NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35 - The City of Witches (1)
Bang! Bang!
“Ugh…”
“Focus, Cadet Kim Baram. Of course, it’s important to block attacks properly, but it’s better to deflect attacks with the shield when you can, rather than just blocking them head-on.”
“Hah… Hah… Yes, sir.”
“Hmm… You look exhausted, so we’ll stop here for today. Be sure to review what you’ve learned.”
With that, Cha Joohyuk left to guide the other cadets in weapon skills.
Despite receiving personal guidance from Cha Joohyuk, Kim Baram’s ‘Shield Mastery’ level, in true frustrating fashion, did not rise.
However, there was an unexpected gain from today’s practical training.
Kim Baram had learned a rough estimate of Han Suyeon’s regression count.
He shifted his eyes, sneaking glances at Han Suyeon every once in a while, who was swinging her blue-bladed sword around in the air.
The sword of the Merman King, ‘Aron.’ At this point in time, it was the only sword with a blue blade that Han Suyeon carried.
‘So, that means Han Suyeon’s regression count is at least over 900…’
Furthermore, Han Suyeon had been carrying that sword since Monday morning. Of course, Kim Baram hadn’t known it was Aron back then since she hadn’t drawn the sword, but today, seeing the blue blade when she unsheathed it confirmed it.
Even if she had conquered the Merman King’s palace at dawn on Monday, it meant that she obtained Aron just four days into her regression, meaning Han Suyeon’s loop count was indeed at least over 900.
The more Han Suyeon’s loop count increased, the stronger she became. For Kim Baram, who had to work with her to prevent the destruction of the world, the fact that she was in the late stages of her loops just so happened to be excellent news.
‘Come to think of it, just as I recognized Han Suyeon’s sword, Aron, she probably recognized my Aegis too. So why hasn’t she reacted?’
Kim Baram found it odd that Han Suyeon had shown no reaction despite clearly seeing his Aegis during yesterday’s tag game.
She had looked at it directly but remained completely indifferent about the whole thing.
‘Maybe it’s because there are a lot of shields with similar designs. Judging by her nonchalant response yesterday, she might really not have recognized it.’
Since he couldn’t find an answer to this, he decided to put the thought aside for now.
After transforming Aegis back into a bracelet, he sat down on the ground to rest, massaging his throbbing left forearm with his right hand, sore from blocking Cha Joohyuk’s attacks multiple times.
“Ugh… This is exhausting. My whole body aches.”
-Ding-
[Skill
‘Oh, right. I have this.’
As Kim Baram stared at the message window in front of him, he recalled what had happened yesterday.
After the tag game, he had been looking for a skill book related to offense.
While browsing through various skill books, he had unexpectedly been forced to acquire this
He had tried to complain to Kim Sunah, who was watching the situation, but she had only mocked him with a relieved expression, saying sarcastically, “Oh, how unfortunate. But it can’t be helped.”
“Still, it feels a bit better after massaging… Status window.”
Ding.
Name: Kim Baram
Age: 17
Stats:
Strength: 27
Agility: 27
Endurance: 32
Mana: 20
Charm: 55
Luck: 55
Skill
Unique Ability
-Current VP: 2850 VP
The first thing that caught Kim Baram’s attention when looking at the status window was, of course, the changed stats.
Whether it was due to the real combat experience in the harsh snowy fields or the game of tag from the day before, his stamina, agility, and charm had increased.
Naturally, that was a lie.
No stat increase had occurred because of yesterday’s events, just as expected from someone with his damn luck.
The truth was, he had used
Anyway, another noticeable change was the addition of the
Not only did the skill have a question mark for its grade, but its strange name also suggested that it was likely a healing skill.
What stood out about
‘If I throw myself into this massage, does that mean the effect gets better?’
Whatever the case, the incident had already passed, and despite the suggestive name, the skill’s effect was surprisingly good.
After briefly massaging his stiff left forearm, it felt refreshed and relieved.
‘I’m disappointed that I didn’t get an offensive skill, but this seems pretty useful. Anyway…’
Kim Baram looked around, scanning the area to see if anyone was watching him.
The cadets were all absorbed in practicing their weapon skills, and none of them were paying any attention to him.
Even Ko Jooyeon, who often lingered around him, was too focused on testing out the Thunderclap Arrow she had obtained yesterday, fully engaged in archery.
‘Maybe I should give it another try after a while.’
Perhaps it was the painful memory of last Sunday when he had invested a whopping 2800 VP only to draw a completely useless gold bracelet.
For several days, he had ignored the
He mumbled quietly to himself.
“Irregular Box.”
Ding.
[You have used the skill
“Hmm… I earned a lot yesterday, so let’s go big. 1850VP.”
[You have used 1850 VP to activate the skill
Thud.
Kim Baram glanced around and carefully picked up the box that had fallen to the ground. He opened it.
[You have obtained ‘Detective Watson’s Glasses.’ Items acquired from
Inside the box was a pair of round glasses.
For the record, whenever he retrieved an item from a box, the box would always quietly disappear into thin air.
As expected, the items from
Fearing a repeat of the gold bracelet incident, where he couldn’t remove it once worn, he immediately placed the round glasses into his inventory.
[Kasar’s Perfume x1: A perfume used frequently by Kasar, the greatest playboy of the 17th century. When applied, it slightly increases charm. It may have a special effect on the opposite sex. Duration: 3 hours. Uses left: 9/10.]
[Detective Watson’s Glasses: Glasses worn by the greatest detective of the 19th century, Watson. Wearing these glasses allows you to see things that were previously invisible. Since they are old, they might break if subjected to a strong impact, so handle them with care.]
‘What does it mean by ‘see things that were previously invisible’?’
Even after reading the description, Kim Baram had no idea what kind of item this was, so he took out the glasses and put them on.
“???”
Noticing no immediate change, he repeatedly put the glasses on and took them off, trying to detect any difference. However, even after dozens of attempts, he could not find any noticeable change.
“…”
Stunned by the disappointing reality, he quietly removed the round glasses and placed them back in his inventory.
“Damn! My precious 1850 VP…”
Realizing that, just like with the gold bracelet last week, he had been duped once again, Kim Baram clutched his head and silently cursed.
***
“Today’s class ends here. Good work, everyone. Oh, and Cadet Kim Baram, follow me to the teacher’s office.”
“Yes…? Understood.”
‘Did I do something wrong?’
When Cha Joohyuk told Kim Baram to follow him to the teacher’s office after class, he couldn’t help but feel a creeping sense of unease, wondering if he had made some mistake.
‘Hmm. I can’t think of anything specific, though.’
He mulled over the events of the day, but nothing significant came to mind.
Just as Kim Baram was about to follow Cha Joohyuk with a bit of anxiety, someone gently tugged on his uniform sleeve.
Turning his head, he saw, unsurprisingly, that it was Ko Jooyeon.
Who else would grab his sleeve but her?
Ko Jooyeon looked at him with an anxious expression, like a lost little rabbit, and asked, “What about lunch?”
“Oh, if it seems like I’ll be late, I’ll message you. For now, go ahead and eat with Jinyong.”
“Okay…”
Although her face didn’t show much expression, Ko Jooyeon seemed a little downcast by Kim Baram’s answer.
Despite feeling slightly concerned about her, Kim Baram was left with no other choice but to follow Cha Joohyuk to the teacher’s office.
He left Ko Jooyeon, who looked like her spirits had deflated, and hurried to catch up with the ever-distant Cha Joohyuk.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
When they arrived at the teacher’s office, Cha Joohyuk pulled a small paper envelope from his desk drawer and handed it to Kim Baram.
Curious about its contents, he immediately asked him, “What’s this?”
“Do you remember the first class from last week?”
“The first class? Yes… I remember.”
“At that time, I told you I realized something thanks to you, Cadet Kim Baram. This is my way of thanking you for that.”
‘Oh, right! He did say something like that back then. But what kind of thanks could this be?’
“May I open it?”
Cha Joohyuk didn’t respond verbally, only giving Kim Baram a small nod.
He opened the envelope, revealing neatly wrapped, delicious-looking cookies inside.
‘Wait, Cha Joohyuk is giving me these cute little cookies as thanks?’
The gift didn’t match Cha Joohyuk’s stern image at all, and Kim Baram looked at him, clearly taken aback.
Noticing his reaction, he proudly explained the cookies.
“I couldn’t think of anything specific to give as a thank-you, so I asked my wife to bake these. She’s quite talented in pastry-making, so you can look forward to the taste.”
As he talked about his wife, Cha Joohyuk’s usual stoic expression softened, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
He even slipped in a subtle boast about his wife.
But as soon as he mentioned his wife, Seo Yujin, Kim Baram’s face involuntarily stiffened.
Cha Joohyuk must have noticed his tense expression right away because he asked, “Do you not like cookies? You seem a bit down.”
“Oh, no… It’s not that. I just remembered something that’s been bothering me… Thank you, I’ll enjoy them.”
Kim Baram quickly shook his head and bowed in gratitude before hurriedly making his way out of the office.
As soon as he left the teacher’s office, Kim Baram couldn’t hold back his emotions any longer, and his face twisted up like crumpled paper.
***
‘Hoo…’
‘It hasn’t happened yet. This time, I’ll make sure it doesn’t. Calm down…’
After leaving the office, Kim Baram took deep breaths to steady his troubled mind as he headed toward the cafeteria, where Ko Jooyeon and Joo Jinyong were waiting.
For now, Kim Baram tucked the cookies from Cha Joohyuk into the crossbody bag he was carrying.
‘Wow… This feels awkward.’
After a short while, Kim Baram arrived at the cafeteria and easily spotted Joo Jinyong and Ko Jooyeon.
The two of them were sitting diagonally across from each other, maintaining an awkward silence as they quietly ate their food.
By the way, their uncomfortable atmosphere was so palpable that even passing cadets couldn’t help but glance over at them.
Creak.
Maybe it was because of what happened earlier, but Kim Baram didn’t have much of an appetite. Instead of ordering food, he went straight to the empty seat next to Ko Jooyeon and sat down.
As soon as he sat down, both of them simultaneously turned to look at him.
Joo Jinyong, in particular, seemed happy to see him and immediately asked, “You’re here? What kept you? Did you eat?”
“Oh, the instructor wanted to talk to me. It’s nothing big. I’m not eating today — I don’t have much of an appetite.”
“Are you sick?”
“My stomach doesn’t feel too great today.”
Whether Kim Baram’s lie worked or not, Ko Jooyeon, who had paused mid-meal, glanced at his stomach with concern in her eyes.
The way she stared at Kim Baram was so intensely it made him feel a bit guilty.
Meanwhile, Joo Jinyong, who was once again eating dumplings, suddenly seemed to remember something and brought it up.
“Oh, Baram. Did you see the clan notice about the dungeon clear today? Should we go today or tomorrow? People who want to join are supposed to meet at the school gate after lunch.”
“Yeah, I saw it. Let’s go today and take a break tomorrow. I think that’s better that way.”
“Me too. I’ve got plans tomorrow, so I might be busy.”
“Plans? Where are you going?”
‘Ah, that’s right. Ko Jooyeon didn’t join the dungeon-clearing clan with us.’
Hearing their conversation, Ko Jooyeon, who had been quietly listening, looked at Kim Baram with curiosity in her eyes and asked.
But before Kim Baram could answer, Joo Jinyong jumped in to explain.
“Oh~ You weren’t there at the time, so you wouldn’t know. Baram and I joined another clan separately.”
For some reason, Joo Jinyong’s voice sounded a bit more cheerful than usual.
“What about me?”
Ko Jooyeon, in disbelief, stared directly at Kim Baram and asked again.
Feeling guilty, he hesitated and fumbled for a response.
Seeing Kim Baram struggle, Joo Jinyong, as if he were his spokesperson, eagerly responded in an even livelier tone.
“We joined the clan last Thursday. Even if you applied now, they’re probably full, so they wouldn’t let you in. It looks like it’ll just be Baram and me going!”
‘Why is he so excited? He looks incredibly smug right now.’
Hearing this, Ko Jooyeon, looking visibly hurt, put down her spoon and stopped eating. Her cheeks puffed slightly in frustration, and she sat there like a drenched rabbit, visibly downcast.
‘I feel kind of bad… I need to cheer her up somehow… Ah!’
A good idea came to Kim Baram. He quickly took the paper envelope he had received from Cha Joohyuk out of his crossbody bag.
Then, Kim Baram gently placed the envelope on Ko Jooyeon’s hands, which were resting on the table.
She glanced between the envelope and Kim Baram, and with a weak voice, she muttered, “What is this?”
“They’re cookies. I brought them for you. And I’m sorry I forgot about joining the dungeon-clearing clan early. If I’d remembered, I would’ve asked you to join too.”
As he offered his sincere apology and presented the cookies as a peace offering, Kim Baram noticed the corners of Ko Jooyeon’s lips twitch slightly, as if she was holding back a smile.
Maybe Kim Baram was imagining it, but it seemed like her mood had lightened a little compared to before.
Meanwhile, Joo Jinyong, who had been watching them while eating his dumplings, clicked his tongue in annoyance and muttered under his breath, “Tch. Must be nice for some people…”
He continued chewing his dumplings, clearly displeased.