One of the third-year seniors set up a [Under Construction] sign around the open ground to block the younger students’ access.
Adding a warning about the potential exposure to waste mana from getting too curious and trying to use magic, they seemed determined to keep the underclassmen away.
“Well, that’s quite a creative idea. We were just going to put up the sign and call it a day.”
“If they get any stronger here, we’ll be facing combos that even fourth-years can’t handle. At that point, the only option left will be to go looking for professors or the Student Council…”
That was a result none of us wanted to see.
“Make sure to send Oknodie Senior to the infirmary safely. And keep them quiet so they don’t start talking nonsense!”
“Got it.”
Another senior took charge of dealing with the injured Oknodie senior.
In the Gift Academy, injuries weren’t that uncommon, so managing the noise was practically part of the job.
“What should I do?”
The last remaining third-year Plant Club senior asked. Their task was clear.
“Please go with us to the fourth-year area!”
“I got stuck with the worst job…”
Even though the senior complained, they didn’t refuse. They knew how dangerous fourth-years could be, and didn’t want to send a first-year alone.
Even if it was annoying to bother the Goo, the tendency to avoid leaving me alone was more of a sign that this senior wasn’t as bad as they seemed.
“Be careful. The seniors facing graduation projects are quite dangerous. If you get involved, it’s common that you might suddenly experience something like an astral projection or get thrown into another dimension.”
“Yep. But senior, be careful not to step on the stairs ahead; stepping there will send you straight to the Abyss!”
“Why didn’t you say that sooner?! I seriously freaked out!!”
The third-year senior, narrowly avoiding a teleportation circle disguised as stairs, let out a sigh of relief.
Seeing the big-chested senior calm down like that left a strangely infuriating feeling before any lewd thoughts crossed my mind. Why was that?
“So, which senior are you planning to visit? There aren’t that many fourth-years around. Especially those who would negotiate without resorting to force are even rarer.”
The Plant Club senior was surprisingly knowledgeable for their appearance.
“Strong seniors have attached themselves to the Student Council. If they don’t demand a penalty fee, they might ask for bribes; a negotiation won’t happen.”
“I know that much!”
“On the other hand, avoid seniors who are too skilled. They might try to take advantage of you without the Student Council noticing.”
“That’s only natural!”
“Well, there are bound to be Foundation Scholarship Students hiding among the fourth-years, so it’s not like you’re completely unaware of that.”
But thinking about it, the Foundation sounded a bit infuriating.
The veteran players have gone through trial and error to accumulate knowledge over many cycles, but they seem to have all the intel just through their connections to the foundation. Isn’t that pure cheating?
“Ugh, the pressure is monumental with just one floor difference.”
Masters carry vast amounts of mana. The density of the area skyrockets to the point even low-level beings can faint just by stepping in.
People call this charisma, pressure, or presence.
‘Being crushed by mana is no surprise now.’
The fourth years of the Production Department, who possess a larger amount of pure mana than those of the Knight or Magic Departments, are gathered in this exclusive building’s fourth floor, where unconscious regions clash in a mana-surfeit zone.
The third-year senior’s expression darkened slightly as the mana waves colliding in the space overwhelmed them even without direct engagement.
They were panting slightly, their legs trembling, much like a wild animal instinctively realizing the difference in power and wanting to retreat.
“What now? Are you planning to search for a senior casually lounging in the fourth-floor lounge?”
“First, I need to buy some information from the instructor on the fourth floor!”
“Does the instructor just come out when called?”
“They won’t come out just by being called.”
As they crossed the entry ban sign and moved onto the fourth floor, they placed their hand on the door of the [Homunculus Cultivation Room], which had an extra warning attached.
A figure suddenly sprang from the wall, startling as if witnessing a baby charging with chopsticks towards a socket.
“Stay back. You can’t open that door.”
“Yes!”
“I knew the 981 batch was exceptional, but I didn’t expect an insane person like this. That place is not somewhere you can recklessly enter or step foot into. Go back.”
“If you could do me a favor!”
“Requesting a favor in exchange for your safety—are you out of your mind?”
“Negligence falls on your responsibility, Instructor!”
That was something the instructor couldn’t ignore—knowing their duty was to prevent any reckless students from stepping into the fourth-floor cultivation room.
“Ugh. I hope it’s a request that won’t cross any lines.”
“Can you let me know the names and locations of the available fourth-year seniors?”
“You really think I have time to roam around collecting information on fourth-years?”
“Can’t you just gather information about them from other instructors using the Magic Watch?”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just blast you down to the first floor instead?”
“I’ll give you Points!”
“How much are you thinking, customer?”
Generously, I offered 10,000 points.
In this urgent situation where every second counted, offering this much should allow the senior to gather information across different places with their points.
Thanks to that, information started pouring in quickly.
━━━
[List of Available Fourth-Year Production Department Seniors]
*Minato Yuu
– Heir to the Yuu Workshop, one of the Seven Great Workshops of the continent.
– Currently developing equipment to defeat the Demon King’s Four Kings for his graduation project.
– Plans to join the hunting team aiming for bonus points.
– You can encounter him at the exclusive workshop on Workshop Street.
– Due to the Dragon Principal’s weekly event, the continent’s average temperature has risen by 2.5 degrees, causing plants to transform into monsters, resulting in problems in material gather.
*Reinhardt
– Youngest Vice Leader of the White Silver Knight Order.
– Engaged in developing equipment to defeat the Demon King’s Four Kings for his graduation project.
– Not only making flying swords infused with vision swordsmanship but also plans to join the hunting team personally.
– Visit the mana factory to encounter him.
– Currently facing issues in gathering legendary swords needed for making flying swords due to a lack of supply.
*Grim Reaper
– A special assassin from the Shade.
– Working on developing the Grim Reaper’s scythe for his graduation project.
– Challenging the way of the Shinigami.
– You can meet him at the exclusive workshop on Workshop Street.
– Currently suffering from not having been able to take a life for several days.
━━━
“Phew. I’m glad there are at least two relatively decent-looking seniors.”
“Let’s go see Grim Reaper!”
“You want to go see the riskiest senior without any hesitation?! Think again!”
The Plant Club senior pouted, scared.
But third years aren’t omniscient in worldly matters.
“Senior, think about it. Every year, graduates with insane specifications emerge, yet the Demon King’s Four Kings, who still stand tall and unbroken, how powerful must they be?”
“Uh… they’d probably be stronger than the graduates?”
“Can you sense how insane those seniors aiming to hunt them must be?”
“Uh, I guess you’re right.”
Seeing the senior hesitate made them nod. The instructor beside them seemed pleased at the thoughtful comment.
“Then let’s head to Grim Reaper’s workshop!”
The workshop street was a hidden spot accessible after passing through the special barrier of the fourth-floor main building.
It had better accessibility than the library, but the entry conditions posed a problem.
━━━
[Those wishing to enter the Workshop Street must prove their qualification to create or possess a masterpiece.]
━━━
The method of proving it was simple.
Just show an artifact of +10 enhancement or higher on the inspection stage.
Of course, for someone like me with a backpack of goodies, this was an easy pass.
━━━
[Qualification Confirmed.]
[Those lacking qualification will receive a curse of words and unspeakable silence.]
━━━
Anyone unable to possess or create an artifact wasn’t allowed to enter the workshop street, and even if trying to tag along with a qualified companion, they wouldn’t be able to speak or touch anything inside.
It was a practical special barrier indicating they won’t let the unqualified waste the artisans’ time.
‘Why even bring me along then?’
The Plant Club senior expressed their grievance with their eyes.
Well, there was a reason.
Sometimes the contents of barriers change, and it ends up being something restrictive like “enter only after locking up your guarantor in a cage.”
Given that the seniors had pulled such tricks on Goo, they could easily justify locking someone up without any moral qualms.
Thank goodness they weren’t caged!
“Oh, a curious customer has arrived. You already obtained an artifact possession permit as a first-year? 981 batch first-year Oknodie? You must have quite a few points.”
“Who are you, senior?”
“I’m the designated instructor for the workshop street. I’m here to greet students who have entered instead of the artisans. What product are you looking for? Or are you placing a production request?”
“I came to see Grim Reaper senior!”
“Oh…”
The instructor smiled and pulled candy from their pocket.
“I’ll give you this; think carefully while enjoying it. Is the item you’re looking for truly something that can only be obtained through meeting Grim Reaper? There’s no need to make such foolish choices so early in life.”
The eyes of the Plant Club senior turned sharp, like angry triangles.
It seems my instinct about their ominous name was spot on.
But it was pointless!
“I’ve thought it through. We need Grim Reaper senior and nobody else!”
“Sigh. I clearly warned you. Any accidents resulting from seeking out Grim Reaper are your responsibility, not mine.”
Dragging the undecided senior with an overwhelming force, I arrived at Grim Reaper senior’s exclusive workshop.
What kind of senior was this?
Just reading the discount notes at the entrance made it pretty clear.
━━━
[Product Discount List]
– 10% discount for those bringing manufacturing materials of rare grade or higher.
– 15% discount for those placing a request for both production and assassination.
– 20% discount for those who have attended Professor Dominator’s lecture.
– 25% discount for those who have attended Professor Sadako’s lecture.
━━━
This senior had attended Professor Sadako’s lecture.
