Cheers exploded instantly.
The stadium, which had been completely silent—not even for a fraction of a second—erupted into a deafening roar. The voices of thousands poured out at once, shaking the air like a massive wave crashing without mercy.
"WOOOOOAAAHH!!""THAT WAS INSANE!!""WHAT WAS THAT JUST NOW?!"
The spectator stands trembled. People jumped to their feet, shouting, whistling, clapping with faces full of excitement. Laughter, gasps, and screams mixed chaotically, swallowing whatever remained of the previous silence.
I pulled my sword back from where it had landed using magic and slid it into its sheath. Without wasting time, I funneled the last of my remaining mana into the bracelet on my wrist. My mana reserves were almost empty, and above me, the molten chunks of rock were beginning to collapse.
This virtual body could still feel pain.
And I had absolutely no intention of experiencing the sensation of being showered with lava.
In an instant, my body turned into a beam of light and vanished from the arena.
When I woke up, I found myself back inside the capsule like before. I stepped out immediately and left the room, intending to return to the inn.
When I opened the corridor door, I found Alfred and Charlotte standing there. Charlotte was trying to calm Alfred down, who was clearly overwhelmed with emotion, his clothes in tatters. When she turned to look at me, a trace of shock was clearly visible on his face.
I only glanced at them briefly before walking past, leaving without a word.
On the way back, I stopped by Arcana Lumineth Apothecary to buy tier-four potions. If my calculations were right, there was a good chance I would break through to Radiant 4 soon.
Inside the shop, I ran into the black-haired clerk I had seen before.
"Um… is the lady who helped me earlier not here today?" I asked.
"Her name is Edith. She's on leave to take care of her child," the girl replied with an irritated snort. "And let me warn you—she's already married. So don't get any funny ideas."
I smiled lightly. "That's a shame. Then how about I chase after you instead, miss—"
My hand grabbed her wrist just as she was about to hand me my purchase bag.
"My name is Beatrix," she said coldly, glaring at me. "And I'm not interested in being anyone's second choice."
"Alright then, Miss Beatrix. See you around."
I turned and left the apothecary.
Now that I was living in this world, why not discard the moral restraints from my previous life and start trying to steal other people's wives?
That indecent thought crossed my mind for a moment. I shook my head lightly and pushed it away.
Not now. But maybe someday.
I spent the rest of the day training my control over magic. Over the past few days, I had realized that my true affinity wasn't wind magic, but telekinesis. While it sounded impressive, I hadn't yet found a lethal application like firing wind blades. In the end, I was still heavily dependent on objects around me.
Still, the ability wasn't useless—like when I pushed away flames earlier or manipulated rocks.
…
The next morning, when I opened my window, I saw Alicia outside. My brows furrowed when I saw her handing two skewers to a child who looked like a homeless beggar.
This floating city was supposed to be inhabited by people with decent financial standing. There shouldn't be beggars here—especially not abandoned children.
Something felt off.
Knock. Knock.
Hearing the knock, I went to the door and opened it. Standing there was the innkeeper—a woman in her thirties with a warm smile. She wore a simple rural-style dress, a clean white apron tied around her waist over a long brown skirt, and a long-sleeved blouse with delicate lace at the cuffs, giving her an elegant yet practical look.
"There's someone downstairs looking for you," she said. "They've been waiting since yesterday. They said they want to return a ring."
Something clicked in my mind.
"Ma'am, do you happen to have a thousand Orialis in small bills? I just remembered I used my ring as collateral."
She sighed softly. "Young people these days… fine. But come down first. It's rude to keep someone waiting."
She turned around, and I followed her downstairs. There, I approached the skewer vendor I had seen earlier. Nothing about him had changed—the same rural clothes, the same blank expression—except he was holding something like a newspaper.
"Finally got to meet you," he said. "Yesterday morning was really crowded. You were already gone when I tried to return this."
He extended his hand. Lying on his palm was the ring I had given him.
I looked into his eyes for a moment. There was no greed, no hidden intent—just the same flat expression, as if returning it was only natural.
From behind, the innkeeper handed me a pouch with the money I needed. I paid her immediately using my bank card.
I looked back at the man."By the way, how much per skewer?"
"Ten Orialis each," he replied while flipping the skewers. "Premium meat. Bring cash next time. Street vendors like me don't accept bank cards."
I nodded and handed him fifty Orialis. After he left, I picked up the newspaper provided by the inn.
I rarely read the news. In this world or my previous one, I knew exactly what kind of information mainstream media usually served.
SS-CLASS DUNGEON BREAKOUT AT THE CELESTRA–UKKARIAN BORDER
An SS-class dungeon breakout has been reported at the border between the Kingdom of Celestra and the Ukkarian Empire. The large-scale incident has resulted in numerous casualties and widespread damage across the affected region.
The first wave of refugees arrived at Orion Academy Island yesterday. Academy authorities confirmed that a second wave is expected to follow soon.
Officials hope the refugees will adapt to Orion Island's ecosystem and fully integrate into its social, educational, and economic systems within the next six months.
I frowned while reading the article. This island was supposed to be a gathering place for talented individuals from all over the world. I didn't understand why refugees were being relocated here—though, admittedly, the island did lack low-tier labor.
Even though the world had united against the ever-appearing dungeons, old hostilities still remained. Everyone entering this island should have been thoroughly screened. Yet now, a place meant to be exclusive was being turned into a refugee zone.
Finding no answers, I took a bath and headed to the academy. Today was the recruitment day for the academy's governing council—and I had been aiming for one position from the very beginning.
…
I went through my classes as usual until the final bell rang. As the sun began to tilt westward, the announcement I'd been waiting for finally came.
In the eastern corridor of the administrative building, a line of students had already formed. Their expressions varied—some chatted quietly to mask their nerves, others stared straight ahead with cold focus, as if they had already prepared answers for every possible question.
I took my place in line and waited like everyone else. At the end of the corridor, the interview room door stood closed, guarded by two academy staff members. Every time the door opened, a candidate walked out—their faces hard to read, caught somewhere between relief and exhaustion. Without a word, they left, and the line moved forward by one step.
Eventually, it was my turn.
I stepped inside. The room was far quieter than the corridor outside. A long table stretched out before me, and behind it sat three people—two young men and one woman. On their chests was the academy's official emblem: a vertical sword crossed with an open book, engraved in fine silver lines.
Their gazes assessed me.
I walked forward slightly and dipped my head. "Seniors, please allow me to introduce myself first."
"You don't need to introduce yourself. The external relations department doesn't need commoners. You don't meet the requirements."
One of the young men stared at me with clear displeasure, his voice cold and demeaning—as if my very presence there was a mistake.