48. School Reopens (1)
[Stage 7 ‘The Giant’s Kick’ has been completed.]
[The stat ‘Agility’ has increased.]
[The stat ‘Strength’ has increased.]
With a prickling sensation like sparks jumping before my eyes, my body was flung back into reality.
“Ugh…”
Opening my eyes on the dormitory bed, I quickly examined my arms and legs in a hurry.
Not a trace remained of the horrific wounds and pain from when rocks crushed me from all directions under the giant’s kicks.
But if I had failed that stage……
all of those wounds and all of that pain might have been carried over into reality exactly as they were.
“Phew…… I seriously thought I was dead.”
The 500-Year Witch’s Crystal Orb.
It could rapidly raise stats in a short period, but its difficulty was high and it was dangerous enough that one always had to be careful, and because I made a slight mistake near the end, things had nearly gone very badly.
Still, my stats had risen sharply, so the result was quite satisfying.
- Stats
[Strength: 4-Star 01%] [Senses: 4-Star 12%]
[Agility: 3-Star 66%] [Stamina: 3-Star 08%]
[Toughness: 0-Star 99%] [Mental Power: 4-Star 03%]
[Mana: -]
- Skills
[Blink Lv.3]
[Taeryeong Divine Art Lv.2]
- Traits
[Mana Leakage Body Lv.3]
[Blessing of Crimson Spring March Lv.3]
[Blessing of Blue Winter December Lv.1]
[Blessing of Silver Age November Lv.1]
[Contractor of the Divine Beast Iphanel]
Most of my stats had either grown by one whole stage or were right on the verge of it.
‘The growth rate really is incredible……’
I hadn’t expected the stats that had been stagnant for months to explode upward in such a short period of time.
I hadn’t known it would be this effective.
That said, Toughness really never goes up even if I die trying.
I’m pretty sure I used to raise Toughness when I played Aether World Online……
but I can’t remember how I did it.
Was there some special condition?
Or did I just boost it through equipment items?
It isn’t an urgent stat right now, but I’m tired of carrying around the risk of dropping like a fly every time someone barely taps me.
‘Still, having more blessings does make me feel reassured.’
That day, after returning to the present with Zeliel’s help,
when I checked my status window, there it was—
the Blessing of Silver Age November, sitting there as though it had been there all along, with no clue as to when it had been bestowed.
Most likely, Silver Age November had already granted me that blessing from the very day I passed backward through time.
……Its effect is a little peculiar compared to the others, so it doesn’t look easy to use properly.
Since even back in Aether World Online I had never once received the Blessing of Silver Age November, the me of now would have to research that skill from a completely blank slate.
‘There’s no time for that right now, so I’ll look into it later.’
I stared fixedly at the Witch’s Crystal Orb.
The more I trained with it, the more addictive this thrill of sharply rising stats became, to the point where a desire kept welling up inside me to dive back into the mini-games again and again.
But I couldn’t let that happen.
The reason that 500-year-old witch, after living 498 years, ended up dying before filling even the remaining two years was absurd enough:
while trying to train her body inside this very crystal orb in order to survive and escape from a Witch Hunter, she failed to control the difficulty properly and died.
A truly ridiculous story.
To die while practicing how to survive because you didn’t want to die.
What a meaningless death.
No……
maybe not meaningless.
Since I was now the one properly making use of that very object.
‘I’ll wait a little…… and tackle the next stage only after preparing thoroughly.’
As I was about to carefully put the Witch’s Crystal Orb back into my backpack, something suddenly came to mind.
‘Come to think of it, it should be about time……’
It had already been nearly half a year since alchemagic engineering had first been developed.
Back then, we could only make crude items, but by now, it was about time for Alchemagic Engineer Alterisha to begin showing her genius in earnest.
Alterisha when the technology was still being developed piece by piece and Alterisha when the full technical foundation had been completed were two different people altogether.
If the technology had advanced as much as I hoped, then wouldn’t it be possible to create a subspace backpack by now?
Even aside from that, I really hadn’t gone to visit in far too long lately.
And yet my name was still listed as a co-developer, and I’d been taking money out of it all the while.
Since I had no classes this afternoon anyway, and even the short ones I did have would pass quickly as orientation sessions, I should go drop by after a long while.
The International Alchemist Organization, Alchemy Citadel.
This city, founded by alchemists who had discarded national affiliations and gathered together, was a place where alchemists of many different races could be seen out in the streets, and I could tell at a glance that its population had increased even further compared to when I first came here half a year ago.
The reason was obvious.
Alchemy, which had until now been treated as something marginal, had become the core technology responsible for modern technical advancement under the name of alchemagic engineering.
Alchemists no longer needed to bow their pride before mages.
Even the small alchemy or magitech seminars that were held now were as large as decent mage seminars, to the point that I was genuinely looking forward to the official alchemy presentation that would be held next year.
[Alterisha School]
“Oh, wow.”
The very center of Alchemy Citadel.
That gigantic fortress established by scholars of the International Alchemist Organization had, until now, never permitted the name of any single person’s school to be displayed there.
And yet now Alterisha School’s name was hanging there boldly.
Had her influence already grown enough to smash even the traditions of the alchemists?
Once I stepped inside the building, I found an atmosphere and design that felt remarkably Earth-like and modern.
It wasn’t because I’d told them to make it that way.
It was simply that this place had originally always felt somewhat similar to Earth.
Maybe that was because it was one of the cities where technology developed the fastest.
“Oh my, Student Baek Yuseol. Please come this way. I’ll guide you.”
“Yes.”
Now, even without me giving my name first, the receptionist at the information desk recognized me on sight and came to escort me.
The private elevator I boarded under her guidance rose all the way to the top floor of the building.
Ding.
When the doors opened, the receptionist stepped back, wished me a pleasant day, and I nodded before heading inside.
When people think of an alchemist’s laboratory, they tend to imagine some gloomy, grimy place with unidentified sludge crawling everywhere.
But that was absolutely wrong.
Alchemists were the sort of people who dressed all in white in an all-white space and were more obsessed with cleanliness than anyone else.
‘……This is incredible.’
Looking at all the alchemists hurrying around in white coats so spotless that even I felt like a stain among them, I suddenly felt awkward.
I hurriedly threw on the coat the receptionist had handed me and made my way deeper inside, where I found Alterisha’s office.
It still felt strange that the word office, rather than laboratory, fit here.
Knock knock!
“Yes!”
The moment I knocked, the door flew open and Alterisha appeared.
“Oh my?”
Her eyes widened in surprise, and her pink hair, tightly tied back behind her, swayed with the motion.
“Student Yuseol! It’s been ages!”
“Yeah… I really haven’t been around much, have I?”
“You can’t even call that being away a little. Come in already. Shall I make you some coffee?”
“Ah, no. It’s okay.”
Once I went inside, I saw several familiar alchemists, along with Hwalseok Corden, the Gold Alchemist.
He looked at me with tired eyes and gave a little wave.
“It’s been a while! Kid, it’s terribly hard to see your face these days.”
“Yes. I’ve been a little busy.”
“Well, I suppose you must have your reasons.”
But more importantly, what was going on here?
I had come to check on the progress of the technology, more or less, but with all the alchemists gathered together and discussing something so seriously, it felt a little awkward to even ask.
“……What’s happened?”
When I asked quietly, Alterisha gave me an awkward smile and a troubled look, then let out a sigh.
“Just tell him.”
“Yes… Would you come over here? If it’s you, Student Yuseol, you should be able to understand it quickly.”
What in the world was it?
She led me between the alchemists, sat me down, and pointed at the paper laid out on the workbench.
“This is the Berikta Circular Magitech Formula we were experimenting on together a week ago. It’s for preserving the original form while adding enchantments… Ah, I guess I don’t need to explain. You’ll understand right away.”
No, I won’t. What is this?
This was a new technology not even recorded in the Jikbakguri Glasses.
Of course, I could decipher it quickly by consuming a bit of mental power, but I hadn’t imagined they would already have developed something like this.
“But what about it?”
“The truth is… we didn’t develop this.”
“Huh?”
“Even though we carry the title of alchemagic engineers, we still haven’t mastered magitech yet. It’s embarrassing, but that’s the reality.”
“Ah.”
That was true enough.
They had achieved the tremendous feat of merging alchemy and magitech, but it was difficult to expect outstanding magitech expertise from a place like Alchemy Citadel, where alchemists were gathered.
That was exactly why the technology had not yet exploded forward.
Within a year, Alterisha would go on to become the greatest genius in magitech as well—
but that was still in the future.
As of now, magitech was still their weak point, so the alchemists inside Alchemy Citadel had been forced to study it belatedly, and they were trying to recruit brilliant magitech scholars from outside too……
but apparently that wasn’t going very smoothly.
Still, after three months of research with some fairly capable magitech scholars,
something happened.
One scholar accidentally left Berikta’s Circular Magitech Formula sitting on the lab bench when he went home from work.
Then when he came back the next morning……
what do you know?
The magitech formula had been completed.
“……That really is eerie.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Whew. What’s driving us mad now isn’t even the fact that the formula was completed, but who completed it.”
They were glad the formula had been completed.
But the fact that something they had struggled over for three entire months had been completed by someone else in a single night was naturally a shocking thing.
“……We need that person’s help.”
Ordinarily, touching an alchemist’s experimental formula without permission deserved punishment.
But now was not the time to argue over right and wrong.
A brilliant magitech scholar.
Even if that person turned out to be a ghost, the scholars would gladly extend a hand.
“Wouldn’t it be enough to investigate everyone who entered the lab?”
“That’s true, but…… there were so many that it’s difficult. Nearly hundreds of people entered, and although we met them one by one, if the person is determined to hide, we simply can’t identify them. This magitech scholar was careful enough not to leave even a single fingerprint.”
“I see.”
Most likely……
after this, they would fail to find that magitech scholar.
In truth, I had already vaguely realized it the moment I heard the story.
This was one of Alterisha’s Hidden Episodes.
‘I’m pretty sure…… this was the episode that blew open the full potential of the technology.’
Depending on whether the magitech scholar was found here or not, the speed of technological development changed dramatically.
Even if they failed to find the person, there was no need to be anxious at all, since Alterisha had already developed alchemagic engineering ahead of the dark mages.
But if I could find the person and help technology advance even further, then that would only be a good thing, wouldn’t it?
“I’ll find them.”
“Hm? Really? You don’t even know the faces of the people in Alchemy Citadel. Even we couldn’t figure it out.”
“That’s right, kid. No matter how much of a genius you are, this is a different sort of matter.”
“No. I can do it even without knowing their face. Leave it to me.”
“…Well, if you say so. There’s no loss in trying. We’ve already half given up anyway.”
Once Hwalseok Corden accepted it, the alchemists beneath him naturally followed suit with their nods.
“Yes. I’ll make sure to find them.”
Stella Academy, First-Year Student Affairs Office.
“It’s here, Princess.”
When the assistant laid several large schedule sheets on the table, Hong Biyeon stared at them.
Each of them listed the personal schedules of first-year students.
It wasn’t that they were confidential in any special sense, or that one could only view them because one was a princess.
It was simply that there were so few Stella students who would go out of their way to check something so useless that the act itself was a little curious.
Most students at Stella had deeply self-centered ways of thinking, and the students of S-Class were even more so, which meant it was exceedingly rare for them to be interested in someone else’s class schedule.
So the fact that Hong Biyeon had come looking for something like this was, in itself, rather unusual.
“I’ve checked it.”
“You’ve already looked through everything? I went to the trouble of bringing it all out…….”
“Yes.”
Apparently she had only been curious about one person’s schedule, because she finished checking after the briefest glance and left her seat.
The assistant who had prepared the schedules for the princess looked as though he might cry, but that was none of Hong Biyeon’s concern.
As she stepped out of the student affairs office and shut the door, she unexpectedly met eyes with someone.
Eizel.
She was looking at Hong Biyeon with an oddly discontented gaze.
“……What are you doing here?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“Well, it’s pretty obvious anyway.”
Flinch.
At Eizel’s tone, which made it sound as though she knew exactly what was going on, heat suddenly shot up through Hong Biyeon, but she forcibly suppressed it.
Losing her temper here would be undignified.
Instead, she shot Eizel a cold look and asked,
“What do you want?”
“I’m here because I have business with student affairs too, you know? Running into you was just a coincidence.”
“If that’s the case, then don’t bother talking to me. It’s a waste of time.”
As Hong Biyeon turned to leave at once, Eizel grabbed her by the arm.
“……What is this?”
Genuinely dumbfounded, Hong Biyeon lowered her eyes and asked.
Eizel hesitated a moment, then let out a sigh and with difficulty spoke.
“The Morfran Forest.”
“You know it, right? The place currently managed by the Adolevit royal house and the Mage Association.”
“I know.”
Why did she know it? How did she know it?
Hong Biyeon did not bother saying.
Would that only wound Eizel?
No.
Hong Biyeon was not the sort of person to show that kind of delicate consideration.
It was simply that saying it would serve no purpose……
and so she kept her answer short.
“In that case, could you enter that place using your authority?”
After thinking for a very brief moment, Hong Biyeon denied it.
“No.”
That ended the conversation.
Eizel watched Hong Biyeon’s retreating back with a dejected look.
She had not really expected that simply asking would be enough……
but still.
As expected, it was exactly as she feared.
“Phew, I’ll have to find another way……”
As Eizel turned sadly away and disappeared down the corridor, Hong Biyeon glanced at her figure and frowned.
‘The Morfran Forest?’
Though she had denied it to Eizel, the truth was that as a member of the Adolevit royal family, Hong Biyeon could enter as much as she liked if she chose to.
She had simply answered no because it was bothersome, and because she had no desire to grant Eizel’s request.
‘But why the Morfran Forest, all of a sudden……’
Eizel was certainly eccentric and unpredictable, but even so, for her to go so far as to ask someone bearing the Adolevit name meant she must have brought it up with difficulty.
This was not simple curiosity.
There was definitely something there.
‘……Should I look into it?’
Hong Biyeon thought of it only lightly and set the matter aside in one corner of her mind.
Because she did not think it would amount to anything especially serious.
[Read only on MugenCodex.]
