‘Here we go again.’
The largest building at Lumere Academy, located right in the center.
The Lumere Building, the main hall and heart of Lumere Academy.
The Lumere Building isn’t just bigger than the other academy buildings; it’s also designed to be taller.
“I’m not even surprised anymore.”
Within the sacred Lumere Building, no accidents are supposed to happen, but ironically, one is about to occur.
To those far away, it might have looked like a crow practicing its descent.
But what fell from the rooftop was not a crow.
A small-framed girl in a robe.
Xyah, her twin braids flying in the wind, was plummeting rapidly toward the ground.
“Hey, there’s someone…!”
“What… what do we do? Should someone catch her?”
“It seems unnecessary…”
As the small figure got closer to the ground, the students’ initially somber expressions lit up with anticipation.
The fluttering silver twintails in the air, the black robe enveloping her entire body.
Rather than losing composure and panicking, the girl was completely rigid, stiff as a mannequin. It wasn’t mere calmness.
This was the attitude of someone who didn’t know the fear of death.
Most people, even with safety ropes, wouldn’t descend so calmly. However, the diminutive girl floated down as if she were taking a nap, completely at peace, her eyes closed.
A stance only achievable after experiencing death dozens of times. The students couldn’t help but marvel as they watched Xyah Stella get closer to the ground.
“What happens after resurrection?”
“I heard you don’t even need to clean up afterward. The corpse disappears instantly upon resurrection.”
Such looks were nothing new to Xyah Stella.
“Not much time left.”
She confirmed her distance from the ground, turned her head one last time, and closed her eyes to await death.
Xyah Stella had a habit of counting down to death.
“About five seconds to go?”
Since she immediately resurrects, she knows if she timed her death correctly.
At zero, if she woke up in another place, the prediction was successful. If not, it was a failure. Strangely, it was fun to guess right, and the perceived pain decreased, so she often counted down as she fell.
If you imagine using other thoughts to cover the pain of dying, it might be easier to understand.
“Only problem is when I fall like this. The damage is too severe.”
This ability to resurrect a hundred times, which she personally considered advantageous, had a flaw: she still felt the full pain of death.
At this height, instant death was guaranteed a hundred percent. For others, the pain would be instantaneous, but Xyah Stella was the exception.
It was strange that she hadn’t developed any mental disorders from this. She should have been mentally frazzled by now.
“One second.”
Right now!
Bracing herself for intense pain, she opened her eyes in sync with the countdown.
But then, a soft ‘thud,’ and her back touched something fluffy, bouncing her up violently.
It was huge clumps of wool that had cushioned her fall.
“…Huh?”
Having tumbled once in the air, she landed—
“Are you not pushing your body a bit too hard?”
—in the embrace of an unfamiliar man whose presence was warm and comforting.
“Even if you resurrect, pain is still pain.”
Tiren Dragunov.
He was a 5th-year professor who used to be a mercenary.
Compared to other professors, his experience wasn’t the longest, but his exceptional skills allowed him to handle many subjects, allowing him to oversee numerous students.
“Check this out?”
Scenarios like this were familiar to Tiren Dragunov. Hence, he didn’t take the killing intent the girl in front of him was exuding seriously.
Just the common rebelliousness of youth. Besides, it’s better to challenge when young; it loses its charm and becomes unpleasant from someone older.
‘Ah, so it’s a love triangle?’
He thought this after spotting Mate, who was catching his breath in a corner, wondering if the latter was involved with complex female relationships based on his somewhat parasitic appearance.
“Yo, kid.”
As Tiren whistled and approached Xyah Stella, who had just descended the stairs.
The professor of mercenary background never took students seriously. Never.
His casual gait stopped right in front of Xyah.
“Was that stunt just now yours?”
“…”
“Pretty fierce glare you’re giving me. Like how three arrows melted an ice sword inside my hood.”
Tiren Dragunov stroked his chin thoughtfully with his thumb and forefinger.
“Are you in Class B?”
“Shut up.”
Tiren Dragunov noticed the sharp killing intent directed at him.
‘Not the kind of eyes to attempt conversation.’
Deciding to give her a little leeway, Tiren summoned three ice swords and burst into laughter.
Crack crack…
“Can you even shoot that?”
With a closed left eye and feet spread shoulder-width apart, Xyah Stella’s posture as an archer was perfect. She had pulled the bowstring.
Her target was the left shoulder of Tiren Dragunov.
“I’ll let your left shoulder off lightly.”
Tiren Dragunov dismissed the ice swords and showed no fear at all.
Instead, he got even closer to Xyah Stella in a “shoot if you dare” manner.
“If you can shoot me, go ahead and do it.”
To the students, it was a tense, one-touch situation, but to Tiren Dragunov, it was just funny.
‘Since you obviously can’t shoot, why bother showing off your useless bravado?’
Tiren knew that Xyah Stella wouldn’t be able to release the drawn bowstring.
He’d seen too many similar scenarios. Whenever the rebellious behavior reached its peak, it always ended this way.
However, despite countless repetitions, there wasn’t a single instance where the opponent managed to land a hit.
They had only the audacity to display weapons but lacked the determination to execute the killing intent they showed. This was the most vulnerable part of the Lumere Academy students.
Most of them had diligently trained all day in their homes, thus lacking real combat experience and found it hard to harm others.
Tiren, being a realism-focused professor, was fully aware of this fact.
“Shoot. Come on, shoot it. Huh?”
Imagine offering someone rice with a spoon but they refuse to eat or throw it up.
Her posture was impeccable. Even Tiren, with his mercenary background, was impressed.
So what? Being able to aim well and not shoot, being able to draw the bow but unable to release it.
“Empty killing intent is useless, kid. Drink more milk before you act recklessly…”
Tiren quickly stepped back when he picked up a chilly vibe.
It wasn’t a leap. He stumbled due to the sudden shock.
He immediately realized something.
All this time, the fact that the girl hadn’t released the bowstring wasn’t because she feared causing harm to someone else.
“…Let me ask again.”
Most high-level spells have long casting times.
But in exchange, their structures can be altered to prevent others from seeing the actual spellcasting.
Of course, this is only possible if the magic user’s expertise and the amount of mana in the body far exceeds that of a regular person.
Of course, the ability to use high-level magic itself is a testament to being immensely skilled.
“Are you the Deputy Head of the Magic Division?”
The arrow Xyah Stella had loaded wasn’t a regular one.
Its length was very short and its tip extremely intricate.
It required great skill but was the ultimate weapon for archers who specialized in unconventional firing methods.
Blue-black flames began to flicker around the arrow’s edge.
The target was clear: the culprit who had injured Mate – that cursed right hand wielding the ice sword.
Damn training dummy.
Because of the magic suppression field, I can’t use mana.
With the time reset, my physical abilities along with my internal mana also reverted. Using magic was out of the question; I even felt crushed by the pressure.
Maybe my mana levels had recovered slightly from teaching glass techniques for the last month, but that was a mistake. I should have cut down on my sleep further.
Wishing in hindsight won’t change anything now.
Professor Tiren’s attack was lethal to me, and right now, I’m practically a zombie with awareness, bleeding inside but barely showing it.
My legs are paralyzed, no longer able to move.
‘Her eyes are completely wild.’
I realized looking into Xyah’s hollow and menacing gaze. There’s no way any words from me will make a difference.
To summarize, the moment that arrow is fired, the classroom will be in chaos. By that time, Professor Tiren won’t have a choice but to get serious.
Hence, this high-level magic-enhanced arrow must not be fired.
But by the time I noticed that, the arrow was already flying at Professor Tiren with blinding speed.
The only person in this classroom who can block that arrow is Elfine the Elder.
‘Trust those you can trust.’
After all, it’s my own fault for snoring loudly and getting into this mess.
There’s no guarantee that Professor Tiren won’t retaliate even if he dodges the arrow. Can someone with such a belligerent nature endure a match against an advanced student? Honestly, I don’t think so.
Even if I try to talk, both of them won’t listen, so I must somehow prevent this confrontation.
To de-escalate the situation, there’s no other way but this.
“Player substitution.”
I muttered quietly, and all the students, including Xyah, were shocked.
Mid-level teleportation magic: Player Substitution. It swaps the positions of the caster and a designated target. It consumes no mana.
At this point, the caster and the target maintain identical postures and enter a one-second stiff state.
Xyah’s arrow was aiming at Tiren’s right hand. Professor Tiren was standing upright just before the swap, and I was shorter than him.
Whish!
The arrow pierced not my right hand but my right wrist.
“Uh…”
It wasn’t my voice but a gasp from someone else. I had clenched my teeth to suppress any groans.
Xyah’s widened pupils and gaping mouth seemed to reflect regret, and upon seeing the wound, she immediately slumped in despair with a pained expression.
“Sip…”
The pain was so intense that I almost wondered if I should have trusted Professor Tiren.
“Isn’t there anyone specializing in healing here?!”
“The bone narrowly missed, but the bleeding is too severe. First aid won’t be enough.”
The classroom, which had been calm, was now like a bustling market.
About half the students quickly descended the stairs to examine my condition.
“You’re gonna hear it from the principal.”
As soon as the magic suppression field disappeared, everything returned to normal. The shattered outer walls, the podium split in two, and my torn school uniform all went back to how they were.
With one exception: my body, which was a mess.
I pressed the wound against my abdomen while using my other hand to cover the other side of the hole, but the blood wouldn’t stop flowing.
“Call a nurse from the medical room! This guy’s really gonna die!”
“No need to go to the infirmary.”
It seems everyone has forgotten that there’s a miraculous doctor closer than the infirmary.
Shirai, helped by another female student, descended the stairs and broke through the crowd to reach me.
“I’m sorry.”
The first thing Shirai did after grabbing my wrist was apologize.
“I wanted to act faster, but I couldn’t.”
“It’s okay.”
The reckless stunt I pulled off was only possible because Shirai was here. I had no intention of blaming her.
“There’s a hole in the wrist…”
Shirai’s eyes widened in shock as she began channeling golden holy energy into my wrist, a sensation like a gush of strength entering me.
“Responsible words, I know, but please bear with it a little longer.”
As Shirai’s expression grew more distorted, the blood vessels and tissues regenerated quickly, and the bleeding began to stop.
Students couldn’t help but marvel at the power of holy energy, and I was no exception.
With the treatment complete, the noisy orientation officially came to an end.
Professor Tiren declared two days of free time as an apology, and my wrist was fully healed thanks to Shirai’s efforts—though there was still a noticeable red circular scar. It was a small price to pay.
The only lingering worry was that guy.
He had disappeared somewhere after the treatment. I had wanted to thank him for being alright.
We are in the same class, so I thought there would be an opportunity sometime.
However, contrary to my expectations, Xyah didn’t show up in any of her classes that day.
And the next day, Shirai delivered some shocking news.
“The freshmen’s privilege to use the snack bar has been revoked.”
“What?”
Are we back to high school in the 90s?
“One of the student council’s guidelines for nurturing the proper mentality of freshmen…”
“…”
“Apparently, it’s because one of the A Class students was absent.”
I felt like the roof had fallen on my head.
