Chapter 27

“My head is buzzing like a beehive!”

My fingertips are starting to regain some strength.

Suddenly, something rises up from my stomach and I spew out a handful.

“Cough!”

With black smoke seeping from my mouth, I opened my eyes.

New faces appeared before me.

It was Isabel, Ban, and her teammates.

“Senpai!”

I heard Aisha’s voice calling me.

As I finished expelling the smoke, I furrowed my brows.

What’s with their expressions? They look like they’ve seen a ghost.

‘Wait.’

Did I just faint?

My gaze landed on my body. At the same time, I noticed SirMiel finally lowering her hand.

I quickly rummaged through my memories.

I distinctly remember throwing my body forward, activating the Magic Seal against the Forest Guardian.

I briefly lost consciousness after the explosion of the Magic Seal.

The problem was the power of that explosion.

‘It was way stronger than I anticipated.’

The Magic Seal engraved on my steel skin was done under Sharine’s guidance.

Given that, I expected a significant amount of power from it, but this exceeded my expectations.

‘Could it be that the Magic Seal and my steel skin had some sort of synergy under specific conditions?’

The steel skin harbors mysterious powers.

Combining it with the Magic Seal could have led to this result.

‘I never thought my explosion would be so overwhelming that I’d faint.’

This was beyond what I intended.

I’ve unnecessarily worried the kids.

“Thank you, Saint!”

“It’s nothing. Just doing what needed to be done.”

SirMiel wore a gentle smile.

Truly a picture of a saint.

“Should I help you up?”

As Aisha approached, I gestured dismissively.

“I’m fine. I’m good now.”

The saint had treated me personally.

In fact, I felt a lot more comfortable moving than before I fainted.

‘Looks like I handled the Forest Guardian just fine.’

The students should be safely returning.

What I’m more curious about is Isabel and the gang.

“Isabel.”

As I called her, Isabel flinched and looked my way.

Something about her response feels off.

“It seems I rose much earlier than expected.”

Isabel stared at me in silence.

Her eyes were shaking violently.

Normally, she would have complained by now.

Today, her reaction is different.

“It’s because I was cursed. It’s not the fault of others.”

Then, a student from Holy Studies stepped up.

With his very short, striking hair, he was Gaisun Jeruski.

‘Nice party composition.’

Solid lineup.

With this composition, we should be able to navigate the lower floors without a hitch.

“Is that so? Then it’s settled.”

If the recovery member is cursed, retreating is the right call.

I didn’t ask any further and pushed myself up.

“Hanon team, let’s return.”

I had used a lot of energy fighting the Forest Guardian.

Our objective for Act 3, Chapter 3 has been accomplished safely, so returning is the best decision.

Somehow, our team returned alongside Isabel’s team.

Isabel followed us, keeping her mouth tightly closed.

I don’t know what caused this change in her attitude.

But I sincerely hope it’s not for the worse.

Having returned safely, I reported the situation to Professor Veganon, who was waiting at the front.

Her expression hardened before she told us to rest and rushed off to another professor.

This would likely warn the students entering Magung of additional dangers.

‘The changes in Magung have been uncertain so far, so it wasn’t a debated topic.’

The timing of entering Judgement Academy is divided into four seasons.

Each time the environment of Magung changes.

So even when it comes to the frequency of appearance reaching a hundred in the investigation, it’s hard to recognize that changes are coming.

This was a privilege that could only be known because I’m a player.

The reason I hadn’t revealed this fact earlier was simple.

I wanted the story to progress as faithfully as possible, given that the main character Lucas has gone missing.

The transformation of Magung would come into focus after Act 3, Chapter 3.

I tried to let things unfold as closely to the original as I could.

‘With this, it’s almost flowing according to the canon.’

Only the characters have changed a bit.

“…Hanon, you.”

Just then, Isabel spoke to me.

As I turned to her, I saw Isabel quietly watching me.

There was a strangely subdued atmosphere compared to usual.

“What would you have done if an Apostle hadn’t appeared in the Gray Forest?”

She seemed to be confirming something she already knew.

The appearance of the Forest Guardian is a fixed event.

But that’s from the player’s perspective, they wouldn’t know that.

“I would have waited. Or perhaps stayed until all the students returned.”

So, as I spun a suitable excuse, Isabel answered, “Okay,” and walked away.

Today, it was particularly hard to read Isabel’s intentions.

What is going on with her?

But I have this image built up of Isabel, so I can’t just ask her directly.

In the end, she walked away with her gang without me being able to ask anything.

I could see professors chattering in the distance.

Our teammates seemed tired and began to flop down.

Act 3, Chapter 3.

The transformation of Magung and the Forest Guardian event.

We had safely passed this point.

Simultaneously, it was time for the final boss of Act 3, the Disaster Dragon Maiden.

Nikita Cynthia.

The time has come for her brother, Nia Cynthia, to be assassinated, triggering her descent into darkness.

* * *

The first quarter Magung event concluded smoothly afterward.

All students returned.

There were some injuries but no fatalities.

The students proudly flaunted their achievements.

However, among those achievements, one stood out in particular.

That was Isabel and her crew.

The Apostle they faced on the third floor was a named Apostle that had survived for quite a long time.

They were a wicked one who capitalized on the timing of when capable students were moving down, instead waiting for them on higher floors.

Ban, with his sharp instincts, noticed his presence and initiated combat, resulting in the successful defeat of the named Apostle.

Thanks to that, the standing of Isabel’s party skyrocketed.

‘That was a hidden event handled well.’

If Isabel hadn’t defeated it, I planned to take care of it next quarter.

The longer a named Apostle survives, the more trouble they cause.

So, handling it next time was my plan, but Isabel’s party did a good job.

‘Even with the main character absent, they’re doing well.’

Truly, they are a former protagonist party.

“Huh? Are you saying that the mysterious power and the Magic Seal synergize?”

At that moment, a voice came from beside me.

A girl with eyes like the Milky Way.

She’s the top student in Magic Arts.

Sharine Sazarith.

I asked Sharine about the relationship between the Magic Seal and the mysterious power.

Seemingly caught off guard, she showed an interesting reaction.

“No one’s had both mysterious power and the Magic Seal, so I had no clue.”

Sharine spoke lazily, her eyes sparkling.

Even though she seems like someone who lives life carelessly, she’s different when it comes to magic.

“If it explodes again like this time, that would be bad. I’d like to ask for some research on this.”

“Sure, sounds good. I’m curious too.”

Fortunately, this time there are no special conditions.

I was thankful for Sharine’s broad-mindedness.

Putting aside the research on the mysterious power and the Magic Seal with Sharine.

Before I knew it, it was starting to feel like summer.

The stuffy heat slowly began to rise from the ground.

Before long, the cicadas would start their noisy chorus.

As a result, the students’ attire became lighter.

Right in front of me, Sharine was dressed in a shirt that left her arms completely bare and shorts.

That’s a bit too revealing.

“Sharine, even though it’s a dormitory, isn’t your outfit a bit too light?”

This is a common area of the dormitory.

While the attire is relatively free, Sharine’s outfit was excessively liberating.

Sharine grinned lazily.

“Why? Are you going to get the wrong idea?”

There’s a teasing glint on her face.

But that teasing comes from a place of confidence.

No one can really challenge Sharine, the top student of Magic Arts.

However.

“One day, you’ll get into some serious trouble.”

Deflating that confidence is a boy’s fantasy.

Sharine waved her hand as if to say don’t worry.

“It’s fine. I only show up like this in front of Hanon.”

I gulped.

“…Then, why do you appear like that in front of me?”

Sharine chuckled sleepily.

“I don’t know? Might be just for fun.”

What a sly girl.

“Speaking of which, how’s Isabel been lately?”

I quickly changed the subject before she could tease me further.

Sharine stretched her body across the table.

“She’s the same as always. The intensity of training has increased a bit.”

She said this with her cheek against the table while looking up at me.

“Did something happen with Bell?”

“Not really.”

Every time I ran into Isabel recently, she just glanced at me and then left in a hurry.

Now she doesn’t even give me a chance to provoke her.

“Oh, by the way, I heard something related to Bell.”

“What is it?”

“She’s been spending a lot of time with Ban lately. There are rumors that they might be involved.”

With Ban?

I had no idea why she left so quickly every time I met her.

“That’s news to me.”

“Bell’s been receiving training from Ban.”

It’s not a bad idea.

Ban is definitely a genius when it comes to swordsmanship.

It should benefit Isabel a lot, who also wields a sword.

“Everyone seems to get all worked up over these things, huh? They did the same thing with Lucas.”

She said that and then fell silent.

She must be reminded of Lucas’s death.

‘Seems like I’ve been associating with Sharine a bit too much lately.’

Recently, I’ve felt a change in Sharine’s attitude towards me.

So that name just popped out easily.

“The two of them didn’t give off that vibe though.”

I tilted my head.

“Didn’t Isabel and Lucas like each other?”

“It was closer to a sibling bond. Isabel was the one who did most of the whining.”

I guess Isabel wasn’t interested in Lucas until after Act 4.

Until then, the story strongly emphasized their friendship as well.

Isabel developing feelings for Lucas is indeed a memorable scene.

It wasn’t because Lucas showed off some dashing moment.

Lucas was filled with hatred towards the world, crying out for help due to various incidents.

Isabel genuinely fell in love with him after holding him and comforting him.

‘Now that’s a scene I can no longer see.’

Lucas is gone from this world now.

The memorable scenes I remember have all been rendered pointless.

That realization left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“How about you, Hanon?”

“What about me?”

“Is there someone you like? Or someone you’re involved with?”

What a ridiculous question.

“I’ve only been at the Academy for less than six months!”

How could I possibly fall for someone in that time?

“Well, there is someone I am concerned about.”

“No way, are you saying you want to date Hanon?”

“Who said anything about me?”

I hadn’t even confessed and already being rejected.

“Of course, it’s about Senior Nikita.”

“Hanon really likes Senior Nikita.”

Sharine knew my true feelings towards Nikita.

This isn’t merely romantic interest.

I genuinely like Nikita as a person.

That’s why, when I think about the approaching Disaster Dragon Maiden, I feel a heaviness in my heart.

“Oh, speaking of that, what about Nikita’s brother?”

My head whipped around.

Could it be that some event is taking place?

“I heard he’s coming here temporarily as a Magic Arts professor at Jerion Academy.”

Huh? Why?