Chapter 146
Chapter 146
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Dimensional Observation
-----------------------------------------------------------------
That was why, even though the incident had ended well, my expression remained poor throughout.
I kept telling him it was fine.
Han Se-yeon nodded, then hurriedly left with Han Se-jin upon receiving a summons from his father, 'Han Dae-hyun.'
I was left alone and walked the entire way back to the dormitory by myself.
There had been all sorts of complicated events today.
On top of that, with Elrin showing up, it would be best to avoid using 'Rune's Binding' for the time being if I didn't want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
"Right, I need to check the Authority."
The Authority unlocked upon accumulating 10 Causality Points.
No matter what ability it turned out to be, I planned not to use it until I'd saved up 100 Causality Points, but I couldn't help my curiosity.
［Authority］
Dimensional Observation［Causality 10］
-You can briefly observe all dimensions and timelines you have experienced.
"......Observation?"
It was an ability I hadn't anticipated at all.
Late at night, a black luxury car pulled up in front of a massive mansion.
The rear door opened, and Han Se-yeon and Han Se-jin stepped out. Their expressions looked somehow urgent.
At that moment, Elrin got out from the passenger seat. Han Se-jin turned to her and said in a hurried voice,
"Wait here."
With that, Han Se-jin and Han Se-yeon entered through the main gate.
Elrin paused for a moment, watching their retreating figures. Then, she glanced around cautiously and moved toward a nearby road.
Elrin let out a small groan as she removed the gloves from both hands.
The magic circles etched on her hands and arms like tattoos were flushed red like wounds.
Elrin took a deep breath and pulled out five special mana painkillers from her pocket, tossing them into her mouth.
Gulp.
It was far more than the standard dose, but she swallowed them all without issue.
Then, she took out a vial of transparent potion and sprinkled it over the magic circles on her hands and arms.
Sizzle……
"Kugh!"
A thin wisp of smoke rose from the magic circle areas. Elrin gritted her teeth against the excruciating pain.
"Huu...."
The burning pain on her skin lessened, if only by a little.
"Hoo."
Elrin leaned her back against the mansion's outer wall with weary steps.
Sitting there in a daze, she finally regained some peace of mind.
"Now I can breathe."
Elrin muttered to herself, then recalled the events of the day.
That weird, bearded guy who seemed to be with the boss's little sister.
His name was Kim Jin-woo, right?
He had demonstrated an unbelievable barrier-dissolving ability right before her eyes, one that was hard to believe even after seeing it.
When she observed his fighting style, he seemed like an enhancement-type or manifestation-type wizard, yet his barrier dissolution was superior to that of any top support wizard.
"......What the hell is that guy?"
As the last surviving member of the Rune Clan, she had mastered nearly all of her clan's secret arts, but even she couldn't dispel barriers that quickly.
It was beyond common sense. If she'd seen it on video, she never would have believed it.
"Hmm."
What kind of guy was he?
Could he be from a minor clan like her?
Nine times out of ten, people with such unique abilities were from minor clans.
"But is there another clan specialized in barrier dissolution besides ours?"
No. As far as she remembered, the Rune Clan was the only one that specialized in support barriers.
Elrin suddenly thought of her now-extinct clan.
Though the past had faded into haze, they sometimes appeared in her dreams.
She was searching for the treasures of her clan destroyed by Jaun.
She could overlook the most important treasure of 'mystery,' but the one she urgently sought now was the book called 'Book of Runes,' which detailed the usage of her clan's secret technique, 'Rune's Binding.'
And somehow, the Han family possessed that book.
That was why Elrin had joined Han Se-jin.
Han Se-jin gathered people by offering them what they desired.
To Elrin, he promised to return the Book of Runes if she served him loyally for three years.
She had no choice.
Of course, Han Se-jin's goal was also Jaun's downfall, and since she too hated Jaun for exterminating her clan, she accepted the terms.
It was a hassle, but she had no choice if she wanted to reclaim her clan's treasure.
Elrin gazed at the night sky before pulling out her smartphone from her pocket. She accessed the wizard community 'Wizards' Forest.'
She found a post she'd seen a few months ago.
+Wizards' Forest Anonymous Board+
[Doing a field boss raid today, and these beams of light appeared, binding us for a few seconds; what magic is this? Never seen it before.]
It was just a guess, but the only support magic she knew that summoned light beams was one: her clan's secret technique, 'Rune's Binding.'
Which meant a survivor of her clan existed.
10 PM. Having finished today's schedule, I returned to the dormitory.
I took a beer crate out of my sub-space and put it in the fridge.
Gretel was sleeping in the corner.
I moved quietly so as not to wake her.
"Hoo."
I flopped onto the sofa. Then, I checked the newly unlocked 'Authority' again.
［Authority］
Dimensional Observation［Causality 10］
—You can briefly observe all dimensions and timelines you have experienced.
Dimensional Observation.
Exactly as it sounded: the ability to briefly observe dimensions I'd experienced.
Dimensions I'd experienced……
There were three dimensions I'd experienced.
One was the current dimension.
The second was my original home dimension.
The last was the previous timeline where Lee Seo-jun died.
Suddenly, various curiosities about my original dimension came to mind.
Were my parents doing well? What had happened to the real me?
Was some other being taking my place, or had the real me vanished, leaving my parents searching for me?
Many such thoughts flashed through my mind. But using 10 Causality Points for such personal sentiments would be foolish.
Even if I confirmed it, there was nothing I could do about it right now.
It would only make the remaining time more painful.
I had to save Causality Points no matter what.
For the final Authority, 'Deus Ex Machina.'
And, just hypothetically.
If I ever used this Authority……
It wouldn't be for my original dimension, but for the first timeline that reset due to Lee Seo-jun's death.
I sometimes felt doubts.
Back in the first timeline, when Lee Seo-jun died.
How exactly did Lee Seo-jun die?
According to the news, he perished in battle against the evil dragon.
But was that true?
In the first timeline, I lived quietly without interfering in events.
And the story progressed steadily just as in the original.
If there had been a major change big enough to kill Lee Seo-jun, I should have noticed some precursor.
But at the time, I hadn't sensed any changes.
"Hmm."
However, assuming Lee Seo-jun died for some other reason also raised issues.
If Lee Seo-jun died not due to the butterfly effect but another reason.
What exactly killed him?
"Hoo......
My mind grew complicated. A few hypotheses came to mind, but they were too far-fetched, so I dismissed them quickly.
I could only hope it was my unfounded delusion.
Still, this Authority might be the key to unraveling the mystery of Lee Seo-jun's death.
For now, I'd watch the situation more.
I still had plenty of time.
If something suspicious arose in future developments, I could check then—it wouldn't be too late.
……As I was lost in such solitary thoughts.
My smartphone chimed with a message notification. It was from Han Se-yeon.
[Sorry for the late reply. Dad suddenly collapsed today. He's stable now, but it was pretty dangerous.]
Han Dae-hyun's health deterioration.
Han Se-yeon was studying the Ilwol Pharmacy to cure his illness, but it was worsening just as in the original.
A complicated feeling welled up.
[Don't worry about it and stay by your dad's side.]
I replied. I didn't send anything overly dramatic. Staying calm would reassure her mentally.
[Yeah, I will. Thanks. And I might have to focus more on new drug development for a while. I might contact you even less.]
[Can't be helped. Just don't overdo it.]
[Okay. But I can still message you when it's tough, right?]
A chuckle escaped at that message.
Even someone like Han Se-yeon needed someone to lean on in tough times.
[Of course.]
I replied and set the smartphone down.
"Sigh."
When bad things happen to those around me, it sours my mood for no reason.
Han Dae-hyun's death was a fateful event even in the original.
But feeling this conflicted meant my distance to Han Se-yeon had grown closer.
Bzzz.
Then it vibrated again. This time, it was the smart student handbook.
[2nd Semester Special Class General Notice]
[Special Class first assembly next Wednesday. Students please gather at main building 5th floor room 503.]
2nd semester Special Class notice.
The members probably hadn't changed much from the first semester.
One change: Yoon Ha-young, with her recent sharp grade improvement, would join the Special Class.
This was a development not in the original—Yoon Ha-young joined in 3rd year first semester.
It could be credited to my intervention.
That was when.
A message from Yoon Ha-young arrived right on cue.
［Got the Special Class notice text. Thanks to you, I made it into Special Class too (bowing rabbit emoticon)］
Seeing the message made me smile. It was as if I could hear Yoon Ha-young's voice, complete with sound effects.
I typed a reply.
[Nah. You earned it with your hard work. What have I even done lately? Anyway, let's find a place to train your Demon Extermination power soon.]
It was time to pay attention to Yoon Ha-young. The second Demon raid episode was approaching soon.
［Yeah. (nodding rabbit emoticon)］
A dark night.
A new building was completed on the Magic Academy grounds.
It was the new artificial dungeon for exams that Jeong Hyun had been working on for months.
It would also serve as the stage for the 2nd year 2nd midterm main exam.
Jeong Hyun looked up at the building with a pleased smile.
The 2nd midterm was approaching, but fortunately, it was finished on time.
No hitches in the plan. This laid the foundation to eliminate the 'Child of Prophecy' who threatened the Demons.
As he admired his handiwork, he sensed someone behind him.
"Jeong Hyun."
Jeong Hyun turned toward the voice. A plain-faced student stood there with arms crossed, watching him.
"Lord Won Hyuk. You've arrived?"
Won Hyuk nodded instead of answering and looked up at the new artificial dungeon.
"It's finally complete."
"Yes, all installed devices and traps are functioning perfectly."
"Good work. If the plan goes well, the king will bestow a great reward."
Jeong Hyun nodded at Won Hyuk's words. Then, in a cautious tone, he asked,
"Are you adapting well to school life?"
"I'm adapting fine. No one suspects me thanks to my acting skills."
He said that, but Won Hyuk's suspicious behavior was already known to all of 2nd Year Class B.
His subtly improved magic and physical abilities, along with his drastically reduced speech.
Even students close to Kim Hye-chan started avoiding him, saying he'd changed suddenly.
But since no issues arose, Jeong Hyun thought he was adapting well.
"Lord Won Hyuk, about two weeks remain until the appointed day. Please continue your efforts."
"Hmph. You keep looking at me like you don't trust me, but don't worry. I won't ruin the plan no matter what."
Jeong Hyun nodded.
Only two weeks left until the Child of Prophecy elimination plan.
The plan absolutely could not go awry.
"The 2nd midterm starts in two weeks. This time, only the main exam—no support trials."
Monday homeroom.
Jang An-cheol was briefing the students on the school schedule.
"As you know, the main exam will be held in the newly opened massive artificial dungeon."
I glanced out the window at the newly completed massive artificial dungeon. Its modern exterior gleamed cleanly, standing out.
"Hmm."
Only two weeks left.
The upcoming 2nd Demon raid incident would be the biggest and most dangerous event at school this year.
"The dungeon rules are simple. All 2nd years enter simultaneously. Clear it as fast as possible. The difference from before: this dungeon has multiple paths, but they all converge to one."
I turned my gaze to Yoon Ha-young.
Since the Demons' goal was the 'Child of Prophecy,' she was the protagonist of this episode.
I needed to prepare something to ensure nothing happened to her.
How would the Demons infiltrate?
Of course, knowing the original progression, I had a rough idea of their attack method.
But the S-Rank Demon Seong Jin died much earlier than in the original, and the 1st semester terror attack differed slightly too.
This time, it might unfold a bit differently from my expectations.
Telling her about the upcoming incident in advance could work, or preparing some protective measure ahead.
"You'll have to rescue teammates during the raid and clear together. There will be stages requiring team solutions midway."
As I stared at her intently, Yoon Ha-young noticed and looked back.
She mouthed cutely at me.
'Why?'
I mouthed back, mimicking her.
'Let's talk later.'
7 PM, after all Magic Academy classes ended.
Choi Seo-yoon and Song Seung-ah were at the on-campus coffee shop studying for the 2nd midterm.
Song Seung-ah studied diligently with her glasses on, but Choi Seo-yoon had been sitting silently with a troubled expression since earlier.
"Ungh……
"Seriously, you've been groaning so annoyingly since earlier, it's killing me