Semester Finale (1)
Daehan Academy provides training rooms to help students improve their skills. Access to these rooms is restricted by grades, with higher grades unlocking higher-tier facilities. The tiers are divided into Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. The Silver Training Room is open to everyone, so reservations are required, and arriving late means you might miss out. In contrast, the Diamond Training Room, reserved for top students, is available anytime. Unlike the Silver rooms, which offer just a single plain space, the Diamond Training Room is equipped with all sorts of advanced devices.
"Hmm…."
Yoon Seoa fiddled with the remote control inside the Diamond Training Room. With each adjustment, the room's scenery shifted dramatically, walls linking to other spaces to expand endlessly.
Upon entering the training room, Yoon Seoa murmured a name to herself.
"Kim Siu…."
Ever since losing that spar, Yoon Seoa hadn't been in a good mood.
"Am I really that slow?"
Target appears. Please destroy the target within the time limit.
Starting Stage 1.
The moment white discs with red centers appeared in the air as targets, Yoon Seoa's ice arrows shot them down. They were destroyed the instant they emerged.
Starting Stage 2.
Stage 2 was no problem for Yoon Seoa.
Starting Stage 3….
Starting Stage 4….
Starting Stage 5….
Among cadets who used magic, very few could reach Stage 5. Magic allowed for diverse attacks but required casting time. It might be feasible if you positioned yourself and prepared in advance, but in sudden scenarios like this, reaching Stage 5 was considered impressive. But for Yoon Seoa, attacks ended the moment she released her mana. This speed wasn't even fast for her.
Starting Stage 6.
As the stages progressed, moving targets began to appear. You had to calculate their flight time and speed for these high-difficulty stages—something even high-ranking mages couldn't handle without pre-cast spells. It bordered on the impossible.
Starting Stage 7.
From Stage 7 onward, even B-rank hunters struggled. Yoon Seoa could clearly see the targets' movements, but that alone wasn't enough anymore. This was the realm of prediction—anticipating irregular paths based on her attack speed and the target's motion. Misses started happening, a stark contrast to her perfect Stage 6 performance, but landing any hits at all was remarkable. Other cadets would have been speechless.
Test ended. Hit rate: 63%.
Exhausted from the intense focus, Yoon Seoa collapsed, breathing heavily.
"Haa…. Haa…."
Yoon Seoa's reaction speed was top-tier among first-years. Few cadets could dodge her attacks, which combined absurd casting speed with lightning reflexes.
"Kim Siu…. How did you dodge it?"
Compared to these targets, Kim Siu had been slow. Yet he'd evaded her attacks effortlessly—even the ones she'd calculated perfectly—by moving at just the right timing to throw off her predictions.
"And at the end…. Anti-Magic."
The ability of S-rank Kim Tae-hwan that had saved her life, slicing through her ice walls like nothing. If that unbreakable shield hadn't been cut so easily, she wouldn't have lost. No one had ever closed the distance on Yoon Seoa before, so surprise had left her unable to respond properly. It was frustrating, but her own fault.
From that day, she'd resumed physical training, which she'd avoided for so long. Her stamina was still poor, but….
"I want to see it again."
Compared to Kim Tae-hwan, Kim Siu didn't even reach his toes. But she yearned to see that blue light once more—the noble blaze standing alone amid death-covered hell, etched indelibly in her memory.
"Will he be at school today?"
Yoon Seoa checked her smartwatch. Her nearly empty contacts list held only family, professors, and her partner Yoo Hye-ji.
"…."
No way to reach Kim Siu.
"Vacation starts now, so meeting will be tough…."
Manipulating the training room created a vast field. Being alone in such emptiness brought on waves of loneliness.
Yoon Seoa hadn't chosen to be a voluntary loner from the start. She'd wanted friends, but every relationship had ended badly.
She was shy with strangers and clumsy at expressing emotions. Her near-expressionless face often led to misunderstandings. Her overwhelming power turned equal relationships hierarchical, or people assumed her blank look meant disdain and drifted away. After repeating this, she'd started keeping distance.
She'd hoped her new partner, Yoo Hye-ji, might be different, but Yoo treated her as anything but ordinary—always deferring to her opinions and watching her cues, which only made Yoon Seoa uncomfortable.
Thus, she'd become a voluntary outcast. But she was still a normal person who felt loneliness. In this barren space, it hit harder.
"Maybe I should go for a walk…."
She hoped to run into Kim Siu. He looked at her squarely—not with the monster-gaze of those awed by her power, but with mockery. He'd even teased her.
It annoyed me, but….
How many could speak that way to Daehan Academy's top cadet, Yoon Seoa? It felt like the foundation for the equal relationship she craved.
"If I see him…. That'd be nice."
Walking the path after leaving Professor Kang Mina's office. Summer's approach made it a bit muggy, but today the world looked beautiful.
"Haaah~"
Stretching languidly, savoring the rare leisure.
How hard had she pushed for finals? She'd beaten Yoon Seoa, and Kang Mina was in his grasp after just a month.
"Didn't expect it to go negative, but her favorability even rose."
Kang Mina's favorability was at 9. It had actually dropped from 32 to 1, but rebounding from the bottom mattered—it signaled potential.
Surprisingly, she seemed to like the praise.
He wanted to probe her thoughts, but only direct access revealed inner feelings. Still, good was good. A solid start.
Plus, things with Kang Minji were progressing well. Under her name now read "Heroine," and her lendable skills window was empty.
Is this because Minji has no skills yet?
Yes, that is correct.
A shame, but +10 stamina was plenty.
The walk left him feeling warmer. Grades announcement would clear the scenario quest.
Right, Maquina?
Yes. The quest will complete the moment your grades are posted.
Beat Yoon Seoa, perfect written scores—things looking good?
He'd won the spar, but practicals measured raw physicals and mana—unlikely high scores there. Still, beating Yoon Seoa was achievement enough.
Please check directly.
Tell me a bit—does it hurt?
In his hand was a small vial—the special elixir for Kang Minji, mixed from his semen and a drink. He'd applied a body-enhancement buff for her spar today, so he'd have her drink it.
One worry: Buffs were canceled before spars started.
"It counts as a buff, but… will it get flagged?"
To get her to drink his semen, he messaged Kang Minji.
Plenty of time before Kang Minji's spar, but he planned to prep early. He'd called her to the path, claiming he had something for her, and now waited.
How much time passed? A familiar silhouette appeared in the distance.
"…."
Her striking looks and figure were unmistakable even from afar—Kang Minji had arrived on the path.
Seeming lost, not spotting him, he waved cheerfully.
"Over here."
"…?"
Their eyes met, but she scowled and looked away. Then her smartwatch chimed.
Doesn't she recognize me?
Kang Minji approached, face skeptical.
"Minji, you came?"
"Kim Siu…?"
"Yeah?"
"No…. It's just…."
Her reaction wasn't bad. He stood and approached, now even shorter relative to her than before, leaning in close to her face.
"What, something on my face?"
Her face flushed red. The power of looks?
"Y-you…. You changed so suddenly…. Still getting used to it!"
She shoved him away as she spoke. He chuckled and sat back on the bench.
"What're you doing? Sit."
"Huh? Oh…. Yeah."
He'd thought seeing his face would boost favorability, but no.
Minji doesn't judge by looks alone.
Fascinated by his changed face, Kang Minji stole glances from beside him.
"So…. Second awakening?"
"Yeah."
"You looked normal yesterday though…."
"Woke up like this."
"R-really? Not bad for a loser."
Relief—he'd worried if she hated it. Men and women see differently, after all.
"So why'd you call me?"
"Hm…. This is for you."
The special elixir he'd produced alone after sending off Kang Mina. A twinge of guilt thinking of her drinking it unknowingly.
She eats all sorts of weird stamina boosters. This is tame!
"What's this?"
"Good for fatigue."
"Looks super suspicious, you loser! Bubbles and weird floaties!"
"Would I give you something weird? Drink up, it's fine."
"W-well, true…."
As they bickered, a familiar face appeared. Cute features with an expressionless look, small stature but ample chest—Yoon Seoa.
"Yoon Seoa?"
"Coming this way."
Their eyes met, and Yoon Seoa headed over.
"Seoa, what's up?"
Kang Minji asked, but Yoon Seoa ignored her, staring intensely at his face. She tilted her head.
"Kim Siu…?"
"Uh…. Yeah, that's me."
Kang Minji hadn't recognized him, but Yoon Seoa nailed it instantly. Impressive.
"Was looking for you."
The unexpected words from Yoon Seoa.
"Me? Why?"
"Give me your number."
She held out her smartwatch.
"????"
What? What situation was this?
Minji, any idea what this means?
He turned to see Kang Minji glaring at him, eyes narrowed.