“Do you know? There’s a rumor going around that you did something extraordinary during practice.”

Baek Ahrin’s aquamarine hair shimmered as it captured the light from the ceiling, reminding me of a sun-bathed blue sea.

It’s likely that Baek Ahrin’s popularity in social circles is not only due to her bright and soft aura but also her exceptional beauty, which is matched by few.

I could feel my fingertips growing colder as I contemplated this.

[Rumors?]

“Yes, I think it was the sparring room? Word has spread from the discussion among your teammates there.”

The sparring room. Wasn’t that where Aidan and Nam Yeon-jung were comparing the merits of sword versus spear? How did my story come up there, and why?

“Ah, not many details though. There were just a few comments on how astonishing your sensing abilities were.”

It was as if Baek Ahrin had read my confusion, for she laughed lightly while explaining.

“Think of it as rumors about how remarkable Lee Hayul is.”

[I see.]

“Yes, exactly… Ah.”

Baek Ahrin, who had been speaking in a playful tone, suddenly spoke as if something just occurred to her.

“Come to think of it, I also heard this.”

Her gaze landed on the sign of the room I had just exited.

[Magic Practice Room]

“There was talk that Lee Hayul can cast magic, may I ask about that?”

She had seen the sign for the Magic Practice Room, so why did she still ask? Was it purely out of confirmation curiosity?

I nodded with mixed feelings. Baek Ahrin beamed and clapped her hands together with glee.

“Magic! Once you learn it, it’s incredibly beneficial. It’s useful in combat, everyday life… I’ve learned it as well. Life before and after mastering magic is worlds apart.”

Baek Ahrin had also mastered magic. In the original story, she handled magic at an expert level.

“So, Lee Hayul has just begun magic as well! Surely learning magic is a decision you won’t regret.”

Her primary weapon is a spear. In battle, she engages with a fighting style that revolves around the use of her spear. But she doesn’t rely solely on it.

Her innate ability, Changhae, allows her to freely manipulate both water and ice.

Water takes care of healing and harmonizing, while ice handles defense and offensive maneuvers. She doesn’t need to wield her spear directly to pressure enemies and protect and heal allies.

Close combat through martial arts, the versatility of protecting and healing allies with her innate abilities, and pressuring and attacking enemies—topped off with a variety of magic.

Baek Ahrin’s concept in the original story is that of an all-rounder; proficient in all areas, she plays a pivotal role in supporting the team.

To put it another way—

“The advantage of magic is that learning it broadens your options, right? It can be immensely helpful in both offense and support, so you definitely won’t regret learning it.”

—Jack-of-all-trades.

When setting up a character in the previous world and choosing the Jack-of-all-trades, Baek Ahrin was the perfect role model.

…

…

Time flew by as I searched for materials in the library and went on to test the magic in the practice room.

By the time I left the practice room, night had already fallen.

Walking along a path only illuminated by the faint moonlight, as the evening twilight had vanished, I heard footsteps not my own right beside me.

“Humming~”

The source was Baek Ahrin. When I mentioned it might be time for me to head back, she said she was planning to return as well and suggested we go together.

I observed Baek Ahrin, who was strolling alongside me within the range of my spatial perception.

Walking with hands clasped behind her back, she jauntily took each step while humming.

The sound of her steps paired with her tune merged beautifully with the intermittent moonlight, creating quite an ambiance.

If only I could have seen the night sky as well, it would have been even more picturesque. Unfortunately, that was not possible.

It was with mixed feelings that I smiled at the still beaming Baek Ahrin.

For me, Hong Yeon-hwa was a completely different person from her original character.

Having cast aside her violent tendencies, Hong Yeon-hwa was the kind soul who wore a look of devastation whenever I got hurt.

Despite only a month or so of acquaintance, I never formed a deeper bond in my life than with Hong Yeon-hwa.

In contrast to her… Baek Ahrin seemed almost identical to her original character.

“Are you wondering why I seem so approachable?”

Baek Ahrin suddenly asked, as I walked silently.

A few paces ahead, she turned her head to look back at me, a playful smile on her lips.

“There’s no particular reason, really.”

In nearly every run, Baek Ahrin approaches the special admissions student in a friendly manner.

“One day, I believe Lee Hayul will achieve greatness. I don’t care about what others say; it’s just what I think.”

Special admission—a position still viewed with subtle skepticism, yet also with an expectant gaze as if it’s a winning lottery ticket.

Baek Ahrin approaches with a similar view.

[The reason seems simpler than I expected.]

“Ahaha. I might sound materialistic, but… it’s not bad, is it?”

Her footsteps resonate louder than usual.

“Special admission… It was startling to have such a student appear in the same year as me for the first time ever since Shio-ram’s foundation, but… it turned out to be not so bad after all.”

We had arrived at the dorm building, as high-end as any skyscraper.

“It certainly won’t hurt to be friends with Lee Hayul, who will undoubtedly flourish. If we start with trivialities like this, we might even build a mutually supportive relationship in the future.”

Just before reaching the main entrance, Baek Ahrin suddenly turned around. We were now facing each other directly, with Baek Ahrin’s playful yet soft smile still hanging on her face.

“I guess it’s been a long talk… So, to sum it up—let’s be good friends in the future!”

With that, she reached out her hand. Baek Ahrin was looking at me with a broad smile. After a moment’s hesitation, I extended my own hand to meet hers.

Our hands clasped together. A soft yet cool sensation was conveyed through our palms.

Then, Baek Ahrin leaned forward substantially. Her faint breath brushed against my ear.

She whispered,

“Don’t become too close to Yeon-hwa. She’s keeping her friends at a distance these days. Don’t hang out with just the two of you; come join us instead.”

Winking at me as she withdrew her hand, Baek Ahrin took a few steps back.

“Sorry for keeping you up when you must be tired. I really should get going now. Sweet dreams!”

With that, she turned away. As far as I knew from the original story and from what Hong Yeon-hwa had mentioned, Baek Ahrin didn’t stay in the dorm building but had her own separate residence.

“……”

Baek Ahrin approaches the player in every run. As explained earlier, the reason is to forge a bond with a player who will one day achieve greatness.

The first run. I didn’t attain greatness. It was a time when I was oblivious to hidden pieces and storylines.

Until my graduation from Shio-ram, I hadn’t displayed any remarkable abilities.

Thanks to the growth adjustments for being a special admission, my results were comparatively high, but they were only equivalent to other students.

She wouldn’t have been satisfied with someone like me.

Yet, Baek Ahrin was kind to the player of the first run. When chaos returned to the world and the player of the first run was fighting desperately, Baek Ahrin fought alongside as well.

For sure, she remained a steadfast ally until the end of the first run.

The Eighth Run [Heavenly Thunder]

Although it did not reach the utmost potential of specialties like [Diamond Warrior] or [Hybrid Summoner], it was enough to survive brazen encounters with the strongest in the world.

The specialty was long-distance sniping.

In that run, I honed an archery-related innate ability to its fullest, and through hidden pieces, awakened a brain attribute innate ability.

From a spot untouched by opponents’ attacks, I unleashed a deluge of arrows and the baptism of thunder.

There was also a tactic involving spatial artifacts, instantaneously teleporting full-powered attacks right into enemies’ faces.

A particularly well-developed run. Especially since long-range combat was a favorable strategy for survival, I thought the eighth run would last quite long.

Contrary to my expectations, I exited early.

The eighth run was different than the first.

Thanks to efficient cultivation, I managed to slay a third-ranked entity before even graduating from Shio-ram.

After graduation, I traveled across the magical realm, pinpointing and hunting high-level monsters, gaining fame by sniping traitors all over the place.

Baek Ahrin would have considered me a jackpot well played. Due to her early investments, she was poised to reap ample interest.

However.

The eighth run ended with Baek Ahrin’s betrayal.

* * *

Baek Ahrin walked silently under the night sky. Her strides, usually lively, seemed to emanate no presence.

Suddenly, the humming stopped as well. What was once an atmosphere filled with lively footsteps and tunes now carried only the cool stillness of dawn.

A mood starkly different from her usual spirited disposition. It was calm and cold.

She turned her head briefly, recalling the actions just taken, wrestling with the thoughts and the processing of information in her mind.

The line of reasoning concluded swiftly. She lightly tapped her lips with her index finger.

“Why would he be afraid of me?”

Baek Ahrin tilted her head quizzically, pondering.