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The defense mechanism of Eternity is impenetrable at the disciple level.
If a defense mechanism made to regard mines as enemies were to be breached by a disciple, that would be a problem in itself.
‘Isn’t that right?’
Sukaak!
Regardless of level, Cheon Woojin’s gift, ‘Geomseong,’ which cuts through all anomalies, thrust its sword into the defense mechanism.
The monitor table caught by the sword was sliced in half.
It was a trembling sight, but fortunately, only the sword entered sneakily; Cheon Woojin couldn’t enter the defense mechanism. My victory is secure.
And so, ‘5 minutes’ passed.
[Class dismissed. Victory goes to Team Mine.]
The mechanical voice declared the victory of Team Mine.
The method might have been somewhat flexible, but nitpicking such trivial matters would hinder progress. What matters is not the process but the outcome.
To begin with, throwing only Nikolai as the protagonist, instructing him to stop the main character and his party? That is the height of absurdity.
In a passing story fabricated for the protagonist to win, one cannot simply become a sacrificial lamb.
Cheon Woojin, holding the sword, scratched the back of his neck.
“hahahaha, took a hit. Truly, it’s Haesol.”
Cheon Woojin, even in defeat, looked quite pleased.
“Next time, I should strive to penetrate the defense mechanism.”
In response to his protagonist-like statement, our class’s healer, Kim Hayoon, looked completely dumbfounded, while Oh Jinhyuk and Kindel sent respectful glances.
Only Eungaeye showed a normal reaction. She, who had been staring at Cheon Woojin like a bizarre creature, spoke up.
“Effort is effort, but this is cheating.”
“No, Gaeye.”
Cheon Woojin shook his head.
“What’s not?”
Yeah, what’s not? I should know a bit. Curious, I looked at Cheon Woojin, who turned to me meaningfully.
“Haesol, I was really surprised. I never expected you to think like this.”
“···Huh?”
What kind of thought is that?
As I stayed silent pretending to know, Cheon Woojin nodded his head in understanding and explained.
“The professor said not to distinguish means and methods. And Haesol is part of Team Mine. Haesol thoroughly understood the essence of the class and acted according to ‘Mine’s way of thinking.’ That’s why he touched the security mechanism. If it were a mine, he must have tampered with the security mechanism using his own magic.”
“What, what?”
As a surprised Eungaeye opened her mouth, Cheon Woojin turned to me with a sly smile.
“I’m right, Haesol, aren’t I?”
“······Uh, yes.”
Was it really like that?
I, who came to realize my true intentions that I didn’t even know, looked at Cheon Woojin with newfound respect.
“Is this guy really a genius?”
How could he come up with such an absurd idea…
As I managed to clear my mind from the confusion caused by his seemingly plausible words, I glanced back at Eungaye.
“You heard that?”
“W-what, what…”
Seeing Eungaye still flustered, I clicked my tongue.
“I get that you’re upset for losing, but you should have anticipated how the mine would move. Did you think this was just a simple class of attack and defense?”
Honestly, I too thought it was just a simple class of attack and defense. I never imagined it was such a profound lesson that required such deep thinking.
Seeing Eungaye hesitating with a puzzled expression, Cheon Woojin patted his shoulder and sighed.
“It’s a shame, but that’s how it is, Goye.”
Then, out of nowhere, the barrier in the training room was lifted, and Cheon Woojin extended his hand to me.
“Hyesol, we lost.”
“Yeah.”
The sunset fading over the training grounds, 4th floor.
As I rose from my seat and shook hands with Cheon Woojin, a heartwarming conclusion unfolded.
The novices watched us with smiles. And then, the professors and agents rushed in.
“Where, where are they!”
“The mine is right here!”
Agents with serious expressions scanning the 4th floor.
Professor Yoon Suna, in charge of spirit studies, approached us and let out a relieved sigh.
“Phew, thank goodness. Is everyone alright?”
“Yes, we are. But Professor, the mine…?”
When Kim Hayoon asked with a puzzled expression, Yoon Suna frowned.
“The mine appeared, didn’t you see it?”
“Oh, so that’s what happened.”
Kim Hayoon nodded belatedly.
“So that’s what happened?”
“Professor, there was no mine.”
“What? I distinctly felt the magic here.”
“It’s not that…”
As Kim Hayoon calmly explained, I quietly left the 4th floor.
***
Descending to the 3rd floor, the most conspicuous sight was Amelia, poking her head out from a pile of mud, looking distressed.
“Who would do such a miserable thing…”
“Sigh, you’re the one doing that.”
“What are you talking about? I just came down from the 4th floor.”
My ＜Eagle Eye＞ level is an impressive ‘7’. Controlling the mist in the 3rd floor from the 4th was no big deal with a radius of only 20 meters.
Considering the absence of vision, it was Gram who controlled it, so it wasn’t a major issue.
And strictly speaking, it was Deoric, not me, who trapped Amelia in the mud.
Amelia, who seemed clueless, just grinned.
“It was definitely raining…”
“Want me to help?”
“Please get it out quickly… Sniff.”
Amelia, who had no connection with the mud pool, was in tears with her face and hair covered in mud.
I first took out my smartphone.
Despite the discomfort, there was something oddly cute about it that made me want to take a picture.
“So, what were you doing just now?”
“Nothing.”
I took a picture in silent mode and as I was about to put it away, Amelia urged me.
“…Help me first.”
“I have a condition.”
“What condition…”
Even though the assistants would come soon to help, Amelia, in a panic, seemed not to consider that. She just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
But getting this out was no easy task.
I had to break the surface magic and meticulously remove the hardened mud.
And I could get dirty in the process, so would I do it for free?
Absolutely not.
“If you continue the test we did last time, I’ll help you get it out.”
I had taken Amelia with me to test the blue potion’s performance, but the test was not over yet.
Except for the basic red potion, the exact description of the fiery potion was not properly explained.
Moreover, it was player-exclusive, so if someone other than me took it, the effect was less effective.
Therefore, to determine its efficacy, I had to eat it myself and understand the specific margin of error.
Whether there was a synergistic effect when various potions were taken together, and the difference in effectiveness when taken separately.
It was good to collect data in advance for any eventuality.
And Amelia was the most suitable for this experiment. She was so sensitive to magic that she could feel even the slightest difference in potions.
“But there are no side effects from the potion, right?”
“…None.”
“You didn’t just hesitate a moment ago?”
“…It must be due to my mood.”
According to Han Seul, if you take the ‘fiery potion’ again within a certain period after the first dose, the effect may be halved or even turn negative. It’s not harmful to the body… supposedly.
Anyway, the blue potion was not meant to benefit me but to assist the lead. The same goes for the body recovery potion. So, I had to endure this much.
But how do I get this out?
Should I go out and get a shovel?
While pondering how to remove the mud, surprisingly, the problem was neatly solved.
Bang!
“Ahh! Ahh!”
As Han Seul, who was standing next to me, fired a magic bullet, the pile of mud flew away in an instant.
In the process, Amelia’s face turned pale, she screamed, her face covered in mud flipping out, but… wasn’t it the right thing to do? The method was somewhat cool.
“Are you okay?”
“Ouch!”
Amelia, who had hit her hip, lifted her head at Han Seyeon’s comfort, then, upon seeing her face, sniffled and wiped away her tears.
Wondering why, she turned to Han Seyeon, only to find her smiling as usual.
Was it because of the magic bullet? Indifferently passing it off, I picked up the gram’s dagger that had been carelessly placed on the third floor and untangled the bugs that were stuck to it.
Amelia, who happened to witness the process, widened her eyes in surprise.
“Ouch, see? It was you who did it, ouch, right?”
“It was Deoric.”
Speaking of the mud wall, it was Deoric, not me, who did it. I was just helping since we are on the same team. Should I have left it to collapse on the third floor?
Suddenly, as I rummaged through the school uniform pocket, nothing was found.
“Oh, did I eat it?”
Scratching my head at the absence of the melon bread, the assistants came up. Soon after, the announcement echoed.
─Class is over. Class 1, gather in front of the training hall!
***
Hajinwoo watched everything happening at the training hall through his smartphone.
The fourth-floor monitor room was synced with his smartphone.
Because of this, he couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
No, he always said not to discriminate against means and methods, but who in their right mind would tamper with the security system during class?
As a result, even the professors nearby were thrown into chaos, so Hajinwoo couldn’t help but feel a headache.
That’s why, as soon as the students gathered in front of the training hall, he immediately asked Ihaesol for an explanation.
“Ihaesol, tell me. Why did you tamper with the security system?”
“I thought from the perspective of the mine.”
“Oh, from the perspective of the mine?”
“Yes.”
At the ingenious turn of thought, Hajinwoo’s eyes flashed.
“If it’s the mine, I figured out how they would protect the mana stone.”
“Well, but the security system…”
“I judged that the professor wouldn’t have designed the class with simple concepts like attack and defense teams.”
“Indeed.”
Hajinwoo’s eyes shook for a moment.
He had never included such profound meanings in his lessons.
But he couldn’t deny it here. If he did, it would mean admitting that he had designed the class with simple ideas. In the end, Hajinwoo looked around and shouted.
“Did you all hear? Ihaesol is right. Those who always think about how the mines will move are the true top-notch individuals.”
Looking at Ihaesol, who seemed uncomfortable with the flattery, Hajinwoo was inwardly surprised.
“What an extraordinary person.”
Although unintended, Hajinwoo highly evaluated Ihaesol’s ability to find meaning even in such a simple class.
Having a mindset that thinks from the perspective of the mine was one of the essential abilities required in the Grand Master War. Hajinwoo reflected on himself for forgetting that.
And he admired Ihaesol’s boldness in even tampering with the security system for the sake of the lesson.
Nicholai looked on in astonishment.
“Ihaesol, was that, was that what you did?”
“Um.”
“You should have told me earlier. Impressive.”
Praises showered even from the students.
“As expected of Haesol.”
“I never even thought about it.”
“Amazing…”
“······.”
This must be right, right?
“Applause.”
Clap clap clap clap clap!
Thunderous applause erupted.
From Noble mtl dot com
And for the first time in a long while, I felt a twinge of conscience.
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