novelraw Chapter 78 : Chapter 78
Chapter 78 : Chapter 78
Chapter 78 Final Exam Preparation (1)
Although it was only a short nap, I managed to get enough sleep thanks to my player physique. After spending our final day there, we returned to the academy without any further issues.
There was a minor incident on the way back where some guy tried to pull an insurance scam by bumping into our car and getting angry, but...
‘He backed off and left the moment he saw the Ryu family business card, so I will just let it go.’
In any case, my life at the academy began once again.
However, I felt that something was different than usual.
“Why are those people staring over here like that?”
It was on the way to the training room with Oh Jin-eon after all the classes had ended.
While they were not looking at us openly, I noticed several gazes repeatedly glancing in our direction. I questioned these strange behaviors, but Oh Jin-eon answered with a dull, indifferent expression as if it were nothing.
“It is probably because the final exams are coming up.”
“Why? There is not much connection between the final exams and looking over here, is there?”
“I suppose it is because observing the targets you need to keep in check is also an important part of the process.”
Keep in check? There are only me and Oh Jin-eon here right now.
Kim Su-hyeok and the others were in a situation where they could not join us today because they had things to do. So, who exactly were they keeping in check?
Of course, Oh Jin-eon was certainly a person worth being wary of, but he was not the type to receive such blatant stares.
When I looked around with a confused expression, Oh Jin-eon sighed and added a further explanation.
“I am talking about you.”
“...Me?”
“You do not seem to realize it, but the person those guys are keeping an eye on right now is you.”
Oh Jin-eon pointed it out precisely. Nevertheless, I still could not understand it.
‘Why?’
Why on earth?
They are keeping an eye on me, of all people? I am in 899th place.
“No matter how I think about it, I do not think I am at that level.”
“That depends on how you look at it. I understand it perfectly well.”
“How come?”
“Is it not because of the performance you showed during the midterm exams?”
The midterm exams.
Those words made me understand the current situation a little better. However, there were still several parts that did not make sense.
“But the guys in the top ranks should not have a reason to keep an eye on me.”
“It is not good to give yourself such a low evaluation.”
“But it is the truth. Shin Yu-hwan went quite easy on me during the midterm exams. The top-ranked students should not have to act like that.”
Of course, someone might ask why a guy who even caught a B-rank villain is talking so weakly. However, I could offer as many excuses as necessary for that.
‘That was a life-and-death struggle.’
Was it not a fight where the goal was to kill the opponent by any means necessary? In short, it was a battle where I did not move with any mercy, and all sorts of cowardly and dirty tricks were permitted.
‘Besides, there are limits to my abilities.’
A battle using points. Of course, if the situation became dire, I could bring about a penalty to push my abilities even further, but...
‘Let us leave that out if possible.’
It was something I felt after using it a few times at the start: unless it was a situation where I truly had no other choice, it was better not to use it. If a penalty occurred, it became too difficult to prepare for unexpected circumstances. Therefore, it was the correct choice to exclude that option when making a basic plan.
‘Anyway, the important point is that it is a battle that consumes points. If I consider that, it is hard to show off.’
Influence Points are not exactly an easy resource to acquire in the first place. Considering that, I could not afford to abuse them recklessly during the final exams.
‘That was also why I was on my way to the training room.’
If a situation arose where I had to use Embodiment of Admiration, I would, but I had to eliminate such situations as much as possible. Now that I could purchase talents or artifacts using points, the correct choice was to save them whenever possible. That was why I was heading to the training room to become accustomed to handling only my own strength.
‘But the other guys probably do not know my talent has this kind of structure. Even assuming that, I am really not at the level where I should be watched...’
I did not use points like a madman when I sparred with Shin Yu-hwan. Rather, I used a minimum amount, so my stats were at the middle-rank level, or perhaps at the upper-middle rank at most. It was certain that if Shin Yu-hwan had not acted while focusing on my rank of 899th place, I would not have been able to land even a single scratch.
However, my thoughts were immediately dismissed by Oh Jin-eon’s next words.
“People tend to believe only what they see.”
“What?”
“The fact that your opponent was Shin Yu-hwan. That played a big role.”
Oh...
Now that he mentioned it, that might be the case.
‘After all, it was Shin Yu-hwan of all people.’
Even if the world were to end tomorrow, Shin Yu-hwan is a man who would only be satisfied after catching the villain in front of him. I may treat him without much reservation, but it probably would not look that way to others.
‘He also has a bit of a mysterious concept to begin with.’
Since he is a man who silently focuses only on villains without paying attention to any persuasion or recruitment offers, it was probably the first time most people had actually seen him in combat. To see a battle involving someone whose name is mentioned every time people talk about the best experts in the player industry. It seemed that point played a significant role.
‘Should I be happy about this...’
It is not that receiving this much attention is a bad thing. First of all, I can earn Influence Points every time my existence affects this world. I am receiving them in real-time even now.
‘Besides, I might be able to gain good connections.’
If my name continues to be mentioned, famous people will eventually take an interest in me at least once. It was also a good point that if I seized those opportunities well, I could gain connections that would be a great help later on. In fact, had I not already gained a connection like Ryu Jin-seong?
‘But there are not only good points.’
The more attention one receives, the more restrictions are placed on one's actions. That was definitely a negative aspect. If my dream was simply to become a great player without any secrets, it would not have been a very important part, but...
‘The position I am in is not exactly a comfortable one.’
The reality is that I am currently moving back and forth between the light and the shadows. Considering this, I could not say it was purely a good thing. Furthermore, thinking about what will happen in the upcoming final exams, receiving a lot of attention was not very beneficial.
“This is a headache in many ways.”
Without a single lie, this truly was a headache. Although the guy next to me seemed to have understood my words in a different way.
“It is a headache to be kept under observation. It means the number of variables you have to consider increases.”
“Um... yeah.”
“But it is not entirely a bad thing. Is it not proof that you are improving? I think it is perfectly fine to be happy about it.”
I could not help but let out a small chuckle at those words. He always shows such a blunt tone and expression, yet he offers such thoughtful consideration. It does not suit him at all.
‘Still, it feels good.’
One can never get tired of receiving someone's concern or receiving a compliment.
“Thanks for saying that.”
“I only stated the facts.”
“I also only stated the fact that I am grateful.”
When I said that, Oh Jin-eon did not offer any further rebuttal. He would be very popular if he just fixed that blunt attitude of his; he truly is a regrettable fellow.
‘Well, that is a problem for him to handle on his own.’
I smiled to myself with that thought. Just as we were almost at the training room with my mood feeling much clearer than before, a noisy sound erupted from my pocket.
Ringing-!
The source was the cell phone in my pocket. I briefly wondered if there was anywhere I would get a call from, but now that I think about it, there are quite a few places. Because there are so many unpredictable people around me, I could not guess who it would be.
Therefore, I immediately took out my phone to check who the caller was.
‘Hmm...’
The moment I saw the name displayed on the screen, my clear mood felt like it was turning murky again.
[Mad Bitch]
The person calling was the Puppeteer. She was someone who made me feel like a sigh was about to escape.
‘What kind of nonsense is she going to say this time...’
I could already hear her laughter—"Kyahaha!"—from the other side of the phone. That laughter always caused my stress levels to rise whenever I heard it.
When I made such a deeply sunken expression, Oh Jin-eon, who was next to me, spoke words of concern.
“Is something wrong? Your expression soured after you checked your phone.”
“Ah, it is nothing, so do not worry.”
I am grateful for his concern, but this is the kind of problem I cannot talk about. I have the terms of the contract to consider, and how could I possibly say that I received a call from a villain?
Therefore, I appropriately diverted the conversation and put my phone back into my pocket.
‘It is a bit awkward to answer right now.’
I did not know what kind of conversation would take place, so I could not answer the phone with this guy next to me. Thus, I had no choice but to postpone it for later.
‘I will... have to call her back later.’
To be honest, I thought there was a 99% chance the content would be useless, but I could not ignore that 1%. One must never miss even the smallest details.
With that thought, I tapped Oh Jin-eon’s shoulder.
“It is just a spam call, so let us hurry to the training room.”
“I see. Understood.”
With that conversation concluded, Oh Jin-eon began to walk, and I followed behind him slowly. I was also thinking about how I should handle the phone call with that crazy woman later.
***
“Phew, why can I not seem to get used to this?”
I returned to the dormitory after finishing my training. As I sat on the sofa after finishing most of my tasks, a complaint escaped my lips naturally. Since the training was hard enough for it to come out naturally, it was unavoidable.
“Let us think positively. Training is not something you should ever get used to in the first place.”
The moment you get used to it, it becomes difficult to expect further growth. That was why I increased the difficulty with every training session, and even if it was hard, there was nothing I could do. If I was going to struggle, it was better to struggle in the training room than in front of a villain, right?
“I really wish I could just get strong for free.”
How great would it be if I could get stronger just by breathing and my abilities rose just by eating? But such things are only possible in dreams. Knowing that fact, I decided to focus on what I had to do first rather than turning away from reality.
“There is still one thing left to do.”
It was the phone call from the Mad Bitch that had come before I went to the training room.
“Honestly, I am not really in the mood, but...”
Whenever I watched her laugh as if something was so funny during our conversations, my stress levels naturally rose. However, I could not afford to keep putting it off.
‘I can just think of it as a task.’
It makes me feel more at ease if I think of it as dealing with a person in a service industry. I calmed my heart and called her, preparing for the laughter that would soon be heard.
However.
Hello? Why is your response so late?
After the call was connected, what I heard was not the laughter I had expected. It was still a high-pitched voice, but the tone was very subdued compared to the usual Puppeteer.
This... it seems something unusual has happened.