In the early days of HAUT, our squad had once teamed up with Martial God and Ucheon Academies for the meal ticket race.

After we won, Rio asked Lumina what her level was.

But Jin Cheongryong had told her not to answer. His reasoning was that while we were allies now, there would come a time when we’d be competitors.

And yet, here he was—together with the others—asking how our squad had become so strong so quickly.

For him to set aside his own beliefs, even briefly, just to learn our secret meant his desire was genuine.

The others were no different. Each of them was swallowing their pride in asking.

Three third-years and one second-year were asking a first-year to teach them how to grow stronger.

But—

“I can’t answer that question. Not right now.”

My words stiffened all their faces.

All except Toby’s. His expression didn’t change.

“Yein, you said not right now.”

I nodded.

“To win in HAUT?”

“No. Even if I told you the reason behind our growth, it’s not something you could just replicate immediately.”

“I knew it. There is something,” Zen blurted.

I inclined my head slightly.

“Do you have some kind of item that boosts levels? Or maybe a dungeon that gives dozens of times more experience?” Rio asked.

“Neither.”

“Quiet. You’re interfering.”

That was Toby, cutting him off.

Rio and Zen’s faces twisted at his tone.

“You didn’t become strong because of Gwangcheon Academy’s training,” Toby said, staring directly into my eyes.

“No one from Gwangcheon has ever been like you before. It makes no sense that the academy suddenly changed its methods this year and produced students like you.”

Not entirely wrong.

Though, for reasons I didn’t know, Principal Lim Seongyeon had certainly given us special attention.

Still, ninety-nine percent of our strength came from my ability and the knowledge I had from the game. So Toby’s suspicion wasn’t baseless either.

“Does it have something to do with the Mystery Craftsman?”

Oh.

As expected from Toby. Straight to the heart of it.

“Well…” I let a faint smile curl at my lips.

“Then why say you can’t tell us right now?” Jin Cheongryong pressed.

“For a very simple reason,” I replied, smiling a little wider.

“Because it’s information too valuable to give away for free.”

The four of them reacted differently.

Zen’s mouth fell slightly open. Rio crossed his arms with a “hmph.” Jin Cheongryong openly looked displeased.

But Toby simply nodded, as though convinced.

“Then what would you take in exchange for that information?” he asked.

“One of the most expensive things in the world. Something you can’t get just by wanting it. Something that always takes time to acquire.”

Confusion appeared on Jin Cheongryong, Zen, and Rio’s faces.

But Toby listened with that same serious expression, then nodded.

“You’re right. We don’t have that right now.”

I smiled for real this time.

“After HAUT ends, let’s all meet up—no competition, just share a meal together.”

“…Alright.”

Ending the conversation there, I grabbed my toiletries and towel, then headed for the showers.

“Hey, Toby! Do you know what Yein’s after?”

“Toby! Tell me too! Wait—was that a smile just now?”

From behind the closed door, I could hear Rio and Zen’s voices.

The next day, day two of HAUT’s latter half.

After breakfast, training began immediately, starting once again with personal duels.

This time, the magic specialists went first. And among the matchups, one in particular caught my interest.

“Fourth match—Meiling and Toby, step forward.”

At Abel’s announcement, Meiling rose from her seat.

‘Meiling versus Toby, huh.’

Of course, the result was obvious.

From what I knew, Toby’s energy aptitude was A.

But with both level and aptitude differences, Meiling should win easily.

Even so, I had a strange feeling—an expectation.

That Toby might land at least one clean hit on Meiling.

‘Not that I want her to lose, of course.’

As I entertained the thought, the two of them stepped before Abel.

“Got any items you want to use?”

“Nope,” Meiling answered immediately.

“I do.”

“Oh.”

Toby extended his inventory to Abel.

Even Abel looked surprised as he took it.

“…Alright. Checked.”

Toby reattached the inventory to his waist.

“Then, take your positions.”

The two spread out across the field. Abel raised his hand.

“Begin!”

At the signal, Toby’s figure vanished.

“Ah!”

“Oooh!”

Gasps rose from the students.

Toby had used a movement skill to rush Meiling head-on—a very unorthodox tactic for a mage duel.

Still, the starting distance was wide enough that he hadn’t closed in fully yet.

“Hmph.”

Meiling snorted and raised her wand.

Toby leveled his wand at her in return.

Twin blue bursts of mana shot out at the same instant.

Whoosh!

Toby’s mana bolt grazed Meiling’s head, tossing her black hair.

BOOM!

Meiling’s shot skimmed Toby’s side and blasted a crater into the ground.

Back and forth, they traded mana bolts, dodging and firing in a relentless rhythm.

“Wow…”

“Is this really a mage duel?”

“Unbelievable.”

The magic-track students looked on in astonishment.

Meiling and Toby clashed fiercely, bolts flying, feet moving nonstop.

But Toby’s movements were sharper.

While Meiling jumped or used movement skills with a touch of frustration, Toby slipped, rolled, and twisted through incoming shots with practiced ease.

Toby’s stamina aptitude was A. His mental aptitude, also A.

All three of his aptitudes were A.

A prime candidate of Crystal Academy, through and through.

Normally, he commanded from the back with his wand—but his ability in close combat was more than sufficient.

‘At this rate, Meiling won’t be able to hit him.’

Meanwhile, Toby’s attacks grew steadily sharper. He was adjusting to her patterns.

I thought Meiling would change her approach soon—

KWAANG!

“Ah!”

“Uwah!”

The crowd flinched in shock.

Meiling had fired a mana bolt at the ground beneath her own feet.

Dust erupted in a thick cloud.

“What was that?”

“Did she mess up?”

While the others murmured, I looked at Toby.

Behind him, a fireball floated, summoned by his wand.

He was already casting Flame Burst.

‘Even in this situation, not a hint of panic. He’s treating it like an opening.’

Then, through the dust—

A bright red orb flew straight at Toby.

Flame Prison Orb.

He rolled instantly.

KWAAAANG!

Meiling hadn’t aimed directly at him, but at the ground around him—detonating the orb to create a massive explosion.

Direct hits would’ve done more damage, but even being caught in the blast was enough—that must have been Meiling’s calculation.

But Toby narrowly escaped the radius of the Flame Prison Orb’s explosion.

Even with stamina aptitude A, there was no way he had simply run that far.

‘He used an acceleration skill.’

That forced his Flame Burst casting to break off, and the two fireballs floating behind him fizzled out.

“Ah!”

“Meiling…!”

The others pointed toward Toby.

He spun around quickly.

Meiling had closed the distance, right at his back.

‘Dust cover, a feint with Flame Prison Orb to break his cast, then closing in with a movement skill. Clever, Meiling.’

All those brutal dungeon runs before HAUT had paid off.

As she aimed her wand at him, Toby also whipped his wand around, firing a mana bolt.

It was as if he’d anticipated her.

Meiling leapt sideways, the shot grazing past her.

“Tch.”

The faint sound of Toby’s tongue-click reached my ears.

‘He’s right. Getting close is the only real way to deal with him. The problem is… he predicted that too.’

Mana bolts and Flame Prison Orbs weren’t lock-on spells. Someone with stamina aptitude A could dodge them—by running, rolling, or with movement skills.

But if she tried Flame Burst, with its homing property, Toby would simply interrupt her with mana bolts mid-cast.

Besides, Meiling had chosen an acceleration gem instead of Flame Burst today, so that option wasn’t even on the table.

The two of them resumed firing mana bolts, darting and weaving in a fierce shootout.

‘The fight’s dragging out.’

With her level and experience, I’d expected Meiling to dominate. But it looked like Toby had done his homework.

Of course, since duels were random, he must’ve studied how to fight every candidate here.

Then I saw his hand dip into his inventory.

‘Finally.’

I focused, curious about what item he’d prepared.

The smoke cleared, revealing a flat, hexagonal object.

‘Ah.’

I instantly understood what he was planning.

Both had reached the same solution—the only difference being that Meiling improvised hers in the heat of battle, while Toby had prepared in advance.

The next moment, his form vanished again. A movement skill.

But this time, the distance was short. He reappeared just two steps in front of Meiling.

She reacted instantly, using her movement skill to retreat.

Not wanting to cede the initiative.

But that was exactly what Toby had wanted.

Thud.

“!!”

Meiling’s eyes widened.

A translucent hexagonal plate clattered to the ground beside her.

Toby had not only anticipated she would retreat, but predicted the very direction—and tossed the item there in advance.

The plate flashed, and Toby warped to its location.

A one-use teleport item.

“Ugh!”

Meiling raised her wand, but Toby caught her arm, twisting it behind her.

Then he leveled his wand at her.

But it wasn’t over.

‘Now, Meiling,’ I thought.

Dark energy seeped from her body.

“!!”

Toby tried to pull back, but she seized his arm this time, clutching him tightly.

With her grip, he couldn’t aim his wand at her, nor could he break free.

“Ghh—!”

Swallowed by the dark sphere, Toby dropped to his knees.

Meiling released him, then shoved him down with her foot.

My heart pounded.

‘Did he anticipate this, or not? Toby…’

I stared at him sprawled on the ground.

His twisted hand glowed faintly with light.

‘Of course. You did.’

I acknowledged his effort.

He was using his innate ability, Healing Touch—a rare restorative skill in Latessai. It cleansed abnormal states and restored both HP and MP.

‘Unfortunate…’

But the light faded quickly.

“Ugh…”

Toby groaned.

The level gap was simply too great.

Her curse drained far more than his healing could restore.

‘If their levels were closer, he might’ve broken free long enough to fire off a spell and turn it around.’

I looked at Abel.

He immediately rushed into the dark sphere, hauling Toby out.

Sweat beaded on his forehead.

“Enough! Meiling wins.”

At his shout, the black dome over the training ground dissolved.

“……”

Meiling’s eyes were sharp as she glared at Toby, now slumped beside Abel.

Then, without waiting to be dismissed, she snorted and stalked toward the stairs.

Moments later, she dropped back beside me.

“That was close, wasn’t it?” I teased.

“Tch.” She clicked her tongue.

“What are you talking about? I wasn’t close at all. It was all part of my plan.”

“Oh yeah? Then why’d your face stiffen up when he bent your arm?”

“T-that was just because it hurt!”

She shrieked, and I chuckled.

She turned red, huffed, and whipped her head away with a sharp “hmph.”

The melee duels continued afterward.

Both Lumina and Seo Yui faced students from Dai Academy.

Lumina defeated Pof without even using stealth. Seo Yui beat Jang Taeil outright.

Despite their losses, the Dai students didn’t look too down.

Their expressions showed regret, but not bitterness. Likely, they understood they had simply been outmatched.

“For the final match today—Ao versus Iris. Step forward.”

At Abel’s call, the two descended to the training field.

“Anyone bringing an item? Show me.”

“None,” Ao replied.

“……”

Iris, however, just stared blankly into the air.

“…Iris?” Ao called, confused.

She turned her head slowly.

“…Sorry. None for me either.”

“Alright. Take your positions.”

‘Hmm.’

I wrinkled my nose as I studied Iris.

“Begin!” Abel signaled.

Ao dashed forward, long saber drawn, straight at Iris.

(End of Chapter)