Summer Vacation (4)

Second Main Tower, Professor Lee Han-wol's office.

"A trip..."

Professor Lee Han-wol looked at the kids who brought their travel applications with a strange expression.

Princess Hong Bi-Yeon, Lady Eisel, and Edna.

Three girls who didn't seem to get along well suddenly decided to go on a trip.

Honestly, who wouldn't be curious about that?

"Is it not allowed?"

"It's not that, but..."

There wasn't really a reason to refuse.

It was the summer vacation after all.

"It's for a week. Where are you planning to go?"

"The Diamond Coast on La Plati Island. It's famous as a resort area."

"Oh, right. But... isn't it more famous for hunting there? You're not planning to act like adults, are you?"

Flinch.

At Han-wol's words, Edna flinched.

She just randomly blurted out the name of a famous resort from the original novel, but she never thought there would be such a backstory.

"Oh, no... of course not."

"Well, with your faces being so well-known, even if you wanted to hunt, it wouldn't take long for others to find out you're teenagers. Please, avoid any unnecessary trouble."

"Surfing, suntans! And drinking wine under the warm sunshine... No, grape juice! We'll do everything we can at the beach and come back!"

Stamp!

After Han-wol stamped the document, the girls rushed out of the office.

"Phew, who knew La Plati Island was a meeting place for boys and girls."

"But how would they know we're teenagers..."

"It's surprisingly common."

Hong Bi-Yeon was the one who responded.

When Edna and Eisel stared at her, she chuckled before answering.

"Some members of my faction pretended to be adults and went to the beach to try and woo the opposite sex."

"Wow... There really are people like that."

"Ah, you kids are already so talkative."

"Miss Edna, you speak like an adult, don't you?"

"I'm emotionally mature."

"Oh... okay, I see."

As irrelevant talk started, Hong Bi-Yeon promptly cut it off.

"Enough chatting, are we leaving right away then?"

"Yes, that's right. There's no reason to delay."

"Let's each grab our things and meet at Warp Gate 4."

After saying that, Hong Bi-Yeon disappeared casually.

Eisel watched her departure, and gazed toward the direction where cheers could be heard.

Stella Dome.

By now, perhaps... The tests to select participants for the academy tournament were likely underway.

"Why? Disappointed?"

Edna asked with a subtle expression, and she nodded ruefully.

"I was looking forward to it, but there are priorities. I can always participate next year."

"That's true. Still, if we wrap up our plans as scheduled, we might catch the main event, right? Who do you think will represent our academy?"

"I'm not sure."

For Eisel, the academy tournament was an event where she could showcase her magical abilities to the world.

But now, it didn't matter much.

She had already succeeded in spreading magic through Morph's name by the Aslan seminar. It meant she didn't necessarily have to aim for the academy tournament anymore.

Of course, even if that weren't the case, comparing it to the Constellation Project or any other event would be absurd.

"Anyway, to enjoy watching the main event upon our return, we need to successfully finish this job, right?"

"Of course."

As Eisel nodded with a firm expression, Edna lightly tapped her back as if she was looking at her adorable younger sister.

"Let's go then."

———-

Their journey appeared smooth, but it wasn't entirely so.

It was quite chaotic since so many celebrities were gathered.

La Plati International Airport.

"Wow... that's Princess Hong Bi-Yeon."

"She's going on vacation..."

"I thought she was a model."

Hong Bi-Yeon wore a plain white dress, and had one hand resting on a silver travel suitcase and the other on her hip.

Beyond her black sunglasses, she seemed to be looking somewhere far away, and her body language seemed to be yelling, 'Take a picture.'

Whether it was telepathy or not, journalists trailing behind Hong Bi-Yeon were capturing her from multiple angles.

Of course, she was enjoying it too.

Knowing that people followed her every move and it became a headline, she knew that whatever she wore today would become a trend among teenage girls.

[Fashion doesn't mean flashy clothes!]

[Understanding June's fashion]

[Let's dissect Princess Hong Bi-Yeon's fashion!]

[Is fashion all about the face?]

[Top 10 fashion trends that ordinary people shouldn't imitate]

Perhaps soon, this dress would become a global trend, and even after purchasing the dress, many girls wouldn't be able to wear it as gracefully as Hong Bi-Yeon, leading to tears to bitterness.

"Ugh... it's so hot."

Some didn't seem to care at all.

Edna wore blue shorts, a blue cap, and a white sleeveless shirt.

It seemed like an ordinary attire, but she pulled it off perfectly, proving her fashion sense.

In contrast, Eisel seemed quite conscious of the attention from all sides and nervously adjusted her hair.

"Maybe I should've put more thought into what I wore..."

She came out wearing only denim shorts and a sky-blue T-shirt.

She envied Hong Bi-Yeon and Edna for their summery and cool outfits, but she pretended not to care.

Though she used to feel pressured by attention, now she didn't bother much.

Used to malicious glances, Eisel wasn't troubled by this level of attention.

Shortly after, the three girls boarded the flight, and immersed themselves in their own books without exchanging a word.

Hong Bi-Yeon was reading a famous celebrity magazine, Edna had the June issue of this month's trend, while Eisel had a philosophical book objectively summarizing the impact of the magic development from ancient civilizations on human empowerment and the flow of history.

'Pleasant…'

They all managed to secure seats in the business class thanks to Hong Bi-Yeon's privileges, and for Eisel, it was all unfamiliar.

Apart from the flight attendant mistakenly considering Hong Bi-Yeon as an adult and attempting to serve her wine, there was nothing else to worry about.

'Is this the power of money and influence?'

Edna, who was reading a magazine, had already dozed off, and Hong Bi-Yeon was elegantly looking out the window amid the boredom.

She felt like the only one who felt burdened, ao she tried to make herself comfortable by lying down in her seat.

Although her body was at ease, her mind was troubled. The problem was that she was entirely unaware of it.

As they flew in silence for quite some time, Hong Bi-Yeom suddenly called out, "Eisel."

Even though she was addressed by her name, it seemed so natural that for a moment, Eisel didn't register it.

"Uh... Yes?"

"What do you plan to do after saving the commoner?"

"... What do you mean?"

Hong Bi-Yeon, who was looking out the window, turned to meet Eisel's blue eyes.

"There must be a reason why you're so obsessed with the life of a commoner. What is the reason?"

When Eisel hesitated and mumbled unclearly at the end of her words.

"That's…"

She had anticipated it.

She spoke firmly, "I'm going to make that commoner... Baek Yu-Seol, mine."

"Yes?"

It was such a sudden declaration that Eisel widened her eyes in disbelief.

"Making Baek Yu-Seol yours?

"I mean it literally. I will have Baek Yu-Seol by my side. To achieve that... I won't hesitate to use any means necessary."

Eisel could indeed comprehend 'means and methods'.

"I appreciate your efforts for Baek Yu-Seol's sake. But moving forward with you, this will be the end. If you interfere with my goals... I won't hesitate to completely eliminate you."

Eisel lowered her trembling eyes at that statement.

How should she respond?

It was a kind of warning.

'This item will be mine, so don't interfere and stay away.'

But why was this directed at her?

Edna sitting right next to Eisel.

While she thought this way, she still accepted the fact in her heart.

Why?

It was obvious.

"... As you wish."

Eisel lifted her head again, and stared intensely into Hong Bi-Yeon's crimson eyes.

"You're free to make the effort though."

Hong Bi-Yeon smirked, and her eyes trailed back to the window.

Her indifferent attitude revealed that Eisel's actions wouldn't matter anyway.

Even though she was momentarily angry, she realized it was also a tactic used by her.

'Wait and watch…'

———-

The peaceful cafe in Arcanium.

The low price of 5,000 for a cup of coffee was enough to entice the few commoners, and it was the same for Baek Yu-Seol.

Few knew, but Baek Yu-Seol was already wealthy, extremely wealthy.

So, there were many who questioned why he frequented such cafes.

In fact, there wasn't a specific reason.

'I'm too lazy to go far.'

If you want to join a gym, your first goal should be to look for a gym close to you rather than a gym with perfect exercise equipment, facilities, and excellent trainers.

This way, it would be easier to attend the gym regularly.

Of course, Baek Yu-Seol didn't come to the café for training…

The real reason behind his daily cafe visit was to simply relax and enjoy leisure.

This was a habit from his time on Earth.

Although he was quite busy training at Stella, life here wasn't drastically different from Earth.

Amidst the hectic life, what gave him moments of relaxation were the brief coffee breaks after lunch and the games he played after work.

Since he couldn't enjoy games here… He just adopted his old coffee habit.

'It's annoying.'

But recently, he couldn't even drink his coffee with peace.

In this world, where there were no televisions or computers, newspapers were quickly uploaded through 'Magic Screens,' allowing the news to spread quickly.

Perhaps due to recent fame, but he felt burdened by the hot gazes from reporters lurking around the cafe.

Some students openly whispered and stared in his direction. They had clearly come to observe.

There was no doubt about it.

'Are they exchange students? Well, at least no one has directly approached me.'

Just as he thought that, someone did approach.

When he raised his head to check, there stood a girl with her hair tied up in twin tails.

She fidgeted nervously.

"Umm…"

"Hmm? Are you going to give me a love letter or something?"

"Oh, no! It's not that..."

"Hmm..."

An unfamiliar academy uniform.

An unfamiliar demeanor.

Her name was Anella... Indeed, he'd never heard of it before.

Baek Yu-Seol wanted to remove his spec, but before that, Anella stretched out something.

"Um, could you... give me an autograph?"

"... Autograph?"

In all my life, he'd never encountered such a bizarre request, but he also considered it possible.

Anyway, he had become famous.

'Come to think of it, was there something similar in the original game?...'

Users who unlocked specific routes and were able to play 'Character Mayuseong' sometimes had these absurd events called 'Autograph Sessions.'

Each time, players who wanted to enhance their characters' additional abilities such as personality and charm, frequently did so.

However, he never expected to receive it firsthand, so he was a bit taken aback.

"Well, why not?"

It didn't cost anything, and since she came because she liked him, there was no reason to refuse, so Baek Yu-Seol readily took the paper and uncapped the pen.

Suddenly, Anella grabbed Baek Yu-Seol's shoulder and pushed her face closer.

"What are you…"

"Look into my eyes."

"What?"

Slowly...

In Anella's pupils, a swirl of black swirled around.

"What are you doing right now..."

As Baek Yu-Seol stared blankly at it, his pupils gradually began to dilate, and Anella flashed a smile of realization.

"Alright, success!"

Anella possessed the ultimate trait: [Rebirth of Nightmares.]

A rare mental attack that delved deep into the target's mind, triggering their deepest trauma...

It was a skill possessed by very few in the world.

Plop!

Anella fell into the sea, and looked around with a refreshing expression.

This was her mental world.

Although reading the opponent's mind was impossible, Anella, who inherited some traits from the extinct 'Dream Eater' race, could delve into the target's most painful past experiences as dreams.

The drawback was that she couldn't see the dream she wanted; inevitably, only the most painful memories unfolded before her.

Because if the caster couldn't endure it, both the caster and the victim's minds might collapse instantly.

But even that was not applicable to Anella.

For someone who had lived through all sorts of dreadful experiences, witnessing ordinary pain and trauma was nothing more than watching a slightly sad tragedy.

Now... where should she poke around in the painful past?

Investigations revealed Baek Yu-Seol's past was filled with quite painful memories.

'When were you most desperate?'

'When you lost your homeland?'

'When you lost your parents?'

'When you lost your closest friend?'

'Just say it. I'll look into it.'

Anella thought as she vigorously stretched her arms towards the sea.

Zoom!

At that moment, a sharp thorn pierced her chest.

"Kuh...?"

With her trembling hands, she looked at the thorn embedded in her chest.

Her heart wasn't beating.

Bright red blood dripped down continuously.

'Death.'

The most painful past of Baek Yu-Seol was...

It was death.

That too, his own death.

'H-how...?'

Death... could be the most painful past?

'That's... not…'

As she thought this, a massive gravestone fell from the sky, crushing Anella's body.

"Snap..."

Before she could even scream, she was crushed to death.

"Aaaaah!!"

However, before she could shake off the pain, a monstrous creature swooped in, tearing her apart.

She was engulfed in flames, pierced by sharp spears, and shattered by various magical assaults.

'Help... me…'

She stood amidst the continuous onslaught.

Slowly, slowly...

She collapsed.