Chapter 348
Chapter 348
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 349
Chapter Title: Back from the Abyss Mirror
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A brilliant light flashed from the [Abyss Mirror], and the six people, including Lee Seo-jun, returned to reality.
"Whoa, we're finally back..."
The familiar sight of the grand auditorium.
Yoon Ha-young murmured softly in a voice thick with emotion.
Lee Seo-jun nodded and checked his own condition.
The wounds and traces from the unconscious world had all vanished.
"Good work, everyone. It took much longer than I expected."
Everyone's gazes turned toward the source of Jang An-cheol's voice.
Jang An-cheol stood alone in front of the empty grand auditorium.
"You all came back together, which felt off since you didn't return as a group... Were all six of you together?"
"No."
Lee Seo-jun shook his head.
"Seven of us, including Kim Sun-woo."
"Kim Sun-woo?"
Jang An-cheol scanned everyone's faces.
"But where's Kim Sun-woo? Why'd only you guys come back?"
"He said he had something left to do there."
He didn't know what it was, but the vibe Kim Sun-woo had given off then carried a bitterness and resolve that wasn't his usual self.
It seemed like he was searching for something longed for deep in the unconscious.
That made him curious all over again.
What kind of past had Kim Sun-woo lived?
From the background and friends he'd seen in the unconscious, it was clear it hadn't been ordinary.
Just a guess, but it looked like he'd parted ways with his friends.
"...I see. Well, even before this exam was discontinued, stuff like this happened occasionally. People who stayed submerged in the unconscious for too long and never came out. They'd truly fallen into the abyss."
Jang An-cheol muttered something cryptic to himself.
"But now there are safety measures in place, so that won't happen. And as you probably expected, you all got the lowest scores on this exam."
It was something everyone had braced for, so there weren't any big reactions of shock. Jang An-cheol smirked at them.
"It's a long-standing tradition of this exam. Top students recording bottom scores... At least thanks to Kim Sun-woo, you avoided dead last, right?"
"Anyway, it's late. You must be exhausted, so head back to the dorms and rest."
At Jang An-cheol's words, everyone's eyes turned toward the windows of the grand auditorium.
The dark night sky and brightly shining stars came into view.
It had been daytime before entering the unconscious, but now it was night.
"I'll stay here and wait for Sun-woo."
Yoon Ha-young said.
Choi Seo-yoon chimed in right after.
"Me too. I'll wait for senior."
Shin Young-jun glanced around at everyone, then nodded.
"Hmm... Should we? He said he'd be right behind us. He'll come out soon."
"Yeah, let's do that. We took the exam together, so we can't just leave first. He even handed us not being last."
"Yeah."
Before they knew it, everyone had decided to wait for Kim Sun-woo.
Jang An-cheol watched them with a pleased smile.
Late night in the unconscious.
I walked the streets slowly, lost in memories.
Even during the day, old thoughts and nostalgia had welled up, but walking at night felt entirely different.
Memories of finishing late-night study sessions at academies and heading home flooded back vividly.
"...This really feels like reality."
The more time passed, the more I forgot this was a world created by my unconscious.
Even though this place wasn't real.
Even though I had somewhere to return to.
"...It's funny thinking the place I need to go back to is another world."
The actual place I had to return to was somewhere else entirely.
I chuckled to myself and took in the scenery before me.
Shabby commercial buildings and lights. Students heading home after classes at academies...
Lost in old memories like that, I arrived at my destination before I knew it.
I looked up, and a towering apartment building came into view.
Seeing the light shining from the 8th floor made my heart race for no reason.
"...Whew."
I took a short deep breath and stepped inside.
Ding-
The elevator stopped, and I arrived at the 8th floor. I walked the short hallway and stood in front of the door.
801
I swallowed hard.
I took another deep breath and steeled myself, like self-hypnosis.
Just a quick glance at their faces, then leave.
I didn't plan to stay long.
This place was, after all, just a world manifested by my unconscious. It could never be reality.
As I psyched myself up like that, faint voices came from beyond the door.
—...Sun-woo's really late. Should I call him?
—He'll be here soon. You don't know he might've run into a friend.
Familiar voices. A wave of complex emotions hit me naturally, and a bittersweet smile formed.
I'd let useless thoughts drag on too long.
This might be a chance that wouldn't come again.
I entered the passcode and boldly opened the door.
Creak.
A familiar scent wafted through the crack.
And then the voices.
—Is that Sun-woo?
I answered brightly.
"I'm home."
It was a joyful time. A neatly set table and my family sitting happily around it.
It felt like I'd gone back to my childhood.
Of course, it wasn't truly returning to the past from my memories, but I built new precious experiences and memories.
After that dreamlike time, I stood up from my seat.
—Sun-woo?
My mother called me with a worried voice.
"I'm heading out now."
—...At this hour? Where are you going at this time?
"I have a promise to keep. It's late, so I gotta run."
—Then stay the night and go tomorrow. It's too late now.
Her warm words made my feet feel glued to the floor, but I shook my head.
"No. I have to go now."
—Where do you have to go?
I clamped my mouth shut for a moment, then answered.
"To where my friends are."
It had been a joyful time, but I couldn't afford to be trapped in this stagnant moment.
To build time and memories even more precious than now, I had to move toward the future.
At my words, my mother smiled.
—...Then there's no helping it. Hurry along.
"Yeah... If there's a chance, let's meet again in reality."
With that, I flung open the front door with quick steps, almost running.
Flash!
With a pure white light, I returned to reality. I slowly opened my eyes, the bright indoor lights stinging them.
A vast, empty space. It was the grand auditorium of the Wizard Academy.
"Senior!"
Choi Seo-yoon approached me.
I gave a small smile and said,
"What? You waited all this time?"
"You said you'd be right back, so we wanted to go together."
The other main characters followed behind her.
"Hey, Kim Sun-woo said he'd be quick, but three hours passed."
At Shin Young-jun's words, I chuckled.
"Sorry. I ended up later than I thought. I really meant to come right away."
Shin Young-jun scratched his head, looking awkward at my apology.
"Well, it happens. ...But did you cry?"
As Shin Young-jun spoke, everyone's gazes focused on my face.
Yoon Ha-young rushed over and examined my face closely.
"...Huh? Sun-woo. Did you actually cry?"
"Senior?"
Now Choi Seo-yoon. Then Lee Seo-jun and Yoo Ah-ra stared at my face with wide eyes.
Feeling an inexplicable embarrassment and pressure, I quickly explained.
"Who cried? I haven't cried since the day I was born."
"What do you mean? Your eyes are all red."
"It was cold, that's all. It's fall."
My explanation didn't dispel their suspicions. They looked at me with eyes full of pity and sympathy.
No, why are you looking at me like that?
Out of frustration and injustice, I added one more line.
"No, really, I didn't cry."
"...Well, if you say so, then whatever. We'll let it slide!"
Shin Young-jun laughed as he said it, leaving me speechless.
"Still, your face looks relieved."
Lee Seo-jun gave me a small smile.
I thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Yeah, it is. It was a good experience in its own way."
I couldn't put it into words, but it felt like I'd grown a step.
I didn't know how long this feeling would last, but for now, I could focus on my own affairs.
That was when it happened.
"Good work, Kim Sun-woo."
Jang An-cheol, the instructor for the [Abyss Exploration] exam, approached.
"With this, the 'Abyss Exploration Exam' is over. It might be a regrettable result for you, but you were the very last to come out."
[You have achieved the 'Exam Dead Last' accomplishment.]
[You have obtained 5,000 points as a reward.]
I nodded quietly at Jang An-cheol's words.
It was the expected outcome, so I didn't feel disappointed.
The other top students had also gotten bottom scores—just not dead last—so it wasn't a fatal blow.
The overall rankings probably wouldn't change.
If anything, getting dead last earned me points, so it was a gain?
"Glad you don't seem too bummed."
"Yeah, well... I doubt it'll affect the existing rankings."
"Then it's fine. With 'Abyss Exploration,' what you gain matters more than the results."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
That's when Shin Young-jun stretched grandly and said,
"Ugh! So the exam's done—can we go now?"
"Yeah, you're probably tired. Head back and rest."
With that, we said goodbye to Jang An-cheol and left the grand auditorium.
As soon as we stepped outside, the chilly night air brushed our skin.
My foggy head felt a bit clearer.
"Ugh! With the exam over, we're free for a while."
"Totally. Wanna go somewhere together while we can?"
At Yoon Ha-young's words, everyone pondered for a moment.
"Ooh, nice. Where to?"
"Overseas or some nearby resort..."
That's when Yoo Ah-ra cut in.
"The school trip's coming up soon anyway."
"Oh, right. The school trip's next."
At the mention of the school trip, excitement lit up everyone's faces.
I, too, fell into thought at the words.
School trip, huh...
As always, when a specific event started, 'incidents' naturally followed.
The 3rd-year school trip was no exception.
The good news was that nothing major happened on this one.
But since the future kept changing, complacency was off the table.
"Any exact dates out yet?"
At Shin Young-jun's question, Yoo Ah-ra answered.
"Not exactly, but I heard it's about two weeks after midterms."
"Hmm. Two weeks means no mid-trip exam like last year's school trip."
Yoon Ha-young muttered, recalling last year's trip to England. Shin Young-jun snickered.
"Kekeke. Last year's school trip was kinda messed up."
"So no need to go anywhere else separately?"
"Nope. We can just hang with this crew during the school trip. Ugh~ Can't wait. I wanna go already."
Right then, Choi Seo-yoon timidly raised her hand.
"I'm in 2nd year, so I can't go with you guys..."
Late at night. Back at the dorm, Gretel greeted me.
"Nyaa!"
I smiled and picked up Gretel.
"Gretel, did you behave?"
"Nyaa."
I gently patted Gretel's back.
Coming back after feeling the preciousness of family made Gretel feel even dearer than usual.
"You ate all the sausages?"
"Nyaa!"
The sausage casings made from Han Se-yeon's spirit medicine were neatly stacked in one spot.
She was stubborn in a few areas, but she followed my orders well otherwise.
Smiling, I looked at Gretel's head.
The small fruit that had formed hadn't changed in size yet.
It hadn't been long since it appeared, so that was natural, but there was one slightly unusual change from normal.
"...Oh?"
The fruit's color had turned a deep red.
The size was still small, but the color was like that of a fully ripened fruit.
Since the nutrients Gretel ate greatly affected the fruit, the effects of the spirit medicine I'd secretly fed her must finally be showing.
Gretel pulled away from me for a moment, eyeing me warily as I licked my lips unconsciously.
"No, Gretel. It's not like that."
It totally was, but I pretended otherwise and hugged her again.
More importantly, this [Bond] trait linking me and Gretel—seemed like more hassle than benefit. Wonder if there's a way to remove it.
The Regressed Extra Becomes a Genius