NOVPUBWhen I came outside, Seo Ye-in and Hong Yeon-hwa had already finished their matches and were waiting.
I had used the full ten minutes and won by decision, but those two had highly offensive styles, so they had probably taken down their opponents much earlier.
Among them, Hong Yeon-hwa looked particularly cheerful, so I asked her,
“Looks like you won.”
“Mhmm.… I did.”
“Well done. I told you. You just have to do it.”
She might get beaten up constantly by me or Seo Ye-in, but against other opponents, she was probably like Lu Bu on the battlefield.
Upon being praised, Hong Yeon-hwa’s lips melted into a loose, bashful smile.
She even looked like she was expecting more praise, but that was all I had to say, so I turned to Seo Ye-in.
“Wang Bin was really Wang Cheon-sam, right?”
“The same person.”
“Seriously, that guy is terrible at naming himself. I assume you won?”
“Kim Ho is strong.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Seo Ye-in gently patted the immortal pot.
“I blocked it.”
“With the pot?”
“Mhmm.”
So that meant she had blocked Wang Cheon-sam’s strike with the pot and then counterattacked.
Given how powerful that equipment was, it was certainly possible. But that didn’t mean it was easy.
An assassin’s strike aimed for a single point in an incredibly short window. To block it, you had to pinpoint that exact spot and thrust the pot forward at precisely the right moment.
Maybe the close combat training she’d done through hardship had unexpectedly paid off.
Soon after, Go Hyeon-woo stepped out of the teleportation circle and, upon spotting us, walked over.
“So you were all gathered here.”
“Yeah. We’re all done. What about you?”
“I also just finished my last match.”
“How was it?”
Go Hyeon-woo gave a smile filled with complicated emotions.
“It was disappointing that I still didn’t get to face Kim-hyung in a match. But meeting Miss Park made up for it somewhat.”
“Park Na-ri? Did you win?”
“It was better than last time.”
Go Hyeon-woo had previously lost by decision to Park Na-ri’s team in a 2-versus-2 match.
The main reason was his lack of offensive power. He simply couldn’t break through the endurance of Park Na-ri’s team.
On top of that, his iron sword kept breaking at the worst possible moments, which certainly didn’t help.
But throughout the first semester, Go Hyeon-woo had undergone relentless training and gained extensive real-world experience, showing great progress in his martial arts.
The weapon issue had also been resolved once he acquired a magic sword.
As a result, he had managed to narrowly secure a victory in the rematch.
I nodded in satisfaction.
“You took down a promising student. That’s a big deal.”
“Haha, I wouldn’t go so far as to boast. Miss Park is a support type. Wouldn’t she shine more in group battles?”
“Still, a win is a win. Nice work.”
We continued chatting for a while about the rematch and various other things.
Eventually, Hong Yeon-hwa left for the Ruby Magic Tower on club business, and Go Hyeon-woo headed to the training center to continue his practice.
Meanwhile, Seo Ye-in was practically asleep on her feet.
She hadn’t looked this exhausted just a short while ago. Maybe she had drained a ton of Sloth Batteries during her third match.
I gently shook Seo Ye-in’s shoulder.
“Young miss, young miss, let’s get you to bed.”
“……”
“You can’t sleep in the middle of the street, you know.”
“I can…”
“If I just leave you here, that’s on you.”
The moment I took a step toward the training center, Seo Ye-in suddenly grabbed the hem of my shirt.
“Come with me…”
“Come with you for what?”
“Pillow.”
“You know being a Kim Ho pillow means you also have to go through Hardship training, right?”
Seo Ye-in paused for a second, then remained still with her eyes closed.
I thought maybe she had just fallen asleep right then and there, but on closer inspection, it looked like she was deep in thought, agonizing over the decision.
Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she looked at me and spoke.
“…Upfront payment.”
“Excellent. Let’s go.”
If it meant I could make her do Level 4 training, then being a human pillow was a small price to pay.
So, with Seo Ye-in trailing behind me like a tail, I headed toward the training center.
On the way, I checked the side quest.
[Sub Quest: 1st Week Duel Battles] (Complete)
▷ Objective: Complete 3 duel matches (3/3)
▷ Reward: Random Rank-Up ×3
Since I’d earned them anyway, I decided to use them right away.
Naturally, it didn’t matter even if they failed.
[Stamp Coupon (C+)]
▷ Stamps: 9/15
I still had some of the stamp coupons from the first semester.
In fact, just one more failure would earn me the next reward.
“……?”
As we walked, maybe the movement helped wake her up a bit, because Seo Ye-in blinked open her eyes halfway and peeked at the random rank-ups.
Thinking that using one herself might wake her up a little more, I handed her one.
“You want it?”
“Mhmm.”
Then I used the remaining two at the same time.
Flaash—
The glow lasted oddly long today.
That little flicker of hope started to rise inside me.
—Fssshhhh…….
But before long, that hope turned to ash along with the random rank-ups.
[Rank-Up Failed.]
[Rank-Up Failed.]
Yep, this was about average.
Shrugging it off, I checked the rewards.
[Stamp Coupon (C+)]
▷ Stamps: 11/15
▷ 10-Stamp Reward: Rank-Up (C)
I had already decided what I’d use it on.
The only real options were [Time Share] and [Chillwind], and long-term, it made more sense to invest in the cooldown management skill.
Chillwind was already strong enough, so there was no rush there.
[Activated ‘Rank-Up (C)’]
[The rank of ‘Time Share’ has increased. (C→B)]
Next up was Seo Ye-in.
I asked her casually.
“Gonna show me?”
“I’ll show you.”
Flaaaaash—
The glow from the random rank-up gradually brightened, then slowly began to dim.
Well, of course. Even Lucky Charm doesn’t breeze through this.
—Just as I was thinking that,
Flaaash—!
The light grew even brighter and seeped into Seo Ye-in’s body.
That meant it had succeeded.
“What got ranked up?”
“Bullet Time.”
“From C to B?”
Seo Ye-in gave a slight nod.
Random rank-ups weren’t influenced by any external factors, but she was suspiciously lucky with them.
Even though she only ever used one ticket at a time.
I couldn’t help but tease her a little.
“Would you quit cheating already?”
“Just lucky, I guess…”
“Well then, since you’re on a lucky streak, open this too.”
With that, I pulled out a random box and handed it to her.
[Even More Chaotic Old Sapphire Temple Random Box (B)]
I had picked it up while clearing a dungeon in the first semester, but I still hadn’t opened it.
The main reason, of course—
Shake shake—
Was that from then until now, Seo Ye-in had consistently refused to open any boxes.
Considering how her lucky streak kept hitting everywhere else, it was clear the box itself was jinxed.
“Still no go?”
“Nope.”
I placed my hand on the lid.
“You sure you don’t want me to just open it?”
“No.”
“Then when will you?”
“Later.”
“When exactly is ‘later’?”
“Later.”
Seo Ye-in just kept shaking her head.
In the end, the chaotic box opening was postponed yet again.
***
After playing pillow for Kim Ho in the special training room for a while, I finally sent Seo Ye-in back to the dorms.
I had some business to take care of.
First, I tried sending a message to Dang Gyu-young.
[Kim Ho: (Keng! Fox emoji)]
[Dang Gyu-young: (Keng! Fox emoji)]
[Dang Gyu-young: What]
[Kim Ho: I have something to tell you]
[Dang Gyu-young: What is it?]
[Dang Gyu-young: (Curious fox emoji)]
[Dang Gyu-young: (Fox with perked ears emoji)]
[Kim Ho: Let’s talk in person]
[Dang Gyu-young: Where are you]
The meeting place was the same as it often had been before. A bench on the outskirts of the walking trail.
After grabbing two canned drinks from a nearby vending machine, I sat on the bench and waited.
It wasn’t long before I saw Dang Gyu-young walking toward me from a distance.
I gave a small wave and started the conversation.
“You must be busy with club stuff, but thanks for coming.”
“Well, if our Kim Ho calls, I have to make time. Even when I don’t have any.”
Dang Gyu-young smiled warmly and perched on the seat next to me.
A moment later, she took the canned drink I handed her, and her eyes lit up.
“This is the one I always drink, huh?”
“You like sweet things, don’t you?”
“Huhum. I like this kind of thoughtfulness.”
Dang Gyu-young smiled even more brightly.
After sipping her drink for a bit, she got to the point.
“So, what did you want to talk about?”
“I wanted to discuss some business.”
“What kind?”
“The auction house is opening soon, right?”
“Mhmm, that’s right.”
The downtown auction house.
As one of the major events of the second semester, a large number of items that had been lying dormant in the inventories of students and faculty were released.
They were even more valuable and rare than the ones that had appeared at the downtown marketplace in the first semester.
It’s easy if you think about it from the seller’s perspective.
If it was an item that everyone was eager to buy, there was no reason to list it on the marketplace and settle for a fixed price.
It made more sense to raise the price as high as possible through an auction.
Besides, if the competition got heated, there was a good chance the final price would go beyond expectations.
Dang Gyu-young asked.
“So, do you have anything you want to buy?”
“I think I’ll have to see the list first.”
Just like with the downtown marketplace and the black market, the change in participating characters also influenced the items they held.
No one could know for sure what would show up, but since it was still an auction, I figured there would be at least one or two things worth picking up.
Dang Gyu-young asked again.
“Right, we’ll think about that when the time comes. What about your points?”
“Not a lot. Around eighty thousand.”
“Eighty thousand’s pretty decent for a first-year… but still a bit iffy.”
The currency used in the auction was points.
I had earned them through raids and replay sales and had saved them up without spending a single one throughout the first semester. For this very auction.
Though it’s only been one semester.
Seniors had likely been accumulating points for two or even three years.
That meant I couldn’t compete with them in terms of purchasing power.
Still, my eye for value was far superior, so it was possible I could pick up items no one else recognized at bargain prices.
But in most cases, everyone wanted the good stuff.
To get it, competition was inevitable.
I’ll probably need to be ready to spend at least 200,000 to 300,000 per item.
To get more than two, you’d need to prepare at least 600,000 to 700,000 points.
Dang Gyu-young glanced sideways at me and asked.
“Want me to lend you some? I may not look it, but I’m the club president, you know.”
“That’s not why I brought it up.”
“Come on, don’t be shy! Just say the word! Grab my wrist like this! Qyu, bring the money! Bring it all!”
“I don’t do things that make me look like a gigolo.”
When I answered firmly, Dang Gyu-young pouted with a look of disappointment.
“Then what are you going to do? Pool it together with the others?”
“Not that either.”
If it were Go Hyun-woo or Seo Ye-in, they’d be just as willing as Dang Gyu-young to empty out their points for me.
Maybe even Hong Yeon-hwa would, too.
But they were all first-years like me, so even combined, we’d only have about 400,000 to 450,000 points.
Still not enough to reach the goal.
More importantly, I had no intention of asking them for help.
I planned to gather points in a different way.
“I’m going to put something up for auction myself.”
“Hmm? I wonder what our senior who graduated many times has prepared this time?”
Curiosity lit up Dang Gyu-young’s face.
Putting something up for auction meant having that much confidence.
Confidence that everyone would want it and that it could bring in the hundreds of thousands of points I lacked.
And just as she guessed, I answered with a quiet smile.
No student at Dragon Slayer Academy would ever just pass this up.
“A strategy guide book.”
