oh, a rare participant from the Alchemy Department! Let’s cheer even more enthusiastically than earlier!! The self-proclaimed crazy alchemist of the first year, Sullivan, is here!!!”

“Cough, cough!! I’ll melt you down and turn you into floor patterns…!!”

“Ahh!! Sullivan suddenly started making unsettling remarks! Is this a psychological tactic!?”

“Well, for first years, that’s quite an effective method. He’s also dressed quite well.”

‘So young.’

It was hard to focus; everyone around seemed to be getting excited, even though they had nothing to do with him. Some were watching intently, while others munched on snacks casually.

Among the audience, students from the Alchemy Department were selling drinks and snacks, weaving through the throngs.

‘What a lively atmosphere, this Harmony Festival.’

Before my regression, I’d just been called in for security, so I couldn’t say I enjoyed Harmony Festival at all. Especially, the academy representative selection is a major event that only comes to Harmony Academy once every three years.

It made sense that boys and girls in their prime would be excited. From a third-party perspective, Yeon-woo thought so.

And as the match began, Sullivan, the self-proclaimed crazy alchemist, thought to himself while looking at the impassive Yeon-woo.

‘Oh? Did my bravado work?’

He must be scared. Definitely scared. That’s why he couldn’t move even a single step. The eerie cloak and persona he prepared for this occasion were working to his advantage.

‘What? The Hunter Department is nothing special?’

If he could just pass the preliminaries, his potions would sell like hotcakes. There was no need to be mentioned as a representative. He was confident in his alchemical skills, and once he established a route, he knew he could maintain it.

Sullivan raised his chin, striving to appear as arrogant as possible. He was acting like a madman.

“Cough, what’s this, are you scared? If you forfeit now, I’ll stop turning you into floor patterns and gift you five healing potions…!!”

“Ahhh, Sullivan is trying to bribe Choi Yeon-woo with money!! That’s low! That’s dirty! How will Choi Yeon-woo respond to this crisis?!”

“Oh, what? It started? Sorry about that.”

Despite watching, Yeon-woo had moved so quickly that it was hard to tell when he had started. Sullivan, startled by the acceleration that made him feel like he was being run through, pressed the button on his trigger.

“Ahh, looks like Sullivan secretly sprinkled the concoctions onto the arena before the match started! It’s exploding everywhere!! How does the regulation treat this, Professor?”

“It’s considered pre-preparations that are allowable. For example, a few years ago, a student secretly controlled the arena with golems at night, and it was allowed, of course. Thorough preparations are fundamental for a Hunter, and the ability to anticipate what the opponent might use is part of a Hunter’s skills.”

“That’s right!! But sneaking in and modifying the arena with golems? That’s insane!! But wait, Choi Yeon-woo, isn’t showing up amidst the explosions!? What’s going on!!?”

Without hesitation, Sullivan grabbed several vials hanging at his waist and hurled them into the chaos. Both his and Yeon-woo’s sight were equally limited. If that was the case, he had an advantage in spraying the concoctions over a wide area.

‘Trigger…!!’

As the liquids spilled from the glass flasks and met within the explosions, vibrant colors flared again. The fact that the inner explosions were not as potent as expected was evident from the number of bursts.

‘The number of bursts is low compared to what I threw. He’s countering it.’

‘This guy has some significant skills!’

As liquid solutions flew toward him, Yeon-woo thought. The liquefied fire crystals, the pollen from dryads, the sap of sacred trees, and the fat from orcs… By detecting familiar scents, it was evident he was using a diverse range of items to forcibly trigger explosions.

It couldn’t have been easy for a first-year to gather such a variety of items; moreover, he easily inflicted side effects and amplified their power.

‘Sullivan, huh? I should remember that name.’

The ability to handle side effects with ease meant that he fully understood the original effects of those potions. Such talent isn’t easy to come by.

‘But that’s that.’

Conscious of the Doppleganger weapon, he extended its length carefully. He swung the sword, still manageable without changing its type, and dashed through the smoke.

The smoke split apart like a lid being opened. Past the cleared view, Sullivan wearing a dark cloak came into sight.

He hadn’t dashed out without thinking. Once the explosions stopped, he knew Sullivan would want to prepare a hidden trump card rather than continue a meaningless drawn-out battle.

At a glance, Sullivan appeared completely vulnerable. As Yeon-woo rushed forward, Sullivan threw the remaining vials in a panic, but such clumsy throws wouldn’t touch Yeon-woo at this point.

Just a step closer and within sword’s reach, Yeon-woo’s eyes caught something on the ground that seemed to be carelessly scattered… Yet was unmistakably drawn in the concoctions—an ‘image.’

“Got you──!?”

A yellow light burst forth, encircling Sullivan. It was reminiscent of an electrified fence. No matter how powerful an awakener, if touched, they’d faint; it was the wall of lightning. It had to be the third-tier magic, ‘Lightning Wall’, inscribed by the potions.

However, Yeon-woo evaded the wall of lightning without even brushing against a hair. He soared backward by pushing off the black wall that sprung from his shadow.

Consequently, the Lightning Wall Sullivan had unleashed became the fence trapping him instead. It was great to have set a trap, but he failed to plan its placement properly. Caught up in the clever idea, he hadn’t seen the bigger picture.

“Would you like to forfeit?”

“… Yup.”

At Yeon-woo’s suggestion, Sullivan slumped down, agreeing.

– Ah, Choi Yeon-woo! He successfully passes the first match with ease!! I’ve heard rumors, but indeed, he is the contractor of the Dragon!! With magnificent swordsmanship and magic!!! Is there anyone who can stop this student!? What do you think, Professor?

– It should be evaluated as an excellent duel that capitalized on his strengths. Both students performed well. However, Sullivan lacked depth in reading his opponent’s thoughts. If he improves on that, he’ll surely become an equivalent Hunter in no time. As for Choi Yeon-woo… Hmm, it’s hard to evaluate him right now, as he hasn’t shown all of his cards. Let’s look forward to the next match.

Yeon-woo politely bowed his head at the commentary booth and exited the arena.

‘I’ll easily make it to the main event.’

Two kids walked through the academy with a heavy bag in hand, Tae-oh and Shar.

With enviable beauty that was rare even among the people impacted by mana in the academy, combined with dazzling golden blonde hair and dark hair that seemed to have been pulled straight from outer space, it was no surprise that passing students often stared at the two.

Behind the dormitory, near the entrance of a hiking trail, Shar, who was cautiously peeping around, took her chance to sneak into the forest once the gazes faded.

It wasn’t long since Tae-oh and Shar had started sneaking out without telling Yeon-woo. It had only been about two weeks.

The first time they’d heard such whispers was much earlier. Initially, they tried to ignore it, but the pitiful cries were impossible to overlook, so they sneaked out behind the dormitory mountain without telling Dad.

Feeling a bizarre sensation during their first escapade became a thing of the past; now, they were so accustomed to it they wouldn’t hesitate to bring back various items in a plastic bag.

“Where are you? Come out.”

“Come out, we have come.”

Shar and Tae-oh said that while rummaging through nearby bushes. Then an unevenly cut delivery box revealed itself. Above the rectangular hole that resembled a door was an awkwardly written sign: ‘Momo’s House.’

A scruffy mutt peeked its head out and started panting, wagging its tail wildly.

Woof!

“I was wondering where you had gone, but you were quietly staying put. Good job, good job.”

“I brought food for Momo…!!”

As Tae-oh and Shar reached out their hands, the mutt, who was on guard, revealed its teeth… yet ended up rolling over.

With a look that seemed like it would bite at any moment, it exposed its belly.

“Why show teeth while being happy? Such a unique child, but I’ve gotten used to it.”

“Hmm, Momo is cute…!”

Enjoying the squishy feel of Momo’s belly, Tae-oh pulled out the contents from the bag they had brought. Fortunately, he researched online what food could be harmful to dogs, so they managed to avoid any chocolate.

However, they couldn’t find dog food being sold at the convenience store on the first floor, so all they could do was share their snacks with the pooch.

In reality, there was no need to keep this a secret from Yeon-woo. After all, Yeon-woo had mentioned he liked dogs and wanted to have one someday. The fact that the dragon, whose form was a wolf, was also delighted was a secret.

The problem was that telling Yeon-woo wouldn’t solve anything. The reason was simple.

“I saw in the dorm rules that keeping pets is prohibited…”

“That’s right… I’m sorry I can’t bring you over, Momo.”

In a somewhat self-deprecating murmur, Momo, who seemed to care less and wanted more pats, bumped against the two kids. No matter what, hiding the pet in the dorm might lead to Yeon-woo finding out, so Tae-oh filled a broken plate he found in the trash with cereal.

“Dad said there might be a rainy season between July and August. What should we do, Tae-oh…?”

“Ah, how about asking Dad to move us to the Bronze Class Dormitory?”

“Even if we change dorms, that would be starting next semester…”

The two kids stared down at Momo with gloomy faces. Momo, chewing away at the cereal, oblivious to their feelings, seemed somewhat pitiful.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

 

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