The Support Ate it All

When I looked back on what I had done,

It started with apprehending the Blood Cult elder to reduce the danger level of the main quest.

[Successfully secured a Blood Fury Pill.]

[Rewards have been enhanced.]

I swiftly secured a Blood Fury Pill in advance and handed it over to the disciplinary committee members.

[Ogres defeated: 9]

[Rewards have been enhanced.]

[Alpha Ogre defeated.]

[Rewards have been greatly enhanced.]

By defeating the Alpha Ogre and multiple Ogres, I was able to drastically reduce the casualties among the other students.

[Injured: 72]

[Casualties: 0]

[Rewards have been greatly enhanced.]

And so, while injuries were inevitable, there were no deaths at all.

As a result, the reward level shot up several tiers.

[You have acquired ‘Enchantment (F)’.]

One of the powerful abilities that once stood shoulder to shoulder with Copy, Amplification, and Monarch had returned.

It was also a skill that greatly contributed to my nickname, “The S-Rank Factory”.

I’ll take my time to thoroughly inspect everything once I exit the dungeon.

Even though a storm had swept through, the midterm exam was still ongoing.

In that case, wasn’t it the duty of a seasoned player to make sure to grab all the benefits available?

▷Crystals

Red 100% x2

Blue 100% x3

Green 100% x2

Yellow 100% x1

Red 0% x1

Green 0% x1

Blue 0% x2

I had already completed one set of crystals, charged the extras at the sanctuary, and even got more from the Ogres’ drops.

I had more than enough, even to the point of overflowing.

So first, I sought Seo Ye-in’s permission.

“Is it okay if I use the extra crystals?”

“Mhmm.”

Seo Ye-in nodded her head casually.

I asked for permission since we shared points as teammates, but I knew she’d easily agree because she wasn’t really interested in the practical evaluation.

Next, I approached the duo of Kwak Ji-cheol and Jeong Soo-ji.

The two were utterly exhausted and sitting haphazardly on the muddy ground.

“How many crystals did you collect?”

“…Only two yellow ones.”

Kwak Ji-cheol replied with a bitter expression on his face.

As expected, they hadn’t gathered much, and to make matters worse, both were the same color.

Typically, on the third day of the midterms, the most crystals are dropped and recharged.

However, the Blood Fury Pill incident erupted on that critical third day, and they had spent all their energy dealing with the Ogres.

Now, even if they rushed to the sanctuary, it would be too late, and if they clashed with other teams, they’d be guaranteed to lose.

It seemed they had no choice but to settle with the two yellow crystals.

I threw them a casual remark.

“You guys are in luck. I happen to have two of each color except yellow.”

“…Really?”

“Why would I lie? If you don’t want to believe me, then don’t.”

“I believe you. What do you want in return?”

Of course, the concept of “free” didn’t exist in my vocabulary.

Especially now, when the value of crystals was even higher.

If I were to hand over three, they’d have to pay an appropriate price.

Knowing this, Kwak Ji-cheol immediately asked what I wanted.

I smiled and answered.

“An emerald. B-rank would be ideal.”

“…Are you telling us to get it outside?”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

“…Hmm.”

Besides, there was no rule saying they had to pay immediately.

They could settle the payment after the midterms, once they were outside the dungeon.

The two exchanged glances with each other.

Judging by their interested expressions, they were almost convinced.

Finally, as if she had made up her mind, Jeong Soo-ji reconfirmed the terms.

“B-rank emerald in exchange for the charged red, blue, and green crystals, right?”

“That’s right.”

“…Alright. I’ll hand it over right after we’re done.”

I handed them the crystals.

As the unexpected deal completed their set, Kwak Ji-cheol and Jeong Soo-ji’s faces lit up.

From their perspective, they each gained 1,500 points for the strategy battle and 6,000 points in total.

It was an immense amount for first-years which made it worth paying for the rare emerald.

On the other hand, if I had held onto those crystals, I would’ve only earned 750 points for the strategy battle and 3,000 points in total from them.

The value of a B-rank emerald was far greater.

It was a profitable deal for both sides.

It’s about time I put these gems to use.

Along with the ruby I received from Hong Yeon-hwa, I had also gotten a small emerald while helping Kwak Ji-cheol with his training.

If I added Jeong Soo-ji’s emerald to the collection, it seemed like a good time to go after the hidden piece related to the gems.

The relentless downpour gradually weakened until it finally stopped altogether.

The dark clouds that had blanketed the sky slowly parted, allowing rays of sunlight to break through.

When everyone stared up at the sky and looked to be entranced,

A notification message appeared, signaling the end of the midterms.

Red Crystal*1 = 500 points

Blue Crystal*2 = 500+250 points

Green Crystal*1 = 500 points

Yellow Crystal*1 = 500 points

—————

[Total Score: 2,250 points] * Midterm multiplier x4

= 9,000 points

Even after handing over a bunch of crystals to Kwak Ji-cheol’s duo, I still had one excess left over.

The result was over 2,000 points in strategy battle score and a total of 9,000 points.

And it wasn’t even over yet.

[Side Quest: Week 9 Midterms] (Completed)

▷Objective: Charge the Crystals

Red (1/1), Blue (2/1),

Yellow (1/1), Green (1/1)

▷Reward: 2 Hairpins

Since I completed the side quest with the highest achievement, I earned two hairpins as a reward.

It was an incredibly rare and powerful item, one that made any skill or trait obtained through [Copy] fully my own.

“It’s been a while since I’ve felt this satisfied.”

[Enchantment], and emerald, loads of points, and even fixed hairpins.

It was worth the effort.

The fact that the midterms were being tallied meant that the academy had regained control over the dungeon.

Soon after, a teleportation portal opened nearby and I stepped through it.

After a sudden shift in my surroundings, I found myself standing in the hall where I had first entered the midterm exam.

Noise swelled from all sides as people murmured among themselves.

– Wow, we barely made it out alive.

– What did that ogre eat to get so strong?

– I heard it was a Blood Fury thing.

– Blood Fury? You mean that cult thing?

– That’s what they’re saying.

Most of the conversations were about the berserk ogres, while the rest focused on midterm scores.

– How many crystals did you get?

– Three.

– Wow, that’s a lot.

– Ugh, I could’ve gotten one more if it weren’t for that ogre.

– Shouldn’t the academy compensate us for this?

– Like they would.

Some expressed dissatisfaction over the disruption of the midterms, but knowing the Dragon Slayer Academy’s policies, they’d likely brush it off with something about how “dealing with unexpected situations is part of a hero’s virtues” or something like that.

The teachers examined the injured and sent them to the infirmary.

Song Cheon-hye and a few members of the disciplinary committee seemed to be explaining the situation to teacher Lee Soo-dok. They were pointing in my direction as they handed over the Blood Fury syringe.

It looked like they were explaining that they got it from me.

“….”

Teacher Lee Soo-dok glared sharply in my direction, but thanks to Song Cheon-hye’s thorough explanation, he didn’t call me over.

Still, it wasn’t a good idea to keep meeting his gaze since his mind could change at any moment.

So, I looked away and saw Seo Ye-in standing beside me nodding off while clutching my sleeve.

Her energy was completely drained, much like a sloth battery that had run out long ago.

“How much do you have left now?”

“-5…”

Wait, it could drop below 0%?

With the exam over, there was no reason for her to stay, so I told Seo Ye-in to go get some rest.

“Get plenty of sleep over the weekend, and I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Mhmm…”

Seo Ye-in responded to my goodbye with a slow wave of her hand before trudging out of the dungeon building.

Next, Kwak Ji-cheol and Jeong Soo-ji came over from another class.

As promised, Jeong Soo-ji handed me a large emerald.

“Thanks.”

“No, we should be the ones thanking you.”

I quickly accepted it and stored it in my inventory.

Although my business with the two of them was now concluded, Kwak Ji-cheol hesitated as he was about to leave and looked at me. His mouth was slightly moving as if to say something.

Then, after looking away, he finally spoke.

“…I, uh, I also wanted to thank you. For everything. I’ll make sure to repay this debt.”

“Alright, I’ll be expecting it.”

I’m not the type to turn down something if it’s offered.

Kwak Ji-cheol then fully turned his back on me and walked away. He was even faster than Jeong Soo-ji.

Watching him go, I thought it was about time for me to leave as well, so I started to move.

“Hey.”

But Song Cheon-hye and Han So-mi called out and stopped me for a moment.

It seemed they had just returned after reporting to Lee Soo-dok.

Han So-mi cheerfully raised a hand and extended it toward me.

“You did great! High five!”

“Yeah, you too. Good job.”

I raised my hand to meet hers, and we exchanged two quick high fives, smack, smack.

Song Cheon-hye also gave me a slight nod.

“You’ve worked hard. Thanks to your early warning, we were able to handle the situation before it got worse.”

“You too. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to gather up ten people.”

It’s only right to acknowledge each other’s efforts.

From Song Cheon-hye’s perspective, she was grateful that I quickly informed her of the emergency and helped plan a response.

From my perspective, things were made easier because she had brought along the disciplinary committee members in droves.

If it had been just a group of four instead of ten, the damage inflicted on Alpha when I used the [Paralysis Scroll] would have been less, and we would have had to fight off at least one or two ogres after the second phase began.

Perhaps she felt awkward after the rare exchange of compliments between us, Song Cheon-hye looked around nervously and said,

“Well… have a good weekend.”

“Bye!”

“Yeah, you too.”

Even after the two of them left the dungeon building, I still had to exchange a few more farewells.

Hong Yeon-hwa waved hesitantly before leaving, Park Na-ri shyly expressed her thanks, and Bum rubbed his forehead against my knee a few times before retreating into his cube of life which was his personal hideaway.

Go Hyeon-woo and Shin Byeong-cheol kept me back and eagerly went over the battle against the ogres and Alpha Ogre in detail.

When these two get together, they can be surprisingly chatty.

Only after that did I finally find myself alone.

I guess it’s time to head out.

I needed to organize what I gained today and plan my next steps.

So, once again, my final destination would be the training center.

The midterms had just ended, but for a stagnant water player like me, there was no such thing as rest.

***

Back at the dormitory, Seo Ye-in efficiently got ready for bed.

She was always lazy and sluggish, but in moments like this, she showed a bit of diligence.

Before she knew it, Seo Ye-in was dressed in her pajamas and had burrowed into her bed.

She clung tightly to a large tiger plushie.

It was their first reunion in three days.

Seo Ye-in was about to close her eyes when,

“……?”

She slowly reopened them and looked at the tiger plushie.

Then she tilted her head. She felt as if something had changed.

It was hard to pinpoint, but it felt less comfortable than before.

The tiger plushie was right there as always, so what had changed?

However, Seo Ye-in was far too sleepy to figure out the reason.

So, she hugged the tiger plushie again and closed her eyes.

Soon, the soft sound of her breathing filled the room.

***

TN: She got a favorite human