The Novel's Extra - Chapter 23 – Second Incident (3)
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Chapter 23 – Second Incident (3)

Cube’s classes and exams were all conducted in Korean. Even the few foreign professors spoke fluently since it had become a shared language and culture across many countries.

However, just because Korean became a shared language didn’t make it easier to learn. Foreigners still struggled to master it.

Despite this disadvantage, Rachel understood most of the lectures and could properly write the correct answers on exams. Anyone would understand how much effort she put into studying.

As royalty, she had to maintain a certain level of grace and dignity. She wanted to become the perfect hero in theory and combat. Then she would write a textbook for the English Royal Hero Academy.

Naturally, the citizens of England took pride in Rachel. They believed it was finally time for a master rank hero to emerge from England.

Master rank heroes referred to the world’s top 70 heroes. Currently, 33 of the 70 were Korean, while 18 were American and 9 were Chinese. Only 2 came from England, but that was debatable since they had obtained Korean citizenship 15 years ago.

The citizens of England hoped she would become the symbol of their nation.

Rachel never slept more than 2 hours a day to meet their expectations. However, the first place record she painstakingly kept had been broken.

Rachel wasn’t sad, only apprehensive and apologetic. Of course, the result of a single exam was unlikely to spread to England, but phenomenon realm analysis was a difficult topic. The gap between her and first place was unlikely to change for a while.

“…”

She felt someone looking at her. It was an average-looking boy. She didn’t know his name, but she noticed all the other cadets also looked at him. Then she realized he was Kim Hajin. He turned back as she committed his face to memory.

She wanted to take a look at the notebook in front of him.

***

There was a slight uproar that I placed first on the phenomenon realm analysis exam, a topic widely considered to be the most difficult. Rachel remained silent, but the professor publicly praised me.

“I also looked at cadet Kim Hajin’s answer sheet. His knowledge and vision impressed me, to say the least. I hope everyone else can learn from his passion. Once again, theory is very important.”

The professor encouraged the entire class. I found it uncomfortable and quickly left the moment class ended. I had a lot to do. No, I had a lot of SP to spend. I couldn’t hoard SP anymore if I wanted to protect myself from upcoming events. Cube was no longer safe now that the second arc had begun. Several djinns should’ve already laid traps within the academy.

To briefly explain, a djinn was a human who contracted with a devil. A devil gave them power in exchange for their soul. Naturally, high ranked devils bestowed greater powers.

However, an ordinary human who formed a contract would only become a demi-djinn, a mere puppet without intelligence. The Dog of Lucius from the museum was one such example.

In exchange for his sanity, the man gained enough of Lucius’ magic power to fight Kim Suho, but couldn’t even accomplish his master’s mission. Lucius would’ve been satisfied if he had ignored Kim Suho and killed his target.

It was more difficult, but devils favored humans with magic power and an underdeveloped mind. Naturally, cadets made the perfect targets.

I felt the need to prepare another weapon because I wouldn’t survive if I encountered another djinn.

“Hmm…”

I stared at the laptop on my desk. For now, I planned to add another setting to the Desert Eagle. I gained a lot of SP thanks to Chae Nayun or Shin Jonghak’s efforts.

[Transformation function has been added to the Desert Eagle. Handgun to 12-gauge shotgun] — Condition: Requires stigma’s magic power.

It didn’t take a genius to know a shotgun was more powerful than a handgun. The shotgun’s power would increase the closer the target. A handgun couldn’t just magically transform into a shotgun, but I wondered if my setting intervention could achieve such a miracle?

[Transformation function has been added to the Desert Eagle. Handgun to 12-gauge shotgun] — Condition: Requires stigma’s magic power. — Will amplify attack power by a maximum of 100% depending on the target’s distance.

[250 SP will be used. Would you like to save?]

Indeed, a miracle had occurred. The laptop modified what I wrote with more details and stated a reasonable cost of 250 SP. Without a doubt, I hit [save].

A silver current shot out of the laptop and surrounded the Desert Eagle. The gun shone before the light gradually subsided. I picked it up and checked whether anything had changed, but it looked the same.

I poured stigma’s magic power into the handgun and it immediately dismantled.

Kiriik— With a robotic sound, the magazine split as the gunstock and barrel stretched. Soon, the Desert Eagle took on a new form.

Two platinum barrels the size of my arm lay parallel. It looked clean and elegant.

“It’ll surprise them for sure.”

I didn’t know much about shotguns, but the Desert Eagle’s destructive power definitely went up with this modification.

Click— I opened the empty magazine. I would need to purchase 12 gauge ammo or modify the bullets I already had. That could wait for later.

I finished modifying my weapon, but still had a few more tasks.

Creating an art.

An art was a specific skill typically acquired through practice. For example, a painter with an art for drawing or a singer with an art for singing. The difference between an art and a gift was that an art didn’t produce supernatural effects. 

▷Arts (0/3) X

I could create 3 arts. For now, I had one in mind.

[Parkour] — Can rapidly ride walls and freely run, jump, or climb through obstacles. — The art’s performance scales with the speed stat.

Positioning determined life or death for a sharpshooter. Naturally, parkour was the perfect skill for me. My laptop conveniently modified my vague description.

[Art] [Parkour] [Proficiency 0%] [Low rank] — Grants flexible and efficient movement. — Is not affected by terrain and can freely run, jump, or climb through walls and obstacles. — The art’s performance scales with the strength and speed stats.

[350 SP will be used. Would you like to save?]

I would’ve shuddered at the cost if it wasn’t for recent events. Now, my SP increased by 2 every hour without doing anything. I pressed [save] without hesitation and got up.

It was time to test the new changes.

***

Tiriring— Tiriring—

I opened my eyes as the alarm sounded. My entire body ached, but I expected that after parkouring through walls and trees until 4 A.M. I had so much fun I couldn’t stop.

“Argh, my joints…”

I climbed walls using the tiniest cracks and leaped up trees using the smallest protrusions. Every time I landed, excitement coursed through my veins like a runner’s high. Looking down from a lofty height gave me a refreshing sense of ecstasy.

“God damn it.”

I had to go to class now. Combat training resumed starting today. It would be hell since midterms were coming and djinns would also act.

[This message is for all cadets ㅜㅜ. Has anyone seen Seungyeon from World class? I haven’t been able to contact her since yesterday ㅜㅜ]

Looking at my smartwatch, a second victim had disappeared. I couldn’t do anything about the djinn yet. Of course, I knew his identity and the next victim, but if I exposed him (how I would even go about that was another question), I feared that would greatly distort the story.

“Huuu.”

I sighed. Just because the victims were fated to die didn’t make me feel any less guilty. I didn’t treat what happened as just another page in a novel.

“Why can’t Yoo Yeonha just be kidnapped first?”

Through this arc, Kim Suho and Yoo Yeonha would form a meaningful relationship. Kim Suho would positively influence Yoo Yeonha, curbing her temperament, and Kim Suho would obtain the valuable connection known as Yoo Yeonha.

But there would be 4 more victims until Yoo Yeonha.