School Again II

Kate arrived and found herself in the old, familiar house surrounded by towering trees.

As she entered, a screen materialized before her, listing her abilities and a backlog of notifications. "Open my notifications," she commanded. One by one, alerts filled her vision:

"You Finished the Quest: The Ability Luxuria Archive has been added to the Void Archives."

"You Finished the Quest: The Ability Superbia Archive has been added to the Void Archives."

"You Finished the Quest: The Ability Acedia Archive has been added to the Void Archives."

"You Finished the Quest: The Ability Ira Archive has been added to the Void Archives."

"You Finished the Quest: The Ability Avaritia Archive has been added to the Void Archives."

"You Finished the Quest: The Ability Gula Archive has been added to the Void Archives."

"You Finished the Quest: The Ability Invidia Archive has been added to the Void Archives."

"I have too many notifications. Delete all of them!" Kate said, panicked, as she entered the house and sat at the dining table. "For now, let's list my buffs," Kate said as a screen popped up, listing all of her buffs.

Kate Apocalypse – Current Buffs

Energy Blessing

Elemental Body

Universe Leap

Divine Container

"So, I have four buffs now. If I remember correctly, Energy Blessing allows me to use 25% less energy. Elemental Body allows me to have all the elements, Universe Leap allows me to jump from universe to universe, and the last one is Divine Container, which doubles my energy capacity," Kate said.

"Then what about my skills?" Kate said as a new list appeared in front of her, displaying all her skills:

Gate of Babylon

True Art of Marra

Unyielding Golden Skeleton

Proud Golden Body: Golden Body Record

True Yang Secret Art

Ability Panel

The Isolation of One's Heart

Trinity Seven's Archives

System Skills

Character Creation and Customization

 -Heretic God's Legacy

 -Hertics God's Meridian

Synthesize

"So these are my skills. 'Synthesize' allows me to combine two skills into a new one. I guess I should use this to clean up my skills and merge them for easier use," Kate said, laughing.

Suddenly, another screen popped up.

Elements: Transformation Element

Creation Element 1.3% Completed

Fire Element 1.3% Completed

Kate read aloud. "These are the elements I have mastery over," she noted. "Looks like any changes to my skills while in a lower world will revert once I go back," Kate added thoughtfully.

"I guess I can use 'Synthesize' to fuse 'Trinity Seven's Archive' and 'Gate of Babylon' so that I can use it without much focus," Kate said, preparing to combine the two. "Fusing them will allow me to access the Archives with Dingir," she thought to herself as she got ready.

After a day, Kate opened her eyes. "It's done!" she said. "Now that's finished, what to do next?" she wondered as she stood up. "For now, I guess I should just get back. I thought I'd be busy, but I only ended up doing one thing here," Kate said as she opened a Gate.

In their home in the Capital.

"The results of the exam will be out tomorrow, right?" Merlin asked.

"Yes, so Kate should be back tonight," Shin said. "What is she doing there, anyway?" he added.

"She's there to think," Merlin replied.

"I see, I guess everyone needs some time alone," Shin said.

A Gate opened in the living room, and Kate stepped out. "I'm home," Kate called out.

"Oh, you just arrived in time," Merlin said.

"Grandpa?" Kate said.

"Looks like you're done thinking?" Shin asked.

"Yeah, just like Grandma said, I should just enjoy my current life here and not overthink things," Kate said with a cheerful smile.

"That's good," Shin replied.

"Thanks. For now, I guess I'll just sleep for today," Kate said.

"Go on," Merlin encouraged.

"Thanks," Kate said as she headed to her room.

The next day at school, early in the morning, Kate stood in front of the results board. "Looks like I passed," she said to herself. "Now I should just get my uniform," she thought as she lined up. After some waiting, the receptionist called her forward.

"Let me confirm your registration number," the woman said.

"Here," Kate replied, handing over her ID.

"Oh? You must be Ms. Kate Wolford. Here is your uniform. We tailored it according to the data from your ID card. It's enchanted with various defensive magics," the receptionist said.

"Can I ask Grandmother to alter it a little?" Kate inquired.

"Guru Melinda? Yes, that's okay," the receptionist replied.

"Thanks," Kate said as she walked away.

"For now, let's go back and alter my uniform. If I remember correctly, Uncle Disseum will be visiting us," Kate thought to herself.

In her room, Kate laid out her uniform and said, "Let's do this." The Enchantment names glowed above her uniform as she focused on it. "First, let's open my Character Creation and Customization Panel. I'm not going to enchant this using the methods of this world," she thought.

She reviewed the current enchantments. "Hmm, the listed enchantments are Magical Protection, Shock Dampener, and Grime Repel. Looks like I can elevate this to soar to the level of top-tier artifacts. I could make these enchantments work like casting a skill," she mused. "There are three pieces here: the white shirt, the coat, and the skirt. I can add processes to each one," Kate contemplated, her mind buzzing with ideas.

"For now, let's focus on the long sleeve shirt," Kate thought. "This shirt can only hold a limited number of enchantments, so I'd better use a different type of energy for this one," she reasoned.

"Let's start. For Phase One, the shirt will cast a scanning magic within a 5-meter radius. For Phase Two, it will activate temperature regulation magic to cool me down if it detects heat and warm me if it gets too cold. Phase Three will trigger automatic healing magic if it detects any injuries on my body. For Phase Four, I want it to repair itself using the Transformation element. I can still add one more enchantment, but I can't think of anything right now, so this should be enough," Kate concluded, finalizing the enchantments on the screen.

"Now, for the coat or blazer, whatever it's called," she thought as she selected it on the screen. "Phase One will have a scanning magic with a 10-meter range. For Phase Two, I want it to cast a grime repellent enchantment so it won't get dirty. Phase Three will include self-repair using the Transformation element. That's all for now; the coat's enchantment capacity is six, so I still have room for three more enchantments," Kate said, satisfied with her progress.

"And for the skirt, Phase One will cast scanning magic within a 5-meter radius. Phase Two will activate a cone-shaped barrier if it detects I'm airborne," Kate said. "That's it for now. I can still add another enchantment, but I can't think of anything at the moment."

"For the shoes, Rocket Boost sounds good, and Air Step is applicable too. That's it; I can only place two enchantments on the shoes," Kate noted. "I should try it on and see how much mana it consumes," she thought, putting on the uniform.

"I should give this enchanting method a name... How about Program Enchant?" Kate pondered. After some time, she finished dressing and examined the uniform. "It should continually draw mana from me once I infuse it," she thought, slowly channeling mana into the uniform.

"Hmm, looks like it's perfect. Since I have a substantial mana pool, I can't even feel the mana drain. Is my mana recovery higher than the uniform's mana requirements?" Kate wondered aloud. Satisfied, she stepped outside, ready to show off her newly enchanted uniform.

At the dining table, Melinda asked, "Where's Kate?"

"She went straight to her room when she got back," Merlin replied.

"Hmm?" Melinda said, raising an eyebrow as Kate entered. "Looks like you're done."

"I finished enchanting my uniform," Kate said, spinning in circles to show it off. "What do you think?"

"It looks good on you," Melinda said.

"Thanks, Grandma," Kate responded with a smile.

"Is it continually draining your mana?" Merlin asked, noticing something unusual.

Kate's eyes widened. "Oh? Grandpa noticed. Yes, I enchanted it. What do you think?"

Before Kate could elaborate, Melinda dashed over, grabbing her by the shoulders. "WHAT KIND OF ENCHANTMENT DID YOU MAKE?" Melinda shouted.

"I created a new method for enchanting and called it Program Enchant. It allows for detailed processes in the enchantments, like mine," Kate explained.

Melinda quickly grabbed her enchanted glasses and examined Kate's uniform, her eyes widening at the complexity. "This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed. "How could you even manage this?"

"Wait! don't answer that," Melinda said immediately, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Why doesn't it have a protection enchantment?" Melinda asked, looking at Kate, who appeared just as surprised.

"Looks like you forgot," Melinda said with a heavy sigh. "Go back and put some protection on it!"

"Ri—RIGHT!" Kate shouted, dashing back upstairs as Merlin chuckled.

"Hohoho, looks like she's recovering quickly," Merlin said, amused.

"What's up with the two of them?" Melinda muttered as she sat back down.

Meanwhile, in Kate's room, she thought, This is what I forgot protection enchantments. The CCC screen appeared in front of her as she focused. This will be a second group of enchantments for the coat. For phase one, it will cast Physical Attack Absorption, and for phase two, Absolute Magical Protection the same enchantments as Shin's.

"She paused, considering, But this will only apply to my top half, not my lower half. Well, that's okay for now."

After two days at the dining table, Melinda spoke up, "The entrance ceremony was yesterday, and you didn't come."

"It was to prevent my name from getting leaked. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to trick Shin's classmates when he brings them here," Kate explained.

"I see. Before I forget, don't tell anyone about your uniform, okay?" Melinda warned.

"Yes, Grandma," Kate and Shin said in unison.

"I heard about your Program Enchantment method. I tried to do it, but I can't figure out how you managed it," Shin said.

"Once I get my revenue, I'll tell you," Kate replied playfully.

"Oh?" Kate's expression changed as she realized something.

"What is it?" Melinda asked.

"I just remembered someone, haha," Kate said.

"Who is it?" Merlin inquired.

"Oh, it's Sister Su. You don't have to worry about it," Kate explained.

"If you say so," Melinda said, sounding reassured.

After some time at school, Kate sat alone in the empty classroom. "Phew, I'm the first one," she said, choosing a seat by the window. She brushed her nearly fully white hair and thought, Why did this have to happen? She opened the window and took a deep breath. The air feels so good!

Moments later, another student walked in. Hmm, someone's already here? he thought. "Good morning," he greeted.

"Good morning," Kate replied.

"You're the one who was absent yesterday. My name is August Von Earlshide," he introduced himself.

"I know, you're Uncle Dis's son, the First Prince," Kate said nonchalantly.

"Then you must be the granddaughter of the Heroes, Kate Wolford," August said.

"Indeed," Kate replied without glancing his way.

"Why were you absent?" August asked.

"I'm punishing Shin, and I plan to introduce myself as his mom to our classmates," Kate said.

"I think Shin likes someone," August noted.

"I know, it's Sicily," Kate said with a sly smile.

"If you already know, why not change your plan and introduce yourself as a potential enemy of Claude?" August suggested.

"That's so evil, interfering with his relationship," Kate replied, her mischievous smile widening.

"Looks like you really enjoy entertainment, huh," August remarked.

After their brief conversation, a young girl with blonde hair entered the room. "Looks like I got too excited!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're quite early, Corner," August said, acknowledging her arrival.

The girl, Alice Corner, looked between August and the unfamiliar face sitting next to him. "Prince August and...?" she trailed off as she approached.

"Hello, my name is Alice Corner, daughter of Glenn Corner," Alice introduced herself with a bright smile.

"My name is Kate Bowen," Kate responded.

"This is the first time I've seen hair as white as yours. Is that dyed?" Alice asked curiously.

"No, it's natural. It used to be black, but it suddenly turned silver from top to bottom," Kate explained.

"So that's why there's still some black left, huh?" Alice said, examining Kate's hair. "I look forward to studying with you."

"Thanks, me too," Kate replied.

Not long after, another student entered the room. "Good morning, everyone," the girl said as she made her way to her seat.

"Rin-chan! Look, this is Kate, the student who was absent from the entrance ceremony," Alice said as she eagerly pulled Rin over.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Rin Hughes," Rin introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Kate Bowen," Kate said with a friendly smile.

"Whoa, look at that long white hair. Are you sick?" Rin asked with a curious expression.

"Not quite, but in a way, yes. If my hypothesis is right, it's the result of having too much mana," Kate replied.

"Too much mana?" Rin repeated, intrigued.

"Indeed," Kate answered simply.

Another student entered the room and greeted, "Good morning, everyone. Looks like you all are lively this morning."

"Tony? You're early today," Alice said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm not even sure why," Tony replied, scratching his head in uncertainty.

"You're probably playing outside again," August teased.

"Hm?" Tony muttered as he walked over to the group. Noticing Kate, he said, "Looks like you're the one who was absent from the entrance ceremony. Nice to meet you, my name is Tony Freide."

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Kate Bowen," Kate responded.

"Woah! She's gorgeous!" Tony thought, momentarily stunned.

"You better not think about that, Tony," August warned with a knowing look.

"What do you mean, Prince August?" Tony asked, confusion written on his face.

"You'd have to deal with Shin if you made a move on her," August said with a serious expression.

"I see... Thanks, Prince August, I almost dug my own grave," Tony said with visible relief.

"Why would Shin-kun do that to Tony?" Alice asked, curious about the implication.

"Is there some connection between you and Shin-kun?" Rin questioned, looking at Kate with interest.

Before Kate could answer, another student entered the room. "Looks like you all are having fun," she said as she approached the group.

"Yuri-san!" Rin exclaimed, waving.

"Good morning, everyone," Yuri said warmly. Her eyes landed on Kate. "Oh, it looks like we have a new classmate?"

"She's the one who was absent from the entrance ceremony," Alice chimed in.

"I see. Nice to meet you. My name is Yuri Carlton. I look forward to studying with you," Yuri said gracefully, offering a friendly smile.

"Nice to meet you too. My name is Kate Bowen, and I also look forward to studying with you," Kate replied, matching Yuri's friendly tone.

Then, two more students entered the room. "What did we miss?" one of them asked.

"Looks like we missed quite a bit," the other added.

"No, it's just been introductions so far," Tony replied.

"Oh, is Ms. Kate Bowen here?" one of the students asked.

"Yeah, she's right here," Tony said as the two approached the group.

"Hello, good morning, and nice to meet you. My name is Thor Von Fregel," Thor introduced himself. "I am one of Prince August's escorts."

"Good morning and nice to meet you as well. I'm Julius Von Littenheim, also an escort of Prince August," Julius said.

"Nice to meet you both. My name is Kate Bowen. I look forward to studying with you," Kate responded politely.

At that moment, the last group of students entered the room.

"Shin, you've finally arrived," August called out.

"Aug?" Shin replied, slightly confused.

This time, Kate took the initiative. She stood up and walked toward Shin and the two students behind him. "It's nice to meet you, Shin Wolford, the grandson of the Heroes. My name is Kate Bowen. I look forward to studying with you," Kate said confidently.

"What is she planning?" Shin wondered as he stared at her.

"Shin, aren't you going to introduce yourself, or are you captivated by her?" August teased, grinning.

"I thought there was some connection between them. Is something going on?" Tony thought to himself.

"Ri-Right. My name is Shin Wolford. Nice to meet you. I also look forward to studying with you," Shin managed, slightly flustered.

"My name is Maria Von Messina. Nice to meet you too," one of the students behind Shin said with a smile.

"My name is Sicily Von Claude. It's nice to meet you, and I also look forward to studying with you," Sicily said, eyes brightening. "Do you remember we bumped into each other at the entrance exam?" she asked Kate.

"Yes, I remember," Kate replied, smiling back.

"Now that we're all here, the S-Class is complete!" August announced, looking over the assembled group.

Not long after, the bell rang, signaling the start of class, and their teacher entered the room. Everyone quickly took their seats.

"Congratulations on passing the entrance exam. I'm the teacher in charge of this class, Alfred Marcus. I'm an ex-Magic Army soldier, so let's get along," the teacher announced, his voice steady and authoritative.

"We won't have any lessons today, so you are free to tour the campus and interact with other students," he continued. "Tomorrow morning, we'll have an orientation, and later in the afternoon, there will be practical skill training."

"That's all for today. You're free to go," Teacher Alfred concluded, nodding at the class before leaving the room.