SRS 34

Yohan and his friends fell silent as soon as they stepped into the building, overwhelmed by the solemn and heavy atmosphere inside. They pursed their lips and moved carefully, and at the end of the pure white space, a statue came into view.

“Wow…”

“Ah?”

“This is…”

His friends’ eyes widened in amazement. Yohan also exclaimed when he saw the statue, carved so intricately it looked as if a living creature had been turned to stone.

When they approached, they saw that the statue depicted a dragon curled up in sleep.

“A dragon… Then this place really is…!”

Melek trembled with excitement. The other students swallowed and stared at the statue. It was time to find out with their own eyes whether the rumor about a dragon’s lair hidden at the end of the garden labyrinth of Fantasiademia was true or not.

There was nothing behind the statue, and Yohan realized that they must do something with it. When he looked at Suhyeok, the experienced hunter crouched down and examined the statue. The moment his hand touched the dragon’s forehead…

Pa-at!

…a bright, splendid, and dazzling light flowed from the dragon statue, as if telling them that this was the treasure they had sought.

“Finally…!”

The friends who had overcome the trial together cried out in excitement.

At that very moment…

Puff!

The dragon statue suddenly vanished.

“…Huh?”

“……?”

“Eh?”

They froze at the sight that was completely different from what they had imagined. While they stood blankly, unable to understand what was happening, Yohan spotted a sheet of paper fluttering in the smoke where the statue had been and quickly caught it.

The students gathered around as Yohan unfolded it for everyone to see. They leaned in and read the writing on the paper.

〈To have discovered the hidden Dragon’s Ruins within Fantasiademia, your dedication moves me! You are sure to become treasure hunters who succeed me, so keep working hard! Today’s experience will become the fertilizer for your growth!

Experience itself is the most precious treasure.

–Tomb Raider, Registan–〉

“……”

“……”

It was a note that made them doubt their own eyes.

Just in case, Yohan checked the back, but it was blank. The silence broke with awkward laughter from the students.

“This-this can’t be all, right?”

“No way! Search everywhere! There has to be a treasure somewhere!”

“Please… dear god…”

One of them seemed to lose his mind, another slumped to the floor, and others searched the temple like madmen, unwilling to accept the result.

Yohan stood still, staring at the note, then turned to Mikael. From his baffled look, it seemed he hadn’t expected this outcome either.

“Ha… So the rumor wasn’t true after all. Even if it was the dragon’s lair, it looks like everything inside was emptied out and only the space left behind… And who’s Registan supposed to be?”

Suhyeok flopped on the ground with a groan, and Mikael answered.

“He’s probably the professor of the ‘Spatial Exploration for Non-Hunters’ course for third-years. I heard he was a famous treasure hunter before becoming a professor. Sometimes he plays pranks like this around the school, but I didn’t think I’d be the one to fall for it.”

“…Professor!”

Kylus shouted through gritted teeth and clenched his sword tightly. The murderous aura around him made Yohan worry that Kylus might actually end up killing a professor.

“…So, all that effort for nothing.”

Yohan slowly accepted the situation and checked his wristwatch. It was already 3 a.m. Feeling bitter about wasting precious sleep for such a meager outcome, he decided he’d never wander around the school at night again and began gathering his friends.

“Let’s go back.”

“Wait, Yohan! I’ll never accept this result…!”

“Kylus.”

“Yes.”

At Yohan’s request, Kylus knocked out their wailing and resisting friends, and Yohan carried them out of the temple.

By the time they neared wake-up hour, the illusion seemed to be fading, and the surroundings began to distort. The suspicious Rose Garden returned to its usual form. Yohan carefully moved through the halls, making sure not to alert the dorm supervisor, and laid each friend down in front of their rooms. Fortunately, they didn’t run into the supervisor, so he avoided getting branded a troublemaker again.

“Haa…”

When they returned to their room, everyone let out a weary sigh. Yohan took off his dirty outer garment and opened the wardrobe.

“Suhyeok.”

“……”

Suhyeok flinched when Yohan called him in a cold voice.

“Kylus.”

This time, the blond avoided Yohan’s gaze and pretended to be innocent.

After changing clothes, Yohan gave up on sleeping since less than 30 minutes of rest remained and took out his Spirit Studies textbook, sitting down at his desk.

“Don’t ever tell me to go out again.”

“…Yes.”

“Sorry, Yohan.”

The ones who had dragged Yohan out by both arms apologized. Yohan caught the white-haired young man, who was walking leisurely toward his bed as if he alone had escaped the scolding, with a single sentence.

“Mikael, don’t just stand by because you think it’s fun.”

“……”

“If any of you break your promise, I’ll apply to change dorms.”

The three silently nodded. Yohan looked each of them in the eye, then lowered his gaze to his book. From then on, until the sound of a griffin attack came from another room, the only thing that could be heard in Room 304 was the fluttering sound of Yohan turning pages.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

“Hmm. Has the young lamb’s skill has improved?”

During the Divine Power class, Yohan, who was trying to fight off drowsiness by channeling divine power into the ring as usual, looked up at the sudden remark from the angel professor. He looked around, unsure whom the professor was speaking to, when suddenly his head was forced to stop and turn forward. The angel professor had used divine power to make Yohan face him.

“Ah…”

When their eyes met, Yohan realized the compliment was directed at him and bowed his head politely.

“Thank you.”

“There’s nothing to thank me for. I only asked because it’s strange.”

“……?”

“Why has your skill improved?”

“Excuse me?”

Yohan blinked twice in confusion, staring at the angel professor. If a student’s skill improved, shouldn’t that be something to praise? What kind of question was that? He couldn’t guess the professor’s intention, and his eyes moved slowly.

“Uh… I practiced.”

“That alone wouldn’t make you improve.”

“……”

“Your veins are damaged. You used divine power too much.”

The angel professor narrowed his eyes and said. Yohan shuddered in surprise. How could he have noticed that? Cold sweat ran down his back as he wondered if the professor had somehow realized they’d gone out at night.

While Yohan fidgeted under his gaze, the angel professor created a new ring and threw it to him.

“Fill this ring with divine power. If it changes color five times within ten minutes, I’ll let you go without any questions.”

It was a provocative challenge. But Yohan couldn’t refuse. He looked at the professor’s expression, then held the ring and began channeling divine power.

“Release at full strength. At that pace, you’ll be late.”

Yohan drew up more divine power.

“At full strength.”

The angel professor’s perception was precise. He could see right through Yohan’s ability. Following his instructions, Yohan pushed himself until he his heart ached, using divine power to the limit.

Pa-at, pa-at, pat!

The ring’s color changed rapidly three times. Yohan lowered his head, breathing heavily as his divine power drained out all at once. He relaxed his body to calm his rough breathing, but the next instant came a thunderous order.

“Again.”

“…Ugh.”

He grew irritated at how relentless the professor was, not letting him rest for even a moment. Feeling dizzy, Yohan took a deep breath and began channeling divine power again. Thanks to the battle with the golems, maintaining large surges of divine power no longer felt as difficult as before.

“Hup!”

He held his breath and poured out the rest of his divine power, and the ring flashed twice in quick succession. It was around the eight-minute mark of the ten-minute limit.

“Wow.”

“Ooh!”

“You did great, Yohan!”

His friends, who had been watching Yohan’s struggle more anxiously than he himself, let out cheers of admiration. They looked as delighted as if Yohan had defeated the angel professor in combat.

Yohan’s hand weakened, and he dropped the ring, wiping the sweat from his forehead. When he looked at the angel professor to ask if that was enough, the man stood up. Since the first class, he almost never left his seat, so the students immediately grew wary.

What’s he going to do now…!

‘Damn it, that look means he’s going to turn Yohan into a frog!’

Yohan saw the same thought written all over his friends’ faces and tensed up with them. He held his breath, believing the professor might actually try it, while the angel professor picked up Yohan’s ring, examined it from all angles, and nodded.

“A rare talent.”

“……!”

It was the first time since the course had opened that the angel professor had given praise. The students stared at him in disbelief, and Yohan’s eyes also widened in surprise. The professor spoke again.

“Young lamb, you have the potential to become a professor.”