110. Midterm Evaluation (1)

A first-year male cadet had defeated an academy instructor in a sparring match.

Despite that shocking incident, the world was surprisingly quiet.

That was because, while the fact that a male student admitted under the Male Quota System had beaten the "Fighting Dog" could have been a reasonably interesting and amusing piece of news,

the claim that the same male student had gone on to defeat an academy instructor was dismissed as an absurd and impossible false rumor.

Even among the cadets who had witnessed the scene firsthand,

the consensus was that "Instructor Hong Ji-na simply went easy on him at a cadet level,"

so for the general public, whose access to academy information was tightly restricted, it wasn't even worth discussing.

Two months had passed since then.

If this were a game, that time would have been nothing more than a skipped gap between events, but now that the game had become reality,

two months was an honest stretch of time that required repeating a full twenty-four hours sixty times over.

'Hmm, at this point in the story, I should've been butting heads with the Hunter Management Bureau by now....'

Sweat pouring down my face like beads, I was holding a Horse Stance with a hunk of iron the size of a house strapped to my back.

"That's enough. Stand up."

At the emotionless voice from in front of me, I steadied my breathing and straightened my legs.

All while keeping that chunk of iron slung across my back exactly where it was.

Baek Seol-hee spoke with an expressionless face.

"Now, try taking a step forward."

"Yes."

I gave a short answer and focused every ounce of my attention on my toes.

A step where the entire sole spreads to walk without leaving a trace or a sound on the ground.

Taking a step without leaving a trace on the ground while carrying a chunk of iron the size of a house on your back.

This was the prerequisite for the footwork technique I was currently learning, the Covert Step.

'But no matter how I think about it, this really doesn't seem like basic swordsmanship, does it?'

Chewing over a thought that felt far too late now, I channeled Mana into my lower body.

Even though it was just a single step forward, I had failed countless times up until now.

Perhaps all that training hadn't been for nothing, because I had at least succeeded in making my footsteps look ordinary even with the weight on my back.

But I had never once met the standard Baek Seol-hee demanded: "walking without leaving a single footprint."

It was supposedly training meant to temper my lower body, the foundation of all swordsmanship, while simultaneously teaching me footwork.

Honestly, I had my doubts about whether it was even physically possible.

But she had already demonstrated it herself and proved it could be done, so I didn't voice that thought aloud.

'Focus.'

Swoosh─

I honed the blade of my consciousness and slowly lifted my right foot.

I extended the foot forward as if brushing against the ground.

'Distribute my weight evenly across the entire sole....'

I couldn't quite grasp the difficult explanation about finding the intersection where the sole and the earth push against each other,

but I'd built up enough gut instinct over time to somehow stretch my foot out at the right moment.

And then, the instant my center of gravity shifted onto my outstretched right foot,

I pulled my trembling, quivering left foot off the ground and stepped forward.

Thud!

My left foot sank deep into the soft ground.

'...Ah, shit.'

"You've succeeded."

"What?"

I raised my head with a baffled look.

Didn't she see my left foot just sink into the ground?

My sole is currently, right this very second, pressing a deep footprint into the dirt, you know?

But then Baek Seol-hee gave a small nod.

The place she pointed at was my right foot.

I slowly lifted my right foot.

There, I could see that it had left no trace at all.

Even though I had clearly planted it heavily as I shifted my weight.

"...Wow. It actually worked."

As I stared at the pristine ground in amazement, Baek Seol-hee spoke.

"The Covert Step is a movement art that embodies the shadow. Even if you leave a trace in just one step out of a hundred, the technique must be considered a failure. However, you have only succeeded in taking a single step. So do not act rashly."

She gave the warning with a stern attitude.

But the corners of her lips, twitching ever so slightly, told me she was quite satisfied.

'I can read her expression now, even when her face is completely blank.'

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."

I bowed my head with a grin.

"Even so, hmm. Since you succeeded, I shall give you a gift."

"A gift?"

"Yes. Though, to be honest, calling it a gift is a bit...."

Baek Seol-hee turned her head slightly and let her sentence trail off.

Her face remained as expressionless as ever, but when she adopted this attitude, it always meant she was feeling rather embarrassed.

'What is it?'

Hummm—

Baek Seol-hee pulled a single blue Medicinal Pill from her Subspace Tattoo and held it out to me.

'...This is!?'

The moment I identified what she was holding out, my eyes went wide.

'A Mana Increase Pill!!?'

A gacha item suddenly popping up here again?

And it wasn't just any material, either; it was an SSS-grade rare material with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an atrociously low drop rate.

I stared at Baek Seol-hee with a dazed look.

"I mean, I'm truly grateful you'd give me something like this, but... why all of a sudden?"

"Isn't the Midterm Evaluation period coming up soon."

Ah. The Midterm Evaluations.

My eyes sank at the mention of it.

'Well, I did get to coast along pretty nicely so far.'

Ordinarily, the early story right after the tutorial was supposed to unfold with a conflict against the Hunter Management Bureau, now headed by Ryu Jin-ju.

A development where the corrupt director was ousted, and Ryu Jin-ju, taking over the position, picked a fight with Velvet Academy, leading to a string of incidents.

But thanks to the swift action of Instructor Baek Seol-hee and the upperclassmen from the Demonized Human Extermination Squad, the change in bureau director was rendered null and void.

The Hunter Management Bureau was now more focused on strengthening its internal affairs than concerning itself with outside matters.

And so, the entire early-game storyline had been skipped!

And that time had been devoted entirely to training.

'If it's the Midterm Evaluation, it comes right after the Hunter Management Bureau story arc.'

Having this Mana Increase Pill would certainly be a tremendous help in the midterms.

'But still, this Mana Increase Pill is a bit much, isn't it...?'

It was a precious resource with a brutal drop rate even in the gacha, so what must it be like in this world with no gacha?

I might not know for certain, but it was probably an Elixir even Baek Seol-hee herself had never tried.

And she's just going to give something this precious to me without taking it herself?

Well, from my perspective as the one receiving it, I could just gulp it down and keep my mouth shut.

Perhaps my thoughts showed on my face, because Baek Seol-hee spoke in a calm voice.

"This was originally yours. I acquired it using the debt you placed on Kim Ji-won."

Oh. The current director of the Hunter Management Bureau?

'I'd completely forgotten about that.'

Honestly, even though I'd secured a personal debt from her back then, I hadn't really expected to get anything out of it.

'She's a character who doesn't even appear in the game. How would I know?'

I just figured that since she was the Hunter Management Bureau Director, I'd keep the debt on the books in case she could be of some help later.

As expected of my Instructor, she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠really did think of everything, didn't she?

"I called it a gift, but now that I think about it, I wonder if I even have the right to. I'm sorry. I used your rights as I pleased. The right you were likely saving for a future occasion, I used it on my own...."

"Wh-What? No! If you can get something this valuable, of course you should take it!"

I quickly waved my hands in denial.

'What on earth is my Master even saying!'

If I could use that personal debt to acquire a Mana Increase Pill, this was a massive bargain and then some. No, it was more like I'd flipped the entire board game over and won.

I hadn't even known she possessed this pill, but even if I had known and gone to demand it, would Kim Ji-won have handed it over meekly?

I was absolutely certain she wouldn't have.

She only gave it up so readily because it was Instructor Baek Seol-hee making the demand.

Even Chairwoman Rina was wary of the Instructor, so how could the Hunter Management Bureau Director refuse and hope to last?

Everyone was equal ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before the sword of the Slaughter-Crazed Woman.

'Right now, the director is probably weeping tears of blood.'

As I pictured Kim Ji-won having this precious resource snatched away, I offered a silent, half-hearted apology in my mind. Though I certainly wasn't going to give it back.

At the same time, my eyes sparkled with respect for Baek Seol-hee.

"Hm, I'm glad you put it that way."

Perhaps embarrassed, Baek Seol-hee subtly averted her gaze and held out the blue pill to me.

"Sit in the lotus position and consume the pill."

"Yes!"

I folded my legs into the lotus position and placed the blue pill she'd given me into my mouth.

The moment it touched my tongue, the pill dissolved softly.

A sensation of pure clarity filled my mouth.

* * *

Behind-the-Scenes Story.

The day before,

Velvet Hunter Academy Chairwoman's Office.

"...The Midterm Evaluations are coming up, so I am worried about Jin Yu-ha. And so, you came to see me?"

Nod.

Baek Seol-hee nodded with a completely placid face.

Chairwoman Rina opened her mouth with an expression that clearly said she had no idea what to do with this utterly doting disciple of hers.

'She's worried about that brat, so she wants to give him something...?'

It was preposterous.

Just what kind of guy was Jin Yu-ha, anyway!

For a first-year cadet who got in through the Male Quota System, he was a walking calamity who left a trail of upheaval wherever he went.

He popped out of nowhere and won the entrance sparring tournament, then immediately pulled the high-priority cadets Shin Se-hee and Kang Do-hee into his own party. After that, he dealt with a Demonized Human who had mutated inside the academy, and on top of that, he even defeated an instructor!

And that insolent gleam in his eyes, always sizing her up as if searching for something to take a bite out of, every single time he ran into her!

The image was still vivid in Chairwoman Rina's eyes.

The sight of Baek Seol-hee and Jin Yu-ha swinging their swords at each other, both cloaked in spine-chilling killing intent.

'That monster of a brat.'

Chairwoman Rina, who was praised as the Magic Emperor and would feel insulted to be called second-best in talent. It was almost unheard of for a cadet to receive such an assessment from her.

'And yet she's worrying about who?'

Watching Baek Seol-hee hover protectively around the monster kid as if he were some frail, delicate child, she felt like her head was going to explode.

Forget worrying about him, she ought to be worried about the other cadets taking the exam alongside him!

Rina firmly pressed her fingers into her brow.

"...Seol-hee. I understand that you cherish the boy, but this is overstepping your authority."

"Overstepping?"

Baek Seol-hee tilted her head as if she had no idea what Rina meant.

"Indeed. Is this not granting special favor to a single cadet in the Midterm Evaluations? And moreover, if I, the Chairwoman of the academy, were the one to grant it, how do you think the world would see it!"

"I was under the impression it was Velvet Academy's guiding principle to support and promote those with outstanding potential. On the contrary, I believe the world would praise us for producing an exceptional cadet."

Trembling─

Rina bit down hard on her lip.

If only she couldn't talk back!

Seeing this girl who had always maintained a lofty attitude, as if she had no care for any disciple, now prattling on in ways she'd never done before, made Rina's stomach twist in annoyance.

"Absolutely not! And that brat is the type who, no matter what hellhole you drop him into, will manage just fine on his own, so there's no need for you to worry about him!"

In the face of Chairwoman Rina's vehement refusal, Baek Seol-hee furrowed her brow.

'If the Chairwoman says no....'

The next place she went was the Hunter Management Bureau.

"What? What kind of nonsense is this? Hand over an Elixir?"

Hunter Management Bureau Director Kim Ji-won, who had been buried in work, looked up at the sudden appearance of a highway robber—no, at Baek Seol-hee—and wore the exact same expression Chairwoman Rina had.

"Director, you owe a personal debt to Jin Yu-ha."

"...Uh. Y-yes, that's true."

"But he didn't demand anything at the time, given the situation."

Despite placing Kim Ji-won in a personal debt back then, Jin Yu-ha hadn't asked for anything in particular.

Baek Seol-hee believed he had been considerate of Kim Ji-won, who was busy trying to restore order to the wrecked Hunter Management Bureau.

It was only natural for her kind-hearted disciple, who seemed so full of consideration for others and always looked as if he'd only take losses. But she didn't like it.

"My disciple showed consideration for you. He likely intended to wait until you had stabilized your internal affairs and got the Hunter Management Bureau back in order. However, even though things have been mostly settled now, I've not heard a single word from you."

Baek Seol-hee's voice was icy.

Yes, these selfish creatures called hunters were all the same.

Stung deeply by those words that jabbed right at his sore spot, Kim Ji-won answered in a shrunken voice.

"...A-An Elixir, will that do?"

"Yes. An Elixir that increases Mana. S-Rank."

"M-Mana!? S-S-Rank?"

Kim Ji-won's mouth fell open with a dumbfounded look.

An S-Rank Mana Elixir...!

Did she even know what kind of value that held when she asked for it?

No matter how much he was indebted to Jin Yu-ha!!!

"I am aware you possess one."

As the leader of the Demonized Human Extermination Squad, Baek Seol-hee had extended her reach across a considerable breadth of territory.

Among that network was information regarding an Elixir Kim Ji-won had acquired long ago.

"So I suggest you quietly hand it over. If you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠plan to simply wipe your mouth clean after accepting my disciple's goodwill...."

Shing—

Baek Seol-hee drew her sword and fixed a glare on Kim Ji-won.

Kim Ji-won's face drained of all color.