Chapter 23 : Chapter 23
Chapter 23 : Criticism
Divinity sat quietly with her hands on the table.
She hesitated, biting her lip, looking down at her hands, then looking back at Sal.
Since she had asked to talk before heading to the cafeteria, Sal gladly accepted the chance to converse with her.
He also wanted to apologize about the incident involving the shirt.
However, on one hand, the faces of students happily eating and wandering around the cafeteria kept catching his eye.
“Sal, I also know the shirt incident wasn’t your fault. It was something that could happen to anyone, and the accident during skill registration was the same. Missing the combat class was unavoidable too.”
Divinity spoke carefully, pausing to breathe between sentences.
Sal felt puzzled that she suddenly brought up the combat class, but he didn’t interrupt Divinity.
“I also understand that you can’t see the future. So I know it’s unfair for me to get angry at you about things that haven’t happened yet.”
Divinity frowned slightly and nodded, and Sal anticipated what would come next.
“But.”
Sal received her word first and showed both palms, opening up space for her to speak.
Divinity nodded quietly.
“Right… but your recent actions, and the actions you will take in the future, are not very helpful to the Silver Cohort. From the end of orientation, we will be evaluated more harshly not only as individuals but also as teams. You are ranked 2nd in our team. Now is the time to show a little responsibility.”
Sal found those words a bit funny.
It was still the first week of admission, and it felt like she was already getting angry about a future that hadn’t even happened.
But he couldn’t easily say she was wrong.
It was she who helped him choose Purple Punch and the Upgrade ability, and it was true that thanks to that, he gained the unique ability called Mythos Crafter.
It was also Divinity who took him to the workshop to get that shirt off him.
Without her, he might have been lying alone somewhere or carried to the ward.
Recalling all that, Sal decided to willingly accept the criticism she threw at him.
Divinity started pouring out words about the coming future with a trembling voice.
As Sal maintained his silence, her anxiety grew more and more.
"Obsessed only with crafting, you start skipping classes. You don't even think about mingling with the Silver Cohort people, and even when going out for field practice, you skip it with special permission from Upgrade or the Principal... As the Silver Cohort barely passes crises, people start to dislike you."
Divinity’s voice grew louder, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
“You don’t come to class, don’t submit assignments, yet you remain here. Countless people get expelled, but you survive without any effort.”
She trailed off, then dropped her head powerlessly.
“Eventually, even I come to dislike you.”
Sal exhaled slowly.
Any remaining resentment evaporated at Divinity’s last words.
There was not a bit of hope left on her face, and Sal felt like whatever choice he made, he would eventually disappoint her.
To be honest, if given the chance to skip combat or survival classes, he wanted to gladly take it.
He didn't particularly feel affection for other students in the cohort either.
Since it was just a temporary class until the rank announcement at the end of the semester anyway.
"I'm sorry… okay? Since coming here, you've continuously helped me and been a good friend. Just tell me how I can make up for it. I'll try my best."
Sal spoke with a sincere voice.
And he carefully chose his next words.
Although the Principal and Upgrade had earnestly requested not to reveal the Mythos Crafter ability carelessly, he thought Divinity would have noticed.
"Actually… when I registered the Upgrade skill, it wasn't like a super-powerful upgrade skill was registered like I told you."
Judging by her surprised expression, she hadn't noticed at all.
"I already had abilities to restore and appraise, but those skills combined with the Upgrade skill to become the Mythos Crafter skill. It's an ability I made… and I can craft Mythos grade items."
Divinity opened her eyes wide in shock and exclaimed.
“Mythos was you?!”
Sal nodded, happy at the excited expression rising on her face.
“I guess in the future I skipped classes because I was hanging out with Upgrade and the Principal doing secret projects. Even now, actually, I'm doing a really cool project with Upgrade. Honestly, I want to keep doing that even if I skip all classes for the next month.”
Realizing what he said even as he spoke, he hurriedly added.
“Ah, of course I’ll skip classes as little as possible. I should try to be helpful in future assignments too. Thanks for telling me, Divinity.”
Sal glanced at the cafeteria visible behind Divinity’s back, and Divinity laughed and waved her hand.
“You can go. But make sure to come back!”
***
“Don’t you ever get tired of eating steak?”
Divinity raised her eyebrows and asked.
“Besides, it’s not even real meat. Do you really want to eat something artificially processed like that?”
Sal cut his plate and smiled happily.
“I never get tired of steak. And honestly, I don’t know what real meat tastes like, but isn’t this excellent?”
As if to emphasize his words, he took a big bite and made a satisfied groan, and Divinity genuinely shuddered.
She had already finished her salad and was waiting patiently until Sal finished his meal.
After Divinity quietly evaluated his eating habits for a few minutes, Sal’s fork and knife finally rested on the plate.
Sal wiped his mouth with a napkin and gestured with both hands.
“Can we talk now?”
Divinity nodded and leaned her upper body forward.
When Sal returned with his food plate, she had firmly said, ‘I can’t concentrate while eating, so let’s talk after you finish.’
“So, about what you said… that I didn’t help when my peers needed it, and disappointed the whole cohort.”
Sal straightened his back and started speaking.
Divinity twisted her body slightly on the chair, showing signs of discomfort.
She looked like she wanted to interrupt and apologize for what she said earlier any moment, but Sal raised his hand and smiled.
“I’m not upset at all. It’s just, I feel like something is missing in your future vision.”
As Sal laughed defensively while raising his hand, Divinity raised her eyebrows but didn’t interrupt.
“I believe the future you saw will definitely come. And I’m not trying to escape responsibility if my future self did something wrong. However, you said Hannah would be one of the top graduates, right? The kid who made that shield. I made equipment for her, and isn’t it possible that she started standing out more in your future after that?”
Realization began to spread gradually across Divinity’s face.
The reason why her future vision suddenly changed was solved.
“Wait, so that’s the result you created?”
“Yeah. I made leather gloves and engraved Hannah’s unique Essence. Thanks to that, she can use more Essence and her recovery became faster too. Based on current stats and growth curve, it’s quite a game-changer, but will this be maintained for six months? I’m curious about that.”
Sal continued with an increasingly excited expression.
“What if we can pull up talents who originally wouldn’t make it to the top ranks? I could make customized equipment to highlight their abilities.”
Divinity didn’t stop him.
If Sal was Mythos Crafter anyway, him making equipment for someone in the future was a predetermined sequence.
“What if we can prevent someone’s expulsion? You said it. Many good people were kicked out too. Then what if we know the future in advance and provide them with top-tier equipment?”
Sal smiled brighter seeing her surprised expression.
Flustering her like this was always exciting.
“There are a hundred people in our cohort. Within that, there must surely be a perfect combination. A real team that can pass assignments easily and utilize each person’s abilities to the max. What do you think?”
Divinity looked at Sal as if he were crazy, then said.
“So you’re saying instead of forming a team with the best talents, you’ll recruit the last place ones?”
Sal nodded as if it were obvious.
“We were essentially evaluated by a running race and a popularity vote. Why should over a thousand people be lined up by just one physical ability? Hannah’s shield could save countless lives, but her rank was in the lower end. I’d rather form a team with people who possess useful abilities. Than kids like me who luckily got high ranks.”
As Sal spoke his own thoughts, Divinity listened quietly and occasionally offered her own opinions.
However, Sal’s suggestion of using her ability on every student was immediately rejected.
Because the possibility of her becoming exhausted or collapsing was high.
Instead, Divinity suggested glimpsing other possibilities in the future for students at risk of expulsion, but that also didn’t guarantee giving them the necessary information.
They left the cafeteria and continued talking while walking slowly along the circular auditorium around the tower.
They exchanged various ideas for nearly an hour, but as the number of students became too large, realistic execution plans became increasingly difficult.
Just then, when Divinity said half-jokingly, “Shall we just storm into the registration office?”, Sal suddenly stopped walking.
A wide smile spread across his lips.
“Your ability, can you teach me how to use it too?”