Chapter 26
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Translator: MKJ
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: 4. The Value of Potions (3)
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I drew a simple line on my notebook and muttered to myself inwardly.
"The number of casualties depends on how quickly the awakened Hae-sol regains his senses."
Fortunately, I had succeeded in crafting a high-grade mental barrier potion last night.
In the process, I learned a bit about special potions. Whew. If I hadn't practiced making them, I would've been in real trouble.
'Even with money, I almost couldn't get one.'
I knew they were rare, but I hadn't realized just how hard special potions were to obtain.
The few people who could make them rarely bothered, and even when they did, the effects varied wildly based on the quality and grade of the healer's magic power. So buyers figured it was better to just hire a healer with that cash instead?
Especially in Korea, where systems were in place to keep mortality rates low, demand for special potions was even weaker.
Anyway, it was a noteworthy accomplishment.
'A razor-thin one from my perspective, though.'
Sigh.
Still, I'd hit my goal. Yet instead of satisfaction, new worries kept bubbling up.
No one in this classroom had a clue.
About the dungeon set to open today.
Even if I warned them ahead of time, I had no way to make them believe me.
'Speaking up would just put my own safety at risk from the start. Tsk. If I could make them buy it, I would've said something.'
About a month, give or take.
I never imagined I'd grow this attached in such a short span.
To so many of them, no less.
Time marched on relentlessly. The bell rang, class ended.
Hae-sol shoved back his chair and walked over to me.
Today, he'd promised to join me in the workshop.
It was our routine practice, so I couldn't skip outright. Plan was to fake feeling ill and wrap up early.
"Let's go."
His voice was as crisp as ever, but he seemed edgy somehow, like he'd picked up on some strange vibe.
Probably just my mood.
I grabbed my bag and walked quietly beside him.
Silence with Hae-sol felt easy.
As that thought crossed my mind, he spoke up out of nowhere.
"During today's practical, that potion saved two kids who nearly died."
Ah.
As expected.
This was around the time student practical difficulties started shifting subtly.
A harbinger of the cataclysm dungeon, sort of.
As our steps brought us closer, his breath brushed delicately against me.
"Thanks."
I froze for a second.
I'd already handed him a top-tier mental barrier potion.
Same with Han-seong and Yoo Hee. Gong Seo-yoon, who I chatted with now and then on friendly terms, and Hyun Yi-seo, who'd gotten oddly close lately thanks to matching hobbies—she got S-grade mental barrier potions too.
Of course, all on the down-low from everyone else.
I'd done everything in my power. But part of me wanted to do more.
Still, hold back. Better to endure.
Repeating that mantra, I cut practice short after an hour and called out to Hae-sol on the way back.
"Hae-sol, keep all the potions I gave you gathered in one spot. That way you can grab them anytime if needed."
"Already doing it."
"Oh?"
His sheepish reply caught me off guard—I actually chuckled, forgetting the situation for a beat.
"You're on top of it!"
"That's praise?"
Hae-sol shot back with a soft smile.
"But why bring it up out of the blue?"
"Mood feels off. Atmosphere too."
"You can sense magic flows, Hari?"
Hae-sol halted, turning to me. He looked a touch uneasy.
I waved it off frantically.
"No way! I'm F-grade—how could I? Just a gut feeling."
"Ah."
Reading faint magic currents in the air or odd vibes was an original-story thing—a precog-like sense hitting right before S-grade awakening.
Nothing to do with me.
Hae-sol flashed a relieved smile and kept walking.
And that day.
The Dalmu dungeon, slated for late afternoon, never opened.
'Did I mix up the date?'
Truth was, I didn't have the exact day locked in.
Original story just said it blew open on a "Monday" afternoon, not even a full month after enrollment.
That left only yesterday as the last Monday in range.
Yet life rolled on as normal.
Good if the dungeon fizzled out, right?
How great if this was some peaceful parallel world?
But right then.
Still broad daylight, academy schedule ongoing.
A ear-ringing hum spread faintly from beyond the window.
A vibration so subtle no one else could've caught it. But it jolted me rigid.
'Ah.'
Dalmu dungeon.
The world was starting to crack.
The faint vibration streaking past the window lasted an instant but registered crystal clear.
This was unmistakably the world's skin tearing thin right before a Dalmu dungeon breach.
That signature tremor from the original descriptions.
Hae-sol's face showed zero recognition.
Makes sense—he hadn't awakened yet.
Just in case, I clutched the box stuffed with potions tight and said,
"Hae-sol, today... don't go anywhere."
"Same thought here."
He hadn't felt the vibration, but he'd sensed something.
Reading my face, Hae-sol gave a small nod.
"Feeling off."
Per the original, it wasn't true vibe-reading. But more than mere nerves.
Even there, his mind grew unstable as the Dalmu dungeon neared.
Good thing potions could fix it?
I mustered the gentlest smile I could.
"Head straight to the dorm after class today, Hae-sol."
"Hari."
"I'll bail early too."
Han-seong had been unusually swamped yesterday and today, so he'd be with him.
Another stroke of luck.
Right when Hae-sol's psyche started crumbling, he'd have company.
Miss direct contact, and I'd botch the potion handoff.
Might need more than just mental barriers. Better me nearby then.
Deep in Hae-sol's eyes, shadows quivered with unease.
Breaks showed his condition tanking visibly. And for whatever reason, his anxious gaze kept flicking my way.
Even in the hall, he'd glance back repeatedly.
Those eyes tugged at me like a leash.
But no time for that now.
Time for serious prep.
I waved him off saying I had business with Han-seong, then hugged the box and bee-lined for my old-school-building workshop.
Luckily, afternoon practicals were free study—tons of kids were AWOL.
Door swung open to lingering herbal scents.
My table sat untouched from last night.
I cracked the box, pulled materials.
Mental barrier potion.
Had to get this in Hae-sol tonight.
Two extra bottles, finished a day early.
S-grade success rate's still crap—these were fluke wins.
'One bottle won't cut it.'
Gut said so.
Whipped up extras to be safe.
Perfectly aged now, bag-ready.
Hands shook a little.
Couldn't stop though.
Grabbed two more sets.
Emergency mana stabilizer: five A-grades, ten B-grades.
Prime candidates for Han-seong.
Original had his dark mana surging wild once inside Dalmu.
Had to dial it back, even slightly.
Slapped on grade labels, packed 'em up.
'Say it's anxiety handover.'
No bandwidth for alibis.
Just hope it passed as timid F-grade jitters.
Few minutes in the workshop.
Door flew open—someone rushed in.
I looked up.
Hee.
"Hee?"
"Haa... haa... Hari, there you are."
"What's up? Why the sprint?"
Hee's face was tauter than usual.
"Hari."
She shut the door, stepped close.
"Hari. Just now, outside school nearby... I saw a rift or something."
I went statue-still.
Pre-S awakening, and she spots it already?
Hee wrapped up—a chill slithered down my spine.
A rift.
Original had Hae-sol catching that first.
'Cause he awakened first.
'Yoo Han-seong's the outlier. He's been slammed prepping for Dalmu from jump.'
Among Han-seong's party sans him, Hae-sol hits S first.
Hee? Not yet.
Her picking it up first? Total curveball.
I played it cool as possible.
"What'd the rift look like?"
Hee steadied her breaths.
"Tough to pin down, but... scenery felt skewed. Like wind twisting through, or light warping."
Spot-on pre-open signs.
And hardly anyone could see them.