Change (3)

Just because I'd come into a windfall of points didn't mean I was about to throw them around.

I'd already sorted out exactly what to buy first.

Having more points isn't a license to spend like an idiot.

"Stick to the plan."

The same growth-type traits I'd almost bought last time, then talked myself out of.

"Hmm. Now, which one to pick~"

I mulled it over for a moment, then tapped Unfinished Magic Circuit.

"Alright. You're the one."

At that price, it had better be worth it.

I reached for the purchase button — and the window slammed shut in my face.

"...Excuse me?"

"One per person?"

My mind went blank.

"If it's one per person, you should've said so from the start!!"

"Ah, come on... what am I supposed to do now."

Every plan I'd built in my head came crashing down at once. I'd been going to stock up on growth-type traits at the start of the semester and ride the wave all the way up. That plan was dead. Completely, utterly dead.

"So do I just buy a B-rank ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠trait instead?"

"But my points are a little tight for that..."

The average going rate for a B-rank trait sat around 30,000 points. To comfortably grab the one I actually wanted, I'd need at least 32,000.

"Ah, whatever. Let's just look."

Nothing to lose at this point.

"Plenty of options at B-rank, I'll give it that."

"Alright. Let's narrow this down."

I started working through the list one by one.

"High-Purity Mana Core — good, but way too expensive."

"Mana Surge Suppression — cheap, but the performance is a little..."

"This one's expensive too."

"Yeah... this one's also expensive."

Maybe a B-rank trait was still out of reach. That thought was still sitting in my head when I tapped the next listing — Mana Heart.

"...Oh?"

"This isn't bad at all."

"And the price is decent."

Even if all it did was pad my mana pool, that was more than enough for me. More mana meant I could start attempting higher-level spells. It also meant I could run magic during training far more often than before — which, in turn, would accelerate the growth of the growth-type trait I already had.

The math checked out. I hit purchase.

"This is the one."

"Hah... glad that went through clean."

After last time, not having to pull some bizarre negotiation with the System felt like a genuine blessing.

I snorted.

"That's right. This time I earned the points myself and bought it with my own two ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hands."

The first B-rank trait I'd ever purchased with points I'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stacked up myself. That fact sat warmer in my chest than I'd expected.

I dropped onto the bed as I was.

Alright. Let's keep this going.

I should start practicing on longer-range targets too.

My Accuracy stat is just about ready to rank up anyway.

I was lying there turning over what came next when a chime cut through the quiet.

My smartwatch buzzed.

"What now?"

I checked the screen — and a name I had not expected was sitting there.

"What... what is this?"

Why was he messaging me at this hour?

I hesitated, then reached for the watch.

"W-wait. F-five million won??!"

Insane. Insane. Completely insane.

What was this guy playing at?

Wow. Just... wow.

Kids these days have no idea how precious money is.

It was a happy night.

The classroom door rattled open, and the room was already buzzing — first thing in the morning — with talk of yesterday's dungeon exploration.

"So what actually happened yesterday?"

"You didn't hear? A B-rank monster showed up in the dungeon."

"No way. Did a lot of students get hurt?"

"I heard Kim Jin-hyuk took it down by himself."

"Jin-hyuk did?"

"Wow... guess that's why he's rank one."

I stopped walking for a second.

The rumor spread further than I thought.

Still — nobody was saying my name. Which meant Jin-hyuk hadn't gone around talking.

See? Lifelong friends for a reason.

Of course. Do you have any idea how much five million won is?

The world runs on money. That's just how it works.

That was when the classroom door rattled open again behind me.

"Si-hyun!"

A familiar voice. I turned, and a girl was already cutting across the room toward us.

Yoon Chae-rin, huh.

"You're okay, right?"

"I heard a B-rank monster showed up in the dungeon yesterday."

"You're not hurt anywhere?"

The one she'd come bursting in after was Lee Si-hyun.

"Ah... yeah, I'm fine."

"Nothing happened."

A glance. Just a flicker —

......!

What was that?

Did we just make eye contact?

"I was actually worried, you know!"

"My group was later in the rotation so we were just waiting around, and then we heard something had gone down in the dungeon..."

"Haha... I said I'm fine."

"Okay, okay. Let's just get to our seats."

"Yeah..."

What was that look just now.

Whatever. I should get to my seat too.

I'd barely sat down when the door at the front of the classroom opened. Han Seo-rin walked in and rapped her knuckles against the podium.

"Alright, everyone. Quiet down."

The chatter died off one voice at a time. Han Seo-rin set the attendance book on the desk.

"We'll begin homeroom."

"First, an announcement regarding yesterday's dungeon exploration."

"An unexpected incident occurred during the exploration. A full inspection of the dungeon in question is scheduled, and the dungeon will remain closed until that inspection is complete."

"As a result, this semester's dungeon exploration evaluation will be removed from the grading criteria."

A low murmur rolled through the class.

"The existing grade weights have been adjusted accordingly. Written exams will account for 30%, practicals for 70%."

"That's all regarding the dungeon exploration."

A few more school-schedule announcements followed — changes to the class timetable, notes on upcoming practicals, the usual. Han Seo-rin closed the attendance book.

"Check today's class schedule and be ready on time. Homeroom is dismissed."

She left. The second the door shut, the room exploded back into noise like they'd all been holding their breath.

"Homeroom ran long today."

"Well, yeah, after what happened yesterday."

"Written exams at 30% though. That's free real estate."

"For real. They already dropped the written weight way too hard once we hit second year."

"Man, I suck at written tests. They should've just left practicals at 80%."

"Maybe try studying. The more you've got in your head, the better you do in the field."

The usual back-and-forth. I was half-listening, not really thinking about any of it, when a small voice drifted back from the seat in front of mine.

"...Hey."

Lee Si-hyun.

Huh?

Did I hear that right? Lee Si-hyun was talking to me?

"I'm talking to you. Can you hear me or not?"

"Ah... yeah? I can hear you."

She let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Haa..."

"Honestly, I don't get why you're still keeping it a secret."

"Thanks. For back then."

......?

What did she just say?

Thank you?

Lee Si-hyun. To me?

What am I even listening to right now?

Was receiving a thank-you from Lee Si-hyun something that could actually exist in this world?

"Uh... um... sorry, what?"

Her face crumpled.

"Listen properly the first time I say it."

"I said thanks. For back then."

"That's it. I don't have anything else to say."

"Ah... yeah... got it."

I answered, and she immediately opened her mouth again.

"Ah, and let me say this in advance."

"Don't even think about trying anything stupid."

"Consider this a warning."

"......"

She just said thank you and now she's warning me? What was that supposed to mean.

I had no idea what she was talking about, but I answered anyway.

"Yeah. Got it."

...What even.

I had no idea how any of this was supposed to work.

The world really was ending.

Yeah.

That about covered it.