34
“Uh, um. So… twenty, twenty-four?”
Kim Joo-hyuk tried to maintain composure, but the hand holding the result sheet trembled.
This was no longer a matter of ‘protecting one’s grades.’ It was a much more serious issue.
He had scattered a total of 60 magic stones in the Sengdodong forest.
Specifically, 5 high-grade stones, 10 medium-grade, and 45 low-grade stones.
As Kim Joo-hyuk had anticipated, even for a remarkable Sengdo, finding more than 3 magic stones should have been difficult to be considered normal.
Detecting the stones was one thing, but he had put great effort into hiding them so they were difficult to find.
Moreover, he had heavily applied detection-inhibiting reagents on the high-grade stones, cleverly concealing their locations among rocks, underground, under cliffs, and other places.
Even Kim Joo-hyuk himself would have a hard time finding them without knowing the locations, making it an extremely hardcore and challenging problem.
If asked why he had made the task of finding them so difficult, the reason was obvious.
It wasn’t meant to be found in the first place!
It was akin to putting a lighter in a claw machine at a store.
The shop owner isn’t a philanthropist, so isn’t it impossible for him to recruit a real zippo lighter?
Though I have things like this, I want to provoke some interest, but I never intend to actually give it away, so I stick rainbow clay on the zippo lighters.
If all those are taken, I’d have to close shop that day. The classes are the same.
For a professor to boost their reputation, the subject must be popular, and for the subject to be popular, they need to attract a lot of students.
To attract those students, there must be an appealing product, and that product was the high-grade magic stone. The zippo lighter of the class world.
So, on the list of things to find, there was a high-grade magic stone, and if found, that would be yours, coolly pretending to be cool to the students was Kim Joo-hyuk’s forte. Since they would never find it even if they searched with all their might.
However, the high-grade magic stones that they couldn’t find no matter how hard they tried were all found. All five of them.
His mind was burning white, his body trembling, but he had come too far to back out now.
“There are sixty in total, and twenty-f…”
“…That’s, 48.”
The assistant professor cautiously corrected Kim Joo-hyuk’s absent-minded murmuring. Since there were two students who found 24 magic stones each.
“By the way, we set 10 as the maximum score, but finding 24, they are truly wicked.”
The assistant professor chuckled understandingly at Kim Joo-hyuk’s sentiment.
If he had lost magic stones like that, he wouldn’t have shown more or less of a reaction than Kim Joo-hyuk.
Meanwhile, Kim Joo-hyuk raised his eyebrows at the belated question.
Finding 24 magic stones each, even high-grade ones, was that really possible?
To make that possible, wouldn’t you need exploration equipment that could detect the range where the magic stones were hidden, and emotional magic devices that could scan the range detected by that exploration equipment?
That was the most credible speculation, no, conviction.
Humanly spreading out 60 magic stones, and then collecting all except for 8 low-grade ones? Does that make sense?
‘It doesn’t make sense.’
Kim Joo-hyuk’s expression relaxed calmly, having secured a way out.
‘I committed a crime.’
With a solemn expression, Kim Joo-hyuk stepped forward in front of the students.
“Ahem, in this class, if we······”
“Professor.”
“Y-yes?”
“Is it possible to gather 24 magic stones each in a short time without any special magic devices?”
“······.”
Kim Joo-hyuk looked at the student who spoke.
About 150cm tall, petite to the point of being tiny.
Silver short hair.
A white bear doll hugged to her chest.
A first-year student, Elaine Diaz.
A mere 10 minutes ago, a student who had a bright expression after finding three magic stones. Suspicion lingered in her eyes.
It wasn’t unreasonable for her to enter a moment of reality denial, considering that two students who found many more than her had appeared.
However, such a reaction was not what Kim Joo-hyuk had hoped for.
If she affirmed that suspicion, she would become a person who submitted a problem that was logically impossible.
Even though it was actually correct, admitting it to oneself was a whole different story.
In the end, he had to deny it.
“It’s difficult, but not impossible.”
Elaine tilted her head.
“Do you mean including five high-grade mana stones?”
“Yes, that’s possible.”
After marking five circles, learning wide-range detection magic, and knowing only the range in 50m increments of where they might be hidden, would it be possible?
After saying it, Kim Joo-hyuk thought it might be possible at the novice level, but he insisted it was possible.
If he admitted any negativity here, he would be stamped as an incompetent professor who couldn’t even filter out the negatives.
If he couldn’t even properly inspect belongings and let slip the use of detection equipment and sensory magic in the test, rumors would spread.
This is a real dilemma.
“Elaine, it’s not unreasonable to question a novice who diligently searched for mana stones.”
Elaine nodded firmly at Kim Joo-hyuk’s response.
“Of course, I have no intention of suspecting my peers. It’s just that without any explanation, it might be difficult for everyone, including myself, to accept.”
From Noble mtl dot com
The novices who attended the class nodded quietly.
The fact that they found 24 mana stones in a short time was enough to raise suspicions from their perspective. And those suspicions were directed at Kim Joo-hyuk. Why?
What did I do?
If you want to find out, ask the person involved.
Kim Joo-hyuk’s head throbbed suddenly from the unexpected situation.
He thought he would just be scolded for being unfair and quietly get the mana stones back, but…
Now, it had become a better situation to just hand over the mana stones. If it were just an ordinary novice, he might have used his authority to suppress, but Diazz was a big player in the industry who funded magical research.
“Well… damn.”
Despite the situation spiraling out of control, Kim Joo-hyuk managed to hold back the urge to curse and said:
“How about having the parties compete against each other?”
“A competition?”
“Yes, a competition to see who can find the mana stones first between Ha Eui-sol and the other novice. Then everyone can accept the result and move on, right?”
He said that, but Kim Joo-hyuk’s intention was completely different. If he went this far, it meant to give up on their own.
Surely Elaine wouldn’t bet with Ha Eui-sol, who even had the title of Mana Dominator.
It was a bit awkward to mention Amelia, a novice of Romano-ga. Anyway, he had planned to let it pass quietly. But then…
“Okay.”
“Um… yes?”
“I will. Let’s compete.”
“…”
Kim Joo-hyuk was momentarily taken aback but soon nodded.
“Well, that worked out.”
Kim Joo-hyuk had no idea why Elaine accepted the challenge.
This was an issue that would end if Ha Eui-sol won.
He was also curious if Ha Eui-sol could really find the mana stones on his own.
“Elaine has voiced her opinion, but what about Ha Eui-sol?”
Kim Joo-hyuk looked at Ha Eui-sol.
***
What could this be?
It seems like Kim Joo-hyuk was about to confess that he had cheated, but Elaine suddenly changed her attitude, her expression looking somewhat desperate.
I roughly understand why she’s acting like that.
“The cursed doll, Elaine.”
Not as skilled as Amelia, Elaine was a natural talent in magic, albeit of a rather low quality.
She may look cute, small in stature like a doll, but in reality, Elaine was a master of curse magic.
From the white bear doll she held close to her chest to the cat headband, mute gloves, and so on.
All those belongings were magical tools related to curses.
Even just holding that bear doll tightly or poking it with a nail could cause deep wounds on the opponent’s body, making it a very frightening doll.
Although it did require a part of the cursed target’s body like hair or nails.
Of course, even without that, Elaine could cast a potent curse.
She was someone who could cast a powerful curse even without needing to involve hair or nails of the target.
She was a potential lead in the story who could grow into a protagonist, one who should be approached cautiously or recruited into a team.
However.
“Your grades were on the edge, right?”
Elaine was exceptional in handling magic, but particularly frail in health. Because of this, she received an ‘F’ grade in all subjects that required physical activity.
If she showed poor performance even in specialty classes, her standing within the family would diminish, not to mention her grades being at risk of failing, so Elaine’s desperate efforts were not unwarranted. In Eternity, failing meant ‘expulsion.’
But anyway.
“You want to make a bet?”
“Yes, if Yi Haesol brings the magic stone first to prove her abilities…”
“Why should I do that?”
For what reason?
I’ve already proven myself.
Winning or losing this kind of bet would be insignificant. If I win, I win, and if I lose, I have to expel the magic stone.
Moreover, with Elaine, the cursed doll?
Look at the strength in her hand holding the bear doll with that desperate expression.
Her attempt to cast a curse was glaringly obvious.
“I wonder if she snooped through my desk when I wasn’t around to pick up some hair or something?”
It sent a shiver down my spine, but it was a plausible story.
She was a terrifying child who collected others’ traits and carried them around.
To compete with a desperate person who was cornered to that extent, even raising suspicions of being stalked?
Who would want to invite trouble.
“If we’re going to bet, I should gain something too.”
Of course, even if there was something to gain, I wouldn’t do it.
“Hmm. That’s true.”
Kim Joo-hyuk nodded at my words.
“If it’s a bet, sure.”
“······?”
When I turned at the sudden voice, there stood Nikolai with his arms crossed.
He’s not even in the same class, so why is he here?
“Oh, he’s close with Elaine.”
Come to think of it, both of them are from Russia.
Seems like they’re here to watch because Matam and the class haven’t ended yet.
But why is she so confident even though she’s not directly involved?
“Give the stamina potion to the winner.”
···Was it directed at me?
Nikolai, who had transitioned from merely betting to being a sponsor, was now involved in the wager.
It seemed like Elaine knew that failing was a possibility and was trying to offer some help.
But really?
“You’re giving out potions?”
“Yeah. Any problem with that?”
······Is that a nuclear launch code?
I was slightly taken aback by the idea of shooting stamina potions like pebbles on the roadside.
If it was a stamina potion, it meant it was a valuable elixir that enhanced physical strength. Naturally, it was a costly item. Even though the increase wasn’t that significant and noticeable, it was a necessity for me. It was a key ingredient for creating potions in the Eternity game. Just the thought of it made me greedy, and Elaine’s subsequent actions were decisive.
“I only have this on me right now, how about using this?”
As Elaine rummaged through her pocket, she pulled out a small blue bead.
It was a ticket allowing entry into the black market. Worth nearly 10 million won, it was still insufficient compared to 24 magic stones. Elaine seemed to know that and had come up with additional conditions.
“If I win, I’ll grant you one wish anytime.”
“Do you think that’s enough for the bet?”
“Absolutely.”
Elaine nodded confidently.
The Diaz family was so famous in Eternity that if Elaine joined, there would be no curse that could follow her.
Elaine was a prodigy who had mastered all the curse formulas of the Diaz family, and indeed, she had more than enough to bet with.
Moreover, if it was a ticket to the black market, I was also quite tempted.
The black market, where everything in Eternity gathered, was a place where there were ways to somewhat improve this wretched body.
‘It’s not a ticket you can get just by paying.’
The black market was accessible only to those with significant achievements or renowned families. It was safe to say that as a mere student of an academy, I currently had no way of obtaining it.
The question was whether I could win in the bet…
‘Come to think of it, this isn’t about fighting but finding magic stones, right?’
As I thought about Elaine, it suddenly occurred to me that this was a bet not about fighting but about finding magic stones. In that case, I had a good chance of winning.
In the previous test, I couldn’t use the Gram because I had to find a large number of magic stones over an extended period, but this time, since it was a one-on-one bet, I would be searching for magic stones in a limited area.
Don’t know what the limited area is?
‘As the winner, I get to decide the rules.’
If they don’t like it, they can leave.
Anyway, if given time, it was possible to prepare other detection methods to assist the Gram.
‘The problem is Elaine…’
My expression, as I briefly checked my status, changed ambiguously.
＜Minor Curse Evasion＞ Lv.3
What had been gained by drinking the essence of a hexagon was now leveled up to Lv.3 curse evasion.
“······Hmm.”
Did I win this?