Chapter 127
Yoon Haul couldn’t deny it.
“Do we really… have to go to the academic conference?”
“It’s nothing.”
“I’ll go too.”
He knew the truth.
Yoon Haul was aware that something would go wrong at the Maze Cavern academic conference. That’s why he hesitated and mumbled those cryptic words.
I’m sorry, but I had to use Yoon Haul’s foresight.
Since he knew, he was the only one who could convince the others.
I had to push him, albeit gently.
“You know, Yoon Haul.”
“….”
“You’re not very good at hiding it.”
Lee Han frowned at my words and asked, “What’s that supposed to mean? Did you see something?”
“Was it written in the stars?”
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
Yoon Haul slowly nodded under the barrage of questions from the others, then waved his hands defensively.
“It’s not like I saw anything clear! I’m not even sure if it’s related to the Cube…!”
That’s why he didn’t say anything.
That’s why he hoped I wouldn’t go.
But if I had to go, he wanted to go with me.
Yoon Haul’s voice trailed off, filled with uncertainty.
“I did think it was dangerous… But if, as you said, it’s really related to the Cube… If that’s true… then we can’t avoid it.”
“Exactly.”
“The Maze Cavern academic conference is fairly secure, but it’s not without its flaws. It wouldn’t be strange if an outsider managed to sneak in.”
As with any large-scale event, the bigger it is, the more loopholes there are.
The reason there hadn’t been any problems so far wasn’t because the organization was flawless, but because no one had caused trouble.
The academic conference was a gathering of intelligent students, making it more scholarly than other events, which is why incidents had been nonexistent.
The conference, hosted by the Department of Magic, was a place where the top students from each academy were invited, leading to a lot of rivalry between schools.
However, the Maze Cavern was more of an individual competition than a team event.
There were moments when you had to work with students from other academies, and other times when you had to solve the maze on your own.
It was a rather static environment, not the kind of place where someone would cause trouble.
That’s how it has been so far.
But if a dark magician appeared, the situation would change drastically.
Yoon Haul seemed to have reached a similar conclusion.
“If what Han Siha is saying is true, then I think we have to stop it… I was actually thinking the same thing.”
It seemed that Yoon Haul had been planning to do something on his own.
I wasn’t sure if my words helped solidify his resolve.
But I needed to keep the always-ahead Yoon Haul by my side.
“We can do it together.”
* * *
At the same time, Natalie was trembling as she walked down a dark corridor.
It was a time when students weren’t allowed to be outside their dorms without permission.
“It’s so creepy…”
Natalie muttered as she sighed.
She was taking a special course over the break and had left an assignment in the club room that she needed to complete by tomorrow.
She didn’t want to come back, but she had no choice.
“Why did I leave it there!”
Natalie regretted her carelessness and squeezed her eyes shut.
If it weren’t the middle of the night, she would have brought a friend along, but since she was alone, the already long hallway felt even longer.
The academy at night was scary… and cold.
She wasn’t dressed warmly, so her whole body shivered.
Creaaak. Creak.
Every step she took made the wooden floorboards creak, the sound echoing ominously through the empty hallway.
Natalie held her breath and tried to walk more quietly.
“This is too scary.”
It was then that she noticed a bright light in the distance.
It wasn’t far from the club room she was heading toward.
“At this hour?”
Natalie swallowed nervously.
To retrieve her assignment, she had to pass by that club room… and she didn’t like the idea of encountering someone at this hour.
“Oh. I heard rumors about a ghost roaming the underground club rooms…”
Gulp.
Natalie recalled the unsettling rumor as she cautiously approached.
It had taken a lot to get this far, and she couldn’t turn back now.
She bit her lower lip, her expression grim, and continued walking.
“Please… please…”
Whether it was a ghost or a person, she didn’t want to run into either.
Step by step.
Natalie moved quietly until she saw a familiar face through the narrow window of the club room.
“Huh?”
She could only see one face, though there seemed to be several people inside.
“Han Siha?”
Surprised by the unexpected sight, Natalie froze in place.
* * *
What is he doing at this hour?
Natalie would have passed by quickly under normal circumstances.
If someone were hiding here at this hour, it would be suspicious. And if it wasn’t a person, that was even scarier.
But if the person was Han Siha, her curiosity was piqued.
Natalie pressed her ear to the door.
“What are they talking about?”
Although the sound was muffled, Natalie soon heard bits of their conversation.
For some reason, Han Siha’s voice was serious and low.
“Alcohol?”
“If it’s alcohol… you mean the *drink* from *MiXX*?”
Natalie blinked in confusion.
Lee Han’s algorithmic ability.
The sound algorithm had picked up on the word “academic” and extracted the syllable “alcohol.” Based on that, the conversation had shifted to a completely different topic.
A flawless security system with a wild algorithm.
The problem was that Natalie had no idea about this.
“Why are they talking about alcohol at this hour?”
She grew more confused.
She knew they had played drinking games with seniors before.
And yes, she had known they mixed alcohol into competition potions.
But she didn’t think they were so obsessed with alcohol that they’d secretly drink in the club room in the middle of the night.
She couldn’t see clearly, but their overly serious expressions and exaggerated gestures seemed telling.
Natalie thought she understood the situation.
“They’re drunk!”
Han Siha’s face was flushed red. Maybe it was the lighting, but… he definitely looked intoxicated.
His voice, which grew more solemn, slipped through the door.
“Someone might die! We could lose our XXXXXX!”
“They’re drinking until someone passes out!”
Should she wait outside to help them get back to the dorms?
Natalie started calculating in her head.
“It’s not about losing. We’re going to take it.”
“If we can smuggle it out, we will.”
Natalie nodded to herself.
She understood their determination to sneak it out and drink it no matter what.
Meanwhile, the flawed algorithm continued to shine, turning the conversation into something more mundane.
“We have to drink it.”
“Oh, of course, we have to drink it.”
“Even if something happens, we have to drink!”
Familiar voices were having a serious conversation among themselves.
Natalie, nodding along as she listened, started to feel dizzy.
And then, suddenly…
Through the window, Han Siha’s face appeared again.
Suddenly, he stood at the center of the room, gripping someone tightly, his expression a mix of concern and sorrow, laced with subtle emotions.
And then, with a solemn voice, he spoke softly:
“…We can just drink together.”
Natalie understood everything… But, why was he talking about that so seriously?
She made up her mind to just retrieve her assignment and leave as quickly as possible.
It seemed that Han Siha was…
“Drunk,” she muttered to herself.
He must have lost his mind.
* * *
The next day, Natalie was deep in thought.
Han Siha had broken academy rules by drinking in the middle of the night.
Sure, that was something worth reporting, but Natalie wasn’t interested in that.
No, her worries were different.
Though the lighting had made it hard to see, his face had looked overly serious.
She’d assumed he was just drunk at the time, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed… like that wasn’t the case.
“He looked really troubled.”
The Han Siha she knew was emotional but also very rational. He wasn’t the type to lose control and drink himself into oblivion.
If he had been drinking with such a serious expression late into the night…
Maybe something was wrong with Han Siha.
After much deliberation, Natalie decided to find Lee Han.
“Oh, Natalie. What’s up?”
She was concerned that something might have happened to Han Siha, that he might be worrying about something.
Even if something was bothering him, he wasn’t the type to openly show it.
She wasn’t brave enough to ask him directly, so she came to Lee Han for advice.
“I’m curious about something…”
Lee Han was close to Han Siha. Lately, they’d been spending more time together than she had with him. Even if she didn’t know what was going on, maybe Lee Han did.
“Do you know if something’s going on with Han Siha?”
“With Siha?”
Lee Han blinked in surprise at the unexpected question.
They’d just finished a resistance group meeting late last night, so at this hour, Han Siha was probably sleeping soundly.
“Is there something worrying him? Has he mentioned anything?”
Natalie’s face darkened.
It seemed Lee Han didn’t know anything either.
“I’m just guessing… I’m not sure myself.”
“I don’t really have a clue either. Should I ask him?”
Lee Han closed his book and looked up, offering a straightforward solution.
“Yes!”
“Come on. Let’s go ask him.”
Lee Han chuckled and got up from his seat.
* * *
The lazy afternoon sun streamed in, but I was exhausted from staying up all night.
“Ugh, I feel like I’m going to die.”
At fifteen years old, my stamina was the only thing keeping me going.
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I took a deep breath.
Everyone was out for lunch.
There was something I needed to check.
I reached into my dimensional bag and pulled out Dongle.
The Void Cube, reborn after Basilus’ enhancement surgery.
It looked like an ordinary stone on the outside, but it had the power to create space.
Aside from the immense amount of mana it required, it was relatively low-cost.
So, even setting aside the Sensory Cube, I wanted to properly tame this one.
[Affinity: 3.7%]
But despite my hopes, things weren’t going as smoothly as I’d like.
Even with my natural affinity, this stone wasn’t easy to tame.
You’re a tough one, aren’t you?
“Damn it, what should I do?”
At this rate, the Cube might get stolen before I can use it in real combat.
“How can I increase its affinity faster…?”
According to the system, talking to it or calling its name seemed to raise the affinity faster.
But calling out to a rock in the dorms or on the streets? People would think I was crazy, so I’d been holding back.
“Hm.”
I glanced around.
Everyone was out for lunch, so no one was likely to show up.
“Whew… Let’s give this another shot.”
Just like with Basilus and Kloshti, I needed to shower Dongle with affection.
I reached into my bag and pulled out a piece of cloth I’d bought at the market.
“Dongle.”
“Hey, Dongle. Can you respond?”
Naming it was the basic rule.
I wrapped the cloth around the stone like a makeshift outfit.
Basilus would burn it if I tried to dress him up, but a rock should be fine.
Now, it looked like a stone in a dress.
I tried to convince myself.
This is the Void Cube.
It has an incredible ability to create space, but for now, it’s just a stone that needs its affinity raised.
“Dongle… shake.”
Dongle has no hands.
Let’s just pretend it does.
“Dongle, sit.”
Dongle has no legs.
It can’t sit, but let’s pretend it can.
“Dongle… damn it.”
I couldn’t help feeling a bit ridiculous.
When I decided to become a tamer, I imagined I’d be parading around with cool monsters like other tamers.
But here I was, trying to tame a stone called Dongle.
Still, being a tamer means not feeling embarrassed.
“Good job. Wow, you did well.”
Praise and rewards were essential.
Hmm.
Hmm.
[Affinity: 3.8%]
The affinity, which had been stagnant, started to rise.
If I kept this pace, I might be able to tame the Cube within the year.
It was actually kind of hopeful.
If I could endure the embarrassment, I could do it.
My voice grew bolder.
Even if it’s just a rock, I needed to build trust.
I can do this.
[Affinity: 3.9%]
[Affinity: 4.0%]
After focusing for several minutes, I began to see results.
“Wow… Is this really happening?”
A chuckle of satisfaction escaped me.
It might drive me a little crazy, but as long as it works, who cares?
“Hahaha! Dongle!”
“Good job, good job. Oh wow, you’re doing great!”
“Look how fast it’s rising. Dongle, shake!”
As I celebrated, shaking hands with Dongle in a mock handshake, a voice cut through my moment of triumph.
“Han Siha…?”
Huh?
Uh-oh.
A cold, piercing gaze drilled into me from behind.
“Han Siha?”
My heart sank.
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