“Make a sound, and you die.”
“Mmph!”
The worst-case scenario had finally happened.
That night, after partially channeling Iris and exhausting my focus drawing a map of the Hermit’s Flooded Forest, I had fallen into a deep sleep.
And that was when Stella Darkbane stormed into my dorm room and pressed a dagger against my throat.
Even though this was a dormitory for lower-ranked students, it still had basic security magic in place.
So, no matter how high-ranking a student Stella was, sneaking in shouldn’t have been an easy task.
However, the dorm for the lowest-ranked student (if you could even call it a dorm—it was more of a shabby wooden shack) was located far off on the academy’s outskirts.
For Stella, breaking in was probably as easy as slicing through butter.
“P-please… spare me. Why are you doing this to me?”
“Are you seriously asking that? How the hell did a worm like you end up partnering with Iris?”
“I-It wasn’t my idea! Iris-sama was the one who made the offer, and I just accepted…”
“Exactly!
Why did you accept, you piece of shit?!
If you knew your place, you should have refused on the spot!
The fact that you’re trying to leech off Iris’s kindness disgusts me.
Anyway, the field trip roster is finalized now, so what’s done is done.
That means you have two choices.
Either I cut off your dick with this dagger, or you drink this ‘Vitality-Sealing Elixir.’”
“V-Vitality-Sealing Elixir? W-What’s that?”
“It’s a potion that suppresses male sexual function to the extreme. Of course, it’s not permanent—after about a month, it’ll wear off. Now shut up and drink it! I’d rather not have to look at a filthy man’s genitals, either.”
“But why do I have to drink it?!”
“Because all men are beasts, you piece of shit!
Just drink it when I tell you to!
Or would you rather I just cut it off and make you a eunuch forever?
Not like a piece of trash like you will ever have the chance to breed with a woman anyway.
I’ll just slice it off cleanly and even stop the bleeding for you.”
“N-No! I-I’ll drink it!”
Seeing the crazed look in Stella Darkbane’s eyes, I realized she was dead serious about cutting me.
So, I chugged the Vitality-Sealing Elixir in one go.
It was the most bitter thing I had ever tasted in my life.
But taste wasn’t the issue—I was terrified that the potion might have permanent side effects, leaving me impotent forever instead of just a month.
It was already humiliating enough to be treated as worthless for having all F-rank abilities.
If I became a eunuch on top of that, it would be too much to bear.
“I finished it. C-Can you leave my room now? I need to rest and prepare for the field trip.”
“And what would you even do at your best condition? Not that I’d want to stay in this filthy room a second longer, but I still need to make sure the potion is working.”
“H-Huuuuuk!”
I couldn’t help but gasp for air when Stella blatantly grabbed my junior.
But her outrageous behavior didn’t stop there.
She suddenly pressed her cleavage right up to my face, making a blatant attempt at seduction.
I knew that if I pursued Iris’s route, Stella would relentlessly harass the player.
But experiencing it firsthand was enough to make me lose my mind.
“If you’re not reacting even after all this, it looks like those alchemists really did their job.
Well, considering how much I paid them, this level of effectiveness is expected.
Now, before I leave, let me give you one last warning—don’t hold Iris back.
Even if she’s stuck with trash like you as a teammate, she’s more than capable of taking first place.
No, I’ll make sure she does.”
With those final words, Stella melted into the shadows and disappeared without a trace.
I let out a deep sigh of relief and collapsed back onto my bed.
Honestly, after going through something like that, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get a good night’s sleep.
But I had to at least try—after all, I needed to rest for the field trip.
Unlike Iris, I wasn’t a monster who could stay up for three days straight and still attend classes like nothing happened.
***
“Huh? My body feels way too good for someone who barely got any sleep. I actually feel more energized than usual… Could it be because of that Vitality-Sealing Elixir?”
The Vitality-Sealing Elixir was something I had never even seen before when I played Pantheon of the Constellations as a game.
It seemed to be a custom-made potion, likely concocted by a student from the alchemy department.
Aside from the major downside of eliminating my libido, it appeared to have effects comparable to a mid-tier elixir.
Feeling more energized than usual instead of my usual sluggish self, I made my way to the auditorium.
However, my confidence quickly vanished.
Though no one physically threatened me like Stella did, the way everyone was glaring at me made me feel like prey surrounded by predators.
Fortunately, before the pressure became unbearable, the instructors arrived and led the junior students to the academy’s hangar.
If not for that, I might have been skewered by their stares alone.
Once we arrived at the hangar, the students’ attention completely shifted away from me.
That was because the sleek, snow-white hull of the interdimensional airship Albatross had instantly captivated everyone—regardless of gender.
“It looked like a cheap plastic model in the hologram graphics, but seeing it in person… this is overwhelming.”
Though technically classified as an airship, the Albatross looked more like a massive warship straight out of a mecha academy setting.
It was a striking reminder of just how vast the world of Pantheon of the Constellations truly was.
But what I appreciated the most was that, unlike in the academy, the strict ranking-based hierarchy did not apply aboard the Albatross.
Even the instructors had to follow the crew’s orders while inside the ship.
Thanks to that, I got to sit in the front row for the first time in ages—right next to Iris, no less (since we were partners).
I wanted to engage in some small talk, but instead, I focused on activating the consciousness of the constellation “Nameless God 1602” to review our final operation plans.
“You memorized the map I drew for you yesterday and burned it, right?”
“Yes, my lord. I memorized the locations of the hidden opportunities, but… I didn’t memorize what they actually were. Or rather, I didn’t fully understand what they meant.”
“That’s nothing to worry about. Once we reach them, I’ll tell you what to consume immediately, what to refine into potions later, and what to offer to me as a tribute.”
“By ‘offering,’ you mean the ritual where one presents a tribute to a Constellation in exchange for karma, right? I remember reading about it in a book.”
Exactly.
Since we’ve already formed a Constellation Contract, there’s no need for any complicated ritualistic procedures.
Just stack up some stones, strongly will the desire to offer the tribute to me, and that will be enough.
But we can discuss that later.
For now, let’s decide how to deal with that burden.
Even when Iris was casually running, she could complete 100 meters in just over 5 seconds.
Meanwhile, even if I sprinted at full speed, I barely managed to finish 100 meters in 20 seconds.
Walking together at the same pace would be far too inefficient.
When I explained a certain plan to her, Iris flinched for a moment but then nodded in understanding.
“Kim Sunghoon, we’re about to arrive soon, so get up. Before entering the Hermit’s Flooded Forest, the alchemy instructor will let us each choose a weapon. At that time, ask them to make you a saw.”
“A… a saw? Wouldn’t it be better to ask for a shield instead? At least then I could act as a meat shield—”
“Just do as you’re told. You’re not under the illusion that we’ve become equals just because we’re partners now, are you?”
“A-Ah! S-Sorry! I’ll ask for a saw!”
At this point, my ability to naturally separate the personas of Nameless God 1602 and Kim Sunghoon had become so seamless that I wondered if acting was my one and only talent.
About 20 minutes passed.
The ride on the Albatross was so smooth and silent that I almost wondered if we were still docked in the academy’s hangar.
However, when we broke through the dimensional barrier, the experience was horrific—it felt like my organs, no, even my soul, was being torn apart.
I had to quickly shift my consciousness toward the Constellation side just to endure it.
It seemed that Iris was struggling with the same issue—cold sweat dripped from her as she visibly showed signs of distress.
But the instructors had no intention of being lenient with the half-conscious students.
Instead, they shouted commands at us.
*”As expected of the junior division—what a pathetic display. Do you think this is some kind of resort? Get up and collect your backpacks containing a week’s worth of food and water.
If you speak to Instructor Albert, he’ll forge a weapon of your choice.
However, carrying any artifacts aside from that weapon will result in immediate disqualification.
And don’t even think about hiding anything in a subspace artifact.
I’ll be monitoring all of your actions from the Albatross, so don’t try anything foolish.”*