The unexpected casting of the enhanced Mana Blade Slash seemed to have settled the situation.

One of the remaining 7th-tier Green Goblins had an arm sliced off by the slash, lying dismembered, and another was in the process of having its head fly off.

The remaining 8th-tier Goblins, which were few in number, were quickly and methodically dealt with by Atila and Nam Yeon-jung once they regained their wits.

Although everyone’s expressions showed they had questions to ask, it was Atila’s suggestion to wait until we reached the base for a break that kept their questions at bay, evident by the restraining looks in their eyes.

During the collection of Green Goblin ears for proof and the search for manastones or any useful items amongst the ravaged village, I couldn’t shake an uncomfortable feeling from the back of my mind.

Especially the dumbfounded expression on Elia’s face, who was right next to me and got caught in the aftermath of the slash and dust, was priceless.

…I’ll have to apologize to her when we reach the base.

Amidst the strange atmosphere on our return, I gathered mana herbs whenever they came into sight. They were essentially weeds imbued with mana, and there were plenty of them.

Thanks to that, I was able to finish collecting my quota of mana herbs on our way back.

“Hayul! What was that thing just now!”

We arrived at the base. After we all freshened up a bit, we sat down around an egg-shaped heating magic device.

First to speak was Elia, who had cleaned off all the dust to reveal her pretty face, speaking with visible excitement.

“You said it was the lowest-grade… how does that fit the definition of lowest-grade?”

“I wanted to say the same thing.”

Atila, feigning tiredness, joined the conversation. She seemed a bit exhausted after relieving her stress by bashing Goblins.

“I figured it would be no big deal, even if it was lowest-grade, but I was shocked when that came flying at us.”

Nam Yeon-jung, who had been quietly checking the state of his spear, nodded in agreement. He too remembered being startled when the slash flew by, breaking his composed demeanor.

[I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would turn out that way.]

Despite the polite words, the underlying message was clear—it could have been serious if we had been hit.

I could hardly argue and lowered my head silently. I too had been startled, but Atila and Nam Yeon-jung, who had the slash fly past them, must have been more surprised.

“It’s okay. The trajectory was completely different… but it was still a shock because we weren’t informed beforehand.”

Atila’s response, saying it really was chilling as she rubbed her arms, made my shoulders drop even more.

Of course, I had calculated the trajectory. Although it was labeled as just the lowest-grade spell, it was still an attack, and I’m not crazy enough to blast it at my teammates.

The problem is, I had no idea it would be that powerful. Even I was taken aback by the unexpectedly strong strike.

Had it hit Atila or Nam Yeon-jung… Of course, both had used Qi and were clad in Qi, so they probably would have avoided serious injury, but the thought was still frightening.

If it had actually hit them and that factored into our evaluation… my grade would have been thrown into the abyss.

Chills ran down my spine. My grades might have actually plummeted. My shoulders trembled slightly.

How hard I was paying attention to the lectures… I was listening as if my life depended on it, worried I might be expelled…

[It may sound like an excuse, but it wasn’t that strong when I used it yesterday.]

“It changed in power just overnight?”

Covered in dust and acting somewhat offended, Elia tilted her head curiously. Maybe she too was puzzled by her knowledge of magic.

“You said it was Mana Blade Slash, right? Did you modify the formula or something?”

[No, I cast it according to the official formula.]

“Then why? Is there any reason why the power would have increased so much…”

I had nothing to say to Elia, who was wondering with a tilted head. I too was perplexed by those thoughts.

“Let’s eat first! Thanks to Hayul, we’ve already met the conditions, right?”

As the conversation became drawn out, Atila shifted the topic.

Arriving at Point A and securing the marker.

Normally, we would have spent time looking for the marker, but I found it instantly, saving us time.

Green Goblin subjugation.

Though it was the lowest tier, a level 4 dungeon, it wasn’t so small it could be disregarded. Finding the Goblin village would have usually taken time, but with my spatial perception and a bit of luck, we quickly found and subjugated it.

Mana herb gathering, completed most effortlessly. I collected them all on the way back from clearing out the village.

Checking the time, it had just reached dinner time. The sun, which had brightened the earth, was nowhere to be found, amplifying the orange light of the central heating magic device.

We huddled together in the center of the base to take care of dinner.

“…It’s tastier than I thought.”

“It’s not as good as eating out, though.”

The dinner was emergency rations. Strictly speaking, these rations fell under the category of combat provisions.

Further inspection revealed that they weren’t so bad. While I didn’t have military experience to compare with, at the very least, it wasn’t the sort of fare you’d want to throw away in disgust.

As Elia took a spoonful of what seemed to be pound cake and graded it with an indecipherable expression, Atila, who was heating up the combat rations, chuckled quietly.

She seemed quite familiar with these sorts of rations, having mentioned past experiences with dungeon delving during her time at the Academy.

“When I first tried it, I felt the same. It wasn’t as terrible as I vaguely imagined… but it’s not something I’m keen on eating willingly.”

“I find it too salty for my taste.”

“What are you on about, dog palate? You gulp down anything you’re given.”

Aidan, opening his own combat ration pack, grumbled from beside us.

Having no military experience, I was still aware that rations for battle usually have good shelf life and are high in calories.

Especially ration packs designed for superhumans who burn energy several times the rate of regular people are even higher in calories.

Consequently, it seemed they were quite salty. I noticed Elia slowly chewing, and I took a bite of the pound cake.

…

“How about you, Hayul?”

[I don’t like it.]

Elia seemed to agree with my response, nodding her head.

We ate the dinner in a fairly harmonious atmosphere.

“Atila’s Qi color is quite unique, isn’t it? It’s usually blue, like mine.”

“Mine’s been red from the first time I manifested it. Might be influenced by my unique ability.”

Elia, with her exceptional social skills, was already on casual speaking terms with Atila and was engaged in active conversation. Atila didn’t seem to find Elia’s presence overly burdensome and responded quite eagerly.

“Think about the length. Generally, in a fight between a sword and a spear, the spear’s advantage is obvious.”

“To a superhuman, what difference does such a length make? Ah, it’s just enough to fold. Rather, the shorter reach of a sword makes it more convenient to wield and thus advantageous.”

“Odd thing for someone who lost by a hair’s breadth last time to say…”

“Shut it.”

Nam Yeon-jung and Aidan were debating which was superior, the spear or the sword. I remember seeing similar arguments online. Endless debates about the effectiveness of swords versus spears.

On Earth, the conclusion usually leaned towards ‘spear has the advantage,’ but could it be different here?

Looked at from a certain perspective, everyone else seemed to be paired off in conversation, which made me look like the odd one out, but occasionally, I too engaged in the conversation.

Nonetheless, my participation rate was low, so I quietly devoured the pound cake and chewed on a chocolate bar.

“…May I ask you something, Hayul?”

It was around that time when Atila spoke to me. During a pause in her chat with Elia, she had glanced over here a few times before asking.

[Yes?]

“Your special admission. Honestly, I’ve been a bit curious.”

The term ‘special admission’ piqued everyone’s interest. I tilted my head, and Atila scratched her head for a moment.

“It’s not about anything specific. I’m just curious how it happened. Precisely, I suppose… I’m curious about the selection process…”

“Definitely.”

Atila smiled awkwardly, as if she felt embarrassed, and Nam Yeon-jung chimed in.

“It couldn’t have been like regular admissions with exams, nor like a recommendation admission where you’d have showcased your potential in front of the faculty. I heard it was entirely by the Principal’s will… but that process has not been disclosed.”

Nam Yeon-jung finished with curiosity in his eyes. The others felt the same. Pretending otherwise, they were all curious about the selection process of the special admission.

[I don’t really know myself.]

“You don’t know?”

[Yes.]

But I had nothing more to tell them.

[It all just happened out of the blue. Someone came and gave me the notice, and that’s all there was to it.]

To be precise, I didn’t know either. I did receive the Shio-ram enrollment package, but my enrollment must have been decided even before that.

I have no memory prior to receiving it. In the original story, the narrative starts from within Shio-ram.

I also thought the special admission was a device designed for smooth gameplay for the player, not something with any special significance.

“A notification?”

Nam Yeon-jung blinked as if hearing something strange. The same was true for the others listening.

I bit into my chocolate bar again, lost in thought.

‘Special admission…’

One of Shio-ram’s admission systems, established by Neriel Claidya, the Principal of The Tower of Growth… but in the original, it was nothing more than a convenience feature for players.

A kind of MacGuffin. Even as the main story progressed, the detailed setting of the special admission was never fully explored.

The special admission students… the same for the Principal who selected the players.

Even as the main story continued, the Principal never showed her face.

Throughout the various iterations, even when the world fell apart, the Owner of The Tower of Growth never revealed herself. Even when Shio-ram was half-destroyed during the 11th iteration, it was the same.

‘……’

When thinking about it, there’s more.

The Owner of The Tower of Growth never appeared, even while her cradle of ascension, Shio-ram, was being destroyed.

During an iteration where I was destroying the Associations, The Tower of Harmony’s owner and The Tower of Space’s owner never appeared.

The Tower of Observation’s owner and the other hidden tower owner also remained unseen.

Despite their creations being destroyed, those owners did not reveal themselves.

The Tower of Growth.
The Tower of Harmony.
The Tower of Space.
The Tower of Observation.
A hidden tower that remains unknown.

The owners of those ‘five towers’. Protagonists who quelled a chaotic era in the past, pillars that maintain the system of the current world.

‘I don’t know anything for sure.’

An overwhelming sense of unknown. At this moment, worrying about tomorrow’s livelihood, what does the secret history of the world matter at all?

My head was a mess.

I sighed lightly and took another bite of the chocolate bar.

Chewing brought back old memories, and it actually tasted quite good.

.
.
.

Lowest-Grade Magic
[Mana Blade Slash]

– Kwag-geuk!

A whirlwind swept through, with leaves dancing in the wind. The released slash cleanly split a large rock, and when it hit the ground, it carved a rather deep scar.

After dinner, I was experimenting with magic a bit away from the base. Our objectives were already fulfilled, and we had plenty of time to spare.

‘…What in the world is this?’

I touched the split rock with a dismayed expression. The rock’s cleft surfaces were rather smooth.

‘Its power has increased.’

The Mana Blade Slash I tested over the weekend was about 0.3 of a Lee Hayul, smaller than a Green Goblin if you consider their height up to my waist.

And the one I recently used in the village was about 2.5 of a Lee Hayul.

The sheer length exceeded twice my height, and it was considerably thicker. Not only had its size changed, but its power surged too.

The current Mana Blade Slash… 1 Lee Hayul? Though less powerful than what transpired in the village, its power had unmistakably intensified from the weekend’s slash.

Even if it’s the same spell, the power of the magic can vary depending on the caster’s prowess. It’s an undeniable fact.

A high-ranking mage’s fireball cannot compare to that of an apprentice’s fireball.

‘Ha…’

Can this situation be applied the same way? With no change in status or level, simply after a day or two, the power had spontaneously increased?

There must be a reason for it. If there’s an effect, there has to be a cause. But the problem is that I can’t figure out that cause.

‘Ah…’

Such a headache…

I clutched my head, which was starting to throb with pain.

‘Spatial perception?’

My spatial perception grew after entering the dungeon. It nearly expanded a couple of times over, and the information analysis also became more precise.

Is that affecting the magic? How? To the extent that the power of the magic surges this much?

“Ahem…”

While I was groaning with my head in hands, a cough broke the silence. In the quiet forest, the noise seemed to carry.

The cough caught me off guard and made me turn.

A short distance away. Aidan was watching me with a hesitant look.

Despite being able to keep track of the surroundings with my perception, Aidan had followed me as a precaution for any unexpected situations.

In such a place, it’s only natural to move in pairs at the very least.

Ever since we met at the café, Aidan’s demeanor has been awkward and hesitant.

Even in the dungeon, he repeatedly tried to approach me with something to say, only to retreat back to silence.

When I stood up to experiment with the magic, he volunteered to accompany me, so I suspected he had something he wanted to discuss.

“… I have something to say.”

He started speaking with a nervous look. I nodded for him to continue, and Aidan, as though he made up his mind, spoke with a resolute face.

“I truly apologize for the sparring match last time.”

“?”

This was unexpected.

Out of the blue? That’s something I didn’t anticipate. My head tilted to the side.

“I have always been impulsive and thoughtless… no, I apologize. That was an excuse.”

Aidan abruptly stopped in mid-sentence and frowned, then suddenly bowed deeply.

“Blinded by petty jealousy, I rushed into asking for the sparring without considering how it might affect you, Lee Hayul, or what the consequences would be.”

I’m really sorry.

I was taken aback by the heartfelt apology given with repeated deep bows.

It was disconcerting to receive such an apology out of the blue, especially for something that didn’t warrant it.

I tapped on Aidan’s shoulder, who was bowing at a ninety-degree angle, and then tapped on my smartwatch.

[It’s okay. There’s really nothing to apologize for.]

During the sparring match, Aidan had shown dissatisfaction, but I remembered his doubtfulness about the rightfulness of his actions.

Unless there was clear malice, that level of behavior was trivial.

I gestured for Aidan to stop bowing and started walking back to the base.

Aidan, blinking a few times, cautiously led the way.

– Rustle, rustle

We crossed the now dark and gloomy forest. As I walked aimlessly, Aidan’s words echoed in my mind.

– Blinded by petty jealousy…

Jealousy… the emotion of envying others.

‘……’

I could somewhat understand Aidan’s feelings. I was all too familiar with the sentiment of jealousy.

Questions like why I live like this while others live so well.

Why my life has become like this, and why he is succeeding in what he’s doing.

How loathsome life can become when jealousy intensifies.

How miserable the emotion is.

I knew it all too well.