"Are you alright now?" Merlin asked, lying face up on his bed, buds in his ears, and his phone placed beside his head with the caller ID: Zombie sister on its screen.
He had been ready to call it a day when he'd decided to check up on Nora. Seeing as she had picked up, perhaps she was feeling a lot better. He hoped so. Because she was taking a while to answer.
"I guess," she finally said, her teasing tone nowhere to be found. "You?"
Merlin sighed. "What do you think?"
There was a moment of silence from Nora. "You sound fine."
She'd said that like he was crazy. Which, he, as well, couldn't deny that he most likely was. After all, anyone else would probably be a lot more frightened after what had occurred with his Dungeon simulation. It was testament to the fact that his life could be ruined while he walked down a street, while he slept, or while he ate. The System could just bring up a random Quest at any time which could prove to be detrimental to his wellbeing.
But… Merlin just couldn't feel bothered.
He bit his lower lip. This was all because of what he was—who he was. He was so starved of the power to achieve his sole goal that he was willing to grasp it from anywhere, even if it would harm him.
"I'll be honest," Nora's voice cut through the silence and his thoughts. "I think it's dangerous."
Merlin's chest tightened for a moment. He'd been well aware that those words were coming.
"It is." He didn't deny, his gaze on his room's ceiling. It was dark—he had put the lights out—but he had always found the darkness comforting at times.
"You said that it was a gift from the author of that favorite webnovel of yours, right?" she continued. "Why would he send you something like that? Putting you in danger? Did he not give off any hint from his mail that he meant you harm?"
They'd already been through this.
"You're looking at it from a single point of view, Nora." Merlin was not trying to argue, he just felt like he should expatiate on why he was not particularly bothered by the System's nature. "Yes, it seems dangerous with the Quests, but it also gives me rewards for completing them. What I think is that it's neither friend nor foe. It just is."
Nora sighed audibly.
"Is there any way to get it out of your body?" she asked, ignoring all that he'd just said. He wasn't mad, though. He didn't even have the energy to be.
"No," he replied simply. "None that I've seen of."
Nora went silent again. "Then I guess there's nothing we can do…" She paused. "...Besides making it so that you never feel threatened by it again."
Merlin turned sideways on the bed, staring at the light coming out of his phone.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I'm saying it's time you made full use of it," she said. "If there's no way to separate it from you, then I want you to milk it as much as possible. I'm tired of this feeling of insecurity."
"It's been less than a day," Merlin chaffed.
"I'm serious, Merlin."
Merlin's brows dropped down slightly.
He was somewhat surprised. Did this mean that he could tell her about the Dungeon Artist Perk? He immediately shook it out of his thoughts. That one was far more dangerous; and involving Nora would not be good for his heart.
"I'm already doing that," Merlin replied, unable to think of anything else to say. "Milking the System, I mean. Well, as best as I can. I try my best to exercise everyday; it's slow, I know, but that just means I'll have to turn my routine up a notch."
He kept silent about the considerable boost he had experienced during the Dungeon simulation. Nora would catch on quickly to what that implied. He could not have her suspecting him later when he eventually raided a real Dungeon.
"I can see that," she said. "However, you are yet to copy any spells, aren't you? Isn't that the main reason why you're—" She paused. "Good evening, Miss Park," she said with a chuckle, her words not for her brother.
"It's midnight, not evening," the person who seemed to be Miss Park answered, her voice low but strong. It was obvious that she was the dorm mistress of the girls' dorm. "What are you doing here?"
"Haha… I'm just having a chat with my brother. Didn't want to bother my roommate."
"I see…" Miss Park was quiet for a moment. "You have ten minutes, then. It's lights out. And loitering around is not allowed."
"Understood, Miss Park." Merlin could picture Nora faking a smile as she said that. "Alright, where were we?"
"I think you should go to bed," Merlin said. "Wouldn't be nice if you got in trouble because of me."
He knew the real reason why she was not having this call in her room was so that there would be no case of her slipping up and exposing Merlin's secrets to her roommate. Of course her and that Oh Jihye girl would have separate rooms, but Nora was not as trusting as Merlin, and she had not exactly gotten off to a good start with the girl to begin with.
"Just shut up and listen," Nora snarled. "Like I said, I think you should take full advantage of what you have. Copy spells and improve yourself, so that even if the System wants to fuck with you it won't have an easy time. At this rate, you're just a sitting duck. I don't want to see you battered up like you were in the simulation ever again. Mom would eat my head off if she found out all I could do was watch as you suffered."
Merlin couldn't help but smile softly.
"So you cried because you were scared of Mom, not because you thought you were going to lose your brother?" he teased.
"Oh, please… You won't let me live down this crying thing, right?"
"I'm glad you realize."
She laughed. Then as if realizing that it would bring Miss Park back, she quickly shut her mouth abruptly.
"Anyways, jokes aside, we don't really have much time before your truth is brought to light. And I'm not talking about…about you being a Deficient Mage; I'm talking about people finding out you have a System. There's no way you can keep it a secret forever if you want to graduate from this Academy. You know what that means, don't you? They'll want to dissect you." There was a pause. "Of course, I'm not gonna let that happen, so I'll get stronger alongside you. And, since we're on that topic, you said you need my help with understanding the concepts behind spell casting, right?"
"Yes," Merlin answered immediately.
Copying spells and having them in his skill was one thing, casting them was another. It was the same in The Dungeon Mage. For Kieran to learn a new skill, he always had to be well aware of the concepts behind them. Merlin felt like that part of the System hadn't changed. It had only been modified, after all, to add new things. He was yet to notice if anything had been taken out.
"I wonder why you can't seem to understand anyone's teaching but mine," Nora went on. "This is why you keep getting average scores in exams."
"You're just a far better teacher, I guess," said Merlin. "You should take up teaching."
"Flattering isn't your strong suit, geek," she snorted.
"I agree."
"And you know I hate teaching," she added. "Anyways, I'll help you out. When do you want to meet?"
Merlin pursed his lips, considering for a moment which time would be best. Saturday was out of it; he wanted to make use of the day to workout a bit and rest up. Sunday was the day of rest, so he wanted to rest that day too, seeing as from Monday their first day of school would begin and things would get hectic.
In fact, what better day was there for him to hold a lesson with Nora?
He decided.
"Monday evening, when we've rested after class," he said. "Is that good?"
"Alright," replied Nora. "Make sure to bring your A game. You know me; I won't be accepting less."
"Yes, Ma'am," he chuckled.
"Goodnight, then. I'll be off."
"Yeah," he replied. "Sleep tight."
The display on his phone's screen changed from the call interface to his homescreen. He heaved out a deep sigh.
I should take full advantage of the System, huh? He raised his hand above his head and clenched his fists. Alright, then… I've decided. I'll have my first raid next Saturday…
###
"Two days, four-eyes! Two days have passed and yet we've had no kimchi!" Chima voiced as the three residents of boys' dorm room fifty walked to the Academy's main building.
Hakyun simply nudged his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose. "I lost so I'll make the kimchi; but you don't have the right to bother me about it. Make do with the cafeteria food for now."
"Like hell I'll keep doing that when you exist," Chima frowned, his bag carried in a baby-cradle with his arms wrapped tightly around it. Merlin wondered why the boy was still doing that, but it was none of his business. "Do you know how it is to come across money?"
"The premium card for a month is ten percent off," Hakyun replied, holding the straps of his backpack. "Subscribe for that."
Veins popped out of the sides of Chima's head. He was really frugal, wasn't he?
It was Monday, the first, actual day of their lives in the Academy—not counting the physical assessment. They were each dressed in their uniforms—white shirt, red blazers and trousers, with a striped tie—and on their shoulders was the emblem of Cohort Spearhead.
Merlin had goosebumps over his skin, his heart pounding so intensely that he wondered how Chima and Hakyun could talk about Kimchi at the moment. It was not like he didn't crave it too; he was yet to taste it, after all. But he just felt like they should be more excited about classes instead. They were on their way to becoming Mages!
He then looked at his empty Grimoire pouch strapped along his waist, and his mood instantly soured.
What had come over him to put it on when he did not own a Grimoire? There was no use thinking about it, though, so he shelved the thought. And besides, what he was most concerned about was his truth of being a Deficient Mage being spilled before a week had elapsed. Losing his reward would undoubtedly hurt. But he couldn't keep bothering his head with something he couldn't tamper with; it was not like he could just walk up to the professors and the headmaster and tell them to keep it a secret.
If it happens, it happens… There's nothing I can do…
"Guys," Merlin called to Chima and Hakyun, taking his mind away from anything involving the System. "I'm worried."
"Huh?" Hakyun touched his glasses. Chima raised a brow. "About what?"
"I'm in Class A," Merlin sobbed, standing still for a while and looking up at the blue sky. "Why am I in Class A?"
Their class assignments had come in early Sunday morning, as well as the current rankings for their Cohorts and academics. Merlin had expected it, but he was topping the rankings for academics. Chima and Hakyun had chased him around their room then, as their own means of congratulating him, apparently.
Unlike them, though, he was sure that he would fall soon enough, so he couldn't get excited. His scores were always average on exams and tests; he had only managed to top for now because of the System, soon enough he would be down at the bottom, where he belonged.
Then there was the Cohort rankings, which had pissed Hakyun off. After all, Cohort Dragon Eye was in the lead with a hundred points, while Cohort Spearhead came in second with ninety-five points.
The difference was only five points, but Cohort Dragon Eye was first regardless. And Hakyun didn't like that. He'd wanted Cohort Spearhead to be first from start to finish.
The boy was the most deluded person Merlin had ever met.
"Why would you be worried?" Hakyun continued. "Professor Jung said the classes would be split equally, so I'm sure everything is fine."
"Yeah, Mel," Chima joined in. "I'm sure it's all good."
The problem was not the class, the problem was that he would be alone.
"Easy for you to say; you are both in the same class." Merlin scoffed.
Chima's expression tightened. "You think I wanna be in the same class as four-eyes? I see enough of his face in the dorm, and now I've been cursed to see it during classes as well. You have no idea how hurt I am, Mel."
"Take that back," Hakyun roared.
"Make me."
Merlin sighed.
…
If Merlin was to use one word to describe the interior of the Academy's main building, it would be regal. White, stainless walls with golden accentuations, stained windows, golden carpets running along the floor, and the banner of the Academy hanging from everywhere the eyes could see, Merlin almost thought he had walked into a royal palace. The students shuffling about brought him down to earth, though.
"How come we're just coming here for the first time since Thursday?" said Hakyun with folded arms. "Absurd."
"Because we're lazy," Merlin answered, bluntly.
"I agree," Chima said.
"Speak for yourselves." Hakyun sighed. "Well, then. Got to get to class. See you later, Merlin." He waved as he turned around and headed up a staircase to their left.
Chima followed, repeating Hakyun's exact words and wave. That action of his caused them to bicker once more on their way up. Something about Chima copying Hakyun.
Merlin could only purse his lips and walk forward, following the gps tracker of his smartwatch, as he searched for his classroom. It was a handy feature to find locations within the Academy. If only he and Nora had had it on them when they'd arrived at the Academy, finding the auditorium would have been a piece of cake.
But then he wouldn't have met Hakyun. Everything had a reason.
Speaking of Nora, she too was in Class B. It was almost like everyone who Merlin knew was taken to a separate class from him. He wondered if Kim Yiseo and Kim Minji were in other classes as well.
Ah… I never got Minji's number… He clicked his tongue softly. I'm sure she'll give me if I ask, but I wonder if Kim Yiseo would too…
Merlin arrived at his classroom not long later, and the first thing he did was peek through its windows.
"Wow, they're so diligent," he mumbled.
Classes were divided into four, lettered A to D, and each class had forty students. His class: Class A, was already ninety percent filled. It made him feel like he was unserious.
There goes me entering through the front door…
Merlin sighed and walked in through the back door, and found a seat not too far from it. He was not keen on having anyone noticing him, so he did it very quietly. Thankfully, it seemed they had all shared themselves into some sort of friend group already, because there were a cluster of threes and fours here and there.
Classes were going to be boring for him, weren't they? He could see no signs of either Kim Minji or Kim Yiseo. And hoping that they would be part of those who were yet to arrive would just be wishful thinking.
Merlin shrugged, took off his backpack, and put his forehead on his table. A quick nap before classes began wouldn't hurt.
He had been unable to sleep a wink last night, rereading The Dungeon Mage to refresh his memory on the earlier Dungeons Kieran had cleared, and which would be perfect for his first raid. He hadn't realized that Kieran's first Dungeon raid was in chapter forty, and since he was not exactly the fastest reader, it had taken him the whole night to get there. Now he was paying for it.
"Excuse me," a voice called from Merlin's side, perhaps intending to talk to someone that was seated on the seat across from him.
Merlin briefly wondered when someone had come to sit down there. He had not noticed anyone when he'd walked in. Well, it didn't matter to him.
"Excuse me," the voice called again, and Merlin's brows twitched.
They were not here for him, right? He decided to look up, and, yes, they were here for him.
Standing at the end of his desk was a familiar face, one that made him sit up straight in an instant.
"You…" Merlin blurted without thinking. "The president's grandson."
The boy smiled—a fake smile, Merlin believed. "It's Lee Jaehyun," he said—corrected, to be precise. "Nice to meet you, Merlin Tyrrell."
"Oh… Nice to meet you too," Merlin replied, still unsure why the boy had approached him. He decided to ask. "Do you need something?"
Lee Jaehyun shook his head. "Oh… Not really. Just…" He pointed to the space on Merlin's bench. "Is anyone seated beside you?"