I Level Up With In-app Purchases

I Raise With In-app Purchases – 46

EP.46 Rank Reassessment Exam (2)

The news that a student who had been stuck at B-class suddenly grew to S-class after the break spread through the academy in no time. The rebellion of a previously unremarkable student. It was believable to say that she had become a star overnight.

“What happened?”

“What did you do over the break to grow so much?”

“Did your family give you something amazing? Can you tell me what you ate? I promise I won’t spread it around.”

“I heard you almost died during your practical training. Did that experience help you grow?”

Naturally, there was a lot of fuss around her. Various speculations arose about Shine.

How could she grow so quickly?

The students were convinced there was a secret they didn’t know about. No one thought Shine’s achievements were purely the result of her training.

‘And that’s true.’

Without my intervention, Shine would never have reached S-class. A little later, her family, having received the news, showered her with immense praise and offered her a blank check, asking what she needed and promising to support her in any way.

If she had grown to A-class, she would have received praise but not a blank check. While A-class is impressive, it pales in comparison to S-class.

An S-class student…

“They can enlist as officers. Plus, promotions come very quickly.”

Perhaps due to all the praise she received, Shine appeared before me with an air of pride.

“Doesn’t A-class get similar treatment?”

“Oh, you don’t know! A-class is fast, but S-class is even faster!”

Although she seemed quite confident, the real reason Shine came to my store was that she was exhausted from receiving all the congratulatory messages. Her family had even sent people to praise her, so one could only imagine how the academy students were reacting. Everyone was stalking her, trying to uncover the secret to her rapid growth.

“My friends kept asking me, so I thought about it carefully. No matter how much I think about it, I believe I was able to grow thanks to you, mister.”

“…Why are you dragging me into this when I was just minding my own business?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. It’s clearly thanks to you.”

While it was true that I had a significant influence on her growth, I preferred to keep that information from spreading. The only people I was interested in helping grow were the SSR-level characters I summoned. Unaware of my thoughts, Shine began counting the reasons she had no choice but to become stronger, folding her fingers one by one.

“See? Thanks to you, I didn’t die during the practical training. And because of the equipment you sold me, I was able to successfully hunt monsters. And that’s not all. Without the introduction to Instructor Rebecca, how could I have even attempted to reach S-class? It would have been impossible.”

Although it was tiring, it was a relief that she acknowledged the help she received from me. At least she wasn’t the type to forget a favor. A sweet reward was sure to come. Of course, the reward I was talking about was the survival of humanity.

‘Grow up quickly and start purifying the contaminated zones. That’s all I need.’

While I was relieved inside, I responded indifferently on the outside.

“So, what?”

“I just wanted to say thank you. Hehehe. And I was curious if you needed anything. My family gave me a blank check, remember? I want to repay you for your kindness, even if it’s just a little. Do you still need monster byproducts?”

“I do.”

This was something I should accept without hesitation. The value of the monster hide she had given me as a rental fee last time was incredible. I still vividly remembered how unfortunate it was that I had to convert it into local currency instead of cash I could use for gacha pulls. Retiring from mercenary life had left me a bit bored, and it would be nice to experience the thrill of gacha pulls again.

‘It’s about time to pull a new SSR.’

My old habit of being a money-grubber hadn’t gone anywhere, and my philosophy remained that the more money, the better.

“I’ve already talked to my family. I told them I wanted to show some antiques to the person who helped me a lot.”

“What did your family say? Didn’t they scold you for meeting a suspicious person?”

“Ah, hehe.”

She laughed awkwardly, as if I had hit the nail on the head.

“They did scold me a bit, but they still gave me permission. I explained everything clearly. They understood and even thanked you.”

Even if they found me suspicious, they couldn’t ignore the favor I had done for her. If I went to see the antiques, they would probably want to see what kind of person I was. While I wanted to avoid unnecessary attention, visiting their family estate was worth considering. There might be a jackpot in their antique storage.

‘If the rewards from clearing stages are there, it would be a huge win.’

Moreover, considering the number of SSR characters I needed to nurture in the future, it was unthinkable to refuse such an opportunity out of pride. Feeling that things were going well, I became slightly impatient.

“When can we go?”

“As I mentioned before, during the next break. It would be better for you to go with me rather than alone. I’ll make sure to take care of things for you.”

The thought of having to wait until the next break, just after the semester had started, was a bit disappointing. However, I agreed because I knew I could bring back more if I went with Shine.

‘Nobles may act generous, but they have stingy sides. If I try to take something, they’ll probably think it’s something valuable and won’t want to give it up.’

They don’t mind giving to others, but they are selective about whom they give to. Especially to someone like me, they wouldn’t be too happy about it.

“Everything I get from my family’s support is thanks to you, so look forward to it. I’ll bring back something even more amazing than what I gave you last time. I promise!”

Having raised her to S-class, I couldn’t feel more reassured.

‘I didn’t expect her to repay the favor so quickly.’

Instead of showing a warm gesture by patting Shine on the shoulder, I handed her a box.

“What’s this?”

“Things you’ll need once the semester starts.”

Now that she was S-class, the exams she would face at the academy would become even more challenging. The academy didn’t prohibit the use of consumables during practical exams. It was like an open-book test. How thoroughly you prepared in advance also counted towards your attitude score. It might seem unfair at first glance, but the consumables available to academy students were quite limited.

‘Everything they can get is from Ash’s General Store. They wouldn’t waste real combat consumables on students.’

In real combat, the importance of consumables skyrockets. Therefore, the academy doesn’t prohibit their use during exams to help students get used to them. Considering the harsh places graduates have to go, it’s essential to allow students to gain as much experience as possible.

‘To save as many lives as possible.’

The academy’s goal was to provide students with as much experience as possible. That’s why they allowed the use of consumables during exams.

“These are consumables you’ll use in real combat. It’s better to get used to them now, so don’t hesitate to use them.”

“Is this the stuff you sold me before?”

“There are more varieties than before.”

The contaminated zones were dangerous not just because of the monsters. The flora and fauna, the air, the ground, the underbrush, and even the insects could be deadly to humans. Adapting to such diverse environments wasn’t easy, and a large number of consumables were used to overcome these challenges.

“Learn when and where to use consumables. Get a feel for it in advance.”

“Wow. There’s so much, mister!”

Shine opened the box and was shocked. It was packed to the brim, with no room for anything else.

“But I’m still a student.”

She meant that she couldn’t possibly use all of it. I chuckled at her naivety.

“You’ll probably use all of it by the end of this semester.”

As you know, the main scenario has already started. This means that the ordinary academy life we knew is no longer possible.

Main Scenario Chapter 1.

It begins with the news that the balance of contamination, which was 60 to 40, has been disrupted. Soon, a horde of monsters will invade the contaminated zones. They will launch a surprise attack on humanity, resulting in a staggering number of casualties.

‘How many will die?’

Although I had moved people to prepare in advance, it was uncertain how effective those preparations would be. At times like this, it felt unfair that I was just a ‘commoner.’

‘If I were a noble, and if I were in a position where people wouldn’t dismiss my words, I could have saved more lives.’

Those who survived would have been a great help in defending the contaminated zones. But as a commoner, my abilities were limited.

‘Even if I warned that the contaminated zones would become active again, no one would believe me, and I couldn’t enter the zones to prepare for an ambush.’

Knowing the future didn’t mean I could prepare perfectly. Having done all I could, all that was left was to wait and see who would live and who would die as a result of my interventions.

When the news breaks, the academy students will be urgently dispatched to the contaminated zones. They will have to fill the gaps left by the many who died in the monster invasion.

So, Shine’s comment about not being able to use all the consumables before the end of the semester could be dismissed.

‘That’s nonsense.’

In fact, she’ll probably ask if she can get more because they’ll run out. That’s why I packed the box to the brim. I knew these consumables would save many lives.