Chapter 22
Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Why on Earth?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It was overwhelming.
While the other zones were settling into a lull.
Zone 8 was cleared solely because of one player who demonstrated truly overwhelming skill.
The viewers couldn't accept the result.
In their eyes, Third Life looked like he was full of bugs.
Taking hits without any damage.
What was going on?
"Hoo."
Yura took a deep breath.
She hadn't expected it to end so overwhelmingly early, so she was momentarily flustered.
But she had prepared thoroughly for times like this.
"Everyone."
Yura had learned her lesson.
"You all seem confused by what just happened with that player."
Click.
"It's not hacking. Because if you look here..."
Yura moved her mouse to bring up a specific screen.
A screen prepared in case any cheaters appeared during this stream.
It showed exactly how each player had acted and what they'd done.
Yura pointed her mouse at Third Life's play record among them.
"It shows a magic usage determination."
If it were hacking, it would say bug or error, not magic usage.
But the screen clearly read 'Magic Usage'.
On a specific map.
A motion detection program only usable in custom settings.
-Yura, you should install this one.
Hean's recommendation was paying off right now.
"I'm not entirely sure myself. But since it registered as magic usage, it's probably a unique magic, right?"
Yura read the stream chat while breaking out in a cold sweat.
She'd been calm at first, but as time passed, the reality sank in.
'I didn't say anything problematic, right...?'
As the viewers said.
She'd brushed it off as unknown unique magic, but it was obvious at a glance.
A magic that warped space-time, akin to teleportation.
It was spatial magic.
And spatial magic was extremely rare.
As an Academy graduate and elite herself, Yura knew.
The level one had to reach to wield spatial magic.
Even with game buffs, the vast knowledge and control required made it something few could handle.
Using it so effortlessly meant he was an authority on spatial magic from the start.
Even in a game, wielding spatial magic at that level meant at least pre-Archmage realm.
'Why is someone like that watching my stream?'
Why was such a person in her stream, spamming toxic advice? Seriously.
Right below Archmage meant at least Ranker-level powerhouse.
Not all mage scholars could fight.
Not every spatial mage became a Ranker.
But he seemed combat-capable from his usual League of Worlds play.
A combat spatial mage.
That meant A-Rank Hunter or Hero at minimum—an extraordinary being.
So for Yura, just an Academy student, he was someone to admire.
But Yura couldn't bring herself to admire Third Life.
Her eyes reflected a not-so-distant past.
[Why are you twisting your body? Stay there and even a passing frog could headshot you. Is Yura a frog?]
The armchair advice echoed in her ears, clashing with the prestige of spatial magic in her mind.
An elite mage right below Archmage was the same as a toxic armchair advisor?
How absurd was that?
Her brain refused to accept it.
'But now I get his skill.'
At least she understood why he had hacking-level prowess.
She'd have to edit and upload to Mitube later.
Title: 'Shock! Pre-Archmage Appears!' or something.
As Yura, talentless at clickbait, brainstormed new content.
A superchat popped up.
"Interview...?"
The overwhelming performance had all viewer attention on one player.
Finishing preliminaries first left time to spare.
In a normal tournament, approaching for a post-match interview would be standard.
Normal Yura would've rushed over, eyes gleaming for Mitube gold.
However...
'Eek... Should I? Nah?'
Learning her toxic viewer was actually a spatial magic master made approaching daunting.
He was even one she'd banned before.
Like banishing a seemingly useless party member only to find out they had OP skills—pure regret.
After brief hesitation.
Yura steeled herself.
'But this isn't a hero party story.'
It wasn't permanent ban, just 24 hours.
The banished viewer... no, viewer had returned.
Yura gathered her courage and approached for the interview.
"Um, Third Life play—"
[Third Life player has logged out of the game.]
"Ah."
Really.
This guy.
From one to ten.
Always like this.
This was already my second time going to school.
The phrasing felt off, but it was true.
This was only my second time going to school.
I'd only gone to my previous elementary school once and never returned.
So heading to the Academy now was my second first day.
There wasn't much of the excitement from my first time.
On the bus ride, I encountered students in Academy cadet uniforms.
It's Saturday?
Why were they boarding the bus in uniform?
My question resolved itself naturally.
"Ah... Vacation can't come soon enough."
"We just started this week?"
"Exactly. Why is vacation still so far?"
"Agreed."
A student with their backpack slung forward sighed.
"Why do we have to come to school even on weekends..."
"Club activities."
Grumbling students boarded the bus.
They exuded the vibe unique to their age.
Cadet uniforms fluttering in the wind.
They looked somewhat like uniforms since everyone wore the same.
But far freer than the solemnity of proper uniforms.
Some had their ties completely undone and stuffed in pockets.
Others spun theirs in hand like toys.
That casualness revealed their immaturity, untouched by society.
And that made it all the fresher.
-Academy? Why would you want to go to that boring place?
Whenever I talked about what I wanted, the sage always looked baffled.
Naturally.
The sage had experienced something similar.
I hadn't.
That gap kept our views parallel.
People crave what they lack.
That freedom.
Something I'd never savored, I wanted to experience.
[-Next stop: Academy Main Gate. Academy Main Gate.]
Time to get off.
Thud.
Upon stepping off, my view opened wide to a massive building.
The Academy.
'Where was the interview location again?'
Meanwhile.
Inside the Academy.
The academic affairs director and professors murmured as they walked the corridor.
"Heard there's a transfer interview today."
"They say he handles spatial magic."
"From the video, he seems talented. The headmaster wouldn't pay attention otherwise."
"But he's an elementary kid, right? Like Asel Redmond with early development? The video showed a high viewpoint."
Asel Redmond.
A boy called a superhuman tanker for his giant build and immense strength.
They expected today's interviewee to be similarly built.
The director nodded.
"Probably. Detailed physical info is confidential, but it'd be similar."
The Academy valued only 'talent and effort'. All else was confidential by default.
Thus, family background or peculiarities were unknown.
"We'll check thoroughly in the interview."
"Yes, that's the point."
If even half the video was real skill.
No, the Academy would gain a historic talent.
So they needed a thorough check.
The director glanced at his watch.
"Time. Bring in the interviewee."
"Yes, sir."
The waiting assistant slid the door open!
And the professors faced someone utterly unexpected.
Height similar to peers.
Youthful face.
The director muttered unwittingly.
"A child...?"
Unlike the attached materials.
A applicant with a very low viewpoint stood before them.
The boy greeted calmly.
"Hello."