Second Semester
Before second-semester course registration, Do Gyeonu involved himself in planning his friends' schedules.
Having each experienced growth through his advice in the first semester, they generally accepted it without much complaint.
Among them were Gang Hanbyeol, Bak Sagun, Cha Eunsol, Nam Yuri, and No Hyowon, who had grown close since enrollment.
“I bet there’ll be a lot of assignments… No, I don’t want to. Too annoying.”
“Gyeonu, Gyeonu! I know we’re friends, but aren’t you pressuring me too much? Do you hate me or something?”
Of course, it wasn’t that there was no resistance at all.
Cha Eunsol and Nam Yuri, in particular, voiced their opposition.
Each time, Do Gyeonu racked his brains.
“You’re not going to do the assignments no matter what class you take anyway. You’ll skip class like it’s nothing.”
“Tch… I guess you’re right?”
“Then it doesn’t matter even if it’s a class with a lot of assignments, right? You just have to register and do as you please.”
“…Yeah, you’re not wrong. Fine. I’ll play along.”
“And Yuri… if you don’t like it, there’s nothing I can do, is there? Fine, do whatever you want. But didn’t you say earlier? If you don’t plan your schedule properly, you’ll have to follow whatever your family arranges. If things go wrong, just like in the first semester, you might end up taking classes exactly as your family orders in the second semester, too.”
“Hmm… are you trying to provoke me using my family? Gyeonu, Gyeonu, did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
“For your information, I’m planning to have the others take that class too, not just you. Even Eunbi is in it.”
“….”
“If you don’t like it, well… they’ll just have to take it without you. You can take some other class all by your lonesome, Yuri.”
“…Ah, geez. Gyeonu, Gyeonu, aren’t you telling me the important part way too late? When did I say I wouldn’t take it? I was just looking over what other classes there were to decide carefully. But if Eunbi and the others are taking it, too… then I’ll just take this one!”
And so on.
Do Gyeonu coaxed his friends.
On the other hand, Go Eunbi, who had achieved noticeable results over the past semester, followed along obediently even while groaning.
And so.
‘I hope I can do this…’
Go Eunbi was currently taking the trick archery class recommended by Do Gyeonu.
The archery range located beneath the Training Hall.
Having taken a position in one spot, she aimed at the target board positioned in a straight line.
The target was an apple hidden behind the target board.
Therefore, to hit the apple, she had to fire an arrow that curved.
Recalling what she had learned in class, Go Eunbi drew the bowstring.
And timing it with the moment she held her breath, she twisted the bowstring and released it.
Twang!
Along with the trembling sound of the string, the arrow flew toward its target.
Go Eunbi waited for the result as if praying.
But contrary to her wish, the arrow did not curve around the target board; instead, it struck dead center.
“So close…”
Failure.
Having failed more times than she could count, Go Eunbi pouted.
It was then that the instructor, who had been quietly watching her efforts, approached.
“We are not archers, but hunters. What we shoot, knowing how to wield mana, is not a simple arrow, but willpower. Student Go Eunbi, do not forget that. It is about converting the firm belief that you can do it into mana and interfering with providence.”
In that sense, twisting the bowstring is merely a trigger to shift your consciousness.
The instructor added.
“So don’t be fixated on the motion, and make sure to solidify the will that you can curve the shot.”
“…Yes, Instructor! Thank you!”
Encouraged by the instructor, Go Eunbi gathered her spirits.
She stood before the target again to resume shooting.
She then nocked an arrow and steadied her breathing.
‘The wind isn’t blowing… It’s fine.’
She drew the bowstring with all her might.
I can do this.
Having repeated it to herself as if branding it into her mind, Go Eunbi let go without hesitation.
The arrow left the bow.
The arrow flying in a straight line was just about to reach the target when suddenly…
Whish! Thunk!
Just as Go Eunbi had desperately wished, it curved to the right and pierced the apple hidden behind the target.
Success.
Having checked the result on the screen, Go Eunbi jumped up from her spot and cheered in triumph.
[You have acquired a skill.]
[Curved Shot Mastery Lv 1]
[Side Arrow Lv 1]
[Curved Shot Mastery Lv 1]
◆ Skill Type
—Always Active
◆ Detailed Effects
—Slightly increases the probability of firing arrows that bypass obstacles.
—Dexterity and accuracy increase by 3%.
[Side Arrow Lv 1]
◆ Skill Type
—Manual Activation
◆ Detailed Effects
—Consumes mana to fire a curving arrow.
—Ignores 5% of the target’s physical defense.
—Has a 5% chance to deal additional damage.
* * *
Tuesday, 8th and 9th periods, Introduction to Water Elemental Magic (First Circle).
The teaching tool used in today’s class was a water balloon made of a special material.
We had to use water elemental magic to fill the water balloon with water.
It wasn’t a difficult task for those who had listened diligently in class.
Just then, Hong Yena, having assessed the progress, opened her mouth.
“Finished the water balloons? Those who haven’t can practice in their own time; everyone else, pay attention to me.”
Having made my water balloon already, I looked at Hong Yena standing at the lectern.
Receiving the students’ gazes, she used magic to levitate the water balloons she had been holding.
“From now on, you’ll practice controlling the water inside the balloons to pop them. Let me tell you the trick… watch closely.”
“….”
Hong Yena snapped her fingers.
In that instant, the floating water balloons suddenly began to writhe and bulge irregularly.
The form that should have remained spherical shook as if trying to scatter in all directions.
Immediately after, the water balloons failed to overcome the force of the water and burst with a loud pop.
The students sitting near the lectern couldn’t avoid the sudden deluge.
‘Glad I didn’t sit in the front…’
Water dripped from the heads of the students drenched by the water balloons.
Having cleaned them up with magic, Hong Yena shrugged at us.
“See?”
“….”
“You apply a spreading rotation that ripples outward like waves, pushing against the balloon’s inner wall… well, it’s a bit awkward to call it that, but the inner wall. However, you can’t pop it by insisting on one direction. As I explained earlier, these water balloons are made of a special material. You have to apply rotations from multiple directions simultaneously to deliver a meaningful impact.”
Hong Yena raised her index finger.
At that, a puddle on the classroom floor defied gravity and shot into the air.
Several streams of water soon formed a sphere around her finger and began to rotate.
“Isn’t it easy to see like this? You must apply as many non-overlapping rotations inside as possible. That requires a considerable understanding of water and significant mana control. This will be a good experience for you, who have grown arrogant just because you can control the flow of water. It will be a skull-cracking challenge. Get your skulls cracked while you’re at it. That’s how you gradually surpass your limits—that’s pure magic.”
Hong Yena spoke passionately about the aesthetics of pure magic.
Her nose in the air, drunk on confidence and putting on airs to the fullest, reminded me of Min Arin.
If I were to put my sudden thought into words, I wondered if she wasn’t from the same department as Min Arin.
‘Are all magicians who specialize in pure magic like that?’
Deplorable.
I could only pray that Yeon Haneul wouldn’t turn out like Hong Yena.
No, I had a feeling she would be charming no matter what kind of person she became.
Setting that thought aside, I slowly began the task of popping the water balloon.
“…This isn’t easy.”
Applying rotation to water was relatively easy.
The problem was that increasing the number of rotations wasn’t simple.
Trying to perform separate actions simultaneously, my head wouldn’t work as I wanted.
If my concentration wavered even for a moment, the rotations would merge into one.
‘It feels like stirring with my left and right hands in different directions.’
Since the number of rotations exceeded two, it was far worse than that.
I felt like I had to split my brain to allocate focus to each rotation.
Feeling my head throb, I took a short break.
Then I took the water balloon in my hand again.
‘I can do this. Having risen to the Third Circle, I can’t solve a First-Circle level problem?’
Magic is confidence.
Having steeled my mind, I infused mana into the water balloon.
The maximum number of rotations I could currently apply was seven.
I decided not to rush and slowly increased the count one by one.
After much trial and error…
Pop!
Sizzle!
I was finally able to pop the water balloon.
Fortunately, I wasn’t hit by the water explosion.
Thanks to my evasion instincts, I had nimbly deployed a barrier to block it.
‘So that’s how it’s done.’
I repeated the process of making and popping water balloons.
Once I succeeded once, succeeding two, three times was easy.
I had gotten the hang of it.
It was then that a message appeared.
[Your skill level has increased.]
[First-Circle Water Elemental Magic Mastery Lv 2 → 3]
[You have acquired a skill.]
[Multitasking Lv 1]
[Water Wave Lv 1]
I checked the details to examine the newly acquired skills.
Multitasking assisted in processing multiple tasks simultaneously, and Water Wave was a skill that consumed mana to create a wave of water to attack enemies.
Both seemed useful.
Multitasking in particular seemed useful for tasks other than magic.
By the way…
‘Applying multiple rotations to water…’
A sudden curiosity crossed my mind.
What would happen if I applied rotations to Sacred Lion, which I spread without controlling its direction?
* * *
As the time to subjugate Lee Gahyeon the Doll Ghost Girl drew closer.
We were spending busy days on course credits, club activities, ranking exam applications, and so on.
In the case of Yeon Haneul, Gang Hanbyeol, and me, we also had additional Shield duty.
However, what occupied the largest portion of our daily lives lately was preparing for the Geumgangje.
“Is this how we set up the tables?”
“Ah, shit… the pillar is collapsing! Someone get over here and help, quick!”
“Who’s the one who set that up over there?”
“Guys! I brought sacks of potatoes!”
“Ugh, do we have to peel these again… Can’t we just use magic and do it comfortably?”
“Can you peel only the skin? What if you gouge out chunks of flesh along with it?”
“Ah, I envy Arin, who can peel potato skins with magic…”
Ever since the plan to run a folk tavern passed the student council’s review.
Assigned a spot near Springlight Lake, we had to prepare the booth in earnest.
Setting up the tent, decorating the interior, procuring ingredients, testing the menu…
There was simply no time to think.
The situation was the same for the others.
Moreover, I also had to keep the game’s flow in mind.
‘This is a problem…’
In the Geumgangje, various events occurred outside of the regular episodes.
Among them were events that triggered upon meeting specific conditions or occurred randomly without a designated location.
It was inevitably troublesome for me.
Because encountering any event required walking around the academy grounds as a prerequisite.
‘In the game, the player could freely roam the grounds… If you wanted to progress the story, you just had to move to where it started. The characters being busy with the Geumgangje was nothing more than a setting.’
Unfortunately, in reality—not a game—you can’t ignore all schedules and wander around as you please.
Moreover, I was also the vice manager in charge of the booth.
In the end, I had no choice but to use my free time as efficiently as possible to pick and choose events.
However, encountering certain events required a certain degree of plausibility.
I couldn’t suddenly head to an area unrelated to the Geumgangje while looking around with friends.
Unless I was alone with Yeon Haneul, that is.
‘Besides, I can’t just wander around aimlessly looking for events that could occur anywhere… Haneul and the others wouldn’t be able to enjoy the festival properly, either.’
But they were events too regrettable to give up on.
I was troubled.
It was on one such day that Do Sieun coincidentally presented a solution.
“Sorry, but could you spare some time during the Geumgangje? I’m a bit short-handed…”
“Short-handed? For what?”
That day, I had visited the student council to request supplies for the Geumgangje.
Do Sieun, who happened to be working there, welcomed me.
And then cautiously asked a favor.
“During the Geumgangje, security is bound to weaken due to the influx of outsiders. The festival atmosphere is partly to blame… So the Security Department and volunteers will be working hard to strengthen security and respond to incidents… but we’re a bit short on management-level personnel.”
“So you want me to temporarily join the Security Department during the festival.”
“Exactly. Your role would be to take squad members around the grounds to help maintain order and public morals. If people start fighting, mediate; if monsters appear, subjugate them; if couples are acting too affectionate or someone commits sexual harassment, stop them… I’ll adjust the schedule to whatever times are convenient for you.”
“So you’re giving me power. Nice. I can crack down on couples flaunting their love. I was worried my eyes would hurt; this is perfect.”
“Gyeonu, I think you’re misunderstanding…”
“Should I think of it as a singles’ patrol? Got it, noona. Leave it to me. I’ll do my utmost to regulate them.”
It was an opportunity I couldn’t have asked for better.
I had no reason to refuse.
I became the childhood friend of a mid-boss.