Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: The Golden Elixir Takes Effect
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"About time the effects kicked in."
At that moment, a strange energy began to stir inside my body.
And gradually, something like a hot, searing heat started to creep up from within.
"Urk?"
That hot energy grew stronger bit by bit. At some point, it became an intensity I could barely endure.
"Hngh!"
I steadied my posture and focused my mind.
Like a martial artist circulating qi in a wuxia novel, I used my mana to slowly wrangle the rampaging hot energy inside me.
"Hup!"
But it wasn't easy.
The golden elixir's energy writhed through every corner of my body like a living serpent.
I gritted my teeth and summoned every bit of mana within me. One wrong move, and I really could lose my life.
Thus began the fierce struggle with the golden elixir's energy.
And ten minutes passed.
The golden elixir's hot energy gradually subsided. It was fusing with my body's own energy.
['Consuming a Top-Grade Spiritual Elixir' achievement unlocked.]
[Obtained 3,000 points as reward.]
['Superhuman Stride' achievement unlocked.]
[Obtained 3,000 points as reward.]
[Adaptive trait 'Drug Adaptation' evolves!]
[Additional stats acquired. Stamina, Strength, and Agility each increase by 3.]
"......Hoo."
Seeing the messages floating before my eyes, I let out a sigh of relief.
The energy had stabilized as well. Unlike usual, I could feel power overflowing through my body.
That said, I really thought I was going to die there.
I'd realized that elixirs of a certain grade or higher could turn poisonous if mishandled. It was a horrific experience I never wanted to go through again.
［Stats］
Stamina: 67.7
Strength: 55.6
Mana: 38.5
Speed: 31.9
Agility: 51.1
Dexterity: 28.3
"......Ooh."
Still, seeing the noticeable jumps in stamina, strength, and agility made all the agony and endurance from moments ago feel worthwhile.
At this level, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say my physical condition rivaled that of most pro reinforcement wizards.
It was tremendous growth. Far more luxurious than a manifestation wizard like me deserved.
"This is insane."
On top of that, the adaptive trait 'Drug Adaptation' had evolved.
I immediately checked it out.
[Drug Potency Amplification (B)]
Type: Trait
Description: Greatly amplifies the effects of consumed drugs.
［Passive Effects］
►Drug Boost
Drug duration effects increase by 20%.
Drug efficacy increases by 20%.
Drug side effects decrease by 30%.
Mana increases by 2.
The name had changed to Drug Potency Amplification. And an extra 20% boost to drug efficacy had been added to the passive effects.
"Heh."
Jackpot.
From this one ruin reward alone, I'd gained so many points, stats, and a trait upgrade.
Overcome with happiness, I flopped straight onto the ground.
In a field near the academy's artificial ruins.
Two men from the crime guild Goldwin sat on the ground, faces dumbfounded as they made a call.
They'd fought for over an hour against a rampaging guardian after arriving at the ruins, only to find no artifacts left.
"We got cleaned out."
-What? How?
"Someone else snatched the reward by a hair's breadth and bolted."
The man on the call, Lee Cheol-hee, said cautiously. In response, Goldwin's vice-guild master exploded in outrage.
-You bastard! Hey! Does that even make sense? After all the trouble we went through to find it, you let it slip away? Do you know how much that one-time ruin detector cost?!
"I'm sorry......
-Never mind that. Did you see who took it?
"Not clearly, just heard a noise and caught a glimpse of their back."
-Their back? If you saw their back, you should've chased them down!
Lee Cheol-hee pulled the phone slightly away from his ear at the booming voice.
"I'm sorry. The guardian was thrashing around too much......
-Sigh. Just a back view means you don't even know who it was, right?
"......Yes. All I know is they were wearing a uniform."
-Bunch of pathetic losers. How do you let a student steal the reward? Just head back to Incheon for now!
Click.
The call ended.
Lee Cheol-hee and Kim Jang-won hung their heads in dismay.
"We're screwed."
At 10 p.m., I stepped out of the dorm.
Ever since consuming the golden elixir, my body had been buzzing with energy I desperately needed to vent.
Pondering where to release it, I headed to the sports field. Nothing consumes stamina as easily as running.
Arriving at the field, I slowly scanned the surroundings.
Someone might think it weird to be running laps at 10 p.m., but right now, no one was around.
I took a deep breath of the chilly night air. I did some light jumps to loosen up.
Preparations were about done. I assumed position, gathered mana, and reinforced my lower body.
Thanks to the strength stat boost, the reinforcement efficiency felt even higher.
"Hyah!"
I kicked off the ground and shot forward.
My movements were noticeably sharper than usual. The rushing wind felt refreshing against my skin.
Amazed by the clear physical upgrades, I sprinted straight ahead.
I kept going for about 20 minutes. Honestly, I had no idea how many laps that was.
But thanks to the stamina boost, even after 20 minutes, my body showed no signs of fatigue.
"Hoo...."
I paused the run to catch my breath. I wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead.
"Wow. This is no joke."
My body was still brimming with vitality. Who knew an elixir's power was this incredible.
That was when.
"Kim Sunwoo!"
A voice called my name from the side. I whipped my head around in surprise to see Lee Seojun looking at me.
"What're you doing here?"
"I was just passing by and saw someone running. Turned out to be a familiar face."
"Ah."
I nodded. Lee Seojun eyed me meaningfully and spoke.
"......But I watched you run just now. You're ridiculously fast."
My speed had definitely improved enough to rank in the school's top five.
Of course, I still couldn't match Lee Seojun's.
And my current running speed was boosted by the elixir.
Given time, the gap would widen again with his innate physical gifts.
"Still slower than you, though."
"Slower? Seemed pretty close to mine."
He then muttered so quietly it was almost inaudible.
"Even for a manifestation wizard......
Lee Seojun soon flashed an awkward smile.
"Anyway, thanks to you lately, I've been getting motivated and training harder."
"......Yeah."
"Hoo. Was planning to call it a night, but guess I'll train a bit more. You keep it up too."
With that, Lee Seojun headed toward the physical training area.
I stared blankly at his retreating back.
After finishing training, I returned to the dorm.
Starting this Wednesday, the second experiential learning session begins. Time to choose what to do.
"Hmm."
Thinking ahead in the story, the 'Special Duties' experience seems best.
Special Duties are basically security operations to prevent terrorism or magical crimes.
Think of it like police or special forces.
The Wizard Association Special Task Force's 'Special Duties' meant the same thing.
Then, my smart student planner chimed with a message. It was from someone unexpected, so I was a bit surprised.
[What'd you pick for the elective activity?]
It was Yoo Ara.
Seemed like the first time since her thank-you after the first midterm.
[I went with Special Duties. You?]
[Same as me. Wanna team up?]
What was this about, suggesting we team up?
I blinked at the message in a daze before replying.
[Fine by me. Who else? Special Duties is teams of three.]
[Gotta find someone. Anyone come to mind?]
"......Nope."
Truth be told, I'd like to team with Lee Seojun again, but per the original story, his team is probably full already.
Lee Seojun, Shin Youngjun, Lee Hyunju. Likely those three.
So, need to find someone new.
Who'd be good? Might as well go with a major character if possible.
I heard Yoon Hayoung's doing the tower raid experience......
Choi Seoyoon would probably team with other first-years if not Lee Seojun.
As I pondered, a message arrived.
[Sunbae! Did you pick Special Duties?]
It was Choi Seoyoon.
Did she fail to find teammates?
[Yeah. You too?]
[Yup! Wanna do it together?]
First Yoo Ara, now Choi Seoyoon wanting to join.
This development was out of left field.
Feeling a bit bemused, I replied.
[I already got one person. If you're solo, it's fine.]
[I'm solo. None of the first-years around me are interested in Special Duties...]
Perfect, since she's solo. As a major character, good chance for extra points too.
"But can I really include her?"
In the original, Yoo Ara and Choi Seoyoon don't meet until much later.
Actually, they weren't on great terms.
Similar in talent, prestigious family background, and work ethic, so they subtly rivaled each other.
Best to check with Yoo Ara first, so I typed a new message.
[Know Choi Seoyoon from first-year Class A? What about her?]
Reply came quick.
[Fine by me.]
The next day.
Rumors spread fast about a hidden chamber discovered in the artificial ruins.
Thanks to testimonies from Lee Seojun and a few others hearing adult men's voices, it was chalked up to looters and quietly closed.
A bit anticlimactic, but satisfying for me.
The school launched an investigation to identify the trespassing looters.
But per the original story, even a thorough probe won't uncover them.
They're set to reappear as villains later on.
And early Wednesday morning.
The three-day elective experience activity resumed.
Students who chose Special Duties gathered at the school front sports field.
I was with my teammates, Yoo Ara and Choi Seoyoon.
"Hmm."
......
An awkward vibe hung in the air.
Not between me and them, but between the two of them.
Even Choi Seoyoon, tops in affability, seemed intimidated by Yoo Ara.
Thinking about it, their affinities were ice and fire—direct opposites.
No way this atmosphere lasts the whole three days, right?
Then, chatter drifted our way from nearby.
"That's Yoo Ara and Choi Seoyoon. Heard they're on the same team."
"Wow, weird. Are they close? Never seen them together."
"Probably 'cause of Kim Sunwoo. He's got surprisingly wide connections."
"Yeah, seems like it. Looked pretty tight with Lee Seojun too."
I ignored them and browsed the internet on my smartphone.
"Think we'll get assigned somewhere far?"
Yoo Ara asked from beside me. But I had no clue.
I knew from the original that Lee Seojun got Seoul.
"Dunno. Just hope it's not too far."
As I answered, Choi Seoyoon chimed in.
"I know which region we're assigned to for this Special Duties activity."
"How do you know?"
"It leaked on the school community forums."
"Really? Where?"
Choi Seoyoon smiled and replied.
"Western Incheon District."
Sure enough, we were assigned to Western Incheon for Special Duties.
After the teacher's announcement, we boarded a bus to Incheon. Soon, we arrived at the Wizard Association Special Task Force Incheon branch building.
"Not the Seoul HQ, but it's bigger than I expected."
"Incheon's got a surprising amount of magical crime incidents."
We entered the Special Task Force building. The interior resembled an office.
Not much different from the mercenary guild building I'd seen before.
Then, a man holding a coffee spotted us and approached.
"You folks the Magic Academy students here for the Special Duties experience?"
"Yes, that's us."
"Whoa, we've got some pretty famous students this time. Nice to meet you. I'm Kang Kyung-chal, team leader of Squad 2, Incheon Special Task Force."