Chapter 12
Terminally Ill, but It's Okay — Episode 12
It was strange. Very much so.......
Enough to even make me suspect that Joo A-rin might be mistaken.
I was about to ask again, but it seemed my expression had already given it away.
"You really are exhausting in every possible way."
Joo A-rin let out a shallow sigh and showed me the number ticket she had drawn.
"It's real."
Once I saw it, I had no choice but to believe it.
It really was a 9. A real 9, not an upside-down 6. A disbelieving laugh escaped me before I knew it.
The plot had changed.......
Given how the occupation battle's difficulty depended on the draw, Joo A-rin's team was supposed to encounter a moderate-difficulty Monster called a Saripgoe and clear the stage early.
Finishing in 4th place was the established course of events.
But an upset had occurred.
Could something have gone wrong because of the variable that was me?
"Tch, how are we supposed to fight dragging two dead weights along?"
Kang Cheol-min, who had no idea what was going on, sneered, but I ignored him lightly.
"Any more questions? If not, let's head to the staging area."
Joo A-rin turned away coldly and walked ahead with quick steps.
I followed behind her for now.
Worrying wasn't going to solve anything.
The team's condition was far from great, but we had Joo A-rin, who ranked above Lee Dae-ho, and me, who packed a punch at least in a single strike.
So it would work out somehow.
"Well, it's not 1st place, just around 3rd."
It would be a lie to say I wasn't anxious, but I wasn't afraid.
Isn't momentum the foundation of combat, after all?
Whatever came, worst-case or otherwise, I'd smash the head of anything standing in my way.......
You needed at least that much resolve to go in with half a chance.
At least by the common sense I knew.
* * *
The location of the G-17 nest that our Class A was to occupy was somewhere near Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province.
By car, it would easily take an hour, but this was a world originally from a novel.
It was equipped with convenient transportation devices that made physical distance negligible.
Crackle, crackle.
We stood before the portal with the code number 'G-17-9' prepared behind the plaza.
Passing through that curtain of light would take us straight to Initial Stage 9 of the G-17 nest without any cumbersome travel.
It was a type of long-distance movement magic that Taehak had installed in advance.
"All of Team 4, standing by."
As Joo A-rin reported, a moment later, Lee Taek-jin's voice came through the in-ear piece.
—Reception is good. Evaluation begins the moment you enter. Team 4's objective today is to occupy Initial Stage 9. Time, team safety, and difficulty are the evaluation factors. Good luck.
Entry had been authorized.
"Everyone ready?"
"Yeah. A-rin, I'm counting on you!"
"......Yes, I'm ready."
"Alright, let's go!"
"Until we assess the situation, I'll prioritize safety over speed. Please maintain your positions."
Joo A-rin raised her long, pale fingers and gave the signal.
The team members matched her timing and leaped into the portal at regular intervals.
At the very front was Kang Cheol-min of the Superhuman Track, capable of both offense and defense.
Behind him was Min Young-ji of the Support Track, who would serve as guide.
The ranged support types followed in order of immediate response capability: Joo A-rin of the Summoning Track, then Lee Min-ha of the Magic Track.
Last was the slowest but most destructively powerful, the Sorcery Track.
That was me.
This was the position order we had set while moving to the entrance.
I boldly leaped in after the team members who had entered first.
"Hk."
At that moment, my body spun as if I had stepped into a drain without knowing any better.
My vision went dark, and all directions were pitch black.
......Damn.
For all my bravado in throwing myself forward, I landed in a rather unsightly manner.
Whoooooosh───────!
It felt like riding a roller coaster with my eyes closed while standing.
On top of that, as my sense of direction grew hazy, my stomach churned too.
Thud.
Fortunately, I reached the end faster than expected.
Ugh.......
Luckily, it wasn't a stone floor, but something soft.......
"Aagh! My back!"
"Aaaaaargh. You crazy bastard!"
......So it wasn't.
No wonder there was a sour smell.
"Ugh, X—. Move it, you idiot! Is this your first time using a portal?!"
Yeah, it's my first time. You bastard.
Through my clearing vision, I saw a somewhat narrow back pinned under my ass.
Probably justice being served.
Heaven must have sent Kang Cheol-min down as my stepping stone.
"Heave-ho."
"Aaaaargh, you son of a......."
To honor that noble intent, I stood up, grinding my foot into his stubby hand.
"X—. You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
He had decent instincts, at least.
"I can't take it anymore. You bastard, I haven't liked you since the scholarship selection match."
Why bring up the scholarship now?
Kang Cheol-min, thoroughly worked up, came toward me with glaring eyes, looking ready to throw a punch—or several.
"Are you okay?"
At least, until Joo A-rin hurried over and gently rested a hand on his shoulder.
Kang Cheol-min was instantly flustered and turned red for a different reason.
"Well, I mean. I did break my fall on instinct......."
"Hoo."
Only then did Joo A-rin let out a relieved breath, her expression relaxing.
"W-were you that worried......? Ahem. Did you think I'd get hurt?"
"Of course. What if safety points had been deducted from the start? The person underneath should have dodged."
Ah, so it was the points, not him?
"And as team leader, I'm warning you—avoid pointless tension. If this keeps up, I'll report it to the professor separately."
"......Yeah."
Kang Cheol-min looked like he had expected something more, and I felt embarrassed on his behalf.
Joo A-rin, turning away with a cold attitude again, snapped a word at me too.
"You need to get your head on straight too. This isn't like the diagnostic assessment—you can't just luck your way through it."
It was rather humiliating, but not as much as for that guy.
Feeling a pang of pity, I apologized to him.
"Sorry about that."
"......Shut up."
At that moment, Lee Min-ha came trotting over and murmured to Kang Cheol-min.
"Cheol-min, thanks."
Huh? Is that right?
* * *
The situation was quickly wrapped up.
Joo A-rin hurried the delayed report.
—Team 4. Entry complete.
—I'll relay the information. Confirm it.
Soon after, Lee Taek-jin's voice came through the earpiece, and a phone vibrated in Joo A-rin's pocket.
Joo A-rin took out the phone and shared the information with the rest of the team.
It was information on the Monster lurking in Initial Stage 9, our objective for the day.
[Entity: Kkeomeoksari]
[Danger Level: Grade 10 - Grade 7]
[Attribute: Darkness (55%)]
[Characteristics: A Monster that lives in groups. Capable of turning intangible, allowing it to pass through terrain and objects. Primitive but intelligent. The leader is comparatively strong.]
"Ah, shit."
"Kkeomeoksari? That's a really troublesome Monster, right?"
The faces of the team members who checked the information darkened.
It was Kkeomeoksari, just like in the original.
A Monster about the size of a three-year-old child, but ferocious in temperament and black all over.
Even at only 55%, Darkness was a troublesome attribute to face.
They moved in groups, so their numbers reached dozens.
On top of that, the leader was Grade 7.
On the Grade 10-to-Grade 1 scale, that put it around the lower-middle range, but it was still not easy for a second-year student to handle.
The Monster I had caught before was Grade 9, so this would be the strongest one I had faced so far.
......But.
Wait....... Catch Monsters?
In that instant, my original mission, which I had forgotten, flashed through my mind.
"You idiot. Of all things to forget."
After all that suffering, I had completely blanked on it.
Wasn't Monster hunting another way to gain time?
Even if it was because of the quest, I was currently on my way to hunt Monsters.
And it was a nest, no less.
A nest!
The kind where Monsters swarmed in on their own once you entered.
"Heh heh, if I catch them all, how many hours would I earn?"
I barely managed to suppress the laughter leaking out.
In contrast, Joo A-rin wore a fairly serious expression.
"Looks like we drew the worst one. Still, stronger monsters mean a higher difficulty score, so let's try to look on the bright side."
On that point, at least, I agreed.
I judged it as a gain, since the stronger the opponent, the more time they would cough up.
"Since they're Darkness-aligned, let's start with our attributes. I can use Water and Freezing."
"I'm in the Superhuman Track, so mine's simple. Just Earth."
"I mainly use Fire magic, and I can handle a little Metal too."
"I-I'm Wind. It probably won't help much in combat......."
When Joo A-rin asked, Kang Cheol-min, Lee Min-ha, and Min Young-ji answered in order.
Then my turn came.
"I can do all......."
I barely swallowed the words I was about to say.
That was close.
Attributes, along with mana and traits, were fundamental elements of this setting.
There were six basic attributes: fire, water, metal, earth, wood, and wind.
Higher attributes included lightning, freezing, light, and darkness, which the Ten Great Families wielded like traits.
Each person had attributes they were naturally attuned to, and most grew based on those.
Two attributes was average; anyone with three or more was considered a multi-attribute user.
Four or more was extremely rare, and someone who could handle all of them, like Baek Sa-young later on, was called a heaven-sent talent, a genius.
But what would happen if I said I was in the same category?
Even if I blamed it on Manifestation, they wouldn't just doubt me—they'd think I was insane.
"Excuse me?"
Anyway, when Joo A-rin asked again, I gave her a vague answer.
"Fire, water, wind—three or so?"
"......You really handle all of those?"
"He's bullshitting. Rank 700 handling three attributes?"
Did I overstate it a bit?
Still, it wasn't without plausibility.
"He's from a sorcerer family."
"Ah. A sorcerer family......."
"Still, that's a bit......."
One hallmark of his sorcerer family was affinity with multiple attributes.
Instead of having one representative higher attribute, the family was known for combining basic attributes.
"Not sure if I can actually use them properly."
"......Understood for now. Then I'll explain the rough plan."
Fortunately, the mood shifted without further questioning.
Or maybe they just didn't believe me at all.......
Joo A-rin paused to think, then laid out the plan.
"To shorten the occupation time, you, Kang Cheol-min, need to handle the leader. Can you do it?"
"That much is a piece of cake. I was feeling stiff anyway, so this works out."
"......Don't overdo it, just hold it down. Once we quickly clear the regular ones, I'll finish it off."
Still uneasy, she assigned Lee Min-ha to support Kang Cheol-min, told Min Young-ji to focus on guiding us quickly and accurately, then finally turned her gaze to me.
She looked like she was giving it serious thought.......
"You......."
"Can you handle all the regular ones alone? I'll support you."
I spoke up first.
It was what I wanted too.
"Well, I don't know. Actually, I might be more comfortable alone."
......Oh, really?
I hadn't expected that.
Just as things were about to get awkward again, Joo A-rin reluctantly spoke up.
"Fine. For now, assist me."
"For now?"
"I mean....... It could change."
Would you look at that?
So if she decided I wasn't cutting it, she'd rather face them alone?
"Sure, then."
Well, it just meant Park Ha-yul's image was that bad.
I hadn't exactly shown anything.
I had become a special scholarship student, but not enough to overturn the existing image overnight.
But then again, when did life ever go exactly as planned?
Plans got tangled and thrown off course all the time. I just had to ride the confusion and take what I wanted from it.
I'd borrow Joo A-rin's strength to clean out the regular ones first, then aim for the exhausted leader at the end.
"Then we'll depart."
Joo A-rin took a small sphere from her pocket and sent it flying into the air.
Whirrrrr.
It was essentially a CCTV camera.
A magic-engineering device that livestreamed and recorded the entire occupation operation.
With that, all preparations were complete.
"Th-then I'll guide you."
We advanced with Min Young-ji as our guide.
Toward Initial Stage 9, the most difficult of them all—now a treasure trove of time.