Chapter 13
Ha-Jun calmed his stiff body and returned to his seat.
Following him, Han also left the circle and turned to the students, and he asked them how they felt about the battle he had just shown them.
“What do you feel about the battle now?”
“…”
“…”
The students seemed to hesitate for a while at Li Han’s question.
However, one student broke the silent atmosphere and raised his hand to ask a question.
It was Marjin Han.
He glanced at Ha-Jun, then turned his gaze away again and asked a question to Instructor Lee.
“I have a question.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Did the instructor see it?”
At that comment, everyone’s eyes focused towards Li Han and Ha-Jun, and conversely, Lee Han smiled and looked at Ha-Jun, asking him for an explanation.
“What do you think.? Kim Ha-joon.”
“I think you saw it.”
“Why do you think so?”
Well, Why huh?
However, if I didn’t say this, it seemed that the students would constantly mistake me for a great person. I racked my brains as best I could to think of an excuse and immediately started spouting off the ideas that came to mind.
“Earlier, didn’t the instructor fight like a hero?”
“What’s that?”
“If I had fought like a villain, I would have died.”
“Yes, you would have. That’s a fine answer.”
What an unexpectedly correct answer.
Li-Han, who immediately nodded with a pleasant smile, continued his explanation.
“Now Kim Ha-jun’s mistake is that he didn’t finish me. The villains are wicked. Why do you think the swordsmanship or spearmanship you have learned exists as well as to protect your bodies?
“It is to protect people.”
“Do you think I asked you such a simple thing?”
Immediately Li-Han’s expression wrinkled and he began to look around at the students with a wild impression.
Instructor Li-Han then pointed at one of the students.
It was Han Si-young.
“Han Si-yong, answer me.”
“It’s to kill someone.”
Li Han immediately nodded in satisfaction at Han Si-young’s reply.
He took one look around at the students and gave a stern warning to the young students who dreamt of being heroes.
“Yes, that’s right. Often all the skills you have learnt with long tradition, or, whatsoever you call them, are nothing but murderous arts. Then shouldn’t it be written according to that meaning? At least now, when you come across a bad guy, there are only two things you can do. One is to run away, the other is to fight against them and kill them. So don’t dare to show the luxury of facing the bad guys and subduing them. At least if you guys are not as skilled as Kim Ha-jun…”
In a solemn atmosphere
Ha-Jun looked at Lee Han with a dumbfounded expression.
(No, why are doing this…)
The instructor’s last words were really… -, useless words.
In fact, it was because of those annoying words that the gazes of the students began to turn towards me.
–Wow…. Isn’t he on a different level?
–You can just tell by glance from the battle. He’s a real monster.
–Hey, maybe the rumors are true after all. The rumor of student killing ‘Armstrong’ with a single blow.
–To be honest, I was skeptical at first, but it’s possible.
As the gossip continued and at some point, rumors of ‘Armstrong’ began to appear
And they started looking at Ha-Jun as if demanding answers.
(Woah! This is crazy. Really.)
Of course, I didn’t answer them.
What do you expect me to look at me, do you expect me to be frank and tell you the truth?
It’s a matter of my peaceful life at stake.
Frankly speaking, I didn’t think Villains Alliance could kill me even if they knew it was me.
However, it seemed that there would always be something bothersome happening in my daily life.
In the form of raids and abductions, for example.
At that moment, Li Han approached me after finishing his explanation.
He looked at me with a satisfied smile and asked a question .
“You don’t look very good in terms of strength and power, though . Do you have Abilities by any chance?”
Abilities.
It’s a skill term in this Rokia Academy.
In reality they are called skills, but in this Rokia Academy they had a separate name: Abilities.
I nodded at these words of Li Han.
Rather, I think it’s even stranger that you haven’t shown such military skills.
“Yes.”
“I see… that’s great…”
With those words, it was Li-Han who looked at me with eyes full of admiration.
Abilities in the world in this game are the inherent abilities of the body that blossom with the purity or high level of growth of magical power.
In other words, a second awakening.
However, the process is simple in words only, and it is a very hard and difficult process.
This is because many people fail to blossom their abilities despite reaching adulthood.
“I wonder what you’ve done so far that I haven’t heard your name…”
“More importantly, instructor…”
“…Yes?”
“Can I leave, please? It’s very hard on my body.”
“Yeah? I don’t allow it.”
Yes, Honestly, if you have a conscience, you should allow it.
It was a battle with the instructor, not anyone else…
Even if the instructor, Li-Han, was defeated, he wouldn’t think the other student thought it was okay.
Of course I was just a little sore, but it’s true that I’m not completely fine.
Well, I just wanted to get out of the morning class for a bit, no matter what.
* * *
The infirmary at the Rokia Academy
The word was infirmary, and in terms of size and equipment, it was as good as any hospital. And I occupied one of the beds in the sickroom, and lay down.
(Afternoon classes. Doesn’t matter, does it?)
For what it’s worth, the afternoon classes were the ones I didn’t dare to listen to or, nor did I have to make a diligent effort to do so.
Was it a class related to the control of magic and magic?
In the first place, there was no need for me to dare to take classes related to magic, as I had no magic powers.
I don’t know about basic subjects, but I can change subjects depending on the aptitude of the student, so.
“Huh…, then…”
I closed my eyes for a while and fell into a deep thought.
Naturally, I was worried about how to prevent coercion for a moment.
Punishments handed down by the system for refusing to do the main quest.
However, because the penalty itself was simple, I felt that it could somehow be prevented.
I don’t know if it’s controlling the body itself, but isn’t it forcing the person to do so by inflicting overwhelming pain?
If so, Is there any way to prevent that pain?
For a moment, an idea flashed through my mind.
“Look…?”
Why couldn’t I think of this?
It was true that some of Noble Phantasm had properties that nullified some pain.
For example, a Noble Phantasm that absorbs the impact itself, or a one that literally makes the impact itself disappear.
“Wait a minute!”
Then there were possibilities.
If the system’s coercion did not force the body, but only inflict pain, there was simply a way to prevent it.
“The dungeon”.
The origin where the Noble Phantasm is found, the remnants of a past era of great chaos.
And just in Korea, he knew through his knowledge of the game the dungeon where the desired Noble Phantasm was sleeping.
Ha-jun’s mouth began to rise gingerly.
* * *
The next day, Ha-jun arrived in Imsil, Jeollabuk-do, after a six-hour train ride nearby.
In reality, the region was famous for its cheese, but in the game world it was most famous for its dungeons.
This dungeon in Imsil was the most representative (Monster Field) dungeon among dungeons.
Monster Field.
As the name suggests, this was a general stat-growing dungeon with only monsters.
In the game, he often hunted monsters here to increase his stats.
However, today’s objective, of course, was not hunting.
“I don’t know… Will It be there?”
Easter egg.
There was an Easter egg in this dungeon that the developer had created for the user.
A magic Noble Phantasm that turns all the stories into easy mode.
Of course, I had forgotten about it because I didn’t feel the need for it largely because of the time stoppage, but now it was Noble Phantasm I was most desperate for.
In the first place, I felt like an idiot why I hadn’t thought of this before.
“Just write your name here and present your superhuman licence, are you alone?”
“Yes.”
After arriving at the dungeon’s checkpoint center, Ha-jun wrote his name in the entrybook and nodded at the staff’s words.
Soon after, the staff frowned as he looked at Ha-jun.
“Did you say, you come alone?”
“Yes, I did?”
“I am sorry, but due to dungeon regulations, it is not possible for one person to enter.”
Staff members who openly reveal his annoyance.
It was obvious that he was too young, and he clearly felt that he shouldn’t cause any problems by entering alone.
Ha-Jun took out his academy student ID card without saying anything and showed it to a staff member.
The staff member who received the student ID card opened his eyes wide and started looking at the student ID card and Ha-Jun alternately.
“Oh, what? Are you by any chance a student of the Rokia Academy?”
“Yes.”
“Ah! You were such a student? I’m sorry, I was rude. My apologies.”
The staff member who looked annoyed at first quickly became kind.
I smiled and raised my mouth as I spoke to the staff member.
“Well, may I go in then?”
“Oh, is this your first time in a dungeon?”
“Yes, is it?”
“That’s… sorry. No matter how much of a student you are, there’s a policy that says that your first dungeon exploring should be done in pairs.. It is unconditional.”
Was there such a policy?
In any case, I am in a bit of trouble.
Because if so, then there would be a problem with finding Noble Phantasm.
(What should I do… Ah!)
I thought about it and found a way.
I quickly took my smartphone out of my pocket.
* * *
The method that came to mind was simply to find a mercenary and hire through a mercenary hiring app.
Fortunately, there was one mercenary who was bright in the nearby area, so I signed him up immediately.
“Oh student, my name is Park Cheol-ho, who has been hired as a mercenary this time. Please take care of me.”
The bald-headed, bandit-looking man who came by ten minutes later smiled and started waving.
Is it because of the employment rewards?
It was a bit weird because this was an uncle older than me.
“Yes, Please take care of me.”
“Yeah, leave it to me. I’m the veteran here for the last ten years. If you are looking for any specific location, I can help you?”
At first I was going to go in alone and look around slowly, with time stopped, to find out where the Noble Phantasm were.
For a start, I knew where the bog Noble Phantasm came from playing the game, but I had to walk around the large dungeon to find the exact location.
Of course, now I couldn’t go in alone, so I took it a little easier and changed my plans.
I felt it would be quicker and easier to take one person who knew the dungeon geography well and search for it without me working myself hard.
“Do you by any chance know where the V-shaped rocks are?”
“If It’s V-shape rock – ah! That’s the place, isn’t it? No need to worry. I went there once before, so I know it well.”
“I see. Then let’s leave right away.”
“Um… By the way, are you sure the rewards are worth it?”
Just before we left, Park Cheol-ho pointed to the reward on the request form with a slightly doubtful look.
I grinned and nodded at his words.
“Yes, I will give you all the loot of monster, so please don’t worry, just guide me safely through the dungeon.”
“Well, of course. I will ensure to lead you through the path in safety and comfort.”
It was Park Cheol-ho, who beat his own chest with a bright smile.
Soon, Park Cheol-ho took the lead and headed towards the checkpoint, Ha-jun following behind him.
However, Ha-jun could not see Park Cheol-ho’s expression, as he was behind him.
He was grinning secretly.
