There were still morning classes scheduled for the rest of the semester, but a curriculum that wasn't even part of the exams couldn't be treated as importantly as before.
Designing the class contents was entirely up to the homeroom instructor's discretion in the first place.
As long as they met the standards the Academy required, they could structure their classes relatively freely.
Because of this, Hong Yena and Yu Noeul had only been going over the key points since the final exams ended, using the remaining time to provide training at their discretion to help us grow.
Today, for instance….
'This witch is finally keeping her promise.'
She had agreed to stand guard for students who wanted to advance in rank.
It was a promise she had made to us during the time we had the class-versus-class match against Yeon Haneul.
Hong Yena had decided to help with rank advancements now that she had the time.
For me, who had been aiming to advance to the 3rd rank, this was a deeply anticipated day.
Min Arin and the other students in similar circumstances seemed to feel the same.
"I'll be ascending to the 4th rank too. With this, I can stand as an equal to Yeon Haneul again."
"Yeah, yeah. Good for you."
Min Arin in particular had even been humming to herself for the past few days while waiting for today.
Having grown accustomed to her now, puffing air through her nose with sparkling eyes, I decided to brush it off as no big deal.
Then, together with her and our classmates, I headed to the training hall.
Hong Yena and Yu Noeul were already prepared and waiting for us.
'So Haneul's class is here too.'
In the classroom were Yeon Haneul and the students from her class.
It was because Hong Yena had asked her to stand guard too, and in return, she would help the students from her class who wished to advance.
'And they sent our class's students who aren't advancing to Haneul's homeroom instructor to be taught instead.'
It could be called a kind of exchange class.
Anyway, as someone who could see Yeon Haneul, I was more than happy about it.
I immediately approached her.
"I'll be counting on you today. Are you standing guard for me too? If you do, I'd feel much more secure."
"Hmm… I'd like to, but it'll probably be difficult. I don't have much experience standing guard either, and I agreed to help Instructor Noeul with the students advancing to the 2nd rank. You and Arin, who are advancing to the 3rd rank, will be under Teacher's exclusive care."
"Tch. That's a shame."
"But I'll be watching. Good luck."
Yeon Haneul snickered.
Every time I saw her, I always thought, she's truly beautiful.
My lips curling up for no reason, I continued talking with her until Hong Yena gathered everyone's attention.
"Is everyone who is advancing here? From now on, those ascending to the 2nd rank, line up in front of Instructor Noeul and Haneul. Those two will stand guard for you. And those advancing to the 3rd and 4th ranks, gather before me."
Hong Yena gave her orders.
We quickly moved as she instructed.
While more than half of the students headed toward Yu Noeul and Yeon Haneul, those heading toward Hong Yena were few, including me and Min Arin.
In the case of those advancing to the 4th rank, Min Arin was the only one.
"Let's start with Arin first. Since there are many people trying to reach the 2nd rank, Arin, once you're finished, go help Instructor Noeul and Haneul."
"Yes, Instructor!"
"You all came fully prepared with the magic you'll use for advancement, correct? If I feel your preparation is lacking, I'll stop you on the spot, so keep that in mind."
Hong Yena led Min Arin into the circle drawn on the floor, giving a warning.
Having already experienced advancement once, we responded robustly in a tone that said not to worry.
Shortly after, Min Arin's advancement began.
'So Arin is reaching the 4th rank too now.'
Depending on the player's skill, to raise Min Arin to the 4th rank in the game, even with maximum effort, the earliest possible time in the first playthrough was the beginning of the second semester of the first year.
It couldn't be helped, since recruiting her to the party of the Strong Star was after the midterm exams of the first semester.
But unlike the game, having formed a connection with her a few months earlier and having secretly intervened in her growth, she had been able to seize the opportunity to advance to the 4th rank before the first semester ended.
Watching her advancement with deeply moved emotions, I observed.
Soon, she who had been swirling mana outside her body opened her eyes at the end of her meditation.
"Congratulations. You've ascended to the 4th rank too, Arin. Now there are two first-year students who have reached the 4th rank. At this rate, by the time you graduate, you should be able to aim for the 5th rank, and if your achievements are excellent, perhaps even the 6th rank."
"…Thank you, Instructor."
"Upon reaching the 4th rank, your senses for perceiving mana will have become much sharper. Calmly adapt to that sensation, and steady your mind so you don't get swept away. Next, Gyeonu, come out."
Unable to hide the joy on her face, Min Arin walked out of the circle.
I pulled up her status window and checked the changes that had occurred in her body.
Her magic power stat had risen, and the levels of several magic-related skills had increased as well.
Satisfied with the meaningful changes, I whispered to her as she passed by shortly after.
"Good job. Congratulations."
"…Yeah!"
She seemed to be in quite a good mood.
Leaving Min Arin behind to go stand guard for other students, I stepped inside the circle.
Hong Yena asked.
"What magic will you use for the advancement? You should know, but the magic for advancement must be one that suits you and that you can perform well."
"I'm planning to use Repulsive Luminous."
"Not bad, good choice. Since it's a magic cast on yourself, it won't be difficult to execute."
If dark element magic possessed properties related to attraction, then light element magic at the opposite end possessed properties related to repulsion.
In that sense, the 3rd-rank light element magic, Repulsive Luminous, could be said to handle repulsion at a basic level.
A magic that emanates light omnidirectionally from the user to push away nearby objects.
Because there was no need to designate a direction, it was a magic where simply pouring mana was enough, so it was relatively less burdensome for me.
'It consumes quite a lot of mana, so it's not used much in actual combat.'
Even so, it was suitable for advancement.
Because while activating the mana circuits to use Repulsive Luminous, I would naturally come to grasp the method of creating the third ring around the heart.
I sat cross-legged.
Focusing my mind to deploy 3rd-rank magic by moving the two rings gathered around my heart.
And thus….
[The physical body has surpassed its limit.]
[Magic Power has increased by 1.]
[You have acquired a skill.]
[3rd-Rank Magic Mastery Lv 1]
[3rd-Rank Light Element Magic – Repulsive Luminous]
I had reached the realm of the 3rd rank.
* * *
Those who wield black magic inevitably have minds that are not sound.
Because the emotions paid as the price for borrowing magic from demons were heavily skewed toward negative emotions.
For example, having to stab oneself with a blade within a certain time after using magic….
Thus, the people of the Oga clan, who had to live lives far from ordinary since childhood, all without exception had mental problems.
However, they merely received mental education from the clan and suppressed it so that it wouldn't outwardly show during normal times.
"The more I think about it, the more disappointing, truly disappointing."
But there were limits to what education could suppress.
Oh Junsu was especially so.
While he showed talent for black magic to the extent of receiving the clan's expectations, his personality had greatly deviated.
His temperament, unable to restrain his violent nature and prone to acts of brutality at the slightest provocation, had been a source of concern even within the clan.
It wasn't unreasonable that they had a premonition he would cause a terrible accident someday.
But who would have thought that, blinded by revenge, he would try to make a contract with the Demon King.
"Tch, foolish child."
Geumo O Jinhyeok, the patriarch of the Oga clan.
He couldn't help but sigh as he personally cleaned up this situation.
His own grandson, yet truly pathetic.
On the other hand, he felt pity.
Because due to this incident, his soul had been damaged, leaving him a wreck no different from a ruined person.
'They say he is no longer a person of the clan, but I can't heartlessly cast him out. I shall see to it that he spends the rest of his life in the mental hospital managed by the clan. There, even if he causes trouble, it won't matter, and he can live in comfort.'
It was the last shred of consideration left in him as patriarch, as a grandfather.
Deciding on Oh Junsu's banishment, O Jinhyeok resolved to send him to a remote island with no worldly ties.
This was also for the sake of the clan.
'It was my mistake for being blinded by that child's talent. I shouldn't have told him then.'
Publicly, this incident was to be announced as Oh Junsu having been brainwashed by Tacheon, attempting to summon the Demon King according to orders.
It was half true, half false.
The one who had informed him of the method to summon the Demon King was none other than O Jinhyeok himself.
'In a way, it's fortunate that Junsu became a wreck. This fact won't leak out….'
Summoning the Demon King was forbidden worldwide.
Naturally so, since throughout history there had been no successful cases, and only instances of failure that brought crisis to the world.
The very existence defined as one that humans must never contract with at the current level of human magic was the 8-star demon.
But just because it was forbidden didn't mean they would accept it obediently.
To spread the prestige of the Oga clan far and wide, and to achieve greatness as a black mage, it was a field that must be explored no matter how long it took.
It was the long-cherished wish of the Oga clan.
'Tacheon… that Seong Ubin bastard, he must have noticed our wish.'
O Jinhyeok recalled what Tacheon had spouted at the meeting of the Ten Great Clans' patriarchs.
—Considering that we were once close friends… yes, I'll cover it up for you. Be grateful.
Circumstantially, Tacheon had undoubtedly known of the Oga clan's wish.
That was why he had spoken in such a manner.
Unintentionally, they had incurred a debt to him.
To O Jinhyeok, his pride was wounded.
On the other hand, he surmised that there were others besides Tacheon who had caught on.
'I don't know about the patriarch of the Uihyeop Yongga, but the patriarchs of the Mado Minka and Yeongseong Namga have likely smelled something.'
Yet the reason they kept their mouths shut was obvious.
They too were plotting something in secret, even if they didn't speak of it.
"…."
It was the fate of the Ten Great Clans.
No, it was the fate of those who sought to survive in this world.
To survive, one had to become strong, and to become strong, one had to become superior.
To create superior hunters, one could not be free from ideology.
As long as monsters swarmed in this world, villains ran rampant, and above all, Gates continued to appear.
O Jinhyeok, acting for the future of the Oga clan, was submerged in worry.
* * *
The Witch of the Stars could read the flow of the celestial bodies.
The flow of the celestial bodies contained a person's past, present, and future.
Which meant, So Hyeyul could read a person's fortune by reading the stars.
"As I thought… you were alive."
There was a star that had bothered her for several years.
In the sea of stars, hidden by other stars, a star that emitted such a faint red light that one could pass it by unintentionally if not concentrating and looking closely.
A star harboring an ominous aura, it was a star that should have disappeared long ago.
But that star had not disappeared and still hung in the universe.
So Hyeyul hadn't wanted to believe it.
But as if denying her wishes, the star regained its light day by day.
Now, it was emitting an intense light that did not pale before the surrounding stars.
Tacheon Seong Ubin had been resurrected.
The feared event had come to pass.
"…."
She had heard the news through the patriarchs of the Ten Great Clans as well.
That at the meeting of the Ten Great Clans' patriarchs, Tacheon had appeared borrowing another's body.
'So in the end, this Oh Junsu incident was essentially a message directed at us. That he had returned alive and was stronger than before….'
So Hyeyul knew that she too was included in that 'us', not just the Ten Great Clans.
To be precise, it was Geumgang Academy.
Where the ley lines of the academy city flowed.
"…."
As he had done thirty years ago, Tacheon was surely targeting Geumgang Academy this time too.
One could tell simply by the fact that he had approached Oh Junsu, an Academy student, and schemed this incident.
He claimed that meeting him had been a coincidence, but there was no doubt he had intended to find Geumgang Academy.
'Things are going to get troublesome in many ways.'
As long as Tacheon did not abandon his ambition.
Whenever it might be, he would come to find Geumgang Academy in the near future.
Before then, it was clear that villains would take interest and become targets.
So Hyeyul, who as chairwoman had to deal with them, furrowed her yellow eyes.
'The students will be in danger.'
At the same time, it was an opportunity.
To fulfill her wish.
Because the more incidents that occurred at the Academy, the easier it would be to gather mana.
Anyway.
"It'll be rowdier next semester. Even this semester wasn't quiet…."
In a few days, the first semester would end and summer vacation would begin.
About two months.
After that long yet short time had passed, the second semester would begin as summer's momentum waned.
So Hyeyul hoped that the students could rest their weary minds and bodies for a while.
I Became the Mid-Boss's Childhood Friend