The Beginning (2)
The Beginning (2)
This place is a game world, but it's reality.
A world modeled after that notoriously unbalanced mess of a game, 〈Savior〉.
Towers and dungeons, mana and unique abilities—things that don't exist in the real world are all here.
It was a game-like world where one person's power could overturn an entire city.
But at the same time, it's reality.
When a single 3rd-Rank monster appeared in the already crumbling capital of China, millions died, and that vast landmass was soaked in poison and abandoned.
If a dungeon erupts in a city where people are living their daily lives, hundreds can die like nothing.
An entire continent can be transformed into a demon realm under the influence of one monster.
If I keep treating this world like it's just a game worth observing, the day will come when I pay for it.
This isn't a place with rigidly set routes like a game. It's a world where every choice I make creates countless possibilities.
If there are a hundred people, there are a hundred ways to live.
Treating people with lives of their own as mere NPCs was both delusional and disrespectful.
I had reflected on that clearly that morning.
I was certain this mindset would bring about terrible consequences for my future self, and I resolved never to make hasty judgments based on game knowledge again.
People are simple yet complex... hard-to-define entities.
"...Want some candy?"
A voice cut through my musings from right beside me. Hong Yeon-hwa, seated at the desk next to mine, hesitated for a moment, then reached out her hand.
In her palm lay a piece of candy. Its luxurious packaging, the sort you rarely see, was striking.
Isn't this incredibly expensive candy?
[Thank you]
I took the candy and was about to slip it into my pocket when Hong Yeon-hwa's gaze made my body freeze for an instant.
She was looking at the candy I'd accepted with a somewhat tense... almost anxious expression.
'Hm...'
Since it was a gift, I figured it'd be awkward to just shove it in my pocket, so I unwrapped it and popped it into my mouth. I couldn't taste a thing, of course.
As I rolled the candy around in my mouth, Hong Yeon-hwa's anxious expression brightened all at once. It was a dramatic shift anyone would notice.
'.......'
The stares around me were sharp. Like people witnessing an impossible miracle.
Baek A-rin, who had turned in her seat to look this way, blinked. Her mouth hung open; she looked dumbfounded.
She could even make that kind of face? That was strangely fascinating.
Hong Yeon-hwa was the person I'd harbored the biggest prejudice against, even if just for a short time.
I'd learned that, unlike the original work, her personality wasn't solely fiery, impatient, and foul.
I understood she wasn't someone I needed to fear blindly and avoid.
I knew she was the kind of person who could bow her head and ask for forgiveness when she'd done wrong.
I know all that, but...
"Is it good? It's a kind I especially enjoy."
[Yes. It's delicious]
"Really? I stocked up on quite a few in advance. Should I send some over to you?"
Why is she sitting next to me and leaving Baek A-rin alone up there?
Why does she sit down beside me only to keep sneaking glances, flinching slightly at every little thing I do?
Why, with an anxious face, does she press candy into my hand, brighten up when I eat it, and then, eyes sparkling, ask if she should bring me more when I say it's good... I really don't get it.
If I'd gotten out and met a few more people, would I understand the reason behind Hong Yeon-hwa's current bizarre behavior?
With belated regret, a memory of the internet friend I'd at least managed to open up to surfaced.
▶Agapanthus: go outside or something
▶Me: no
▶Agapanthus: how can you stay in your house the entire year. get some sun, get some fresh air. yeah? meet some people too.
▶Me: no
▶Agapanthus: oh you big baby. this is advice from someone who's genuinely worried. it's not like you're gonna live on the internet forever.
▶Me: i'll think about it
Agapanthus. An internet friend I'd ended up in occasional contact with.
Go outside, meet some people, you're so unsociable because you're always cooped up at home, come out and I'll buy you a meal, etc., etc...
They were someone who'd poke their nose into my business like some kind of guardian.
That friend's advice only now came rushing back to me.
'I should've gone out and walked around a bit...'
I never knew my karma for holing up at home, insisting I didn't want to meet people, that being alone was most comfortable and best, would come back like this.
- Screech
Just then, the lecture hall's front door opened. I'd known it was coming, thanks to Spatial Perception.
My current Spatial Perception had a hundred-meter diameter and even included color. Far from hindering my daily life, it now gave me an advantage.
It's gotten to the point where my conscience stings at receiving all this consideration just because I'm blind and physically frail.
With this, my visual conditions are far better than a normal person's.
Was I basically disabled in name only? I was receiving sympathetic looks for being blind while my actual visual awareness was better than an ordinary person's...
And so I'd told Hong Yeon-hwa that nothing was inconvenient for me at all, that I could sense things incredibly well, but her attitude never changed.
In Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes, am I just a weakling who could drop dead at any moment and no one would be surprised?
Either way, thanks to her, all the attention focused on me shifted instantly toward the front door.
The tap, tap of dress shoes echoed. A few strides of those long legs, and the figure was up on the podium in no time.
The person who'd entered was a woman whose emerald eyes stood out prominently. As though every mage in this world followed the same dress code, this woman was also wrapped in a large robe.
Standing before the lectern, she swept her gaze across the lecture hall's interior once, then gave a bright smile.
The murmuring had vanished from the moment the front door opened. That was because the aura she radiated was far from ordinary.
"Hello there? I'm the new professor in charge of the Ipchun Class, and I'll also be teaching Basic Spirits—my name is Liana Bellus~"
Contrary to her formidable aura, a bright, clear voice spread through the lecture hall.
When the professor stated her name, a low buzz arose nearby.
Keywords like spirit mage, retirement, African Demon Realm.
She was someone I knew as well.
Liana Bellus. A supporting character you occasionally see in the academy's Demon Realm field area; I remember her Association-certified grade being Top-grade.
A Top-Grade Hero was a world-class powerhouse who can even contend in combat against a 3rd-Rank Monster.
At 3rd Rank, a monster can destroy a city like it's nothing... so I get at least a small sense of what a monstrous powerhouse she is.
"My hero grade is Upper rank, 297th! I'll have you know I'm skilled enough to be within the top 0.1 percent even if I look like this!"
So she's not Top-grade yet?
Makes sense; the earliest she'd head to the African Demon Realm would be after her second year. Two years is plenty of time for things to change.
The cadets' eyes sparkled at the professor's introduction.
Not Top-grade, but Upper rank. But no one in their right mind was disappointed by that.
The Association, managed by the Tower Masters of Space and Harmonization, classifies superhuman grades based on achievements like monster subjugation.
Six grades: Top, Upper, Mid-Upper, Mid-Lower, Lower, and Lowest.
As I recall from the setting, fewer than 300 people worldwide are Top-grade, and there aren't even 30,000 at Upper rank.
Wasn't the total number of heroes around the globe somewhere around 5 million?
Among all those, she's an Upper-Rank superhuman and ranked within the top 300.
That's qualification enough and then some for a Siyoram professor.
"It's unavoidable to be tired in the morning, but what needs to be done must be done, right? You've all already seen the academic schedule notice, but I'll explain it personally as per procedure."
For someone who'd introduced herself as a new faculty member, she was skillfully guiding the cadets' reactions.
"This semester is referred to as the so-called 'Free Semester,' yes? As the name implies, it's a period where you attend various lectures regardless of your major or field."
"We saw the notice, but we don't really understand it well."
"That's exactly why I'm here to explain it for you!"
Professor Liana pointed a finger at the male cadet who'd said he didn't understand, as though to say, 'Exactly,' and added an explanation.
"In short, a student majoring in close-quarters combat can attend a magic-related lecture without any problem."
Free Semester.
It's a term I've heard somewhere, even back on Earth.
As the name suggests, it refers to a period where you can take all sorts of lectures regardless of your major.
There were various reasons the Free Semester was created: for students like me, admitted solely on potential without a clear career path; to check for hidden potential even among those who'd chosen a path; and, broadly, to broaden perspectives by exposing cadets to diverse lectures... at least, that was the setting.
In short, it meant sampling a little of everything.
For me, possessing the unique ability called All-Rounder, it's a welcome arrangement.
"During the Free Semester period, you'll attend common lectures by grade in the morning, and major lectures classified by level in the afternoon."
The professor's explanation matched the original work's setting exactly.
Common lectures are held by class in the morning, and major lectures based on entrance exam scores are in the afternoon.
Siyoram divides cadets into three classifications based on entrance scores: 'Basic,' 'Skilled,' and 'Advanced.'
The level of the classes increases in the order of Basic, Skilled, Advanced.
There's no need to be upset about being in the Basic Class; if you have the skills, you can move up to a higher class through testing.
Also, Basic doesn't mean they just half-ass it. The level of instruction is still top-tier; it's just basic compared to the other classes.
Special Admission Cadets start from the Basic Class. The same goes for cadets brought in on recommendation based on potential alone.
After all, you can't exactly shove people who haven't properly learned anything yet into Skilled or Advanced.
"Whew... and with that, the announcements are done!"
Professor Liana, who'd been explaining for dozens of minutes without rest—covering the lengthy academic and exam schedules, the timing for entering the Tower of Growth, and school rules first-years needed to know—let out a deep sigh.
Questions had come in intermittently, which delayed things even more.
"The Free Semester for first-years is especially notorious for being packed with lectures, you know? Let's all do our best to endure it! Things will ease up from next semester!"
Having quickly recovered her composure, Professor Liana gave a playful smile.
"So, since it's the first day, I'm sure you all know what we'll be doing, right?"
The first day of class. Usually called orientation, wasn't it?
These kinds of events were randomized, so it was hard to predict anything based on the original work.
But I wasn't particularly worried.
Because in the original, it was nothing more than a simple event that concluded in a few lines of text.
I didn't need to rely on the original setting; it wasn't a common or major lecture anyway—just the homeroom professor's introductory time, so we wouldn't do anything special.
Most of the time, it'd be an overview of the lectures they're in charge of, a re-measurement and check of abilities, or maybe them sharing stories from their active duty days—
"On the first day, what else could it be but self-introductions! Alright, let's start with the cadet in the very front row, farthest to the right!"
'Shit?'
.
.
.
Self-introductions.
The act of informing people you're meeting for the first time about your name, background, and so on...
At first, I was taken aback. Because the original work had no such event as self-introductions. I'd never done anything like a self-introduction before, and certainly not in front of this many people.
But thinking about it carefully, self-introductions weren't all that strange. No, wouldn't it actually be a perfectly normal procedure?
As we all know, in a field where personal connections are incredibly important, introducing yourself might be the most natural thing in the world.
The clear fact was that I, having done nothing but shut myself away at home, had no grounds to judge.
"Ha-yul, are you feeling sick?"
[No, I'm fine]
So, there was nothing to fear. No reason at all to get a stomachache. I'd just stand at the lectern, roughly state my name and some characteristics, and be done with it.
It's the simplest thing in the world.
I told Hong Yeon-hwa, who was looking concerned and saying I didn't look well, not to worry, and I focused my Spatial Perception.
While this was going on, the self-introductions continued.
"Katsuki Yusei, combat major. I possess a unique ability concerning the sword. If you ever wish to discuss martial study, feel free to offer your thoughts anytime."
Katsuki Yusei, the one who'd flown at me during the banquet and knocked me out cold.
"My name is Ellia Srade, support major! Let's get along well!"
Ellia, whose applause was particularly intense, probably because she'd already made a lot of friends.
"I'm Baek A-rin, combat major~ Currently looking for new friends!"
Baek A-rin, who drew a positive response from the cadets with a lighthearted demeanor unbefitting someone backed by such a terrifying family.
And so on.
The self-introductions proceeded without a hitch. The cadets still seemed a bit awkward with each other, but there were jokes mixed in here and there, and above all, Professor Liana personally stepped in to foster a gentle atmosphere.
Most of the cadets' self-introductions were wrapping up.
"Hong Yeon-hwa, combat major. Let's get along well from now on."
Hong Yeon-hwa, who'd finished her introduction with an indifferent expression, her earlier habit of sneaking glances at me completely gone.
Which meant the order had finally reached me, right next to Hong Yeon-hwa.
"Alright, next! Cadet Lee Ha-yul!"
The gentle atmosphere halted abruptly. Silence fell over the lecture hall, tinged with various emotions.
'Hoo...'
When I rose from my seat, gazes focused on me. Earlier they'd at least pretended to hide their stares, but now, with a clear excuse, they were openly watching.
I trudged down the lecture hall steps. Professor Liana, standing at one corner of the podium, had her eyes sparkling.
A look full of anticipation.
...I'd thought maybe there was some deeper meaning to the self-introductions, but now a suspicion arose that Professor Liana's own enjoyment was the real objective.
I stood before the lectern. Through Spatial Perception, I felt all the eyes looking this way.
"......"
My throat seized up in an instant.
I'd experienced having attention fixed on me before. Walking around the city, on subways and buses, at the gate terminal, in the commercial district where I'd stopped to buy daily necessities, and at the welcome party too.
Attention had been fixed on me. Interest had gathered. I'd even received countless requests for handshakes at the welcome party. I'd dodged people asking me to drink together by making excuses.
I couldn't run away now. The atmosphere wasn't even bustling. In the silence where you could even hear someone swallow dryly, I had to speak.
An indescribable pressure pressed down on my entire body. My head grew dizzy.
The corners of my mouth trembled slightly.
I gulped past my dry throat and opened my mouth.
'Ni—'
"—ce to, ack! Gah, hrrk...! Kehk, kehkeh...!"
"Ha-yul?!"
"Kehk, keh...!"
Ah, shit.
The Curse of Silence.