Chapter 36

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 36

Chapter Title: Team Without a Team (2)

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Endex Academy dorms. In Soliet's single room, the quiet clicks of a mouse and the steady patter of laptop keys echoed softly.

[College Board: Most anticipated freshman class in nearly 20 years, Endex prospect list]

[Scout Jack Barrian's knight order mock draft]

Soliet was surfing online communities. One hand pressing the mouse repeatedly, her eyes darting ceaselessly.

[Why Endgame topped the box office.jpg]

[Tried making a rocket with sticks.]

It was her routine, an essential daily task. She scoured some thirty sites each day—articles on knights, mages, mana artisans, universities, general boards, women-only, men-only, blind anonymous, public communities, marriage info services, and more. Starting with the posts that had the most comments and upvotes, she spent over six hours ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠daily gauging the hot issues capturing public attention.

Having cut back on sleep due to nightmares, she'd stumbled into this internet world by chance, and it had become a vital hobby for her.

Among them, the community Soliet lurked on most was 'Ed(ED)'—the one with the biggest user base, where anyone could post anonymously regardless of status, class, ability, position, or wealth.

She'd sorted the posts by upvotes.

Vertical jump: 687 cm.

This record had been the talk of communities everywhere since the Endex campus paper bit the bait. After all, it was a draft figure close to the record in the 'strong body' category.

Soliet scrolled down quickly.

Another post caught her eye.

Famous scout Jack Benishi's projected rankings. His own talent was nothing special, but with Spectrum heavily skewed toward observation, he was a top-tier analyst.

Click.

Soliet, who'd been number one last year, had dropped to third, while Gerkken and Elise had climbed to first and second.

She didn't care.

She hit Ctrl+F and searched for another name.

[Sion Askal]

[No search results.]

As expected. This guy wasn't even worth evaluating by anyone—he was trash so insignificant that even the neighbor's dog would scoff.

Whenever she browsed communities, it was clear he was no different from spammers sending DMs or scammers luring people into parcel scams on secondhand markets.

No need to pay him any mind.

Who was that?

She checked the profile pic. It was Kieli.

Jack Benishi's projected rank: 16th.

Soliet usually ignored gossip, but this one piqued her curiosity.

Was Kieli really the owner of that button? The one who'd jumped 687 cm?

She tapped out a quick reply.

Thursday evening. Before heading to Parascal, I stopped by Sebeon Mana Knowledge.

You know, the artifact shop that remembered the SZX-9500 last time.

"Does just touching it like that do anything?"

My goal was the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠same as before.

"Oh... just browsing some artifacts I might want to buy."

Three items to memorize: 'Portable Mana Splitter,' 'Mana Gauge,' and 'Compass.'

The cylindrical portable splitter dispersed mana like a spectrometer to reveal its attributes and properties. The mana gauge measured ambient mana density like a hygrometer. And the compass was, well, a compass.

Maybe because they were less advanced than the SZX-9500, they stuck in my memory without much strain.

"Does this place even turn a profit, though?"

I set the items down and asked. The antique shop stocked cutting-edge artifacts, but the shelves looked just as dusty as last week.

The owner grinned back.

"Worried about the Hilton family right now?"

"..."

I had nothing to say to that.

The Hilton family's wealth was 'officially' unknown.

Both before and after my regression, it was all estimates. Underworld types said whatever you imagined, it was more. The public knew maybe a tenth; the rest was illiquid or impossible to cash in.

"Yeah, something like that. Thanks anyway. I'll just take this one today. How much?"

I picked up an item—a long rod that split into two prongs midway, basically a tuning fork-shaped artifact.

"A mana tuning fork? For you?"

"Yeah."

The owner looked puzzled.

The mana tuning fork was made from ma stones and steel in set ratios, conducting mana effortlessly—mostly used by 'beginners.' People who struggled to emit or control mana outside their bodies loved it, so it was basically a crutch unfit for Endex students.

"Got a use for it."

"Hm. 1,000 Ren."

I handed over my precious 1,000 Ren. The owner pulled another from the counter drawer.

"One plus one."

"Oh. Thanks."

I gratefully accepted.

Time to sell it on the secondhand market.

I left Sebeon Mana Knowledge and returned to my temp lodging. I packed my duffel from the mining class, grabbing my wristwatch and mandragora harvesting gear too.

Fully equipped, I hailed a taxi in the Endex district.

"Edshilla Station."

First stop, Edshilla Station—twenty minutes away.

One of the continent's largest stations, [Edshilla Station] bustled even at night. Skin tones, hair colors, eye shades, languages—all varieties.

I crossed the concourse and bought a ticket.

"One-way to Parascal."

No idea how other teams would reach Parascal. But per future 'news' I'd heard, at least some would come in droves. I still hadn't cracked the key mana formula, but I had a plan of sorts.

[The train is entering the platform. Please board only after it stops and the doors fully open.]

Edshilla's high-speed ML train. Its pointed nose sliced through the night sky toward the platform.

I checked my wristwatch.

10 p.m.

Two hours to Parascal, so about ten hours spare even padding the assembly time.

"...Shouldn't be late."

Scratching my neck, I boarded the stationary high-speed train.

Friday, 6 a.m.

Soliet's team arrived in Parascal. They'd come in Kieli's nine-seater van; now they were hiking a mountain path on foot.

"That mana formula's wild. We thought it'd be navigation."

One teammate muttered. A paper bird fluttered ahead of them.

The team had figured it was a map-related mana formula, but when Soliet completed it, out popped this bird.

The pathfinder guiding their expedition team was this paper bird.

She'd seen paper bird formulas in last class, but this one—with a specific 'purpose'—was far more complex and tricky.

"Best not to have preconceptions about mana formulas."

Kieli said it like profound advice, puffing up.

"Means you gotta broaden your horizons."

Soliet—who'd implemented it solo—walked on silently.

She'd ignored her teammates from the start. No chit-chat unless necessary, no facial tics, just occasional phone checks.

"Hey! It stopped there."

A teammate pointed. Midway up the mountain, a massive boulder half-buried in the slope. The bird perched chirping atop it.

"...Looks right. So, team ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leader, what's the password?"

Another asked. Their group project roles had them segmenting the formula; after that, Soliet took over everything.

"Password..."

Kieli muttered, glancing at Soliet. She shook her head.

"No password."

Kieli chimed in on cue.

"No password."

"For real? Then?"

"...Team leader will show you now. It's her part."

Kieli pointed at Soliet. She'd closed her eyes, as if prepping her dantian.

Everyone held their breath to avoid disturbing her.

Soon her eyes reopened—retinas flushed red. Mana bundles rose from her body, converging in her grip.

The chaotic, flame-like strands soon obeyed her, tracing a formula in the air. Circuits intertwined in void-space; a mana core formed.

"Whoa, whoa—"

"Shh. Quiet."

Innumerable lines and shapes meshed like gears in a precise mana formula. Into the glowing circular pattern, Soliet abruptly thrust her hand. Clutching something, she yanked it free with a shrrrrk!

A mana key.

Showing the red-burning thing—like her own hair—Soliet declared,

"The key."

"Uh... yeah. Sure."

"...She's insane. Team leader for real."

The teammates marveled. Even four seniors pooling mana would've taken hours; she did it solo, effortlessly.

"Let's go."

Soliet slotted the key into the rock. Clunk! Part of the boulder yawned open like a door. She entered first.

Kieli beckoned the stunned teammates.

"What're you waiting for? In."

"Ah, yeah."

"C'mon, move."

The tunnel was deep, dank, and dark like a cave. As teammates grimaced, Soliet ahead ignited her mana like a blaze, illuminating everything.

"True hard carry."

"...Right? Who's saying Gerkken's number one?"

They gushed over her reliable, imposing, steadfast form as they walked—then,

"Over here~"

A familiar voice drifted from ahead.

"Nice to see you~ Came through entrance three."

The handler, Asilen, torch in hand. Soliet's team had half-expected it since the bird appeared.

As they approached, she rifled her files.

"Endex faces... regular team, right?"

"Pardon?"

"Not stragglers?"

Stragglers? Kieli scoffed.

"Obviously regular team."

Asilen tilted her head.

"Then why six people? Should be five per team."

Six? What nonsense.

Kieli frowned.

Regular teams were definitely five: one leader picks four. Stragglers grouped themselves—could be six, ten, whatever.

"We're five..."

Kieli counted as he spoke.

Front: Soliet—one.

Next: me, Kieli—two.

Me behind: Selon—three.

Selon behind: Karius—four.

Karius behind: Arjen—five.

Very back: hooded figure... six?

Goosebumps crawled over Kieli. Felt like a spider on his neck.

"Gaaah!"

He screamed late. Teammates scattered in fright.

"Wh-who're you?!"

All but Soliet panted, staring at the 'sixth' in back.

Ghost or whatever, the sixth raised a hand calmly.

"I'm not regular team."

"Then what?"

"Straggler."

Then Soliet's mana turned on him. Bonfire-red glow lit his face.

Sharp white features. Cropped blond hair, ever-rotten golden eyes.

He introduced himself.

"Sion Askal."

Asilen peered past his shoulder.

"Other teammates?"

"None."

"Solo team?"

"Yes."

"Why'd you come with them?"

By now, Soliet's team grasped it—their faces soured.

Sion Askal shrugged.

"Timing lined up by chance."

"..."

Soliet sighed faintly. Kieli raked his hair, fuming.

Asilen just smiled.

"Fine by me. Getting in here's the assignment anyway. College Board says the cheated party's at fault? Follow~"

She headed in, but Soliet's team froze, glaring daggers at Sion Askal.

"Yes. Coming."

Yet the cheater strode ahead brazenly.

How could he wear such thick skin?

As he passed, Soliet asked,

"Were you tailing us?"

"..."

Sion nodded silently.

A tiny spark lit her empty eyes.