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Chapter 144

“You look like you’re feeling bad.”

“…Ah, Lunaria.”

“I wish you’d call me more casually. It seems that’s not so easy for you.”

A faint figure drifted into my once cloudy vision, leaving behind the captivating presence I had seen before.

It was only natural in a way. The power of a deity stems from faith. The same goes for the Stigmata. The Stigmata is a condensation of the faith amassed by believers.

Yet, the fact that such a thing was given to Yeon-woo, who does not have faith in Lunaria, implies that the rightful holder of the Stigmata is not offering even a hint of belief.

It’s akin to a wealthy man, who should be paying the most taxes in the state, being delinquent on his taxes.

“Is there really a need for you to look so apologetic? If you’d just believe a little more, it would all be fine.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re just saying that. It’s fine. I didn’t ask to be friends hoping for that.”

Yeon-woo forced a smile. He had his reasons. After all, the unnamed god was still sleeping beyond Relin’s Archive. Right now, he was solely focused on that god’s resurrection.

“So, what’s the matter? You came to see me after a long time, and here you are with that expression of yours, making me feel bad too.”

Since receiving a peculiar promise and the gift of the Stigmata, Lunaria often ventured into Yeon-woo’s dreams like this.

‘If I think about it, perhaps Lunaria’s presence feels weaker simply because it’s inside my dream?’

That thought eased my mind a bit. Of course, the reason Yeon-woo was frowning was a separate matter.

“I’m just feeling anxious. If you have a moment, could you send Killian over this way?”

“Hmm, coincidentally, the children are out providing humanitarian aid… It’s supposed to be a festival for a few days, right?”

“From two days later for a week.”

“Then it seems it would take a bit longer just to get there. I’m sorry I can’t be of help.”

“No, it can’t be helped. It’s strange to feel anxious in such a safe place as the city where the Academy Championship takes place.”

As mentioned, the city where the Academy Championship is held is undoubtedly one of the safest places in the world.

The teachers leading each academy are said to be the strongest hunters within their institutions, and even beyond that, the city’s security is reinforced.

However, the weighty dread carried by the name “Gloomy Monster” is as formidable as the name of a star. Yeon-woo, who had faced several horrific remnants left by the Gloomy Monster during its battle against the Demon King Church, felt this acutely.

Of course, it would be unfair to compare the monsters of ten years ago with today’s. Humanity has grown stronger, and the enemies haven’t sat idly by.

‘Why am I even worrying about such things?’

The Gloomy Monster could be regarded as an otherworldly existence, just like the Aura Masters Yeon-woo had met thus far. In terms of individual combat capability, it likely towers above the deceiver Louis, who is only at the Aura Expert level, suggesting a substantial gap.

If I were to list the enemies I had encountered in order of strength, it’d be Kai > Louis > Doppleganger. The Gloomy Monster is likely stronger than Kai, and while not enemies, I didn’t include Namgung Seong or Darius in that comparison, but it may well rank between Louis and Doppleganger.

“You say that, but when the enemy appears right before you, you’ll rush in without a second thought.”

“That’s the duty of a Hunter, so there’s no helping it.”

“Right, there tends to be more who don’t protect than those who do. Do you know? I admire your steadfastness, but with it comes concern. And I want you to realize that everyone around you is worried about you too.”

“Hahaha…”

Yeon-woo awkwardly laughed. It was a flattering compliment to hear directly. It was hard to know how to respond.

“I understand your concerns well. But don’t worry. The faculty is well aware of the potential dangers and is acting accordingly.”

“How do you know that, Lunaria?”

“Why wouldn’t I know? Your brother’s friend is there.”

Ah, the homeroom teacher is there. Now that I think about it, he’s the only one nearby from whom I can seek advice regarding the Stigmata, so I should pay him a visit.

“Right, just when I try to bring up something to let you rest, it spirals into a whole train of thoughts.”

Lunaria, observing Yeon-woo’s expression, let out a deep sigh. The silver divinity subtly radiating from her began to fill the sky with light.

“Now, you should rest. I can’t keep a busy child trapped in dreams.”

With that, Yeon-woo’s eyes started to flutter shut. I wondered, if I sleep again in the dream, would my sleep efficiency double? Thinking that, I caught one last glimpse at the sky, where a silver whale leaped into the air.

Lying on the bed that had appeared out of nowhere, I watched as Yeon-woo fell fast asleep, and Lunaria cleared her throat.

“The evening primrose bloomed by the lake in the forest~”

Silently and gently, a lullaby echoed through Yeon-woo’s dreams.

…….

“What was I doing before I fell asleep…?”

I clearly remembered meeting Lunaria in my dreams, but after some back-and-forth conversation, things became a blur.

Yeon-woo awkwardly sat up. Thankfully, his head wasn’t throbbing. After all, he was a superhuman capable of falling asleep within ten seconds, regardless of where he was, and waking up as always.

Ta-oh and Shar were soundly sleeping on either side of him, nestled in his embrace.

Yeon-woo carefully tried to free his arm. Ta-oh stirred, curling up and burrowing deeper into the blanket, while Shar kicked the blanket off with a flourish, seemingly too warm.

In the moment, Yeon-woo successfully extricated himself and stood from the bed.

‘It’s still a bit awkward…’

Yeon-woo was in the Bronze Class Dormitory. It was almost identical to the Normal Class Dormitory.

What was in Bronze was also in Normal, albeit the items in Bronze were slightly bigger or of better quality. Other than that, the food was a bit tastier, yet it still felt strange.

It might be because of the slightly different layout. Having lived in the Normal Class Dormitory for less than half a year, it felt like memories lingered there among the children.

Perhaps having heard Yeon-woo’s footsteps, Momo, who had been sleeping in the corner, exited the doghouse with a soft squeak and a lazy stroll.

Even though she had just woken up, Momo seemed overjoyed to see her owner, wagging her tail excitedly. Yeon-woo gently patted her head, fed her, and then headed to the bathroom.

When he emerged, the children were already awake and playing with Momo.

“Momo! Shake hands!”

“Woof?”

“Right now!!”

Shar was attempting to teach her a trick, but Momo tilted her head in confusion, not understanding the command, while Ta-oh captured the moment with a camera from behind Shar. What a splendid combination!

“Did it turn out well, Ta-oh!?”

“Hehe!”

The kids were holding the latest model smartphone, not one belonging to Yeon-woo.

Of course, Yeon-woo didn’t need a smartphone just to keep in touch with them, but given the necessity to communicate with others, he had bought one. However, it was shared between the two kids. He thought this way, they might learn better about sharing and consideration.

While the two played with Momo, Yeon-woo began preparing breakfast. When he said “preparing,” it wasn’t anything extravagant. Just toasting bread or frying eggs.

Yeon-woo mainly knew how to cook bread-related dishes. It seemed risky to cook inside the Gate, so he often settled for simple things like sandwiches.

“Shar, you’ll be having fried eggs, and Ta-oh, what do you want today?”

“I want boiled and mashed ones.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll have time for that. I can prepare the ingredients; how about you two mash them a little later?”

“Ugh, then I’ll have that too!”

“If you can agree on the menu, I appreciate it. Got it, I’ll prepare that.”

Saying it grandly, in reality, it meant boiling an egg, frying one for himself, and just pulling out some mayonnaise and condensed milk. The pantry was somewhat high, making it a bit tough for the kids to reach, so they’d likely need to use their mana.

Watching the toast sizzling alongside butter, Yeon-woo hummed a tune. It was a peaceful and ordinary morning.

*

People might think of the academy as a place where the shining pages of youth are written, but, realistically, there isn’t much difference between this and other schools.

Those who don’t want to study are gazing endlessly out the window, hoping for something exciting to happen, while those who enjoy their studies nod vigorously, exchanging glances between the professor and their notes.

Namgung Seong fits into the former category, while Je Gal Seong-ryong is a bit more dignified, belonging to the latter. Baek In-hwa is just dozing off. Yeon-woo is the type observing these students. This type has the advantage of not getting on the professor’s bad side.

It typically takes an average of three days for the other academies to arrive. With Changhae arriving yesterday, it meant there were still two days left before the championship would officially begin.

However, classes never stop. Achievements, grades, and training are all important, but cooperation is considered paramount. The idea is that achievements, grades, and training cannot be obtained without diligence anyway.

‘Though more than half of them seem completely detached from diligence.’

It was an unavoidable situation. They are future Hunters, heralded as promising talents, but they are still just fifteen years old. Most don’t like sitting and studying at such a passionate age.

‘This time it’ll be Changhae, Free, New Leaf, and Wisdom that are coming.’

Changhae is an academy known for its impressive survival of the fittest culture, while Free is situated in America. It’s famous for its skilled gun users, attracting students with that aptitude.

New Leaf has a lot of elves. If he recalls correctly, it’s located deep in a lush forest, and there may have been quite a few Spirit Masters.

The distinguishing feature of Wisdom is undoubtedly its focus on mages. Since it’s a subsidiary academy of the Magic Tower, that’s to be expected.

‘Ugh, this is going to be tiring.’

The Academy Championship has a somewhat sports festival vibe to it. Rather than dividing into red team and white team, it breaks down into teams like red team, white team, free team, combined team, and all teams. Just to clarify, those aren’t the actual names of the teams. That was just a joke.

Although there are serious battles, they also engage in forms of entertainment to showcase each academy. And the problem in this case is what?

It’s that, compared to New Leaf, with its many Spirit Masters, or Wisdom, with its abundance of mages, there’s a lack of flair.

Yeon-woo is a human too. When an event like this comes around, it’s natural for him to want to win.

Clasping his hands together and resting his chin upon them, Yeon-woo pondered.

‘It looks like I’ll have to take charge of this.’

(To be continued in the next chapter)

 

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