Geumgang Academy, Faculty Administration Building.
Guided by Oh Seung-a, Kang Hanbyeol entered the chairwoman’s office.
So Hye-yul, seated in the place of honor on the reception sofa, greeted him warmly.
“Welcome. It must have been tiring getting here.”
“Hello! I’m Kang Han—, taught by Master Seo Jeong-jin…!”
“There’s no need to introduce yourself like that. Jeong-jin contacted me, and by now, everyone who needs to know knows that Jeong-jin has a disciple. So, Student Kang Hanbyeol, don’t just stand there. Come sit over here.”
“Ah… yes!”
With a benevolent smile, So Hye-yul lowered the cup she had been holding to her lips.
She offered him a seat.
Kang Hanbyeol, who had been about to greet his master’s colleague in a loud voice as a sign of respect, promptly sat down.
“Have you eaten?”
“No, not yet. I came straight here. I was going to eat afterward.”
“Oh dear. Then you must be very hungry. Shall I have them bring out a little something to eat?”
“I’m fine….”
“Don’t be shy. You can just be honest.”
“…I’d like to eat a little something.”
“Then shall we talk over some refreshments? Chief Secretary Oh Seung-a, please.”
“Yes, Chairwoman.”
“What would you like to drink? We have most things here, and if we don’t, I can have someone go out and buy it.”
“Ah… do you happen to have cola?”
“Yes, we do. Then I’ll bring cola for your drink.”
“One more iced Americano for me too.”
“Yes, understood.”
Oh Seung-a left to prepare the refreshments.
Silence settled over the chairwoman’s office.
“…”
So Hye-yul merely smiled as she quietly gazed at Kang Hanbyeol.
Kang Hanbyeol could not bring himself to speak first and sat with his back stiffly straightened.
Inwardly, he found her gaze uncomfortable.
At the same time….
‘If she’s Master’s colleague, then her age must be…. But she looks incredibly young.’
Kang Hanbyeol was astonished inside.
He could not imagine the true age of So Hye-yul, who sat in the seat of honor.
That was how close her beauty was to that of a young woman in her prime.
Since she was also short, if he had met her without knowing, he might have thought she was around his own age.
It was then that she opened her mouth.
“Ah, you were just thinking about my age, weren’t you?”
“…”
“It happens so often that now, just by looking at someone’s face, I can tell what they’re thinking.”
“I’m… sorry….”
“What is there to be sorry about? As long as you don’t say it out loud, that’s all that matters. Right?”
“…”
Did that mean something would happen if he did say it out loud?
Looking into her yellow eyes, Kang Hanbyeol felt a strange question arise.
He did not want to resolve that question.
Just then, Chief Secretary Oh Seung-a returned and set down the refreshments.
“Please help yourself.”
“Yes, thank you. I’ll enjoy it!”
He had been thirsty after coming straight from the dock to Geumgang Academy.
Kang Hanbyeol drank the cola with ice floating in it.
The sharp, refreshing fizz struck the inside of his throat.
‘This is the taste!’
Since he had lived almost entirely in the mountains all this time, he had to solve matters of food, clothing, and shelter through nature.
Because of that, he had not had many chances to eat processed foods like cola.
Now and then, he had gone down to town with Seo Jeong-jin to buy supplies, but even so, for Kang Hanbyeol, who had become captivated by the uniquely stimulating taste of processed foods, it had always felt lacking.
So it was only natural that his spirits rose in a situation where he could not only drink cola but eat as many snacks as he wanted.
“If it isn’t enough, I’ll have more brought out, so don’t hold back.”
“Then could I have another glass of cola!?”
“Yes, I’ll bring a new one.”
“Judging by the look of things, he’ll drink more, so just bring an entire bottle.”
They were delicacies he had never tasted before in his life.
His hand kept reaching for the snacks.
Kang Hanbyeol forgot all about keeping up appearances and spoke as comfortably as he did with his own master.
So Hye-yul did not touch the snacks and watched him eat.
“Student Do Gyeon-woo liked cola too, and it seems you do as well, Student Kang Hanbyeol.”
“Pardon?”
“Not long ago, there was another student who had an interview with me, just like you. That student also ate very well, just like you. When he left, he packed up the remaining snacks. You can do the same, Student Kang Hanbyeol.”
“Really?”
“Yes, take them with you when you leave later. I’ll tell Chief Secretary Oh Seung-a.”
“Thank you, Chairwoman!”
A broad smile spread across Kang Hanbyeol’s face.
It was a face that showed no wariness toward others.
Pure, innocent, and simple.
‘With Student Do Gyeon-woo, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but this child is different.’
How could she make use of him?
So Hye-yul gently bit down on her straw.
Having roughly finished evaluating Kang Hanbyeol, she brought up the main subject.
“I’m sorry to say this to you, Student Kang Hanbyeol, but even if you are Jeong-jin’s disciple and received a letter of recommendation from him, that doesn’t mean you can be admitted unconditionally. Even if Jeong-jin’s reputation is tremendous, and even if I have some degree of personal connection with him. Student Kang Hanbyeol, you didn’t apply for the entrance exam or take it, so we don’t know what your ability is like, do we? It also lacks fairness.”
“…”
“That puts me in a difficult position. Even though I am the chairwoman, this is not something I can handle recklessly. I’m sorry for making you come all the way here, but….”
It seems admission will be difficult.
So Hye-yul said something she did not mean, intending to shake Kang Hanbyeol.
She was curious how he would react.
If he were to prostrate himself before her and beg her to somehow make an exception, she intended to use him as she pleased then.
Because he had been taught by Seo Jeong-jin, the Battle Demon, he had value to be exploited.
Moreover, from what she had heard, his Gift was—
Just then, he asked in puzzlement.
“Chairwoman, didn’t you just call me ‘Student Kang Hanbyeol’ a moment ago?”
“…I did, didn’t I?”
“Doesn’t that mean you have the intention of accepting me as a student of the academy?”
“…”
“And before I left, Master told me that this would be enough as payment. Would it still not work? If not, I’ll have to return this to Master….”
With a sly expression, Kang Hanbyeol took a box out of his bag.
When he placed the box on the table, So Hye-yul’s eyebrows twitched for an instant.
Only then did she revise her evaluation.
‘He really is Jeong-jin’s disciple. This kid isn’t just going to let himself be taken advantage of either. Was he deliberately holding back his card?’
He was not simply naive.
Surprisingly, he knew how to use his head.
It would be difficult to exploit him blindly.
Which made him interesting.
So Hye-yul crossed her legs the other way and gave up on trying to deceive him for no reason.
“No, you’re right. I do have every intention of accepting Student Kang Hanbyeol, whose future I look forward to. It’s not as though this sort of case has never happened before, so if I push it through with the authority of the chairwoman, I can grant you special admission. The problem is whether Student Kang Hanbyeol has a suitable justification for admission aside from this.”
“When you say aside from this….”
“Your ability.”
“…”
“Your status as the disciple of the Battle Demon and this item do not represent your ability, do they? Geumgang Academy prioritizes a student’s ability over their background and potential. Of course, I doubt it would happen, but if Student Kang Hanbyeol’s ability does not meet the standard, what would happen to the position of Geumgang Academy, including myself, later on? Wouldn’t the world see Geumgang Academy as an academy anyone can enter as long as they have fame or make a donation?”
“How should I prove it?”
He understood immediately.
So Hye-yul met the eyes of Kang Hanbyeol, whose hand had already left the snacks.
There was no trace of his simpleminded side.
The boy who had been smiling spiritedly now wore a serious expression and did not avoid her gaze.
Her yellow eyes gleamed.
“As a substitute for the entrance exam, Student Kang Hanbyeol will take a separate test to determine whether you have the ability to attend Geumgang Academy. Inside an artificial Gate.”
“An artificial Gate?”
“Have you ever been inside one?”
“…No. I’ve only lived in the mountains with Master all this time.”
“Do you have experience defeating monsters? Ah, you said you were on Taebaeksan, didn’t you? If you lived there, then you must have faced plenty of monsters.”
“Yes, well… that’s true.”
“The test inside the artificial Gate will also involve defeating monsters. Since you already seem to have plenty of practical experience, there should be no need to worry. Chief Secretary Oh Seung-a.”
“Yes, Chairwoman.”
“Please take Student Kang Hanbyeol to the Dimension Hall and have him take the test. The Gate is… you remember, don’t you?”
“Yes, I remember it as gray. I have also finished reserving the Gate Key.”
“Well done. I’ll remain here, so I’ll leave the evaluation of the test to Chief Secretary Oh Seung-a.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Then, Student Kang Hanbyeol.”
“Yes, Chairwoman.”
“Please follow Chief Secretary Oh Seung-a. I wish you a safe conquest.”
So Hye-yul reached for the box in front of her.
Taking the box, she wished Kang Hanbyeol luck.
At that, he was about to rise from his seat to go take the test.
Then, as if a thought had suddenly occurred to him, he smiled brightly and opened his mouth.
“The snacks are so delicious, so… may I take them with me to eat?”
“Yes, as much as you like. If you’re going to take a test, you should fill your stomach properly. Student Do Gyeon-woo was like this last time too… As expected, at your age, you need to eat a lot and grow. It’s nice to see you eat.”
* * *
In District 23 of the Academy City, where Geumgang Academy was located, bustling streets stood in rows.
After taking a bus from the rear gate, we stepped into the nearest bustling district among them.
District 23, Eungwang-dong Rodeo Street.
On both sides of the street, various commercial facilities and entertainment venues lined up densely.
Perhaps because it was truly an Academy City, people who seemed to be our age were swarming everywhere.
‘Looks like most of them came out to buy things they need for living alone.’
People whose youthful looks had not yet faded were walking with luggage in both hands.
There were also people moving around in groups like us, as well as people walking alone.
At the nearby commercial facilities, posters could be seen saying things like “Must-Have Items Academy Students Absolutely Need!” and “Top 10 Things You Need When Living Alone!” and “Limited Sale on Essentials for Living Alone.”
In front of one restaurant, there was even a phrase that read, “10% Discount for District 23 Academy Students.”
That was how full of life the street was.
“There are so many stores…. At this rate, I don’t know where we should look.”
“Wait a second. I heard from an upperclassman I know that there’s a place around here with fairly reasonable prices and lots of pretty things. We need to go this way!”
“You haven’t even enrolled yet, but you already know an upperclassman? Impressive. You’re a social butterfly.”
“Oh, I just happened to get to know them by chance. And if we’re talking about someone who knows more upperclassmen than me, isn’t that you, Gyeon-woo? Since you’re from the Divine Sword Do Family….”
“I don’t keep in touch with them.”
“Ah… right, that could happen.”
“You just thought I had no friends, didn’t you?”
“Hm? No? I never thought that? And it’s okay if you don’t have friends! It’s fine! You have us, Gyeon-woo!”
“As if Do Gyeon-woo’s personality would let him have friends.”
“Obviously, he just snaps at anyone connected to the Divine Sword Do Family.”
“We’re practically Buddhas for putting up with his personality. Who else besides us would put up with him?”
“What did you guys just say?”
“Ah! Eunbi! Is it over there!?”
“I think that’s it! Let’s hurry and go!”
“Geumdong hyung! Eundong hyung! Come with us!”
Because they did not want me to scold them.
The flinching triplets quickly ran away.
I did not bother chasing after them and slowly moved my feet.
Yeon Haneul, who had been walking beside me, giggled as if she found something terribly amusing.
“Why are you laughing?”
“What the twins said was just funny. Well, come to think of it, there probably isn’t anyone who puts up with your personality as much as I do, right? In that sense, I’m a Buddha. A Buddha.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Huh? Did you just bump me? Take this!”
“Take this from me too.”
When I lightly bumped Yeon Haneul with my hip, she, having been pushed aside, counterattacked.
We walked down the street while playing around by bumping hips with each other.
It seemed Lisa wanted to join in too.
She struck my hand with her hip.
“Take this!”
“…?”
“Ah, it looked fun…. If I offended you, I’m sorry….”
“Take this.”
“Ah.”
“That’s it? How bland.”
“Attack him from both sides with me. Let’s teach Gyeon-woo a lesson. Take this!”
“Take this!”
…How cowardly.
When Yeon Haneul bumped me with her hip from the left, Lisa bumped me with her hip from the right.
I was shoved this way and that, battered by the two girls’ hips.
"All three of you are having fun without me! Let me join too!"
"You have to find the way. Just focus on finding the way."
Go Eunbi whined as if displeased, but it couldn't be helped.
She shot me a glare and had to focus on finding the way.
Then, catching me off guard….
"Ha! Butt attack!"
Go Eunbi, who had been walking in front of me, suddenly stuck her butt backward and lightly bumped my groin.
She wore a face that said she was pleased her prank had succeeded.
I let out a sigh.
"So childish, really. You wanted to join in that badly? Fine, take this. Ha!"
"Kyah!"
Since Go Eunbi wanted to join in so badly, there was no reason not to let her.
I swung my hips like a pendulum, aiming for the butt of the girl walking ahead.
I hadn't even hit her hard, but she jumped in surprise.
Her reaction was quite amusing.
I moved my hips again.
Riding the rhythm from back to front.
"Ha!"
"Kyah! Stop it now!"
"Ha!"
"I-I was wrong, so take it easy…!"
Go Eunbi hurriedly put both hands behind her back to cover her butt.
In that state, she ran forward with quick steps to distance herself from me.
I burst out laughing at her running away as if protecting her butt.
Then, I felt a gaze from the side.
"…What?"
"Enjoying yourself?"
"…."
"Having fun?"
"…No. I'm getting tired of it now."
Yeon Haneul was looking at me.
For some reason, her eyes were cold.
'Did I do something wrong?'
I thought hard but couldn't figure it out.
In times like this, it was best to behave.
I decided to seal away my hips.
My hips maintained their dignity as if nothing had ever happened.
I Became the Mid-Boss's Childhood Friend
(88) [Illustration]
"Guys, over here!"
"It feels like a high-end Daiso."
We arrived at a home goods store.
Taking the escalator up, a spacious floor spread out before us.
We looked around the store.
Go Eunbi was extremely excited.
From the moment she entered the store, her eyes were sparkling nonstop.
"Guys, look at this! It's a machine that makes milk bingsu! And there's a waffle maker here too!"
"…Weren't we here to buy stuff for living alone? Why are you looking at those things?"
"I need them for living alone!"
"Ah… yeah, sure…."
"There's even a tool for making triangular kimbap! Ah, I'd use this all the time!"
"…."
"Wow, there's a ramen pot too? I think I'd need this for living alone too?"
Go Eunbi seemed ready to buy everything in the store.
I was dumbfounded.
"Can you even buy all that? You'll run out of sponsorship funds at this rate."
"Ugh… you're right. What do I do? I'm so torn… Should I skip a meal?"
I couldn't understand why she was torn.
I clicked my tongue at her, watching her rack her brains instead of coming to her senses.
"Only buy what you really need."
"But I need all of it?"
"Yeah, just buy it all and starve."
"…Why do you look at me like I'm pathetic?"
"So you know."
"But what do you want me to do, I'm torn! Haneul, tell me the answer! If I could only pick one, what should I buy!?"
"Hm? Mmm…."
"Haneul, don't seriously think about it. These are all things we can live without."
"Wow, that's harsh."
"I think I'd buy the waffle maker or the ramen pot. A bingsu machine is seasonal, so I probably wouldn't use it much, and you can make triangular kimbap without a tool. But waffle makers and ramen pots—I wonder if they couldn't be used for various things other than just making waffles or ramen?"
"…That's a really practical answer. Haneul, you're a perfect score in practicality. By the way, what else can you make with a waffle maker besides waffles?"
"If you use it to make nurungji or bindaetteok, it's easy and really delicious. Ah, I should buy one too."
Go Eunbi admired her with a vacant expression.
Yeon Haneul, regardless, put the waffle maker into the basket hanging on her arm.
I took the basket instead.
"Give it here, I'll hold it."
"Ah, it's fine…."
"Instead, you pick out my living-alone essentials. You'll pick out good stuff."
"Hm… okay, then. I'll pick them out for you."
"Wow… Gyeonu, you're so sweet."
"So, Eunbi, aren't you going to buy one? The waffle maker looks useful."
"Hey, don't you think that's totally different from what you said earlier?"
"Does anyone else have anything to pick out here? Let's move to another corner."
"Wow, you ignored me. Anyway, I should grab one too. And let's go look at electronics! There's something I want to buy!"
"Why there?"
"To buy a projector."
"…And what are you going to use that for?"
"I'm going to play games or watch anime when I'm bored."
"Ah… yeah, sure…."
Go Eunbi was a big spender.
I made a mental note of this personality that hadn't been revealed in the game.
"Just so you know, I'm buying this with my saved allowance, not the sponsorship funds."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Haneul, Lisa! Let's have anime-watching parties in our rooms often from now on!"
She picked out a projector and put it in her basket.
Soon, we found the cleaning supplies section as Yeon Haneul suggested.
"We absolutely need this and this… Ah, we need this too."
"Haneul, don't we need magic sponges?"
"Are the sponges over there? Then, Eunbi, could you grab one each for us?"
"What's a magic sponge?"
Lisa asked, having been putting home goods in the shopping basket following Yeon Haneul's advice.
She squished the sponge Go Eunbi had brought in her hand.
"You wet it with water and use it, and it can cleanly scrub off stubborn grime. It's useful for cleaning the kitchen or bathroom."
"…How fascinating. It looks like a simple sponge on the outside…."
"Lisa, put this in too."
"What is this?"
"It's a toilet cleaner. It's much easier to use than a toilet brush."
"Ah… so I'll have to clean the toilet from now on too…."
Lisa took the toilet cleaner.
Holding the handle in her hand, she looked extremely depressed.
For someone who had lived being waited on by others, it was completely unfamiliar.
"Will I be able to do it well…?"
"You learn one thing at a time from now on. Even if you think you won't do well, you'll get better once you actually live on your own."
"Haneul, may I ask you for advice if there's something I don't know while living alone?"
"Yeah, I don't mind. Don't worry about it and tell me anytime."
"I shall regard Haneul as my teacher."
"…I suppose so. Please take care of me, Teacher Haneul."
"Really… Don't be like that, it's just Gyeonu joking around."
Yeon Haneul pinched my side, defenseless because she was holding baskets in both hands.
I subtly stepped away.
A short while later.
Having finished our business in the cleaning supplies section, we looked around another corner.
The triplets were in the plushie section.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"We were looking for a plushie to put on our bed and hug while sleeping."
"We're buying one to commemorate coming to Academy City."
"We're debating which one to get."
It seemed the triplets were determined to buy a plushie after all.
Their eyes while choosing a plushie were no joke—it was as if they were training.
But they weren't the only ones with intense eyes.
"…."
'…What's with them.'
Go Eunbi, Lisa, and Yeon Haneul.
They too had hawk eyes fixed on the plushie corner.
They seemed intent on buying a plushie.
Seeing everyone else like that, I felt like I was the odd one out.
'…This is going to take a while.'
My prediction wasn't wrong.
Everyone except me was engrossed in choosing a single plushie.
"The Shiba Inu is cute. But I already have a Welsh Corgi plushie in my room… They won't fight if I put them together, right?"
Would plushies fight each other?
They're not even real dogs.
I turned my eyes away from Go Eunbi.
"Wow… It's a Psyduck plushie that they say is only sold in Academy City. How cute."
Lisa was looking at a yellow duck plushie with both hands on its head.
Its eyes were big, but I didn't know why its pupils were so small.
It looked stupid, but strangely, the more I looked at it, the more endearing it became.
Also, there were three strands of hair on its head.
I had thought this in my previous life too, but honestly, I suspected Psyduck was balding.
'And when it evolves into Golduck, it goes completely bald.'
Maybe it gave up its hair in exchange for evolving into an intelligent Golduck.
To gain something, one must pay an equivalent price in return.
The equivalent exchange that could be called the foundation of alchemy applied even to Psyduck and Golduck.
Anyway, having made up her mind after deliberation, Lisa seemed ready to buy the duck plushie.
She hugged the plushie tightly.
Nearby, Yeon Haneul was examining rabbit plushies of various appearances.
"Haneul, are you buying one too?"
"Yeah, everyone seems to be buying one as a keepsake, so I thought I'd get one too. How about this?"
Yeon Haneul took a rabbit plushie from a shelf at eye level.
She showed it to me.
It was a rabbit plushie baring its mouth, holding a carrot sword, and wearing black sunglasses.
"It looks bizarre."
"Doesn't it look like you?"
"This? I don't think it looks like me at all? I look like this?"
"I think it looks like you… Yeah, looking at it like this, it does look like you."
Yeon Haneul held the rabbit plushie next to my face and nodded.
I was dumbfounded.
"Yeah, I think I'll go with this one. Gyeonu, aren't you going to choose one?"
"I don't sleep while hugging a plushie."
"Even so. Wouldn't it be nice to have one in your room for the atmosphere? You've only been picking functional, necessary things since earlier."
"I have no interest in decorating my room…."
"This won't do. Let's buy one while we're at it. Noona will buy it for you."
"Where's this 'noona' talk coming from all of a sudden?"
"Hey now, hurry up and pick one. Or you can pick more. I can easily buy them for you with my allowance. I've saved up a lot."
"Use that money for things you need. Still, since you're offering, I guess I'll pick one."
A plushie, huh….
Never once having bought a plushie for myself in my previous life or my current one, I fell into thought.
I was grateful that Yeon Haneul was buying it for me, but honestly, I wasn't very interested in plushies.
Just then, one plushie caught my eye.
"I'll go with this one."
"It was right next to the one I picked? You're not just choosing it randomly, are you?"
"I did look at the others, but my eyes kept going to this one."
"You really like rabbits, huh."
"It's because it looks exactly like you."
"Hm?"
It was a rabbit plushie wearing a flower petal hairpin on its head.
I held the plushie next to her face, just as Yeon Haneul had done to me earlier.
"Yeah, it really does look like you."
"…I look like this?"
Yeon Haneul glared at the plushie meant for me.
Then she looked toward the plushie that supposedly looked like me.
Soon, she muttered low.
"They make a good pair."
* * *
The long, drawn-out shopping trip had come to an end.
By the time we exited the home goods store, it was already evening.
Having worked up an appetite from shopping, we decided to eat dinner.
I took them to a place Do Sieun had told me about before.
"I didn't know there was a place like this in the alley. I guess it's a hidden gem only people who live in Academy City would know."
"The omurice sauce is really delicious. It's to my taste. And it looks good too…."
"Noona Sieun has picky tastes, so she knows all the hidden gems."
"I thought you'd take us to a gukbap place, so it's a relief there's a proper restaurant here too."
It was a restaurant that specialized in omurice and also served delicious pasta.
Go Eunbi, Lisa, and Yeon Haneul, who shared my table, each gave rave reviews.
At a separate table, the triplets were eating.
"I'm sure Do Gyeonu said he was treating, right?"
"The food is good, so let's order more!"
"They have french fries too, should we order some?"
Unlike us, who ate savoring every bite.
The triplets were focused on emptying their plates.
'If their stomachs burst, I don't know them.'
I glanced at them and clicked my tongue.
We had so much luggage that I had planned to take a taxi back, but I decided to tell the triplets to make their own way back to get some digestion and training in.
Thinking that, I ate my omurice, cut in half.
It was then that Go Eunbi brought up a new topic.
“Come to think of it, did you hear? I heard it at the dorm earlier, but apparently Lord Fighting Demon’s disciple is enrolling this year too. Through special admission.”
The topic was Kang Hanbyeol, the protagonist of the game Brave Hearts.
True to form for someone who had asked around about urban legends, gossip, and information in the game, she seemed to have picked up news about him quickly.
I silently listened in on the conversation.
“Special admission? I thought I heard he didn’t take the entrance exam before. So does that mean he’s just enrolling?”
“I’m not sure, but people are saying there might be some kind of deal between Lord Fighting Demon and the chairwoman. Apparently, Lord Fighting Demon’s disciple actually went to meet the chairwoman today. There have only been rumors about who his disciple is, but if he ends up attending as our classmate, won’t we get a chance to see his face?”
“It was when I was young, but the Grace Empire received a great deal of help from Lord Fighting Demon. I was helped by him as well. To think his disciple will be enrolling as our classmate… If the opportunity comes, I’d very much like to meet him.”
The game Brave Hearts.
If Kang Hanbyeol had gone to meet So Hyeyul, then the game’s story had now begun.
‘No, should I call it the tutorial?’
If the prologue was Kang Hanbyeol, who had lost his family in an accident and fallen into despair, gaining a new life after meeting the Fighting Demon Seo Jeongjin, then descending Mount Taebaek and heading for the Academy City—
Receiving admission permission from So Hyeyul was the tutorial the player encountered before playing the game.
‘Around now, he must be clearing a Gate to prove his skills.’
In the tutorial, the player learned simple controls: how to move the character, how to fight, how to pick up loot that had fallen on the ground, and so on.
Since it was nothing more than a tutorial, the difficulty was not high.
Barring something truly unusual, Kang Hanbyeol did not die in the tutorial.
That was true even when considering his stats.
He would safely complete So Hyeyul’s admission test.
I was not particularly worried.
“Yeah. I want to meet him too.”
The day I would see Kang Hanbyeol was not far off.
I was looking forward to meeting the protagonist.
* * *
Gray Gate, Hobgoblin’s Den.
Summoned into a damp, humid cave, Kang Hanbyeol had to clear the Gate according to its guidance.
The clear conditions delivered in sequence numbered three.
In the process, he had to endure several attacks from Rank 1 goblins and Rank 2 hobgoblins.
Ultimately, he had to defeat the Rank 2 boss monster, the Hobgoblin Captain, who lived in the deepest part of the den.
Kirrk…
“Whew…”
The clear proceeded without delay.
Kang Hanbyeol did not grow impatient, using the narrow terrain to kill them.
And at last, he was able to subjugate the boss monster.
Its pressure had been a problem, but even so, he had somehow managed to defeat it.
At that very moment.
[You have cleared the Gate.]
As the message appeared before his eyes, particles of light gathered together.
The particles of light transformed into a Gate Key and fell into Kang Hanbyeol’s palm.
He showed Oh Seunga the Gate Key, whose handle had lost its power and turned transparent.
“That’s the end of it, right? This is my first time clearing a Gate, but it’s fascinating and fun. Here’s the Gate Key.”
“…There’s no need to assess your skills any further. I will report to the chairwoman.”
She had not expected him to clear the Gate.
With the average skill of a first-year student, clearing a gray-grade Gate alone was difficult.
Moreover, had he not said this was his first time entering a Gate?
That was why Oh Seunga had only intended to roughly gauge Kang Hanbyeol’s abilities.
If he struggled, she had even planned to help him.
But there had been no need for her to step in.
All he had done was use the potion she had given him beforehand.
‘He should be able to hold his own against the people from the prestigious families enrolling this year. As expected of Lord Fighting Demon’s disciple, I suppose this much is only natural.’
Oh Seunga received the Gate Key.
With skills like these, even the members of the board opposed to Kang Hanbyeol’s special admission would have no choice but to acknowledge him.
He had passed.
After they left the Gate, So Hyeyul, having received the report, reached the same conclusion as Oh Seunga.
“Congratulations on being admitted to Geumgang Academy, Student Kang Hanbyeol.”
Meanwhile, information was updated in a status window that Kang Hanbyeol could not see.
[You have obtained a skill.]
[Courage Lv. 1]
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss