Go Hyeon-woo became busy with report writing and the additional assignment I gave to him.
He was in for a tough time with his head buried in work over the weekend.
Meanwhile, I spent more time in the magic engineering workshop.
My tasks weren’t much different from the previous days.
I prepared the groundwork in Workshop 4, and occasionally, I dismantled failed creations brought in by the seniors of the magic engineering club.
Whenever a spot opened up in Workshop 1, I quickly moved in to craft items.
This time, however, the materials I used were of a much higher quality.
I used all these along with high-quality materials given as rewards by other seniors in my crafting.
And so, after several days that felt like running on a treadmill…
Came the morning of the weekend.
When dawn just ended and the first light began to break through the windows.
I put down the tools in my hand.
A thin and elongated core-shaped part.
After struggling with this for a few days, I finally finished it.
When I infused mana into the part, a faint air current formed that caused various small items scattered across the workbench to levitate.
As soon as I ceased the flow of mana they all gently fell back down.
Just then, some seniors who were taking a short break caught sight of this phenomenon and their eyes widened in amazement.
Perhaps thinking not to overwhelm me, they didn’t all come over at once; instead, only Bong Jae-seok and one female senior I had seen before approached me.
Curiosity was written all over their faces.
“So this is what you’ve been so eagerly gathering materials for… You’ve made something fascinating again.”
“May I take a closer look?”
When I agreed, the two seniors leaned in close to the part and started examining it thoroughly.
They took turns exclaiming in surprise.
“What an interesting design…”
“I was wondering why you needed levistone extracts, but there’s a use for everything…”
“Wow, look at this. It’s amazing, really amazing.”
The principle of this part was divided into three main stages.
When mana was supplied through the [Magic Engine],
the [Weather Chip] would induce climate changes within a certain range,
and the [Levistone Extracts] would determine the type of climate.
Bong Jae-seok asked as he handed me the part.
“It looks like it’s meant for a weapon, perhaps a staff or a scepter?”
“Something like that.”
“Have you acquired the main body?” ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩•𝗳𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝕟𝕖𝕥
It was merely a part at the moment and it required installation into something to serve as an item.
I pulled out a meter-long iron rod from my inventory.
“I plan to make do with this for now.”
It was a slightly modified F-rank iron rod provided for free by the Dragon Slayer Academy.
Upon fitting the part into the rod, they seamlessly integrated.
[Levitating Iron Rod (E)]
▷’Levitate Zone (F)’ constantly activated.
Levitate Zone. A floating area.
It was wind magic that created an updraft, causing everything within its range to float.
Whether it was objects or monsters, since each had different weights and magical resistances, there was variation in how much they floated. However, even the slightest levitation made them more susceptible to physical forces.
In other words, within the range, everything became more vulnerable to [Wind Force].
However, the rank of this [Levitating Iron Rod] was merely E.
The constantly activated [Levitate Zone] was only F-rank.
Its power was minimal and its range was limited. If I were to compare it to something, maybe its range would be as big as a small room.
This is because I used an iron rod.
Magical engineering items are greatly influenced not only by their part but also by the material of the metal that forms their main body.
Using an iron rod as a temporary measure meant that E-rank was the best I could hope for.
Naturally, if I were to use a better metal to create a superior main body, it would increase both the rank and performance.
So where do I find such “better metal”?
To the underground of the Dungeon building.
I placed the iron rod back in my inventory.
Bong Jae-seok must have sensed that it was time for me to leave as he looked at me and said with a slightly regretful tone.
“You won’t be coming around for a while now.”
The reason he was so certain of that was because I used up all the materials I had gathered here just in time to complete the [Levitating Iron Rod].
If I had been planning on making more, I would have saved some materials.
I didn’t deny him because it was true.
“Yes, I’ve been greatly indebted to you during this time.”
A female senior tried to join the conversation,
“If you’re so indebted, how about joining our club—”
“There’s no debt. Whenever you want to make something else, feel free to come back.”
Bong Jae-seok cut her off mid-sentence.
Seeing that my mind was set on leaving, he seemed to have decided to let me go quietly.
I bowed politely and exited Workshop No. 1.
– Why did you just let him go?
– Come on, as if he’d join. He’s not one to be tied down.
– You never know until the end!
A light argument continued inside the workshop.
I spent the remaining weekend practicing [Wind Force] and [Core] at the training center.
The student cafeteria buzzed with activity from early morning.
Seo Ye-in and I opted to step outside rather than join the crowded breakfast scene.
With a cup of coffee in one hand and a folded waffle in the other,
We sat side by side on a bench in the corner of the campus.
As we ate our waffles, I noticed a surge in the number of casually dressed individuals passing by.
Graduates invited for mentoring sessions.
They had a lot to do with the fact that the student cafeteria was starting to get crowded this week.
Mentoring officially started next week, starting in the fifth week of the semester.
This week served as a period for them to receive basic guidelines and understand the essence of mentoring from the academic department.
I had something to tell Seo Ye-in regarding this matter.
“Announcement: Kim Ho’s special lecture on magic bullets is temporarily suspended.”
Seo Ye-in took a bite of her waffle, finished it, and turned her head towards me.
There was a little cream smeared on her cheek but I don’t think she noticed it because she was so distracted by my words.
Her gray eyes stared at me intently as if asking “Why suspended?”
“Since we’ll be learning the new skills during next week’s mentoring session anyway, there’s no rush. It’s better to use this week to solidify your foundation.”
Efficient growth requires not only expanding the variety of skills but also dedicating time to improve proficiency and rank in existing skills.
It’s a necessary step for everyone, and in my opinion, this week is perfectly suited for it.
I was about to tell her to train well on her own when I remembered that providing some direction or goals tends to increase efficiency.
“Let’s aim for C-rank in both [Magic Bullet] and [Ejection]. That’ll surprise your mentor-ajhussi. Imagine him saying, ‘What? A first-year student with these skills?’”
Though using the term “ahjussi” might seem awkward since we’re unsure if they’re a graduate or a third-year, the main idea is to train hard and impress them.
Seo Ye-in nodded her head slowly.
“…Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
Considering that her Magic Bullet was currently at D-rank and Ejection at E-rank, aiming for C-rank on both of them within a week seemed somewhat unrealistic.
However, the reason I deliberately set a very ambitious goal for her was because I thought it would make her train harder.
Also, I had the faint hope that perhaps Seo Ye-in’s overwhelming talent might make it possible.
“Hey, by the way, you’ve got cream on your cheek.”
“Not there. The other side.”
“A little to the left.”
Strategy battle class.
Teacher Seo Cheong-yong wrote two words on the board.
“The previous strategy battle sessions were about saving your most precious resource, which is time.”
The key was how quickly you could achieve your goals in the dungeon.
“Raise your hands here. Actually, there was something peculiar about the middle of that swamp area. Anyone remember anything?”
The students in Class 3 looked at each other in confusion.
Each face bore the same expression.
– Did something like that really happen?
With everyone focused solely on rushing through the dungeon as quickly as possible, and with goblins wielding knives chasing them from behind, who had the luxury to leisurely inspect their surroundings in such urgent circumstances?
Nobody had the time or inclination for that, not even veteran players would have…
Of course, I wasn’t the type to eagerly raise my hand in moments like these.
After no one stepped forward for quite some time, Teacher Seo Cheong-yong grinned and revealed the answer on the board.
In the midst of the urgent situation, geometric patterns were engraved beneath the trees in the middle of the goblin swamp.
“You might not notice them even if you look closely. In urgent situations, it’s easy to overlook such details. Nevertheless, it’s important to always pay attention to seemingly trivial things like these. Why do you think that is?”
It was a girl in the front row who answered the question.
“You only know if it’s really trivial once you’ve checked it.”
What if that seemingly trivial thing is actually a core element of the dungeon?
For example, what if it’s a device that triggers traps throughout the area?
Or perhaps a device that summons additional monsters?
Or an entrance leading to hidden chambers?
There’s no telling what good might come from simply passing by without a second thought.
“Now, onto the theme for this week’s strategy battles—”
RULE: [Clearance] [2-Person Dungeon] [Random Matching]
“—which is Clearance.”
How thoroughly can you clean out the dungeon?
For example, if there are 100 monsters present how many of them can you find and defeat?
Of course, it’s highly unlikely that all 100 monsters will swarm in as soon as you enter the dungeon; they’ll likely be hiding throughout.
To earn high scores, you’ll need to carefully examine every nook and cranny of the dungeon.
Teacher Seo Cheong-yong raised a finger.
“Here’s something important. There’s no time limit this time. Anyone can achieve top marks as long as they take their time and look carefully! How’s that?”
The students’ faces lit up.
They had been beaten in one-on-one battles, timed attacks, by the Strong Enemy, and even in two-on-two battles, and now, they were confronted with such a relaxed strategy battle.
Seo Cheong-yong grinned and folded his second finger.
“Two important things. The terrain is random. It could be a jungle, ruins, a cave… Each person faces a different dungeon in these strategy battles.”
A student in the front row quickly raised his hand.
“Teacher, does that mean the practice mode and the real battle mode have different terrains?”
“Then is there any point in practicing in the practice mode?”
“Do you really think there’s no point at all?”
The student who asked the question seemed to realize something and lowered his hand.
Even if they entered different dungeons every time, they continued to accumulate experience.
And with each experience, their powers of observation grew sharper.
Such improved observation skills would eventually prove helpful not only in real battles but also in future strategy battles during the semester.
“Don’t just focus on the scores; try practicing the practice mode several times for the sake of experience. And for the fellows thinking of cheating, let’s save our points this time.”
Several students looked sheepish as they avoided Seo Cheong-yong’s gaze.
After all, in randomly generated dungeons, tricks like watching someone else’s replay and copying their moves wouldn’t work.
Seo Cheong-yong checked the time and wrapped up the class.
“Before you go, you have some homework for this week.”
When Seo Cheong-yong uttered the cursed words, the students’ faces quickly turned into expressions of betrayal.
Even you whom we trusted would assign us homework…
Seo Cheong-yong smiled sheepishly and spoke with an apologetic tone.
“You just need to draw a map while watching your replays. Don’t forget to mark the monster locations. The deadline is next Monday. That’s it for today’s class! See you next time!”
Today, I decided to move separately from Go Hyeon-woo and Seo Ye-in.
After all, my teammate would be assigned randomly for this dungeon.
Building experience was important for this dungeon so starting with practice mode would be the way to go for them.
On the other hand, I was overflowing with experience so practice mode would just be a waste of time.
I decided to dive into real action from the get-go.
I headed straight to the upper floor of the dungeon building.
I scanned my student ID at the terminal and took some time to think while waiting for my teammate to appear.
I hope I get a useful partner…
I then checked this week’s quest,
[Side Quest: 4th Week Strategy Battle]
▷Objective: Clear the strategy battle dungeon
▷Deadline: ~Sunday midnight
▷Reward: Variable based on clearance (??/100%)
As long as I’m here, 100% completion is a given no matter who gets chosen as my team member.
Honestly, I could handle everything alone if needed from start to finish.
So, what does “useful partner” mean in this context?
It refers to someone with skills worthy of copying.
Since my tasks at the magic engineering workshop were completed for now, I won’t be using the [Magical Engineering] skill for a while.
I was planning to replace it with a combat-oriented skill.
How long had I been waiting?
Suddenly, a teleportation portal opened nearby.
As I stepped inside, the air instantly refreshed.
Judging by the uneven terrain, this seemed to be a mountainous region.
Red hair and fiery ruby-like eyes.
But as soon as she saw me, the color drained from her face.
It was Hong Yeon-hwa.