The Cucumber Dorm

"Baek Seol, how did you get here anyway?"

"I called you!"

"Me?"

"Yeah!"

It was nice since I'd been wanting to see her anyway, but I still had no idea how it actually happened.

"Then the Baek Seol who was over there doesn't exist?"

*Thump. Thump.*

Baek Seol whacks me on the head with her cotton-paw, clearly telling me not to say weird things.

"Got it."

"What do you mean by that?"

I'd completely forgotten Noah was walking right beside me.

"Baek Seol originally lived with me."

"You raised a phantom beast from the start?"

"Phantom beast? If it were a divine beast, maybe, but not a phantom beast. I've never seen one, so I don't even know what that is. Right?"

I feel Baek Seol nuzzling the top of my head. When I reach up to pet her, she immediately starts rubbing her face against my fingers. She's so soft and fluffy it feels wonderful.

"Hmm, I don't really follow. So you're heading to the dorm now?"

"Oh, right. There was a dorm. I was planning to go out and find a place to stay with Baek Seol."

"Haha. If you check your device, it'll show the assigned dorm."

*Beep!*

Just like Noah said, information appears the moment I touch the device. Looks like some ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠details that weren't there this morning have finally updated.

"A thousandth? And what's Cucumber Dorm?"

"Ga-eul, did you not take the entrance exam?"

Noah's eyes go wide at the mention of my ranking.

"I'm a parachute student, so I skipped all that."

"Aha… The dorms are assigned based on ranking."

According to the walking encyclopedia that is Noah, Wisdom Academy has seven different dormitories. Starting with the Cucumber Dorm I got assigned to, there's Tomato Hall, Strawberry Hall, Watermelon Hall, Azalea Hall, and then the elite Nare Hall and Taeguk Hall where the top rankers stay.

"Not even a vegetable fetish, just terrible naming sense. Where did you get assigned?"

"I'm in Watermelon Hall."

I remember the students murmuring when Noah opened her status window during the entrance ceremony.

"If I'm a thousandth, does that make me dead last in our year?"

"Uh… yeah?"

With a hundred students per class and J Class being the very last one, I'm literally the bottom of the bottom. This is a world overflowing with monsters, after all. The common knowledge everyone here takes for granted is completely missing from my head. On top of that, I showed up late and missed whatever they announced at the opening ceremony.

"There are students up to sixth year, but most combat types drop out early to join guilds and count guild activities as class credit. The academy officially allows it."

So the question mark floating in my overall ranking is probably six thousand something.

"Some students aim to become academy professors too. It's pretty diverse."

"Got it. Thanks for the info."

While listening to Noah explain the academy, we keep walking until the cluster of dorm buildings comes into view.

"Anyone can tell that's the best one."

"Haha, yeah."

I thought they'd at least space them out a bit, but they're lined up one after another like they're proud of it. That instructor's warning about not complaining over preferential treatment probably came from this exact setup. If the dorms are like this, everything else is obvious. This place runs on survival of the fittest. If you can't adapt, you get left behind. If you have no talent, you're cut loose. After graduation you have to risk your one and only life fighting monsters, so maybe this is just how it has to be.

"That's me over there."

The building Noah points at has "Watermelon Hall" written in big letters. Compared to the Cucumber Dorm at the very end, the difference is night and day. It's like a luxury hotel versus a cheap roadside motel.

"Right. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Get some rest!"

Maybe feeling guilty for getting the nice place, Noah gives me an awkward wave and runs off. With how sweet she is, I honestly don't know how she'll survive in a place like this.

"Baek Seol, let's go check it out."

"Yeah!"

Even the Cucumber Dorm has plenty of people coming and going. If the gap between first and third stage is already this big, what must Taeguk Hall be like?

"Whoa."

Taeguk Hall isn't even a building—it's an entire estate. Inside the high walls are rows of luxurious standalone houses. This isn't just preferential treatment anymore; it's straight-up caste system territory.

"At this point the Cucumber Dorm is basically untouchable caste."

"Cucumber!"

"Sigh. Let's just go in."

"Yeah!"

Once Baek Seol and I step inside the Cucumber Dorm, the interior is surprisingly ordinary. Everything just looks old. Even though it's a tall building, there's not even an elevator. The contrast with Taeguk Hall's grandeur is stark.

"New house!"

"It's not a new house. It's just a temporary place to stay."

"Fun!"

Still, the entrance looks better than our old place. *Beep!* *Click!* When I hold my wrist up to the door labeled 301, it unlocks. Guess everything in this academy runs on the device.

"Oh."

"Ooh!"

It's tiny. The room is completely filled by just a bed and a desk. At least they gave us a narrow bathroom with a shower. Baek Seol, excited by the new environment, starts exploring, darting around. Unfortunately, there's barely any space to explore. At most it's maybe three pyeong.

『Huuung. Honey~』

Baek Seol's ears perk up at the sound.

*Bang! Bang!*

"You fucking bastards, go screw somewhere else! You think this is a motel?"

The moment I bang on the wall, the noise stops. Unbelievable. I'm used to cramped spaces, but this definitely isn't a place for Baek Seol.

*Bang!*

—Open the door!

After a moment, someone starts knocking on my door. No need to guess who.

*Creak.*

When I open it, an angry-looking guy and a glaring woman behind him are standing there.

"Who the hell are you—urk!"

The second he raises his voice, I grab him by the throat and he goes quiet.

"Kyaa! Honey! Let go! Let go—ack!"

"You two are really something. You wanna make out and suck face in this tiny-ass room? You're gonna rot my kid's ears, you bastards!"

It's almost sad that even these people are supposed to be the elite.

"Let's all get along as neighbors, yeah?"

Both of them have already rolled their eyes back.

"Ugh."

I toss ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them into the hallway and go back inside. Baek Seol immediately jumps into my arms.

"Baek Seol, let's stay here for a little while."

"Good!"

Baek Seol always loved rooftops and the cool high wind. Maybe I should try to get a rooftop room here too.

"Hmm."

When I lie down on the bed, Baek Seol climbs onto my chest. Petting her, I realize the dorms don't seem to separate boys and girls at all.

"Ongnyongnyong."

"That tickles!"

When I tickle the little troublemaker with my finger, she flops onto her back and shows her belly.

"Baek Seol, time doesn't pass outside, right?"

"Yeah!"

Then there's no need to rush. Besides, Manwook didn't eat any poison, so I can take my time. This is basically campus life too.

3:14 PM

Since there was only one afternoon class, the sun still has a long way to go before setting.

"Baek Seol, let's lie down for thirty minutes then go out and gather some info."

"Yeah!"

Baek Seol curls up on my chest. The warm body heat from her small frame makes sleepiness creep in.

By the time we took the subway to the academy, buildings I hadn't seen before started appearing one after another.

"Baek Seol, that place sells magic tools!"

"Good!"

The commercial district around the academy is full of shops you wouldn't normally see. While sharing ice cream with Baek Seol, I spot all kinds of strange things. Baek Seol seems just as excited, hopping around.

"There's a material shop over there."

"Yeah!"

The material shop I found using the map app is thankfully still open. *Jingle.*

"Welcome."

The plump owner greets us as we walk in.

"Do you sell monster byproducts too?"

"Of course."

"I'm looking for Lizardman scales and a Two-Horned Ox's horn."

The owner tilts his head at my request.

"We don't sell Lizardman scales at a small place like this. And I've never even heard of a Two-Horned Ox's horn."

"Oh, really? Are Lizardman scales that rare?"

"They are. Their habitat is a swamp, so it's hard to even take a step. Plus they've got poison on their claws, so hunters avoid the place."

One of the hardest things for humans to deal with is the environment. Fighting in a place where movement is restricted and poison is involved is obviously bad news. One of the things I learned in class is that most attackers wear heavy armor, whether plate or leather. Fighting in mud while wearing heavy armor can't be easy.

"Are you a Wisdom student by any chance?"

"Yep."

I wondered how he knew since we don't wear uniforms, but his eyes go straight to my wrist. He must've seen the device.

"Lower-year students can't even use the stores. You're a freshman, right?"

"Ah, yes. I didn't know."

"Haha, Wisdom came down so hard that the merchants were in an uproar for a while."

I thought a small shop like this would look the other way, but apparently not. They're taking a pretty firm stance.

"But is there a problem with a student buying materials?"

"It was a while ago, but I heard one Wisdom student made a bomb and someone got hurt. After that, Wisdom got involved directly."

"Ah, I see. Thanks for telling me. Take care."

"Yeah, see you."

When something goes wrong, they just ban the whole thing. I've seen that solution plenty of times. In a world where hunters run everything, they can't control all the materials. It's just a sloppy way to protect Wisdom's image.

*Jingle.*

"Baek Seol, let's walk around a bit more."

"Yeah!"

While strolling through the city with Baek Seol, I see all kinds of amazing things. Fountain water shoots up and turns into a dragon shape. Crystals float inside the streetlights. This must be what it feels like to step into a world where Dadaism has become reality. Illogical sights keep appearing one after another.

"Over there!"

Baek Seol points at a building with lots of people going in and out. She probably noticed the butterfly-shaped statue at the entrance. Even though it's carved from stone, the wings are actually flapping.

"Lamis Enchant? Want to go play there?"

"Yeah!"

Inside, the desk clerk greets us first.

"Welcome!"

"Hello. Can I just look around? I'm a new student at the academy and I'm checking out different places."

"We're happy to have you."

The clerk smiles brightly and hands me a sheet of paper with various price estimates.

"Hmm. Enchanting means imbuing magic, right?"

"Yes. We have an enchanter with eight years of experience at Lamis Enchant, so you can trust us."

Eight years sounds like a lot but also not that much. It's an ambiguous number.

"Do you do enchantments that make things heavier too?"

"Of course!"

The clerk comes over and points at one of the items on the pamphlet I'm holding.

[38. Weight Increase — 15 million won per cast]

They wrote it like a dermatology clinic menu.

"I'd like to request it."

"Of course, customer."

Following the clerk upstairs, I find a female enchanter wearing glasses sitting at a desk. Her steel desk is cluttered with all sorts of tools and materials.

"Welcome."

"Hello. I'd like to request a weight increase enchantment."

"Weight increase is an easy enchantment, so it'll take about thirty minutes. What item would you like it on?"

"This one."

When I pull the axe out of my inventory, the enchanter's eyes nearly pop out of her head.

"S-Spatial magic!"

Her reaction is just like Noah's. Spatial magic must be extremely rare.

"Please do it."

"Ah, yes!"

Still, she's a professional. The moment she places the axe on the desk, her expression changes.

"Customer, this axe already has a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠weight enchantment on it."

"Huh? Really?"

Those squiggly patterns carved into the axe must be the enchantment.

"Yes. It looks like it was made to enhance strength. Hmm…"

"Is it difficult?"

"No. The enchantment itself is simple. However, the number of times you can stack it depends on the material. Otherwise it might overload and break."

The enchanter puts on a loupe-like magnifying glass and starts poking the axe with a sharp tool.

"This is haronium."

"Is that good?"

"Haronium is fairly rare, but its mana affinity is close to zero, so it's not used for hunter weapons. It's just heavy and durable, so it's mostly used for training tools or by the military. Thanks to that, we can probably stack it about five more times."

"Oho."

The axe already felt off in my hands, so this is perfect timing. The only problem is the price. I'm not sure if it's worth the investment.

"Five more stacks would make six total. At that point you won't even be able to lift it. The weight increase enchantment I can apply only goes up to double. That means the total weight will increase by sixty-four times."

"Deal! Please do it."

"…What? No, you won't be able to lift it, I just said."

"Weight is power."

"…What about speed?"

"I'll handle the speed myself."

Instead of answering, the enchanter just gives me an incredulous look.

"Fun."

"Fun!"

Ppongppong-i's upgrade is complete. The added heft feels really satisfying.

—*Chik, chik.*

"Phew— Now let's go get some materials."

"Magic!"

Baek Seol squints and drops an ice ball onto my hand.

"Pffft, are you gonna fight too, Baek Seol?"

"Yeah!"

If I can't buy them, I'll just go get them fresh myself.

"First I need to see what dungeons are actually like, so let's go to the nearest one today and just get a taste."

"Good!"

If I waste any more time the sun will set. Ending things on an experience run today sounds good.

"Let's go."

When I open the map app, the dungeon location appears. What a convenient world.

I wondered why a dungeon was marked right in the middle of the city, but the surrounding area had been completely torn up. Soldiers with guns stand guard in front of the gate that looks like the dungeon entrance. Seeing the gate I'd only heard about from Professor Hwang in person feels strangely surreal. While Baek Seol and I are looking around, a group of people suddenly rushes over.

"Hello."

The one greeting me out of nowhere is a man with an ordinary face. From his outfit, he looks like a hunter from the association. In the real world I would've asked if he was cosplaying.

"Yes. Can I help you?"

"Wow, you're really beautiful. I thought you might be looking for party members, so I came over."

"Ah, I'm fine. Go do your thing."

Even after I clearly refuse, the hunter keeps smiling and closing the distance.

"Haha, even an E-rank dungeon is dangerous if you go in alone. Let's go together. What's your position?"

"No, I'm really fine. I'm a supporter."

"Oh! A precious supporter! Don't worry, we'll protect you. What kind of magic can you use?"

The guy who's been overacting takes another step closer and pats my shoulder.

"I'm good, so please leave. And take your hand off me."

"Come on, don't be so expensive. Our skills are solid, I promise."

The fact that he's acting like this even with soldiers nearby shows just how hunter-centered this world really is.

"Haha, your rabbit is really cute…"

Not satisfied with touching me, he reaches for Baek Seol too.

"You son of a bitch. Where the hell are you putting your hands?"

"Gurk!"

When I grab him by the throat, he starts tapping my wrist, then his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eyes roll back.

"Grrk!!"

"Yup, auxiliary magic Silence. Performance is solid."

"W-What the hell! Let go of him!"

His flustered teammate finally snaps out of it and rushes over.

"Auxiliary magic Blind, you bastard!"

*Thud!*

"Aaaagh, my eyes!!"

"Don't ever look down on supporters again."

"I didn't, you crazy bitch!"

"Tastes good."