The sun rose on the last day of the midterm evaluations.

In other words, today was the crucial day when the main tournament would take place.

Most of the cadets who had advanced to the main tournament were likely tense, making their final preparations for the matches ahead.

I, too, was ready to make my preparations. Though, in my case, preparation only meant catching up on the sleep I had missed over the past few days.

Thankfully, I had managed to fully replenish my energy through sleep.

As I began to regain consciousness, the first thing I noticed was how light my headache was.

In my previous life, I had lived with constant headaches, and in this world, they had only worsened due to the strain of using my spatial perception and powers of Observation. Yet, for the first time in a while, the throbbing was barely noticeable.

My body felt light too. After the preliminaries, I had felt as though I were a waterlogged sponge, but now I felt strangely refreshed.

And warm. My whole body was enveloped in a gentle warmth, and I found myself wanting to sink deeper into the soft, cozy sensation that surrounded me.

‘...’

The warmth, the softness... the faint tapping on my forehead and the familiar feeling of Hellfire radiating from the source of the sensation...

My eyes twitched. I took a deep breath and activated my powers of Observation.

What I saw were a pair of red eyes staring straight down at me.

.
.
.

I had woken up in Hong Yeonhwa’s dorm. To be more specific, I had woken up in her bed... in her arms.

When I registered those red eyes gazing down at me, I was left completely speechless.

It felt as though a part of my memory had been cut off.

As I carefully traced the blank space in my mind, memories of the moments before I passed out began to resurface.

My body, drained of energy, sagging under the weight of exhaustion from the days of evaluation.

The overwhelming fatigue that had crept up from my feet.

The embrace that had enveloped me, and the gentle, soothing voice that had accompanied it...

“Are you hungry? Let’s eat before we head out.”

After being gently comforted, I somehow found myself sitting at the dining table for breakfast.

Time was on my side. Even though I had one of the first matches, there was still plenty of time to eat and make my way to the arena.

I sat quietly at the table without protest.

"Why are there two sets of dishes?" I asked.

“I’ve already eaten,” Hong Yeonhwa replied.

“Normally, we eat together. Why not today?”

“Well, the young lady... um... wasn’t feeling well,” Ariel, who was standing behind Hong Yeonhwa, started to explain, but Hong Yeonhwa cut her off quickly.

"Enough. I get it."

Apparently, Ariel had already taken care of breakfast.

Hong Yeonhwa and I sat across from each other at the table, with Ariel standing at attention behind her.

The breakfast spread in front of me was one I was familiar with.

A steaming bowl of white rice, miso soup, a variety of side dishes, and a plate of spicy stir-fried pork in the center.

If my senses of taste and smell had been working properly, I would have drooled at the sight and aroma of the feast.

I had eaten a similar meal during my last visit when I was recovering from an injury.

"I hope it’s to your liking, young master," Ariel said with a humble tone.

[Thank you very much, Ariel.]

I bowed my head in gratitude.

As someone who had dabbled in cooking a little, I couldn’t help but admire the effort it took to prepare such a feast every day.

I had tried cooking a few times after my accident, back when I was confined to my home.

It wasn’t out of necessity or because I particularly enjoyed it—I had simply grown bored and started ordering ingredients to experiment with, cooking while hobbling around.

I hadn’t learned professionally; all I did was follow short cooking videos, trying to imitate them on my own.

Eventually, I got tired of it and resorted to takeout and convenience food. I had gotten scolded by Kkotnim quite a bit for that.

‘...Let’s not think about that.’

My thoughts had gone astray. Shaking off old regrets, I glanced over at Hong Yeonhwa.

She was tapping away on a holographic display.

"......"

I waited quietly until she was finished. Once she was done, she picked up her chopsticks and grabbed a piece of the stir-fried pork.

• Nibble

 

She chewed the pork with a small bite, and once I saw her swallow, I followed suit and picked up my spoon.

I took a small bite of the rice and began chewing.

Something crunched between my teeth, but no familiar sweetness came with it.

‘Hmm?’

I swallowed the bite, but the strange sensation lingered in my mouth, so I probed around with my tongue, tapping my palate and the inside of my cheeks.

‘What is this?’

It felt as though I had eaten or drunk something, yet at the same time, I hadn’t. It was a peculiar feeling, hard to describe.

"Hayul, what’s wrong?"

Hong Yeonhwa’s curious voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Concern was evident in her gaze, and Ariel, too, was looking at me with concern from behind her.

[It’s nothing.]

I shook my head, brushing off the feeling.

‘Must be my imagination.’

There was no way I could have eaten something while I was asleep.

Unless someone had fed me something, which seemed unlikely.

I took a sip of water to wash away the strange sensation and resumed eating.

.
.
.

The location of the main tournament was the First Arena, situated in the center of Shio-ram Academy.

The First Arena was only opened for important events, and today’s tournament certainly qualified.

Having left Hong Yeonhwa’s dorm after breakfast, I arrived at the arena. Its sheer size was staggering.

The main stage in the center was several times larger than the one used during the preliminaries.

But it wasn’t just the size. Using my Observation Power, I could see that the floor, walls, and entire facility were covered in intricate magical formations.

It would take a lot more force to leave a mark on the arena floor than during the preliminaries.

Though I wasn’t well-versed in arena construction, even a quick glance told me that the stands could easily accommodate tens of thousands of spectators.

“So many people...” I murmured.

The waiting room I was shown to by the academy staff was a private room.

Since Hong Yeonhwa had also advanced to the main tournament, we parted ways after arriving.

I sat in a chair, trying to steady my thoughts, when a knock came from the door. A moment later, Elia peeked in, her blonde hair catching the light.

Elia’s voice was slightly overwhelmed as she looked at the crowded stands displayed on the holographic screen.

• Chatter, chatter

 

Just as she said, the massive stands were packed to the brim. There wasn’t a single empty seat, and it looked like people were even standing because there weren’t enough seats.

Even within the waiting room, I could feel the presence of countless people nearby.

[Elia, did you get knocked out?]

"Yes, I lost in the third round to a combat major cadet."

[That’s a shame.]
[You were so close to making the finals.]

“It is, but honestly, I’m satisfied. I wouldn’t have won the first two rounds without my spirits.”

Looking at the list of the 16 finalists, there were no support majors.

It was almost entirely combat majors, with a few magic majors mixed in.

These one-on-one duels were never well-suited to cadets majoring in support or crafting.

Given that Elia had won two matches using her newly learned spirit magic was an impressive feat in itself.

Had she advanced, she would have been the only support major in the main tournament.

“I’ll be cheering for you from the stands with my family,” Elia said.

[Your family?]

The stands were filled with cadets, most easily identifiable by their standard academy uniforms.

Those who weren’t participating or had already been eliminated had also taken their places in the stands.

But the bulk of the spectators were outsiders.

Unlike the uniform-clad cadets, the visitors’ attire was diverse.

There were heroes and transcendents here to observe the budding talents.

Representatives from various clans were scouting for promising recruits.

And then there were the families of the cadets, here to support their loved ones.

The types of spectators varied greatly.

“So... if you have time afterward, would it be okay to meet them? My parents would like to personally thank you.”

‘Uh...’

I felt a bit overwhelmed at the thought. It wasn’t like I could refuse, though. Especially after having accepted the Confession Necklace from Elia—it would have been rude.

After a brief moment of hesitation, I nodded, and Elia’s face lit up with a bright smile as she grasped my hand.

“Thank you so much! I’ll be cheering for you during the tournament! Though, since your opponent is Ahrin, I’ll probably be cheering for both sides, hehe...”

She gave an awkward chuckle, but I shook my head, indicating that it was fine.

[If it were me, I’d be cheering for both sides too.]
[Thanks for your support.]

“I should be the one thanking you.”

The time was drawing near. Elia, apologizing for taking up my time, stood up to leave.

“But before I go...”

Just as she was about to leave, Elia peeked her head back in one last time.

Her expression was bashful, but there was genuine sincerity in her smile.

“I’m rooting for you, Hayul. I hope you get a great result.”

• Click

 

With that, she left, and the room was once again filled with the soft music meant to ease the tension.

‘A great result, huh...’

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to win.

I knew it would be difficult to defeat Baek Ahrin or Hong Yeonhwa at this point.

As I was rapidly growing, so were the other cadets.

Both Ahrin and Yeonhwa were already at a level comparable to active heroes by the time they entered the academy.

In all previous iterations, only the Diamond Warrior had managed to beat them at this stage.

But I had different priorities. Even if I didn’t win, I needed to demonstrate my capabilities and showcase my potential.

If I could prove my talent here, it would attract the attention of various groups.

Including those who would eventually become responsible for the calamities to come.

‘......’

The catastrophic events from the original story.

It was too late to turn my back on them now.

With my knowledge and the power I was destined to gain, there was no way I could just stand by and do nothing. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I ran away.

And I knew exactly how many people would die if nothing was done to stop those events.

But I also knew how many would rise to stop those disasters.

Shio-ram Academy was a cradle for heroes—heroes who would one day stand against the looming catastrophes.

Money, fame, or various personal motives...

Whatever drove them, most graduates went on to fight against dungeons and monsters, protecting the world.

That included Hong Yeonhwa, who would one day become the head of the Geomhwa family.

It included Baek Ahrin, who would lead the Ocean family, and Elia, who would also become a hero.

Even those not currently cadets, like my mentor or Professor Liana, who had retired but still retained their abilities, would be swept up in these disasters.

Would good results really await them?

Reflecting on the story’s original events, I couldn’t imagine any good outcomes.

‘I refuse to accept that.’

I could say that with certainty.

I refused to let that happen. Just thinking about it made me sick. There was no way I could allow things to turn out like that.

I’d rather die than see such a future come to pass.

So, I had to do something.

Confidence? I didn’t have any. I wasn’t arrogant enough to think I was special.

But I knew what I had to do.

‘Special admission student. Powers of Observation and Space.’

It felt as though others had started expecting things from me, as if they could see the potential that even I couldn’t fully grasp yet.

Special admission student. A status granted by the Tower of Growth.

The power of Observation. A gift from the Tower of Observation.

The power of Space. A gift from the Tower of Space.

Maybe they saw something in me, and that’s why I was given these privileges.

So...

‘I can’t run away.’

I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. I couldn’t let fear paralyze me.

Even if I lacked confidence, even if I wasn’t certain, I had to keep moving forward.

I had to fight—not just for myself, but for those who cared about me.

This wasn’t a game where I could create a new character after dying. This was real life.

I had known that all along.

But even in a scenario where I treated this like a game, where I ignored the value of life, the Diamond Warrior still failed.

Life is precious, but being too cautious, too afraid of taking risks, would only lead to failure.

‘I’ll have to go out again during the break...’

As much as I wanted to stay here in the academy, I knew I had other responsibilities.

I needed to visit the Geomhwa family’s main house with Hong Yeonhwa, and there were hidden pieces I had to find.

There were things that needed to be destroyed before it was too late.

• Woooong...

 

[Please proceed to the stage. The first match of the main tournament will begin shortly─]

The announcement interrupted the music in the waiting room.

The main tournament was about to begin.

[Contact: Mentor]
▶Me: I’m heading to the main tournament! Wish me luck!

...

‘Hmm...’

It sounded too stiff.

After some deliberation, I added an emoticon.

▶Me:  (An emoji of a dog standing at attention)

This little dog emoji was very similar to one I used to use in my previous world, which is why I had felt a strange sense of nostalgia when I first found it here.

After sending the final message to my mentor, I stood up from my chair.

[─Cadets Lee Hayul and Baek Ahrin, please complete your final preparations.]

The first match was between me and Baek Ahrin.