Chapter 8

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 8

Chapter Title: Dream (2)

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Endex during break season was quiet. The incoming first-year rookies and soon-to-be second-year sophomores were busy traveling, partying, and whatever else, while the prospective third-years and fourth-years challenging the College Board were occupied with tutoring, training, contests, and studying.

That was the life of rich elites or talented commoners.

Not mine.

I was in the empty Endex library, watching YouTube on the computer.

—Today, I'll teach you logging, or how to fell trees easily.

The skill I was currently practicing was woodworking, but beyond that, I was visually absorbing as many skills as possible: fishing, hunting, archery, cooking, and so on.

Naturally, all to integrate them into the Notebook's Look-See-Do.

—The most important thing is your stance first. Maintain your core tension and grip the axe firmly with both hands. For the first strike, swing down at an angle to carve a diagonal line into the surface.

Thwack! The axe on the monitor buried itself diagonally into the tree.

"Ah, so the first hit is a bit off-kilter?"

Everything I watched like this was memorized in the Notebook.

Simpler skills took up less space, and the more I mastered them physically through repetition, the less capacity they required.

—Next, strike straight down to interlock with that first diagonal cut. Dig in as deep as possible, thinking of forming a triangle on the tree's surface...

Among them, the process of 'mastering through physical repetition' I called 'embodiment'.

It meant accepting the Notebook's memories into my body, and once embodied, the skill wouldn't be forgotten easily.

Probably forever.

—There, the tree falls easily. It might be tough, but work hard... Please subscribe, like, and see you next time.

The video ended.

I mentally reviewed the logging technique, then left the library.

"Hm?"

But there was a poster on the hallway wall.

I scanned the list up and down.

"…Gonna see these faces again."

Like school is society, the mana high school had its hierarchies too. Based on status, wealth, family, ability, and such. Not just the administration, but the press and media divided students into pyramid tiers.

For example, S+ tier had only two even in this mana high.

The Arkne family's eldest daughter 'Soliet Arkne' and the Petra family's second daughter 'Elise Petra'.

Below them, S tier had two.

The once-in-a-generation talent 'Gerkken Kal Dun' and the heiress 'Rae Hilton'.

There were about five in A to A+ tiers too, and strangely, most of the high-tier kids had some connection to me. Some good, some bad. Some who put spaghetti on my head, locked me in the janitor's closet, threw trash at me… you know, that kind.

[Temporary assembly is Monday, February 25, in Cleam Hall. Absence may result in penalties.]

Anyway, tomorrow's temporary assembly was just to gather College Board participants in advance. To see faces, probe, and check each other out.

"Been a while since I'll see those mugs."

I might not have a temporary assembly, but I did have temporary lodgings.

The far corner of the old building's second floor. An abandoned storage room full of cobwebs.

I'd moved up from the elder's basement because staying there forever would draw eyes.

"Is this inside or outside?"

But it was freezing, breath visible, and there was no furniture at all. Just a mat on the floor, pillow, and blanket.

Not like I had money to live properly.

"…Sigh."

So I headed to the mountain behind the old building. I eyed the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠snow-covered trees and picked a suitable one.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Not too thick, not too thin. Perfect for firewood.

"This'll do."

Tap tap. I knocked on the roughly 5-meter tree with my finger. It felt solid.

"Let's try it."

I gripped the axe I'd borrowed from the elder. In that stance, I summoned the 'memory'.

In an instant, my senses sharpened all over. My body moved on its own, adjusting my posture.

The expert I'd used as a reference was [Celestian Lumberjack]. A YouTuber with 150,000 subscribers and 25 years in the trade.

So, I might not be a logging master, but I could be a seasoned professional lumberjack…

"Hup!"

I shouted and swung the axe diagonally down.

Thwack! The blade bit deep into the bark. Splinters flew like sparks.

"Hoo."

I paused once, pulled the axe out, then struck straight down right below the first cut.

Crack!

The diagonal and straight lines formed a triangle [∠], collapsing the tree's balance completely.

Creak… craaack—

The tree screamed like a broken spine as it toppled backward.

BOOM!

The tree, easily hundreds of kilos, was felled in just two swings.

"Whew…"

I steadied my breath and wiped the sticky sweat. I looked at the fallen tree with no small pride.

Now, time to chop it into firewood.

Crackle… crackle…

The gentle warmth rising from the firewood stove I'd borrowed from the elder.

"Yaaawn…"

I opened my eyes inside it. Surprisingly, my body felt refreshed. I'd expected soreness from the intense chopping.

I looked around clearly.

My temporary lodgings on the old building's second floor.

My body was on the mat, surrounded by the wood chunks I'd made yesterday.

"…Feeling good today."

The moment I muttered that, my hair stood on end!

I whipped my head to check the clock on the ceiling.

"…What the hell!"

—Temporary assembly is Monday, February 25, in Cleam Hall. Absence may result in penalties.

The line at the bottom of the poster was crystal clear in my mind, word for word.

"Fuck!"

I shot up and bolted out of the old building like a madman, sprinting across campus.

Destination: the round building southeast of the clock tower, [Cleam Hall].

"Hah, hah."

I arrived with my heart about to burst.

"…"

Pressing my ear to the door, voices were already flowing out.

I straightened my uniform tie and smoothed my clothes.

"Hoo."

Deep breath, then I quietly opened the back door.

Creeeak…

"Late?"

The man on the platform pointed at me, eyebrow twitching, the moment I stepped in. All the seniors in the hall turned to me.

I bowed my head.

"Sorry."

"It's a temporary assembly, so I'll let it slide. Deductions start next class."

Luckily, he seemed flexible.

He looked pretty young too, with sharp features.

"Yes. Thank you."

I walked to a seat amid whispers with every step.

What's that guy doing here… Why's his hair like that—balding?—Didn't he drop out last ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠semester—Did he go crazy this time—

The instructor continued amid the chirping.

"I'll explain the College Board process."

I plopped down in any empty seat.

"Hey. Sion, why're you sitting here?"

Someone snapped from beside me. Rae Hilton, twirling her purple hair.

Endex's S tier.

And next to her, S+ tier, Elise Petra.

"Why sit here, huh."

I had mostly bad memories with these two.

Rae was axe-murderer, psychopath, or split-personality material—she'd seriously tried to cut off my finger freshman year for crossing some 'line'. Elise was…

Snap!

The homeroom teacher snapped his fingers right then.

Whoosh!

A paper flew over and landed on my desk.

Course registration form.

"The College Board splits into three phases. March to May is phase one. You must first select two liberal arts classes for Tuesdays and Thursdays."

I scanned the lecture list. Options included [Swordsmanship Studies Basics], [Latynel I], [Literature], [Advanced Mana Studies], etc.

I picked two right away.

[Swordsmanship Studies Basics], [Latynel I].

Swordsmanship because my dad was a knight, Latynel as noble liberal arts to approach Libra.

"Submit selections to the office by tomorrow."

I folded the form horizontally.

"Hmmm…"

Rae eyed my movements with narrowed eyes.

"Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are for College Board assignments. Most will be revealed on the day, and three or more fails means elimination. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠But the opening-day assignment is a special 'aptitude review'—fail it, and you're out immediately."

The instructor paused and pulled a card from his pocket.

"Today, no common assignment. But succeeding gives benefits."

He swung his arm. Shuffle— Over a hundred cards rose from under the podium.

"First common assignment: 'Secret Santa'."

Oh, crap.

I closed my eyes briefly. The others feigned disgust with groans, but excitement and anticipation lurked beneath.

I just felt fucked.

"You know how it works. These Secret Santa cards have all 153 of your names. You must perform an action on your target that can clearly be defined as 'help', earning 1.5 CP.

CP. College Points. Prestigious uni cutoffs are based on them.

Every point was blood for the top ranks.

"But you absolutely cannot let on you're the Secret Santa. Caught? No CP."

He raised a finger.

"Conversely, guess your Secret Santa's identity right, and you get 1.5 CP too. Only one guess."

Pretty rule-heavy for a post-holiday Secret Santa.

The instructor continued curtly.

"Summary: Don't get caught by your target. Help without detection for 1.5 CP. Caught? Santa gets nothing, target takes the points."

Seemed like team-building or icebreaker at a glance, but closer look screamed the opposite.

"Until midterms end."

This game bred suspicion of kindness.

The helper had to deceive best they could, and the target had to see through motives for points.

"Better do it quick. If your target quits or drops, no chance to help."

Maybe sound advice.

No unconditional favors in this world.

"Distributing cards randomly, one by one."

The homeroom teacher infused mana into the cards. Shuffle! They flew to desks face-down.

"Check them."

The space hushed.

Chatter vanished, replaced by flipping cards.

I picked up mine.

"…Fuck me."

My face twisted at the name. I pressed my temple. Headache surged.

"All checked?"

Yes—

"Good. Now, self-introductions, one by one."

────■■■■■!

Genuine groans filled the hall.

The instructor frowned.

"Self-PR is a temporary assembly tradition. Gonna whine like this at uni interviews too?"

He pointed somewhere.

"You, latest arrival, first."

Me.

Headache worsened.

Fuck, why me. Should I confess I'm a dantian cancer patient?

"You. Stand up."

No choice, I rose.

"…"

I met the instructor's eyes. He returned the gaze.

"Name?"

"…Sion Askal."

"Hobbies?"

I glanced around briefly.

Suddenly, the hall felt packed.

Some stared ahead indifferently, others turned fully to gawk, but most treated me like some inferior.

Rae next to me smirked like I was a monkey.

Wanna punch her.

I sighed out,

"…Drawing."

"Drawing?"

"I can draw."

Most of my hobbies could be done lying down: music, reading, info searches, clipping news, drawing, etc.

Thinking about it, I had decent talent in drawing.

"Dream?"

Suddenly, he asked about dreams.

"…Dream."

Dream. The word felt odd.

Dream. A future I hadn't pondered in ages.

Dream. Beltos Elder's voice suddenly whispered in my ear.

…Become the most trusted person to your enemy, the most important, and shatter their heart.

Why now?

Talk is cheap; it'd be insanely hard.

Gruelingly tough.

Libra was in another world; reaching them would take immense effort and patience.

"No dream?"

"…Libra."

But I mumbled blankly.

Gripped my fist, opened my eyes.

Smiled unknowingly.

"What? Libra?"

"Yes."

If they're in another world, I'll reach it no matter what.

I'll exact fitting revenge on this cursed life from them.

"Libra."

Until then, I can endure.

So much to ask them, so much to reclaim, I can wait.

"My future aspiration is…"

I steadied my breath.

Let the emotion welling from my heart's depths spill out.

"Libra's guardian knight."

This is my resolve, tiny and unseen by you yet.

A prayer, hoping you hear from above.

"…Hm. Ambitious."

The instructor said.

Laughter erupted on cue. Mocking snickers mixed with scorn: Pffft, kekeke.

Didn't matter.

"Yes. It is."

I smiled too.

The purest since time-traveling.