Chapter 11 – Longing for Closeness (1)

【A Legendary Artifact Appears!】

Curiously, the best results in gacha games seem to occur when spinning without any expectations.

Unexpected fortune springs forth in such instances.

-Pop!

A red ring emerged from the air, landing precisely on my abdomen.

▶Hyperion’s Ring (SS)
[Category: Equipment]
– Upon equipping, magic power immediately increases by 3, providing a significant bonus to magic manipulation, and magic power gradually increases until the user’s magic power reaches 10. (This equipment becomes bound to the wearer.)

“Uh, wh-what?”

I was so startled that I attempted to sit up, only to tumble off the bed. How could an item like this suddenly appear? Is this the fabled Munchkin Drift? I widened my eyes and caressed the ring. Upon recognizing its owner, the ring resonated with a red glow.

“Ah, wow!”

I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

Just looking at it was not enough; as I went to slip the ring onto my finger, something happened.

【 The World Tree of Purity reaches out! 】
【 Force is activated! 】

The ring disappeared.
Quite literally, it suddenly transformed into light and vanished.

“…”

After being dumbfounded for a while, a bright red jewel was thrown through the air as if pleading for attention.

▶Hyperion’s Jewel [Revised] (SS)
[Classification: Consumable]
– Can be used on equipment items. The following abilities are added to the equipped item.
– Upon equipping, Charm immediately increases by 3, and a large bonus is granted to magical power manipulation. Charm continues to increase gradually until it reaches 8.

My eyes, gazing at the jewel, tremble like a quivering aspen tree.

-Trembling.

“Explanation.”

A chilling voice, surprising even myself, escapes from my lips.

【 (Apologies) The World Tree of Purity apologizes. 】

“Why did you do that?”

【 The World Tree of Purity explains that it was an unavoidable circumstance. 】

“No, you insane, dim-witted tree creature. What was so unavoidable? Tell me honestly, was my low Charm that infuriating to you?”

The World Tree’s response never came.
He placed a hand on his forehead and heaved a deep sigh.

“Whew…”

It wasn’t as if something was given and then taken away.
Lately, he had been growing increasingly frustrated, unable to find a way to augment his magical power. What could he do if he were suddenly obstructed here?

Ah, right.
Legends are, after all, legends.
There had been times when he indulged in fantasies of being as handsome as a celebrity.
Yet, the fact that his dream of becoming an archmage had evaporated left him feeling disheartened.

– Hum!

A gem that pulsated with a crimson glow.
He fetched the mask that lay on the table and held the gem above it.
As the resonating red crystal touched the mask’s forehead, it melted like water, and an explanatory window materialized before him.

▶Hyperion’s Mask (SS)
[Category: Equipment]
– A mask that has accepted Hyperion’s gem. Though unsightly in appearance, if one invests time and absorbs its energy, they could potentially become quite stylish.
– Effect 1: While wearing the mask, Charm is fixed at 2.

– Effect 2: Upon wearing, it instantly increases Charisma by 3 and grants a significant bonus to mana manipulation, progressively increasing until Charm reaches 8. (This equipment becomes bound.)

Not bad.
It’s not bad, but why do I feel so tainted?

With a bitter smile, I put on the mask.
The pristine white color fluttered like petals before vanishing.

【’Trait :: Hideous Appearance’ disappears.】

I removed the mask and gazed into the mirror.

My skin reflected in the glass shone like it was coated in honey.

* * * * *

In this otherworld, academic lessons exist as well.
Mainly language, mathematics, or the history of the World Tree.

“The formula for a cubic function is…”

However, the problems’ difficulty level wasn’t challenging.
Most of the problems were on par with those solved by high school underclassmen, and consequently, I found it tedious.

‘I’ve already finished studying the World Tree’s history at the library. Magic class is in the afternoon.’

There’s nothing left to do.

Yawning, I buried my face in my arms, and a groan sounded from nearby.

“Ugh…”

It was Guseul, pondering over a math problem. Her furrowed eyes looked adorably perplexed.

Stealing a glance, I saw she was still on page two, struggling with a three-point advanced question.

“Ugh, why is this so difficult?”

She scratched her neatly combed hair, mimicking a faint scream, and then cast a sidelong glance at me.

“…Hey, you’re good at studying. Teach me.”

I offered her some guidance by blending formulas appropriately, and her face lit up with newfound understanding as she smiled brightly.

“It was such an easy problem! Thanks a lot.”

Her pretty face suited the expression perfectly. Unconsciously, her posture and demeanor accentuated her neck and chest. Had she not made several men cry when she was younger?

– But who would be friends with you? With an ugly rapist, that is.

Then, suddenly, I recalled the words of Se-Young, our homeroom teacher.

Upon reflection, I realized I didn’t have any redeeming qualities.

One can only understand potential and such due to their age. In fact, to outsiders, isn’t it like an ugly pig wearing a mask?

However, having a good personality doesn’t necessarily mean being well-liked.
I can recognize the faces of the police officers stationed near my apartment just by looking at them.

“Is there something on my face?”
“Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment.”

What is this? Gu-seul grinned and returned to solving the problem.

Friend… just a friend.

[The main quest has arrived.]

In the midst of all this, an emotionless voice echoed in my ears.
It’s been quite some time since I enrolled, and I was wondering when it would come.
I straightened my posture and read the text.

============================
【 MainQuest 2. Path of Insiders 】

▶Congratulations on entering L Academy. The journey to becoming the spouse of the World Tree is treacherous. Skills, connections, honor, money. The subject for evaluating you this time is ‘networking’.

▶The number of tasks assigned to you is [1].

– Make 3 friends among the academy students.

[Quest Reward]
– Wishing for closeness x 3

[In case of quest failure]
□□□□□□□
– You will die.

Time remaining: 6 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes.
============================

Three friends.
What a peculiar directive.

The progress was displayed on a semi-transparent window in the lower right corner of the field of vision.

[Current friends: 0]
※Friendship is acknowledged when the affinity level is 40 or higher, and the person recognizes you as a friend.
– The two individuals closest to being friends: Jung Si-woo (Affinity 30, intrigued), Azalea (Affinity 13, loathing)

‘This is something else.’

Damn it.

Aside from Jung Si-woo, the closest person is Azalea.

‘Why does she loathe me again?’

Am I that hideous? Well, I did stare at her quite intently back then.
If I were to think of a plump, unattractive woman gazing at me for more than 20 seconds…

Hmm. I admit my contempt.
So, how can I make friends?

“What’s this problem?”

The voice that reached me pulled me out of my reverie. The moment I was about to speak, facing a fellow with a puzzled expression, pointing at a four-point question with the tip of their pencil.

“Huh?”

Something caught in my chest with a jolt.

Currently, I have zero friends. The second closest person to me is Azalea, and her emotions towards me are that of disgust.

I calmly asked the one who tilted their head in confusion.

“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Are we friends?”

In a way, the words were cringe-inducing and too embarrassing to say out loud. Gu-seul blinked her eyes and replied with a composed smile.

“Of course, we’re friends! The first friend I made since coming here.”

Without questioning the underlying intentions of my inquiry, she put on a cute expression, as if to instill such an understanding.

The expression that surfaced on her face was too exaggerated to be merely nonchalant.

“What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”

Upon realizing it, goosebumps rose on my back.

* * * * *

“Welcome to the Hologram Hands-on Combat Class.”

The instructor nodded as he surveyed the cadets seated around the massive training room.

“As mentioned in the class description, this class provides practical training to enhance your combat abilities using holograms.”

“To give you an analogy… Ah, yes. You’ve all used the training room with wooden dummies, right? Think of it as though those dummies have transformed into monsters.”

Thanks to those wooden dummies, my skills had improved significantly. As I listened to the instructor’s words, I scanned the room. The instructor’s explanation was one thing, but my top priority at this moment was finding a single friend.

‘I can imagine myself being expelled from the academy and dying, but I can’t envision dying due to a lack of friends.’

Glancing around, I saw Azalea sitting and chatting with Jung Si-woo. As the instructor concluded his explanation, he clapped his hands once and declared the final instruction.

“Now, form teams with the people you’d like to work with. You’ll need groups of three.”

This was my chance. I reflexively rose to my feet.

“Siwoo, let’s partner up. I want to ride the bus.”
“Aren’t you the one giving the bus ride, though?”

I approached the two who were in conversation.
Upon seeing my mask, Dalrae’s face, who was subtly clinging to Siwoo’s arm, visibly tensed up.

I spoke with a carefully crafted gentle voice.

“Jung Siwoo, is there any room left in your group?”
“There is, but you… Ah!”

I was afraid that if I suggested it to Azalea, I would be immediately rejected, so I clung to Siwoo instead.

“Come on in. Is this your first time since the entrance exam? It’s Siheon, right?”
“Yes, please take care of me. Azalea, you too…haven’t we met once before?”

Dalrae, who quickly regained her composure upon hearing my words, forced a smile and waved her hand.

“Yes, nice to meet you.”
“You can speak informally.”
“That’s alright.”

Her clear-cut boundaries indicated a challenging path ahead.
However, she didn’t seem to object to being in a group with me, so it was decided that from now on, this class would always have this group composition.
Two swordsmen and one mage. Since Azalea is a mage, the balance isn’t bad.

“Now, let’s begin with the first pair we created. The swords and staffs provided are mass-produced, but they’re real, so handle them with care.”

Pulling the sword from its sheath in the preparation room, a shimmering blue blade was revealed. It was my first time wielding a genuine sword, but excitement surged within me, outweighing any concern.

As our turn commenced, we entered the dome.

Inside, an artificial dungeon designed around a forest landscape unfolded before us.

“Wow, this is amazing.”
“Is this your first time seeing something like this?”
“How can people experience such artificial dungeons? Imagine the amount of money it takes to participate just once.”

Si-woo, with the sword fastened to his waist, displayed a childlike reaction, prompting Dal-rae to chuckle teasingly. Observing this, I felt somewhat isolated, but I had anticipated that.

In silence, we ventured deeper into the dungeon.

_Grrrrr, grr._

Soon, seven wolves emerged from the underbrush, encircling us. Si-woo assumed a defensive posture, mindful of my presence.

“Si-heon, let’s calmly and steadily deal with the wolves as they close in around Dal-rae.”

“Understood.”

Grasping the sword, I heightened my focus. Azalea, who had been gazing at me coldly, seemed serious about our training, as she gathered her hands and began drawing up her magical power.

A blue mass floated above her.
I was well-acquainted with its identity.

‘Elemental Sage?’

I knew that the talent for manipulating elementals was rare, but did she possess such an ability? I adopted a guarded stance, and without any incantation, the blue mass shot toward the surrounding wolves.

– Kwajik!

Blood sprayed, and the leather was compressed by the surge of magical energy. As one wolf fell instantly, the threatened pack began to chase after us.

“They’re coming!”

I moved in response to Si-woo’s shout.

I thrust my sword into the mouth of the first wolf that lunged at me.

– Keruk!

With a brief cry, I kicked the wolf’s heart and blocked another one aiming for Azalea’s neck with a spinning kick.

I ran toward the fallen wolf and pierced its throat, causing the struggling beast’s body to go limp.

The footwork and boxing techniques learned from the wooden dolls exceeded all expectations.

“Surprisingly good, isn’t it?”
“Of course, I can do this much.”

I lowered my sword, replying modestly to her slightly astonished reaction. That’s how I interpreted her words:

– You’d think you’d be quite weak, but you move well?

Judging by her expression, my assumption was likely correct. Si-woo, a fellow human, was in the midst of returning after having slain four wolves.

“Si-heon’s skills have improved significantly. You seem to have a talent for this.”
“Did you notice that while we were fighting?”
“You know my abilities.”

Though the statement might appear somewhat arrogant, no one could dispute it. After all, Si-woo was the unspoken champion. If you possess strength, you can afford to be arrogant.

‘I should have paid more attention to this guy’s swordsmanship.’

Upon observing the wooden doll, I realized that I seemed to possess a natural aptitude for mimicking sword techniques. Should I even call it imitation? Watching someone move, I could naturally discern the path of their sword and predict the movement of their muscles.

Perhaps this, too, is the influence of my latent power.

The subsequent fiends were swiftly vanquished, and our newly-formed party succeeded in accomplishing our inaugural assault on the hologram dungeon.