The world had ended.
After the great cataclysm, the many countries that had survived saw the collapse of human civilization.
No matter how hard I tried, there was no way to fix a world that had already fallen apart.
When I saw you again, I couldn’t help but greet you. But you were different, and I couldn’t tell why. Your personality wasn’t the same as the woman I knew, and your hair had turned white.

[Perhaps this is a consequence of your regression. Time travel is bound to distort destiny. Anything could be affected.]

That’s what the Divine Sword said—or rather, the Celestial Spirit within the Divine Sword.
Unlike the timid you I once knew, the current you seemed weary of the world and preferred to avoid getting involved with anything.
Still, I wanted to become close to you. After all, your death had been the source of endless regret for me in my previous life.

On the day you died, my rage allowed me to sync with the Divine Sword. Afterward, your brother and I worked together to hunt down villains. But you wouldn’t know about that.

In this life, I tried to become closer to both Reina and you. Although I wasn’t really interested in romance, it seemed that Reina didn’t like me this time around.
But the most interesting thing was that you had awakened a power.

[You might have had that power in the previous timeline too, but we didn’t know because you never revealed it.]

That was probably true. And yet, the fact that you now possessed a power similar to your brother Yujin-seok’s <Quickness>—the ability known as <Acceleration>—seemed fitting for you.
If you had been able to use that power back then, you could have dodged the monster’s attack. Or even if you’d been implanted with the monster’s core, you could have survived as a half-monster.

But this time, I won’t let you go through that.
However, I couldn’t help but wonder why the current you had been so vulnerable to illusion magic—something the past you had easily brushed off.

“Kyaaah! Aaah! Aaahhh!”

Why was the stronger version of you so helpless against an illusion spell?
Even when I first encountered illusion magic with the Divine Sword, it only dredged up terrible memories. Nothing more.

This world keeps getting stranger.

[Even though the change in her personality and powers could be explained by her awakening, could her experiences have changed too? Unless Yujin-seok somehow traumatized his sister, this shouldn’t have happened.]
"Could her memories have been altered as well?"
[Yes, if she experienced something worse this time around, that would explain her awakening.]

You sent a message saying you would be absent from school for a few days, claiming it was due to the mental shock. I couldn’t blame you. Although I wanted to visit, I knew that if I made the wrong move, my life would be over. Especially since Han Su-ji was waiting for a chance to strike.
She’s a woman who can grow strong enough to kill one of the Seven Deadly Sins with a single stab. She used to aim for me, but now she seems to have turned her attention to you.
Honestly, I once thought she liked me. But now I realize she just respects strength. There’s no way she’s a lesbian—at least, she never showed any interest in women before.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about Rebecca.
Before I regressed, Rebecca stayed on our side and used her illusion magic to nearly annihilate the Black God Cult.
If someone like her was sweating from what she saw in your illusion, what on earth did you experience?

"Rebecca, what happened? Tell me."
"Yoonha saw herself dying."
"She saw her own death?"

I pressed Rebecca for more details, and she revealed that Yoonha had seen her death—not once, but hundreds of times.

"She didn’t just die once. She died in hundreds of different ways."
"And you’re sure it wasn’t a mistake? Wasn’t the illusion spell meant to just show a single instance?"
"The problem is that she died in different ways each time, like a series of possibilities. Like Schrödinger’s cat. It was as if Yoonha from parallel worlds were all dying in different ways, with monster cores implanted in her body."

[It’s possible that Yoonha has regressed too. With her hair turning white, we can’t ignore the influence of the monster core.]

The possibility that Yoonha had regressed but didn’t remember—it made sense.
After hearing Rebecca’s explanation, I returned to the classroom with a serious expression. This was no ordinary situation. This time, I will protect you.

I’ve grown to really like this dream world. Sure, things can get dangerous if I’m unlucky with party members, but I made 1 million won just from a single dungeon run.
And apparently, A-class cores vary widely in price depending on their quality. A purified A-class core can go for 50 million won, while an S-class core starts at 500 million won, and an SS-class core is basically priceless.

“Come to think of it, the core that was implanted in Yoonha was an SS-class, right?”

So what was that crazy monster thinking when it implanted such a valuable core into Yoonha?
Even though the gate that appeared after her rampage was sealed by the Divine Sword, Yoonha’s death marked the first meeting between Yujin-seok, the first wieler of the Divine Sword, and Choi Si-woo. That’s how they became master and disciple.

Does that mean I have to die?
No way, even in a dream, I don’t want to die.

“What do you think?”

I casually asked the man in the suit standing by the door, but he didn’t respond.
Who is he, and why is he stalking me?
I can’t even tell if he’s a ghost or a Celestial Spirit anymore.
One thing’s for sure—he didn’t ask my permission to be here. What does he like so much about this white room?
Though, honestly, if I were hanging out with a pretty girl like Yoonha, I’d be satisfied even living in a cave.

“Maybe I should head to the academy.”
Or maybe I should play a game. This dream world has games, after all.
If I keep skipping school, that cursed bat might come looking for me.
I really don’t want that. Scary stuff.

Now that I think about it, the terrorist attack on the academy happens near the end of the first semester.
Yoonha really died early, huh?

Ding.

A message came in.

Cursed Bat: Are you not coming to the academy?
Yoonha: My head hurts too much.
Cursed Bat: Go to the hospital, then. If you don’t show up soon, I’m coming to get you.
Yoonha: Period cramps.
Cursed Bat: You’ve been on your period for two weeks now?

Maybe I went a bit overboard.
Then again, how would I know? I’ve never had a period. Despite this body being fully developed, I haven’t experienced any "magical days."
It could be a late bloomer thing, but honestly, this body doesn’t need food or sleep, so would it even have a period?
This is why it’s clearly a dream. There’s no such thing as a perfect body like this in the real world.

Yoonha: Yoonha is still a baby. Please treat me gently.
Cursed Bat: If you’re not here by today, you’re getting expelled.
Yoonha: Wow, that’s exactly what I wanted!

I wasn’t scared anymore. After all, I had Vubmi as a connection.

Cursed Bat: Yoonha!
Yoonha: Seriously, am I so bad at school that you’d think I’d waste my time there?

The cursed bat didn’t respond.
Of course. If I unblocked the guilds I’d previously blocked, they’d be lining up to recruit me.
But why is this person so quiet? Normally, they’d be cursing me out by now.
I felt a chill in the air and turned to look at the window. A woman with a distorted face clung to the glass like a spider.

“You little brat, you’re dead today.”
“…What the hell?”

She was holding a spiked bat in one hand.
No wonder Yujin-seok didn’t like her.

In the end, I got dragged to the academy.
No matter the world, Korea’s obsession with education was inescapable.
The cursed bat of a woman—who was useless without her weapon—humiliated me by spanking me with her bat.
Soon enough, it was time for magic class.
The professor who had thrown me into hell last time was Rebecca.

“Today, we’ll be learning about magic. Some of you who use weapons like swords or spears might wonder why you need to learn magic. But the truth is, to know your enemy is to know yourself. Some of your enemies will be magic users or villains. You must understand that monsters aren’t your only foes.”

Villains are important. Then again, Choi Si-woo, the Divine Sword user, will probably take care of them all.

“Even if you’re not talented in magic, you all have an innate attribute. There are natural affinities and, of course, oppositions. However, if you have no magical talent at all, you’ll be considered ‘unattributed.’ In that case, you won’t have to worry about affinities, which can be an advantage. There are also Magic Swordsmen, Magic Spearmen, and Magic Archers. For instance, Reina’s Spirit Arrows are essentially magic arrows.”

“Does that mean the Divine Sword is also a magic sword?”

A student raised their hand to ask.

“The Divine Sword is a type of holy sword. In fact, it’s the ultimate weapon, synced with a Celestial Spirit. It’s not something you should call a mere magic sword.”

That student was Kim Seung-jun, if I remember correctly.
In the academy life, he’s the one who felt inferior to the protagonist, Choi Si-woo.
His obsession with the Divine Sword stemmed from his childhood dream of being a hero. He believed that owning the Divine Sword would make him one.
So, when the Divine Sword didn’t choose him, he turned bitter.
Worse still, he eventually allied with villains and became a monster himself, leading the first attack on the academy.
Truly a pathetic person.
When his ambush fails, the monster backing him attacks the academy instead. That monster carries the SS-class core.

Looks like we’re getting closer to that event.
Not that it concerns me if I just stay out of it.

“Now, close your eyes and try to feel the mana within you. I can’t explain exactly what it’s like, but you’ll know when you feel it.”

“Oh, damn, this is intense!”

One of the students muttered dramatically.

“You don’t feel anything, so stop pretending.”

Rebecca smacked a student who was faking it.
Mana, huh? I wonder if the dull-looking man in the suit standing by the chalkboard is also a form of mana.
Anyway, I’ll play along with this dream for now.
I closed my eyes and focused on the power inside me. It was hot and intense.
I could feel it welling up, and then suddenly, it spilled out.

“Hiiiyaah!”
“Oh, Yoonha. You’re overflowing with mana. It looks like you’re unattuned. But that’s not a bad thing. Unattributed magic is useful for physical enhancement. Paired with your <Acceleration>, it could be very effective.”

Great. <Acceleration> with <Physical Enhancement>. What a combo.
Next up was Choi Si-woo.

“As expected from the Divine Sword user, your attribute is light. That light will be able to purify the darkness within the abyss.”
“Yes, professor.”
“Reina, you possess multiple attributes. Is it the power of spirits? After all, your ancestors were elves, right?”

Elves have long ears, white skin, and exceptional magical abilities.
The humans who came from another world are said to be descendants of elves.

“Yes, professor.”
“Tsk, this is why lineage matters.”

Reina’s multiple attributes make her a total cheat. And to think she’s beloved by spirits.
Meanwhile, Yoonha feels like a dumping ground for all the leftover abilities.
Sure, <Acceleration> is cool, but it comes with a heavy burden on the body. If only I weren’t human.
But these are things every hunter should know.
No wonder the protagonist’s group is elite.

“Now, I want to see you manipulate your mana. Imagine drawing that power from within you and forming a sphere in your palm.”

I focused on drawing the mana up from inside, moving it to my arm, my hand, and then forming it in my palm. Slowly, very slowly.
And then I made a beautiful, white dragon in my hand.
Wait, why a dragon?

“Well done, Yoonha. You didn’t just create a sphere—you created a dragon and showed up your classmates. You really are Yujin-seok’s sister.”

Is that a compliment or sarcasm?

“Grr, just you wait, Yoonha! I’ll make a tiger!”
“Then I’ll make an eagle!”
“I’ll make a red dragon!”

The protagonist and the heroines stopped making spheres and started competing to create animals instead.
Rebecca’s assignment to make a sphere was completely forgotten, and the entire class turned into a competition to create the most elaborate creatures.
Where’s the person who’s supposed to fix this madness?

Sigh.

Am I just imagining it, or do Vubmi-chan and Geum Taeyang seem like the most normal ones here?
And why has Choi Si-woo turned into such a clown?
I could understand Reina and Han Su-ji getting competitive with me, but what’s with him?
He’s not acting like himself.

“Yoonha.”
“Yes, professor?”
“Look at the achievements you’ve inspired.”

Rebecca gently placed her hand on my shoulder.

“What?”
“Thanks to you, the students aren’t just making spheres anymore. They’re refining their mana control, creating intricate forms. Their mana manipulation skills have improved significantly.”

Rebecca was a master of magic. If she said so, it must be true.

“Maybe it’s luck. Or maybe this batch of students is just exceptionally talented.”
“That’s why from now on, you should teach the class.”
“Are you crazy?”

I cut off Rebecca’s attempt to get me to do unpaid labor.
Still, something feels different this time around. Maybe because it’s a dream, things aren’t like the original story.
Reina made a rainbow-colored tiger, Choi Si-woo made a diamond eagle, and Han Su-ji created a burning dragon.
Am I imagining it, or do they all look like idiots with snot running from their noses?
Is this really Hanseong Academy?

“Kim Seung-jun, you did the worst job.”
“Grr, professor! I just made a globe!”
“Pangaea, maybe. Does that look like Earth to you? Does America look like a dick?”

I guess Kim Seung-jun made a globe instead of a sphere.
This whole scenario is so off. In the original story, Kim Seung-jun was supposed to fail at making a sphere and destroy it in frustration.
Now he’s making globes instead.
I should probably kill him now, before he becomes a more powerful villain.
With Choi Si-woo acting like a fool, maybe I can quietly arrange for an assassin.

“Grr, just you wait, Yoonha!”

Why is he angry at me now? Did he figure out I’m planning to have him killed?
Shouldn’t he be aiming for Choi Si-woo, not me?

TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

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