“I will explain the basics of medicine.”
Seo Youngji stood in front of the whiteboard and lectured us. I never imagined an important character like her would become a supervisor for a school club. She was supposed to appear in the middle of the story, but suddenly appeared now.
I couldn’t help but find her intentions suspicious.
“The basics of medicine are none other than materials,” Seo Youngji explained as she began her lecture.
She prepared quite thoroughly and even used a beam projector to present a PowerPoint.
“Take a look at this medicinal plant known as the white frost. You might think it’s easy to spot because of its white leaves, but you’ll only be able to find this plant in permafrost because it lives by sucking the essence of snow. That’s why this is a precious plant that’s quite difficult to find. As you all know, the color white represents the absence of attribute and protection. You can use the roots of the white frost plant to make liquor…”
Seo Youngji explained various medicinal plants as the cadets earnestly listened.
I continued to watch this scene that didn’t exist in the original story. I paid attention to everything with my own eyes.
“Ah, teacher,” Chae Nayun raised her hand.
This girl always slept through classes, but enthusiastically held a pen and a notebook now.
“Yes?”
“Then, does something like an elixir exist?”
Yoo Yeonha covered her mouth and snickered. Yi Yeonghan also openly sneered at Chae Nayun. Both of them were well aware that something like an elixir was just a myth.
However, an elixir actually existed in this world unbeknownst to them. This godly medicine’s rarity could be compared to a unicorn, the Ruyi Jingu Bang[1], or Excalibur. Only I knew for a fact that it existed, but even I didn’t know how to make one.
“The elixir is nothing but a myth. However, modern medicines known as elixirs do exist,” Seo Youngji explained.
She was surprisingly prepared for such a question and immediately transitioned to a slide about modern elixirs as Yoo Yeonha and Yi Yeonghan laughed at Chae Nayun.
A picture of something sold at an auction thirteen years ago appeared on the screen.
[Tears of Heaven – 50,000,000,000￦]
“Tears of Heaven?” Chae Nayun’s eyes suddenly widened.
The snickering Yoo Yeonha also sat up straight. Even Shin Jonghak, who seemed disinterested ever since the lecture began, showed interest.
The rare item drew everyone’s attention and they all turned serious.
“That’s right. I’m sure all of you know that potions or healing abilities can’t treat illnesses, but the Tears of Heaven is known as a miraculous medicine that can cure anything and everything.”
The Tears of Heaven was the closest thing to the godly elixir. No one knew if it was manmade or something that naturally appeared. It was sold at the auction house in the neutral state of Rukr and an anonymous buyer bought it for fifty billion won in cash.
“But isn’t that auction house in Pandemonium?” Kim Suho raised his hand and asked.
Seo Youngji smiled and shook her head, “No, neutral states like Rukr are completely different from Pandemonium.”
She proceeded to introduce the few known neutral states: Rukr, Leon, New Alliance, etc.
I had created some of them and never heard of others since the story didn’t progress far enough for them to appear.
“Neutral states can survive on their own without external help. They don’t depend on trade such as importing and exporting goods. Also, you shouldn’t think that only djinns live there. They probably have fewer djinns than ordinary people.”
Yi Yeonghan tilted his head in confusion and asked, “Then are we allowed to go to those places?”
“Nothing is stopping you. You will all be heroes one day, so you can even go to Pandemonium if you want,” Seo Youngji replied with a shrug.
Pandemonium was quite peaceful despite its infamy as the center of all evil. Of course, murders occurred in the streets every day and survival of the fittest reigned as opposed to civil laws. However, not every living being there was a djinn. Numerous humans such as mercenaries, bounty hunters, dungeon hunters, corrupted heroes, and Jin Sahyuk lived in the metropolis known as Pandemonium.
Neutral states were quite peaceful too considering even Pandemonium enjoyed peace. Other nations had no reason to conquer these neutral states with powerful backers lurking in the shadows. More importantly, these states usually paid protection fees to ensure their survival.
“You can even meet other races there. It might be a rare occurrence though. Of course, they restrict normal people from entering their cities. It should be fine for us since I’m a hero and you are all soon-to-be heroes,” Seo Youngji informed them.
This world differed from the modern one I came from where unclaimed territories didn’t exist. Nearly half of this world remained desolate and unclaimed. Humans definitely didn’t rule the world here.
“Oh…” Chae Nayun muttered in awe.
On the other hand, Yoo Yeonha looked serious for some reason. Knowing her, she was probably calculating the risks and rewards from those neutral states.
Kim Suho reacted the same as Chae Nayun, but also seemed more serious.
As for me? Well…
“So, shall we visit that place this weekend for our club’s first excursion?” Seo Youngji asked.
I looked at her and she smiled back. Her stunning beauty resembled a fox.
I lowered my gaze to her smartwatch and attempted to hack it.
[150 SP will be required to hack Seo Youngji’s smartwatch.]
“Hmm… 150 SP…”
It would be useful to access her smartwatch, but 150 SP was too steep a price. However, it wouldn’t be a good idea to follow her to a neutral state without knowing her intentions.
Chae Nayun suddenly raised her hand and asked, “Will there be any issues? We need permission before going to such places, right?”
“We’ll be easily approved if we choose the most peaceful neutral state, which is New Alliance,” Seo Youngji replied.
I rubbed my chin and contemplated whether or not to hack her when I thought of a brilliant idea. I stared into the air and waited for the text to appear.
▶ [Hacking] [Intermediate Rank] [No Attribute]
— Hacking
*Break through an object’s security system and take control of it.
*The amount of stigma consumed will vary based on the strength of the security system.
I added a few more words to the new gift I just created.
[3,000 SP is required.]
[Do you wish to save this setting?]
It was quite expensive because we lived in an age of information. It seemed crazy to spend 3,000 SP on a support ability like[Hacking], but…
[The cost of Hacking will be reduced if it is added as a subcategory to your authority, Setting Intervention.]
[The required SP has been decreased to 1,500 SP.]
[Do you wish to save this setting?]
I welcomed this unexpected discount that made it more feasible. I contemplated one last time before hitting [YES]. The golden text in front of me scattered into the air like spring petals.
[Your luck has activated!]
[The effect of your gift, Hacking, has been increased…]
“Then, our first destination will be New Alliance.”
“Yay! That sounds great!”
Meanwhile, the club finished choosing their trip.
“Hey, it’s fun, right? Right?!” Chae Nayun asked me with a huge grin. She seemed to be enjoying herself.
I nonchalantly nodded without a word.
***
Seo Youngji’s ability to get things done was truly commendable and befitting of a high rank hero. We finalized the trip on Monday, but she already formed a detailed plan and distributed it to us the next day.
Thanks to that, we went to the portal after classes ended on Thursday. We headed to St. Petersburg through the portal. All five of us looked tired after finishing our classes.
The Pharmacy Club members stood at the square of the second city in Russia, St. Petersburg. We curiously looked around our surroundings.
“Ah… It’s been a while since I got to enjoy the weekends, but… what is this…?” Yi Yeonghan sighed and complained.
I felt the same. I would be busy this weekend and didn’t have the luxury to be tied down here.
“Hey, get lost if you’re going to keep complaining,” Chae Nayun crossed her arms over her chest.
She displayed her authority as the club president and Yi Yeonghan could only grumble.
“Kim Hajin, are you alright with this?” Yi Yeonghan asked.
“Not really.”
“Huh? Hey, club president! This guy wants to leave too!” Yi Yeonghan shouted and pointed at me.
Chae Nayun squinted her eyes at me, but I didn’t shy away from her inquisitive gaze. She could only pout in the end and didn’t say anything.
“What the? Why aren’t you saying anything to him?” Yi Yeonghan protested.
“Kim Hajin is smart. We need him.”
“Oh… you’re right…”
Yi Yeonghan backed down after Chae Nayun’s simple explanation.
Meanwhile, I opened the map on my smartwatch and checked the neutral state of New Alliance. It seemed to be located somewhere with a very damp and gloomy climate.
“Looks like it’ll be cold,” I grumbled.
“What? Cold? Don’t be such a wuss. I’ll be there with you!” Chae Nayun smacked my shoulder.
Seriously, she kept hanging around next to me since a while ago?
I took a step back, but she stepped back as well. I stepped to the right and immediately went left. Chae Nayun tried to follow, but my sudden change in direction caused her feet to tangle.
“Hmm? Hey, I think that’s our ride,” Kim Suho said.
A vehicle appeared around the corner and drove towards us. The sturdy, black SUV arrived with the sunset’s orange hue behind it.
The SUV stopped in front of us and the window rolled down. As expected, Seo Youngji sat in the driver’s seat.
“Oh? Nobody is late?” she said.
“Wow!” Yi Yeonghan exclaimed as he looked at the car with sparkling eyes. He admired it so much that he didn’t even dare to touch it.
“Is this the Silverwood series?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s exactly right. I got it recently too,” Seo Youngji replied.
“It’s a used car…” I thought in my head, but ended up saying it out loud after reading the car’s description. I quickly covered my mouth, but it was too late as Seo Youngji glared at me.
“You… You seem to know a bit about cars?” she asked.
“Huh? Ah, well, this car would still fetch seven to eight hundred million won even if it’s used,” I said with an awkward smile.
Chae Nayun stood there and muttered something strange under her breath, So he likes cars…
“Hop in,” Seo Youngji curtly said after I dampened her mood.
“Yes, ma’am!”
Kim Suho sat in the passenger seat. Yoo Yeonha and Yi Yeonghan sat in the first row. Chae Nayun was about to enter the car when she flinched and stopped.
“Hmm…” She looked back and forth between me and Shin Jonghak a few times.
Then she looked back at the car and muttered something under her breath. Chae Nayun waved after finishing her calculations.
“Hey, Shin Jonghak. You go in first. Sit beside Yi Yeonghan.”
“Why?” Shin Jonghak grumbled and vehemently opposed when…
“Just go home if you don’t want to.”
“I was about to get in. Don’t worry.”
Yoo Yeonha, Yi Yeonghan, and Shin Jonghak sat in the first row. Only two seats remained behind them.
Chae Nayun pushed me and said, “It’s your turn. Go in.”
I went inside without a word and Chae Nayun naturally sat beside me. I had no idea why, but she couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear.
Hoho! This is great. I didn’t know a club president had this much power! She seemed to be thinking something like that.
I frowned at Chae Nayun. She suddenly stopped grinning and blushed when I stared at her.
“W-What? W-Why? It just happened by coincidence. Do you have a problem?”
“No, not that.”
“Then w-w-what?”
“Forget it.”
I must’ve been mistaken, so I decided to just ignore it.
Phew…
Chae Nayun sighed in relief for some reason.
“I’ll start driving now. This car is quite safe despite being used, so don’t worry about anything,” Seo Youngji coolly said.
Kim Suho and Yi Yeonghan laughed at her remark while Shin Jonghak glared at me through the rearview mirror. Yoo Yeonha seemed to be conscious of Shin Jonghak looking at Chae Nayun.
Chae Nayun took out a game device she brought and handed it to me.
“Hey, Kim Hajin. Let’s play. This is really fun,” she said.
“I’m going to sleep.”
“Hey, come on. Let’s play just a bit before you go to sleep. Ah, open your eyes… You better open your eyes while I’m being nice. This is your club president’s order. Damn you…”
The car drove off as Chae Nayun threatened me.
***
The SUV seamlessly drove on the paved roads for a while, but soon crossed over to rugged mountain terrain. The comfort level didn’t change much despite the bumpy mountain roads. As expected, the Silverwood was a reliable model right below Goldwood (similar to S-class vehicles in my original world). The used car ran perfectly.
Kim Suho looked out the window and asked, “It’s starting to get dark. Are you sure there’s a city around here?”
“It’ll take us a while to reach it. I think we might have to camp outside tonight,” Seo Youngji replied.
“Camp outside?”
“Yes, it’ll be fun. Also, you’ll be camping outside quite often once you become heroes. It’s not a bad idea to get some experience now.”
New Alliance was a neutral state known for its medicinal herbs, so even I felt curious about it.
Chae Nayun kept dozing off and leaning on my shoulder. I pushed her away with a finger every time, but her head always immediately returned. I was forced to let her use my shoulder in the end.
We traveled for thirty more minutes into the woods. I was certain some of us wondered, There’s no way Seo Youngji is trying to kidnap and bury us somewhere, right?
[Yeah, I’m going to be a babysitter for a while. I’m sure it’ll be fun though.]
[Oh Junhyuk] [Is it manageable? What do you think of that gunner kid?]
[He’s alright if you disregard the fact that he can be quite rude. I swear he seems more fickle than Shin Jonghak sometimes. He had the nerve to call out my used car.]
[Oh Junhyuk] [Kekeke! Who told you to buy a used car in the first place? I told you, right? You have to buy a new car if it’s an SUV. It’s not like you’re poor.]
[Shut up.]
[Oh Junhyuk] [Anyways, don’t forget the task that the association gave you.]
[I’m already on it.]
I felt relieved after hacking Seo Youngji's smartwatch.
Then I spotted several bright lights flickering above the trees. These bluish lights looked like will-o-wisps from afar. I couldn’t help but stare at them for a while.
“Wow! Hey Kim Hajin, what are those? Do you know what they are?”
Chae Nayun woke up and looked outside the window with her chin resting on my shoulder.
“Those are will-o-wisps. We should probably stop driving and set up camp,” I replied.
Seo Youngji slowed the car, which woke up Yoo Yeonha.
Yoo Yeonha pretended to have never fallen asleep as she woke up. “Have we arrived?” she asked.
“Hmm? Didn’t you hear me a while ago? We’re camping outside tonight,” Seo Youngji replied.
“What?”
“We’ll get there by tomorrow. Time to get out.”
Seo Youngji smiled and got out of the car. All of us naturally followed her.
“Hmm…”
I observed our surroundings and thought it was an adequate spot to camp. Trees surrounded us and we stood on a flat surface with a clearing ahead. It was the perfect spot for a campfire and to pitch our tents.
Kim Suho asked Seo Youngji, “But we didn’t bring anything?”
“Consider this a part of your lecture. A high rank hero like me from the association has the authority to write letters of recommendation to cadets. I’m willing to use my authority if you show me what you’re capable of,” Seo Youngji replied.
Honestly, this proposal didn’t interest Chae Jong Hwa (Chae Nayun, Shin Jonghak, and Yoo Yeonhwa). However, Yi Yeonghan’s eyes lit up with determination and Kim Suho seemed pleased with the offer too. After all, Kim Suho was the reincarnation of determination itself.
“Alright, I’ll be pitching my tent and waiting for all of you here. Why don’t you go hunt for food? I’ll be watching over you, so don’t worry. Oh right, it’ll be better if I divide you into pairs.”
I didn’t feel the need to pair up and prepared to leave on my own, but a small head already blocked my path before I could take a step.
I ignored Chae Nayun and continued walking, but she followed right behind me. I turned around and looked at her.
“…”
“What? What do you want, Kim Hajin? Is there something on my face?”
“What do you mean?”
“…”
“Speak, will you?”
I looked behind her and saw that everyone had already paired up. Kim Suho went with Yi Yeonghan and Yoo Yeonha paired with Shin Jonghak. Shin Jonghak kept glancing at me, but Yoo Yeonha forcefully dragged him away.
“Nevermind…”
I shook my head and sighed in resignation. This was still better than pairing up with Shin Jonghak.
Chae Nayun looked at my face and smiled, “Hihi…”
Her smile looked quite stupid as if she was about to freeze to death or something. She probably felt cold since her cheeks and nose flushed red.
I decided to flick her on the nose.
Tak!
Oops… That sounded quite loud. Maybe I struck her too hard?
“Ack! Hey! What the hell?! Ha! Look at this punk. Have you gone crazy?!” Chae Nayun fiercely growled.
I had no idea why I decided to flick her nose. I just couldn’t suppress the strange urge. However, I found it funny as she rubbed her nose. I laughed and changed the topic.
“I’m going to have to work harder because of you. I’m a busy person, you know?”
“Do you want to die? Hey, I’m watching you Kim Hajin. Don’t try to act all high and mighty in front of me, little runt. I can knock you out with a single punch, you got that?”
She spoke roughly, but wore a funny smile on her face.
Rather, why did she keep calling me little? Was it because her birthday came before mine? But we should be the same age?
I found it annoying that someone seven years younger than me (my actual age) kept calling me little like I was the younger one.
I decided to ignore it and dragged Chae Nayun into the woods.
“Just shut up and follow me.”
1. Sun Wukong’s staff. ☜
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