When I came to my senses, I realized I had achieved the study goal.

Professor Liana had handed me the crystal orb and seemed to be suggesting that I just give it a try, and without a second thought, I resolved the issue in an instant.

I inserted mana into the crystal orb, extracted it, and sucked it into myself for storage.

It was a simple procedure. It took barely 30 minutes. It was so straightforward that I wondered, isn’t this supposed to be normal? My head tilted in puzzlement.

“For a beginner… especially someone who has just started, this is definitely not a simple feat.”

Professor Liana firmly shook her head.

She said she thought I would have already satisfied the ability to sense mana. That’s why she brought the crystal orb, which required the application of manipulation.

According to Professor Liana, normally it would take half a day to link mana and make a hole to pull it out and another two days or so to absorb it.

Also, it would be a lot if even 20% of the whole were absorbed.

So today’s goal was to cultivate the necessary manipulation skills for linking mana…

“…But you’ve finished it all at once.”

[That’s good, right?]

“It’s incredible.”

With a dismissive shake of her head as if in disbelief, Professor Liana answered bluntly.

“We’re still at the beginning, but with this, the talent assessment is complete. Absolutely certain.”

The nuance of her words implied a positive outcome. I had never properly used my unique ability, mana affinity, and had some anxiety about it, but seeing Professor Liana speak that way, it seemed like mana affinity was indeed a useful unique ability.

“Class ended unexpectedly fast today.”

Twiddling with the now colorless crystal orb, Professor Liana let out an awkward smile.

“It can’t be helped now.”

Just as I was worried something had gone awry, she recomposed her embarrassed demeanor and assertively indicated she had a next plan in place.

Indeed. It seemed she had contingency plans for when the first one collapsed.

“Let’s take a comfortable break!”

“?”

Is that the right course of action?

.

.

.

While I felt that I was progressing smoothly, inwardly I worried if I was actually going too slow.

After all, I possessed knowledge from the original work. According to the latter episodes of the original story, around this time would be prime for gobbling up all sorts of hidden pieces and in full swing with spec upgrades.

According to the records of the previous episodes, the unnamed dungeons were cleared with trickery, all sorts of elixirs and superior artifacts were consumed… suitable characters were sought out to be killed and robbed…

Those episodes not only showed relentless progress but also efficiently dashed towards quick choices, displaying bizarre growth indicators and limits.

“Your thoughts are commendable, but it’s not going to work.”

I had time left and asked if she could teach me something else.

I was flatly rejected. It was quite a decisive reaction.

“Strictly speaking, even if I wanted to teach you, rest would be better for you right now. Don’t you feel something odd in your stomach?”

Professor Liana shook her head as she spoke, and I pondered for a moment.

Indeed, it felt bloated like I had overeaten. Not to the extent of becoming nauseous but enough to be bothersome.

“See? That’s normal if the amount of mana suddenly increases significantly. It’s better to wait until things stabilize rather than forcing training.”

[Understood. I will rest for now.]

“Good. You’re an obedient student.”

Clearly, Professor Liana’s point was logical. Instead of insisting on learning more, it was better to agree and rest.

I nodded, having understood.

Professor Liana then let out a contented smile and reached out to stroke my head.

I flinched unexpectedly at the sudden contact.

“?”

“Ah, did that make you uncomfortable?”

No, not really… But why the sudden touch…

As I shook my head with hesitance, she seemed relieved and continued stroking my head.

It felt like she was petting a puppy, yet the sensation was somehow comforting and odd at the same time.

“If you really insist on a lesson, I’ll give you some guidance, very simply… the class that teaches you how to fall asleep anytime, anywhere!”

After stroking my head for a while, Professor Liana clapped her hands satisfyingly.

The class about falling asleep instantly. I tilted my head, not fully comprehending. It didn’t sound particularly practical at first mention.

Then Professor Liana clicked her tongue and flicked her index finger.

“Think about it. Whether you become a hero or a hunter. There will be tasks that can be finished quickly and others that will take a long time.”

There are dungeons that can be wrapped up in a day. Yet, most dungeons require several days to properly deal with them.

This is under the assumption that the dungeon has been fully assessed and a sufficient number of people are deployed just for subjugation.

The task of exploring dungeons with unknown threats.

The time it takes to understand the dungeon’s principles and traps, staying alert for monsters that can appear at any moment, cannot be finished in just a few days.

This is where the importance of detection-type unique abilities lies.

Even for dungeons understood long ago, it is recommended to be accompanied by a detector in case of unexpected situations. Not doing so for newly assessed dungeons? It’s an invitation for disaster.

“Dungeons inherently take up time, as does being on guard. Add in being deployed at a front line, and the duration easily surpasses several weeks.”

In other words, missions often extend over a long period.

“Especially at the front lines, the skill to ‘fall asleep anywhere, anytime’ is even more necessary. Are you getting the picture now?”

That’s when I began to understand.

I had occasionally seen it on MeeTube. Soldiers in trenches catching sleep despite shells falling around, unforgettable because they were clinging to their guns even in sleep.

Certainly, it seemed like a lesson worth learning. And if I thought about it, there were indeed lectures related to sleep among the general courses.

“Now, lie down!”

Pressed by Professor Liana, I eventually and carefully laid myself down on the grass, feeling the faint vibration from the ground.

“And close your eyes… Sorry, that was a slip of the tongue. I really didn’t mean it… no bad intentions…”

[It’s okay.]

“Really sorry…”

There was a minor hiccup, but I brushed it off lightly. Perhaps because I was already fatigued, just by lying down, sleepiness began to creep in.

“Ahem. There are two things you need to pay attention to while falling asleep.”

Firstly, don’t fall too deeply asleep in case of emergencies.

Secondly, decide intervals and sleep intermittently.

“Sounds easy when spoken, but actually doing it is hard. It’s more of a habit than a skill. So, if you start preparing a bit now, it will be helpful in the future.”

I nodded at her words.

‘Hoo…’

To fall asleep, I brushed aside unnecessary thoughts. Keeping in mind the two points of caution, I let my consciousness sink.

Of course, it was less comfortable than a bed. There was no blanket to keep me warm, no pillow to cradle my neck or hug.

But there was a certain charm to it.

It had taken roughly 30 minutes to extract the mana from the crystal orb, right? The time was still early dawn, and the unique ambiance of daybreak had its own peculiar allure.

“Do you find it difficult during your major classes?”

Quietly submerging myself into serenity.

Professor Liana, who had settled comfortably nearby, observing the surroundings, suddenly asked with a cautious look.

The major course hours… that would be Atra’s lectures.

‘Difficult…’

The first day was running to the point of fainting.

The second day was running. Swordsmanship sparring…

The third day was running, spear practice sparring…

And several other various strenuous tasks…

After pondering for a moment, I tapped my smartwatch.

[It’s okay.]

Obviously, it’s tough. It’s painful enough during the sparring to bring tears to my eyes. It’s something I don’t want to do.

Perhaps only those with a peculiar taste for pain actually want it. I’m not one who derives pleasure from pain, nor do I possess the qualities of a hard worker who intentionally seeks hardships.

But who in this world actually wants to be in pain? Who would willingly seek tough tasks?

Everyone dislikes it. Everyone hates difficult and painful tasks, yet everyone is enduring them.

Because otherwise, they can’t survive. Because they need to do something to live.

I am no different. I am nothing special.

If I don’t struggle now, the future will only get tougher. So I’m rolling with it now.

At my response, Professor Liana tilted her head with an intricate expression. She seemed to ponder for a while, then let out a laugh, surprising me with an out-of-character remark.

“Atra can be quite a pain.”

“…!?”

I found myself gaping aimlessly, not expecting such words from Liana’s mouth, nor did I expect her to speak ill of Atra.

“Hehehe. Look at your reaction.”

Amused by something, she burst into laughter. Covering her mouth with one hand, she snickered for a while, only for the laughter to eventually subside.

“I have a bit of an acquaintance with Atra. You know, we often crossed paths on the African front lines.”

Africa.

It used to be humanity’s land, but now it’s a territory ravaged by monsters.

It’s a region that comes to mind as iconic for ‘demonic borders,’ where active heroes and hunters are most active.

“Sometimes caught up in missions, acting as temporary team members… having worked with many, she was inherently rigid, prickly, hard to communicate with – oh, how I struggled back then.”

If not for her lacking skills, she would have been rebuked. As Liana spoke, she vigorously shook her head as if repulsed by the memory.

“She fundamentally isn’t a bad person but… uh… maybe she is? Seems filthy, like her expressive nature is filthy, hmm… it’s difficult to explain.”

[Professor Atra was active on the African fronts as well?]

“Not only in Africa. She probably traveled around a bit, but she’s been pretty much stationary in Africa in recent years.”

I nodded, an ambiguous feeling washing over me.

Liana and Atra. I had never guessed they would have an acquaintance with each other.

And I had heard that Atra was a top-tier hero with achievements on the African front lines.

It was quite an interesting story. Liana, seemingly effortless in talking, continued to chat about her entanglements with Atra, smiling gently.

“If lectures are hard, you can say you don’t like them. You may see her as a fussy witch, but she has her reasons for having such a temperament… and if you speak up, she might change her approach.”

I also received advice that it’s okay to quit if it gets too unbearable.

Upon closer look, Liana’s treatment of Atra seems quite harsh.

A witch with a nasty temper and an always serious demeanor… It sort of seems to fit when I think about it…

But such idle banter came to me like a lullaby, and my consciousness gradually slipped away. With Liana nearby, I felt reassured that nothing unforeseen would happen, spurring on the drowsiness.

‘One hour. I’ll wake up in one hour…’

I reminded myself, trying to ensure that I would not fall deeply asleep.

However, the sensation of my head being stroked gradually led my consciousness down into deeper slumber.

“…He’s already fallen asleep.”

The last thing I remember was Liana’s peculiar expression.