Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Extreme Environment Training
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I slipped out from between them stealthily.
Shall I take the lead first?
The moment I tried to move forward ahead of everyone.
Whoooong.
One student manifested a spell in the darkness, brightly illuminating the surroundings.
“Huh? I can see!”
“Over there—Kim Sunwoo’s standing alone at the front?”
“What are you doing? Run!”
With the path now visible, nearly fifty students bolted forward all at once.
Scores were awarded based on escape order, so everyone dashed with urgent steps.
I sprinted ahead too, refusing to fall behind.
“Isn’t it nothing special?”
“Yeah? One spell and it’s all clear.”
We ran like that for about five minutes when suddenly the cave’s space began to shift.
“Ugh, it’s cold!”
“What the hell is this?”
A few students shrank back from the abrupt, bone-chilling cold. The training’s first stage, the ‘Glacier Zone,’ had begun.
The temperature here was roughly minus ten degrees.
It was a cold nearly impossible to endure without thick clothing.
Truth be told, huddling up like that when feeling cold only made things worse.
It would prolong their escape time, ultimately extending their suffering.
But of course, that wasn’t so easy to control mentally.
“Tsk.”
Not that I had any room to talk.
I was staying composed purely thanks to the ‘Cold Resistance’ trait I’d gained through evolution and adaptation—not raw mental fortitude.
In short, it boiled down to this.
In this extreme environment adaptation training, I wouldn’t lose to anyone.
Not even to Lee Seojun.
I ran nonstop for about twenty minutes.
At some point, I hit the wall of my stamina limit.
Lee Seojun, who’d been running alongside me, came to a stop too, apparently hitting his.
“……Hoo.”
I glanced at him. He was catching his breath, slowing to a walk.
What a lunatic. I’d endured thanks to my evolution and adaptation traits, but he hadn’t.
He’d matched my distance on mental strength alone.
“……You’re insane.”
“Ugh, what?”
Lee Seojun sniffled his reddened nose and spoke.
“I’m just wondering how you have mental fortitude like that.”
“Funny. What about you?”
In response to his words, I murmured quietly.
“……Hey. My mental strength isn’t as good as yours.”
“What are you talking about? You’re enduring way better than me…… Achoo! Ugh. It’s really cold.”
Seeing him like that made me want to cheer him on, even though we were exam rivals.
A guy who never fell behind anyone—not just physically, but mentally too.
Well, it was his type of character that made me read the original novel all the way through.
“Hang in there a little longer. The lava zone’s coming up soon.”
“How do you know?”
Lee Seojun hugged his arms and asked.
“It’s obvious. Cold, then heat. Right?”
“Hmm. Fair point.”
Then he shot me a side-eye and continued.
“But cheering on your rival? Aren’t you way too relaxed?”
“Heh heh. Yeah. I overstepped for someone like me.”
I replied playfully.
Amid the extreme cold, Yoo Ara slowly pressed forward, relying on her flame magic.
At the end of her gaze, Lee Seojun and Kim Sunwoo walked side by side, looking chummy. Gritting her teeth at the sight, she seethed.
At this rate, she’d place third.
No matter what, her pride as second across all second-years wouldn’t allow third place.
Yet she couldn’t match their physical prowess no matter how she tried.
“Kim Sunwoo…… What the hell is that guy.”
A manifestation wizard, and he wasn’t even lagging far behind Lee Seojun physically.
How could a monster like that even exist? It was downright baffling.
“Guess he gave up hiding his skills.”
Just a month ago, he hadn’t been flaunting it so openly.
Some change of heart?
“Sigh……”
A sigh slipped out unbidden.
She’d always been fiercely competitive, convinced her only true rival was Lee Seojun.
But lately, for some reason, Kim Sunwoo nagged at her more.
It wasn’t just his skillset—it was the nagging fear that she might get bumped from second to third.
If she lost to Kim Sunwoo in this final exam……
“I really hate that.”
She’d always aimed to surpass Lee Seojun for first, so where had that confidence gone? Why was she now just desperate to cling to second?
The biting cold made her feel inexplicably forlorn.
“Get it together.”
Yoo Ara steeled her resolve.
After walking about ten minutes, sure enough, the glacier zone ended, and the lava zone began, just as I’d predicted.
Scorching flames blazed around us, unleashing an overwhelming heat.
“Hah…… hah……”
I hadn’t yet adapted to heat, so the suffering started creeping in for me too.
My breath grew labored, sweat dripping steadily to the ground.
Then, about ten minutes later.
A message popped up before my eyes.
[Your body is adapting to extreme heat!]
[Adaptive trait ‘Heat Adaptation (F)’ acquired.]
“……Good.”
“Huh? What’d you just say?”
Lee Seojun eyed me at my quiet mutter. I shook my head.
“Nah, just that it’s rough.”
“Ah.”
He nodded without suspicion.
“Phew.”
Getting the trait made the heat ease up instantly. The swelter lingered, sure, but it was far more bearable than before.
I immediately checked my new trait.
[Heat Adaptation (F)]
Type: Trait
Description: Your body’s ability to adapt to heat strengthens.
[Continuous Effects]
►Solar Human
Mana +1.
Heat resistance +50%.
Fire attribute resistance +5%.
The effects were nearly identical to ‘Cold Resistance.’
Mana +1 and 50% heat resistance.
Plus fire attribute resistance.
Gaining a new trait was a win, no matter what.
“Heh heh.”
Lee Seojun and I kept walking for another ten minutes or so. Thanks to the heat adaptation trait, my stamina was gradually recovering.
The Returner’s wristwatch and my other stamina recovery traits made the quick rebound possible.
I glanced at Lee Seojun beside me.
Drained by the heat, he was drenched in sweat.
His legs moved sluggishly—unlike me, his stamina clearly hadn’t recovered.
Well, recovering stamina in this swelter didn’t make much sense anyway.
“I’m heading ahead.”
“Huh?”
He looked up at my offhand remark.
“What? You recovered already?”
“Yeah. Somewhat.”
“That’s ridiculous. How do you recover stamina in this heat?”
I flashed a grin.
“No idea. Anyway, I’ll root for second. Hang in there.”
I gave his shoulder a couple encouraging pats.
Lee Seojun just stared at me, bewildered.
“See ya.”
I broke into a run again.
The grueling extreme environment training finally ended.
The result? A straightforward first place.
Instructor Jang Ancheol reacted with baffled surprise, noting yet another record broken.
As expected, second went to Lee Seojun.
Third was Yoo Ara. Fourth, Shin Youngjun. Fifth and beyond…… I didn’t keep track.
In any case, this extreme environment adaptation training proved hugely helpful beyond just the score.
I’d snagged several new adaptive traits, heat adaptation included.
Back at the dorm, I reviewed the adaptive traits I’d picked up.
[Electricity Resistance (D)]
Type: Trait
Description: Your body’s resistance to electricity strengthens.
[Continuous Effects]
►Electric Human
Mana +1.
Electricity attribute resistance +10%.
[Breath Holding (D)]
Type: Trait
Description: Your body adapts to holding your breath.
[Continuous Effects]
►Superhuman Spirit
Stamina +2.
Mana +1.
Breath recovery speed +20%.
Breath holding duration +20%.
I was pretty thrilled to nab three new adaptive traits I hadn’t gotten recently.
The breath holding one was especially solid stat-wise, packing a +2 stamina boost.
That breath recovery speed, in particular, would be a huge help for settling down after stamina-draining runs.
Smiling in satisfaction, I dismissed all the windows.
Then I pondered my schedule ahead.
Top of mind: the field trip doubling as finals in England two weeks from now.
“……England.”
Like Korea, England was one of the world’s five great magic powerhouses.
The magic advanced nations—Korea, the US, China, Russia, and the UK.
England had earned its spot thanks to mythical and legendary items hidden within its myths and lore.
Excalibur, the Spear of Lugh……
It’d be nice if I could go after those legendary items myself, but sadly, most were owned privately or preserved by the state.
“Well, now those guys will show up.”
The new characters affiliated with the British Magic Academy.
Some would become Lee Seojun’s enemies, others his allies.
They carried decent weight in the original plot, so they warranted attention.
Play my cards right with them, and I could rack up some solid points, no?
I started mapping out my plans for two weeks later in my head.
Tuesday, 9 p.m.
The sharp whistle of a sword slicing air echoed across the outdoor training ground in the Magic Academy’s backyard.
The man wielding it was Lee Seojun.
Today, like always, he was honing his swordsmanship outdoors.
The difference from usual? The power in his sword grip felt stronger than before.
“Phew.”
He paused his long session to wipe sweat from his brow, then trudged to a bench, sat, and rested.
Lee Seojun stared blankly into space. Then an absurd laugh escaped him.
“Interesting.”
He’d been growing bored with school life when this new thrill arrived.
Thrill—was that the right word? Closer to worry and anxiety, maybe. Still, Lee Seojun chose to view it positively.
“Kim Sunwoo……”
He’d snatched first place again. Who even knew how many times now.
And another record broken, apparently. How many school records was the guy smashing……?
Sure, Lee Seojun had shattered plenty himself—but only in reinforcement fields, his specialty.
Kim Sunwoo, though? Countless records across all sorts of areas, not just manifestation.
It was so absurd he was speechless.
“Hmm.”
The silver lining: in major exams where scores really mattered, he still held first.
Last year, he’d dominated nearly every test. Losing first place bit by bit now hit like a fresh shock.
“Amazing.”
How did his grades skyrocket so fast?
A total mystery, no matter how he puzzled over it.
Whatever the case, Kim Sunwoo had become a massive motivator for him now.
“Phew……”
The finals in England this time.
He absolutely couldn’t lose.
Had to defend first, no exceptions.
Oh right. Rumor was they’d test alongside the British Magic Academy kids—increasing the competition?
Lost in thought, his smart student notebook buzzed beside the bench.
[Hey, you see that interview with the British Magic Academy 2nd-year #1?]
It was Shin Youngjun.
British Magic Academy 2nd-year #1?