Chapter 385

“Here, the path splits into two. If I pour 100 mana into the single circuit and send 80 into the double circuit, what number should I meet at the end?”

“26!”

Third period, ‘Magic Circles and Circuit Techniques’ class.

I quietly watched Han Yong-cheol’s boss raid broadcast with my phone tucked between my stationery.

‘Magic is just happening without casting. What does it mean for magic to be maintained even outside the effective range? Did they emphasize gameplay over realism?’

After chanting a spell, magic activated, and there was a setup where mana snipers could attack from hundreds of meters away.

It was, in some ways, more fantastical than the fantasy genre represented by the academy.

Seoyuna, who was diligently taking notes next to me, glanced over and took a deep breath.

“Hey, No Name…! What are you going to do if the teacher catches you…!”

Yuna whispered in a tiny voice to caution me.

“It doesn’t matter; I won’t get caught. It’s fine. Oh, that answer is not 26, it’s 20. Be careful of the traps at the end.”

“Really? Ah, there was another circuit on the opposite side, right? Thanks!”

“Not 22, but 20.”

Easy – Normal – Hard – Veteran – Hardcore.

Han Yong-cheol was challenging the double veteran difficulty.

His skills were not bad; it was not just empty praise.

Seeing him roll at the exact timing indicated that he had researched a lot in his own way.

– Ah, this is really too bad…!

– It seemed easy when I was receiving brain support, but now that I’m not, it’s getting tough again, LOL.

– No Name, when are you coming!

– Isn’t it 20 minutes left?

– No Name! We all know you’re watching during class!

“…!”

I was startled and quickly turned my head to look around.

Students were busily manipulating model magic circles.

‘Darn, that scared me…’

In the meantime, Han Yong-cheol had died again.

I never thought watching would be this frustrating.

I decided to put my phone away and rested my face on the desk.

Teacher Shim Hyoo-chan, who was checking the children’s magic circles one by one, walked over to my side.

“Nameya, are you hurt?”

“Ah. Yes, I feel a tightness in my chest.”

“If it’s serious, do you want to go to the nurse’s office? Should I take you there?”

“It’s fine; I can go alone. Thank you.”

Creak-

I pushed my chair back and stood up.

“Huh, Name, are you hurt?”

“I think my heart hurts.”

“Love sickness?”

“What does No Name have to do with love sickness?”

My friends spoke out, expressing their concern.

And only Seoyuna, who knew the whole truth, couldn’t take her eyes off me with an expression of disbelief.

“Wow…”

I gave Yuna a thumbs up and sneaked out of the class.

I turned into the hallway of the 3rd Grade A Class, leaned against the wall, and called Han Yong-cheol again.

“Hello. Yong-cheol, it’s me.”

[Wow! No Name! Aren’t you in class right now?]

“I just… um, stepped out for a moment.”

[Ahaha, I must have misheard!]

“Please understand, my pronunciation is not good.”

[I know! There’s a bond between us. I, Han Yong-cheol, will definitely keep your secret!]

– There are 20,000 viewers in this room, and a secret?

– What even is this? Skipping Academy classes.

– Look at how confident he is, LOL.

– Was No Name always this character? So cute, LOL.

– That delinquent personality really doesn’t go anywhere, LOL.

– Welcome back, boss.

“Phase 1 went well, at least.”

[Ah, yes. With just two more rounds, I should be able to clear one, but I have no idea what to do for Phase 2.]

“As I watched, it seems like you’re thinking of the boss too much like a game. Always worrying about when it will end just results in losing your HP.”

[Oh, I think you’re right! But how… ?]

– Oh, even verifying during class!

– Police officer, over here!!!

– Doesn’t the academy give demerit points for skipping?

– Han Yong-cheol, you jerk! Ruining a kid’s life for a game…!

– The academy is for fun, LOL.

– Who am I? A 7-year subscriber to Han Yong-cheol’s broadcast, secretly watching during class.

– If the boss is a game, then what?

– For Name, games are life. (Nods)

– Oh! Is it suddenly Name memory assaulting here?

– …??? No, I didn’t write that with that intention! Misunderstanding!

Rustle-

Suddenly, I heard a presence in the bent hallway.

From the sound of footsteps, it seemed like a student.

It looked like someone was trying to go to the bathroom in the middle of class.

[Cast: Counter Interference]

I placed the magic circle beneath my feet and lightly went down the stairs before meeting the student.

“Hello?”

[Oh, gasp! I made it to Phase 2. What do I do now?]

“First, lower the sword. Relax your shoulder; your left hand holding the handle and your right hand should be wider apart.”

[Like this?]

“Yes. Just wait like that.”

The sword should start from the closest point to the body.

Standing with the sword extended forward is something only beginners do.

Around waist level is just right.

“I’ll teach you how to create a damage timing for each action, so make sure to remember everything from now on.”

[Create damage timing? Wait a second, is this too much for me?]

“You have to do it. That’s how the boss is designed.”

[Waaaah! *&@#!!! It started!]

Still, there were many repetitive patterns until the veteran level, and Gale’s movements were sluggish.

But it was uncertain whether he would follow the commands well.

“It can change depending on Yong-cheol’s actions. You must follow exactly as I say. First, block the upper left, then keep checking the right and when you lift the sword, charge in with your body first. Always be careful about off-timing.”

[Block to the upper left and stay vigilant on the right…]

“There are many clues. The timing is when Gale steps back. Focus on it… to the right, keep blocking the right like now.”

While Yong-cheol was focused on Gale, I captured every one of Yong-cheol’s small movements.

Because I had to understand what decision he would make next to predict Gale’s follow-up attacks.

It felt like solving an incredibly complicated puzzle.

Moreover, why were there so many people roaming around during class at this academy?

The discipline was clearly lacking.

As another presence was heard, I swiftly passed through the sky bridge into the building opposite.

[I think I’m getting the hang of it! Creating damage timing; ah, so that’s how it feels!]

“Don’t lose focus until the end.”

[Oh no, it’s coming! It’s charging!]

“Roll to the side and strike at the ankle.”

[Huh?]

“Do a front roll! No, swing the sword forward!”

[Ahhhh!]

There were crises both internally and externally.

I skillfully dodged around academy students and teachers.

Starting from the 3rd grade classroom and passing through the 2nd grade, music room, and club room, I ended up at the 4th grade classroom.

If I had known it would be like this, I should have hidden in the gym storeroom from the beginning.

The area near the nurse’s office had too many students moving in and out, I must avoid it at all costs.

But at least there was progress.

– Wow, are we finally going to clear it?

– Let’s go, Han Yong-cheol~!

– Slayer’s Slayer! Slayer’s Slayer!

– Just one more left!

– Please, this time we have to clear it… I want to sleepㅠㅠㅠ

[Hoo, hoo… Stay focused, Han Yong-cheol! You can do it! No Name, just give the last command!]

Han Yong-cheol deftly dodged the dragon breath emitted by Gale.

This pattern must have existed even before the remaster.

I racked my brain to the max.

While enlarging the already small screen, I gathered all the information I could observe: the boss’s gaze, how the sword was held, the gait, etc.

What is it looking at? Will it close the distance or charge?

Suddenly, an extremely familiar image came to mind.

“Nanatsu no Tachi…! No, Emika must have put this in!”

[Eh, what’s Nanatsu?]

It seems they inserted a whole sword technique from the Katsuhuta School.

“Yong-cheol, you trust me, right?”

[Of course! I’ve come this far through peril!]

“The first move is defensive. No matter what happens, don’t react to the first move! Absolutely!”

Gale, the Dragon Slayer awakened by the dragon’s power, spread its wings and leaped.

[Just tell me where the attack is coming from! Front? Left? Right?]

“It will hit in the opposite direction from where the center of gravity is leaning. Let the first move pass without a stance and parry the second move. Do you understand?”

Yong-cheol, who had piled on items that deal extra damage during a parry.

Just roughly estimating, if he succeeds just once, the boss battle will end in 11 hours.

I was praying for the poor soul to be saved.

Creak-

The back door of the 4th grade classroom suddenly opened, and a male student jumped out.

He was trying to run away quickly, but two teachers were walking around the corner on the opposite side.

If I get caught with 5 more demerit points here, it’ll total to 10 points, which will start the procedure to summon my parents.

I must prevent that at all costs.

‘Where should I run? Ah, over there.’

[Science Lab II]

Before they turned their heads, I casually entered the empty science lab and hid my body.

I crawled under the desk without even seeing Han Yong-cheol’s boss raid results and held my breath.

[Cast: Counter Interference]

I checked the noise cancellation magic circle once more.

The shadows of the two passing figures appeared through the door crack.

“Phew…”

I was feeling relieved when suddenly,

Creeeak—

The door slowly creaked open.

‘Could they have seen me?’

If I get caught like this, I’ll be even more embarrassed.

I couldn’t accept the incoming future and bit my lip.

“No Name?”

A boy’s voice.

“Huh? Shin Si Hoo?”

“What’s up, where are you?”

As he clicked on the light switch, the dark science lab suddenly lit up.

Thud-!

“Ouch!”

I hit my head hard as I tried to come out from underneath the desk.

Rubbing my sore head, I frowned.

‘Ugh, I think I might have a bump… I should visit the nurse later.’

The boy turned out to be Shin Si Hoo, who had skipped a grade to 4th grade.

“Hey. You startled me.”

“Why are you here?”

“Can’t you tell? I’m hiding.”

“What? Didn’t you get caught on the rooftop last time by the homeroom teacher?”

“Did Yuna tell you that? That’s why I’m hiding now, so I won’t get caught.”

Si Hoo raised his eyebrows in disbelief as if to say he couldn’t believe it.

They both had the same expression; it was uncanny.

“Ah, there’s not much time left until break, so I should stick around here a bit longer.”

I turned on Han Yong-cheol’s broadcast again.

During the 30-second ad break, Si Hoo sat down next to me.

“Internet broadcast?”

“Yeah. I was helping a friend with a boss battle over the phone.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t you want to play games? You seem like you’d have talent.”

Yun Si Hoo shook his head as if trapped in the indoctrination that games are evil.

“Wow, looks like they cleared it!”

I smiled brightly.

Han Yong-cheol was sprawled next to the corpse of the Dragon Slayer.

The donation messages were pouring in like rain.

The viewers who had cheered him on, as well as those who had spoken harshly at one point, all congratulated him with one heart.

In this moment, they were all heroes who had defeated the Dragon Slayer.

Drrrrring—

“Aren’t you going to answer that call?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“This way is cooler.”

Even now, chat messages searching for me were rising in dozens every second on the broadcast.

“People need to be given appropriate hope. Wow, that person cleared it too? I can definitely do it like that, just like that.”

Han Yong-cheol’s resonance ranking was in the top 5%.

Though it was high among ordinary people, for gamers, it was somewhat of an ambiguous position.

“And then you’ll realize. It feels like it never looked this hard before, right? Of course. I’ve guarded all the dangerous moments for you.”

What distinguishes a skilled player from a novice is not the performance of the entire battle.

It’s how accurately one can find the answer in moments that require quick judgment.

“People reminisce about good times. In that repeated cycle of failure, who do you think people are most likely to seek first?”

“Is it you, No Name?”

“Yeah.”

“Why do you do this?”

“I don’t really have a reason.”

“Hmm?”

“I just find it fun. I do it because it’s fun. The games, the broadcasts, the swordsmanship, the magic. It’s all fun.”

I provide a small hint and then disappear.

That’s my plan.