Baek Seung-woo's class was boring.
Although he adopted an unconventional teaching method, it was unclear whether it was a systematic or efficient study method compared to other professors or teaching assistants.
Still, since it was the curriculum of the assigned instructor, I followed it without complaint.
Lee Ji-han swung a large axe every day until his arms felt like they would fall off.
He swung it so much that his arms were covered in patches.
Seong Yeon-hwa gathered in the training room every afternoon, sat down, and meditated.
Amidst the sounds of weapons swinging and heavy breathing echoing around, it was fascinating to see her, usually talkative and bright, meditating silently.
Noh Yura, being in the ranger position, learned how to walk.
It was said to be a walking technique that allowed her to step on grass or dry branches without making a sound while running.
To others, it just looked like she was imitating a cat.
Seo Yerin alternated between two spear techniques.
She was clumsy on the first day, but now she had improved quite a bit.
Of course, it wasn't at a level where she could use it in actual combat yet.
Isis seemed to be receiving the most plausible instruction in the group.
When she struggled with controlling her ice magic, she was taught a unique method of arranging magic power and adjusting the range by changing the units.
It was called the double helix... or something like that.
It was a new arrangement method, so I couldn't remember the details clearly.
And as for Isabelle...
"You still haven't figured it out?"
She hadn't started anything.
To be precise, she couldn't.
Because Seung-woo hadn't taught her anything even after four days.
"Give me one more day, no, two more days, and I'll figure it out."
"I told you. There's nothing to fix in my magic. It's wrong to think that there's even a tiny flaw in the spell my grandmother corrected."
"No... there definitely is. I just don't know how to explain it..."
He said that if he had more time, he could point out the flaw in her magic.
From Isabelle's perspective, it was ridiculous.
Who was her grandmother?
She was the pillar supporting Europe, the guild master of
When it came to magic related to light and runes, no one in the world could surpass her grandmother. Even the Demon King, who was said to have advanced the history of magic by decades, couldn't surpass her grandmother in that field.
There was no way that a technique born from her grandmother's teachings could have any flaws or weaknesses.
Moreover, this was a spell that her grandmother had personally adjusted, from the combination of runes to the arrangement of magic power. Yet, Seung-woo claimed that there was something to fix in Isabelle's magic.
Naturally, she didn't take him seriously.
There was no way her ex-fiancé, who had dumped her, could be better than the grandmother she respected so much.
'Still, it's not bad seeing him struggle for me...'
Even though Seung-woo was her ex-fiancé who had dumped her, seeing him agonize and ponder over her was quite thrilling.
Perhaps it was because he was naturally good-looking. Watching him struggle became quite an enjoyable pastime.
Even though four days had passed meaninglessly, Isabelle only spat out harsh words, yet she arrived at the training room first every day, waiting for the group and Seung-woo.
Time passed aimlessly, and Friday approached.
"...Shall we go out today?"
The last lecture of the week was over, and there were no more of Seung-woo's classes.
She didn't have any close friends at Seven Stars, and coincidentally, the magic stones she used for her after-school research had run out, so she planned to go to the market.
"30 sixth-tier magic stones, mandrake leaves, plant growth accelerators, and a set of intermediate potions should do."
She could have ordered them online, but in that case, she wouldn't have been able to check the quality of the magic stones and mandrake leaves. That's why Isabelle preferred going to the market in person rather than ordering online.
Although it took precious time to go back and forth, sometimes interesting things happened while walking, so she couldn't stop herself from moving around.
Yes, for example, witnessing Seung-woo entering the basement of a shady building.
"...Why is he there?"
Outside the Seven Stars Academy grounds, there were many blacksmiths and shops for players. Some streets were lined with blacksmiths' forges, and merchants selling all sorts of miscellaneous goods were not uncommon.
But the place Seung-woo was heading to was not one of those.
It was a shady place on the outskirts that even Isabelle, who frequented the market, had never been to before.
Feeling something was off, she immediately followed him.
Soon, she saw him heading into the basement of a building.
Sssssss~
As the basement door opened, smoke seeped out from inside.
Moving stealthily, she sniffed the air.
"Is that... the smell of grass?"
The smoke stung her nose.
It wasn't the smoke from grilling meat or fish, but the smoke from burning grass. And it didn't seem like ordinary grass.
...Could it be?
"Uh, what should I do...?!"
Isabelle's expression darkened.
As her imagination increasingly felt like reality, her expression turned to one of shock. Yet, a part of her mind denied the thoughts in her head.
No way, it can't be.
***
I headed straight to the basement of the building.
From the outside, it looked like a low-quality entertainment establishment, but the reality was completely different. Eve had named this place the 'Botanical Garden' or the clinic.
Well, in the end, it was a place that sold illegal drugs or plants without the country's permission.
What if the illegal merchant deals not only in drugs but also other plants? Like plants specialized in healing or poison.
Why are you asking me? There are a few drug addicts in Barracks 42 over there. Why don't you consult them?
Hey, I'm not really talking about doing drugs.
Then? Don't tell me you're talking about the settings of that novel again. Aren't you tired of it yet?
It's my novel, so how could I be tired of it? Anyway, this illegal merchant setting isn't bad, right? This guy lives in the basement of a shopping district near the academy...
Eve said that the guy was staying in the basement of a shopping district outside the academy grounds.
There was no other information. Even if I had heard it, I had long forgotten it.
Let's see, the shopping district is around here, so I'll take a big sweep.
[Demon Eye]
My eyes turned purple as I observed the world.
In the gray-tinted vision, the only thing that shimmered was the blue of magic power.
Even if it was underground, it could penetrate the building like an X-ray.
After scanning all the basements of the buildings, I finally found it.
A place filled with plants densely concentrated with a unique blue magic power.
That was the 'Botanical Garden.'
Step by step, as I entered the building, there was a path leading underground in the corner.
The atmosphere felt like a ruin, but as I descended the stairs to the bottom, I felt smoke stinging my nose.
Turning my head to look around, smoke filled the air, and at the same time, I felt my heart pounding, pumping blood vigorously.
[Weak Body Resistance] reacted to the smoke and began purifying the blood.
It was medicine.
"I came to buy plants."
"You came to buy my plants?"
Behind the middle-aged man, the botanical garden unfolded before my eyes.
It was quite large.
To run a business of this scale near Seven Stars...
I couldn't tell if he was bold or just stupid.
"You're a new face. Any thoughts of taking off your mask?"
"Is there a need to answer?"
At my response, the man nodded in acknowledgment.
"Well, whatever. I'm not in a position to pick and choose customers. I just need to sell my goods to the customers. So, what do you want?"
What was sold here were plants banned by the country.
Starting with poisonous herbs, the botanical garden dealt with various kinds of medicines, and there were largely two main categories of plants.
Medicinal poisonous plants and illegally manufactured drugs.
Of course, the former was overwhelmingly more numerous.
Why would the country ban medicinal herbs?
Because they were highly toxic or addictive. And my body had adapted to that toxicity and addiction, creating new antibodies.
"Red Sea Flower, Hundred-year-old Polygonum, Black Hell, and all sorts of poisonous plants. Do you have them all?"
"I don't know why you're looking for poisonous plants, but you're a new face. You don't look like a drug addict. Are you a beginner?"
"I'll say it again, is there a need to answer?"
No, his job was to make money.
Most of the customers who came in were unknown people who didn't reveal their identities, so the middle-aged man nodded in agreement.
"That's true. But can you afford to buy all of them? These are precious plants, so the price won't be cheap..."
I showed him my phone's transaction history.
[1 billion won has been deposited into your account.]
"...It seems I underestimated you. You're a big shot. Wait a moment."
As he hurriedly took out his phone from his pocket and checked the text message, the man's previously sluggish movements became brisk.
Money really is the best.
He took out a bottle containing medicine from a drawer.
"How do you want it? We usually extract the essence and dilute it."
The middle-aged man shook a glass bottle that looked dangerous.
The shaken glass bottle contained something transparent, but it felt like there was a sacred energy hidden within. It looked like holy water from the outside.
Ha, so this is how these guys have been evading people's eyes.
I shook my head and said.
"The pure form of the poisonous plants. The quantity can be small, but I want as many different types as possible, specially sealed so they don't dry out or spoil."
"The original, unprocessed form. You're quite the daring customer. I'll prepare it for you right away."
The man started packaging various roots and plants he had pulled out from the back.
The packaging bags were ordinary, but that was fine.
It was just for show anyway.
"Here, the poisonous plants grown in our botanical garden. All of them, one root each, 228 types. Most of them are highly toxic, banned even in hospitals, so be careful when using them. And since they're unprocessed, the addiction is less, but there are still some side effects like headaches or vomiting."
For the 1 billion won investment, the number of types was disappointingly small, but the man continued his explanation.
"The plants I deal with generally have excellent pain-relieving effects, but since you requested them unprocessed, they'll bring pain-relieving effects beyond your imagination."
The man brushed off the dirt on the bag and said.
"This bag prevents the plants inside from withering or losing their potency. Normally, I would have charged for it, but since you paid a hefty sum, I'll give it to you for free."
"Thank you."
"Ugh, young people these days have such bad attitudes. They don't even know the proper order between seniors and juniors."
There was no further business. What I wanted wasn't medicine, but poisonous plants to increase my body's antibodies.
Deciding there was no need to stay in this shady den any longer, I was about to leave when the man stopped me.
In his hand was a lighter.
"How about a lighter? When you dry the plants and roll them into cigarettes, the magic engraved in the embedded magic stone enhances the efficiency of the plant's medicinal properties."
"How much?"
"20 million."
"That's a rip-off. And I don't need it in the first place."
Since I wasn't planning to smoke, I didn't need a lighter.
And even if I did smoke, I could light it with my magic.
But the man, unaware of this, tried to push the lighter on me.
Annoyed by his persistence, I lit a flame at my fingertips, and the man nodded and stepped back. I didn't learn flame magic for this.
Somehow, I felt a sense of self-loathing.
Regardless, the man looked at the flame in my hand and said admiringly.
"You're quite the item. If the old man in the back room had seen that flame, he would have been very pleased."
"...Old man in the back room?"
"Nothing. Just an old fool among my acquaintances who can't seem to die. He's a blacksmith, and if he had seen your flame, he would have been very pleased."
The man waved his hand and added that it was just a muttering.
"Getting old makes you talk nonsense. Just take it as a muttering..."
"...I'll keep that in mind."
"Uh? Well, do as you please."
Leaving the botanical garden, I looked for a place to chew the poisonous plants.
There was no suitable place on the street to consume poison, and since the items weren't obtained through normal channels, I had no choice but to walk back to the dormitory.
***
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