Chapter 41
I filled a cave in the Spirit Rift to the brim with monsters and pumped it full of Pacify gas.
After that, I sealed the gap between the rocks and the entrance with leaves and Walt Foam.
I wanted to open the entrance to check, but I held back, worried that the gas might escape.
Somehow, greed got the better of me, and I started working on the Quartz Cave in the Pebble Golem territory as well.
The corpses of Pebble Golems fetched higher credits, so I couldn’t resist.
Since a magical tool can’t be reused until a day has passed, Sigrin pulled out a new barrier tool.
After that, I repeated the same process I’d done in the Spirit Rift.
Sigrin went into the cave, gathered the beasts, and when Kagobin closed the entrance, I teleported out!
Chiiiik…
And finally, I handled the Pacify gas.
“Ughhh…”
Sigrin stumbled and collapsed onto the ground.
The magical tools were great, but for non-core users, the nausea after using them was overwhelming.
On top of that, I’d used them four times in one day, so my entire body felt drained.
Sigrin found a spot where the beasts couldn’t be seen and flopped down.
Exhausted and queasy.
“Sis… are you okay?”
“This damn punishment—what kind of suffering is this? I want to die.”
“And what kind of guts did you have to go to the intermediate hunting grounds? You’re practically a legendary weakling.”
Sigrin widened the opening of her mask to let some air hit her face.
Thinking about it, irritation surged to the brim from the unfairness.
“I just fell into a pit while trying to catch a Spirit Sprout. …It’s so frustrating. Surviving that near-death experience was bad enough.”
“Pfft, sounds like it really got to you.”
Lifting her head, Sigrin saw the sky was still pitch black. Staring at the dense stars, she spoke.
“But thanks to this, I’ll be able to return to the dorm when the moon’s up. Maybe even get some sleep.”
The damp mask felt gross, so I took it off.
“No matter who you really are or what schemes you’ve got, I owe you one this time.”
Looking at Kagobin sitting beside her, Sigrin smiled.
“Thanks, Kagobin.”
Kagobin, who’d been grinning nonstop, suddenly looked shocked.
As if he’d heard something utterly unfamiliar.
“…Heh.”
He shivered, trembling with excitement. Somehow, the flush on his face seemed to deepen.
It was the expression of someone lost in a sweet dream.
“What… did I say something wrong?”
“Huh? No, I’m just happy! You said my name.”
…His brain must’ve gone soft from all the hardship he endured while it was still developing.
If only I could trust him, I’d take better care of him.
“I’m grateful for this, but I hope we don’t cross paths again.”
After graduation, I’ll abandon the Ebenkera name and start fresh in the Aurum Empire.
I didn’t want to mingle with mafia types even in the Empire.
At Sigrin’s firm boundary, Kagobin grabbed her pant leg and whined.
“Nooo? That’s such a shame! I haven’t even repaid you fully yet!”
“Today was enough. I hope our dear junior gets a fresh start after his punishment and thrives at school, maybe even lands a good job.”
Sigrin ruffled Kagobin’s hair vigorously, then left the hunting grounds.
“…”
Kagobin sat quietly, chin in hand, watching Sigrin until she disappeared from sight.
✦ ✦ ✦
Oh! It’s! Always! Wednesday!
The day of the final raid at the Cardia Beginner Hunting Grounds.
Sigrin took a deep breath and grabbed an emergency flashlight. Her heart was pounding like crazy.
‘Did the beasts starve to death in the meantime?’
‘Did the Pacify Potion gas wear off, letting them regain energy and escape?’
‘Did the professors inspecting the beginner hunting grounds find and destroy my setup?’
All sorts of failure scenarios flooded my mind.
“Sigrin? Stop spacing out and pick up your spoon. Your food’s getting cold, and Bilha’s stealing it.”
“Gimme more.”
“Eat your own!!”
Even while eating the breakfast Luca prepared, I was too worried to swallow.
“Miss… your food’s cold again, and Bilha’s stealing your broccoli.”
“Pig, you hungry?”
“Yeah. Just veggies.”
“Eat some meat too.”
“Thanks.”
“What thanks!! Stop stealing Sigrin’s food and get your own!!”
“Uh.”
“Don’t take from my tray either! Hey, Apple, guard your tray too.”
Lunch didn’t go down well either, so I gave it all to Bilha.
It wasn’t just mealtimes.
“Now, there are five properties of Ether! The first is…”
‘Why did Professor Spitu transform his body to look like a chimera?’
Even during classes I usually focused on, my mind was adrift, unable to concentrate.
Time passed, and the raid class finally arrived.
[Panoplia Academy High School, 1st Semester (1/3) - Cardia Beginner Hunting Grounds]
[Sigrin Ebenkera [N/A Affiliation]]
[Current Location: Cardia Beginner Hunting Grounds]
[First Assignment: Spirit Sprout [0], Wisp [0], Pebble Golem [0]]
[Submitted Credits: -50/500]
Wearing the Kill Count Watch on my wrist made it all feel real.
‘Minus 50 points…’
Seeing that number made my heart race even more. I’d worked so hard to earn credits—would I only reach zero?
Sigrin and the other students gathered in a crowd at the Cardia Beginner Hunting Grounds, waiting for the professor.
“Today’s the final raid at Cardia, so do your best!”
Professor Marcus glanced at Sigrin as he spoke.
“And don’t sneak off to unauthorized areas with your friends!”
Kiiiiik!
Publicly called out, Sigrin inwardly hissed.
“If your credit count is suspiciously high compared to the monsters you’ve killed, you’ll face a cheating investigation, so don’t try anything funny!”
I heard Luca tsk beside me.
“Your credits submitted by this weekend will determine your final grade, so diligently collect beast corpses too!”
“Yes!”
As soon as the professor’s explanations ended, the students rushed through the main gate into the hunting grounds.
Sigrin was no exception.
‘Are they still there? Still there? Still intact? Still alive?’
Sigrin swallowed hard.
Beasts had to be alive when killed to register on the Kill Count Watch.
‘Just hold on a little longer! Don’t die yet! Hang in there, beasts! You can do it!’
Racing to the Spirit Rift, Sigrin stood before the first cave.
After chugging an intermediate strength potion, Sigrin pushed aside the rock Kagobin had placed.
The gas pooled on the floor seeped out.
“Haa…”
Looking inside the cave, Sigrin smiled ecstatically.
“You stayed put and held on…”
Overwhelmed with gratitude and mourning, Sigrin sank to the ground, shedding tears.
Thank you!!!!
✦ ✦ ✦
During raid classes, professors usually let students loose and chatted nearby.
Since most students were core users, major issues rarely arose in the beginner hunting grounds.
With no recent accidents, the professors had grown a bit complacent.
…Until Sigrin caused a scene.
So, the professors gathered around the raid board (a watch-integrated management system).
Here, they could monitor students’ locations and the beasts they defeated in real-time.
“Do you think Sigrin can earn all her credits by this weekend?”
Professor Marcus watched the board with a hint of anticipation.
“Tch… Even for Sigrin, that’s tough. Professor Diranmidel, what’s the most expensive item from a Pebble Golem?”
“The golem crystal was 20 credits.”
Professor Spitu stroked his beard.
“Let’s see… She’d need to kill about 28 Pebble Golems today and perfectly process them? No way~”
Considering that a group of students barely managed one Pebble Golem per session, 28 in a day was absurd.
“…But she took down a Spirit Sapling alone, so maybe it’s possible? Plus, Sigrin’s item processing skills are beyond imagination.”
“Let’s watch and see. Haha! This’ll be exciting.”
No sooner had the conversation ended than notifications flooded the raid board.
[Allendo Ogile [Midriba] defeated a Spirit Sprout!]
[Sigrin Ebenkera [N/A] defeated a Pebble Golem!]
[Sigrin Ebenkera [N/A] defeated a Pebble Golem!]
[Sigrin Ebenkera [N/A] defeated a Spirit Sprout!]
[Sigrin Ebenkera [N/A] defeated a Pebble Golem!]
[Sigrin Ebenkera [N/A] defeated a Wisp!]
[Sigrin Ebenkera [N/A] defeated a Pebble Golem!]
[Sigrin Ebenkera [N/A] defeated a Wisp!]
The speed was ferocious.