I Teleported Into the Academy of a S*xy Game chapter-92-the-information-guild-expert

The Information Guild Expert

Congratulations. Lee Hoyeon, 10th level in 9 seconds, this is a new record. The winner of this practical monster training is none other than Lee Hoyeon.

Thanks

Honestly, he seems even happier than I am. What a nice professor.

Indeed, you are a promising student of the academy. Keep it up!

Sure thing With the professors encouragement in mind, I headed down from the training grounds.

Could that scarecrow be the Hamel Dungeon Nightmare? It sure looked creepy.

Hoyeon! Whats up with that?!

H-Hoyeon, youre incredible!

As soon as I made it down, Lucy and Lumi, who had been waiting, greeted me with excitement.

I got lucky. It turned out to be a good match for me.

Of course, even if something else had come up, I would have won, but I wouldnt have set a record of 9 seconds. I got a randomly specialized monster for mental attacks, and it turned out that my special perk was immunity to mental attacks.

Still, what you did was impressive!

You bet I was already content with level 8.

Youll reach it soon too. After the three of us finish, should we just leave?

Since all three of us have completed the test, theres really no need to stay in the exam room.

Eh, youre not going to watch others fight?

Huh Watch?

Of course! Watching other peoples battles is so much fun.

To be honest, Im not particularly interested in that. But I dont have much else to do if I leave early, so I might as well join them.

As I was about to agree, I spotted Nam Daeun out of the corner of my eye. She met my gaze, her pupils shaking, and then quickly turned around and left the exam room.

Should I follow Nam Daeun? Her face had turned pale, and she didnt seem to be in a good condition

Shall we go watch?

Y-Yes, lets stick together

Uh

Lucy held onto my arm, and Lumi timidly grasped the hem of my clothes. Since both of them were asking, there was no point in refusing. Nam Daeun had already left a while ago, so I was a bit late in following her.

Okay, lets watch together.

Awesome!

She was probably just going to have a chat and catch up with her sister. Nam Daeun shouldnt be so weak that shed lose her mental stability. She held her ground in the original work too.

***

Nam Daeun, having arrived at Lee Hoyeons training area, confronted the reality before her.

[9 sec]

The gleaming stopwatch on the training grounds displayed 9 seconds, and the students cheered for the new record.

You know, this practical test could actually change the top spot, couldnt it?

Thats true. Lee Hoyeon is in great form.

Nam Daeun is undeniably strong, but it seems like shes not making much progress.

She paid no attention to the students gossiping around her. To her, the time for caring about such things had long passed. The real issue was the professors praises of Lee Hoyeon.

His measurement is at level 8, and yet hes this strong It implies he possesses exceptional mana manipulation skills for the amount of mana he has, indicating significant growth potential.

I bet the internet is going to blow up again.

Im more concerned about the guild scouts coming to watch the 1v1 duel tomorrow. Ugh

Well, thats something Professor Kim Jinhyuk should handle.

Nam Daeuns extraordinary intuition allowed her to overhear what the professors were saying from a distance. Amid the complex emotions she was experiencing for the first time, she locked eyes with Lee Hoyeon. He had set a record and was laughing and joking with his friends.

Im staking my life on this test Nam Daeun dashed out of the exam room, her mind consumed by jealousy toward Lee Hoyeon.

Why is he so happy, even though hes just as talented as me?

Im living this kind of life because of my talent, but why is he wearing such a joyful expression?

I wish everyone could be as unhappy as me

Negative thoughts continued to swirl. Snap! Nam Daeun slapped her own cheek to dispel these negative thoughts.

Ah, lets not indulge in ugly jealousy.

Lately, Ive been plagued by these pessimistic thoughts. In times like this, I need to gather more strength.

She powered on her smartwatch and sent a message to her hospitalized younger sister. Her sister was her sole source of healing and a sanctuary for Nam Daeuns heart. Her younger sister, Nam Dahee.

Ever since she got scolded for an immediate video call the last time, thinking she was in the bathroom or something, she had made it a habit to send a message first.

[Daeun: Dahee, is it okay to video call?]

[Dahee: Yeah, its fine!]

Receiving a positive response, Nam Daeun immediately initiated a video call with her sister.

[Big Sis! I missed you!]

Yeah, me too. What did you do today?

[I drew a picture! Wanna see?]

Nam Dahee proudly displayed a drawing of two slightly crooked stick figures holding hands and smiling.

Its me and you, Sis! Its pretty, isnt it?

Yes, its beautiful. Youre really talented at drawing.

As she gazed at her younger sister, who was holding a sketchbook and grinning, Nam Daeun couldnt shake off her tension. A moment of relaxation, and tears threatened to well up. Each conversation with her little sister tugged at her heart.

It was excruciating to witness her younger sister, who should have been playing with elementary school kids, confined to her bed all day. She resented herself for being unable to change the situation and held a deep disdain for the world. Yet, she persevered day by day because of her sister. She couldnt abandon her.

If her sister wished for it, Nam Daeun was ready to kill all the Buyers Guild members and die together with her at any time. Such thoughts naturally crossed her mind; thats how dire the situation was.

[Big Sis! Youre going to get first place this time too, right? Ill draw you a picture in advance!]

Of course. I must be the best.

[Okay, okay! Oh, my nurse is here. Ill call you back in a bit, is that okay?]

Sure, send me a message.

[I love you, Sis! *kisses*]

Yeah, I love you too, Dahee

Ding

The video screen soon went black, and Nam Daeun lowered her head deeply. I have to come out on top, no matter what I must.

She found herself tearing at her hair once more.

***

Alice was in a foul mood. Today, she once again fell short of breaking through level 10.

If I had drawn the magic circle a bit faster at the end, I could have won!

Level 9 always goes smoothly, but the difficulty spikes at level 10, blocking my way every time.

Nam Daeun had swiftly conquered level 10 in just 30 seconds again, and when Alice checked EveryDay on her way home, she learned that Lee Hoyeon had done it in a mere 9 seconds, piling on more stress. However, if she looked at it optimistically, her loss was narrower than before, increasing her chances of winning next time.

Alice attempted to alleviate her stress and savor the scent of wine, but Sebastian, seated in the drivers spot, broke the silence. Miss, Ill provide a progress report on Lee Hoyeon.

A progress report? Is there that much to investigate?

I had explicitly advised him to take it easy, but it seemed he was taking this too seriously.

Well, I got carried away. It turns out this man is more than meets the eye. Sebastian kept his focus on the road as he continued the report. Its a bit embarrassing to say this before the report, but I was caught off guard during the investigation. Im sorry. A bodyguard was assigned afterward.

Are you saying that Lee Hoyeon found out about it?

Is that even plausible? A mere student uncovering a high-ranking member of the Iris Guild?

Its not certain if its Lee Hoyeons ability. Perhaps there was another collaborator from the beginning. But one thing is certain; he has a backer.

Hmm So what?

Having a backer isnt unusual. With his level of ability, its inevitable that someone would take notice and keep an eye on him. Considering his close relationship with Moon Soorin, its likely related to the academy. However, individuals like Baek Ahyeong or Professor Im Sol might be discreetly supporting him. It could even be an entirely different guild.

Ive received information that he needs to periodically meet the Saint for treatment.

Is it some kind of congenital illness?

If he needs to meet the Saint for treatment periodically, how severe could his condition be?

He maintained a fairly strong connection with the Saint even before she assumed the position of academy nurse. About a month ago, they started maintaining a steady relationship. And its around the time his relationship with the Saint began that Lee Hoyeon switched from being a swordman to becoming a mage.

The career change Wasnt it just a way to grab some attention?

Alice recollected Lee Hoyeons sudden shift in career. At the time, she was unaware of his exceptional talent, so she dismissed it, a sentiment that probably resonated with most other students.

I agree with you. Its hard to believe that someone who only learned magic for a month could display such extraordinary abilities. But considering the quantity of mana, it seemed to be extremely lacking compared to someone whos been doing magic for a while.

True, most people are speculating that hes only recently started magic.

Yes. But thats an initially implausible assumption. Additionally, I found out hes buying premium manastones with untraceable funds.

You mean top-grade manastones? Why would a student buy them? Theyre less efficient and more expensive than lower-grade ones.

In contrast to the everyday use of lower-grade manastones, top-grade manastones were mainly reserved for research and crafting artifacts. Even seasoned hunters rarely encountered them. Despite their limited availability, there was a constant demand, leading to a continuous increase in their prices.

If hes buying them for arbitrage, the quantity is too small, and its too much for personal research. Also, hes been making regular purchases about once a week.

I cant make sense of this. Alice regretted that what began as a simple investigation had become so complicated. She tasted the wine in her hand and waited for Sebastians next words.

This is just my speculation As you know, manastones are used not only for artifact production and research but also for treating magical disorders.

Just a moment, you mean? Upon hearing Sebastians words, one specific condition crossed Alices mind.

Steadily buying manastones, severely lacking in mana quantity compared to his magical ability, and periodically meeting the Saint for treatment

Congenital magical disorder

It was the condition Alice was experiencing. Due to congenitally low mana reserves, she had to compensate with manastones to use magic.

Yes. Lee Hoyeon is believed to have a rare condition similar to you, Miss Alice.

Unbelievable, I never even imagined. Impressive, Sebastian.

Combining seemingly trivial clues to draw such a conclusion is truly extraordinary. Sebastians abilities are fitting for a high-ranking member of the renowned information guild. His sharpness hasnt waned with time!

Thank you. And, um Sebastian debated whether to bring up Lee Hoyeons relationships with women. But it was unsatisfactory to leave it at that. His intuition, honed over several decades, was telling him something. There seemed to be something more. Lee Hoyeon appeared to have a significant secret, he thought.

Is there something else? Alice eagerly awaited Sebastians next words.

Discovering even a single weakness of a rival was significant, but having more information was even better.

No, theres nothing certain yet. Ill conduct a thorough investigation until this weekend and report back.

Alright, good luck.

Yes. Ill ensure he wont detect me this time, so please dont worry.

Alright, alright.

Alice couldnt help but feel an inexplicable sense of camaraderie with Lee Hoyeon.